Cruising 20 Years Ago Compared to Today: What's changed?

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

By the way our first cruise was also on the Carnival Festivale in 1978.

 

Yes, when I want to think about how times have changed for cruising, I think back to that first cruise on the Festivale.....wow, like as different as night and day. Some things have definitely gotten much better, and some things not as much.

[G&G]

Yes, when I want to think about how times have changed for cruising, I think back to that first cruise on the Festivale.....wow, like as different as night and day. Some things have definitely gotten much better, and some things not as much.

 

Ditto.

 

Also when I worked in Charlotte in 1973 South Park Mall had just been built and that was the south end of town.

[George C]

My 1st cruise 7 day cruise was Rotterdam in 1977 and I have cruised every year since

Cost-7 day cruise was 400, 600 for singles which I was and that was a lot of money back then

Cabins were small, food and service was better – no specialty restaurants ( 1st I saw was early 1990’s)

Everyone had suit and tie every night- prefer the current 2 formals and casual other nights

Paid cash for everything

No ships had balconies back then

Rotterdam was one of the bigger ships at under 40,000 tons- but as elegant of a ship as I ever sailed on

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Ditto.

 

Also when I worked in Charlotte in 1973 South Park Mall had just been built and that was the south end of town.

 

You should see it now......it's becoming a mini-Atlanta! South Park is almost the "middle" of the metropolitan area. I have lived here for 23 years and it has surely "blossomed"....

And Eastland Mall (I am sure you remember it too) has been demolished.......a movie studio complex is supposed to go in there now.....as the old song goes, "the times, they are a changin'...."

Edited February 19, 2014 by Irish Eyes Are Sailing

[Rotterdam]

Certainly was one of the top ships of all times.....the 1977 HAL has no similarities to the current Arinson era HAL..you enjoyed the best...

 

My 1st cruise 7 day cruise was Rotterdam in 1977 and I have cruised every year since

Cost-7 day cruise was 400, 600 for singles which I was and that was a lot of money back then

Cabins were small, food and service was better – no specialty restaurants ( 1st I saw was early 1990’s)

Everyone had suit and tie every night- prefer the current 2 formals and casual other nights

Paid cash for everything

No ships had balconies back then

Rotterdam was one of the bigger ships at under 40,000 tons- but as elegant of a ship as I ever sailed on

[POA1]

Our first cruise was in1994 aboard the old Noordam. We sailed out of New Orleans on a 7 day Eastern Caribbean itinerary.

 

For the symmetry of it all, we're doing a 10 day cruise on the new Noordam. This thread got us thinking, so we'll try to put some notes together.

 

The hard part of the comparison is that the old Noordam was only half full when we were on.

[cruisetrail]

On balance, we prefer now even though certain service levels and food quality has gone downhill. And on board entertainment is at an all time low-especially on some cruise lines.

 

We like the new ships that are well designed for traffic flow. We like current pricing model that give so many more people the opportunity to experience a cruise vacation.

 

We like the larger cabins and we especially like the newer ships where such a large percentage of cabins are verandah and above.

 

We like the increase in dining venues. We especially like the trend toward casual and the decline of the tuxedo/long gown environment. And we very much like the smoke free environment on most ships-especially in the bars and in the casino.

 

I echo that.

[cruisetrail]

I was referring to Oceania. It maybe considered a premium price line but I have found prices for balcony cabins to be the same price for a Verandah Suite cabins on HAL when you add what is included in Oceania's price.

 

 

But your also have to add what "is included" in HAL ships and is not in Oceania.;)

[peaches from georgia]

But your also have to add what "is included" in HAL ships and is not in Oceania.;)

Such as what- what things are included in HAL cruise fare and not on Oceania?

[BJane]

My first cruise was in 1979. I remember how surprised I was in 1995 when there was a child on the ship (RCI). It was a first for us! The infant was the son of the captain who had brought his wife and child with him. How things have changed since that long ago time.

[deck hands]

One thing is the same, I still see Henry doing his thing in the hallways, cabins and all over the ship keeping things clean and tidy. He does an excellent job.

[cruisetrail]

Such as what- what things are included in HAL cruise fare and not on Oceania?

 

Link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=37729016&postcount=213

[rafinmd]

Such as what- what things are included in HAL cruise fare and not on Oceania?

 

How about hot breakfast room service for people in a regular cabin?

 

Roy

[July_Cruiser]

20 years ago this week I took my first cruise --on the Costa Allegra -- a container ship that was stretched and converted to a cruise ship. I fell in love with cruising, (and 3.5 years later convinced Mr. Jones to love it as well.)

 

It was fun to think back about my first cruise and how different some things are today: http://www.travelingwiththejones.com/2014/02/04/celebrating-20-years-of-cruising-what-has-changed-versus-what-has-stayed-the-same/

 

What are the biggest changes in cruising that you've noticed in the last 20 years?

 

What do you think has stayed the same?

 

Our first cruise was in 1985 on the SS Norway, an NCL ship that was originally a transatlantic passenger ship the SS FRANCE that was remodeled into a cruise ship. The 50 foot draft meant that we had to tender into even St Thomas harbor. The newer ships can easily sail into water half that deep! The old ship had been a first class and second class ship, but NCL broke through the sections (on most decks) and made it nice for everyone. The old second class dining room was remodeled so nicely that it was more elegant than the old first class dining room. All dining rooms had NO WINDOWS, not even portholes. They were down near the hold of the ship. Also there was an indoor pool down there.

 

The captain's cocktail party was really elegant! They would announce on the PA your names as you shook the captain's hand then were offered champaign and caviar, etc.

 

Cabins were very small, as a rule. However, our TA was able to book our first cruise as a Guarantee. We paid the actual price in the brochure, for the cheapest cabin $1,145 each include air from Pittsburgh to Miami. But a couple weeks beforehand the TA called all excited that we had gotten upgraded to the Oslo Deck with windows!!! No balcony cabins on this ship and only a few higher level cabins tan ours. We had a regular double bed and a single bed. A clawfoot bathtub with steam heated towel rack!

 

Second cruise in 1987 was on NCL MS STARWARD. Smaller but newer ship and MDR had windows and at stern of ship. Really small cabins, but our guarantee got us moved from inside to outside with two very small portholes. Twin beds were very common back then, but the steward was able to reconfigure to push the twins together.

 

Sailed on Costa Daphne around 1989 (only 350 passengers) food was terrific but very little entertainment! Cabins small and "L" configuration on twin beds. Loved sailing out of San Juan, more ports of call, got all the way to Barbados and back to San Juan in 7 days with no sea days! The servers in the Lido would take the food tray away from the lady and take it to her table outside by the pool.

 

We too have sailed on the Costa Allego, we liked that ship, some people didn't like all the white marble throughout but it had a nice Italian flair to it.

 

We liked the old Regency Cruise Line, Regent Sun, really cheap. $975 each included air from Pittsburgh to San Juan! That was in the early 1990's and a bargain even in those days. We would come back from shore in the afternoon, after missing lunch, and attend the ellegant tea in our shorts, which was okay. But the servers wore white gloves and white formal jackets even for the casual tea. Lots of yummy finger sandwiches and desserts to hold us over until dinner.

 

The beds on the newer ships are more comfortable and you don't have a hard time obtaining a double bed. Some of the older ships you would have gotten stuck with bunk beds in the cheaper cabins. Luckly we were upgraded. Cabin size and starage today is much better. Except for our first cruise's amazing bathroom, the bathrooms in the old days were tiny, you really were sitting half way in the shower when you were on the toilet!

 

 

Today's no-smoking dining rooms are better than having smoking and non-smoking sections. But that was how regular restaurants were in that day as well. I think waiters still want to go out of their way to give good service, but today's waiters have so many more people to serve per waiter that things were less rushed in the old days.

[lettienets]

My first cruise in 1971 was a 10 day one out of Venice to the Black Sea on the Romanza, think it was Chandris or Epirotiki. There were 3 young girls sharing a port hole cabin (which was an upgrade) paying $259 ea. The beds and bunk seemed more the size of cots than beds. I remember the excursions were $5, $7 and $10 which we thought was a lot! Drinks were 35 cents.