Old time cruisers what is the farthest back you go

[JAYRAY1259]

I just wanted to delve into a little history lesson from some of our elder states people on Cruise Critic. By this I mean, I think it would be interesting to hear from some real old timers that possibly cruised during the "Golden Age" of cruising.

I only go back to 1992, so I'm a novice (11) cruises. Is there any folks that sailed on the great ships, e.g. SS United States, Queen Mary and the like?

If you did, tell us a little about that experience, compare it to modern day cruising if you still go on sailings

I know there are a lot of people on this site that have been lucky enough to go on 25, 50 or more cruises, I'm not interested in that type of cruiser. What I would like to hear from, is the ones that have the experience of back in the day.

I'll bet that there is a lot of people who would enjoy hearing from you.

Thanks, Joe Philadelphia.

 

P.S. The SS United States is still rusting away tied to the pier down on Delaware Ave. here in Philadelphia One of the major upscale cruise lines invested a lot of money to do a study on the ship and possibly get it back sailing again. They finished the feasibility study and then backed out. The United States still sits in limbo and will in all likelihood end up being scrapped. I think it costs something like $60,000 per month just to maintain it in the condition that it's presently in.

[vacationlover_mn]

Why do I suddenly have the theme to "Love Boat" in my head now? :)

 

 

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[Pumbaamd]

Troop ship USN Gen.Walker, Sept.1966, 21 days Tacoma WA to Vung Tau VN, with one port visit to Okinawa.

 

 

Rick

Edited November 14, 2016 by Pumbaamd

[shippmates]

Our first cruise was back in 1989 on the Carnival Mardi Gras. It was one of her last cruises and it was terrible. They were ripping up carpet, you had bar servers asking you every few minutes if you wanted a drink. The only good think about the trip was the skeet shooting off the back of the ship. It took us 10 years before we would attempt to do another cruise. What a difference 10 years made. We sailed on the Carnival Paradise which was a total smoke free ship. That was wonderful to have no smoke smell on your clothes or in the casino. We have been hooked every since.

[ATG]

Our first cruise was on NCL, I believe the Southward. It took a lot of convincing (and a few drinks) to get DH to agree, but after that we were both hooked. That was 1979.

 

The thing I remember most was at the formal Captains dinner. Everyone got a small plastic drinking horn with a shot of aquavit to toast the cruise. I kept the drinking horn for a long time (until the kids found it). They had a booklet with all the passenger's names and home towns. Dinner was much fancier.

 

We also sailed the Norway, which was once a transAtlantic ship. It was strangely configured, and not conducive to Caribbean sailings. But parts looked much like the movie Titanic.

 

Ships and atmosphere have changed over the years. I really like the more casual atmosphere now, and the ships are amazing with so much to do.

[twocc's]

We sailed in 1964 on the Bahama Star from Miami to the Bahamas on a four day cruise. Still cruising-booked about 26 cruises this year. Changes some good some bad.

 

Charles and Connie

[antmaril]

NCL Starward in 1982. If I remember correctly, that ship was about 17,000 tons. We had lots of fun (but, I did get incredibly seasick).

[island lady]

The Big Red Boat and SeaEscape (can't remember correct spelling)

out of Port Canaveral. ;) :D

[sellwingri]

Why do I suddenly have the theme to "Love Boat" in my head now? :)

 

 

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I've done 4 Princess cruises including our first in 1998 (not too long ago at all) and they play The Love Boat constantly on one tv channel. I also remember the captain blowing the horn with "love, exciting and new". Now I'll have it in my head all day. Too bad Royal Caribbean has nothing like that.

[island lady]

I've done 4 Princess cruises including our first in 1998 (not too long ago at all) and they play The Love Boat constantly on one tv channel. I also remember the captain blowing the horn with "love, exciting and new". Now I'll have it in my head all day. Too bad Royal Caribbean has nothing like that.

 

Disney (we call the mouse boat ;)) plays tunes on the way out of PC...or at

least she used to anyway.

 

Sometimes when two Royal ships are in port, they do "toot" talk to each

other as one leaves. Pretty funny. :)

[Jim40]

Disney (we call the mouse boat ;)) plays tunes on the way out of PC...or at

least she used to anyway.

 

Sometimes when two Royal ships are in port, they do "toot" talk to each

other as one leaves. Pretty funny. :)

 

We did Big red Boat in 94 i think it was Atlantis and Oceanic that sailed out of PC.

[moonltnite]

I sailed with my family in 1978 on the Cunard Princess. My parents had one cabin and my grandmother, brother and I had the one next door. Both were outside with small portholes. The cabins were very small, so it felt claustrophobic with 3 of us in one cabin. I was 21 (had just graduated college) and I wasn't terribly happy about sharing a cabin with my grandmother and 14 year old brother! I felt he should have shared a cabin with my parents!

 

I remember some kind of captain's cocktail party before the first formal night. Almost all women wore floor length gowns. Many men had tuxes - but my dad and brother just wore suits and ties. We dressed up for every dinner. I had dresses for dinner every night, and two floor-length gowns for formal nights.

 

I remember two of the ports being San Juan and Puerto Plata. I remember going to see the fort in San Juan and then having to shop with my mother (she was a shopaholic). In the Dominican Republic, I remember there were a lot of soldiers with machine guns or rifles. I don't remember exactly what we toured - but I remember going up high to view the island. I believe there was a rather volatile election in May of that year - we were there in late June.

 

After our cruise, we flew up to Orlando to visit Disney World. It was just the Magic Kingdom at that point, and you had tickets for levels A to E. We paid under $10 for adult tickets (my brother's was about $1 less). It included entrance and a ticket booklet. I remember having to use an E ticket to go to the Haunted Mansion!

Edited November 14, 2016 by moonltnite

[island lady]

We did Big red Boat in 94 i think it was Atlantis and Oceanic that sailed out of PC.

 

Was still with husband #1 at that time, so it must have been late 80's for us. :eek:

 

I only list cruises in my signature that I did with 2nd (and last ;)) husband. :p

Edited November 14, 2016 by island lady

[Ontario Cruiser]

1985 with Regent Holidays out of Toronto on the Azur and have done over 60 since going on Rhapsody April crossing Brillance Nov crossing and Grandeur in Feb. We are Elite Plus on Celebrity so get the perks

Ontario Cruiser

[Tin can]

1991 for me, on a three day cruise from Cyprus to Israel and Egypt.

 

The ship, the Princessa Marissa of Louis Lines even back then was a 30 year old ferry from Scandinavia so it was basic but fun.

 

Saw some great places in the Holy Land and tried to buy a fake watch on the dock side in Egypt (I was young then) which resulted in one of the vendors pulling a gun when about half a dozen street sellers started arguing amongst themselves for my business. I was back on that ship minus a timepiece in record time :eek:

 

Didnt cruise then until 2001, we had chocolates on the pillow then and I remember the Enchantment having a made to order fast food bar on the pool deck open until the early hours.

 

Another break then until 2013 until we started back with Royal cruising and the rest is history :)

[Lazz]

The Song of America and the grand lady SS Norway back in the 80s

[Homosassa]

My husband did several trans-Atlantic crossing on HAL and the Home lines back in the 1950's.

 

He talks about the segregated deck system for the various class passengers and how he and other "cabin" class kids would sneak into the First Class deck areas until they were caught by the crew and sent back down to where they belong. He said the crew seemed to expect the shenanigans and would leave them alone until a First Class passenger appeared and then would send them back down with a smile.

 

He also talks about one crossing where there was a hurricane in the Atlantic and the bow of the ship was going up and crashing down with the waves washing across the front of the ship. He was eight and loved it. His mother, however, was as sick as a dog and stayed in the cabin for two days.

 

We started cruising together in 1976 on the Chandris Britanis. We rented the deck chairs at a minimal fee for the week. The chairs were labeled with our names and were placed in each day was our preferred location that we has specified on the first day.

 

Every night was formal and the dinner service was white glove French style. It was great. One could pick the cut of meat from the rolling trolley and select whatever sides that were wanted from the trays that the waiters carried around. Dinner was a social time to relax and enjoy your table companions.

 

Besides the nightly entertainment in the lounges, all the ships were sailed on through the mid-80's always had a dedicated space for movies and showed a different current movie each night. Because my husband and I were too busy with our jobs and other obligations at home, we used to look forward to our cruises to catch up on the recent films.

 

The dress for the evening slowly changed over the years from nightly formal (long dresses for women) to include several semi-formal nights (semi-formal short dresses for the women that many would now consider to be overdressing for formal nights).

 

Cruising was a time when one could totally disconnect from home and relax. While there was ship to shore radio, a passenger would only have access in an emergency. Cabins didn't have radios or TV. In the 80's radios appeared that gave you access to different channels broadcasted by the ship. These would be channels that played different kinds of music on a loop (i.e.; classical. pop) or gave ship updates.

 

There was no such thing as towel animals. The cabin steward had turn down with locate your night clothes and nightgowns and PJs would be displayed on the bed with pleating and draping by the steward. I make sure to bring my better nightwear on the cruises for th nightly display.

Edited November 14, 2016 by Homosassa

[akcruz]

Our first was in 1988 on Carnival Holiday. We thought the ship was so big. Formal dress, lining up to book excursions onboard the day before a port call and hoping they still had spots for your choice when you got to the front of the line, cheap drinks in real glasses. Much different than the cruises if today in many ways. Pros and cons to both.

 

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[njkruzer]

1971 Home Lines Oceanic, which I think became the first Big Red boat. Sailed NYC to Nassau. Dressed for dinner every night, and boarded all dressed up. Our children saw our boarding pictures and wanted to know why. Had to explain that you always dressed to travel in those days. Had assigned deck chairs and a deck steward who brought me iced tea and snacks everyday! Our cabin steward unpacked and stored our luggage. Yes cruising is different though not complaining. Cabins are better. That cabin had twin beds attached to the wall and a port hole. I also remember the water tight doors in the halls so there was a door frame you had to step over. Ship design and construction have really changed.

[maria1122]

We are not "old timers". But for us it was our first cruise on Premier cruise lines Seabreeze which was sunk off the coast of Carolina. A bit suspicious because it had a $20 million insurance policy on it.

Edited November 14, 2016 by maria1122

[luvscruising2007]

My first cruise was in 1968 out of Miami to Nassau. It was a 5 day. Monday to Friday. I don't remember the cruise line or ship. I don't remember much but I do know the drinks were cheap, probably why I don't remember much. Also, the AC wasn't working so in August that was a real bummer.

[Johaz]

First one on the Rotterdam in 1967. Most fun one on the Stefan Batory (Polish Ocean Lines) in 1976 -- a shot of vodka 15 cents!!!

 

 

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[marco]

First "sailing" was in the late 50's, as a child to Italy on the Italian liner 'Christofo Columbo"., to visit family. I got hooked on ship travel then, when I was 6. Now, in my 60's between subsequent TA's and cruises it numbers probably around 125-ish. Sooooooooo many changes over the years. The cruise line "business" has morphed into something very very different from the once upon a time when foreign line ships of state did an occasional cruise between sailings operating as the Atlantic ferry. Each with truly unique personality and ambiance representing the country they hailed from. Then came along a couple of lines that were the original cruises only lines. Incres, Home, to mention a couple, both of which maintained the style and grace of the ships that preceded them. Now they all seem to be homogenized into one big line and if you removed logo, name tags and signage, I'd be hard pressed to know which line I was on. But in spite of that, I still love traveling on a ship and continue to do so. There are some aspects of being out on the ocean that just don't change!

[Pyrate13]

Can't remember the exact year but it was on a Premier Cruise Lines ship, the Majestic out of Port Canaveral. I'm thinking early 90's. Outer Abaco's in the Bahamas.

[cruisemom42]

My mother had several trans-Atlantic voyages on various ships, including the original Queen Mary, which she loved. She and my grandmother went to Europe and spent up to several months (both were teachers). Things were very formal on these crossings and while the "class system" wasn't as rigid, it still existed.

 

When the cruise industry started to take off in the early 1970s, we were right there. I started cruising at age 9 or 10 and took a number of cruises on Sitmar's Fairwind and Fairsea throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

 

As others have said, the dress was much more formal -- there were three categories: formal, semi-formal (dress/jacket & tie), or informal, which was usually just the first night aboard. No such thing as "casual" dress allowed.

 

People ate in the main dining room at fixed seating times -- there was no other choice. No specialty restaurants, no dedicated buffet (although there would be an occasional lunch buffet served poolside), no "as you like" open seating.

 

There were more courses served at meals, and much more individual attention as most waiters had only two tables or maybe three. Sides were served to you, salads were dressed at table, and there were table-side preparations of things like pasta or "flaming cherries jubilee."

 

Entertainment was fairly amateur, although you'd get the occasional "name" singer or comedian that people might recognize. Activities included things like horse racing, skeet shooting off the back of the ship, dancing lessons, and Bingo. There were very few "for pay" activities and no real spa.

 

Ships were small and these were the "pre-stabilizer" days, so I recall some pretty rough seas. I remember going down hallways where there were "barf bags" set up at regular intervals. I also remember that our table in the dining room had a lip around the edges that could be put in position to stop things sliding off the table! Fun times....:D

 

Cabins were also small. Very few balconies -- usually just for suites. You were lucky to have a porthole. Your room steward seemed to be constantly available. They brought any room service items (very limited) as well as cleaning your cabin and managing laundry.

 

I too recall getting a printed list of passengers onboard -- something that would never happen today. We also got a set of menus at the end of each cruise (menus were much more individualized...)

 

Even the ports were different. The Caribbean back then was very non-commercial. You'd have very few organized excursions; mostly it was a matter of getting off the ship, walking around the town a bit, or getting a taxi for a couple hours' tour of the island sites. I remember little kids would swim out to the ship and entreat passengers to toss coins, which they would dive for. No Margaritavilles, no Diamonds International....

Edited November 14, 2016 by cruisemom42