The oldest ship You sailed on

[JimnKaren]

In 1992 or 1993, I sailed on Carnival's "Carnivale", which was launched in 1955 as Empress of Britain. It was interesting. The dining room was low and toward the center with NO windows, dark paneling all the way around. Our cabin was huge, with fixed beds, but lots of floor space (ahem).

 

Jim

[gooch47]

Depends on how you take the intent of this question.

 

Oldest would have been Carnival's Festivale and Tropicale, but they weren't all that old when we sailed on them in the 1980's.

 

The one that had been around the longest when we sailed on her would have had to have been the original Royal Princess. We sailed on her on the Amazon River in 2010.

[whogo]

The Regent Star, launched in 1957 as Holland America's Staatendam, was about 37 years old when we sailed her. Next oldest was the Seawind Crown, ony 31 years old, originally TS Infante Dom Henrique, if the internet is to be believed.

[CrossBluePerchance]

I have no idea what they were called, (if indeed they were called anything......although I presume they were), but I'm sure others remember the little hinged 'ledges' on ship's dining tables that could be raised in order to stop plates sliding in rougher weather.

[cruisemom42]

I have no idea what they were called, (if indeed they were called anything......although I presume they were), but I'm sure others remember the little hinged 'ledges' on ship's dining tables that could be raised in order to stop plates sliding in rougher weather.

 

Yes, I remember those. I also remember being on a cruise (as a kid) and watching my peas rolling around on my plate -- then off my plate and onto the table.

 

Ah, fun times before stabilizers!

[navybankerteacher]

I have no idea what they were called, (if indeed they were called anything......although I presume they were), but I'm sure others remember the little hinged 'ledges' on ship's dining tables that could be raised in order to stop plates sliding in rougher weather.

 

They were (probably should still be) called fiddles.

[CrossBluePerchance]

They were (probably should still be) called fiddles.

 

 

Thank you, I'd never heard that term before.

[Corby114]

SS Norway when I sailed on her with my cousin in May 1983. The ship originally sailed as the SS France in 1961. In 1974 the ship ended service as the SS France and was laid up in Le Harve, France until NCL purchased it and spent millions to return the ship to service. SS Norway entered service in 1980 and ended service in 2003 when a boiler explosion in 2003 in Miami killed numerous crew members. It sat at the Port Of Miami for a few months until NCL decided to attempt to repair the damage. It was towed by a sea going tug to Germany where they decided that the damage was too extensive to repair and too expensive to do. The ship was then towed to Port Alang, India where it was scrapped. The ship at the time was beautiful after its extensive renovations in 1980.

[yorkshirephil]

In 1992 or 1993, I sailed on Carnival's "Carnivale", which was launched in 1955 as Empress of Britain. It was interesting. The dining room was low and toward the center with NO windows, dark paneling all the way around. Our cabin was huge, with fixed beds, but lots of floor space (ahem).

 

Jim

 

This is the same ship that later became the Thompson Topaz.

[Heidi13]

I have no idea what they were called, (if indeed they were called anything......although I presume they were), but I'm sure others remember the little hinged 'ledges' on ship's dining tables that could be raised in order to stop plates sliding in rougher weather.

 

Don't recall them having a name. Best thing in a good seaway was to wet the table cloth with a little water, which helped stop the plates from sliding.

[donaldsc]

If this is a contest, I think that I win (LOL!!) -

 

"The Lewis R. French was launched in 1871 in Christmas Cove[4] in the town of South Bristol, Maine. She is 101 ft long, has 64.7 feet (19.7 m) of deck, a 18.8-foot (5.7 m) beam, and draws 7 feet (2.1 m) with a full keel. Sail is her only means of power. Her frame is of double-sawn oak and her planking is white pine. Fastenings were originally treenails, but were replaced during restoration by spiking.[5]

 

DON

[CrossBluePerchance]

Don't recall them having a name. Best thing in a good seaway was to wet the table cloth with a little water, which helped stop the plates from sliding.

 

 

I Googled, and fiddles they are.

[new_cruiser]

Oldest build year is 1986 - Windstar Wind Star.

Oldest at the time I sailed on her is Windstar Star Legend, built 1990 and sailed this year so 28 years old and still lovely.

 

Looking forward to returning to Wind Star to sail through the Panama Canal and visit Costa Rica next January.

[Kartgv]

First ship I sailed on was the Starward (built in 1968) in 1977!

[sail7seas]

HAL's Noordam III, launched 1983 She now is charterred to Thompson and has been out of HAL's fleet for many years.

 

 

.

[John Bull]

I have no idea what they were called, (if indeed they were called anything......although I presume they were), but I'm sure others remember the little hinged 'ledges' on ship's dining tables that could be raised in order to stop plates sliding in rougher weather.

 

Yes, as others have posted, they were called fiddles.

 

I think that the reason you no longer see them on ships is because they & their hinges were jemmied from the tables, screwed together end-to-end, then nailed to the sides of the ships & re-named "stabilisers".

But I may be wrong :rolleyes:

 

JB :)

[jocap]

Oldest was Louis Perla, in 2007 which was NCL Southward in 1971.

Sailed on the ferry Columba from Iona to Mull in the '60s... she was built 1964, but haven't sailed her since she became the super craft Hebridean Princess, sometimes chartered by the Queen...

[OCruisers]

Depends on how you take the intent of this question.

 

.

 

Good Question!

Wondering which is the oldest ship you have recently cruised ?

[CrossBluePerchance]

Good Question!

Wondering which is the oldest ship you have recently cruised ?

 

Define recent. ;)

[George C]

SS Norway when I sailed on her with my cousin in May 1983. The ship originally sailed as the SS France in 1961. In 1974 the ship ended service as the SS France and was laid up in Le Harve, France until NCL purchased it and spent millions to return the ship to service. SS Norway entered service in 1980 and ended service in 2003 when a boiler explosion in 2003 in Miami killed numerous crew members. It sat at the Port Of Miami for a few months until NCL decided to attempt to repair the damage. It was towed by a sea going tug to Germany where they decided that the damage was too extensive to repair and too expensive to do. The ship was then towed to Port Alang, India where it was scrapped. The ship at the time was beautiful after its extensive renovations in 1980.

 

Sailed her 7 times in 80’s and 90’s including honeymoon in one of there new suites that were added in 1991, was sure one of the hal people would have sailed on the ark.

[FredT]

MS Astoria of Cruise & Maritime Voyages. The ship was launched in 1947 as the Stockholm, survived a collision at sea which sank the Andrea Doria in 1956.

 

Our interest was mainly in that my parents went on her a number of times in 1948-49, and had always raved about her.

 

Out trip was a "Around the British Isles" in March of this year..... From that we CLEARLY saw the reason she is still afloat... (4 days of 30' seas and 40 mph winds....)

[bob brown]

They were (probably should still be) called fiddles.

Seems like a good idea..wonder why they stopped using them? I suppose its cheaper to replace broken plates resulting from rough seas, then maintaining the fiddles....:confused:

[bob brown]

If this is a contest, I think that I win (LOL!!) -

 

"The Lewis R. French was launched in 1871 in Christmas Cove[4] in the town of South Bristol, Maine. She is 101 ft long, has 64.7 feet (19.7 m) of deck, a 18.8-foot (5.7 m) beam, and draws 7 feet (2.1 m) with a full keel. Sail is her only means of power. Her frame is of double-sawn oak and her planking is white pine. Fastenings were originally treenails, but were replaced during restoration by spiking.[5]

 

DON

I toured the USS Constitution (1797)....does that 'count'?:D

[Kartgv]

First ship I sailed on was the Starward (built in 1968) in 1977!

 

Just realized we sailed on an older ship - the SS Constitution, commissioned in 1951. We sailed her in Hawaii in 1988. No stabilizers on that one!

[JMorris271]

Good Question!

Wondering which is the oldest ship you have recently cruised ?

That was not my question. It is : The Oldest cruise ship you have EVER sailed on. Not recently cruised on. Including SS transport is a great idea.