What was your first Modern Cruise ship on which you sailed?

[Tatka]

I started from the best ship for novice.. X Century !!!! :)

 

I'm still looking for the better experience! ;)

[morriscats]

Carnival's Carnivale in 1980 - at least we thought it was modern and exquisite back then.

[Lisa63]

Depends what you mean by "modern." Our first was on a ship built in 1982, and our second was on a ship built in 1988. Both were modern compared to our third, that was built in 1958. These sailings took place between 1990 and 1993 and the ships were Atlantic, Seaward, and SeaBreeze, respectively.

[geopa]

Nordic Empress, 1991-- a 3 day cruise just to see if we would like it, first of 17 and counting

[Cruise Arizona]

I've been reading that book about the early days of cruising out of Miami, and for the most part the cruise ships were passengers ships that had been used for transporting passengers from Europe to America, or between two ports, or something like that, and as that business died out, those ships were bought for pleasure cruising out of Miami and LA.

 

I guess what I mean by "Modern" would be a purpose built ship. One build specifically for pleasure cruising.

 

Early ships that come to mind that might fit this bill would be as metioned before "Pacific Princess", "Song of Norway", "Sunward", "Southward", "Skyward" (Though one of them was actually built to transport cars and passengers from England to Gilbralter).

 

Any way there is an interesting article in Cruise Travel this month on humble beginning of many cruise lines. It is about the old ships that the lines started thier fleets with, and how they contrast with thier modern fleets. It was those old converted ships that I took all my cruises on until the Merc. in 2003. The Rotterdam for example was built to be a two class trans Atlantic Crossing vessel, so it kind of had two of everything, and you could kind of tell which areas were built for first class and which were built for the Tourist Class or Second Class.

 

I remember on many ships, there were no modern electrical outlets in the room so you had to go down to a converted room down the hall that was all set up with mirrors and outlets to do your hair for the evening. (This was actually a good thing for our family of 4, Mom, Sis and I would go down the hall and have plenty of room and good lighting to get ready for dinner. )

 

Was anybody on the Song of Norway in the old days, did it have modern electrical outlets??? How about the Pacific Princess. I would be curious to know what "modern" convienences these ships actually had back in the 70's.

 

The think I loved about the Merc was how much bigger and stylish our cabin was than the very basic cabin we had on the Rotterdam.

 

My parents even went on the Carnevale in 1977, and from the pictures and home movies, it looks very very old fashioned.

 

The one thing I do miss about the older ships was that they were for the most part smaller than the modern ships with fewere passengers which made cruising a bit more intimate and friendly.

[JLC@SD]

I've sailed on the beautiful sisters:

 

Fair Sea in 1984 (later became Fair Princess and the China Seas Discovery)

 

and

 

Dawn Princess in 1988 (later became Albatros)

 

Unfortunately both are now gone, both met the breakers at Alang.

 

Here is Dawn Princess at Venice in 1988.

[chasetf]

My first ship was the France... but that was a purpose build multi-class Atlantic "crosser". So the first would be the Starward (NCL). Picture is included...

[morriscats]

Carnivale was my first cruise - me and 3 other recently divorced shattered souls. We thought it was the biggest most beautiful ship around. You could not dry or curl your hair in your stateroom - there was a big room on each deck where you would go to do that. They also had ironing boards set up there to press clothes. There were wine caraf's at each table at dinner - red and white. And they kept refilling them. I had a little too much wine one night for dinner and our very foreign speaking waiter was asking me something and I just smiled and nodded yes - anything so I would not embarass myself. When he left my friend said "do you know what you just said yes to?" I had nodded I would meet him later. Uh oh. Of course I didn't do that and the next nights dinner was a little chilly. But we had a great time. They hit golf balls off the aft. Midnight buffet and then another one at 1:30. Cruising has come a long way but I will always remember that one.

[nat9511]

Our first cruise was on Carnival's Carnivale. I believe it was in the early 80's. We thought it was wonderful but looking back and after being on large modern ships I realize how plain and small it was. Carnival only had a couple of ships at that time. Second cruise was on the Tropicale.

[greeneg]

NCL Sunward for us.

[jetcruisers]

oops!

[halos]

Carnival Celebration 1991

[jetcruisers]

It was in 1983 on the MS Scandinavia, christened in 1982 by Liv Ullman.

We sailed from New York to Freeport and we hit a major storm passing the cape in the Carolinas with 25 foot seas. It seemed everyone on the ship was sick except our little group. There were people sleeping in the hallways, no one was allowed outside and it was a little scary for a while but we were determined to have a good time.

The ship was quite modern then (it was actually also a ferry,too and there was quite a bit of damage to some of the vehicles due to the storm) Some people got off in Freeport and flew home! Didn't put me off cruising, though. We're about to take our 23rd cruise in February(3rd on Zenith.)

The ship is now sailing as the Island Escape by Island Cruises.

[cusyl]

1970s Cunard Princess in the Caribbean was the first modern ship. Our first was in 1964 on the Florida, but there was nothing luxurious at all about it.

[Druke I]

Well, depending on your definition of modern, I guess mine would be HAL's Noordam, 6-85.

 

If you want to stretch a point, it might be P&O's Oriana, 7-64, while she was still engaged in line voyages, as opposed to cruising.

[Red Baron]

HAL's Maasdam in 2000 for our Honeymoon. We sail Constellation next month to celebrate our fifth anniversary.

[geoherb]

Here's a great website on the history of the Carnivale, built it 1956 as the Empress of Britain. My first cruise was on it. We had a wonderful time.

 

Our first modern cruise ship was the Seaward. It's funny how many others have had the similar cruise histories as me--starting off on the Carnivale, then the Seaward, before moving up to better ships.

[tarheelmjfan]

Our 1st cruise was on SS Dolphin IV in 1992 for our honeymoon. :) At the time, it looked like a small tugboat docked beside the newer RCCL ships. However, the food & service were incredibly good. I wish we could still find these at such a high caliber on mass market lines.

[Barnitch]

In 1987 I went on the Celebration when I was 8 years old. I went on the Jubilee 2 years later. Everything was so "80's style"!!

[Cruise Arizona]

I was thinking that the Fairsea was an older ship.

 

I looked it up on

 

http://simplonpc.co.uk/Carinthia1956.htm

 

And indeed she was an older ship, built orginally as the Cunard Carinthia in 1956, but she did indeed end up as the Fair Princes and then the China Sea Discovery.

 

At the time, the Fairsea was the largest ship I had ever been on.

[lambcom]

HAL's Veendam (the 600 pax model) in 1983. It was its last season with HAL but was still in super condition. It spoiled us -- unfortunately the only remaining ships in this size are either rustbuckets or way beyond our means.

 

We were on the "new" Veendam earlier this year celebrating our 40th anniversary with a Tampa to San Diego Panama Canal cruise. It's a nice ship with great amenities (although I think we still prefer Celebrity) but we remember fondly the much more personalized service provided back in 83 when staff still had the time to chat with passengers.

[bobpatj]

Legend of the Seas to Alaska, in 1997.

[gofigure49]

The Sunbird. Originally built for Royal Caribbean in 1982 and named Song of America, the British Company, My Travel bought it in 1999. It catered to British and Canadian customers, so if you liked Bangers & Mash you were in luck! Currency was the pound and the casino had slot machines you'd never seen in the Western Hemisphere.If you travel to La Romana in the Dominican Republic you'll see the Sunbird's name whitewashed on the pier. That was her starting point and she had a wonderful southern Caribbean itinerary. Unfortunately, My Travel is no longer in the cruising business and sold their fleet of 3 ships to the Cyprus-based Lorius company and I believe she's merrily cruising the Mediterannean. This was our first cruising experience and although the ship was not luxurious compared to North American standards, it got us hooked.

[turquoisesea]

I think I would have to agree; it was the NCL Sea about mid 1990s. Actually in 1986 I sailed the Costa Riv and it was more modern than my first couple of cruises, but still didn't even have phones or TV in the cabins. NMnita

 

I can't believe that someone else was actually on the Costa Riviera! Do you remember the "hair drying rooms" because there were no outlets in the room :eek: and the dinners that came out still frozen :( from the microwave???

[surfklutz]

The Veracruz - 1985........yikes