How much did you pay for your FIRST cruise and when?

[Petunia1950]

20 minutes ago, msmayor said:

 

I can see her stacks every time we drive into Philadelphia, usually headed to either the stadiums or the airport.  I bet she was a beauty in her day...

She was -- and even though we were there as part of a military transfer to Europe, we were treated like royalty.  She was one of the greats.

[Tantsee]

NCL’s M/S Starward In 1986.  We were really stretching our pennies to take our first cruise.  If I recall correctly, it was $1200 including air and pre-cruise hotel.  That was for an inside cabin in the belly of the ship.  Lol. We even had to take the stairs to get down the final flight to our deck, because the elevator didn’t go down that far (at least in that location?).  I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t work these days!  It seemed like we were in the basement.  Yet, we always remember that cruise with fondness. 

[SetAnOpenCourse]

The Westerdam, 7 night Eastern Caribbean in 2012.  Verandah gty, $549.  It was just what I needed at the time, something soothing, and watching the water go by and listening to it was really just the right thing.  Despite somewhat rocky seas, lol.

 

[Shih-tzu]

26 November 1973 to 08 Dec 1973 -  on the SS Nevassa - Dubrovnik-Athens-Trabizon-Istanbul-Messina-Naples.   Parents paid around $450 for high school trip on an "educational" cruise.   It was a converted troop ship and we slept in dorms with about 16-20 racks to sleep on per dorm.   I remember the food was horrid... It wasn't close to a cruise ship by today's standards....  I don't remember if the airfare from Moncton NB via London UK to the embarkation/debarkation ports was included or not, but the shore excursions were.  

My first what I would call a "real" cruise was on the Veendam to Bermuda in 2015.   Paid $499 CAD each for a big inside cabin (port fees, etc extra).

[GUT2407]

The only one I can give a definitive answer on was in 2004 Sydney to Tasmania, $1799 for a balcony (looking back must have been a guarantee as we had no say in which cabin,) on Pacific Princess, have the same itinerary booked in eight weeks on Majestic Princess accessible mini suite $1999 and some OBC. Did the same trip 2017 on Emerald Princess in a balcony $1699, did it on Norwegian Jewel last year was but more expensive, $1899.

 

so to be fair cruising is great value as in that same 15 years wages have gone up considerably.

[dockman]

1972 Holland America seven night Caribbean.  Free as I had just begun a long career in  the travel biz.

[sevenseasnomad]

Fairwind in May 1975, sailing from FLL on eastern Caribbean cruise, for $1200 per person, which included round-trip air fare from Washington D.C.  We loved Sitmar, marvelous service, fabulous food, and the entertainment was Red Buttons and Henny Youngman (for those of your born after a certain time period, those were two outstanding comedians, with Buttons also an actor in several movies).  We never laughed so much.  Each of them did two shows on a week-long cruise.  

 

Yes, that voyage hooked us.  Sadly, we didn't have the money to cruise on a regular basis until 2008.  By then, we'd taken 1 Carnival cruise, 3 RCCL cruises, and three Celebrity cruises.  We discovered HAL in 2008.  Since 2010, we've sailed HAL exclusively, at least twice a year, sometimes three times a year.  After 2017, I've sailed with family or friends, as my wonderful husband died.  He made me promise that I'd never stop cruising as long as I'm physically able.  It's a promise that isn't hard to fulfill, although I do miss sharing the adventure with him on these trips.  This summer will be my first time going solo.

 

But no cruise will ever exceed the joy of that first cruise.  

[RevNeal]

The first cruise I paid for myself was in late 1994 (I think it was around Thanksgiving) aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam III.  I'm pretty sure it was a 14 day Cruise in the Caribbean and I was sharing a large outside cabin (I think they called called a "mini-suite") with my grandfather, who was 94 at the time but still in superior condition.  Earlier that year I had successfully completed the defense of my doctoral dissertation, and this seemed like a great way to celebrate. This was was my grandfather's last sea voyage, and he had a great time showing me around the ship and some of the islands.

 

As for how much it cost, for some reason I seem to recall that I paid $1400, which was an enormous sum to me at that time. Granddad took care of all of our onboard expenses, for which I was deeply grateful.

[HollDoll]

I remember vividly.  September, 1970, QE2 (second year), one way ticket aa I was moving to England.  Was $555 each for the lowest, cheapest cabin!  But what did I care...I was on an adventure!

[rucrazy]

While. I do not remember the price point, our first cruise was in 2000 aboard the carnival ecstasy. while we disliked Carnival we did like the concept. Our 2nd cruise was on the Ryndam, and from that point we we’re hooked.

[redhot1]

It was 1976 on Song Of Norway an RCCL ship out of Miami and the cost was around $675 plus airfare to Miami from Los Angeles . Loved it and we were hooked. We've now taken close to 50 cruise with  about 25 on HAL. Out first HAL cruise was  an Alaskan cruise in 1990 out of Vancouver and was around  $1400   including out 2 daughters. Great  cruise and we have been on and off HAL ever since.😉

[BJzink]

6 hours ago, Homosassa said:

1976 - seven night Caribbean cruise on the Chandris Britanis, fare, including roundtrip  air fare from NYC to Aruba (embarkation port), was $399 a person

That was our first cruise in 1990!

[Caribbean Chris]

Ny first cruise was also Song of Norway sailing out of Miami, I think to Nassau, Puerto Plata, and St. Thomas, February 1977.

 

I was a single woman working in an Atlanta airline sales office and had helped Royal Caribbean out of a major jam (another airline’s strike) by arranging a short notice group charter flight out of Barbados, flying to their Miami office that afternoon with a contract, and unexpectedly staying overnight to await a certified check for full payment when the bank opened.

 

They were so grateful they offered me a free cruise. I came home raving about what a fabulous vacation it had been, and two years later I got a job as a cruise line sales rep in Washington, D.C. 

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, Shih-tzu said:

26 November 1973 to 08 Dec 1973 -  on the SS Nevassa - Dubrovnik-Athens-Trabizon-Istanbul-Messina-Naples.   Parents paid around $450 for high school trip on an "educational" cruise.   It was a converted troop ship and we slept in dorms with about 16-20 racks to sleep on per dorm.   I remember the food was horrid... It wasn't close to a cruise ship by today's standards....  I don't remember if the airfare from Moncton NB via London UK to the embarkation/debarkation ports was included or not, but the shore excursions were.  

My first what I would call a "real" cruise was on the Veendam to Bermuda in 2015.   Paid $499 CAD each for a big inside cabin (port fees, etc extra).

 

Interesting vessel! Nevasa (she took her name from a city in India) was built as a British troopship in 1955 and was owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company. She actually came out with stabilizers. Post 1965, she became an educational ship with accommodation for 1,100 pupils and teachers plus 230 private cabins for "regular" passengers. She met her end at the breakers in Taiwan in 1975

 

 

 

[geocruiser]

5 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

The Oceanic was a beautiful and great ship, feel sad that we never sailed on her. I remember watching her dock next to us in San Juan on our first cruise, I thought to myself, she looks like she's built like a battleship.

She was a grand lady.  The food was wonderful on board.  I remember not many chair by the pool.  They would give you a mat to lay down on.

Every one would dress up on formal nights.  The men I remember wore a suit and tie every night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMNdDAeLAXc

 

Edited October 13, 2019 by geocruiser

[bcummin]

Our first cruise was about 1966 when my DH was stationed in Greece with the U.S. Navy.  R&R put together a three or four day cruise for $50 apiece.  The itinerary was from Pireaus (Athens) to Crete and Rhodes and Mykonos, IIRC.  It was on a Greek boat, nothing fancy.  Our cabin had a porthole and bunk beds that we shared with our 13-yr-old houseguest from England.  Bathrooms down the hall.  The dining room had one long table with benches on both sides.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Barbara

[Essiesmom]

First two cruises were in 1972 on Home Lines Homeric, built in 1931.  Sailed solo, 10 days from NYC to San Juan St. Thomas, Martinique, St. Maarten.  Cost $350 in inside cabin.  Doesn't sound like a lot, but that is about $2100 in today's currency.  The next year I sailed twice on Oceanic.  No idea what I paid for those.  EM

[mcrcruiser]

Our first cruise was paid for by our son in law mid nineties on Carnival Holiday to Catalina Island .We all had cuch a great time .The first cruise there after we paid for was Carnival Jubilee   a  7  night  Alaska from Vancouver inside passage  .i recall total price for that cruise was $ 750  ocean view cabin  /We had a ball & have gone 5 more times on Alaska cruises & inland . Total cruises now to date is  84 cruises all over the world 

[fatcat04]

March 2007, 7 night Western Caribbean out of FLL on Costa Mediterranea, Panorama Suite (similar in size to a Signature Suite on HAL but it did have a butler) for 3 of us. $1100 per adult, child $400. 

 

We were headed to S Fl for a wedding and decided to go wild and book a last minute cruise. We knew absolutely nothing so went in blissfully ignorant. We had a fantastic time and were officially hooked on cruising. 

[travelholics]

My first cruise was on the Shaw Saville Northern Star in 1975 from Southampton to the Canary Islands,Madeira and Tangiers as a teenager. Despite the storm winds in the Bay of Biscay, we loved it so much that we returned the following year, but the ship was sold for scrap after that cruise. We all loved the bunk beds and porthole and made many lifelong friends. First cruise on my own was in 1980 on the Uganda, another 'educational' ship, but the dormitories were available for members of the National Trust for Scotland. We traveled the coast of Norway to the North Cape stopping at many small towns. This ship took on a new life in 1982 as a hospital ship during the Falklands war and afterwards reconversion was too costly, so it was scrapped. A cruise on the Maasdam is now my wish dream!

[LewiLewi]

Our first cruise was on Greek Lines” Queen Anna Maria “roundtrip NYC to the Caribbean and Bermuda in Feb. 1966. We paid $275.00 per person. We spent the first few days dosing ourselves with Dramamine; rough winter weather and questionable stabilizers. After that it was clear sailing to our first port in San Juan.

We have been hooked ever since; 165+ cruises.

[Djptcp]

A 3-day Christmas weekend in 1994 on the Norwegian Sea. We were living in MN and the total cost for an ocean view cabin was $1200, including first class air fares. It was so windy with high seas that the ship stayed in Nassau overnight. We weren't really thrilled with the cruise and didn't know if we would do it again. Well, we are taking our 51st cruise in 3 weeks!

[floridacruisers]

Our first cruise was on the S.S. Volendam out of Miami to Jamaica and Haiti November, 1979. We were hooked. Did have to pay an extra $40.00 each for fuel surcharge due to the situation in Iran. It cost us $350.00 for the both of us (plus the surcharge)for a 5 day cruise. Here we are soon going on our 45th cruise on Celebrity's Reflection and after that HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam. I guess you could say we like cruising.........

 

  Phil......floridacruisers

[Tapi]

I started cruising in the early 1980’s,  but the earliest one which I remember how much I paid is the Monarch of the Seas (1993), which was a little over $1000pp for an inside cabin on deck 2. This was for a 7 night Southern Caribbean itinerary out of San Juan. 
 

That would be about $1,700pp in 2018 adjusted for inflation. 

Edited October 13, 2019 by Tapi

[Homosassa]

16 hours ago, Tantsee said:

NCL’s M/S Starward In 1986.  We were really stretching our pennies to take our first cruise.  If I recall correctly, it was $1200 including air and pre-cruise hotel.  That was for an inside cabin in the belly of the ship.  Lol. We even had to take the stairs to get down the final flight to our deck, because the elevator didn’t go down that far (at least in that location?).  I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t work these days!  It seemed like we were in the basement.  Yet, we always remember that cruise with fondness. 

Yes, you are correct about not having stairs down to your deck.

 

We were on the Starward in 1978 during the onboard renovation of the ship. The ship had already been renovated to delete the car decks (it was a ferry at first) to include passenger cabins and a two story movie theater.  

 

At the time of our cruise, the ship carried about 800 passengers.  The onboard construction while we were on our cruise was to again work on those former car decks to cram in more cabins and change the movie theater to additional cabins. Your cabin was probably down in those old car decks.