A trip down Memory Lane

[greenie082756]

First cruise for us (we were around 26 years old around 1982) was a 3 day Ensenada on the SS Azure Seas

that my Mom had arranged.
Our cabin had a porthole and 2 single bed adjacent to one another.

Casino consists of a few tables and about 20 machines.  There was a "disco" room. One pool.

We were escorted to our cabin. We were assigned a table with others at schedule times and

had to dress up for dinner (no jeans).  The food was really good. It was the first time

I ever experienced Baked Alaska and what they serve now does not do that memory any justice.

 

What we have now in cruising is wonderful! Thanks Princess!

 

 

[kitty2264]

Our first cruise was in 1976 on the Carnival ship TSS Festivale.  We had an inside cabin where the two beds folded down from the wall and the bathroom & shower occupied the same space in some sort of a combo room.  I've elected to forget that image.  We cruised out of Miami into the Caribbean and had a great time.  We didn't spend much time in the cabin, for obvious reasons.

Edited October 23, 2019 by kitty2264
spelling error

[1emerald1]

7 hours ago, Spikesgirl said:

I remember being on the original Regal - what a gorgeous ship she was.  We had a suite, but no balcony!  It was still a huge upgrade from the tiny cabin on the Sky!

I loved the décor on the Regal, so much more than on the Crown.  Do you remember that beautiful lounge that was decorated in pink and gold, and I think it had a tiger statue in it?  I loved that lounge.  I had read that Sitmar had commissioned the Regal and Crown and then Princess took over after the merger.

[Spikesgirl]

17 hours ago, The Mikado said:

I sailed on the old Norway back in 1989. It looked old even back then. 

And yet now we call them classics, not old.  😄  

[Spikesgirl]

1 hour ago, 1emerald1 said:

I loved the décor on the Regal, so much more than on the Crown.  Do you remember that beautiful lounge that was decorated in pink and gold, and I think it had a tiger statue in it?  I loved that lounge.  I had read that Sitmar had commissioned the Regal and Crown and then Princess took over after the merger.

Yes, I remember the pink and gold lounge.  I have to go look.  I think I have some photos of it.  I loved that statue!  

[Spikesgirl]

1 hour ago, kitty2264 said:

Our first cruise was in 1976 on the Carnival ship TSS Festivale.  We had an inside cabin where the two beds folded down from the wall and the bathroom & shower occupied the same space in some sort of a combo room.  I've elected to forget that image.  We cruised out of Miami into the Caribbean and had a great time.  We didn't spend much time in the cabin, for obvious reasons.

We all hail from simpler times.   I remember that cabin fondly, but there's no way in heck I'd go back to it.  The bed was so short that my husband's feet stuck out the edge.  They had to bring in a table and put a pillow on it to accommodate him. 

[Spikesgirl]

2 hours ago, greenie082756 said:

First cruise for us (we were around 26 years old around 1982) was a 3 day Ensenada on the SS Azure Seas

that my Mom had arranged.
Our cabin had a porthole and 2 single bed adjacent to one another.

Casino consists of a few tables and about 20 machines.  There was a "disco" room. One pool.

We were escorted to our cabin. We were assigned a table with others at schedule times and

had to dress up for dinner (no jeans).  The food was really good. It was the first time

I ever experienced Baked Alaska and what they serve now does not do that memory any justice.

 

What we have now in cruising is wonderful! Thanks Princess!

 

 

I remember the real Baked Alaska and they were on fire, too.  It was such a spectacular time and you were right, no jeans, no discussion!  😄

[gotta cruise again]

My first Princess Cruises were on the original Sky, Star, Crown, then Regal in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

 

And yes, formal meant formal. In fact, if you changed clothes after your traditional dinner or had yet to get dressed up when early seating people were already dressed up & out and about or had decided to not get dressed up at all and dine elsewhere (buffet was the only option, if I remember correctly), then you were not allowed to walk around on the main deck in casual clothes. You had to go all the way up to the lido to make your way around or walk outside on the promenade but couldn’t be inside. At least that’s the way I remember things!!

 

 

[1emerald1]

19 minutes ago, gotta cruise again said:

My first Princess Cruises were on the original Sky, Star, Crown, then Regal in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

 

And yes, formal meant formal. In fact, if you changed clothes after your traditional dinner or had yet to get dressed up when early seating people were already dressed up & out and about or had decided to not get dressed up at all and dine elsewhere (buffet was the only option, if I remember correctly), then you were not allowed to walk around on the main deck in casual clothes. You had to go all the way up to the lido to make your way around or walk outside on the promenade but couldn’t be inside. At least that’s the way I remember things!!

 

 

Yes, the 10 night Caribbean itineraries had 3 formal nights, 3 semi-formal (which was practically formal) and 3 casual.  My dear uncle hated getting dressed up so at least once he refused and his option was room services in the cabin for the night!

[PaperSniper4]

6 hours ago, dickinson said:

 

Our first cruise was about 1988 on the Mardi Gras.  Four day cruise.  We loved it!  I don't remember if we had a window but we did have a full size bed.  When talking with table mates about our cabins we mentioned something about the bathtub.  They were incredulous.  "You have a BATHTUB!!!!!.  I vaguely remember that the floor in the cabin may have been sloping.

....................

 

Sounds like you were in the owner's suite! We had the least expensive cabin available. We had planned a vacation trip with another couple, but at the last minute I had to cancel our <work-yuck!>, so we substituted this cruise instead. Had a ball!😎

[stoneharborlady]

On 10/22/2019 at 3:04 PM, 1emerald1 said:

There were no balconies on that ship.  When I was on the original Crown and Regal Princess we had a balcony and it literally was standing room only, no furniture whatsoever it was so small.  But we thought it was marvelous, our first balcony.

And now, nearly thirty years later, and it is pretty much standing room only once again on the new builds.  Are we going backwards?

[PaperSniper4]

3 hours ago, kitty2264 said:

Our first cruise was in 1976 on the Carnival ship TSS Festivale.  We had an inside cabin where the two beds folded down from the wall and the bathroom & shower occupied the same space in some sort of a combo room.  I've elected to forget that image.  We cruised out of Miami into the Caribbean and had a great time.  We didn't spend much time in the cabin, for obvious reasons.

 

I just found this link that gives some interesting history on Carnival Cruise Line's early years. The link discusses the Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Festivale. Lots of photos.

 

Doug

[kitty2264]

38 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

 

I just found this link that gives some interesting history on Carnival Cruise Line's early years. The link discusses the Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Festivale. Lots of photos.

 

Doug

Thanks for the suggestion. I read that the Festivale first joined the fleet in 1978. It caused me to look at our old pictures and it was 78’ when we took the cruise.

[dickinson]

1 hour ago, PaperSniper4 said:

 

Sounds like you were in the owner's suite! We had the least expensive cabin available. We had planned a vacation trip with another couple, but at the last minute I had to cancel our <work-yuck!>, so we substituted this cruise instead. Had a ball!😎

 

I wish it were a suite!  Nope. Probably a middle tier cabin. 

[geoherb]

My first cruise was over 30 years ago on the SS Carnivale with my ex and a friend--three of us in an inside cabin. My first Princess cruise was on the Golden in 2001. It was also our first balcony cabin. 

[CRUZBUDS]

Our first Princess cruises were on the original Crown and Regal.,   They were under construction  for Sitmar and I understand they were the primary reason that Princess bought Sitmar. 

 

These ships were our first cruises done consecutively on the same line.    

[PaperSniper4]

12 hours ago, kitty2264 said:

Thanks for the suggestion. I read that the Festivale first joined the fleet in 1978. It caused me to look at our old pictures and it was 78’ when we took the cruise.

 

Well, every time I talk about something happening over 5 years ago I have to look up the date to me sure when it happened! Sometimes to be sure it happened at all!🙄

 

Doug

[Spikesgirl]

21 hours ago, stoneharborlady said:

And now, nearly thirty years later, and it is pretty much standing room only once again on the new builds.  Are we going backwards?

I think that we are in many ways!

[Spikesgirl]

23 hours ago, gotta cruise again said:

My first Princess Cruises were on the original Sky, Star, Crown, then Regal in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

 

And yes, formal meant formal. In fact, if you changed clothes after your traditional dinner or had yet to get dressed up when early seating people were already dressed up & out and about or had decided to not get dressed up at all and dine elsewhere (buffet was the only option, if I remember correctly), then you were not allowed to walk around on the main deck in casual clothes. You had to go all the way up to the lido to make your way around or walk outside on the promenade but couldn’t be inside. At least that’s the way I remember things!!

 

 

Oh, I don't remember that, but I know we went straight from dinner to the show room, so that might be why... at least on the formal nights we did.  

[HleeCruiser]

On 10/22/2019 at 7:08 AM, Spikesgirl said:

We are preparing for a return cruise to Alaska.  Our first one, and indeed, our first cruise was up the Inside Passage in 1997.  I was looking through our scrapbook and found our original ticket stub.  We sailed on the Sky Princess and had a tiny little porthole cabin on Deck 4, I believe, although it may have been 6.  It was right at the water line.  Anyhow, a ten day cruise round trip from San Francisco cost us $3,642.  Back then, it seemed a huge amount.  Looking at the ship pictures, it was obvious that it isn't just the prices that have changed.  I sort of miss those days of dressing up and mingling over cocktails with table mates.  Now we are Elite and everything has changed.   I remember fighting for space in the rec room - damn bridge players kept taking apart our puzzles, dancing with a very affectionate shower curtain and having an 'unbirthday' party one night at the table...  Those were giddy times... 

 

I hope my fellow cruisers look back upon their first cruises with equal nostalgia

Yes we do have fond  memories  of the old Sky.  Best cruise food we have had.  All depends on the chef and we had the best.  Can not remember his name but he was Italian along with most of the dining room staff.  Loved the Italians. 

[Spikesgirl]

13 hours ago, HleeCruiser said:

Yes we do have fond  memories  of the old Sky.  Best cruise food we have had.  All depends on the chef and we had the best.  Can not remember his name but he was Italian along with most of the dining room staff.  Loved the Italians. 

And it was the food on the Regal that nearly drove us away from Princess.  It was so awful, bland and unexciting, but then we decided to give the line one last try - to Tahiti and on the Tahitian.  After that, we didn't want to sail anything else.  While location and service is important - you are right.  Good food is a must, too.

[john_galt]

Royal Caribbean's Song of America, 1988. Back when muster drill was outside by your lifeboat and they called roll. 

 

[USCcruisecrazy]

Awesome reading the stories and seeing the pictures.  We never did a cruise until 2001 on the Sovereign of the Seas.  Our first Princess cruise was February of 2010 on the Emerald Princess where our son and daughter-in-law were married.  Since that cruise we have been loyal Princess cruisers.  Our next one is in 43 days on the Sky Princess!!

[SharkieRools]

On 10/23/2019 at 12:50 PM, Spikesgirl said:

Yes, I remember the pink and gold lounge.  I have to go look.  I think I have some photos of it.  I loved that statue!  

Oh yes - the Bengal Lounge!  I did a quick look through some old pictures but couldn't find one of the interior, only one of the window with the name on it.  I know I must have an interior picture somewhere...

[SharkieRools]

16 minutes ago, SharkieRools said:

Oh yes - the Bengal Lounge!  I did a quick look through some old pictures but couldn't find one of the interior, only one of the window with the name on it.  I know I must have an interior picture somewhere...

I stand corrected - I took another gander at my photos and it's actually the Bengal Bar, not lounge.  Anyways I did find a small picture of the bar about half way down on this page:

https://www.shipparade.com/cruise_ship_reviews/Princess_Cruises/Regal_Princess/Regal_Princess_Ship_Tour.htm

 

Found an old review of mine on CC, but unfortunately the link to the pictures is no longer working