How long was your first cruise?

[Honolulu Blue]

For those who can't see the poll choices, they are - fewer than 4 days, 4-6 days, 7 days exactly, 8-12 days, 13-16 days, more than 16 days, and can't remember.

 

By the way, count all legs of a back-to-back, if any of you were ambitious enough to schedule one off the bat.

 

I'm curious about this, and I THINK I know what's going to come out on top even in this veteran group, but I'm willing to be surprised.

 

As always, thank you for replying.

[George C]

My first cruise was two or three day cruise to nowhere, I did several of these living a New York City first was 1975 .

[edinburgher]

7 days as a test to see if we liked cruising.  We did!! 

 

But we still mix up cruising with land trips to get more variation  of countries and cities.

Edited October 11, 2022 by edinburgher

[Sancho_proudfoot]

12 days on the * brand new, straight out of the box* Independence of the Seas.  A trial for us to see if we liked cruising.......

[puppycanducruise]

Our first cruise was a 7 day Alaska cruise.

[SeaSickCecil]

First cruise I was 18 or 19 and went with my parents and little sister.  Dad had been a Navy Lt and missed the ocean.  Mom got seasick looking at pictures of ships/boats.  3 day LA-Ensenda on Princess.  As you can imagine this was NOT the cruise that made my mom a cruise fanatic, but it made me one.

[mom says]

Our first was a week on the QM2 to persuade DH that a cruise was more relaxing and enjoyable than his years on a destroyer. And to determine if I could enjoy cruising despite chronic motion sickness. And we both loved it.

[LHT28]

14 day  r/t  from Montreal on a 20,000 grt ship  to Bermuda & parts in between

 

[Essiesmom]

August 1972, Ten day R/T NYC to San Juan, St Thomas, Martinique, St Maarten.  Homes Lines Homeric.  Ship was late coming into NYC to get us, as there had been a hurricane thru NJ the night before.  They anticipated rough seas, so came around closing the dead lights on the portholes.  I got seasick the first night.  No warning, just started throwing up.  Was fine the next morning.  Great cruise.  EM

[YourWorldWithBill]

Our first "real" cruise was 7 days around Iceland. A great start! I'm not counting, however, a three-day cruise on the SS Minnow--no, wait, that can't be right; I just don't remember the ship. It was south from L.A., I think maybe 1990.

[Lois R]

I don't remember honestly. I know it was waaay back in 1985 and I had gotten divorced. I decided to take a cruise but really don't recall if it was a week or a long weekend. Probably the latter.

 

Now, When I really started cruising on a regular basis, multiple times a year? That was in 2003 and it was 7 nights on Celebrity's CENTURY and she got me hooked😀

[Shmoo here]

We jumped right into cruising with both feet - a 15 night Panama Canal cruise.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

I didn't consider my first cruise experience on a Great Lakes passenger ship a 3 night/4 day cruise.  

 

My first ocean cruise was an 11 day Caribbean cruise from New York to Bermuda, San Juan, St. Marteen, St. Lucia, and St. Barts in July, 1970 aboard Rotterdam V.  

[Cheesepleese]

Our first cruise took place in April 2010 on the Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas. It was a 5 day in the Bahamas. Maybe because of the age and state of the ship it left us feeling we could care less if we went on another cruise anytime soon. Friends of ours talked us into joining them on the Allure of the Seas less than year later in January 2011 for a 7 day cruise. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though it was a sold out sailing what amazed us was that with the size of the ship you did not run into 5500 people! Always found areas on the boat that we had to ourselves, the solarium was a great place to hang out.

Our balcony stateroom was so nice and the balcony spacious. Although we have done different cruises with different cruise lines since we still agree the Allure is still our favorite ship.

Cheers!

[57redbird]

7 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

Our first cruise was a 7 day Alaska cruise.

So was ours --- rained the whole time & my back went out --- vowed never again but a few years later did a Mexican Riviera cruise & changed my mind....next up is a 35 day Hawaii/Marquesas cruise --- not sure how I'll like all the sea days --- I'm a port person.

[Heidi13]

First cruise was 3.5 months on SS Uganda in 1976 - Malta to Falmouth.

[ontheweb]

7 days Barcelona to Barcelona in 2002 to celebrate our 25th anniversary.

[George C]

7 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

I didn't consider my first cruise experience on a Great Lakes passenger ship a 3 night/4 day cruise.  

 

My first ocean cruise was an 11 day Caribbean cruise from New York to Bermuda, San Juan, St. Marteen, St. Lucia, and St. Barts in July, 1970 aboard Rotterdam V.  

Totally loved Rotterdam V that was my first and second 7 day cruise, totally elegant ship, love that it is currently a museum, would love to visit her , talked to on of the officers that had visited it. 

[crystalspin]

However long it takes to get from Capetown SA to Buenos Aires on the Marco Polo sailing for Orient Lines. It felt like forever with three seasick teetotaler companions and my back/pelvis "out". Just me and the Albatross circling our back deck. It's a wonder I ever cruised again.

Edited October 12, 2022 by crystalspin

[marco]

First "cruise" was in the late 60's with my family.  We sailed on Home Lines "Oceanic" to Nassau for a week.  It was 7 days.  However, not a cruise but a TA to Italy years prior.....9 days.

[AKJonesy]

7 days girls trip wayyyy back in time.  We try NOT to cruise for less than 2 weeks and 3 weeks is our best fit now although Covid sort of made that harder initial post covid.  I am glad to see longer cruises now offered again, although I'd like to see more itineraries.

[Mum2Mercury]

4 days on Disney.  

We purposefully took a short cruise because we weren't sure we'd enjoy it -- I'm not sorry we made that choice initially, but now we'd never go for less than a week!

[Mary229]

@Honolulu Blue  love your polls and threads.  They are a lot of fun 

 

mine was 7 days maximizing my vacation time from my home city port on Norwegian through the western Caribbean.  Sun, fun, lots of great nightlife and being young folks the youngest people on the ship.  It was October in the late 80s before cruising was a thing for 20 somethings

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, George C said:

Totally loved Rotterdam V that was my first and second 7 day cruise, totally elegant ship, love that it is currently a museum, would love to visit her , talked to on of the officers that had visited it. 

 

When I was in Rotterdam on the VOV aboard Rotterdam VI, the tour that I booked included a visit to the Rotterdam and a tour of part of the ship.  Brought back many, many memories, particularly when I sat

in a seat in the Ambassador Room where I had sat.  There was a table set up in the LaFontaine Dining Room at the location where one of the tables I occupied when I sailed aboard her (had three sailings on her).  

 

Part of the tour was a visit to the Bridge.  As you can imagine, quite dated now in comparison to the Bridges on the ships of today.

 

I'd encourage you to make the effort to visit the ship if you visit the Netherlands.  

[GUT2407]

8 nights, 6 in Port, only way I persuaded herself to go.