How long was your first cruise?

[lenquixote66]

7 days in 1973 to celebrate my birthday .Round trip NY to Hamilton Bermuda on the Cunard Ambassador.

[carlmm]

Interesting to read about the ships of a bygone era.

[rkacruiser]

23 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

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

 

I forgot to add to my post of yesterday that when Rotterdam VI sailed from Rotterdam that afternoon, we passed Rotterdam V.  VI sounded her whistle to salute the old girl.  Surprisingly, V responded!  Some of us wondered if that was her original whistle.  

[rkacruiser]

23 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

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

 

I forgot to add to my post of yesterday that when Rotterdam VI sailed from Rotterdam that afternoon, we passed Rotterdam V.  VI sounded her whistle to salute the old girl.  Surprisingly, V responded!  Some of us wondered if that was her original whistle.  

[nybumpkin]

Our first was 2004, Carnival Victory NYC-Canada, 5 days. DH, me, and our sons 13, 8 and 4. We had been looking for a "different" (read: not camping) vacation. That spring I was in the medical imaging place getting an x-ray for the youngest and TV Land was on in the waiting room. The Love Boat. So I started thinking, "what about a cruise?" A day later I saw a full-page ad in the NY Times for 4 and 5-day cruises on Carnival to Canada. The price was good and I figured that if we didn't like it, we hadn't lost much. DH was leery about it - right up until we crossed the George Washington Bridge, looked down the Hudson, and saw the ship at the dock. He was sold - and liked it so well that when we returned he booked the next cruise on his own, without asking me.😄

[azalice]

7 days to find out if my DH gets seasick.He avoided cruising for years but finally agreed to try a west coast 7 day cruise. He was just fine.

[leithbones]

Finally caved to DW requests over many years.

Couldn't stand the idea of cruising, but surprised her for our 25th.

"One and Done, honey.  This is it >> so enjoy."

14 day Repo out of Boston was best value, and since we were only going to do it once....

 

3rd day I said  "OK, next time here's what we need to do differently...."

[navybankerteacher]

3 days, followed by about a week ashore in Bermuda, then the rest of the cruise back to New York.

[mcgore83]

5 days on the Emerald of the Seas.  That was back in 1988.  Been hooked every since.

[Ride-The-Waves]

Nine months on USS Kitty Hawk, San Diego to San Diego.  Most of the time spent in the South China Sea.  Married three days after return.  😀

[SRQbeachgirl]

7 days way back in 1992, when most people didn't know anything about cruising beyond "The Love Boat" on TV. The ships were tiny back then compared to the floating cities of today, and we still prefer the smaller to mid-size ships.

[amydresh]

7 days on Carnival Dream in Jan 2017.

[cruiseaholic777]

7 days, counting the 3. Counting the 3  I have booked we are up to #30.

[ilikeanswers]

My first cruise technically was a 5 night yacht trip around the Whitsundays. First actual ship trip was 13 nights around the Marquesas. 

[navybankerteacher]

Actually, my VERY first was on the Nantucket, when just over a month old, from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs, both in MA, about a 45 minute ride.

[momofmeg]

4 days back in October 1998 on an old ship Carnival Tropicale. We lost power a couple of times the ship was so old, but it still hooked us. Since we had never been on a nicer ship, we did not know any better!

[momofmeg]

9 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Actually, my VERY first was on the Nantucket, when just over a month old, from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs, both in MA, about a 45 minute ride.

Yep, I did a few tourist afternoon trips. Living in the south it was mostly those tourist paddle riverboats.  We also took in 1989 one of those Seasescape ferries to Freeport Bahamas and stayed there a few days. So, I thought I had an idea what a cruise would be like. I didn't lol!

[momofmeg]

10 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

My first cruise technically was a 5 night yacht trip around the Whitsundays. First actual ship trip was 13 nights around the Marquesas. 

I would love to do something like that.

[momofmeg]

On 10/25/2022 at 12:27 PM, leithbones said:

Finally caved to DW requests over many years.

Couldn't stand the idea of cruising, but surprised her for our 25th.

"One and Done, honey.  This is it >> so enjoy."

14 day Repo out of Boston was best value, and since we were only going to do it once....

 

3rd day I said  "OK, next time here's what we need to do differently...."

 Lol!  My husband took me on a little 4 day for our 15th anniversary. I had always wanted to go on one and he thought they were too expensive, so he booked this little cheapie to shut me up. Lol!  Now, he is the one saying we should book a cruise.

Edited October 31, 2022 by momofmeg

[Honolulu Blue]

45 minutes ago, momofmeg said:

4 days back in October 1998 on an old ship Carnival Tropicale. We lost power a couple of times the ship was so old, but it still hooked us. Since we had never been on a nicer ship, we did not know any better!

The Tropicale wasn't THAT old; it was built in 1981.  Indeed, electrical gremlins and all, it survived under various owners until finally getting scrapped in 2021.  Thanks Wikipedia! >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Tropicale

 

P.S.  Don't be surprised if there's a new Tropicale in the next decade from Carnival.  It seems that they're in the business of recycling names and putting them on their newest ships.

 

 

[momofmeg]

2 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

The Tropicale wasn't THAT old; it was built in 1981.  Indeed, electrical gremlins and all, it survived under various owners until finally getting scrapped in 2021.  Thanks Wikipedia! >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Tropicale

 

P.S.  Don't be surprised if there's a new Tropicale in the next decade from Carnival.  It seems that they're in the business of recycling names and putting them on their newest ships.

 

 

 Don't take it personal. Carnival ditched that ship not long after that, (sold it) and it was scrap metal long before 2010.  the info is online if you don't believe me Wikipedia is not that reliable. Look here on Cruisecritic old posts about it I remember reading about it HERE because that was our first cruise so of course I paid attention. Yes, I have been on ships even older like Pacific Princess in 2002 right before Princess sold it, but it was in much better shape. (It also was scrap medal by 2010) this summer we were on Carnival Pride, and I was amazed it is in still looked like new shape. I am thinking it is 20 years old now. We were on her sister ship Carnival Miracle back 2004 when she was brand new. I guess the Pride had been recently drydocked.

 

Bye now. I will not reply to you again.

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, momofmeg said:

 Don't take it personal. Carnival ditched that ship not long after that, (sold it) and it was scrap metal long before 2010.  the info is online if you don't believe me Wikipedia is not that reliable. Look here on Cruisecritic old posts about it I remember reading about it HERE because that was our first cruise so of course I paid attention. Yes, I have been on ships even older like Pacific Princess in 2002 right before Princess sold it, but it was in much better shape. (It also was scrap medal by 2010) this summer we were on Carnival Pride, and I was amazed it is in still looked like new shape. I am thinking it is 20 years old now. We were on her sister ship Carnival Miracle back 2004 when she was brand new. I guess the Pride had been recently drydocked.

 

Bye now. I will not reply to you again.

Adios, hasta nunca. 😛

 

Carnival did sell/give the ship to Costa in 2000, which was not long after you sailed on her.  I have no reason to doubt what you saw, but I also have no reason to doubt what Wikipedia said in the article I referred to.

 

I have no personal feelings about the Tropicale.  I've never sailed on her under any of her names.