Your first Cruise was it on the SS Uganda

[NSWP]

Well, I was on Nevasa (pre Uganda) with my family and British Army Father in 1956-57, Southampton - Hong Kong and return. The whole Northamptonshire Regt were on her, inc some families. We had 18 months in HK then returned to UK.

 

Of course Nevasa was a troopship then. A 6 week journey. Going out we went via the Cape of Good Hope as Mr.Nasser had closed the Suez Canal.

 

No ensuites, no choccies on the pillows, no autotips either in those days of Nevasa ! But the trip was free, courtesy of the tax payer. LOL.

We had to do some schooling on the ship, Army Education Officers did it. Still remember the troops live firing over the back of the ship. I was about 9 years old at the time.

 

Still cruising !

Edited September 28, 2011 by NSWP

[maudeUK]

Hi

 

I went on educational cruise in 1969 at 14yrs. It was to Norway, Leningrad (then) Sweden and Denmark.It was in summer the same time as the 1st moon landings, we only had a very shaky radio link for this. I remember this 1st cruise with great fondness. Bunk Beds in dormitories , bad weather in North Sea .I came down and the bed came back up to meet me ! I found out I had good sea legs - lucky as a lot of people were sick at this stage. We left from Liverpool and came back to Tilbury. I danced with the Captain but was very tongue tied and could not remember my Granmothers maiden name as I did mention her father was a clipper captain.There was a fancy dress evening and I made a really lame costume and didnt win. Watched Zulu in the cinema.

At Leningrad the local government had really young ( and cute ) soldiers with guns on board . They kept offering cigarrettes to me and a group of girls- they were keen to practice English and were interested in life in England, ditto all the tour guides. I sat next to a tour guide and he was very impressed we had our own house and did not share with another family. It was an eye opener. Vodka and cigs so cheap. Three 6 formers found with vodka in dorms afterwards - it was such a temptation.

Gave all my biros away as the students ( who acted as tour guides ) had a shortage.

I felt really privilaged to have been able to go on this voyage and have never forgotten the experience.

 

Started cruising again about 10 years ago and cant get enough, would be off every chance. Time and money dictate frequency. Like all the posters I have enjoyed the memories that this post has brought back.

Cheers.:D

[maudeUK]

Hi

 

I went on educational cruise in 1969 at 14yrs. It was to Norway, Leningrad (then) Sweden and Denmark.It was in summer the same time as the 1st moon landings, we only had a very shaky radio link for this. I remember this 1st cruise with great fondness. Bunk Beds in dormitories , bad weather in North Sea .I came down and the bed came back up to meet me ! I found out I had good sea legs - lucky as a lot of people were sick at this stage. We left from Liverpool and came back to Tilbury. I danced with the Captain but was very tongue tied and could not remember my Granmothers maiden name as I did mention her father was a clipper captain.There was a fancy dress evening and I made a really lame costume and didnt win. Watched Zulu in the cinema.

At Leningrad the local government had really young ( and cute ) soldiers with guns on board . They kept offering cigarrettes to me and a group of girls- they were keen to practice English and were interested in life in England, ditto all the tour guides. I sat next to a tour guide and he was very impressed we had our own house and did not share with another family. It was an eye opener. Vodka and cigs so cheap. Three 6 formers found with vodka in dorms afterwards - it was such a temptation.

Gave all my biros away as the students ( who acted as tour guides ) had a shortage.

I felt really privilaged to have been able to go on this voyage and have never forgotten the experience.

 

Started cruising again about 10 years ago and cant get enough, would be off every chance. Time and money dictate frequency. Like all the posters I have enjoyed the memories that this post has brought back.

Cheers.:D

[Essex53]

Chatting to my best friend and it appears we both went on the same school cruise on the Uganda in the early seventies, anyone else from Essex remember the trip?

[oldsouthcruisingfamily]

For the last few months, I've been dredging my brain for memories from my 1982 cruise aboard Uganda.

 

Here is the end result of all that dredging! My blog http://mediterraneanchronicles1982.blogspot.ca/

 

I hope you enjoy reading it and I especially hope it brings up some memories of your own!

 

Cheers!

 

Chris Burton

[shinycruiser]

Hi.

I also went on the SS Uganda in 1976. I remember metal lockers for wardrobes that banged on the side of the bars on the bunks when the sea was rough. I also remember the edges of the tables in the canteen turned up, so that plates could not slide off. We were woken up by music every morning and lights were dimmed at night time. Ports of call were Venice, Korcula, Haifa and we visited Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Mount of Olives. It was great and its all flooding back to me now.

[oldsouthcruisingfamily]

I'll be adding more entries in the coming days.

[cinnamon]

Easter 1968 for me, round trip from Southampton. Sailed straight into a Force 10'gale across the Bay of Biscay!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[bluegirluk]

Please could someone help me remember?

I sailed on the SS Uganda in the 1970's possibly 1975???

We're supposed to go to France, Spain and Portugal but never got to Portugal for some reason ??

There was also something to do with Idi Amin lol

There was a terrible storm in the Bay of Biscay and I was terribly sick, however I do remember sliding up and down the dorm on towels during the storm lol

My goodness this post makes me sound like some crazy woman but I would love any help in putting these scant bits of puzzle together :confused:

[MrsTW]

I'll be adding more entries in the coming days.

 

Super! :)

 

Many memories of my cruise on her in 1976. Still have lots of memorabilia and a huge file full of info, diary, ship's log etc. I have Uganda to thank for my love of cruising! ;)

[chocolateduck]

BlueGirlUk - I went on Uganda twice in the mid seventies (1975 and 1976), one was flying to Malta and then cruising back to the UK, the other was sailing from Scotland and doing the Faroe Island and Norway.

 

Like you I remember not being able to go to Portugal because of sort of "troubles" there and I remember having a bad Bay of Biscay crossing

[bluegirluk]

BlueGirlUk - I went on Uganda twice in the mid seventies (1975 and 1976), one was flying to Malta and then cruising back to the UK, the other was sailing from Scotland and doing the Faroe Island and Norway.

 

Like you I remember not being able to go to Portugal because of sort of "troubles" there and I remember having a bad Bay of Biscay crossing

 

Just wish I could remember more , I know I certainly did not fly so I guess we sailed from maybe Dover ??

I remember having to write a log everyday and also buying Munchies from the tuck shop lol also there was a tiny cinema. As to where in France and Spain I went I have no idea. However I could never forget the Bay of Biscay :eek:

There were definitely troubles in Portugal which prevented us from visiting there.

Maybe someone else could help with my amnesia :confused::D

[MrsTW]

Just wish I could remember more , I know I certainly did not fly so I guess we sailed from maybe Dover ??

I remember having to write a log everyday and also buying Munchies from the tuck shop lol also there was a tiny cinema. As to where in France and Spain I went I have no idea. However I could never forget the Bay of Biscay :eek:

There were definitely troubles in Portugal which prevented us from visiting there.

Maybe someone else could help with my amnesia :confused::D

 

Could this possibly be the cruise you did........?

 

April 1974 from/to Southampton with ports visited being Bordeaux, Santander, Corunna, Vigo.

 

I have a book about Uganda with sailings and ports listed and this one seemed to fit!

[bluegirluk]

Could this possibly be the cruise you did........?

 

April 1974 from/to Southampton with ports visited being Bordeaux, Santander, Corunna, Vigo.

 

I have a book about Uganda with sailings and ports listed and this one seemed to fit!

 

Ooh thank you that sounds like a good fit :) well there you go I would gave been 10yrs old.

Was anyone else in this trip with me that remembers anything ?

[twingo]

My first cruise was on the SS Navasa which I think was a sister ship to the Uganda. I sailed to the canaries in the early 70s all pretty basic but a great experiance, it certainly didn't put me off cruising as I have continued to cruise with P&O Cunard, celebrity and more recently azamara.

[so,ton saint]

Hi e very one, any one remember union castle line , back in sixty,s and also royal mail line,s ie rms andes also elder fyfe,s camito and golfito both bannana boat,s with passenger,s working from so,ton to castrie,s st lucia w.i

[NSWP]

My first cruise was on the SS Navasa which I think was a sister ship to the Uganda. I sailed to the canaries in the early 70s all pretty basic but a great experiance, it certainly didn't put me off cruising as I have continued to cruise with P&O Cunard, celebrity and more recently azamara.

Ah ye olde Nevasa, as a lad with my soldier father, I was on her first 'cruise' when she was a brand new troopship, Southampton to Hong Kong, circa 1956. The whole Northamptonshire Regiment plus a few army wives and children were on board. We had to go around Cape of Good Hope due to the Suez crisis.

 

I think Nevasa was British India Steam Navigation Line. She was around 20,000 tons, quite a good size troop ship for the era.

 

***Oh dear I must apologise, I replied to this post some 3 years ago, with similar comment, sorry.**

Edited August 21, 2014 by NSWP

[Tim,n,Sue]

I was on the Nevasa in either 1971 or 1972 and then was on the Uganda the year after.

 

We left Southampton on the Nevasa and went to Gibraltar, Malta, Istanbul, Varna (Bulgaria), Athens and finished in Venice. We went through some brutal weather near the Bay of Biscay that kept me in bed for almost 3 days. Great trip except for the sea sicknesses.

 

The next year on the Uganda we were supposed to start in Venice but due to a snow storm we were re-routed to Dubrovnik. We then did a few ports in Greece before hitting Naples, Rome and finishing in Florence. Absolutely had a great time.

 

I still have my Nevasa and Uganda badges that we were either given or I bought. Can't remember. Met a lovely girl named Dorothy from Barnet. Cute as they come.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Tim,n,Sue

[Little Nell]

My first cruise was on the SS Uganda and I loved it. Definitely gave me the cruising bug.

 

We went to Madeira, Casablanca, Lisbon and Cadiz. We were supposed to go to La Coruna but the harbour wall had been damaged in a storm and we were diverted to Cadiz.

 

My memories are being very sick in the Bay of Biscay, bartering in Casablanca and the beauty of sailing in to Madeira. We were back in Madeira last year and I took pics to compare how much it has changed but haven't fished the old ones out yet. One of these days.

 

I returned on the SS Uganda as a teacher in the late 70's and may have been on when some of you guys were.

 

It was a beautiful ship.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

I have been surprised by the number of ships officers I have met that have served on board the old SS Uganda.

 

yours Shogun

[Florry]

My first cruise was on the Uganda in 1981. We went to Yugoslavia, Turkey, Greece, Israel, Egypt. It cost £365 and I think it was about 13 nights. I went with the school, I remember the teachers smuggling fruit to us as we're weren't allowed in the same areas as them. It was very different to the cruising I know today.

[Darcy15]

SS Nevasa, 1974 :)

 

Malmo

Copenhagen

St Petersburg

 

I vividly remember sliding around the dormitory floors in bad weather!

[StingMum]

I sailed with school in December 1982 from Athens to Ephesus, Cairo, Morroco and Naples. Force 10 at one point, fancy dress parade through the carpeted decks, otherwise only allowed on the Lino decks. It was after the ship was used for the troops from the Fauklands, names scratched into the lockers and bunks on chains in the dormitories. Pompeii was closed on the day we arrived. Must find my photo album....

Didn't cruise again until 2012, just returned from our 8th, and looking now for next year.

Good memories.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Wonder if P&O will give me a cruise credit for my cruise,

 

 

yours Shogun

[Florry]

Hi All

 

 

 

Wonder if P&O will give me a cruise credit for my cruise,

 

 

 

 

 

yours Shogun

 

 

Lol ever hopeful!