What do you remember most about your very first cruise?

[tofubeast]

I was a little girl when I went on my first cruise on Chandris' Victoria in 1984 on a Southern Carib. 7 day cruise that left out of San Juan. The ship went to the breakers a couple of years ago. :(

 

What do I remember? Wow. It was something that kicked off my fascination with ships! About a year before this cruise, I remember that we had toured Carnival's Tropicale (back in the day a TA could set up a tour for you while the ship was in port), and I remember being SOOO jealous of all the lucky people going away. So finally it was going to be MY turn.

 

I remember sitting out on deck with my parents when the ship finally pulled away at nearly midnight. I was sad because I had brought a streamer with me, but there was no one else around. I thought that the sail away was going to be exciting, with people waving, screaming and throwing streamers. After all, this was how it was always portrayed on all those episodes of the Love Boat!! So I threw out my streamer and waved at the lone person hanging out at the pier as we pulled away. Oh well, live and learn!

 

I will never forget our waiter, JoJo. He was super sweet. One night I got seasick, and he told our cabin steward. The steward left me two Chandris bags full of toys and dolls with a get well message. I was so surprised. What a sweet thing to do! I also loved costume night. My parents and I were able to pick up different colors of tissue paper and make costumes out of it. They had a costume contest on board. It was a lot of fun and something that I wish cruise companies would still do today.

 

I still remember the little boy who "flirted" with me on one of the islands, the stuffed animal I wanted to get in St. Thomas (but mom wouldn't get it for me!hah), and snorkeling with my dad in Martinique.

 

Wow..thanks for letting me walk down memory lane!

[dickens56]

Our 1st cruise was on the Song of Norway. That was a long time ago, but the ship was only half full. We had one sitting for dinner. You could sit at the table for as long as you wanted and order as much as you wanted. It was a great cruise and I loved that old ship. We had a inside room and it was so small that during the day I had to have the door open. I felt like I was in a closet, but still had a wonderful time. We had a large group and our rooms were together.

[HookLine&Sinker]

Our first cruise was last April on the Adventure of the Seas . . . things I remember . . . the excitement of hooking up with our longtime friends in San Juan (they live in Houston and we live in CT).

 

Coming around the corner and seeing the ship for the first time, I think my heart was beating out of my chest I was so excited.

 

Walking across the gang plank and thinking I'm really doing this after 10 years of our friends asking us to go. After one day onboard thinking "why didn't I do this sooner?"

 

Standing on deck with DH, our dearest friends, and a foo foo drink watching the sail away at 10pm from San Juan. Probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and thinking I can't believe I'm here.

 

Now the 4 of us are heading to Bermuda in Sept. and DH and I are off on the Explorer a week from Saturday - they've created a monster!

[airlink diva]

My very first cruise was that Friday after 9/11. I was going with a small group of girlfriends for a weekend cruise. That Tuesday eveing at work, we got together to decide if we want to still go. If we sailed, we have to now drive to Miami instead of sailing. Everyone wanted to go so we drove to Miami.

The boat was less than half full and the people who were on the ship were either locals or drove like us. The air was cheerful, but somber also.

At the Captain's party, the Captain spoked about what had happen. He stated that his crew was at sorrow on what had happen, but wanted us to know that people from all over world (that was working on the ship) was in support of America and it's people during this time. It was very touching and very few dry eyes.

[funfamilyfun]

What I remember most was the size of the cabin! We had an inside with 4 women in our 20's! We couldn't even all stand up at the same time!

 

We also thought all of our jewelry was stolen. Keep in mind this would have all been costume jewelry...and of course...our cabin steward had put it away!:confused:

 

We met some nice young men on the ship and when they came to visit...our cabin steward sent them on their way!:D He was yelling at them, "There are only ladies in that cabin...you can go away!" Maybe our parents had secretly sent us body guards!:)

 

We also learned about upgrades. We met 2 girls that were upgraded into a oceanview that was HUGE! It was larger than most of our bedrooms at home!

 

Most importantly...we had a BLAST! We kept in touch with the young men for years (yes, as friends)...we even went to each others weddings! (Ohio to New Jersey)

[Laurie12820]

My first cruise was aboard the Nordic Empress aka Empress of the Seas. All I can remember is pulling up to the terminal in NY and saying "WOW". Although it's the smallest ship in the RCCL fleet, I had never seen a ship of that size that close before. It was a wonderful cruise and a wonderful experience. After this cruise I went to see the Freedom in the Boston port and the Empress looked teeny tiny in my mind now, lol. After seeing the Freedom DH and I boarded the Empress, again for me, first time for him for our honeymoon and although I realized she's a lot smaller that the others in the fleet, she is still a great ship. Finally, we are moving up in the RCCL world and cruising on the Enchantment this July for our anniversary!

[cunarder]

Our first cruise was aboard the QE2 in Dec 1998. We somehow were assigned to Captain Warwick's table for the entire cruise. The memories of how his wife, son, friends, and of course, the Captain treated us will always be special.

 

Also, this was over Christmas so the QE2 being decorated was great. We got off in Barbados and had 3 great days there and celebrated the New Year.

 

Great trip, great start to our cruising lives.

 

Ed

[Schplinky]

I remember going to bed the first night (on Navigator) thinking we had made a very expensive mistake. The opening show was AWFUL (I recall a duo rollerskating at the same skill level my sister and I might have done for a bckyard circus) and the parade was bizarre and weird. We had a hassle setting up our free wine from the TA (the TA sent white zin, explaining we could exchange it for any wine on the ship but the dining room was opposed to this) and we were stunned by how small our room was (we were newbies). We thought maybe we had totally erred in choosing a cruise for our holiday.

 

By the end of the next day, we were ready to book the next cruise. We had got some rest, we'd been to formal night, had climbed the rock wall, had a few drinks and seen a great broadway review. It's amazing the difference a day makes.

[fungirl28]

My first cruise was on the Monarch in 2005. My mother is a SERIOUS records keeper and when I moved out five years before she refused to let me take my birth certificate because she was afraid "I would lose it". A week before the cruise I told her that I needed it and I will pick it up that Thursday because the cruise was Friday. So Thursday night around eight, I go to her house and she says,"Oh! I couldn't find your birth certificate." After I got over the shock, I asked her when did she notice it was missing. She said she looked for it four days ago and was going to call me and tell me but decided to wait until I got there:eek: . So the next morning( cruise day) I run, with my luggage in tow, to the records office in my city to get a certified copy. They actually had it! The agent helping me told me how lucky I was because usually they send B.C to our state capital after 25 years and once that happens it takes 3 months to get it:eek: . So I get to the airport with about 45 minutes to spare to catch my flight. When we land, we went straight to the pier, and I have to say that my first view of the Monarch literally brought me to tears because I realized I could be stuck at home. I fell in love with cruising after that and haven't been on a land vacation since:D

[perkyblue]

There are 3 things that I remember most about my first cruise:

 

1) Being in complete awe when I first realized we were on the ship.

 

2) Mom coming into the cabin to tell me she had won $1000 at blackjack! (I also won $450 between blackjack and slots.)

 

3) Thinking "This cannot be the last time I do this." as we were leaving the ship. (We had thought of the trip as a "once in a lifetime" type of thing.)

 

Luckily, we were able to convince Dad that we really could afford to cruise the following year if we used Mom's casino winnings toward the next cruise payment!

[EggDropErin]

My first experience wasn't great. I remember the horrible service and being ignored by the staff. That was almost enough to turn me away from cruising, but I'm glad I switched lines and found something that fit me. :)

[perkyblue]

Oh wait, I guess I have 4 big memories of my first cruise. I still remember it was the most amazing feeling when I first saw the ship (Voyager in Miami) as we were being driven to the pier. "Is that our ship?" It was SO much bigger than I expected, and I'll never forget that adrenaline rush of seeing the ship for the first time.

[perkyblue]

Reading this thread is really getting me excited for my next cruise. I'll be cruising with a group of 8, 4 of whom have never cruised before. I can't wait to see their first impressions! It'll be kind of like reliving my first cruise vicariously through them! I think that having the newbies along will make everything a little more exciting!

[ILoveScotland]

My first cruise was on the Windjammer Barefoot Cruises' Flying Cloud in 1995 through the British Virgin Islands. I'd wanted to go on a Windjammer for years and really didn't think about it as cruising. I loved the experience of being so close to the water, the informality of it all, swimming off the boat and being on deck all the time. Oh, and the playing of Amazing Grace every time the sails were raised was just thrilling.

 

And, of course, the die hard Windjammer fans turned their noses up at the foo foo ships.

 

Then in November 2005 thinking I'd never want to cruise on a foo foo ship DH and I did just that as a vacation he could handle following back surgery. We went on the Norwegian Majesty out of Charleston because we could drive to the port.

 

And on that older ship I got hooked. I knew nothing of formal nights or set times for meals so it was good to be on a ship with freestyle and optional formal nights.

 

My biggest surprise was that I truly experienced being on the water which I love. I went on deck and just stood and let the wind blow over me and took in the sights and smells of the sea. Nothing else mattered. And even now having been on two more cruises, including one transatlantic, and two more planned, it's still the sea and not the ship that draws me.

[kathyanddick]

I agree with "perkyblue". I was so giddy with excitement on my first cruise, seeing the ship, being waited on, so many different foods. That was 19 cruises ago. I am getting ready to take my 20th cruise. This will be on the ADventure of the Seas.

We always take new people with us who have never cruised. I absolutely do see it through their eyes everytime!!! What a rush!!!

 

I also loved the fact of going to bed at night and waking up to a new destination in the morning.

Now, I cruise just for the joy of cruising. The sea/the ship/the atmosphere on board. I think I am going to cry!!!

[molly361]

That it was on the Britanis (don't remember what year) and all the surrounding staterooms were filled with VERY loud high school kids on their senior class trip!!!:p

[BillOh]

I thought I was the only person crazy enough to do that! Haha. I don't plan my cruise around it, but if it is between two weeks, I pick the one that is closest to a full moon. We will be sailing with a full moon on my Sovereign cruise.

 

 

As an amateur astronomer stuck at the 40th parallel, I'd much rather sail during new or last quarter moon. You can see so many more stars with out that dirty rock in the sky.

 

[OttawaMom]

My first cruise was great. The thing I remember most was the service is the best you will ever receive. Felt like a queen. Ed, our waiter was just great. The sound of ocean hitting the sides of the boat. The friendly staff, even people we would never tip. I loved the fancy diningroom and we almost always dressed up, you just wanted to. Going into the dining room for breakfast and lunch and meeting new people from all of the world. We were on a big ship, so it was just like a floating city and not enough time to do it all.

 

I am already planning for next year.

 

Just off Navigator of the Seas.

[BillOh]

After looking at Freedom's deck 9 plans for the 100th time, I remembered that on our first cruise on Voyager, I didn't check where cabin 8542 was, beyond the obvious deck #8. I think we walked an entire lap around deck 8 and took 15 minutes to get to our cabin. (Honey, didn't we pass this already?)

 

Now, in anticipation I bet I could find 9342 on Freedom blind folded even though I have not yet been on Freedom. :D

[DaisyGirl55]

My first cruise was on the Norway back in 1991. I remember seeing her at the pier in Miami - she looked so big! Those distinctive blue stacks could be seen way before we actually got to the pier.

 

I remember the awesome midnight buffets, especially the Grand International buffet. I have never seen anything like it since. Our room was huge, much larger than we thought it would be, thanks to my friend who was out TA and set everything up for us. It was also my first time in a casino (I even won a nice jackpot) and my first time snorkeling. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire week.

 

I remember staying out on deck and just watching the sea, breathing in that salty air, feeling my soul relax and find peace, and then seeing the sunset for the first time over the open water.

 

There is so much more, but I'll keep this post short! Even though with every sucessive cruise, my DH and I learn more and more, I will never forget what it was like to cruise that first time. The awe and wonder of it all, the whole unknown of it all, the joy of discovering something new at any given moment.

 

I still get excited when I get that first glimpse of my ship as we arrive at the pier. And I hope that I never get to where crusing becomes so routine that I just shrug it off.

[WindinmySails]

I was in Key West for a week on a land vacation, and I had never seen a cruise ship. One Thursday, we went down to the dock and I saw two ships in port, one being Majesty of the Seas. I took several photos of the ship and was amazed at the size. Including a really neat one of my parents looking up at it. Little did I know then it was one of the smallest cruise ships out there.

 

On a fluke, my sister wanted to take a trip and we finally decided on a cruise. She made all the arrangements and it was Majesty.

I think I've never been so excited about a vacation. I, too was amazed by the size of everything. Another thing that stood out was how the ship carried so many people, yet you were still able to find places that gave you a feeling of privacy.

 

So, what did I do with that great shot of my parents? I put it in a Christmas card and am taking them on their first cruise--on Majesty.

[nomarfan5]

I remember how much both DH and I wanted to stay on the ship and not go home. My DH even tried to convince me that the cruise line said we didn't have to leave. I also remember the shock at getting home and actually having to prepare our own meal and gasp..serve ourselves. I kept expecting Wendell (our junior waiter) to come over, take away our frozen meal and give us something scrumptious to eat!

[lovetocruise75]

The first thing I remember is the fact that it was my honeymoon with my wife. Second would be the size of the ship (77,000 g.t. Celebrity Galaxy) Since then, we are hooked on RCCL mega ships, the 77,000 g.t. Galaxy was big until I saw the NOS docked in Miami!!!

[sharpie13]

The thing I remember most about our first cruise was HOW HORRIBLE it was! Thank GOD we decided to try again and now we are hooked!

 

 

Same here. I still haven't gone back to that line.

[01821]

So, what did I do with that great shot of my parents? I put it in a Christmas card and am taking them on their first cruise--on Majesty.

 

That's a big smile! I hope they love it!