Remember when Carnival did.............

[BEFdoc]

I remember wine sommeliers on the Mardi Gras. This guy would taste each wine at the tables for the early and late seatings. By the late seating he was so toasted, he could barely walk by the end of dinner. He was better entertainment than the shows in fact and had a permanent bright red nose.

[travel girl23]

I have not read all of the answers on this thread but I remember the chimes they used to play at dinner time. The Maitre'd would come on the intercom and announce dinner.

I also remember the scavenger hunts. They may still have these but we have not had one on any ship we have sailed in the past few years. Same with the horse races.

I remember when the wait staff wore different vests every night and on the last night, they wore red, white, and blue vests and sang patriotic songs.

[Chrislynn55]

This was on another cruise line but I remember being horrified one night (early morning) at about 2:00 AM when I saw bags of garbage being thrown overboard by the crew!

 

I also still have my skeet shooting trophy 25 years later!

 

Free daily fitness classes held in one of the lounges was cool too.

[FP4BMO]

I can recall cruising with my parents in the mid 80's on the Sitmar line and you had to go to a special room to use a hairdryer. The plug outlets in the cabins would not accept the regular North America plugs.

[KroozNut]

This was on another cruise line but I remember being horrified one night (early morning) at about 2:00 AM when I saw bags of garbage being thrown overboard by the crew!

 

As strange as it sounds, this was common and accepted practice not so long ago for any ship at sea. If I remember correctly from my U.S. Navy days, the ship had to be at least 50 miles from shore before dumping could occur, and there were restrictions on what could be thrown overboard; basically garbage only, no non-biodegradable materials like chemicals, plastics, etc.

 

Now days, ships 'process' their waste onboard, or store it onboard until they reach port to properly dispose of it.

[crusinpsychRN]

As strange as it sounds, this was common and accepted practice not so long ago for any ship at sea. If I remember correctly from my U.S. Navy days, the ship had to be at least 50 miles from shore before dumping could occur, and there were restrictions on what could be thrown overboard; basically garbage only, no non-biodegradable materials like chemicals, plastics, etc.

 

Now days, ships 'process' their waste onboard, or store it onboard until they reach port to properly dispose of it.

 

See that nowadays and report it and collect a lot of money!!

[JLJS_NY]

.....

Also for some strange reason my DH would always get called up on the stage by the CD Eddie Capone do any of you remember him....Eddie Capone wanted anyone that was in the military to raise their hand...my DH raised his and before he knew it he was on the stage playing a game of 'mexican musical hats'...my DH and one other fellow was the last two...what was so funny was that they were laughing like a couple of hynenas (sp) ....their prize was the 52 piece game set. This is on one of the videos. We went on a couple of more cruise with Eddie Capone being the CD. Does anyone know if he is still around? The last I heard was that he had a comedy club in Ft Lauderdale.

 

I was just on Victory and Eddie Capone was the Comedian. He acknowledged all current and veteran military, so I'm pretty sure it's the same guy! He did two shows. One of the shows was "R" rated. He was hysterical! Soooo funny! My mother, son and I really enjoyed his show immensely! My son laughed so hard I thought he was going to pee himself! :eek: Most of his act was ethnic based, but IMHO he was not offensive at all. EVERY nationality that he teased, laughed WITH him! I would LOVE to see him again!

[geoff45434]

Wow, such memories! Thanks for sharing all. I myself have been on some lines in addition to Carnival (although at this point, Carnival Corp. owns many of them, heh) and it was definitely neat to read how cruising, in some ways, 'used to be'.

 

I remember myself :

 

the maitre 'd wishing everyone "bon appetit' " via announcement.

 

luggage was not immediately delivered to your cabin door but rather, placed in a giant (!) pile in what would pass as the main atrium, to be sorted. This was in the early days of ships, so the 'main atrium' was literally a smaller, one-story 'room' with the Purser's Desk and one or two other things in it.

 

The entertainment shows, perhaps somehow appealing to a 'frat boy' image Carnival greatly tried to shake in the early 90's, were slightly more provocative : the ladies 'wore' fancy, very-minimal Las Vegas style 'outfits' for a number or two, and I remember seeing an attractive guy wearing essentially nothing other than a g-string (and swinging a lasso, to boot! This was a 'Roy Rogers'-themed show).

 

Ketchup, offered in the dining room, was simply on the table in a bottle. Rolls were in a basket in the center, as well. Busboys and girls (, which is still done today) used 'crumbers' - the little brushes to clear the tables.

 

The captain really would pose for a picture with every set of people attending.

 

*******

 

Many of the previous activities mentioned in the posts, one could guess, have been adjusted for obvious reasons : as the ships got larger, a way to save money (and be safer) was to have less glass glasses on-board. Certainly, the fish (and other life) don't appreciate a bunch of streamers, et al. polluting their environment. With well over 1,000 people on board weekly, alas the captain usually does not have time to pose with every-single-person (let alone for 4-day cruises, heh). Turning the ship's movie theatre space into a club / bar / etc., and using the 'extra' money to install TVs in each room, which not only allow for more than one movie to be played at one's convenience, but also see the dining room menus, check in / out and order tours, makes sense.

 

I do admire Carnival's ability to 'blend' an older way of cruising, which was more cultured and genuinely relaxed, with a new image of a vacation, which is essentially hamburgers, tanning and fun. High tea, formal nights and 'adults-only' sections on the ships set next to water slides, french fries and people who, well-meaningly, think a "vegetarian" is a doctor who takes care of animals, heh. I imagine much of their success is offering some good variety, and a reasonable "middle ground".

 

Okay. Take care!

* Geoff

[ShannLC16]

Complimentary birthday and anniversary cakes in dining room delivered with a song.

 

This was done for me on my Valor sailing in March. I got a cake and a song by the waiters (and surrounding tables).

 

The funniest part was...it wasn't my birthday. My birthday had been almost a month earlier. When I booked I told my PVP that this cruise was a birthday present...and so I am guessing that was noted on my account that it was a birthday cruise? :D

[jpg1747]

Most of my earliest cruises were on Princess, but I remember all of the same things. I remember only being able to book a cruise through a travel agency - you couldn't contact the cruiseline directly. I went to the travel agency and picked up those big glossy brochures.

[chachi]

Complimentary birthday and anniversary cakes in dining room delivered with a song.

 

I got this in July for my birthday.

[tea4ular]

... they made crepes at 2:00am to order with fresh fruit in them, and that and that was after the buffet at MN.

 

Yep, and the grand gala buffet where everyone got a chance to go in and take pictures first of all the beautiful ice and fruit sculptures before opening it up to eating...which then reminds of watching the chainsaws come out by the pool in the afternoon to showcase the carving of those gigantic ice blocks...(free) galley and bridge tours...paper streamers upon leaving the shore...skeet shooting off the back of the ship...:eek:

[babyher]

I had almost forgotten about the costume parties. If you didn't have a real costume (hardly anyone did), you could go to a big supply closet they had with tons of junk - crepe paper, all kinds of stuff, and make your own.

 

I've mentioned this on another thread like this one - awhile back - that I knew there'd be a costume party, so I brought my "Lady Godiva" costume. Full nude-colored body suit, long long blonde wig, and guess what.......I WON!:eek:

 

 

 

*LOL*

 

I remember a costume party on RCCL Song of America back in 1986. A couple came dressed as toilets!!!!!!!!

 

They called themselves "First and Second seating' *LOL*

[Pegs222]

The price of the cruise also included air.

 

Seven courses during dinner

 

Midnight Buffet with another buffet at 1:30

 

As someone else mentioned, the Capitan was introduced to us and our picture was taken.

 

We would actually see the CD all over the ship

[tea4ular]

Oh yes, the scavenger hunts...those were a blast. How about when they played the game like Let's Make a Deal where people would come with pillow cases filled with stuff from their cabin/the ship.

[croozlady]

I remember dancing conga line style to HOT HOT HOT with the waiters at dinner, weaving in and around all the tables while they carried the Baked Alaska on their heads... they gave me a bottle of champagne to carry on my head (probably because I had a quite short mini dress on that night!)....

 

That's why they're the fun ships!

[DqALEX]

I still have my paper boarding pass.

[mek]

Male Nightgown contests.

 

Waiter and asst waiter service at all three meals.

 

Allowed smoking in the Dining Room.

 

You had to have ALL your teeth to board.

 

Skeet shooting.

 

Real glass souvenier glasses

 

That's so funny, my DS and DIL are on the Freedom this week and I was recalling when the ships had the male nightgown contest. Truly one of the most entertaining things I've ever watched.

 

I also remember a few things I didn't like, such as the pursers office only being open for a few hours each day and shutting down early on the last night - what a pain!

[LHP]

Remember the 4 strikes of the mini - xylophone before they opened the doors to the Formal Dining Room for dinner.

[karenh1127]

What is a rum swizzle®? Also after reading the posts about underage drinking it reminded me of our first cruise in Mar 05 when my son ordered a virgin strawberry daq in the dining room and they brought him one with alcohol! Luckily I tasted it first. My son was 8...:rolleyes:

[LornaT]

No Lido Deck Buffet 'area", on Festivale in 1981 it was card tables set up on deck with sandwich meats, cheeses, fruit and salads for do-it-yourself sandwich making, in 1982 on Tropicale OMG!:eek: there is a grill for Hamburgers and Hot Dogs with Potato Chips.

 

Dining room was open for sit down meal service on sea days and buffet style set-up in the dining room on port days.

 

Dinner had a theme every night with the wiaters in costume to go with it (Italian Night, French night, etc) and the midnight buffet was again a scedhuled theme (Pizza, Sub Sandwiches, etc.) each night in the dining room.

 

Yes wine stewards who would make suggestions, order your wine and recork and save any left over for the next night.

 

My cabin key in 1982 (Tropicale) was the plastic strip with holes in it and there were laundry rooms do to laundry with detergent, etc. for free. And yes bathrooms just a little larger than in my first RV.

 

Bon Voyage Parties, streamers to throw for sail-away and yes free rum swizzle at sail-away (which I believe evolved into the "Fun Ship Special" and my first Bahama Mama.

 

Free decks of cards and post cards (still have mine) and the honest to goodness 'glass" glasses, I still have all four of mine .......... 2 with Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Festivale painted on the backs, one with Mardi Gras, Carnivale, Festivale and Tropicale painted on and the last one with just the Carnival Logo.

 

Lastly ............... Singles Cocktail Parties.

[pjtulsa]

Midnight Buffet, not that I miss it....:)

[unadillasc]

Wow, you all brought back lots of memories. We have been sailing since 1987 our first cruise was also on the Festivale out of San Juan. What a great cruise!

 

Things I remember - not sure any are unique though:

Beer drinking contest on the deck - Husband one this one (ex frat boy... what can I say)

Towel animals were instead designs made out of my nightgowns - weird

Flaming baked Alaska

I remember lunch being sometimes served on an open deck and was nothing more than sandwich meat and rolls etc

Only dinner option was dining room, everyone went

Horse racing

Everyone knew everyone by the end of the cruise as the boat was much smaller

Drink prices I think we cheaper 'in port' than 'at sea'

Real glass glasses. I have several - hurricane, brandy snifter style and mason jar styles.

 

Great thread!

[spencercoop]

I started sailing CCL bit late, first cruise was on the new Elation, back in '98. Back when Camp Carnival was new, they had a table on the gang way when you entered the ship where they gave a goody bag to the kids with crayons, coloring book, etc and even a free helium balloon. On formal night, before dinner, they had a "mocktail" party for kids with free sodas and finger foods. I remember admonishing my 8 year old not to eat the chicken nuggets, or else she won't have an appetite for her lobster!

Miss the rum swizzles and parade of flaming deserts.

We had lobster two nights in '99 on that ship, with prime rib served one night in the buffet. One thing I really miss- they had an o.j. squeezer machine in the buffet area- you took oranges out of a basket and put them into the machine and squeezed fresh juice for you-yum!

I miss assigned seating for breakfast and lunch, getting your dinner waiter and awesome service. I was on the Ecstacy in '03 and they still had it. The waiter said that they were the last ship to have it and would switching to open seating.

We we got our last water color print of a ship I think in '06, not last month though. We have them all framed like a little armada!

Presidente butter was last seen by us on the Victory back in '04.

 

When were you on the Ecstasy in 2003?? I was on the Ectstasy in March 2003 and trying to remember if they had assigned seating for every meal.

[pnjkeith]

Cash envelopes for tips.

 

No flip flops in dining room allowed

 

gala buffet