Your first cruise ship

[Steppy08]

Hi Copper,

Mine was a three night cruise from Miami on the Dolphin IV in 1991. The itinerary was Nassau, and a private island. It was an introductory cruise before deciding to book our honeymoon on the Dolphin Oceanbreeze, a 7-night Southern Caribbean from Aruba. I believe Dolphin Cruise line later was sold to Premier. The ships were older, but we loved them. Oh yes, we were hooked from the start, and our cruises only keep getting better :)

 

 

I realize this quote is four years old... but my first cruise was on the Dolphin IV as well! August of 1994 - Four nights out of Miami to Key West, Nassau, and the private island. It was so small you could barely see the funnel over the buildings when we pulled up to the docks in Miami. But still some of the best service ever. My family was hooked.

[Midway Moo]

Wow! I was carried kicking & screaming in 1978 on to Sitmar's "Fairsea".It was a 10-day sailing from Los Angeles to the" Mexican Riveria"(Acapulco,Mazatlan,Puerto Vallerta & a stop at a desolate,rock-filled place called Cabo san Lucas !) My most vivid memories were docking next to "THE REAL LOVE BOAT"( Pacific Princess) & meeting "Mrs Howell"(Natalie Schafer) from "Gilligans' Island", at a bar in Mazatlan...........

Those 10 days started my obsession with cruising....

There is nothing like it!:D

[Hapscrapgal]

My first cruise.... ahh I was 18 and went with some girls from work - we had a port hole and four bunks! Bathrooms were down the corridor a little way!

 

The ship was Fairsky run by the Sitmar line. That ship was VERY bouncy - there were no stabilisers so it tossed and turned about a lot.

 

We went to New Zealand and Tonga, Fiji and Noumea. The seas were very, very rough at one stage and late one night a passenger decided to jump overboard. We had all been schooled to yell "Man overboard on the port side" or whatever, so the yell went round the ship.

 

The crew threw a small ring into the water for the lady and the captain turned the ship around. The waves were huge and the crew risked their lives to be lowered down in the dark to go and find her.

 

You know when it's rough and the doors have a sign saying don't go out and the waiters take away all the butter knives and put the edges up on the tables so nothing slides off.

 

The crew found the lady and put her off at the next port. Was the most dangerous rescue I've ever seen - brave crew for sure.

[Hapscrapgal]

My husband's first cruise was as a baby - his parents were coming to Australia from England as ten pound poms - yep they paid ten pounds each to come and live in Australia and the cruise was thrown in free! My husband turned one on the ship - they went through the Suez Canal and had a wonderful time on board with all the other English settlers. This was back in 1955.

[Vol fan]

The NCL Sunward in 1974.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Vol fan

[no fuss travel]

Carnivale's Mardi Gras 1978 7 day cruise from Miami to St. Thomas, San Juan and St Maarten's. Went with a girlfriend and when both of us got married we introduced our spouses to cruising. Still cruising but now on more upscale lines.

[QM1]

My first cruise was a New Year´s cruise with Deilmann´s MS Berlin, 2 1/2 weeks, about 20 years ago. From Panama down the South American West Coast with calls at Guayaquil and Lima, then west to Easter Island, Pitcairn, Tahiti and Moorea. A stunning itinerary for this small ship. I remember exceptionally good food, offloading of all Christmas decorations, German Christmas sweets and German beer as a donation to the Pitcairners, many rich passengers - and constant complaints about inadequate tipping. I was in my late 20s then and befriended two millionaire´s daughters, but none was interesting enough for a deeper relationship;-)

[CatgirlNC]

My first cruise was on Commodore's Boheme in 1986, the summer before it was sold to the Scientologists. I was 13 years old, with my mother and grandmother. We stayed in a suite, which was probably about the same size as a regular stateroom on a cruiseship today. It didn't even have a balcony. We left St. Petersburg, FL and stopped at Key West, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

 

I loved it, but it was about 20 years before I had to chance to go on another cruise. Now I am trying to make up for lost time. :)

[firesail]

My first cruise was on the Linea "C" Federico C, a 601 ft ship originally built for Europe to South America transport. It was commissioned in 1958, and I sailed on it with my parents and sister for the 17 day Christmas - New Years cruise where we visited 14 ports. I still have a set of the menus from the cruise and also the printed daily schedule. A travel agency from my hometown had several other families going and I had a great time with kids my own age.

 

I distinctly remember that there were 3 classes on the ship, and we were in 2nd class, so we could eat in the 2nd class dining room and be in the 2nd class pool and deck area. My sister and I had an inside cabin with two bunk beds. The room had its own bathroom but everything was incredibly small. My parents had a larger outside stateroom with two portholes.

 

There were no big entertainment shows, and no poolside antics, but there was an orchestra that played in the lounge and theatre. There were some singers and a comedian and I think there was also a talent contest. They did show films in the theatre.

 

I do remember having dinner one night at the Captains table. I told him I was surprised that they showed first run movies in the theatre and he laughed at this.

 

I remember the food being very good and since it was an Italian liner, we got pasta served at all three meals. I remember there were two Captains dinners, and I recall eating baked Alaska for the first time. The ambiance of the ship was very plain. I remember our transit from Haiti to Panama on New Years Eve and New Years day was very rough and a lot of the passengers got seasick. Additionally, my sister and mother both got a flu bug and were not allowed to leave their room for many days.

 

I was the only family member that enjoyed the cruise, but it was mostly because I had new friends to be with. My family felt there was too much sickness, and the ship was very dirty and bug infested. It was also difficult to communicate with the staff as we only spoke English and the staff mostly spoke either Spanish or Italian.

 

The trip did not hook me on cruising at that time. But my memories of that trip helped ease me into my first modern cruise on the NCL Windward (before it was stretched and made into the Norwegian Wind.) That second, 7 day cruise got me hooked.

[bkbabe]

Carnival's Fiesta Marina in December 1993. I was 19. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Aruba, Venezuela. I believe that line only lasted 1 year. I have not been on a cruise since!

Edited January 26, 2012 by bkbabe

[RanchoDeluxe]

1987 my first cruise on the StarShip Royale. August travel to the Bahamas out of Port Canaveral. I do not htink they were linked with Disney yet. Tho several of us did work at The Mouse.

I would love to find a picture equivalent to our first cruise cabin – complete

with four bunk beds and one porthole. Two couples in their first years of marriage – what a hoot that cruise was!

I found this link with a Premiere Cruise Line History http://www.sealetter.com/Jan-01/prem.html and this link with ship pictures! http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/PremierPCs.html#anchor79065 but no bunk bed cabin pictures.

[ryndam]

kjcccc87....the ship was originally Costa's Federico C. I found a an old picture of a 4-berth cabin. Maybe it will bring back some memories....

[Salty Katy]

My first cruise was aboard the Westerdam, originally Homeric, from Vancouver to Alaska. The first night out, the seas even in the Inside Passage were 13 feet. The ship had a slow, easy roll, and I had the best night's sleep ever! Just like being rocked to sleep...:)

 

 

 

HAL Westerdam 2001 Alaska

Cunard QEII 2003 transatlantic

Delta Queen 2008 Ohio River

HAL Veendam 2009 Alaska

Upcoming: NCL Pride of America Hawaii 12/22/12

[cruiselover57]

My first cruise was on the Song of Norway for a week out of Miami to the Caribbean - the cost back then was $422! I remember it well and that was an outside cabin on the Main Deck including air from LA! Can you believe it? Such a deal! Since then, I've been on 78 cruises total and still lovin' every minute of cruising! Love those big ships now - so much more to offer and too many people of course! LOL

[cruiselover57]

My first cruise.... ahh I was 18 and went with some girls from work - we had a port hole and four bunks! Bathrooms were down the corridor a little way!

 

The ship was Fairsky run by the Sitmar line. That ship was VERY bouncy - there were no stabilisers so it tossed and turned about a lot.

 

We went to New Zealand and Tonga, Fiji and Noumea. The seas were very, very rough at one stage and late one night a passenger decided to jump overboard. We had all been schooled to yell "Man overboard on the port side" or whatever, so the yell went round the ship.

 

The crew threw a small ring into the water for the lady and the captain turned the ship around. The waves were huge and the crew risked their lives to be lowered down in the dark to go and find her.

 

You know when it's rough and the doors have a sign saying don't go out and the waiters take away all the butter knives and put the edges up on the tables so nothing slides off.

 

The crew found the lady and put her off at the next port. Was the most dangerous rescue I've ever seen - brave crew for sure.

 

You might also remember the good old Fairstar! I sailed on that ship three times and not too many Americans knew about the ship at the time. I've also been on the Fairsky (however, it was not the same Fairsky you were on - this was a newer ship that we took on our honeymoon back in 1987 and then it was taken over by Princess in 1989 and renamed the Sky Princess.

[cruiselover57]

Wow! I was carried kicking & screaming in 1978 on to Sitmar's "Fairsea".It was a 10-day sailing from Los Angeles to the" Mexican Riveria"(Acapulco,Mazatlan,Puerto Vallerta & a stop at a desolate,rock-filled place called Cabo san Lucas !) My most vivid memories were docking next to "THE REAL LOVE BOAT"( Pacific Princess) & meeting "Mrs Howell"(Natalie Schafer) from "Gilligans' Island", at a bar in Mazatlan...........

Those 10 days started my obsession with cruising....

There is nothing like it!:D

 

I remember that ship as well! I sailed on her for a 2-week Xmas/New Year's cruise from LA to Mexico in 1974. I remember it only costing $560 per person (2 sharing a cabin) for an inside cabin (I guess I just have a knack for remembering stuff like that)! Great memories for sure - cabins were really good size too!

Edited February 9, 2012 by cruiselover57

[cruiselover57]

kjcccc87....the ship was originally Costa's Federico C. I found a an old picture of a 4-berth cabin. Maybe it will bring back some memories....

 

That is too funny! Passenger cabins didn't have drapes did they? It looks like a crew cabin!

[JHU]

The Carnival Mardi Gras from Miami in April 1978 was my first experience. Went with a group from work. Here's what I remember: roaches running up the columns in the dining room, a communal, unisex 'hair dryer/curling iron' room because there weren't electrical receptacles in the cabins and a very dark and gloomy inside pool. When we complained about the roaches, was told that Carnival had many repeat customers. Well, not us. None of us have returned the Carnival after that experience.

[cruiselover57]

The Carnival Mardi Gras from Miami in April 1978 was my first experience. Went with a group from work. Here's what I remember: roaches running up the columns in the dining room, a communal, unisex 'hair dryer/curling iron' room because there weren't electrical receptacles in the cabins and a very dark and gloomy inside pool. When we complained about the roaches, was told that Carnival had many repeat customers. Well, not us. None of us have returned the Carnival after that experience.

 

Well, you're missing out on some great ships in my opinion! I'd go Carnival any day over Costa! LOL

[geduffer]

Well, you're missing out on some great ships in my opinion! I'd go Carnival any day over Costa! LOL

 

Well, I'd prefer to cruise with a company that doesn't sink you.

[geduffer]

Well, I just stumbled across this thread 4 years later and I got enlisted to pick my then girlfriend and her parents up at the pier in New York City from a Bermuda cruise aboard Horizon (Celebrity Cruises). I was the stubborn one who wouldn't cruise, but she married me anyway. A year after we were married, I went on my first cruise aboard Zenith in October of 1998. The same day we booked the cruise my in-laws booked the same cruise separately so we had company and it definitely hooked me. I've done 4 more Bermuda cruises, another on Zenith, one on Horizon, one on Azamara Journey and the most recent on Celebrity Summit as well as 2 cruises on Celebrity Century (E and W Caribbean) and 2 Southern Caribbean cruises one on Adventure of the Seas and one on Celebrity Summit. #10 is this September to Alaska on Celebrity Infinity.

 

Not only am I hooked on cruising, I keep trying to convert the world (at least the piece that I'm in contact with). :D

Edited February 14, 2012 by geduffer

[Out of Iowa]

I sailed as a child in 1967 from Southampton, England via Cherbourg, France to New York.

 

The ship burned and sank in Hong Kong harbor in early 1972.

[cwilson466]

My 1st cruise was on Monarch of the seas in 1996, southern Caribbean. Sailed with my folks as a single gal and had a blast. In 2002, I got married on the same ship :D

[Athankfulheart]

We are late to the cruising party but making up for lost time :D

Our first cruise was on NCL America's Pride of Aloha in 2006. Since then, she has gone back to being NCL Sky. Thats the trip that hooked us :cool:

[dabear]

My first cruise was in 1969 on the original Costa Carla C over new years. I had alot of fun on that old ship.

Edited February 24, 2012 by dabear