Your first cruise ship

[Rotterdam]

My first cruise ship was the Sitmar Fairsea approximately in 1971...there were only a handfull of children onboard. My 2 brothers and I; and another couple boys...Was hooked after that.

 

I was on the Fairsea & Fairwind in the early 1980's- to Mexico out of California & the Carib out of Ft Lauderdale ...they were the best & the Line really took care of its passengers in every way...the ships were small , the food delicious all round - and the pizza great anytime of day - especially after leaving the night club at 3 A.M.....cha cha cha...wish they were still around - people today do not know what class is about if they didn't experience those days of cruising....

[Dunnik]

Mine was the MV Tropicale in 1987, with my parents when I was 12, to the Mexican Riviera.

 

She was the first CCL ship built for the company in 1982 and the first to carry the distinctive Carnival wing funnel. She was from a different age of cruising: only 35,000 tons and 1400 passengers. The new Carnival Vista, which I hope to sail on soon, is almost four times heavier and carries just under four times the passengers!

 

Amazingly, the Tropicale is still in service and hasn't been sent to the breaker's yard. I guess there's still a market for the smaller ships.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Dunnik

[aroncido]

My first cruise was on the MSC Splendida in 2012. The itinerary I believe was Genoa-Barcelona-Tunis-Valletta-Messina-Civitavecchia-Genoa. We immediately knew cruising was for us, it was an amazing experience. Unfortunately, we later came to dislike MSC, but that year it was very good.

[Gimmiethebeach]

The Grandeur of the Seas in early 2000. We went with another couple and the stock market was still soaring. Every time we wanted to buy something, gamble, etc. we would just say "that's only X number shares of whatever company". We got sucked into the art auction with the free champagne and bought waayyy too much! DH and my bill at the end of the cruise was almost $2500!! [emoji15] Needless to say we cruise much smarter now but that sure was a fun trip!!

 

 

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[cmdchiefthom]

My first cruise was in 1994 as a extra body to round out an family cruise who ended up with an extra cabin for a Grandmother who had taken ill and couldn't make the trip. All I had to do was make down to Tampa from South Bend on my own, and pay for my onboard expenses. The ship was the old HAL Noordam, the itinerary was a 14 day Holiday cruise to the Southern Caribbean, Aruba, Cartagena, partial transit of the canal, San Blas Islands, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Key West. I was hooked, but I vowed never to cruise again without a woman. The next time I cruised was '95-96 on my honeymoon, and the two of us lived happily ever after cruising when and where the mood strikes us.:D

[Kentchikan]

My first cruise was in 1994 as a extra body to round out an family cruise who ended up with an extra cabin for a Grandmother who had taken ill and couldn't make the trip. All I had to do was make down to Tampa from South Bend on my own, and pay for my onboard expenses. The ship was the old HAL Noordam, the itinerary was a 14 day Holiday cruise to the Southern Caribbean, Aruba, Cartagena, partial transit of the canal, San Blas Islands, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Key West. I was hooked, but I vowed never to cruise again without a woman. The next time I cruised was '95-96 on my honeymoon, and the two of us lived happily ever after cruising when and where the mood strikes us.:D

 

The old Noordam was a great ship.

[LidoLife]

Carnival Holiday in August of 1999. Four-day Catalina/Ensenada. Met my wife on that one so will always be a little biased towards CCL ;)

[Host Walt]

Ditto her sister ship, the old Nieuw Amsterdam, our first cruise to Alaska in 1987.

 

[happy traveler69]

big red boat 1996

[MerlinsMum]

My first ever cruise was in 2005. Booked a last minute holiday on the Island Escape. it was great! Never been on a cruise before so was daunting at first, but got used to it quite quickly. also very low key as to dress code, very relaxed.

This was a 7 day cruise, went to Cadiz, Gibralter (hated those monkeys!), Ibiza, Malaga, and the home port, Palma,

 

Ever since then I've wanted to go again, and this year the dream has been (or will be) fulfilled, on the Brilliance of the Sea.

[VPKara]

Royal Caribbean's Sun Viking on July 5, 1975. A great 14 day Caribbean cruise to start my cruising adventures!

[Magnum60]

The RMS Queen Mary in 1956 as a kid

[HuntersMoon]

Went on our honeymoon on an NCL ship in November 1978. Can't era all the name of the ship, but we sailed from Miami. Various ports including Cancun, Cozumel, Grand Cayman.

We were hooked and have been on many since-next up is a Med cruise on Regent's new Explorer in Sept 2016.

 

 

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[twinsbur]

My first cruise was on the Carnival Sensation in 2012 for my childrens graduation from High School. I was always leary of a cruise because I can get seasick very quickly. I loved the cruise so we booked another on the Carnival Paradise in 2013 and had a ball!! 22 days till we cruise on the Enchantment OTS displaced from the Empress.:D

[Giovanina]

My first cruise was for our 25th Anniversary on the Sitmar Fairsea in March 1979 to the Mexican Riviera. Sitmar became part of Princess, thus the pizza on all ships and all the very handsome Italian officers. Even shot skeet on that cruise (the only woman participating) and hit more than the men. lol

 

Gio

[brianlojeck]

Carnival paradise to Ensenada. At the time Ensenada want nearly as nice as it is now. I remember walking out of an industrial port til I found a taco stand.

[Kentchikan]

Carnival paradise to Ensenada. At the time Ensenada want nearly as nice as it is now. I remember walking out of an industrial port til I found a taco stand.

 

I didn't get to Ensenada in those days I bet it was interesting it's a great port now.

[Host Walt]

I didn't get to Ensenada in those days I bet it was interesting it's a great port now.

 

Way back in the 1980's Ensenada was shown as a "technical stop" in LA-Hawaii itineraries. The stop was shown at very strange times. The usual was a 1 to 2 hour stop. The reason was to stay legal with foreign flag ships.

 

Bacl in 1981 we drove down to Ensenada just to see Rosarito Beach and Hussong's Cantina. There was virtually nothing else in Ensenada except the Bufadora (blow hole) which really wasn't worth the trip.

[PhillyTravelBug]

Celebrity Horizon back in 1999 to Bermuda. We left out of Philadelphia. I wish we still had a cruise port here.

[happytogetherj&j]

Homeric home lines- left out of New York City to Bermuda. This was in 1989. Wonderful cruise ship and wonderful memories.

 

 

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[RJGallagher1955]

At age 5, (now age 60) I did my first "cruise".

 

It was on the SS Princess Marguerite, sailing from downtown Seattle to the inner harbor in Victoria, BC.

 

I find it fun to note that now I have come full circle as someone who sails on Princess Cruises, since the original Princess ship was the sister ship of the SS Princess Marguerite, the SS Princess Patricia, which also sailed from Seattle to Victoria back in the day.

 

Both were part of the Canadian Pacific Steamships Princess fleet.

[Host Walt]

At age 5, (now age 60) I did my first "cruise".

 

It was on the SS Princess Marguerite, sailing from downtown Seattle to the inner harbor in Victoria, BC.

 

I find it fun to note that now I have come full circle as someone who sails on Princess Cruises, since the original Princess ship was the sister ship of the SS Princess Marguerite, the SS Princess Patricia, which also sailed from Seattle to Victoria back in the day.

 

Both were part of the Canadian Pacific Steamships Princess fleet.

Our first cruise was on the Marguerite in July 1979, also Seattle to Victoria. We had a day cabin (waste of money) for the 4 hour sailing. It was our first cruise (unless you count the trips we took on the Staten Island ferry). We continued north to Port Hardy (north end of Vancouver Island) where we took the BC ferry overnight to Prince Rupert. That was our first overnight cruise in a cabin. Edited May 25, 2016 by Host Walt

[RJGallagher1955]

Our first cruise was on the Marguerite in July 1979, also Seattle to Victoria. We had a day cabin (waste of money) for the 4 hour sailing. It was our first cruise (unless you count the trips we took on the Staten Island ferry). We continued north to Port Hardy (north end of Vancouver Island) where we took the BC ferry overnight to Prince Rupert. That was our first overnight cruise in a cabin.

 

Mine coincided with the Seattle World's Fair in 1962. I guess I was 7 instead of age 5, that I initially posted..

 

We too had a cabin, since my grandparents were with us. I remember having to rest in the cabin with my grandpa and grandma. :)

 

I remember the Princess Patricia was berthed next to us because my Aunt's name was Patty. So, the adults had hoped that we could have been on the Princess Patricia.

 

I vaguely remember the teak decks, the white coat of paint, the smokestack and the sound of the horn.

 

It was a fun family day, as I remember and my introduction to cruising and Princess!!! ;)

Edited May 25, 2016 by RJGallagher1955

[Kentchikan]

Our first cruise was on the Marguerite in July 1979, also Seattle to Victoria. We had a day cabin (waste of money) for the 4 hour sailing. It was our first cruise (unless you count the trips we took on the Staten Island ferry). We continued north to Port Hardy (north end of Vancouver Island) where we took the BC ferry overnight to Prince Rupert. That was our first overnight cruise in a cabin.

 

At age 5, (now age 60) I did my first "cruise".

 

It was on the SS Princess Marguerite, sailing from downtown Seattle to the inner harbor in Victoria, BC.

 

I find it fun to note that now I have come full circle as someone who sails on Princess Cruises, since the original Princess ship was the sister ship of the SS Princess Marguerite, the SS Princess Patricia, which also sailed from Seattle to Victoria back in the day.

 

Both were part of the Canadian Pacific Steamships Princess fleet.

 

I too was on the Princess Patricia but in Alaska while it was still a Canadian Pacific ship and I sailed on the Marguerite from Seattle to Victoria. They were beautiful ships. I also sailed on the Prince George in Alaska which was a Canadian National ship.

[rowsey]

July 1970 NCL SUNWARD....... Ft Lauderdale - NASSAU - Private Island - Ft Lauderdale....... our HONEYMOON CRUISE....... our room had bunk beds!