Chandris Cruises(Celebrity)? Who remembers them?

[Blue Lagoon]

I have been told by a few Celebrity people that Britanis was used for a while in Gitmo Bay for the prison camp after 9/11 - don't know if it's still there

 

 

If you check on Wikipedia under Chandris Line, there is a chart that tells what happened to the ships with dates and locations. :(

[What A Market]

My first experiences with Chandris were also my first cruise experiences. In my college years, during the summers of 1977 and 1978, I had a dream job of working for a european tour company that coordinated tours for American high school students. During those two summers I took kids on cruises (heck, I was a kid!) on the Fiorita and the Romanza for one week cruises in the Greek islands.

 

The cruises were almost entirely populated by europeans and included other groups of high school and college age students.

 

Needless to say, my horizons were expanded as were the students under my charge. Ha!

 

Looking forward to a cruise on the Infinity in June 2013!

Edited September 21, 2012 by What A Market

[jackdiamond]

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How funny...we are spending 2 weeks on the Outer Banks and schlepping food as well! We love it there though! The ocean, the beach, pool and hot tub...all personal and semi-private. The dolphins in the surf, the wild horses. No formal nights or major excursions...it is truly a relaxing vacation. And even with air, the price of a huge beach front house with our cruise friends and food is comparable or less than a cruise. :D Enjoy! Whichever you decide.

You are correct. In days gone by, I have caught a lot of fish in that area. But, now that I am a Floridian, with access to many beautiful beaches, those days are gone. It is now much simpler for we old folks to drive about 15 minutes from our abode to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

[Esprit]

My first cruise was on a Chandris ship, SS Fiorita back in 1970.

 

We flew to Rimini in Italy and then coached to Ancona where we embarked. The ship was only 5,000 tonnes but seemed huge to me as a kid.

 

We sailed to Corfu, Kotor, passed through the Corinth canal to Athens and should have visited Kusadasi but an outbreak of some disease in Turkey meant we returned to Athens for another day.

 

The cruise was fantastic, but us kids could only be seen and not heard! One day the sea was so rough me and my kid brother larked about on the Prom' deck sliding along the wet greasy wood flooring as we sailed into a head wind. Nowadays the Prom deck would be off limits in such poor weather. We had to laugh at all the people being sick everywhere too.

 

I also remember the baked Alaska parade. They were properly set on fire as they were paraded through the restaurant. No chance of that ever happening now.

 

Happy days

[marinating]

I came to Australia with my family in 1974 on the Australis, a Chandris ship.

We were known as £10.00 poms. It cost my father £60.00 for our family of 6 to emigrate to Australia! My longest and cheapest cruise! The trip took 6 weeks.

I have vivid memories of sharing an outside cabin with the family, helping my mother with the laundry everyday which would hang around the cabin for days trying to dry! It was my first taste of freedom as a 16 year old and I had a great time. The entertainment was great, a visa versa night where the females had to dress up as males and visa versa! I came across the pictures the other day and had a good laugh.

The passengers put on a play with the assistance of the entertainment staff, I auditioned and got the part of Virginia, the lead female, we put on 3 performances for the rest of the passengers, what a hoot it was!

I remember when the ship docked at Freemantle, in Western Australia the dock crew were on strike and would not unload the baggage of those passengers disembarking. We spent 3 days in Freemantle before heading to Melbourne where family met us.

A nice trip down memory lane, thank you.

Marina

[neverbeenhere]

All hail to the Britanis.

[phoenix_dream]

Our first Celebrity cruise was on the Horizon in the early 90's. We had previously been on Carnival and NCL but Celebrity spoiled us for other cruiselines! While we have sailed a couple others since (Princess once, RCCI twice) we have come back to Celebrity 20 times so far (with two more upcoming:))

 

I think good memories tend to blur the past and make it seem even better than it truly might have been. But that said, I do miss the food - it was much better back then and no one, no how can convince me otherwise. I also miss the smaller ships. IMHO bigger is not always better, and I hate the RCCI feel that Celebrity is adding to their S class ships. Don't get me wrong, I still love them, but my personal preference remains smaller and more reserved. The loud and noisy atrium flies in the face of that to me, and that is just an example. I am also one of those that prefer fewer "pay-for-play" options and prefer more all-inclusive, but I realize that would raise the base fares quite a bit and many disagree with me. (To them I say - not to worry - I am on the losing side of that argument - and please don't suggest I try the luxury lines as those are 2-3 times more expensive). All in all, very pleased with X from the beginning and still loyal as can be:D

[LeftcoastBC]

Started on the Zenith and then went to the Horizon so not on the older ships.

 

Still upset with the change to the eggs benny when new ownership came on. The little rings of black olive stuck right on top..... disappeared soon after the change. :) :(

 

Just an indication that all things must change. Interesting.!!! the Price comparison. Then cat 5 now a 2B on the Solstice.. I agree. Change is not all bad.

 

Interesting.

 

This Thread is over 3 yrs old.

 

My thoughts still have not changed although I did sail on an other lines since.(only twice....please forgive me :D)

The X of today has changed but still is/has the best overall experience and value as far as I'm concerned.

[jconeil]

We also started our cruise travel on Chandris. The Galileo out of NYC to nowhere. It was a glorious sunny day on deck & I loved it so much I stayed all day. Didn't get a sunburn, but that night at dinner I had one sip of wine (true!) and promptly fainted away. I was told several waiters carried me out of the dining room and deposited me on a couch, where I came to. Needless to say, everyone on the ship, it seemed, stopped me the next day to see how I was doing :o

That experience did not stop our cruising. We sailed on the Britannis, I still have that tee. Also the Dolphin and Dolphin 4, the Meridien, Zenith, Horizon, Mercury, and later the Century. All of these were Caribbean cruises. The memories are of all Greek crew, wonderful food, baked Alaska had real flames and was a real show! Not to mention the unbelievable midnight buffets. I do also having to remember to step over the thresholds when entering/exiting a room. Lifeboat drills were on deck, always, regardless of the weather. Nice memories, but I like our fancy new ships now with luxuries never encountered on these old ships. Especially the size of the cabins and bathrooms!!!

Now we cruise all over the world and still encourage anyone to try cruising. It's a wonderful way to travel.

[maladigiz]

My very first cruise was on the Chandris Amerikanis. It was awesome at the time. Smaller ship and you got to recognize everyone on board within a few days. Oh those incredible midnight buffets with all the fruit sculptures and ice sculptures and REAL baked Alaska parade's with the baked Alaska actually flaming. The cruise itself just felt a lot more intimate.:)

[Ships R Great]

Anyone remember Michael on Americanis or Britanis? He was the old equivalent of a CD. My mother sailed on these two ships often. She would play piano for sing-a-longs with the passengers. I used to find senior officers who remembered both my mom and Michael. Not any more---they have all retired!

[Dunelm]

I think I understand what you are saying. Our first cruise was on Celebrity's Horizon and I loved everything about it! Yet, over the years, I have appreciated all the cruises I have taken--with Celebrity, Princess, and Holland America Lines. As I age, I keep reminding myself that change may be the only constant in my life, and so I think "That was then, and this is now," and I am glad to be living in the now!:)

[obxgirl]

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How funny...we are spending 2 weeks on the Outer Banks and schlepping food as well! We love it there though! The ocean, the beach, pool and hot tub...all personal and semi-private. The dolphins in the surf, the wild horses. No formal nights or major excursions...it is truly a relaxing vacation. And even with air, the price of a huge beach front house with our cruise friends and food is comparable or less than a cruise. :D Enjoy! Whichever you decide.

 

Glad you love our Outer Banks. We love it too but will be cruising most of November.

[Twaincruisers]

My first cruise was in 1974 on Chandris' TSS Fiesta: 3659 GRT; 378 passengers

 

I remember standing in a hallway near a bar that was like a window at a deli! The entertainer had to alter his juggling act because the ceiling was too low. Other entertainment was the Greek crew doing Greek dances! The itinerary was altered...Ephesus was dropped because the Greek's and the Turk's were fighting. The nice thing about that was we got two nights in a hotel in Jerusalem instead of having to travel back and forth to the ship each night.

[TravelerThom]

I have been told by a few Celebrity people that Britanis was used for a while in Gitmo Bay for the prison camp after 9/11 - don't know if it's still there

Britanis sailed for Chandris [not Celebrity] until 1994 when it was leased as a barracks ship in Gitmo Bay. It had an electrical fire in I think 1996, was repaired but never reentered service [laid up in Tampa]. Renamed Belofin-1 in 1998 and was being towed to the scrappers in India when it sunk off Cape Town, South Africa 21 Oct 2000. Lots of ships seem to sink on the way to being scrapped; I'm sure it has nothing to do with the insurance being more than the scrappers would pay:rolleyes:

We were on the Meridian in 1993 I believe' date=' and Horizon was just being built...so it couldn't be 20 yrs ago!![/quote']Horizon entered service in 1990.

 

Thom

[pearliemae]

Anyone remember Michael on Americanis or Britanis? He was the old equivalent of a CD. My mother sailed on these two ships often. She would play piano for sing-a-longs with the passengers. I used to find senior officers who remembered both my mom and Michael. Not any more---they have all retired!

 

We sailed on the Britanis several times, and sorry, I do not recall Michael.

 

You have brought back memories from the 70's on the Amerikanis, however. I remember hawkeyed Angelo, the head deck steward who assigned deck chairs, (no chair hogs back then) and Takis, the bouzouki playing entertainer who always wore a cow tooth necklace. And I remember the deeply flocked walls with the dinner plate sized flower designs.

And the blue ceramic ashtrays with the X logo. And the food and service was wonderful. And sailing out of San Juan at midnight, down the row of flagged out and lit up cruise ships. Great memories.

[john_galt]

One of the many happy memories of my first cruise is that all the other ships in Miami had bow thrusters and pulled away from the dock on their own. The obviously much older X ship required the services of tugs to get away. I wondered at the time if it was a budget operation. Celebrity has come a long way. I look forward to my first Celebrity cruise since 1997.

 

I regret never getting to sail on Sitmar.

[js 20]

My first cruise was also on the SS Fiorita in 1975.

We left from Venice (an experience in itself) cruising to Corfu, Athens (via the Corinth Canal, another experience), Rhodes, Chios, Istanbul (the Topkapi Place is a must see), Skiathos, Mikonos, then Athens again, back through the Canal to Dubrovnik returning to Venice.

I didn't cruise again till 2010 but have done 16 Australian region cruises since then.

Edited October 24, 2018 by js 20
fix typos

[Tucker in Texas]

We cruised on the Amerikanis in 1987 out of NYC.  The conversation my DH had with our TA went something like this:  

DH:  We can only go July 1-15.

TA    Where do you want to go

DH  Wherever you are going

TA:  How does Bermuda 6-day sound?

DH  Looks good, how much

TA  $500 for you and $500 for the missus in an inside

DH  How much for my two boys ages 13 and 9 in the same cabin?

TA  They are free.

DH  Free?  You are going to feed my two boys for six days for free?

TA  Well not exactly, you have to pay port charges for them.

DH  How much?

TA:  $28 each. 

We had a great time.  I just unearthed an ash try we won at Trivia a month or so ago with the Chandris logo on it.  I still have a daily bulletin.  Beer was 50 cents, a drink was $1.25.  Cost us more to get us to NYC than the cruise (lol).

[js 20]

2 hours ago, js 20 said:

My first cruise was also on the TSS Fiorita in 1975.

 

Remembered that I had the Farewell Menu from this cruise...

Edited October 24, 2018 by js 20

[shofer]

Our first cruise, to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 1993 was on Zenith.  We were so impressed and kept saying we couldn't believe we were on a ship instead of a luxury resort.  Next was Horizon and then Century.  This month we are sailing on Silhouette for our 50th anniversary and hoping it's half as good as Zenith was 25 years ago.

[cruzmaven]

On 9/20/2012 at 9:23 PM, johhnnyt said:

Fascinating book on the whole Chandris/Celebrity story I just bought from an Australian publisher, saving it and going to read it on my next cruise

If I were you, I'd put on some gloves, seal that book in a baggie and lock it in the safe. 

 

Quick search online showed sellers asking $800 - $1500+!

 

Not something I'd use to reserve a deck chair. 

 

The book was discussed on Cruise Critic in 2009 when people were wondering whether is was worth the then price of $40.

 

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

On 2/22/2009 at 2:01 AM, LAKaye said:

I have been reading, as all of us have, the many threads about the quality of the days gone by. Does anyone at all remember the early days of Celebrity Cruises, back when they were owned by Chandris (where the "X" comes from)?

...

On another change-related subject, I am paying today, in 2009, the same amount, per person per week, for a balcony room on RCI as I did for a comfy, ocean-view room on Deck 5 on the Zenith in 1995 (she had no balcony rooms). Hmm.

 

Looking back on the years, I would have liked to have had the price go up 5% each year, and maintain the high cruising standards of the mid-90s, than to have had disappointment rule, as it has had lately over my family...

 

OP had the answer, but didn't recognize it.  Zenith had 1,828 passengers.  No Celebrity ship is anywhere near that small nowaways.  But Azamara ships are even smaller – and it you take that 1995 cost and add 5% per year as OP wished, you would be able to afford a cruise on Azamara.  You would find food and service standards (and included perks) that match or exceed your memory of Chandris and early-Celebrity, and itineraries that are far more adventurous than anything Chandris or Celebrity have ever done.

 

This post should really be putting the 'sky is falling' posts in perspective.  Celebrity isn't ripping you off by charging too much for too little: they have responded to the market by eating all the inflation for two decades.  It's a wonder that the food is edible at all!  And of course you could also take that 5% inflated fare and afford a Sky Suite on Celebrity, which again would give you food and service that matches the 'good old days.'  The only thing you can't do is pay 1995 prices in 2018 and expect to get 1995 quality, because cruise lines can't print money.

[cruising cockroach]

44 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

This post should really be putting the 'sky is falling' posts in perspective.  Celebrity isn't ripping you off by charging too much for too little: they have responded to the market by eating all the inflation for two decades.  It's a wonder that the food is edible at all!  And of course you could also take that 5% inflated fare and afford a Sky Suite on Celebrity, which again would give you food and service that matches the 'good old days.'  The only thing you can't do is pay 1995 prices in 2018 and expect to get 1995 quality, because cruise lines can't print money.

 

There are fairly substantial savings in economies of scale though.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 minute ago, cruising cockroach said:

 

There are fairly substantial savings in economies of scale though.

 

Azamara's ships are smaller than the Chandris ships.  But the 2018 value is still there compared to inflated 1995 prices.