Your first cruise

[Cricket999]

My first real cruise (not counting a mini one in the Mediterranean on the MS Odysseus) was on the SS Norway back in 1993. Fifteen years and more than a dozen cruises later, I still think back — like a first love — to the Norway. Do other people have this same nostalgia about their first cruise? Please share.

[eh2zed]

Definitely do have those same feelings. It was in 1983 on the Rotterdam V. Cruising sure has changed since some for the better and some not so but still the best value going. Boy were we novices back then.

[janabm81]

I'm not nostalgic about the particular ship but I have the best warm fuzzies whenever I think about the first time I saw a cruise ship up close.:p

[GottaLuvCruising]

Not so much. We had an inside on a small, older ship and sailed with another couple (who are now divorced) during spring break in 1991. It was fun, but not what we expected and didn't really think we'd do it again. But second cruise, just hubby and me, was light-years better...and we were hooked.

[cb at sea]

Our first cruise was totally special, even tho' we didn't have a great room or great weather. Our 2nd cruise is what "hooked" us...it was awesome!!!!! (and longer!)

[paul929207]

While we enjoyed our first cruise, it did not turn us on to cruising. Six years later we took a Princess cruise and that is the one that grabbed us.

[Arwenmark]

My first cruise was on my 20th wedding anniversary over 20 years ago now on the Premier Oceanic in the Aries suite. The Big Red Boat. and yes I had a real fondness for that ship. That got me hooked on cruising, though it was a while before we could afford to cruise again.

[Caribbean Sunsets]

My first cruise was a 10 day on Sitmar to the Caribbean in 1987. It was our first anniversary and both our birthdays. It was such a special cruise and filled with lots of wonderful memories. I was in awe of how beautiful the ship was...especially the dining room. I had to go to a designated room down the hall to blow dry my hair.:eek:

[Cruisin D]

My first real cruise (not counting a mini one in the Mediterranean on the MS Odysseus) was on the SS Norway back in 1993. Fifteen years and more than a dozen cruises later, I still think back — like a first love — to the Norway. Do other people have this same nostalgia about their first cruise? Please share.

I will always remember our first cruise. It was in 1997 on the Fair Princess and it was our honeymoon and also our first ever trip away together. It was the best holiday ever. And yes we are hooked.:)

[welikepalms]

My DW and I where just talking about our first cruise. 3 years ago on the NCL Crown. Philly to Bermuda. That was the one that hooked me, I think the one last year hooked my wife. We are planning another for next year. The Crown was a really neat ship, small by todays ships standards but having now been on a "bigger" ship and planning one on an even bigger ship I think there is something special about the small ships. My mother loves Holland and most of their ships are on the smaller side.

 

Happy Cruising

[Northshorecruisers]

Our first cruise hooked us. My husband never wanted to cruise. He thought it would be boring, only buffet, small cabins. We booked a verandah cabin our first cruise and sailed on the same ship as my father & his seniors group. My husband said it was the best vacation ever.

 

We tried a different cruise line (didn't care for it much) and then went back to our original ship - the Oosterdam which we love. We have now decided to stay with HAL for a cruise line and are looking forward to the Eurodam next February.

[HinesL]

Our first cruise was just three years ago on the Amsterdam. I was hooked the minute we set sail. Loved the ship, the cruise and mostly, just cruising.

 

The new cruises since then have just enforced our love of crusining.

 

Elaine

[ILoveScotland]

Our first cruise was in January 1995 on Windjammer Barefoot Cruises' Flying Cloud. I didn't even think of it as a cruise nor did I think of our second WBC outing on the Fantome as a cruise although of course both were.

 

Those remain my favorite in many ways because of them being laid back, close to the water, no foo foo at all, just the wind and the sky and the sea.

 

Then in 2005 after DH had had two back surgeries we decided to drive to Charleston, SC and go on our first traditional ship cruise on the Norwegian Majesty. As I've posted before, even on that older ship we fell in love with traditional ship cruising.

[tmitchell82]

WE definitely remember our first cruise. It was our honeymoon. First big trip together and first time DW flew. I think I got hooked on the beauty of being at sea and watching the fabulous sunsets.

[Chief 61]

My first cruise was just back in February and it was a cruise with my three children ( their first also ). It's like the commercial says:

Cruise Tickets: $1500.00

Money Lost In Casino: $200.00

Authentic Mexican Meal: $52.40

 

Taking my first cruise with my children ( who, like myself will never, never, NEVER forget and WILL ALWAYS have lasting memories of the time together):

 

PRICELESS !!!

[earl_m]

My first cruise was on the Mardi Gras back in 86. Inside cabin, love every minute of my 4 day cruise. back then you paid cash or credit card for your drinks .

[Kudos2Fly]

Yes my 1st did hook me on cruising. My husband had already been on two Carnival cruises before we met. I did go on a day cruise with my family when I was around 10. But didn't really get hooked then, not until I went with my hubby, which at the time we where only dating then. Back in 2003 is when I took my 1st "real" cruise and loved every minute of it.

 

Cruising is now another way we love to take vacations...:)

[Grandpaul]

Our first cruise was 20 years ago on the Norway. Boy, I miss that ship. Anyhow, it was our 25th anniversary so off we went with my wife's twin sister and her husband. We ended up between Hurricanes Gabrielle and Hugo for the week and had monster waves the whole time. We didn't know any better so we had the time of our life. The Norway handled the waves pretty well.

[Andee]

Our first cruise was in 1996 to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I think there was a special sense of delight about that cruise because we didn't know what to expect. The beauty of the ship (Celebrity Century's first year) and the wonderful service were amazing to us. In cruises since then, we expected that; we were still pleased, but not quite so amazed.

 

We've been on six or so cruises since then, the last one in 2006 with my parents for their 60th anniversary. Three months later my Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; a month after that he was dead.

 

We love cruising, but we love other types of vacations, too. I'm not ready to give up our ski trips for more cruises. Now that our DS, DDIL, and most importantly, granddaughters, live in Germany, we want to save our vacation time and travel money to be able to see them. Oour DS (an Air Force chaplain) will be deployed to Iraq in September, and our DDIL and the girls will be in the US, so we'll be able to see them more easily.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our first cruise ended up as 2 cruises as we decided to do back-to-back cruises on the Cunard Countess -- many, many years ago.

We got hooked and the rest is history.

[GORDONCHICK]

DH had cruised before back in the 80s on NCL - it was a corporate trip, and all he could remember was that standing in the middle of the cabin, he could touch both walls. There were only two cruises he'd consider doing when we met. One was a the Panama Canal and the other was Alaska. Turns out, he had a friend he'd known for many years who was a cruise agent and they had a Panama Canal cruise planned. So we booked it. It was November of 2004 on Celebrity Galaxy, a ship not even in the fleet anymore (or soon won't be, can't remember). DH fell in love with cruising the same time DS and I did. It's not the only was we vacation, but it is my favorite way to vacation!

[jocap]

Our 1st cruise was Sea Princess and it was our 1st time in the Caribbean. We never stopped talking about it, and drove everyone mad! Tried 2 different lines after that, but nothing came up to the 1st, until we tried Norwegian Jade round the UK. Hooked again!-jocap.

[MICHLEV1974]

Thank you for posting this thread.

 

It gives me chills thinking about my first cruise on the Carnival Festivale in 1995. I turned 21 on the ship and had a great time...It's funny how much I wished I had known before setting sail. I overpacked, underfunded my seapass card, and walked off the ship with an IOU for $29...yikes!

 

however, I am like a lot of other folks on here--I wasn't hooked on cruising until I sailed with RCL on the Mariner w/my son in 2006. Now we can't wait to cruise again! "The bigger the ship the better" is how I feel now, and after sailing on the big and proud, I am certain that my tastes will change as the years go by and I might find myself on a smaller cruise line...

 

My son is very hooked since his first cruise at age 9 (now age 12), he asked me if we could skip taking a cruise for 2 years so we could save up and sail a back to back and not have to get off the ship! gotta love that!

[katz]

Our first cruise was awful!!! It was a three-day Mexican Riviera Carnival cruise. It was part of my husband's high school reunion. The ship was tiny and rundown. There were a million kids. We had to share our tiny cabin with a classmate of my husband's and there was a loud, very kinky couple in the next cabin----------the first night, I thought there was a woman being attacked, I banged on the walls, then called security (who never came) before I figured out what was going on.

 

Anyway----that was five cruises ago and after experiencing RCC and soon to experience Oceania, we are happy, happy cruisers.

[linkerbink]

Absolutely! My first cruise was with my mother and sister on the Song of America in 1996. We were instantly hooked! I really appreciate that it was the start of a tradition..two more cruises with the three of us, then after our mother passed on my sister and I have done five more, with another waiting in the wings. I still take out the photos from that cruise and remember the great time we had.