How old were you when...

[Orcrone]

How old were you when you went on your first cruise. I was 29 (just 3 months short of my 30th birthday, and it was RCCL's Song of America.

[doone]

My first cruise was when I was 22 I think, around that age anyways, I have been hooked ever since. First cruise was on NCL's Southward.

[peaches from georgia]

Approx. 40 and also on the Song of America. Loved that ship, but your first cruise is always memorable. :D

[Randyk47]

I responded based on actually cruising versus taking a ship as a mode of transportation. My first experience on a ship was in the early 50's sailing to England on the United States. Not exactly a cruise so I went with my "trial" Fantasy cruise in '93.

[Tatka]

It was 1986, I was 14. (See my signature)

[Himself]

I was 55 when I went on my first cruise. I went on the now defunct ENCHANTED ISLE out of New Orleans. Then I tried HAL and have been going HAL ever since.
HIMSELF

[iluvcruzin]

First cruise I was 28. It wasn't the Song of America - that was cruise #2. :D

[jhannah]

I was a late bloomer, not crusing until I was 56. It was a trip to Alaska that did us in. We've been hooked ever since.

[SHayesShip]

I was six years old and did a crossing on the Queen Mary.
Steve Hayes


How old were you when you went on your first cruise. I was 29 (just 3 months short of my 30th birthday, and it was RCCL's Song of America.

[Debi_D]

We were 28 and 29 on the old Veendam and we had so much fun that we have been sailing ever since. Now we enjoy two cruise every year.......

[MandyGirl]

We were ages 26/28 (in 2000), and our first cruise was the Norwegian Sky 7-night Western Caribbean. We fell in love with cruising, and chose to marry on cruise #3 in St John, USVI. :)

[Druke I]

We were 26, and sailed from Vancouver BC to San Francisco on P&O's Oriana (the old, not the new). She was on a line voyage from Oz to England, via North America and the Panama Canal.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

It took me years to get husband to get on a cruise ship. Now he is hooked. We had owned a cabin cruiser for years.

Does owning your own cabin cruiser count as a cruise?

:)

[Roz]

I was 48 and had to be gently persuaded to even consider a cruise. It exceeded my expectations and I came home and couldn't wait to book another one.

Roz

[the2ofus]

I was 20 years old and sailed to and from Europe, spending the summer studying in France. The eastward trip was on the Italian Line Aurelia. The trip home was on the Holland America Line Groote Beer. The ship carried mostly students returning from Europe and a handful of adult chaperones. It was a madhouse, but I loved being at sea. My next cruise was thirty-three years later, once again on HAL, this time on MS Statendam. Discovered I still loved being at sea and have added 8 more cruises since then.

[Divetex]

51 years young when I went on my first cruise, in 1993. I must have liked it. :D

[cactuslady]

:)


Does owning your own cabin cruiser count as a cruise?


My dictionary defines "cruise" as "to sail from place to place, as for pleasure or in search of something." Thus, it depends on whether you used your cabin cruiser for its intended purpose or just paid the slip rent. I'd say 90% of them just sit in the marina waiting to go to sea someday . . .

No huge ship owned by a big company is necessary. I've had lots of fine cruises in a 24 foot sailboat.

[Keith Rita]

I was 50 and Rita was 48. We were just married and I was starting my second life. :cool: :cool:

[travelingmcmahans]

I'm 29 and going on my first cruise as my 30th birthday present.

[BCEagle78]

I was 42 as was my wife Debbi... Veendam 4/98...

[Krazy Kruizers]

:) cactuslady

Thanks for the definition.

WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR VOTE.

For quite a few years we owned a cabin cruiser ans cruised one year from Pittsburgh to New Orleans - long trip - a long time ago.

We didn't kepp the cabin cruiser at the dock.

:)

[dougnewmanatsea]

I was 4 (just about to turn 5). HORIZON February 1993, Southern Caribbean from San Juan. Martinique, Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Thomas - [i]I think[i] in that order. I'll have to pull out my brochure now to make sure I got it right.

If going on a small boat counts as a cruise I was probably a couple of months old when I went on my first one, but I'd be inclined to say that it doesn't count, personally.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I was 4 (just about to turn 5). HORIZON February 1993, Southern Caribbean from San Juan. Martinique, Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Thomas - I think in that order. I'll have to pull out my brochure now to make sure I got it right.
Awk!!!:eek: Doug!! You were 4 in '93???!!! I'm going to kill myself.

Now that I've recovered, I was 17 when I went on my first cruise on the [i]Queen of Bermuda, a ship I've mentioned before and it's so long ago nobody ever heard of her:) . Anyway, it was a high school graduation gift from my grandmother and we went together. One of the all time high points of my life.

[SharonN]

I was 33 and my husband was 35 on our first cruise in 1986. It was the year of our 10th Anniversary and was to Alaska on the Regent Sea.

[sail7seas]

I was about 43 and loved it from the first moment we boarded. Our first cruise was on Royal Princess.

[Jacqueline]

I was 25 and on my honeymoon. We were doing a Greek isles segment. At the last minute our ship was substituted to a converted freighter ! What an experience !
We got a $100 credit.

[jjeromer]

First cruise was in 1986 on the Britanis. My wife and I took a 5 day cruise to Key West and Mexico. Been hooked ever since.

jjeromer

[chefajax]

Hi to All...
Well, the first "cruise" was in '80, at 19, thanks to my Uncle Sam, aboard the USS Forrestal, which led me to my next first cruise in 2001 { 21 years later,dragged kicking and screaming}. Funny thing was as soon as we hit some rough waves at night, I fell asleep like a rock, then as soon as they cut the engines to sail into port, I jumped up like a rocket out of bed at 5:30 am. Scared my DW something awful. 8 cruises later, I'm the one dragging my wife to the ship and sleep all the way to 6:30am (still can't sleep if they cut those engines)....Dennis

[Orcrone]

I was about 43 and loved it from the first moment we boarded. Our first cruise was on Royal Princess.You mean you've gotten all that cruising experience in the last four years!!!;)

[ASM]

I was 17 and on my senior trip on the New Bahama Star.
BTW, I'm still cruising with the same fellow- only he's my DH now and we can share a cabin!

[Orcrone]

I was 17 and on my senior trip on the New Bahama Star.
BTW, I'm still cruising with the same fellow- only he's my DH now and we can share a cabin!A cruise for a senior trip!!!!

I went to a dude ranch for a weekend.

[ASM]

Yeah, our high school actually gave us a choice of the usual New York & Washington trip or a cruise to the Bahamas. Naturally we voted for the cruise. Both our kids went to the same school and also cruised for their senior trip. The school still does it every year-I'm not sure how they manage to pull it off.

[Mary Ellen]

I was 26 when we cruised on the (previous) Prinsendam in 1980. DH was 30 and we've been happily sailing on HAL since.

[OCruisers]

I was only sixteen! It was on my Senior Trip which included a 3-Day Cruise to Nassau on the old SS Bahama Star! Did anyone else ever go on/remember that ship?

Learned TWO important things:

Cruising was a good thing to do AND three days was not long enough! :D

My DH and I began cruising shortly after we were married. We've been on 40+ cruises (doen't seem like that many but they do add-up over the years).

Still LOVE to cruise! Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[joeinwpb]

It was back in the late 1980's. Just a kid then. Still in my late 50's. .;)
These photos were taken a couple years later. In the year 1990. Still the same ship.

http://www.ofoto.com/PhotoView.jsp?Uc=157q035e.ryn9qzm&Uy=h4vpio&Upost_signin=BrowsePhotos.jsp%3fshowSlide%3dtrue&Ux=0&collid=60868059106&photoid=50868059106

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

AH, the Royal Princess. What alovely old ship. The first time we were on her was in 1991.

:)

[joeinwpb]

:) . Changed this year to bring the name in line with the rest of the fleet.
Was the flashiest ship at the time. It was also considered a "large" ship. My wife talked about it for years.
RCI now puts the ship in a classification of it's own. As the next smallest ships, in the fleet are over 40% larger. :)

[dougnewmanatsea]

AH, the Royal Princess. What alovely old ship. The first time we were on her was in 1991.In 1991, she was considered "new" even though she was already seven years old, which is practically middle age by today's standards!

I always wanted to try her and am sad that she's leaving the Princess fleet next year. She is, I think, the last vestige of the "old Princess" before they went downmarket to become an RCI/NCL competitor.

Was the flashiest ship at the time.NORDIC EMPRESS, not NORDIC PRINCESS, Joe. You can bet that if she was NORDIC PRINCESS, Princess would have had a fit (they have actually sued other cruise lines for using "Princess" in their ships' names).

She was big and flashy when new, though the "flashiest" award would probably have to have gone to Carnival's FANTASY at the time. I remember sitting in our cabin on NORDIC EMPRESS in 1994 as we got into Miami early in the morning (people who know me today will be stunned to know that I once did wake up early in the morning, voluntarily!), looking across at FANTASY's fiber-optic lighting changing colors in the murky light of the early hours. FANTASY was also a fair bit bigger than NORDIC EMPRESS.

But yes, NORDIC EMPRESS seemed huge then, and very flashy. She had the biggest atrium afloat - she was the first ship whose atrium wasn't just a two or three deck affair but actually went all the way from her lowest passenger deck right up to a skylight way, way up on the pool deck. That sure was impressive the first time I saw it, especially considering that I was five years old at the time which only served to exaggerate the effect!

Later on I came to realise that none of us should have really been that impressed with her at all - she really had the design of a big Baltic "cruise ferry" of the same era, just without the car deck. Huge casino, huge showlounge, huge nightclub, huge duty-free shopping plaza, and not much else in the way of public areas... Classic overnight ferry stuff. Which is not really surprising as the sort of thing people do on "mini-cruises" on the big Baltic ferries is roughly the same as what people do on the short "Bahamarama" runs from Miami that she was designed for. Personally I think she's completely unsuited for anything longer than four nights, let alone the cruises she does now (between 6 and 11 nights) but most people don't seem to mind. But for her original purpose (for which the rather nicer, slightly newer, and much larger MAJESTY OF THE SEAS has since replaced her) she was very good.

[ryansmemom]

Old enough to feel that a lady never reveals her age! Let's see. I've been saying that I was 3 years old when my daughter was born for years now, but now that she is past 30 and has just given birth to her 2nd child that is becoming more difficult. I also adore being a grandmother, a very young grandmother.

OK, I was 45, a very young 45 years old. We sailed on the Sovereign of the Seas and became addicted. We have managed step 1 in our twelve step program, admitting we are powerless over our addiction. We also refuse to progress any further in managing our addiction and therefore are hopelessly addicted.

Linda ;) :eek:

[jimbug]

I was 22...and it was last month! :) Sapphire Princess to Alaska...my honeymoon with my wonderful hubby...

I am hooked, though...my mother and I are going on the Zuiderdam in December :-)

[joeinwpb]

Host Doug
You are 100% right there. I'm thinking one thing, and typing another. The RCI Nordic Empress is the ship in the picture . As I said it was brand new at the time. Having made it's maiden voyage only 2½ months previous.
The Carnival Fantasy was also built that year, and was a much larger ship. But I never saw it till the year 2002

The picture, by the way, was taken from the deck of the Crown Del Mar, sailing out of the Port of Palm Beach.. A ship you researched, quite extensively, about 6 months ago. :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Doug, awhile back you said you were 4 in 1993. I don't have to be a mathemetician to figure out that makes you a very young man. So I would be fascinated to know how you know so much about the history of so many ships. I would love if you could enlighten because I am no less than absolutely amazed by your knowledge.

[Lisa63]

Our first cruise was our honeymoon trip, when we were both in our 20s. We've been addicted to cruising -- and each other -- ever since. ;)

[dougnewmanatsea]

The RCI Nordic Empress is the ship in the picture .OK, now you've lost me - what picture?

The Carnival Fantasy was also built that year, and was a much larger ship.And what was really amazing was that the two were in direct competition on the three-day "Bahamarama" run from Miami.

NORDIC EMPRESS was originally designed as FUTURE SEAS for Admiral Cruises, which was a subsidiary of RCCL (the corporate parent was called Royal Admiral Cruises at the time), specifically for the 3- and 4-day runs. At that time RCCL decided to phase out the Admiral brand (they had been using the old EMERALD SEAS, circa 1944) for the new ship so she became NORDIC EMPRESS under the Crown and Anchor instead.

When Carnival, who had previously been using the ancient if charming CARNIVALE and MARDI GRAS (OK, CARNIVALE probably was no longer so charming at that point as she'd just undergone what is in my mind one of the most unfortunate refits ever suffered by any ship, ever - see more here (http://www.maritimematters.com/topaz1.html)) on that route, got wind of this, they decided to move the older vessels to Port Canaveral and use the brand-new FANTASY on the short cruises instead, to one-up RCCL. It was quite a competition and quite a change for that route that had previously been the sole province of small, older ships as it was generally regarded by most cruise lines as rather unimportant. (Majesty Cruise Lines' ROYAL MAJESTY completed the trifecta of new ships not long after, but that's another story. She's now NCL's NORWEGIAN MAJESTY. NCL, not to be outdone, moved the almost-new SEAWARD, now NORWEGIAN SEA, into the competition.)

Anyway, we're moving way OT here, but it's an interesting topic so why not ;) .

[deltableh]

Young enough to not remember it. Actually, all my cruises up until about three years ago are like that. Scary that I've been on 8 and barely remember some of them.

[joeinwpb]

Posted by Host Doug
"OK, now you've lost me - what picture?"

Picture of reference was my URL posting #35, on this thread.

Some of the old ships you mentioned - Crown Del Mar, Ocean Breeze, Viking Princess, I had pictures of and have added them to that URL.

Thanks so much for the very interesting background on some of these old time ships.

[krimpet]

I Was 26 And Got Married In St. Thomas. 18 Years Later And Now Cruising With My Wife And 2 Children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

[cquest]

We were in our thirties on the Italian Liner Leonardo Da Vinci; We boarded on January 2, 1968 and wee totally awed at a ship that looked like a hotel, which was to say that there was a grand staircase, but nothing to compare with today's atriums, "shopping streets", etc. Each cabin had both asteward and a stewaardess assigned and they came in each night to help us dres for dinner - every night was formal.We could have steak, lamb chops, etc. for breakfast, and were able to buy a case of Soave Bolla to take home at $1.oo a bottle. Drinks at the bar were about 50 cents. They really were good old days!

[dougnewmanatsea]

We were in our thirties on the Italian Liner Leonardo Da VinciLucky you! DA VINCI had burned and sank and been scrapped before I was even born but she is one of my absolute favorite ships of all time.

The Italian liners of the '50s and '60s (not just the ships owned by what was, in the US, called Italian Line - really Italia Societa di Navigazione - but all the Italian liners of the era, from Italia, Lloyd Triestino, Adriatica, Costa, Home Lines...) are all among my favorites.

[joeinwpb]

Lucky you! DA VINCI had burned and sank and been scrapped before I was even born but she is one of my absolute favorite ships of all time.

The Italian liners of the '50s and '60s (not just the ships owned by what was, in the US, called Italian Line - really Italia Societa di Navigazione - but all the Italian liners of the era, from Italia, Lloyd Triestino, Adriatica, Costa, Home Lines...) are all among my favorites.

But it was not all glory for the Leonardo da Vinci. She had proved to be very unstable, just like her sisters, and she had to be filled with some 3,000 tons of iron along her bottom to stabilise her. :eek: This meant that she was too heavy for her engines and this resulted in very expensive fuel costs. She actually turned out to be the most expensive liner the Italia Line had ever run.

[dougnewmanatsea]

But it was not all glory for the Leonardo da Vinci. She had proved to be very unstable, just like her sistersI know all about her instability - but what intrigues is your comment about "her sisters". Never mind that she didn't have any real sisters, which other Italia ships are you thinking of? Just curious.

At any rate, regardless of her problems - and she certainly had them - I still think she was one of the most beautiful ships ever built, for anyone.

[joeinwpb]

I know all about her instability - but what intrigues is your comment about "her sisters". Never mind that she didn't have any real sisters, which other Italia ships are you thinking of? Just curious.

At any rate, regardless of her problems - and she certainly had them - I still think she was one of the most beautiful ships ever built, for anyone.

The tragedy of the sinking of the Andrea Doria (b 1953) on July 26, 1956 was a serious blow, so the Italia line immediately decided to build a replacement ship and the Leonardo Da Vinci was launched in December 1958. (. Her maiden voyage occurred in July 1960, with spraying fireboats, tugs and helicopters escorting her into New York harbor )

The Leonardo Da Vinci, joined the Christofofo Columbo (b.1954).

All three of the ships were built along the same lines, as each other . The Leonardo Da Vinci had some major improvements, especially on the Lido deck, and was somewhat larger.

The demise of the Leonardo Da Vinci was dismal. Completion from the airlines made transatlantic cruising unprofitable, and the Leonardo Da Vinci was taken out of service where it languished for years.
The thought was entertained to dock it in the Themes, and use her for a casino, but nothing ever came of it.
An attempt was made to use her for Miami to Nassau cruises, but the ship was to expensive to operate. After that - The fire in the place it had been docked for so long. The fire was so great it raged for 4 days, and the ship was ready for the scrape heap.

Italia had the ship insured for $7,000,000. It was a white elephant, and they couldn't find a use for it anywhere. Did somebody say arson?
:confused:

[dougnewmanatsea]

All three of the ships were built along the same lines, as each other .Yes, LEONARDO was an improved DORIA/COLOMBO but but I would say that she was different enough not to be a sister.

Anyhow, to get to the point - are you saying that DORIA/COLOMBO had stability problems?

[Nasmas]

I was 43 and single. I'd never really thought about a cruise because I thought they were only for "old" people. But, I met my future husband and he'd cruised before and loved it. We were planning a trip and I thought we were going to Cancun. He then told me that Cancun was booked. (I fell for that) and he booked us a cruise. On the Niew Amsterdam. I loved that ship. That was in 1994 and we've done one almost every year since. It is the only way to travel. We've stuck with HAL because the cruises have always been great. We're afraid to try something else, for fear we'd be disappointed. We're on the Zuiderdam in Sept. I hope it doesn't change our attitude. I'm optimistic about it though.

[Kay D]

Our 1st cruise was my 50th birthday present from my parents (1991) -- they took the 2 of us plus sister & hubby on Crown Princess for 7 day Eastern Carib cruise & put us all in balcony cabins!! A wonderful trip -- we got hooked on balconies!! They called us about 6 months prior to my birthday to find out if we would want to go & if we could get off work, so I definitely looked FORWARD to my 50th birthday!! Several years later my parents took us all on Sun Princess for sister's 50th.

We're taking our 3 adult children & spouses on a cruise in November -- for some of our children this will be their 1st cruise.

[bombero]

We were both 27, the first time we did it... Bombero. :D :D :D

[imsulin]

I was 5 years old in 1951, when we sailed the S.S. Patch from New York to Bremerhaven. Came back on the S. S. United States in 1956. Don't know if this counts as a "cruise", but I do remember having to get really dressed up for dinner every evening, and being given chocolate ice cream for dessert. (And barfing a lot in our cabin!). First "cruise" cruise was on the Love Boat (Pacific Princess) in about 1975 or 76..can't remember. Also went the next year. I was about 29 or 30. (Senior moment!) I remember being so impressed with that gawdawful teeny-tiny pool and all TWO of the bars on-board! I thought it was just wonderful!!

[kelmac]

I was 28 years old; the ship was NCL's Starward; the year was 1978; a June cruise to two stops in Jamaica, Port-a-Prince Haiti, and NCL's Stirrup Cay. Everything about the cruise was mediocre, but I loved it! ;)

[Slinkiecat]

My first cruise was two years ago when I was a new bride of 63 years (second time around for both of us after being widowed). We had 12 glorious days on Celebrity Constellation, cruising the Mediterranean from Barcelona. Now that DH and I are retired, we plan to do some more cruising.

Slinkie

[serendipity1499]

In my early 30's took my first 7 day Cruise on the "Orion" (can't remember what Cruise Line it was) from Athens into the Greek Islands & Istanbul..I was charmed with cruising!

After getting married, tried to convince my new DH & our friends to go on a cruise..They couldn't understand why go on a cruise when we all could travel free by Air..(we were in the Airline Business)..On top of that my DH said we had a Sailboat which would cost us hardly anything... But no way was I going to cook on my Vacation!..

Well that was a test of my "sales skills" & worked hard to convince them.. They didn't make it easy, but finally "consented" to go on the "SOUTHWIND" a Norwegian-Caribbean Line Ship.(Now known as NCL). We had a ball! They were hooked & now can't keep them away from " da bigga boats"..

[gwenmarie]

My first cruise with also on RCCL Song of America! It was the Mexican Riveria from Los Angeles my husband and 12 year old daughter,we had an inside room near the very bottom of the ship. Wonderful time great family vacation. My husband and I are on our 6th with another planned for next fall.

[stanjj111]

We did our first in our fifties. I thought that it would be too boring. I was wrong. Needed the relaxtion.

[woodofpine]

A better question would be a cruise of 5 or 7 days or more. I voted 0-9 since I had a Chicoutime to Quebec City overnight in the very early
60's and a one or two night greek island cruise at age 9 (1968), then late 70's Brindisi- Korfu- Igouminitsa- Patras overnighters and a couple Algeciras - Tangier ferrys. Those count for a LOT but they weren't cruises - my cruising began in 2001 on an Ocean Princess trans-canal

[mcpepe]

I was 11 years old when we went on our first cruise. I was with my parents and two brothers. It was the Incres Line's MS Victoria. It was amazing. It was also 30 years ago. :-)

Maria

[westerdam]

My first actual cruise was in November of 1998 over the Thanksgiving Holiday on HAL's Westerdam. I was 20 at the time. Since then I have been on 15 cruises with 16 coming up in December on the Volendam.

[akur23]

I was 12 or so, a Rhine River cruise that my mom (she was a travel agent) was taking a tour on. I loved it! :D

[hunterafri]

Hi Gang;

I was also 16 and a senior in high school for our senior trip aboard the Bahama Star. Many years later I was on the Nordic Prince, which was an RCCL ship. This ship was cut in two and an addition was added to it. I was on the first sailing after the addition. I believe a year before that Sun Viking had it done.

Best Regards to Everyone,

[MaryTiller]

I was 35 when I took my first cruise and it was also on the Song of America. I have since been on 16 other cruises, three total on the Song of America. I loved that ship, lots of open deck. I was sorry to see her go.:(

[cruisinjudy]

I took my first cruise at the age of 40. My parents started cruising after i was out of the house.
Anyway that first cruise was on SS Independence around Hawaii in an inside cabin surrounded by elevators and stairs and I was hooked.

[~Nereus~]

Just turned 8 and sailed on the White Star Line's Georgic from England to Halifax's Pier21.. like NY's Ellis Island ....

[nhcruiser]

I turned 40 on our first cruise in 1992 aboard the Regal Princess. We have been hooked since and have cruised at least twice per year. My wife says that she can't relax on a land vacation the way she does on a cruise. Works for me!