Questions for old old time cruisers.

On Homes Lines we had a cabin steward and a helper for each cabin. At night time they would lay your night gown/PJ out on the bed in the shape of a body. No matter where you hid your night gown, they found it each night. They would have to go through your dresser to find it each night.

On Homes Lines we had a cabin steward and a helper for each cabin. At night time they would lay your night gown/PJ out on the bed in the shape of a body. No matter where you hid your night gown, they found it each night. They would have to go through your dresser to find it each night.

I hated that. That's one cut back that I don't miss.

I hated that. That's one cut back that I don't miss.

I agree.

The paper cruise cards made sure most passengers tracked their purchases and kept each individual receipt. On the majority of our cruises before electronic cruise cards, we routinely would have someone else's purchase charged to our folio - either due to the server writing down the wrong folio number or their chit filed into our folio incorrectly.

The purser's desk must have hated it - they had to go through your folio by hand, find the slip, show it to you, you would show that it wasn't your signature, and they would remove the charge. We saw quite a few passengers upset because they didn't check their folio until the last night and the Purser's Desk was jammed.

Speaking about folios - the only way you could check your folio was to go ask. Again we saw numerous passengers on the last night upset that their bar bill was way more than they expected - I guess they just kept signing and never tracked what they were spending, thus were surprised when they saw the total. In one case we were walking by the desk when a lady literally screamed that there was no way she had spent over a $1000 on drinks............

We also miss the swim up bar which became a waterfall down to the main pool on the old Crowne Princess.

It was on Chandris. The ship was the Britanis.

 

Yes, I am still playing Trivia.

 

Big happenings in life - my daughter was married on July 9 (honeymoon is a Mediterranean cruise 0n MSC).

I sailed on that ship twice, in the early 90's, that was the one that had the X on each smoke stack, and the joke was it was a target to sink it.

Wasn't Chandris bought or absorbed by Celebrity

Chandris broke into two separate cruiselines: Fantasea, budget cruises, and Celebrity, upscale cruising.

Royal Caribbean bought the Celebrity brand. I don't know what happen to Fantasea.

The X on the Celebrity smokestack is the logo from Chandris. X is the greek letter chi and the first letter of Chandris in greek.

I just checked google. The second line was Fantasy, not Fantasea.

Its too bad they didn't carry over the cruises from those brands to the new brands

Its too bad they didn't carry over the cruises from those brands to the new brands

I agree. I had at least 10 cruises on them before they changed over. Chandris had a ship leaving fro NYC, and my friends and I would go often. They were a great line and the food was good too. I tried to get credit from X for thoses cruises and was told "no"

I sailed to Canada on Homeric 'Home Lines' in 1955. Free wine on the table at lunch and dinner, while Rum and Scotch Were 10 cents a shot.

I could only start my new life in Canada with 50 Pounds, but I could afford to drink. The bar closed at 10.00 pm, BUT, it was at that time that the captain chose to put the clocks BACK, one hour each night!!

As a footnote, when I checked out of my tiny cabin, I pulled the drawers out of the chest, to make shaw that nothing was left behind. THERE WAS, the cabin boy had two lines of perfume bottles hidden away!! I told him what I had found but did not report him.

Just one more thing, I Liked Homeric better than the Norway, [ile de France].

we too liked the Homeric much better than the Norway!

Just one more thing, I Liked Homeric better than the Norway, [ile de France].

Not Ile de France (1926-1959).

Just SS France (1961-2003 scrapped 2008). IMO She put all the others to shame.

She did take a step down when they refurbished her into the Norway.

But at least they gave her almost 30 more years of life!

....the fares compared to today were very expensive

This is true. My first cruise was in 1989 (Carnival Holiday); my friend and I each paid $700 for an inside cabin on a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise!! (But we ended up gettting an upgrade to an unobstructed oceanview cabin). I just checked on the Carnival website and a cruise with nearly the same itinerary to my 1989 cruise now costs: $449 for an inside cabin, $539 for an oceanview and $739 for a balcony! Today's prices are 36% cheaper than they were 28 yrs ago. For about the same amount as we paid back then, we could get a balcony cabin now. ;p

I agree. I had at least 10 cruises on them before they changed over. Chandris had a ship leaving fro NYC, and my friends and I would go often. They were a great line and the food was good too. I tried to get credit from X for thoses cruises and was told "no"

Yeah, me to, but I think mine was 5 or so. I asked about them honoring the Chandris cruises when I booked my first X cruise, I also was told no. I still have the paper boarding pass' and the mimeographed daily papers to prove it.

I saved all the cruise memorabilia from back when, but I have been on so many cruises, they are at the bottom of my pile. Weren't Chandris paper boarding pass' green

This is true. My first cruise was in 1989 (Carnival Holiday); my friend and I each paid $700 for an inside cabin on a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise!! (But we ended up gettting an upgrade to an unobstructed oceanview cabin). I just checked on the Carnival website and a cruise with nearly the same itinerary to my 1989 cruise now costs: $449 for an inside cabin, $539 for an oceanview and $739 for a balcony! Today's prices are 36% cheaper than they were 28 yrs ago. For about the same amount as we paid back then, we could get a balcony cabin now. ;p

You can add that the purchasing power of the dollar is now about a third of what it was then. !!!!

Weren't Chandris paper boarding pass' green

Yes.

Yes. No queen beds. Just two twins. I was solo so the other bed wasn't down.

 

The original Regal had twelve solo cabins on Fiesta deck (4). There was a bunk bed above the twin that pulled down for a 2nd passenger. The cabin was quite large... almost the size of a full cabin.

I stayed in those cabins several times, wish the newer ships had something similar.

My first cruise was in 1971 aboard the brand spanking new Song of Norway, which was RCI's first ship. I was 8 years old. I remember very well the white glove service and that the beds were all twins. We had a metal key and I have no idea how anything was paid for. I do know, however ,that the staff absolutely went nuts over us kids, treating us like little princesses and princes. This is the cruise that solidified my passion for cruising and passenger ships in general. There were no organized kids activities other than swimming and board games, and we were expected to behave. When the ship returned to Miami, I didn't want to get off. I wanted to live on it forever. :D

We sailed on the Regal Empress, Regal Cruises, we had a thin plastic boarding pass at that time, but when we boarded, all the cabin stewards were lined up on the promenade deck, and as we boarded, they took your hand luggage and escorted you to your cabin. The Captains cocktail party included the CAPTAIN, and all the officers, live band and all the ladies danced with the Captain and the crew, caviar and all the champagne you could drink, lobsters. The ship smelled like diesel and old socks, but that was class

We sailed on the Regal Empress, Regal Cruises, we had a thin plastic boarding pass at that time, but when we boarded, all the cabin stewards were lined up on the promenade deck, and as we boarded, they took your hand luggage and escorted you to your cabin. The Captains cocktail party included the CAPTAIN, and all the officers, live band and all the ladies danced with the Captain and the crew, caviar and all the champagne you could drink, lobsters. The ship smelled like diesel and old socks, but that was class

Do you remember the FREE Margaritas and Beer at sail away from ports of call? I believe it was from 3 to 5 PM.

DH and I went with my Mom on a 3 day cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada on the SS Azure Seas. I recall the year as 1982. We had an inside room with adjacent single beds (well wasn't that interesting).

I remember an actual key and having to show your "room card" for drinks and charged to your credit card.

Casino was cash. Also remember being escorted to our room.

Meals were in the MDR. Assigned table for dinner as there was only 1 dinner time and it was semi-formal. What I thought was strange was the only entertainment besides a small pool was a nightly disco (which a lot of people attended).

On Home Lines mid to late 1970's there was only first and second settings. Breakfast was early @ 6AM, Late was @8AM. Lunch was at 12 and 2PM, dinner was at 6 and 8 PM. There also was a mid night buffet. Ice tea was only served at meals. I don't recall any free drinks during the day.

Wow! takes me back to when I was very young;

Mariposa, Acadia, Canberra, Oriana and the Fairstar.

Do you remember the FREE Margaritas and Beer at sail away from ports of call? I believe it was from 3 to 5 PM.

I can't say that I do, but I DO remember the homemade donuts for breakfast, The fryer was set up on the back deck and the lines waiting for them to get done

On Home Lines mid to late 1970's there was only first and second settings. Breakfast was early @ 6AM, Late was @8AM. Lunch was at 12 and 2PM, dinner was at 6 and 8 PM. There also was a mid night buffet. Ice tea was only served at meals. I don't recall any free drinks during the day.

Remember, I was quoting from 1955

Remember, I was quoting from 1955

Being you were on Homes Line 20 years before me. What can you tell me how the line changed from 1955 to mid to late 1970's? Did they still have the mats to sit on by the pool?