Would you pay upscale CCL cruise 80'-90's

Being that our sailing life started in 1980 I have seen much in the way of change from all the cruise lines. Back in the 80'-90's cruising gave you a more special feel. Very few people at that time ever cruised. It took a show like Love Boat to bring cruising to the masses.

But back then, the food was better, entertainment was better and even the cruise staff was more entertaining. Back then CCL only have 3 ships, the Carnival, Mardi Gras and Festivale. The Festival being the large ship in the fleet at a robust 35,000 tons. Bingo was affordable and Drink prices were much cheaper than back home

Fares were higher, but you got what you paid for. Nickle and dimeing was not the way of life during those years.

Just curiuos- What if Carnival took one of their ships and transformed it back to the times when cruising made you feel more important, not mass market. When your waiter would show up with the pasta course on a silver tray and ask everyone if they wanted some. Back when plates did not come out pre-assembled but the main course was on the plate and the waiter brought out the sides seperatly and you chose what you wanted. When eveyone went to the midnight buffet, not because they were hungry, but to see the different creations the chefs came up with. Would you pay a few hundred dollars more for a better experience, well maybe not better but a different type of experience.

I still feel crusing is a great value, but do time always have to change!

I like the way things are now. So i would say no.

It does exist, but not on Carnival. Crystal, Seabourn, etc are all like the old days and prices are aligned to what we all used to pay in the 80's (back when the cheapest cabins were $1000pp for a week back in the 80's)

Unfortunately most mainstream cruisers today would rather pay $599 and deal with junk food and crowds

 

Fares were higher, but you got what you paid for. Nickle and dimeing was not the way of life during those years.

 

Just curiuos- What if Carnival took one of their ships and transformed it back to the times when cruising made you feel more important, not mass market. When your waiter would show up with the pasta course on a silver tray and ask everyone if they wanted some. Back when plates did not come out pre-assembled but the main course was on the plate and the waiter brought out the sides seperatly and you chose what you wanted. When eveyone went to the midnight buffet, not because they were hungry, but to see the different creations the chefs came up with. Would you pay a few hundred dollars more for a better experience, well maybe not better but a different type of experience.

 

I still feel crusing is a great value, but do time always have to change!

Few hundred dollars? Yes, but they weren't a few hundred dollars. It was over a grand for an inside room, in 1980 dollars.

If you want what you have described above, you can still get that on the luxury lines. For a significantly higher price.

I don't think the experience would be only a few hundred extra dollars these days. There are luxury cruise lines that offer this, and their prices are way more than a few hundred dollars more than your typical Carnival cruise.

I also must say that I persoanlly have no interest in this. I think dinner takes WAY TOO LONG now, and I don't want to have to dress up for dinner each night. Its too much like dressing up to go to work everyday, which is not the expereince I want on vacation.

It does exist, but not on Carnival. Crystal, Seabourn, etc are all like the old days and prices are aligned to what we all used to pay in the 80's (back when the cheapest cabins were $1000pp for a week back in the 80's)

 

Unfortunately most mainstream cruisers today would rather pay $599 and deal with junk food and crowds

Just wondering why you categorize the availability of affordable cruising as "unfortunate." Those who can afford to cruise now but could not have afforded it in the past certainly do not regard it as a misfortune.

Seaborne, Crystal, even Cunard. Go ahead and relive it all you want. Have fun. ;-)

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No. Carnival didn't have an IPO until 1987 and they did that so they could expand and gobble up other cruise lines to cater to niche markets. Those are where you need to be looking.

Whether it's a cruise or a land-based outing, we all enjoy different things when on vacation. What's important to you may not be so for me, and vice-versa. As others have said, there are cruise lines that offer a more upscale experience, but at a higher price. If that type of experience is your preference, great. You just have to decide how much you're willing to pay for it. Quite honestly, I'm glad that cruise lines like Carnival exist, that can offer cruises to those of us that wouldn't be able to afford a cruise on a line such as Seabourn, Crystal or Cunard. To expect the same experience on a budget line cruise is ridiculous. I'm always a bit dumbfounded when someone writes a review complaining how this or that is so horrible on a budget cruise line like Carnival compared to an upscale cruise line like Crystal. Why not just appreciate what a cruise line has to offer for the price paid, without lamenting what isn't offered? We've only cruised on Royal Caribbean and Carnival. If our budget allowed it, I'd love to give one of the higher priced cruise lines a try, just for fun. But I'm quite content with the cruise experience we get on the cruises we've chosen.

Not everything was better in the 60's-90's!

I remember when we did not have a safe in our cabin and had to go to the Purser's desk to put things in our safely deposit box.

Gosh, I remember having to use a REAL key for our cabin.

Balconies were terribly expensive and not very many of them.

Cruising was actually more expensive (taking inflation into consideration) with few, if any, deals.

Good for smokers but non smokers hated it. We could smoke EVERYPLACE ... even in the MDR.

If TVs are important to you, none were in cabins.

Many other things ....

LuLu

There are lines available if we wanted that. But although DH and I do well, we have one that just started college and another right behind her so we feel we need to be a bit more frugal with our disposable income.

Since we aren't too concerned about food ... as long as we can find something edible that doesn't make us sick (and I don't have to cook it or clean up after it) we are perfectly content.

Add to that that DH doesn't consider a vacation requiring you to dress up one he really wants to go on.

So, while there will be some passengers we will have to make an effort to avoid (ie: obnoxious drunks) ... we are getting to go away for our 10th Anniversary in a Balcony cabin on Lido deck and see Belize, Honduras, and Cozumel on a 3 year old ship for less than $2,000.

We are fine with that. [emoji4]

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And 24/7 ice cream cones. Dude ...... [emoji509][emoji14]

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And 24/7 ice cream cones. Dude ...... [emoji509][emoji14]

 

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And 24/7 ice cream cones. Dude ...... [emoji509][emoji14]

 

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Not sure I'd pay a few hundred dollars more for essentially the same cruise we get now, but I might consider paying a little bit extra if we could get a cabin with our own ice cream machine. :D

Whether it's a cruise or a land-based outing, we all enjoy different things when on vacation. What's important to you may not be so for me, and vice-versa. As others have said, there are cruise lines that offer a more upscale experience, but at a higher price. If that type of experience is your preference, great. You just have to decide how much you're willing to pay for it. Quite honestly, I'm glad that cruise lines like Carnival exist, that can offer cruises to those of us that wouldn't be able to afford a cruise on a line such as Seabourn, Crystal or Cunard. To expect the same experience on a budget line cruise is ridiculous. I'm always a bit dumbfounded when someone writes a review complaining how this or that is so horrible on a budget cruise line like Carnival compared to an upscale cruise line like Crystal. Why not just appreciate what a cruise line has to offer for the price paid, without lamenting what isn't offered? We've only cruised on Royal Caribbean and Carnival. If our budget allowed it, I'd love to give one of the higher priced cruise lines a try, just for fun. But I'm quite content with the cruise experience we get on the cruises we've chosen.

Great comment! :)

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I was on the Mardi Gras in the early '90s. Tiny inside cabin with a retrofitted shower where you could sit on the toilet and shower at the same time!! The only dining room was below deck -- cavern like with no windows. I wouldn't go back to those days!

I have noticed that no one has mentioned the fact that the ships back then didn't have the high tech stabilizers they have now. To go back so I can have Caviar, but to up chuck it due to sea sickness?? No thanks. :D

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Our first cruise was on the Ecstasy - 1992.

It was certainly a Carnival cruise, but quite different from what we have now. Dinner was much more an EVENT. Flaming Baked Alaska on the heads of waiters as they parade around the dining room. Flaming Cherries Jubilee. (Ok, ok I can understand why those two things had to go away).

Dinner consisted of a Soup or Appetizer, a Salad, and a main course. They had a crumb scraper that cleared the table after each and every course. At dinner each night, your napkin was folded a different way each of the seven nights. (now there are only two varieties)

Formal Night was a huge deal with the Captain's Cocktail party with free drinks and appetizers all night and a very long wait to meet the Captain with pictures for all.

Pool Time was an event each day too... Yes, they had the Hairy Chest competition... but they also had a Beer Drinking Competition and a Pillow Fight Competition!! And.. our favorite to watch .... the funniest Men's Lingerie Competition on the last night.

The Midnight buffet was offered every night.. with the Gala buffet one night - open for an hour before just for viewing and pictures!!

Shows were an amazing event of 25 dancers, singers, magicians, and awesome talent. There were live bands who played calypso music on deck during the day, and orchestras at night. There was no canned music, no Ipads to keep the beat. There were guitars, drums, pianos, and singers.

Our room was immaculate all week. Not so much focus on towel animals. More focus on cleaning, straightening, lining up our shoes, folding the bed a different way each night.

BUT>. this was not a fancy cruise. It was STILL Carnival.. the FUN SHIPS!

But.. 22 years ago... that cruise was almost the same price we paid on our cruise two weeks ago on the Magic. Was it worth the price? I think to answer the OP's question... we would LOVE to re-live that feeling.. sure. But the time we have on each cruise is all about the people we cruise with. Our family has loved cruising because of the time we get to spend with each other. It is what you make of it!!

Catrin

Being that our sailing life started in 1980 I have seen much in the way of change from all the cruise lines. Back in the 80'-90's cruising gave you a more special feel. Very few people at that time ever cruised. It took a show like Love Boat to bring cruising to the masses.

 

But back then, the food was better, entertainment was better and even the cruise staff was more entertaining. Back then CCL only have 3 ships, the Carnival, Mardi Gras and Festivale. The Festival being the large ship in the fleet at a robust 35,000 tons. Bingo was affordable and Drink prices were much cheaper than back home

 

Fares were higher, but you got what you paid for. Nickle and dimeing was not the way of life during those years.

 

Just curiuos- What if Carnival took one of their ships and transformed it back to the times when cruising made you feel more important, not mass market. When your waiter would show up with the pasta course on a silver tray and ask everyone if they wanted some. Back when plates did not come out pre-assembled but the main course was on the plate and the waiter brought out the sides seperatly and you chose what you wanted. When eveyone went to the midnight buffet, not because they were hungry, but to see the different creations the chefs came up with. Would you pay a few hundred dollars more for a better experience, well maybe not better but a different type of experience.

 

I still feel crusing is a great value, but do time always have to change!

Well I see lots of negative replies to your post, but I do understand what you are referring to. I do miss those days too. The cruising experience was much different in those days. I started cruising Carnival in 1996, and cruised other lines before that.

I don't think mainstream cruising will ever see that again. Today's crowd is much more casual and for the clientele that Carnival serves, average is fine. And with the middle class disappearing in the U.S., I would imagine the divide in cruising will continue to follow suit. There will be the finer cruise lines to serve the "haves," and value cruise lines to serve the "have nots." Neither is really good or bad, but they just serve a different clientele that have very different expectations.

Like you though, I enjoy reminiscing about cruising days gone by that were very different than today's cruising days.

Being that our sailing life started in 1980 I have seen much in the way of change from all the cruise lines. Back in the 80'-90's cruising gave you a more special feel. Very few people at that time ever cruised. It took a show like Love Boat to bring cruising to the masses.

 

But back then, the food was better, entertainment was better and even the cruise staff was more entertaining. Back then CCL only have 3 ships, the Carnival, Mardi Gras and Festivale. The Festival being the large ship in the fleet at a robust 35,000 tons. Bingo was affordable and Drink prices were much cheaper than back home

 

Fares were higher, but you got what you paid for. Nickle and dimeing was not the way of life during those years.

 

Just curiuos- What if Carnival took one of their ships and transformed it back to the times when cruising made you feel more important, not mass market. When your waiter would show up with the pasta course on a silver tray and ask everyone if they wanted some. Back when plates did not come out pre-assembled but the main course was on the plate and the waiter brought out the sides seperatly and you chose what you wanted. When eveyone went to the midnight buffet, not because they were hungry, but to see the different creations the chefs came up with. Would you pay a few hundred dollars more for a better experience, well maybe not better but a different type of experience.

 

I still feel crusing is a great value, but do time always have to change!

Not fair. You told all the good points of the old ships but forgot to mention the negatives. On the Tropicale, there were pipes every where in the ceilings of the passageways. There were no water slides, game courts (Basketball, golf, etc), Thrill theater (3D), multiple free restaurants, fantastic atriums, large spa areas, enhanced TV's, etc. The Tropicale had 8 decks versus 13 on the Breeze which meant about 2 less decks for activities. There were no balconies just Suites, Ocean View, Porthole and Interior. There was no Serenity Deck. There were no stabilizers and in some ports tugs had to be used.

Reminds me of the Model T. You think them wonderful but would not buy one to travel the express ways.

When the new past cruise history thing went out we found our cruise doc's from 1985. along with the doc's were the welcome aboard booklet.

Mardi Gras

Gross tonnage 27,250

length-650 ft.

speed 21 knots

Full ship1150 pax. two in a cabin 906

Officers & crew 500

Lifeboats 12

Stabilization- Set of dual stabilizers.

This is from the Carnival book printed in 1984. It also has the stats on the Tropicale-36,674 gr tonnage, dual stabilizers

Festivale-38,175 gr tonnage, dual stabilizers

This book has all the stats on all three ships. They did have stabilizers back then but the ships were small. If I could scan the pages of the book I would but I can't. Any ? from the book ask away. We were hooked back then and just love cruising. Beers and drinks were like $3.00 cash. in 1985.

[edit] Cost $2,996 w/airfare for two in a porthole cabin [u-74] upper deck.

Seaborne, Crystal, even Cunard. Go ahead and relive it all you want. Have fun. ;-)

 

 

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LIKE!

I agree, I've been cruising since the 60s and believe me I've seen changes. But I'm happy to be able to cruise at a more affordable price now. I still get dressed up if I want to and get comfortably dressed when I want to. I like having a choice. I have enjoyed every single cruise I've ever been on. If I wanted a more luxurious cruise...I'd cruise on the lines that Fitzget has mentioned.:D I just like being able to cruise more often at a cheaper price and have a choice of going on a more luxurious cruise at a higher price if I want to. I like having choices. In the end, no matter if it's fancy or cheap, I have loved and enjoyed all my cruises.:D I think this is because no matter what the price of the cruise is...being with my DH and DS is what makes my cruises special.

Not everything was better in the 60's-90's!

I remember when we did not have a safe in our cabin and had to go to the Purser's desk to put things in our safely deposit box.

Gosh, I remember having to use a REAL key for our cabin.

Balconies were terribly expensive and not very many of them.

Cruising was actually more expensive (taking inflation into consideration) with few, if any, deals.

Good for smokers but non smokers hated it. We could smoke EVERYPLACE ... even in the MDR.

If TVs are important to you, none were in cabins.

Many other things ....

LuLu

Just to add to this, we cruised the Mardi Gras in 1984 and I remember going to a room just to plug in any electrical things (hair dryer, curling iron, etc) as there were no electrical outlets in the cabins. The "outlet" room was like a big dressing room with mirrors and the room was always crowded.

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$3 beers in 1985 would be about $6.64 in 2014 dollars.

$2996 in 1985 dollars would be about $6631 today.

We do not have the 5 star service and food quality of the early 80's on many budget and middle market lines...but we have in many ways so much more offered on the ships, so much more choice in flavor between the lines and ship to ship and things like Chef's Table and the Steakhouse when we want fancier and so many options in the Lido's..like mall food courts but better..and then better burger, taco etc. joints.

More people cruising..made for bigger ships and higher volume and relatively fair pricing...I pray I can get a cruise or two in at Breeze level and perhaps trying a different line catching a good sale and bidding for air..there are so many berths out there right now with good shopping and work angels with earned time off and patience..one can really go for a back to back as a solo well planned for an outside solo a couple of years ago..so many berths now in Caribbean.. luckily I have only been once so long ago..even Nassau would be new for me with Atlantis..LOL...Sarah

And mid-50's is the old mid 40's so all is good..thinking of that song lyric..."we will always carrey on..some things change some stay the same..." It is all good...we are all truly blessed..we have more right than wrong in this country and in many of our allies, I have hope..we will start to see globally just how blessed we are and work more to preserve and grow peace and a more balanced prosperity..with so many here on this earth...Sarah

My one 1980 cruise and my 1991 next one both had hair dryer and curing iron and iron rooms..LOL...NOTHING was to be plugged in the old fashioned cabins and my first cruise was a closet inside with a bunk flipping over from wall...NARROW..good thing I was tiny...LOL...Sarah