What Cruise got you hooked ???

I saw this on another thread and thought it to be very interesting to reminisce about the Cruise that got you hooked...

What was your first cruise ship....what cruise line.....the year and Itinerary...

My first cruise was in 1981. Holland America on the SS Statendam.

We cruised to Alaska.

Alaska is one of my favorite places to visit and hoping to make it back there next year. We cruised thru Glacier Bay....I knew then I was hooked.

2011 Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas.

5 night Holiday cruise to Cozumel and Calica out of Mobile AL. Stole my cruise virginity and hooked me for life!

The Carnival Ecstasy 8 years ago. Cozumel and Progreso and I've been back to both several times. Before the cruise I made regular trips to Vegas. Now I think of cruises like being in Vegas but without the expensive meals and the scenery changes every day.

My first cruise got me hooked. It was on the carnival fantasy during the week of Thanksgiving 2008. We went to Cozumel and Progreso.

I saw this on another thread and thought it to be very interesting to reminisce about the Cruise that got you hooked...

 

What was your first cruise ship....what cruise line.....the year and Itinerary...

 

My first cruise was in 1981. Holland America on the SS Statendam.

We cruised to Alaska.

Alaska is one of my favorite places to visit and hoping to make it back there next year. We cruised thru Glacier Bay....I knew then I was hooked.

It was NCL Norway, October 2 1999! I travelled a lot before that date, having worked for an airline, but my vacations were mostly visiting family and friends in far away places, and land vacations. Once I discovered cruising, I was spoiled forever!

I knew before that cruise, that it was an older ship, but it did not daunt me, I loved that ship, and was sorry and cried when I heard about her demise.

The next year I decided to cruise solo, since my family were not able to go at my vacation time, so I shopped around and discovered Carnival. Cruised the Sensation on a 7 day out of Tampa in October 2000. And that was the one that hooked me on Carnival!

I squeezed in one Celebrity cruise after that, but stuck to Carnival, and next year am returning to NCL on Escape:) But that Blue Lady, the Norway, started it all for me.

RCI Sovereign of the Seas, Eastern Caribbean (Labadee, San Juan, Saint Thomas, and CocoCay) way back in 1995. The golden age of cruising. Gourmet meals in the MDR, midnight buffets, a souvenir listing of all crew and passengers....everything was so elegant.

I still love cruising, but nothing will compare to that!

2003 Celebrity Century Western Caribbean

2002. Carnival Inspiration out of New Orleans. The week of the 4 of July still numb from 9-11. Remembering the dining room at dinner the night of the 4th singing The Star Spangled Banner, impromptu, everyone on their feet.

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DH and I took our first cruise I 1999 aboard the Imagination. We cruised with another couple and had adjacent cabins. Out 5 day itinerary (I think it was out of Fort Lauderdale, but may have been Miami) had 2 ports of call, Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman, In Jamaica we did a party boat to Dunns River Fall ($1 Red Stripe beer) and we snorkeled in Grand Cayman. I just made final payment on our 10th cruise -Conquest in Jan 17.

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The Big Red boat in 1994! Next it was the Disney Magic in 1998. We cruised many times with Disney when the kids were young. Now as empty nesters, we have switched to Carnival

Our first cruise 2008 Carnival inspiration I was hooked[emoji106]

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Our very first big cruise did it! (We had been on a river cruise on the Danube before that). The inaugural cruise in the Mediterranean on the Emerald Princess. My mom and dad took DH and I as their guests - Mom had been unwell, beginning stages of cancer, but was in perfect health for the whole cruise. The weather was absolutely perfect and we fell in love with this wonderful mode of vacation!

It's not listed in my cruise history (since it was my ex-wife ;) )

Monarch Sun - 1976 - 7-day out of Miami.

Remember going to Haiti, no excursions, just walked around a poverty-stricken area with begging kids and fly-ridden meat hanging on hooks in market.

Ship had only one place to eat, the main dining room.

Industry has come a long way since then.

BTW, that cruise cost about same as a discounted 7-day today!

Knew I was hooked just with the planning of our first

Was on Carnival Paradise 2002

11 days until Diamond

Me too MuuMuu, the planning of the cruise, hotel and excursions got me hooked for sure. Our first cruise was in 2008 on the Carnival Pride on the Mexican Riviera with another couple. We hit Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, and Mazatlan. It was fun but I couldn't wait to cruise with my boys. I think cruises are such a better value then spending the day standing in lines at theme parks.....although I like doing that occasionally as well.

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1968 Grace Line Santa Paula from NYC to Kingston, Port Au Prince, San Juan, St. Thomas, Curacao, Aruba and Caracas. It was a 14 night Christmas cruise.

1961 on a HS Senior Class 3 Day to the Bahamas on SS Bahama Star. :)

Our first cruise was in 2002 on the Smoke-Free Carnival Paradise 7 days out Miami (Nassau, San Juan and St. Thomas).

Sitting on our balcony on Norwegian Jewel drinking the (then free) bubbles, watching the white cliffs of Dover slipping past as we sailed off to the Baltics. It took about 1 hour to get hooked.

2008. Disney Cruise line 15 night Panama Canal cruise. I was hooked as I walked up the gangway on embarkation day.

1992 RCI Sovereign of the Seas Eastern Caribbean - and never looked back.

First one

2004.

Princess

Pacific Princess

Picked for itinerary in Port most days, in case we didn't like it, and went to one Port Mrs Gut really wanted to go to.

Itinerary

Sydney

Sea

Melbourne

Devonport

Wineglass Bay (Scenic cruising and shore tour by tender if you booked with Princess)

Hobart

Port Arthur

Sea

Sydney.

Our next cruise...

Emerald Princess

Sydney

Sea

Melbourne

Wineglass Bay

Hobart

Port Arthur

Sea

Sydney

The one after

Queen Mary II

SYDNEY

Sea

Port Arthur

Hobart

Sea

Sydney

Think I must have liked it the first time.

Royal Caribbean Vicking Serinade, back in 1985, couple years later we took our kids.

Had a great time

Cori

2006 Norwegian Crown. Philadelphia to Bermuda. Docked at St. Georges, Hamilton and Kings Wharf. I was hooked wasn't sure about my DW at the time but we are 39 days from our 5th cruise so while she may not be as avid as I am she enjoys them very much.

Happy Cruising and thanks for the fun question that brought back fond memories.