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tss Festivale - Carnival's Vintage Ships


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was my first cruise back in 1993.. sailed out of san juan. I remember having so much fun on that ship. Thanks for sharing the pictures.. i remember everything about the ship.. and i went down that slide too.. was fun!

 

I also remember no tv in the rooms either.. we were on the upper deck in a quad interior. don't remember much more than that since I was only 13 years old at the time. I look back on the pictures we took and the video and that always brings back more memories.

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:cool: in case you all want to see more...:confused: ...well here they are:D ..there are more but I don`t want to bore you all with tooooo much.:rolleyes: thanks for all your threads..it was really good reading..some brought TEARS :rolleyes: to my DH`s eyes...

butch & muriel

P.S. I think that is the last time I ever shook hands with the CAPTAIN

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  • 3 weeks later...
Oh the memories sailing on Carnivale with my 3 single girlfriends. Getting lost in the hallways. Our waiter feeding my friend her dessert because she said she was full. Going to the "room" to dry our hair and use our curling irons because we could not do that in the stateroom (even if there was room). I love the new modern cruise ships but I will never forget that sailing and all the fun we had. I thought we just just the luckiest girls to be able to afford that ($750.00 inluding air to Miami).

 

I saw you list of ships and dates.

 

The one and only cruise I have ever been on was that Carnivale in August of 1980 also.

 

I was bored and just starting trying to track down that old ship and ran across this site. Not sure if that thing is still around. It was a gambling ship in Galveston, Texas for a while in the 90's I believe.

 

Huh, we were on that ship at the same time. I remember it sailing from Miami on to Puerto Rico, then on to the Virgin Islands if I recall and then on to Nassau in the Bahamas. I think it had to divert because of a hurricane in the gulf at that time if my memory serves me correctly.

 

Cheers,

Old Oiler

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I saw you list of ships and dates.

 

The one and only cruise I have ever been on was that Carnivale in August of 1980 also.

 

I was bored and just starting trying to track down that old ship and ran across this site. Not sure if that thing is still around. It was a gambling ship in Galveston, Texas for a while in the 90's I believe.

 

Huh, we were on that ship at the same time. I remember it sailing from Miami on to Puerto Rico, then on to the Virgin Islands if I recall and then on to Nassau in the Bahamas. I think it had to divert because of a hurricane in the gulf at that time if my memory serves me correctly.

 

Cheers,

 

Old Oiler

 

No, we sailed from Miami to Puerto Rico, Samana and St. Croix. I thought Carnivale was the biggest thing I had seen - now getting ready to sail to Hawaii on Diamond Princess - close to 3000 cruisers!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...
our first on festival was in 1984 and our second was in 1989,loved it and really miss it.:( have been on carnival triumph,holiday and destiny plus dawn princess. the best ones were FESTIVAL and HOLIDAY.:)

 

 

 

Great pics! I loved that ship. We were at a table with 2 other couples and did a "cabin crawl" afterwards to compare cabins. Our cabin was at the very end of the hall and if you went to the left you could go out on a the deck in the front of the ship. You know, the one they don't let you out on anymore. One couple on their honeymoon had twin beds and would push them together at night, and everyday the steward would move them apart.

 

My kids laugh when they look at pics of the older ships. Their first cruise & and my first on a big ship was the Pride. Boy was that a shocker, I was lost for about an hour the first day.

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I've really enjoyed this thread with all the old Carnival memories! My only actual Carnival experience was on the Mardi Gras in 1975 or 76. We had a fabulous time. It was our first cruise experience - our waiter was named "Ace" - he told us he would be our ace in the hole and was he ever. Couldn't do enough for us and had a great time doing so. As another poster mentioned, you dried your hair in special rooms as there were no outlets in the cabins. Also recall it was so rough one night that they actually mounted ropes in the hallways to hang onto. Saw one guy who was obviously a sailor in a previous life and quite pleased with himself as he didn't need to use the ropes and balanced perfectly. It's amazing to think how our expectations of a cruise experience have skyrocked over the years.

We almost went on the Carnivale in 1979 or 1980 - got on the ship and noticed most of the baggage was still on the pier when we were about ten minutes from the scheduled sailing time. Then we heard an announcement that unfortunately due to a labour dispute, the cruise was cancelled! Yikes! Fortunately our tour operator got us rooms at the Fontainbleu for the night and spent the next day trying to arrange either airfare home or an opportunity to stay on at the Fontainbleu. We were lucky and grabbed the second last cabin on the Azur Seas for a four-day Bahamas trip. When we got back to Miami after the mini-cruise we saw in the paper that the striking workers had all been deported by Carnival.

Interesting way to resolve a labour dispute but I doubt if they've had another one since!

Thanks again for the fun memories!

 

Rob

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  • 4 months later...

My wife and I had our honeymoon on the Festivale in December 85. We had a wonderful time at what today would be consider an intimate ship. I believe she could accomodate 1400 passengers.

 

The crew was awesome. I remember one evening, the wait staff performed one of their songs and our waiter came back visually upset. He told us that he was upset because he was first in line to get us the deserts and lost his place when they went to sing.

 

I don't think I've seen a more accessible talented cruise director (Although Ken Rush from RCCL comes close). The midnight buffets that happen every night would put the infrequent ones on todays ship to shame. Not to mention the "Grand Gala" buffet the last night of the cruise.

 

Bingo was an event to keep you entertained until the nights entertainment started. It wasn't a "revenue" generating activity as it is today. I believe the cards were $5 each and were good for the 3 or 4 games they played. The entertainment was a mix of professional singers and comedians along with passenger talent shows.

 

The ships band not only played for the shows, but also afterwards played in a lounge.

 

Oh yes, cash was accepted on the ship and it was ok to run a tab while you were in a lounge. I understand the reasons the cruiselines need to swipe your card after every drink, but it seems like a waste a paper. What's so bad if you know you will be staying in the lounge for a while to give the waiter your card that he can run when you close up? Would save a lot a paper that way., but I digress....

 

Our room was small, but we were fortunately to have an ocean view cabin (U59). Before anyone compliments me on my memory, I happen to have the key as I had forgot to leave it in the room when we departed. However, the room seem to get larger as the week progressed. There were no balconies (today, I will not book a room without one), but one of the decks facing aft, was completely empty at 10pm at night, and my wife and another couple would frequently stay there thru the early hours just talking and enjoying the ocean.

 

Thinking back on this ship, I truly miss her, however having been on ships that are almost 3 times her size, I'm not sure I could go back if I had the opportunity.

 

I'll try to scan in some pictures I have.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I cruised the Carnivale in the early 80's. My first cruise ever! I went with my work girlfirend, Jean, and we shared a cabin with 2 other young women that we had never met! Jean had the lower bunk, I had the upper bunk. The cabin was "in the basement" of the ship and had a support pole right in the middle of the cabin. And I remember the price, $999 for this 7 day cruise including airfare. That was soooo expensive back then, I was making $4.30 per hour! What a hoot!

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  • 2 weeks later...

My family sailed the Festivale during Spring Break 1992. So many great memories that 16 years later we still discuss it regularly. Small rooms for sure and bathrooms that remind me of vacationing in a camper or something. My brother and I shared an interior room with bunkbeds and my parens were sharing an identical room across the small hallway. Great ports - though I found myself a serious sunburn in Dominica. Loved the music by the pool and we still lived the cruise in our living room back home by listening to the steel drum music.

 

I went on a larger Carnival ship many years later (2002) our of Long Beach and definately missed the Festivale atmosphere.

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attachment.php?attachmentid=55983&d=1188841444

 

WOW!! Look at how small that slide is!!!

 

It's a shame to know that my first ship, the Celebration, will be retired in a couple weeks. And within a year or so the Holiday will be gone. I love these smaller ships and will be going on the Inspiration in November and might actually do a b2b(10 day) on the Fascination in January over the 8 day on the Spirit.

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I'd almost forgotten about the Festivale! That was my very first 7-day cruise as an adult (I'd been on small 3-day cruises with my family as a child). I believe the sailing was August 25 - September 1, 1990. Wow that was a long time ago! We sailed round-trip from San Juan PR and if I remember correctly, stopped in Martinique, St. Martin, St. Thomas, Barbados and another port I can't recall off hand. I remember being so impressed that the cab drivers drove BMW's - LOL - but my most vivid recollection was how absolutely horrible the San Juan airport was back then (trying to change clothes in a bathroom stall when there was 2+" of water on the floor). I returned 15 years later and felt it couldn't have been the same airport at all because it wasn't at all bad. I mean it felt like a real airport - LOL!!!

 

I don't remember much about the ship though :(

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  • 1 year later...

I know this is an old thread, but the Festivale was my very first cruise (back in 1987). I think it might have been on a Southern Caribbean itinerary. I was only about 8 years old so I don't remember much about the ship. I do still own a picture of myself and my family that Carnival took outside of the ship. :)

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Festival was my first and most memorable cruise. My mother and I cruised her during spring break 1989. We put the deposit down 18 months before our departure and talked and dreamed about it for a year and a half. I have been on 14 cruises since then and really miss the service and atmosphere of that ship and crew. After this year I think I will stop cruising as much and try something else. Crusing just isn't what it use to be. Maybe I am not trying the correct cruise line. I have been on Royal Caribbean (they use to be my favorite), Carnival, Dolphin, Disney, Holland America, and Norwegian. I will be doing Celebrity at the end of this month maybe it will be the best?

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I was on the Festivale in 1992, from San Juan to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Martinique, Barbados and Dominica.

 

It was an old ship, and I'll never forget that when you walked from the Lido to the pool area, there was no door; rather, you had to pass through those plastic hanging things you find in the car wash.

 

Please tell me you remember this, too!

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Festival was my first and most memorable cruise. My mother and I cruised her during spring break 1989. We put the deposit down 18 months before our departure and talked and dreamed about it for a year and a half. I have been on 14 cruises since then and really miss the service and atmosphere of that ship and crew. After this year I think I will stop cruising as much and try something else. Crusing just isn't what it use to be. Maybe I am not trying the correct cruise line. I have been on Royal Caribbean (they use to be my favorite), Carnival, Dolphin, Disney, Holland America, and Norwegian. I will be doing Celebrity at the end of this month maybe it will be the best?

 

Festivale was my very first cruise as well in 1979. By the way, I do remember those car wash strips!

 

Why haven't you tried Princess? We cruse twice a year and it is our favorite cruiseline.

 

Patty

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My Husband & I were on the Festival in 1978(our first cruise) and it was memorable. I remember we went to St. THomas & St. Marten but not the third stop. Believe it was Nassau but I was in love. Very Romantic cruise & the ship had just been expanded.

 

St Thomas - went on an island tour, saw a termite nest on the way to St John's to snorkle. We even had time to go to shopping in the morning. Very few people there & it was a trip. St. Marten was not paved. The stores were on beach sand - remember getting a zoom lens for my camera there. We were known as the honeymooners - we were married 2 years later. We also started a tradition by placing a note in a bottle & tossing it one night from the fan-tail. Many memories!!!!

 

2 years later, our honeymoon was on RCCL Song of Norway (our 24 yo son wears the T-shirt from that cruise:) ). And then Mardi Gras with our now 25 yo son - crib in the middle of the cabin, very little room and we had a blast. (he was 13 months old then). Memories!!! His life vest made him look like an orange & he cried one time - tripped when he had it on. He also disappeared one night (formal) -- he was dressed in a short-pants lt blue suit -- so cute--he took off to the dining room --he was hungry & could smell the food. Our cabin was right down from the restaurant & the waiters let him in & he was on his way to his table. At lunch one day, they served linguini with clam sauce - his favorite. All of the waiters & ship's servers came over -- he polished off an adult sized portion. Have many pictures from his adventures, including the costume night -- he was a little clown & won a trophy!!! Ladies in the lounge painted a heart on his cheek, too. Wonderful memories!!!

 

 

Thanks for letting me go on & on!!!!

 

I took a cruise in 1979 on the Festivale and the first stop was San Juan. Then it went to St. Maarten and the last stop was St.Thomas. It's my only cruise on CCL. Even back then they were known as the "Fun Ships". The Festivale was a real classic ship. Free sodas and lots of free give aways were the norm back then and as I recall the drinks were pretty cheap, plus the midnight buffets.

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  • 9 months later...

Me and my hubby did the first cruise in the Festival in 1994 (or 95?!) and we had a beautiful time. The cabin was inside and remember we could barely move inside. But all the crew was fantastic! What they do with the old ships that they are out, like the Festival?

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I believe the Festivale was sold to Premier Cruise Line as Big Red Boat III in 1998. This cruise line had originally partner with Disney before Disney built their own ships. Premier went bankrupt in 2000 and the Festivale ended up being scrapped in an India shipyard in 2003.

 

Considering she was built in 1961, 40+ years of service is not too shabby.

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  • 1 year later...

I also was on the Festivale in late 1978 (or 1979) out of Miami. May have been the same cruise you were on. The ship listed the entire time. One night we were walking down the "outside" promenade and actually fell into the casino when the ship rolled. At the time it was really funny, maybe because we had had a few drinks at dinner. You are right about the cabins. We also had an inside cabin (3 women) and I got the top bunk. But I do remember sleeping really well on that cruise. Could barely move around inside and the bathroom was ridiculous. But as you said we were on our first cruise and thought there was nothing better. The ports of call were pretty exotic for me at the time. San Juan at 11:00pm at night and the beautiful casinos. St. Thomas was great - took a shore excursion to St. Johns. And Nassau back then was a good port. Not so much now. And who can forget the magnificent midnight buffet displays. And you had to stand in line to get in just so you could take pictures! Wonderful memories...thanks for reminding me of how much fun I had 33 years ago!

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  • 2 months later...
We cruised on the Carnivale & Mardi Gras back in the early 80's and IMO it was a very different experience vs. today.

 

Dinning - One waiter/bus boy pair per two 6 person tables, Waiter & bus boy became your best friends by the end of the cruise, Waiters would tell adult jokes & do table tricks while waiting for food to be ready. Even today I still miss some of the waiters from my cruises in the 80’s and wonder what they are doing now.

 

Staff - All of the staff went out of they way to make your cruise special. it was like they were out to prove the Carnival was the best and most fun cruise line. One example I remember was when we were in Nassau docked next to a competitors ship Carnival had a loud deck party going on when the Cruise director had all the passengers taunt the other ship to show how much more fun we were having.

 

Environment - Much more of a party atmosphere - not falling down drunks - just every lounge & bar packed with people having a good time. The bars wouldn't shut down until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. We would get up at noon to start the next day.

 

Room steward - Lots of interaction would get anything you wanted - tried to be your best friend.

 

Ship layout - If you look at a layout of the older ships they look like a maze in many ways. Sometimes you had to make several turns down a dead end hallway to get to your room. Much smaller (~20,000 tons) but the ships seemed big at the time. The ships were converted ocean liners so many of the amenities we expect today were nonexistent. The rooms were tiny, no TV, had a central movie theater, small cramped theater with columns that blocked your view.

 

Enjoyment - I have been on 19 cruises (14 on Carnival ships) and remember the cruises I took in the 80's better than the ones I took last year. I would give anything to be able to take a cruise on the Carnivale or Mardi Gras if the staff and attitudes were the way it was back then.

 

In the early 90’s the whole atmosphere started changing to be more mainstream and more like it is today. I asked a waiter in 91 what had caused the change and was told Carnival was getting too many complaints about the waiters being too personal and the adult jokes/tricks offended too many people.

 

I cruise today because I feel it’s a great value. I pay significantly less today for a cruise than I did back in the 80’s & 90’s. I guess that’s why the service is the way it is and why they try to hawk everything they can to get the revenue they need to make a profit. Every time I take a cruise I think back to the 80’s and wish this cruise could be like one of them but of course that’s not possible. I would gladly give up the big ship experience to get the service and staff interaction like it was back then.

 

Wow, I felt like I wrote that myself! You nailed it. Totally agree, very accurate. :)

 

PS - Karter... do you race Shifter Karts?

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:cool: here are some pics of the ship.;) hope you like them:confused:

 

Oh man those pictures are classic! Thanks for the memories. I was on the Festival in 1986, she was one of the longest ships afloat at the time. I really liked that ship! It was my first CCL cruise. Good times! :D

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attachment.php?attachmentid=55983&d=1188841444

 

WOW!! Look at how small that slide is!!!

 

It's a shame to know that my first ship, the Celebration, will be retired in a couple weeks. And within a year or so the Holiday will be gone. I love these smaller ships and will be going on the Inspiration in November and might actually do a b2b(10 day) on the Fascination in January over the 8 day on the Spirit.

 

Funny thing is that carnival stayed with the slides in the pools. That picture may represent the birth of a trend. I don't recall if the Mardi Gras had a slide too? As the ships got bigger so did the slides. :)

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