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What is your favorite cruise line that no longer exists?


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Cruising only: Home Lines. But in addition to Home Lines, ALL of the European lines that primarily did TA's but supplemented with cruises. IE: Italian Line, French Line, Greek Line, Swedish America Line, etc etc.

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Royal Viking Line: It was considered the "Cadillac" of cruise lines when it was in operation and the cuisine, service, and ambience supported that opinion. Ships were well laid out, easy to get around, uncrowded. There were 250 aboard for a New York to Copenhagen sailing aboard Royal Viking Sky followed by a full ship (500!) for the following North Cape cruise.

 

Sitmar and Home Lines are also missed because of the Italian atmosphere aboard along with very good/excellent cuisine and entertainment.

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There is a comprehensive thread on this topic a bit farther down the list here: Cruise ships we've sailed that no longer exist.

 

this topic is a little differnt, cruise lines, not just cruise ships, such as ss Norway doesn't exist but NCL does

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Aha!

Well, then......I definitely would have to say Windjammer Barefoot Cruises...until Capt. Burke's "kids" took over and ruined everything and put WBC belly-up back in 2007. Fortunately, two new tall-ship cruise lines (IslandWindjammers.com and SailWindjammer.com) are offering pretty darn close to what WBC offered, with former WBC crew members, owners who got their feet wet via WBC, and the latter with a refurbed WBC tall-ship, the Mandalay. Totally casual, ACTUAL sailing, well appointed and comfly (but cozy) cabins, great food, rum swizzles every eve and lotsa fun! And the tall-ship Arabella is back, courtesy of Manhattan Yacht Club (yachtarabella.com). But we'll always have WBC to thank for introducing us to the windjammer life/experience.

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  • 2 months later...

Royal Viking Line was the top of the line. No cruiseline out there now even comes close. Rather than cheapen the experience in order to cut prices they shut down. Still get credit on Cunard for cruising RVL. Cunard, and therefor Carnival, owns the right to the name. We cruised only with them until they stopped. We were on the last cruise of the Star before it became Norwegian Star.

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Royal Viking Line was the top of the line. No cruiseline out there now even comes close. Rather than cheapen the experience in order to cut prices they shut down. Still get credit on Cunard for cruising RVL. Cunard, and therefor Carnival, owns the right to the name. We cruised only with them until they stopped. We were on the last cruise of the Star before it became Norwegian Star.

 

Not quite right.

I worked on Royal Viking Star until she briefly became NCL's Westward. Soon after that she was sold to Royal Cruise Line and became Star Odyssey (1993??).

Then when Royal went under, the ship was sold to Fred Olsen and became Black Watch.

She is still there.

 

Norwegian Star was built by Star Cruises in 2001, shortly after they bought NCL. It was originally planned to be a gambling ship in Asia, but instead they gave it to NCL. I worked on that one as well, in Hawaii and Mexico.

 

Knut Kloster, who was running RVL in it's later years, vowed that he would never cheapen his product - even if it killed him.

It didn't kill him - but it killed his company.

By the way, he absolutely detested American passengers, and blamed their demand for cheaper and cheaper cruises for his downfall.

Edited by BruceMuzz
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HOME LINES WITHOUT A DOUBT! As deluxe as Royal Viking Line but at a popular price!

 

SS Oceanic, winter cruises, only sailed at 2/3 of passenger capacity, my ship of all time having sailed 134 cruises! Every meal was a lavish feast!

 

When men were men and cruising was cruising!

 

Worldspan

134 cruises strong

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  • 3 weeks later...
What is your favorite cruise line that no longer exists? I have 2 Renaissance Cruises, ( line was non smoking and adult only) which I sailed in 2001 went under after 9/11 and Home lines.

 

American Hawaii Cruise Line. Classic looking ships, great food, and Hawaii! So much better tan Norwegian.

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American Hawaii Cruise Line. Classic looking ships, great food, and Hawaii! So much better tan Norwegian.

 

I would mostly agree. I sailed on the Independence when Constitution and Independence were owned by AHC. Agree 100% about Hawaii. Food was good to very good; a deck buffet one evening included freshly grilled steak and was the best deck buffet I have had; service good to OK; an engaging, guest oriented Master and Cruise Director; good entertainment; but the interior of the ship was 1950's-ish--no surprise because that is what they were.

 

Having sailed on Golden Bear's Monterey (former Matson liner) to, from, and around Hawaii some years earlier, AHC was just an acceptable substitute for a defunct line.

 

I have not tried NCL's Hawaii services so cannot make a comparison. I have heard mixed things to be sure.

Edited by rkacruiser
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My first cruise was with AHC on the Independence. DW and I had an interior cabin. The morning breakfast buffet on deck cruising near Molokai had me hooked. Went back with the 2 kids. 4 of us in a interior room. It was even better the 2nd time.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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My one cruise on Sitmar was unbelievable! Service was unmatched.

 

Every time someone mentions Sitmar, my heart skips an extra beat because we so loved that cruise line. :)

Yes, the service was amazing! :D

LuLu

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Without a doubt! the old Grace Lines. My first cruise was on the S.S. Santa Rosa, where they used to have people guess how many miles the ship per day for $5.00 per guess. It was long before computers and the internet.

I remember they had a Sadie Hawkins night, where the women asked the men to dance as we were going thru Cape Hatteras as the ship was pitching from one side to the other. Oh by the way I was only 14 yrs. old then so all the little girls tried to get me to dance. How awkward.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Looking back, I would have to say I most enjoyed my time with Majesty Cruise Lines. Simply elegant.

 

I have to agree! Majesty Cruise Line was a unique product that offered elegance, fine cuisine, excellent service, and all at an exceptional value. It left too soon.

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I think years back, "Royal Viking" was kind of the "Crystal" of today. I think some of the Royal Viking fleet is now sailing with Thompson, Fred.Olsen, and/or Louis.

Edited by marco
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