Carnivale 1978

Anyone remember sailing out of Miami in March of 1978. Took that ship on my first honeymoon. No outlets for hairdryers, etc. Had to go to a common room and stand in line to access a plug. No stabilizers for the ship which pitched and swayed making everyone sick except me. I was the only person sitting at the dining table, even the husband (now ex) was sick. It was just me and the crew. The slots really paid out and it seemed like everyone won something. Bingo was free and you won cash. You could also shoot skeet out the aft the ship. They sold huge thin glasses that were called "yards" of beer. And there were all kinds of beer chugging contests.

Ah , those were the days, ANYONE else remember these?

Host Doug has some great info on the ship Here - we sailed on her quondam sister the now-scrapped Empress of Canada (as Star of Texas), and had a great experience.

I do believe, however, that she was stabilized - virtually all post-war ship were.

Possible it was stabilized, but people even got off at the port of San Juan and elected to fly home. It was really, really bad. Many people had fallen and had injuries, for example. Thanks for the site!

Host Doug has some great info on the ship Here

I have been honored to ocasionally contribute to the site as a guest contributor, but that's all.

Anyhow, as everyone can see from Peter's article, in 1978 the ship was very much in her original form, much of which was obscured by several later refits mostly carried out by Carnival.

As she is today, she is not very original, but is still an amazing survivor. I have never been on her but personally I don't think she looks all that appealing. Peter, of course, has, and apparently is totally charmed. Whether this is because he remembers her in former incarnations I don't know, but his taste in ships is generally impeccable so I am nobody to disagree with him espsecially about a ship I haven't been on :) .

Sadly, her better-looking (IMHO) former running mate, APOLLON (ex EMPRESS OF CANADA, MARDI GRAS, etc.) was scrapped last year. She was in very original condition and would have made a perfect candidate for preservation.

If you're interested in more photos of THE TOPAZ as she is today, you might also want to take a look here, from a fascinating Japanese site called Overseas Cruise Maniacs. Loads of great photos of the ship's interiors. Most of the site is in Japanese only; this article happens to have come with an English translation which is a bit dodgy but, for me, better than Japanese which I can't read at all. Regardless the photos are great and luckily no translation is required for those!

PS: I imagine she was stabilized - probably at the time of her construction, and if not then during the QUEEN ANNA MARIA conversion - but that of course does not mean that the stabilizers were actually being used at the time. And of course if you have a big enough storm, stabilizers will not do much anyhow. (Certainly if the storm requires the ship to slow down to a speed at which the stabilizers have no effect, they are useless.)

I have had fun researching via the site you mentioned. I am feeling kinda old now. Boo hoo!!! Anyway thanks for the memories.......

Alphawave

I was on the carnivale April 1978 Sr class trip it was a blast .I have been hooked every since. true party ship back then I am glad the old girl is still floating:D

You beat me there. Was on it for my first cruise 1981.

First cruise in 1983. Been sailing Carnival ever since.

I was on the Carnivale sometime in 1978 I believe...I was around 12 years old at the time. We had a ball. No "Camp Carnival" to speak of, but the pools were fun, they had a movie theater, and kids were allowed to play the slots! I remember my brother putting a quarter in a machine and winning big (he was like 10 years old!). The itinerary was Miami, SanJuan, St. Thomas, and St. Marten (not sure about the order). It took me years to convince my DH that cruising is fun. We went in 2001 as a family, and now we've booked our third together for next month!

Thanks for the memories! I looked at the website with the pictures and had to laugh at how very small the ship looks compared to what I remember!

Chantal

I was I the Carnivale for my Honeymoon in 1981. I remember having to go to that common room to blow dry my hair. But what a great time we had. We had a honeymooners gathering where we met people we still keep in touch with. We just recently sailed Royal Carribean Explorer of the Seas. What a difference in comparison. But we thought it was the best ever.

Tillie

Hi Doug & Everyone,

I am quite certain that neither the Empresses of Britain, England or Canada were stabilised.

Travelling on Britain's sister the Empress of England, I fondly remember as a young 10 year old, people hanging over the edge the first night out of Greenock as we crossed the north end of the Irish Sea into the North Atlantic.

After everyone had been to the infirmary for their little gray suppositories and we settled into the August swells of the North Atlantic, everything settled down.

The rest of the cruise was quite pleasant bobbing across the Atlantic Ocean toward the Strait of Belle Isle off the north coast of Newfoundland.

They may have been stabiliser equipped in their later years, but not during their lives as CP's true Empresses of the Seas.

Doug,

In the late 50's/early 60s, the England, Britain and Canada had a few running mates on the Liverpool/Greenock/Quebec City/Montreal crossing. If I recall there was the old Empress of Scotland (a three stacker I think) the Empress of Ireland, and Empress of (I think it was) France (a two stacker). When were the old girls finally retired? Any ideas on the last years of their lives?

Cheers and thanks for any info you can provide. Cheers, and...

Ciao for now!!!

I am quite certain that neither the Empresses of Britain, England or Canada were stabilised.

Sorry to contradict you here but having done some research on the subject I can confirm that in fact all three ships were fitted with stabilizers at the time of their construction.

In the late 50's/early 60s, the England, Britain and Canada had a few running mates on the Liverpool/Greenock/Quebec City/Montreal crossing. If I recall there was the old Empress of Scotland (a three stacker I think) the Empress of Ireland, and Empress of (I think it was) France (a two stacker). When were the old girls finally retired? Any ideas on the last years of their lives?

The post-war EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, ENGLAND, and CANADA were actually built as replacements for these vessels.

After WWII, CP was left with three passenger liners: the former Atlantic liners DUCHESS OF BEDFORD and DUCHESS OF RICHMOND, and the former Pacific flagship EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND (the latter was renamed from EMPRESS OF JAPAN after Japan entered WWII).

DUCHESS OF BEDFORD and DUCHESS OF RICHMOND were restored as EMPRESS OF FRANCE and EMPRESS OF CANADA respectively. EMPRESS OF CANADA was destroyed by fire while being refitted in 1953, and was replaced by EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, formerly CGT's 1924-built DE GRASSE.

EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND was the three-stacker and while previously a Pacific liner, CP realized that they did not have enough ships to restore full service on both the Atlantic and Pacific after the war. The decision was made to re-activate the Atlantic service first, so EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND became the flagship of CP's Atlantic fleet. (In the end, the famed Pacific service was never restored.)

Aside from the untimely end of EMPRESS OF CANADA (ex DUCHESS OF RICHMOND), EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA was first to go. She was withdrawn in 1956 when the new EMPRESS OF BRITAIN entered service. She was sold to Grimaldi-SIOSA for immigrant service between Italy and South America and renamed VENEZUELA. She was broken up in 1962.

Next to go was EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND, sold in 1957 on the introduction of EMPRESS OF ENGLAND. The former flagship was sold to the Hamburg-Atlantic Line, a newly formed German firm connected with Home Lines. After a massive refit which turned her into a very modern-looking two-stacker, she entered service in 1958 as HANSEATIC. She was broken up following a devastating fire during one of her New York turnarounds in 1966.

Oddly the last to go was the aged EMPRESS OF FRANCE. She left the fleet as the company prepared to welcome the new EMPRESS OF CANADA, going directly to the breakers in 1961.

Between 1955 and 1961, the company went from their newest ship being 25 years old, to their oldest being six years old! One of the most interesting fleet renewals of the post-war period, and one which left us three wonderful ships.

It was late June 1981. My first cruise. The talk was about a new very modern ship that was being built. The name was to be the Tropicale. Time does fly. I believe it had an enclosed deck parallel with the casino. The ride out of San Juan was so rough that the passengers could not walk a straight line down the deck. They would stagger 10-15 foot back and forth as they walk. Except for those that felt a little sick it was funny to watch. Those were the days when the room stewart came in a cleaned up everytime you left and you hardly ever saw him except in the beginning and the end. We sailed from Miami. The itinerary included Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, and San Juan. There were alot of people on that ship I will never forget except for their names.

Thanks Doug for the CP info, BUT

Oh my God with the size of the ships in those days the stabilisers were not very efficient as the old "England" still bounced around like a cork...and we were tourist class down in Cabin C27. Left Greenock 1 Aug 59 arrived Montreal 7 Aug 1959.

Fondly remember that there was no dock in Greenock to board from. The ship anchored in the middle of the River Clyde, and passengers were tendered out to the ship on the old Clyde paddle steamers.

As the Empresses would get underway, a solitary piper would stand on the deck of the paddle steamer and play until the ship passed Canada Point down toward the mouth of the Clyde. It was an eerie and sad feeling as I as young kid left Scotland and all my friends and grandparents with the last sounds of Scotland being the skirl of the pipes.

Too bad there's no service from Greenock now. Always thought it would be great to do the same trip 50 years later (5 yrs to go).

The Empresses looked magnificent totally in white except for the ochre funnel and checkered house colours.

Thanks for the memories and letting me share with everyone.

Ciao for now!!!

The Carnivale was my first cruise, back in 1989. I thought it was a big ship at the time. Of course I was going into 6th grade then too. I loved it and had a blast. I don't remember any turbulence but we just had a short 3-night cruise to Nassau in the early summer. My brother and I pretty much swam all day in the tiny salt-water pools.

I took my first cruise on the QAM in 72. I thought it was the coolest, most luxurious liner ever. All that wood panelling that groaned as the ship moved and those great Greek waiters who wanted you to try everything. I met the most unusual and diverse collection of people on that cruise, some of whom I'll never forget. In a few years she was gone, devoured by Carnivore! :D

My first cruise was on the CARNIVALE in 1986 for our senior trip. Boy, I barely remember any of that cruise. We went to Nassau, St. Thomas and San Juan. I finally got my DH on a cruise last year out of Galveston on the Elation. He is ready to book again.

So is the Carnivale called the Topaz now?I am so confused!

thanks

Ok..I get it now!! LOL..hehe

Sailed on her for our honeymoon in May, 1983. I thought it was so big at the time. I have a few momentos from her in a box. I remember them putting little trinkets on your pillow at night. Our second cruise came 18 years later on RCCL Grandeaur of the Seas in 2000, and have been on four RCCL ships since, Hooked on cruising. I cannot ride rides for afraid of getting sick, but never got sick on a cruise. As with the ship, wife is still around 22 years later.

Carnivale, our first cruise..

A Four day in 1991... fell in love with cruising after that..

Small old ship compared to the new ones these days..

Alot more shaking going on too.. Which I think is why I loved it so much.!

With these newer ships, I don't even feel like I'm at sea..

Glad it's still around..

So is the Carnivale called the Topaz now?I am so confused!

 

thanks

Yes it was the Topaz and now she was renamed. I saw her about two years ago at the port in New York City.

David....................................:cool:

I remember her fondly. I had been bugging my DH for quite a while to go on a cruise. He had spent 10 years in the navy and wasn't too eager. Anyway, I finally convinced him to try it and we took a 4 day going to Freeport and Nassau. It was to be her last year with Carnival so we got a great deal. We had an oceanview room with a real port hole! I remember stumbling over the doorways everytime I went to the bathroom. They had water tight doors and you had to step up into them. There were a lot of those on that ship! She had 1 diningroom and you had to eat all of your meals there and at the same table each time. We also went at the end of the school year and it was loaded with teachers and a lot of drunk high school seniors and college age kids. They would walk around the deck with a bottle of booze in their hand. (No problem buying booze for your room on that ship) We had my 11 year old son with us but there were not many kids his age so he kept with us. His big thing at that age was being able to eat around the clock. At that time they had a buffet every night! I think he made it to one. He was just too worn out. We have a picture of the 3 of us at the Captain's party and my 11 year old child looks drunk! He was just tired but we teas him about it to this day.

This grand old ship got us started and HOOKED on cruising and we love it too this day. I do wish that we could get those same prices though. LOL :D

Barbara

Hi Everyone!!

I was on the "Carnivale" in April of 1979. It was my first cruise, and I loved it. Things were sure different in cruising back then. It did seem like the ship didn't have stabilizers because I remember it being really rocky, but I think that it did have them.

I remember dancing in the disco, and my feet having trouble touching the floor, and when I walked down the stairs sometimes when it was rocky you would just fly down the stairs. It was fun...after you got your sea legs.

I remember having to go to the special rooms to use your hair dryers and curling irons, and I remember the wonderful midnight buffets. The food was good back then. They had so much food on them, I can't imagine anyone eating that much that late. They also had a mini buffet at around 1:30 in the morning.

We went to St Croix, and Samana, in the Dominican Republic and San Juan. It was a great time!! Thanks for the reminicing and the great sites on the "Carnivale."