Your first cruise ship

[Trader Ron]

Carla C. 1974. Southern Caribbean.

[Typhoon1]

Carla C. 1974. Southern Caribbean.

 

I remember that old tub. Had some relatives that took their first cruise back then.

[jcarson]

From Galveston, Texas...Miami...Nassau..Maderia..Casablanca..Malaga,Spain..VillaFrance (Monte Carlo)...Civitavecchia, Italy (Rome)...Isle of Capri...Messina, Sicily...Athens, Greece... She was intimate, the Greek crew was amazing and before it was over we were all partying like family. I was overwhelmed by the art on that ship...her sailing life was roughly from 1953 until 2003...owners Sun Line

[rqagent]

I'm new to cruising! Just this past February an 11 day Sunfarer on the Noordam but as you can see I'm hooked and have 3 more booked!

[Bluwater7]

I'm new to cruising! Just this past February an 11 day Sunfarer on the Noordam but as you can see I'm hooked and have 3 more booked!

 

Wonderful thing to be hooked on CRUISING

[jlrob]

Our first cruise was a 14 day Caribbean cruise aboard the 400 passenger (about) ITALIA. Next cruise was not until 2003 on HAL's ZANDAAM to Alaska. Chose to sail HAL since my DH had been a ship's agent in Skagway and had worked with the HAL ships. Great way to visit with friends in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway.

 

Linda

[kiwijohn]

My first cruise was in 1969 around the Mediterranean on the SS Nevasa owned by the British India Line. She was used as a troop carrier in the Second World War and converted by BI to a cruise ship for British schoolchildren. The ship carried a few adult passengers besides the teachers and pupils and adult passengers were able to attend the talks given by visiting lecturers about each port and its history and geography.

Edited July 18, 2013 by kiwijohn

[flamomo]

Mine first was the Coral Princess Panama Canal itinerary r/t FLL in 2004. I was hooked the moment we pulled up next to her at the pier and I saw what a beautiful thing she was! Since then I have done 16 more Princess cruises on 12 different ships, and will be doing #s 18 & 19 later this year on my 14th Princess ship.

 

Then, next year I am going to be brave and try out HAL on the Noordam for a TA. Should be interesting, to say the least.

[jeff4la]

Bump

 

Sent from my SCH-I905 using Forums mobile app

[Kassandra]

Noordam 2006 Rome to Rome and yes, we got hooked. Took us a four years before we sailed again, but now trying to do it every 2 years!!

 

Now on course for 2014. :)

[MaisonRose]

Cabin D 4 with two sets of bunk beds separated by 20 inches of aisle. Bathrooms down the hall.

Dinner at big benchy tables with ten. Most fellow pax were students going abroad for junior year of college. Rhodes scholars.

The ship rocked, literally, and a British chap named Reg taght me to drink gin and tonics to counteract the sea swells.

I still have that old trunk and the sticker on it!

Will Cunard enroll me in their loyalty program, do you think?

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

Oh My...How this tugs at my heart strings! My Mom was a war bride, crossed the Atlantic on a troop ship, and went back to England in 1953 with her kids in tow to visit her family and be there for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. We went TA round trip on this old, noble ship. I had my first birthday in the MDR on this ship.

 

Over the years, she regaled me about life on board and the pleasures of cruising. I know to this day that my love of cruising and the lure of the sea comes from her. She grew up on the North Sea, and my grandfather was the Captain of a merchant vessel hauling oil back to England from ports in Russia. While no longer with us, every cruise brings her back to me.

 

I am eternally grateful! Thanks for listening.:)

[Copper10-8]

Oh My...How this tugs at my heart strings! My Mom was a war bride, crossed the Atlantic on a troop ship, and went back to England in 1953 with her kids in tow to visit her family and be there for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. We went TA round trip on this old, noble ship. I had my first birthday in the MDR on this ship.

 

Over the years, she regaled me about life on board and the pleasures of cruising. I know to this day that my love of cruising and the lure of the sea comes from her. She grew up on the North Sea, and my grandfather was the Captain of a merchant vessel hauling oil back to England from ports in Russia. While no longer with us, every cruise brings her back to me.

 

I am eternally grateful! Thanks for listening.:)

 

 

 

ss United States

[Scrapnana]

Cabin D 4 with two sets of bunk beds separated by 20 inches of aisle. Bathrooms down the hall.

Dinner at big benchy tables with ten. Most fellow pax were students going abroad for junior year of college. Rhodes scholars.

The ship rocked, literally, and a British chap named Reg taght me to drink gin and tonics to counteract the sea swells.

I still have that old trunk and the sticker on it!

Will Cunard enroll me in their loyalty program, do you think?

 

I crossed on the Queen Mary in 1962 and they gave me credit for it. I e-mailed Cunard all of the information I could remember about the trip and they e-mailed me back my World Club number. I wondered for a while if they just took my word for it or really looked it up. Turns out they really looked it up. When I was talking to a representative about my next cruise, she said, "Welcome back! I see your last cruise with us was on July 28, 1962." (I hadn't been able to remember if the crossing was late July or early August.)

 

We were in a very similar cabin. It was my mother and myself along with two other women we did not know in a four berth inside cabin (bathroom down the hall). My mother was not pleased!

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

Wow! Thanks for that photo! A ship with a rich history and I believe still holds the record for the fastest TA crossing. A ship that was built for speed! Thanks again!

[kittercat85]

My first cruise was on the Veendam in August 1999 to Alaska. I was 14. We left Vancouver, also went to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan.

[Winters in NZ]

1987. Epirotiki Cruise Line 'The Jason'.

 

The ship might have had 300 passengers, 2 closet-sized, claustrophopicic inducing elevators, staircases the width of 2 people, a Greek staff from the Captain on down...a mixture of grumpiness and extreme friendliness, endless bottles of wine with every dinner, passable food, cabins with portholes...some only with bunk-beds.

 

Breakfast always offered some beverage which attempted to mimic coffee.

 

We boarded in St. John, New Brunswick, afer a prop flight from Ottawa. A guided tour of the City helped to acquaint us with its historical signifigance.

 

Coming out of the Bay of Fundy, our first stop was Shelburne, Nova Scotia. We had never heard about it either, previous to the cruise.

 

2nd stop was Louisbourg, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island, with its superb fortifications.

 

3rd port was Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Always a gem at any time. Anne of Green Gables was nowhere to be seen.

 

4th was Quebec City, which at the time had no cruise-ship terminal. The combination of history ,beauty and the constant French language is a treasure.

 

We always found friendly folks. One woman in Louisbourg had dressed up her 7 year-old daughter in her Sunday-best, knowing that this ship was arriving.

 

She asked if we could take her Kodak Brownie and take some pictures of the inside of the Jason.

 

Maureen and I asked if she would mind if we took the little girl onto the ship for a tour, which the local security guard allowed us to do.

 

We took her to the small tea party on board, all passengers gone on tours. We are certain her pictures were memorable for the little one and her mum.

 

Times have obviously changed over the years.

 

Disembarking in Montreal, my brother met us at the dock and drove us home for the 2 hour drive back to Ottawa. And that 'cruise terminal' is still the relic it was back then.

[Palm Bay Cruise Couple]

Not including the Hudson River Day Lines Alexander Hamilton in 1952 or the Wilson Liner Liberty Belle in 1953; the first actual cruise ship would be the Star Ship Oceanic in 1987.

[highland cruiser]

What fun to read everyone's first cruising experience.

Here is ours:

Caribbean Cruise NCL Skyward March 1986...had an inside cabin where when we showered the entire room flooded! But It was still a great get away from our 3 kids.

First HAL cruise was in 1990 on the "old" Nieuw Amsterdam on a 4 day Alaskan cruise. We caught the cruise late in Juneau. That hooked me as we were upgraded from an inside to a huge ocean view room.

In 2 weeks, we take our 3rd Alaskan cruise...feel really blessed to be able to take at least 1, sometimes 2 or 3 cruises a year since 2001.

Also, haven't been back on NCL since!! :D

[QueenofEverything]

TA on the old SS Independence fron NY to Naples in 1959 and from LaHarve to NY on the SS France in 1964 as a kid. Back then, that was considered transportation.

 

First cruise as an adult was the Enchanted Isle of Commodore Cruiselines, 1998. New Orleans to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. It was OLD!!! It was about 24 thousand tons and a real nothing of a ship, but it was our first cruise and the crew made it fabulous! The crew was probably the most outstanding we have ever experienced. I think Commodore went out of business about 3 years later and the Enchanted Isle was scrapped in 2003. Not much of a ship, but we were hooked!

[ScriptOhio]

Sitmar's Fairwind (Ft Lauderdale - San Juan - St Thomas - Santo Domingo - Port Au Prince - Ft. Lauderdale) in 1974.

 

Edited August 30, 2013 by ScriptOhio

[pris993]

Ours was RCCL Song of America, 7 day Carribbean cruise. Can still remember leaving our last port St. Thomas, thinking how wonderful it all was, never dreaming we would cruise on 9 different cruise lines. Over the years we have done 45+ cruises and we are still going. :D

[Pete&Cat]

1998 Norwegian Wind, Alaska Inside, and yes brother Marine, we were hooked :)

[Copper10-8]

1998 Norwegian Wind, Alaska Inside, and yes brother Marine, we were hooked :)

 

Semper Fi Pete! (or Cathy;)) Still at Pendleton?

Edited August 30, 2013 by Copper10-8

[iho1118]

My first cruise was really recent. In fact, I just got back from my first.

Holland America MS Volendam. 21-28 August 2013. Vancouver --> Alaska --> Vancouver

 

Will definitely be going on more cruises now.