Your first cruise ship

[budisal]

My wife sent me on a Star Trek cruise on my 50th birthday. Lots of the original cast on board. This was 20 years ago. It was some sort of small boat with Greek registration. Star Trek fans occupied the entire ship. No other passengers. Like I said, a small ship. But fabulous fun and it got me hooked on cruising. A number of cruises since then on both NCL and HAL. And many more (and longer) cruises to come.

 

 

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[Bubba54]

Our first cruise was on the Carival Jubalee in 1995. Seven day Mexican Rivera. Yes we were hooked. Second trip was on the Viking serenade. 38 cruises later hooked as I was then!

[budisal]

I'm hoping a river cruise is coming up soon. Unfortunately, time is a problem as my wife is caring for her elderly mother and a week to ten days is about all be can do right now.

 

 

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[magandab]

My first cruise ship was the old Noordam in 2002. Of course, at the time, we just called it the Noordam :D

 

Mom and I went with a very small group and when the TA putting it together found out it was my first trip, she put us in a "secret" cabin, the location of which I can't begin to tell you. It was a large square cabin, partially obstructed view, with tons of space.

 

The trip was to the Baltic - what a way to start cruising! To this day I remember one dinner I had, a hash brown potato encrusted piece of salmon. Unbelievable, and I've been looking for it on the HAL menu, in vain, ever since.

[Brklynguy]

Our first cruise was in 2005 on the Zuiderdam, the ship that we shall be cruising the western Caribbean next week. I had resisted cruising and was talked into it by our cruising friends. My wife and I loved it the moment we boarded. It felt like that music they played when they were boarding the Titianic in the recent movie.

 

And HA is our preferred line.;)

[frankc98376]

SS Arcadia- I was 19 and so jazzed that I could drink beer :)

[existentialtraveler]

Then, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's ms Song of Norway, with RCCL from 1970 until 1997

 

 

Last used as cruise ship Ocean Pearl in 2010 for Spain's Happy Cruises (now out of business) and sold to China's Asia Queen Cruises in April 2012 for use as a floating casino ship under the name Formosa Queen. She was sold for scrap in 2013 and is due to be broken up in China this year. Hate to see her go; we took a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise on her as Song of Norway out of L.A. waaay back in February 1996

 

Damn. She was our first cruise ship as well. We took the Song of Norway for what we thought was the "trip of a lifetime" for our honeymoon in 1984. It was not the trip of a lifetime, but rather the trip that changed our lives. Because of that cruise, I became a professional photographer, a scuba instructor, a chef, a wine snob and on and on. Over 75 cruises later,and two more on the Song of Norway, my wife and I agree that the Song of Norway was not only our first but our best cruise ever. She had only one restaurant and one pool and and no balcony cabins, but she never felt crowded. It makes me feel sad and old that she is being scrapped. Thank you for the photos of her. Back then, I was not taking photos so I do not have photos of her. She was lovely.

Edited January 30, 2014 by existentialtraveler

[ozcruizer]

My first cruise was a very long time ago on P&O's Himalaya to Rabaul, Suva and Noumea. I was single then and went with girlfriends (although now DH was on the scene). I found a pic of the ship the other day and how cruise ships have changed - no balconies and a lot of inside cabins.

 

My next voyage was from Sydney to Rotterdam with DH who is Dutch by birth and that was on the ss Australis, then owned by Chandris Lines. It was quite an old ship and day after day it belched black smoke from its funnels and was hardly ever on time. That wasn't a cruise, strictly speaking, but we did see a lot of places along the way, including passing through the Panama Canal. The Australis passed through a number of owners, but now it lies almost submerged near the Canary Islands since 1994 when it ran aground being towed to HK, I believe.

 

Our first cruise in recent times was to Alaska on the Zaandam in 2007 and we were hooked. We will be embarking on our fifth HAL cruise in April to the Mediterranean. Not many cruises by some standards, but most of our cruises have been a long way from home and they become something major.

 

Ozcruizer

[Cruisa Loosa]

My first cruise was on the SS Stephan Batory in 1978, from Montreal to England (I forget where we landed). It was old world classic cruising and I loved every minute of it. Dinners were a very formal affair, with ice sculptures and dressing up. Yes, I was hooked but it took me many, many years before setting foot on a cruise ship again. Now, we are totally hooked and a year is not complete without a cruise...with many more to come in the future!

[dag144]

My first cruise experience was a trans-Atlantic crossing on the very first Queen Elizabeth. This was her next to last crossing in 1968. She was still a beauty. The crossing was in October and very rough. I loved it. I stopped cruising until 1990 and am making up for lost time. Cruise number forty-nine is coming up next month, another trans-Atlantic this time on the Ryndam!

 

I still get as excited as I was back in Cherborg that October, but I admit I now know what to expect!

[crzr]

Good chain going here. Thanks for starting it, John.

 

My first cruise was 1988 in Australia for a cruise line that is long since vanished.

 

My first cruise with a mainstream line was in Alaska in 1994 aboard the "old" ms Noordam. Hooked ever since.:D

[Zawmor]

My first cruise (actually a crossing) was on the original Queen Mary from Southampton to NYC in 1958 (June). Did not sail again until 1970 when we flew to Bermuda (on old Eastern Airlines!) went aboard the P&O "Orsova" for a cruise from there to San Francisco - part of a regular P & O route from Southampton to Sydney.

It has been non-stop since then. Over 60 cruises to date and still going.

Went to Long Beach to tour the Old Queen M, but my old cabin (D121) had long since been gutted....!

[DKNYC]

First cruise was QE2 Christmas in the Caribbean. Mom and I had 7 pieces of luggage between us. There were 8 formal nights for a 16nt cruise. One of which was NYE. I did the tour on Queen Mary in Long Beach as a teen in the 70s. I wish I got to experience the original Queen Elizabeth because then I could say I was on all of the Cunard Queens. Well I feel very lucky to have sailed on the last 4 out of 6.

Denise

 

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[curlyj]

RCL Sun Viking in 1988 for an 8 Day Caribbean.

 

10+ cruises later.......nothing can beat that 1st experience, 1st impression, when all was new and exciting!! The service was unparalleled.

[cinnamon123]

Hi copper

You brought back great memories for me

My first cruise was on the home lines Homeric in 1986 or 87 r/t ny

To Bermuda

We took my 18 yr old son with us and we all got hooked

He's been on numerous cruises since and has always owned his own boat

 

Cinnamon123

[jimdalva]

Hi copper

You brought back great memories for me

My first cruise was on the home lines Homeric in 1986 or 87 r/t ny

To Bermuda

We took my 18 yr old son with us and we all got hooked

He's been on numerous cruises since and has always owned his own boat

 

Cinnamon123

 

Our first cruise was on Home Lines, Atlantic also in 86 or 87 R/T to NY to Bermuda. I remember docking next to the Homeric in Bermuda and even being allowed to go on board to tour the sister ship. No one allows that anymore.

[afrayedknot]

First cruise was my honeymoon- Sept 11, 1977,

upgraded to a suite on the Pacific Princess.

 

A 10 day Mexican Riviera- Ixtapa, Zihuatenajo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Acapulco.

 

(I wasn't aware it would become TV's "The Love Boat.")

[Lovely other]

My first was 'Ocean Village" a UK line belonging to Carnival that is no longer sailing. It was our honeymoon in 2009 and the itinerary was around the med from majorca for one week then transatlantic to eastern caribean. 25 days in total and it nearly put me off cruising forever ....

 

I wish we could re-do it again on HAL and get to enjoy it this time

[Himself]

Our first cruise was on Home Lines, Atlantic also in 86 or 87 R/T to NY to Bermuda. I remember docking next to the Homeric in Bermuda and even being allowed to go on board to tour the sister ship. No one allows that anymore.

 

The Homeric was purchased by HAL in the late 1980s and was renamed the WESTERDAM 2.

She was taken into the shop and cut down the middle and had her length extended by 100 feet. Some say she was a haunted ship when she sailed under the HAL flag. Shortly before the current version of the Westerdam came on line, she was sent over to Costa and now she is owned by someone else in Europe.

[Copper10-8]

The Homeric was purchased by HAL in the late 1980s and was renamed the WESTERDAM 2.

She was taken into the shop and cut down the middle and had her length extended by 100 feet. Some say she was a haunted ship when she sailed under the HAL flag. Shortly before the current version of the Westerdam came on line, she was sent over to Costa and now she is owned by someone else in Europe.

 

UK's Thomson Cruises, Father, as Thomson Dream, on a long-term charter with them until 2020. Some HAL crew who were assigned to her when she was Westerdam are convinced she was haunted :eek:

Edited March 13, 2014 by Copper10-8

[Himself]

UK's Thomson Cruises, Father, as Thomson Dream, on a long-term charter with them until 2020. Some HAL crew who were assigned to her when she was Westerdam are convinced she was haunted :eek:

 

I did a Chaplancy on her in the Spring of '98 sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to Vancouver B.C. She was my least favorite ship but did not find her haunted. It was my first Panama Canal sailing. Perhaps if I had stayed on her longer, i would have experienced her as haunted.

I did my second full sailing last Fall on the current Westerdam and loved it. John Scott was our Captain and I thought he was outstanding. Thanks for the follow up information on the whereabouts of the Westerdam II.

[dentagirl]

First cruise (crossing) was in 1951 on the American export Line's LaGuardia- a converted WW2 troop ship.No private cabins or bathrooms but great fun.On the way back to NY I was on Home Line's Atlantic which,I think,preceded a later Atlantic.

 

Ellie

[david,Mississauga]

Our first cruise was Vancouver to Alaska and return on the Princess Patricia of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The "Pat" was a converted ferry boat - but the CPR had lovely ferries, especially those used in overnight service. During conversion the car deck was replaced by cabins. But most of the cabins were original and ranged from small rooms with upper and lower berths and no facilities to lavish staterooms with attractive wood panelling. The dining saloon and other public areas were panelled in a variety of woods. The Princess Patricia was charted by Princess Cruises as their first ship.

 

Yes, we were hooked by this cruise. Three-quarters of our voyages have been on liners, but we like the occasional cruise. Our first Holland America cruise was in 1974 on the previous Rotterdam.

[Copper10-8]

Our first cruise was Vancouver to Alaska and return on the Princess Patricia of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The "Pat" was a converted ferry boat - but the CPR had lovely ferries, especially those used in overnight service. During conversion the car deck was replaced by cabins. But most of the cabins were original and ranged from small rooms with upper and lower berths and no facilities to lavish staterooms with attractive wood panelling. The dining saloon and other public areas were panelled in a variety of woods. The Princess Patricia was charted by Princess Cruises as their first ship.

 

Yes, we were hooked by this cruise. Three-quarters of our voyages have been on liners, but we like the occasional cruise. Our first Holland America cruise was in 1974 on the previous Rotterdam.

 

 

Canadian Pacific's Princess Patricia; she was scrapped in 1989. Check out the similarity of the current Carnival Cruises logo to the CP logo on her two funnels. Carnival founder Ted Arison adapted that former CP logo, changing the colors and some lines into curves, and made it his own

[frankc98376]

 

Canadian Pacific's Princess Patricia; she was scrapped in 1989. Check out the similarity of the current Carnival Cruises logo to the CP logo on her two funnels. Carnival founder Ted Arison adapted that former CP logo, changing the colors and some lines into curves, and made it his own

 

She kind of looks like the MV Coho that does ferry service from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC. Coho is from the 50's I believe