Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

Nov. 1999....Lorraine and I (I had to talk her into it because she is prome to be sea sick) on the Statedam 10 day to Mexico. We were on the main deck in an outside cabin. It was wonderful. Have been on 9 more cruises since then. Graduationing from the outside cabin to a veranda to a suite.

 

 

m/s Statendam V (1993-present)

[Copper10-8]

Wow does this bring back memories. It was the Veendam in 1983 on a Western Caribbean Cruise, we had an inside cabin that we though was awesome. We had so much fun, it was more that I ever expected. They had streamers and confetti as we sailed away with a band and lots of dancing on the decks. I think I bought every picture they took and love the horse racing. Our second cruise was on the Noordam and they had upgraded us to an outside cabin with a port hole I thought it was the best. Now I have save and put myself in a Suite Guarntee, see what happens when the upgrade fairies get to you.

 

Love this thread, thank you for the memories!

 

 

m/s Veendam (1996-present)

[goforfun]

Oh, folks. Many apologies for not having read through the entire thread! I'll do so later. I promise. But I do want to chime in on the subject.

 

So, let's see. Our first opportunity to sleep "at sea" was aboard a tiny rented houseboat with our 2 young children and the family dachshund (dog), sailing amongst heavy duty river barges near St. Louis, Missouri on the Mississippi River in 1978. (We discovered that the dog really COULD swim!) To us it was a cruise, even though we had to drive the boat, set and weigh anchor on a convenient beach or cove, and shop for and prepare all of our meals.

 

Moving right along then to cruises the way most people define them: our first "big" ship was the SS Constitution, once Princess Grace's favorite ship, then sailing with American Hawaii from Honolulu around the Hawaiian Islands. It was 1990 and we were celebrating our 25th anniverary. We had a fantastic time, despite being in an inside cabin and sailing through some seas that had veteran seafarers green.

 

We were captivated, but at the time couldn't afford to make cruising a habit. Well, things have changed now that the nest is empty and the kids are settled in life. So, we've taken up life on the water seriously: river trips in Egypt, Russia, China, and Europe; cruises to Alaska, New England, Mexico, Europe, and South America--sometimes on really big ships, sometimes on smaller ones.

 

So now it's a habit! We are cruising often now and having great fun meeting up with CCers!! Thanks, John, for starting this thread.

 

Sandy

[goforfun]

Hello all. I tried to edit my previous post to say that HAL is a favorite for us. Sorry to say, the attempt to edit went to neverland, so here's the p.s.

 

We'll be on the E'dam in May next year! I've heard enough to say NO! to the cabanas on the Lido Deck, but YES, by all means, to the Retreat cabanas. Please, O Powers That Be, free up more space on the Lido!

[bepsf]

 

TS Raffaello (1965-1983) Built in 1965 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy for the Italian Line, also known as the Società di navigazione Italia, she was one of the last ships to be built primarily for liner service across the North Atlantic on the Genoa-New York City route. It took the shipyard five years to finish the Raffaello, a long time even by that days standards

In 1966, she hosted two unusual passengers for an ocean liner: two Spider 1600 cars which to be exhibited in the U.S.A. The cars were even driven on the first class lido decks of the ship which was a first for an ocean liner. In 1970, "Raf", as she was nicknamed, did another "first" in the shipping business: her theater stage was converted into a skating rink and skating shows were performed to the passengers. When transatlantic traffic started declining due to competition from air traffic, she was sent cruising but, unfortunately, she was not very well suited for this. Although she did have a large amount of open deck space, she was too large, her cabins too small and most of them too spartan for the demands of cruise passengers.

After spending 1974 cruising, Italian Line decided to withdraw both the Raffaello and her sister, Michelangelo, in April 1975 when the Italian Government informed them they would not be subsidising the ships anymore. Initially laid up in Genoa and later, in La Spezia, near the scrapyard, she was inspected by several potential buyers such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Costa Amatori, Chandris Group and Home Lines. The latter even made a serious offer to buy the ships despite large rebuilding costs, but the Italia Line turned down the offer.

Finally in 1976, the Shah of Persia emerged as a buyer the Italian Line could accept. She and her sister, Michelangelo, the former flagships of Italy that has cost a total of $90 million in 1965, were sold for a mere $4 million a decade later. Raffaello made her final journey late in the same year from La Spezia into Bushehr, Iran, where she served as a floating barracks/accomodation ship for army personnel, oil workers and navy trainees for the next seven years.

In 1978, plans emerged to resurrect the Michelangelo and Raffaello as cruise ships. The Raffaello would have become Ciro il Grande, a luxury cruiser accommodating 1300 passengers. However, specialists sent from Italy to evaluate the condition of the ships realised they were simply in a too poor condition to make reconstruction financially viable. As a result Raffaello stayed in her moorings. She was heavily damaged and looted during the Islamic revolution in 1979.

In 1983, plans were again made to bring the sisters back into service as cruise ships. Even if those could have been realised it was already too late for the Raffaello because during an air attack on Bushire by the Iraqi Air Force in February 1983 during the Iran-Iraq war, she was hit by a missile and slowly sank in the shallow harbor waters. Some time later her wreck was rammed by an Iranian cargo ship. Local divers further looted the hull during the following years. Reportedly, her hull still remains partially submerged where she sank. No breaking up of the ship ever commenced, although there have been reports of plans to scrap her.

 

NCL initially wanted to purchase Michaelangelo and Raffaello instead of France for cruise duty...

...but the largest problem was that the twins were built with no portholes below A-Deck!

[ekerr19]

Ok, I found my own Princess Carla.... :confused:

[DizzyDallasDi]

My first cruise was on the Sun Princess in Jan. 1980...I was 6 months pregnant with my son. I had a 2 yr. old daughter and knew it was going to be a very long time before I would have any time to myself again. So, we left DD with mom and took this wonderful Caribbean cruise that left from San Juan, PR visiting Curacao, Martinique, Caracas, St. Thomas and Princess' private island (at that time) somewhere in the Grenadines. I was hooked but didn't take another cruise until April of this year...and I did it solo. I just booked my next cruise, solo again, on the Eurodam on 11/1.

 

Diane

[Copper10-8]

Ok, I found my own Princess Carla.... :confused:

 

Did you see this?

 

s/s Flandre (1952-1994) Delivered as Flandre in 1952 to the French Line or Compagnie Generale Transatlantique (CGT). Originally designed for Caribbean service, she was modified during construction for services between le Havre and New York instead. In 1963, her hull was painted white and she switched to the West Indies service for which she was designed. Her last voyage was in January 1968 as she had been sold in 1967 to Costa Cruises who renamed her Carla C.

 

After a major rebuilt, she was handed over to Costa in November 1968 but was immediately chartered to Princess

Cruises. Marketed as Princess Carla and entering service from Los Angeles, her official name remained Carla C throughout this charter. The charter was cancelled in 1970 and she finally appeared in her Costa colors operating Caribbean cruises until 1974 when she developed engine problems. After repairs, she returned to Caribbean cruises. She received another major refit in 1984, but was sold Epirotiki Line (Greece) in 1992 and renamed Pallas Atherna. In 1994 a fire broke out onboard which caused her superstructure and funnel to cave in on themselves. She arrived at the Aliaga Company scrapyards in Turkey in December of that year and was broken up.

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Our first cruise was a 4 night/5 day voyage aboard the S.S. Emerald Seas of the Eastern Cruise Line @ 1986. We sailed from Florida to Nassau and a private island. Shortly after we cruised it caught on fire. They're no longer in business. We had a wonderful first cruise and have been cruising ever since.

 

General W. P. Richardson (1944-2004) Built by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Kearny, NJ in 1944 as General W. P. Richardson (her keel had initially been laid as General R. M. Blatchford). Her maiden voyage took her from Boston to Southampton. After the end of the war, she was transferred to the U.S. Army on February 14, 1946 and then laid up in March 1948.

Between 1948 and 1949, she was converted at Pascagoula, Miss. to a passenger liner and then chartered by American Export Lines as La Guardia. Her first voyage took her from New York to Naples to Genoa on May 27, 1949. Her last Mediterranean voyage begun in New York in November 1951. She was returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission on December 1, 1951 and returned to troop service in Korea briefly,before being laid up on the James River in November 1952.

In 1956, she was bought by the Hawaiian-Steamship Company, renamed Leilani, and refitted for California - Hawaii service. Her first voyage from San Francisco to Honolulu took place on February 5, 1957. Her itinerary would include San Francisco or Long Beach to Hawaii, but she also completed several Mexican Riviera cruises in 1958. This service turned out not to be popular and was discontinued in December 1958. She was laid up in San Francisco and then moved across the Bay to the Todd Shipyard in Alameda. She was seized by the U.S. Government on May 12, 1959, put up for auction in June and bought once again by the U.S. Maritime Commission.

She was purchased by American President Lines in July, 1960 and sailed to Seattle, WA for a $10 million refit for luxury liner service which started in March, 1961. She subsequently sailed from Seattle to San Francisco in May, 1962 as President Roosevelt and began her first voyage from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Yokohama, Japan on May 11, 1962. She conducted a world cruise in 1966.

In 1970, she was purchased by the Chandris Line and extensively refitted (she was cut down to two decks above the waterline and had her upper hull and superstructure completely rebuilt) at Perama, Greece for cruising. She was renamed Atlantis and commenced cruising from New York and Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas.

In October, 1972, she was sold to the Eastern Steamship Company as Emerald Seas and used on three and four-night Bahamas (Nassau) cruises out of Miami, Fl. Eastern Steamship Lines became Eastern Cruise Lines and then Admiral Cruise Line. Changes weren't done yet as Admiral Cruises was taken over by/merged into Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL). RCCL had no use for Admiral's two older ships (Emerald Seas and Azure Seas) so disposed of them in 1992.

 

In 1992, she was bought by Festival cruises and renamed Sapphire Seas, cruising to Egypt and Israel. She was laid up at Piraeus in October 1994. In the summer of 1998, she was renamed Ocean Explorer I for use at Lisbon, Portugal as one of three Hotel ships for the Expo 98. At the conclusion, she returned to Eleusis, Greece and was laid up once again.

Beginning in November 1999, the World Cruise Company, of Ontario, Canada, began operating her for global cruising with three back to back world cruises from Athens. In May 2000 however, she was taken out on service at the completion on only the first circumnavigation, and she once again was laid up at Eleusis, Greece. Discussions of her possible use as an hotel-ship for the 2004 Olympics in Greece came to nothing. Her long life finally came to an end when, in April 2004, she was sold for scrap to breakers in India.

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Maasdam 2004 (Grey hulls don't count). Hooked is a bit strong, but it has caused us to add cruising to our vacation mix.

Cheers

Mark

 

 

m/s Maasdam (1993-present)

[Copper10-8]

We're new to cruising. For our first we sailed the Grandeur of the Seas to Bermuda earlier this year and really enjoyed our vacation. We loved it so that we are on another cruise in a few weeks, and working on reservations for the next few years.

 

 

m/s Grandeur of the Seas (1996-present)

[Copper10-8]

Zaandam June 2000, her fourth voyage. We received all the Inagural Voyage stuff.

 

 

m/s Zaandam (2000-present)

[Copper10-8]

Our first cruise was in October/1980 on the VERA CRUZ. Then we did not go on any cruise until June/1991 on the QUEEN ELIZABETH II. Now, we are up to 42 cruises with 506 days at sea and are anxiously awaiting our next trip on the msPRISENDAM on November 23 (a 26 day round-trip Fort Lauderdale Amazon Explorer cruise). Only 68 more days to go!!!!

 

Theodor Herzl (1957-1991) Built 1957 by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, Germany as Theodor Herzl, she was part of a special reparations pact between what was then West Germany and the state of Israel. She operated for Zim Israel Navigation Company/Zim Israel Lines on routes from Marseilles, Naples and Venice to Haifa, carrying both immigrants and budget tourists. In the winter season, she could be found on Mediterranean cruises. She also had at least one season to the Mexican Riviera as well as a celebratory maiden voyage to New York and, in later years, made several immigrant crossings to South America, to Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.

During the 1958-1959 winter season, Zim entered the international cruise market from the United States to the Caribbean Islands with three cruises per season. In 1964, she was converted into a one-class cruise ship, which saw all cabins converted to two bedded/two berth cabins, all having private facilities, She completed her final voyage for Zim on in November, 1969 and was sold to the American International Service Travel Services (AIST) - Yes, there is a Ted Arison/Carnival Cruise Line connection here - who renamed her Carnivale (not to be confused with the later Carnivale, ex-Empress of Britain) and employed her in the Caribbean as a floating luxury hotel. Nothing else came to pass for her and she did not sail again until as late as 1975, when she was sold to the New Horizons Shipping Ltd. who renamed her Freeport, rebuilt her, and used her on the Miami-Nassau-Freeport run.

 

In 1976, she was renamed Veracruz I and was largely responsible for making New York via Eastern Canada to the St. Lawrence River cruises popular. In 1978, New Horizons Shipping Ltd became Freeport Cruises Lines and she became Veracruz Primero and in 1985, under Bahama Cruises Inc./Bahama Cruise Line management, just plain Veracruz. In 1987, Bahama Cruise Line became the Bermuda Star Line and in 1990 was bought out by Commodore Cruise line. That same year, Veracruz was sold to Festival Shipping & Tourist Enterprises and was renamed Sun Ambassador however this did not last long and she was laid up in Florida.

Then in 1991, newly-formed Greek-based Fiesta Cruise Lines came calling. She was brought over to Greece as "Fiesta" and, once moored in Perama Bay near Piraeus, her resurrection began. She was to emerge as yet another "new" cruiseship, taking travelers around the Eastern Mediterranean in summers and in Caribbean waters in wintertime. But it all went astray when, on October 24, 1991, she caught fire, burned out and then, overloaded with firefighters' water, capsized.

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on the SS Viking Princess in July 1965 with my family from New York City to Bermuda. Copper 10-8 seems to have photos of many ships and I wonder if he has one of this ship. I wish I knew the Cruise line but don't, although the crew was Italian from the Captain on down. I believe the SS Viking Princess caught fire and burned in St. Thomas some years later. I would love to verify this information so if Copper 10-8 or anyone else knows, please advise.

 

Our first cruise was on the Prinsendam in September 1978 to Alaska as part of a WestTours tour. This was the Prinsendam immortaled in Burning Cold.

 

I must have been bad luck for the ships on these first two cruises but since then, all is well.

 

Barbara

 

More research required! ;)

[Copper10-8]

More research required! ;)

 

(Post #260)

 

 

Lavoisier (1950-1966) Lavoisier was built in 1950 by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire at St. Nazaire, France for Chargeurs Reunis (France) for which she sailed until 1961. She was 11,968 tons, 537 feet long and carried 94 first class and 230 2nd class passengers. She became Riviera Prima for Caribbean Cruise Line (Italy) from 1961 until 1964 and then Viking Princess for Flagship Lines (Norway) 1964 until 1966. During her service life, she operated between Europe, the US and the Caribbean. In 1966, as Viking Princess, she caught fire off Cuba, with the resulting loss of two passengers, following which she was scrapped in Bilbao, Spain

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Our first experience on a cruise ship was August of 1993 or 94. We went on the Southern Carribbean voyage on RCCL's Monarch of the Seas roundtrip from Puerto Rico. It was fabulous!! The next time that we had a chance to ocean cruise was on HAL on the Noordam in the Mediterranean in Sept of 2002. We enjoy HAL, but there seems to be other trips (not necessarily cruises) that we want to do also. We will be taking a Christmas markets river cruise this December.:)

 

 

m/s Monarch of the Seas (1991-present)

[ekerr19]

Did you see this?

 

 

s/s Flandre (1952-1994) Delivered as Flandre in 1952 to the French Line or Compagnie Generale Transatlantique (CGT). Originally designed for Caribbean service, she was modified during construction for services between le Havre and New York instead. In 1963, her hull was painted white and she switched to the West Indies service for which she was designed. Her last voyage was in January 1968 as she had been sold in 1967 to Costa Cruises who renamed her Carla C.

 

After a major rebuilt, she was handed over to Costa in November 1968 but was immediately chartered to Princess

Cruises. Marketed as Princess Carla and entering service from Los Angeles, her official name remained Carla C throughout this charter. The charter was cancelled in 1970 and she finally appeared in her Costa colors operating Caribbean cruises until 1974 when she developed engine problems. After repairs, she returned to Caribbean cruises. She received another major refit in 1984, but was sold Epirotiki Line (Greece) in 1992 and renamed Pallas Atherna. In 1994 a fire broke out onboard which caused her superstructure and funnel to cave in on themselves. She arrived at the Aliaga Company scrapyards in Turkey in December of that year and was broken up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oops, my bad!!! Thanks John! You rock. :)

[Live4cruises]

What great pictures and fun memories! My first cruise was with my mother on a 3-day Vancouver (might have been Seattle) - Skagway in 1983 on the Sun Princess. We thought we were so cool, we had a porthole! I was hooked, but still too young and poor to do much about it. Mother and I went twice more to Alaska - the next time was in 1985 on the (then brand new, now retired) Nordam. My cruise total is 15, the last 11 with DH. It took me a couple of years and some serious wheedling to convince him that cruising was completely different and infinitely better than his time in the Navy on the Destroyer Massey! Difficult to believe, but he may be more addicted than I am.;)

[Copper10-8]

Great job John, this tread is a lot of fun. I don't this has happened to anyone else but the first ship I cruised on was also my last to cruise. In '96 I cruised on the Regal Empress out of New York to New England including Rhode Island, Marthas Vinyard, and Bar Harbor Maine and I think St Johns Bay. In '07 , I again cruised the Regal Empress although a bit run down from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas on a two nighter.Thanks for all your posts. joe seaya

 

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t/s/s Olympia (1953-present) She was completed by Alexander Stephen & Sons, on the River Clyde, Scotland, in 1953 as the first and only ship built for the Greek Line/General Steam Navigation of Greece. She left Glagow for Liverpool and New York City on her maiden voyage on October 20, 1953. However, her first voyage on the intended route from Piraeus to New York did not take place until March 1955 due to legal complications. Her routing at the time was Piraeus-Malta-Messina-Naples- Lisbon-Halifax-New York with return voyages via Naples and Messina to Piraeus; many voyages called also at Lisbon. In 1961, that route was extended to Haifa, Israel.

By 1970, with the Trans-Atlantic traffic declining, she became a one-class cruise ship accomodating 1,030 passengers, however this proved to be unprofitable. In 1974, the Greek Line suffered a financial collapse, ceased operations and Olympia was laid up at Piraeus where she remained for seven years.

In 1981, Olympia was bought by Sally Shipping but she remained laid up in Piraeus for another year. In 1982, she received an external makeover at Perama which saw the removal of her funnel, her tripod mast replaced by a modern mast, and her forward and aft kingposts removed in order to turn her into a "modern" streamlined ship. She was renamed Caribe I and towed to Hamburg, Germany where her diesel engines were replaced by steam turbines.

 

She departed Hamburg on June 29, 1983 and commenced cruising as Caribe under the management of Commodore Cruise Line, operating seven night Caribbean cruises from Miami, Fl. Due to strong competition of the larger upmarket cruise ships, Commodore Cruises decided to sell their ships in 1993. She was sold to the newly formed Regal Cruise Line, renamed Regal Empress, and began sailing out of Port Manatee, Fl in the winters and New York City during the summers. Following the collapse of Regal Cruises, she was purchased by Imperial Majesty Cruises for their two-night cruise service to The Bahamas. She has proven to be one of the most profitable ships operating in the Caribbean as well as the oldest passenger liner still operating in North America.

Word has it, however, that in 2010, unless financing can be found, she will be taken out of service due to the new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) regulations.

[nchank]

I believe it was the Norway, 7 days Caribbean. Loved it.

[DizzyDallasDi]

What great pictures and fun memories! My first cruise was with my mother on a 3-day Vancouver (might have been Seattle) - Skagway in 1983 on the Sun Princess. We thought we were so cool, we had a porthole!

 

What a coincidence...my first cruise was the Sun Princess in 1983 and we had a porthole room...I thought we were riding really high on the horse. :D This was in Jan. and we did a southern Caribbean from San Juan. One thing I'll never forget was each night at sail away they played the theme from The Love Boat. Did they continue to do that when they moved to Alaska?

 

Diane

[MLBFan24]

my first cruise ship was also the Viking Serenade, going to Esenada, Mexico.

 

this was either in 1997 or 1999. Can't remember :(

[rimau]

Our first cruise was on the Glacer Bay ship, Wilderness Discoverer, to Alaska in 2000. Glacer bay had 4 small ships, 2 devoted to active tours and 2 to port tours within Alaska. Our cruise was based in Juneau. This ship had a shower/toilet. You had enough hot water for about 4 minutes. Get wet, turn it off soap up, rinse. It was barely enough to get me through a hair wash. It had a dining room, a small lounge and a small bar. What more do you need with Alaska scenery. We saw lots and lots of whales and had a great time.

[Boytjie]

There were 4 ships in New York harbor today: Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Dawn, Eurodam and Caribbean Princess. It was a nice day so I jumped on the Staten Island ferry to see if I could get some pictures. My timing was great! I did two roundtrips catching the Dawn as we were heading out to Staten Island and the Caribbean Princess and the Spirit on the way back to Manhattan. I could see the Eurodam sailing down the Hudson River so I took the ferry back to Staten Island a second time and got lucky again on the return trip. When the cruise ships are sailing out of the harbor they pass close to the Staten Island ferries that are returning to Manhattan.

 

My first cruise ship - Caribbean Princess:

 

 

My next cruise ship - Eurodam:

 

[Live4cruises]

DizzyDallasDi,

Oh yes indeedy do they played The Love Boat theme - constantly! Mother and I cruised the old Pacific Princess to Alaska in 1990 as well, and it was still the Love Boat theme every time there was any event that included an excuse for music! That was the last Princess cruise I've been on, and I've wondered if they still play that old war horse, or if most of their current passengers never saw the show.:rolleyes:

A few years ago, but long after that particular Pacific Princess was gone from Princess' fleet, DH and I were walking back to whatever ship we were on in Antiqua, and as we approached the neighboring ship, I felt a pang of recognition. I was certain that it was the Pacific Princess, and sure enough, when we were close enough to clearly see the hull, we could tell that Princess had been painted over, and she was now sailing as Pacific. It was a lot of fun convincing DH that this small ship with no balconies had been so much fun for Mother and me a decade before.

Thanks for the stroll down memory lane!