Your first cruise ship

[YeaYeaYea]

My first cruise was on the Disney Wonder in may 2005. I really enjoyed cruising and knew my husband would like it because he was in the navy and always talked about the experience of being at sea. I took him and my 2 daughters for their first cruise on RCI Soverign of the Seas in October 2006. He loved it and we have cruised every year since with Hal Zuiderdam and NCL Dawn. This year it is going to be the whole family on the Westerdam...I love the Vista class and they have the best aft pool areas of any line.:)

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on the Disney Wonder in may 2005. I really enjoyed cruising and knew my husband would like it because he was in the navy and always talked about the experience of being at sea. I took him and my 2 daughters for their first cruise on RCI Soverign of the Seas in October 2006. He loved it and we have cruised every year since with Hal Zuiderdam and NCL Dawn. This year it is going to be the whole family on the Westerdam...I love the Vista class and they have the best aft pool areas of any line.:)

 

ms Disney Wonder (1999-present) Built in 1999 as ms Disney Wonder by Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Marghera (Venice), Italy for Disney Cruise Line. She is the second cruise ship operated by the line, their first being her sister Disney Magic (1998). Both ships are virtually identical in their design, with a few variations in restaurants and entertainment venues. Both contain areas designed exclusively for various age groups, including toddlers, young kids, teens, and adults. Unlike most ships of their type, they do not include casinos.

After delivery on 1 July 1999, Disney Wonder had her inaugural cruise from the Fincantieri shipyard, stopping in Southampton, England before crossing the Atlantic and arriving at her homeport of Port Canaveral, FL. two weeks later. Her godmother is none other than Disney's character Tinkerbell.

 

Disney Wonder has a wraparound promenade deck and three swimming pools, including a children's pool with waterslide . Her Sports deck features paddle tennis, table tennis and basketball courts as well as a golf driving range. There are three themed main dining rooms with rotated guest usage and there is also a reservations-only Italian restaurant for adults only. Lots of fast food outlets and a cafe provide the informal eating options. Entertainment is provided in the four-deck Walt Disney Theater and an adult entertainment area offering a Jazz Piano Lounge, Rock and Country & Western Lounge and a Comedy Club. There is also a dedicated movie theater offering Disney and new release movies.

Disney Wonder has been alternating between three and four-night cruises, visiting Nassau and Disney's own private island, Castaway Cay, both in the Bahamas, The four-night cruise offers an additional day at sea. From 30 May through 22 August 2010, Disney Wonder will sail on five-night cruises, alternating between an itinerary that adds an additional stop at Castaway Cay and one that adds a stop at Key West, Fl.

In October 2006, the Wonder entered dry dock at the Norshipco shipyard in Norfolk, Va. for a general sprucing up and the addition of new features, many of which were introduced to her sister Disney Magic in 2005. A toddler pool was added that features interactive fountains and splash zones. A new computer simulator was put into the refurbished Oceaneer Lab that lets kids "steer" Disney Wonder in and out of port. A 24 x 14 foot LED screen was affixed to her forward funnel, overlooking the Goofy Pool and offering Disney movies and television programs.

In addition, her Vista Spa, her meeting and conference facilities as well as the Quiet Cove adults-only pool were renovated and expanded. Like Disney Magic, Disney Wonder also features a ship's whistle or horns which plays the opening seven-note theme from Disney's Pinocchio, "When You Wish Upon A Star", in addition to the traditional whistle. As on the Magic, Disney characters hang off the Wonder's stern and dominate her bow. The Magic’s Goofy has been replaced on the Wonder with Donald Duck and his nephew Huey on the stern, while Mickey on the bow has gone from Sorcerer Mickey to Steamboat Mickey.

On 22 February 2007, Disney Cruise Lines announced the order for two new ships which will be be added to the fleet in 2011 and 2012. The two ships are being built by the Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and will be named Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

 

In addition, Disney Cruise Line has succesfuly negotiated with the Port Canaveral port authority to extend their contract for fifteen more years, through 2022. As part of this contract, the port authority will expand and upgrade the cruise ship dock in order to accommodate the new ships, both of which will be home-ported there. The cruise terminal will be enlarged to accommodate more passengers and luggage and,last but not least, a parking garage will be built and completed by 2011.

 

With the arrival of Disney Dream in 2011, Disney Wonder will be relocated to, and home-ported at, Los Angeles (San Pedro), CA. That agreement will be for two years, with a potential extension of an additional three years

[Copper10-8]

Wow, this is going to be fun. First cruise ship was the Assure Sea's, have no idea if that was the ships name or the cruise lines name. I'm guessing it was the ship's name. I'm sure someone else will know. It was a three day like yours, down to Ensenada. Was not impressed at all, it was then years later when my DH gave us a Christmas present of a cruise to Alaska during August of 1995 on the Ryndam, it was only 6 months old, in a suite. Well, as they say, the rest is history, 35 cruises, 23 with Hal.

 

 

ss Southern Cross (1955-2003) Delivered in 1955 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Northern Ireland as ss Southern Cross for UK-based Shaw, Savill & Albion Line for service between Europe and Australia. She was the first passenger ship of over 20,000 gross register tons built that had her engine room (and as a result of that, her funnel) located at the rear of the ship, rather than midships. She started a trend of aft-engined ships, and today all passengers ships are built this way.

 

Although designed as an all-tourist-class vessel for an immigrant route, she was designed with fairly luxurious facilities for her time. All passenger cabins were air-conditioned, fitted with hot and cold running water, and inside cabins had circular lights that were switched on gradually in the morning, mimicking the rising of the sun. However, only the most expensive cabins had private bathroom facilities. The aft-funnel arrangement made it possible to build a large open lido deck midship, including a 5,000 square feet sports deck area. In addition to the two outdoor pools there was one indoor pool. All inside public spaces were air conditioned, and included a two-deck high cinema (also used as a dancing venue), two large public lounges, two restaurants, a writing room/library and a smoking room. Externally the ship was of a completely new design. The bridge was placed far back, being closer to midship that the bow. The meant the superstructure extended quite far more forward than the bridge. Like all Shaw Savill ships of the time, the Southern Cross sported a grey hull, light green superstructure and an orange funnel with a black top.

 

In 1953 Queen Elizabeth II was approached and asked if she would be willing to launch the ship and choose a name for her from a list of suggestions. The Queen agreed to launch the ship, and chose the name Southern Cross for the ship. When the ship was launched on August 17, 1954, she became the first passenger liner to be launched by a reigning monarch.

 

On February 23, 1955 the Southern Cross was delivered to her owners. After a series of shakedown cruises she left for her first trip from Europe to Australia and back again. Taking 76 days for one circumnavigation, the Southern Cross sailed from Southampton to Capetown, from there to Australia and New Zealand, and then continuing eastwards across the Pacific to Europe via the Panama canal. Normally she made four such circumnavigations every year.

The Southern Cross enjoyed great success during the early years of her Shaw Savill service, and in the late 1950s a second ship of similar design but larger dimensions was ordered, and entered service in 1962 as ss Northern Star. When she entered service, the Northern Star replaced the Southern Cross on the eastwards Australian run, and the Southern Cross took over the westwards itinerary, visiting the same ports as before but in reversed order.

Throughout the 1960s the competition from jet passenger aircraft increased on the Australian run and as a result, the around-the-year service to Australia became no longer financially viable. Southern Cross was then used for cruising from Liverpool to the Mediterranean from June 1971 onwards. Although her design was otherwise well suited for cruising, the ship did not have toilet facilities in all cabins, which made her an unpopular cruise ship, and after just five months of cruising Shaw Savill decided to lay up the ship in November of the same year.

 

 

After spending over a year laid up, first in Southampton and then at River Fal, Cornwall, Southern Cross was sold to Greek-based Ulysses Lines in January 1973. Renamed ss Calypso, she sailed to Piraeus where she was rebuilt into a proper cruise ship. Painted in cruise-like whites with an attractive blue/white funnel, Calypso entered service for Ulysses Lines in March 1975, initially cruising around the Mediterranean with Piraeus as the starting point. After a few months, she was chartered to UK-based Thomson Cruises and used for cruising from Tilbury and Southampton. Thomson withdrew from the cruise business in 1976 and Calypso returned to Ulysses Lines, who used her for cruising around the Mediterranean, as well as a season for cruising around South America in 1978-1979, and seven-night cruises from Miami to the Caribbean from 1979 onwards. At some point she was also used for cruises from New York City to Bermuda. In 1980, she was renamed ss Calypso I and used for cruises from Los Angeles to Alaska.

 

 

In late 1980, she was sold again, this time to U.S.-based Eastern Cruise Lines, who used her to start west-coast of U.S. service under the name Western Cruise Lines. Renamed ss Azure Seas, she had her funnel painted dark blue and she was placed on three-and four-night cruises from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico and soon became highly popular.

 

 

In 1986 Western Cruise Lines and Eastern Cruise Lines merged with their west-coast competitor Sundance Cruises to form Admiral Cruises. Azure Seas continued her popular west-coast cruises until 1991, when she was transferred to cruising from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas. However, in the same year, Admiral Cruises was bought by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. The new owners had little interest in keeping the old Azure Seas in service, and she was sold to Dolphin Cruise Line.

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Renamed ss OceanBreeze and sporting a new white-funneled livery with curving blue stripes along the hull, the 36-year-old ship started cruising on a seven-night itinerary from Aruba in 1992. In 1996, she was moved to cruising from New York and Florida. Another change of ownership was in order for the ship in 1997 when Dolphin Cruise Line, Premier Cruises and Seawind Cruises merged to form Premier Cruise Line. OceanBreeze was repainted in the new company's colors, with a dark blue funnel and a blue and yellow hull, but otherwise her service continued as it had before.

 

 

In 1999, Premier Cruise Lines chartered the OceanBreeze to the newly founded Imperial Majesty Cruises. Her old name, crew and hull colors were maintained, only the company name (on the hull) and the logo on the funnel was changed. Imperial Majesty placed her on two-night cruises from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau whre she proved to be very popular. Later in 1999/early 2000, Imperial Majesty Cruises decided to purchase her outright. In October 2000 she was rebuilt at Newport News, Va at a cost of $3,500,000 with more up-to-date interiors. OceanBreeze was expected by many to continue sailing until the new SOLAS-regulations come in effect in 2010, but this was not to be.

 

Running a steam turbine powered ship on two-night itineraries was highly expensive, and an additional $5 million would have been needed to rebuilt the ship to conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition, Ocean Breeze not being equipped with bow thrusters, required the assistance of a tug every time she visited a port. In 2003, Imperial Majesty Cruises decided to sell her for scrap and in November 2003 she was beached in Chittagong, Bangladesh, where she was broken up.

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Some more pics of the former Southern Cross in her various identities:

As Southern Cross for Shaw, Savill & Albion Line

As Calypso for Ulysses Lines

As Calypso for Ulysses Lines

As Ocean Breeze for Dolphin Cruise Line

As Ocean Breeze for Imperial Majesty Cruises

 

Another one as Ocean Breeze for Imperial Majesty Cruises

[ETinCA]

My first was the Carnival Elation in 2002. We took my 2 year old. It was a nightmare..... ship was great, but the ride to and from Mexico were terrible. It was the 7 night Mexican Riviera and the swells were at 20'. Four days at sea was tough. My son got sick for a few days after we got back due to being seasick and we never really did enjoy the food and entertainment because it was so rough.

Anyway, it took us 4 years to try it again, and as you can see, we are in the addiction and loving every bit of it. Notice, we have not been back to the Mexican Riviera and we live in San Diego. :)

[SoCal09]

My first cruise was on the Elation in 2001 to the Mexican Riviera. It was August and hot as hell but we were having a great time anyway. After about 5 days, most people on the ship got sick with a virus including my wife and I. After barfing like crazy, I was getting dressed and my wife asked my where I was going and I said "to the midnight food/chocolate exhibit, of course!" She just rolled her eyes and went back to sleep. We weren't sure we would ever cruise again, but we did and have had several great trips since then! (also got a 24 hour virus on the Yangtse River. The Chinese doctor who didn't speak english gave me some magic powder and I felt much better!!:rolleyes:

[Copper10-8]

I can't answer that without looking at my siggy. It was to Bermuda in June of 1990 on the Royal Viking Star. My daughter had canceled her wedding too late for me to cancel the order for my formal dress. So I had this gown and no place to go. We decided to celebrate our anniversary on a cruise to Bermuda.

 

My first cruise didn't really get me hooked, though. It was the first one on the Veendam that did it. Sam sailed as a dentist on that cruise. There was some contract dispute between HAL and the dental organization and they sent out an email before we left that all dentists would be canceled from the December cruises. But, our cruise left in November so we just flew to Tampa without checking, and were amazed when we got there to find out they had no cabin reserved for us. They told us to come to the ship at 8am and wait to see if anyone canceled at the last minute. Lucky for us, someone did. I was so excited to be sailing that cruise, I would have sailed in the lifeboat.

 

Royal Viking Star (1972-present) Built in 1972 as ms Royal Viking Star by Oy Wartsila Ab/Wartsila New Shipyard, Helsingfors or Helsinki, Finland forRoyal Viking Line.

 

 

Royal Viking Line was established in 1970 as a joint project between American businessman Warren Titus and three Norwegian shipping companies; Bergenske Dampskibsselskab/Bergen Line, Trondheim-based Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskabn and Oslo-based AF Klaveness & Company. The aim of the new company was to offer luxury cruises to destinations around the world as an alternative to Caribbean cruising. For this reason, the company ordered three purpose-built luxury cruise ships in Finland.

 

The first of the new ships was named Royal Viking Star, launched on 12 May 1971 and entered service on 26 June 1972. Her sisters, Royal Viking Sky and Royal Viking Sea, followed in 1973. the Star was two feet shorter (581 feet), and her interior arrangement differed slightly from her two fleet-mates. Each ship featured a double-height theater occupying an interior space on the two lowest passenger decks; however, on the Star the space just forward of the theater on the higher of these decks was occupied by a chapel, a feature not found on either of her fleet-mates, nor on any of the Scandinavian-built cruise ships of that generation.

 

Other differences included the placement of small lounges and facilities such as the library. Royal Viking Star and her sisters were intended for longer voyages to exotic destinations, and a significant percentage of the line's passengers were wealthy retirees. As such, they featured numerous single staterooms and suites which brought their capacity to only about 550 compared to 750-850 on similarly-sized ships of other lines.

 

Royal Viking Line prided itself on single-seating dining, and the restaurant was situated unusually high in the ship, with large windows. Another popular feature was a glass-enclosed lounge high atop the bridge, which afforded excellent views. The Royal Viking Line brand was clearly a success and the elegantly furbished ships were considered to be amongst the five most luxurious cruise ships in the world at the time. On 1 May 1976, Royal Viking Star and Royal Viking Sky became the first sister ships to transit the Panama Canal simultaneously in different directions, the Star sailing eastbound and the Sky westbound.

 

 

Between 30 August and 22 November 1981, Royal Viking Star was "stretched" to 28,000 GRT by adding a 93-foot prefabricated midships section at the A.G. Weser Seebeckwerft in Bremerhaven, (then) West Germany. This increased her capacity by 200 passengers, and mainly included the addition of cabins. Aft of the observation lounge, a new lounge and nine penthouse suites with balconies were added. The size of the main restaurant was also doubled and now occupied nearly half of one deck in order to maintain single-seating dining. Her two sisters received the same stretching.

 

The line's management had determined the expansion was more economical than building a fourth ship; however, the plan backfired, because many of their loyal passengers felt the larger ships had lost their intimate appeal. As the 1980s progressed it became clear however, that luxury cruise lines such as Royal Viking Line could not survive without the support of a larger company due to high operating costs. In August 1984, the line was acquired by Knut Kloster and his company, Kloster Rederi A/S (Kloster also owned Norwegian Caribbean, three years later changed to Norwegian Cruise Line) for $240 million. Initially, he kept Royal Viking Star's operations separate from those of NCL.

 

 

In April 1991, it was decided to internally tranfer Royal Viking Star to Norwegian Cruise Line where she was renamed Westward. With NCL, the ship was used for cruising from New York City to Bermuda as well as on Caribbean cruises.

 

 

Only three years later, in April 1994, Westward was again transferred, this time to the fleet of NCL's subsidiary Royal Cruise Line. They renamed her Star Odyssey and operated her on Mediterranean cruises. At Royal Cruise Line, she would join her sister, Royal Viking Sea which had been sailing as Royal Odyssey since 1991. Star Odyssey's career would also prove short however, as Norwegian Cruise Line was facing financial difficulties in the mid-1990s and were forced to sell off various assets. In October 1996 the ship was sold to British Fred Olsen Cruise Line.

 

 

Fred Olsen gave her their traditional name of Black Watch, based her out of Southampton from where she entered service for them on 15 November 1996 cruising around Europe. The lounge/buffet on the top deck has been replaced with additional passenger cabins, while the observation lounge above the bridge remains. The length of Bridge Deck is now occupied by passenger cabins (with the ship's officers scattered around the ship). The aft portion of the formerly vast main diningroom has been converted to two smaller restaurants and an additional lounge. A spacious, glass-lined space on the top deck hosts the fitness center and spa. The former chapel has been carved into three additional staterooms.

 

 

In February 1997 Black Watch suffered engine problems while outside Marmaris, Greece, resulting in a two week layup at Valetta, Malta for repairs. For two weeks starting on 20 April 2005, Black Watch could be found at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany where her engines were upgraded and interiors refurbished. In 2006, her other former sister, Royal Viking Sky, joined her as Boudicca in the Fred Olsen fleet. Black Watch is currently sailing for Fred Olsen.

[Copper10-8]

My first was the Carnival Elation in 2002. We took my 2 year old. It was a nightmare..... ship was great, but the ride to and from Mexico were terrible. It was the 7 night Mexican Riviera and the swells were at 20'. Four days at sea was tough. My son got sick for a few days after we got back due to being seasick and we never really did enjoy the food and entertainment because it was so rough.

Anyway, it took us 4 years to try it again, and as you can see, we are in the addiction and loving every bit of it. Notice, we have not been back to the Mexican Riviera and we live in San Diego.

 

My first cruise was on the Elation in 2001 to the Mexican Riviera. It was August and hot as hell but we were having a great time anyway. After about 5 days, most people on the ship got sick with a virus including my wife and I. After barfing like crazy, I was getting dressed and my wife asked my where I was going and I said "to the midnight food/chocolate exhibit, of course!" She just rolled her eyes and went back to sleep. We weren't sure we would ever cruise again, but we did and have had several great trips since then! (also got a 24 hour virus on the Yangtse River. The Chinese doctor who didn't speak english gave me some magic powder and I felt much better!!

 

Elation (1998-present) Built in 1998 as ms Elation by Kvaerner Masa Shipyard, Helsingfors/Helsinki, Finland for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line for Caribbean cruising. She was handed over to her new owners on 29 February 1998. After a North Atlantic crossing, she was officially named in Miami, FL on 18 March 1998 and two days later, she departed on her inaugural sixteen-day Panama Canal cruise to Los Angeles, CA.

Elation belongs to the 'Fantasy-class' of ships and was the seventh vessel built in the class of eight (the others are Fantasy - 1990, Ecstasy - 1991, Elation - 1993, Fascination - 1994, Imagination - 1995, Inspiration - 1996, Elation -1998 and Paradise -1998). The Fantasy class has a so-called 'modern ocean/cruise liner design', with all of its cabins situated within the hull and only a handful of suites on the superstructure, similar to Carnival's Holiday-class ships which were built in the late eighties.

 

 

Elation was the first Carnival ship to feature a dedicated conference center, geared toward accommodating small meetings and incentive groups. She and Paradise differ from their sisters in that they have state-of-the art Azipod azimuth thruster propulsion as opposed to two fixed propellors on the first six ships of the class. As a matter of fact, Elation has the distinction of being the first cruise ship equipped with azipods greatly enhancing the ship's maneuverability, and since installed on many of the newest mega-liners. They were also the last cruise ships built with their lifeboats situated on their upper deck.

 

In terms of layout and function, Elation is virtually identical to her sister Fantasy-class ships. The ship consists of ten decks with most of the public rooms concentrated on Atlantic, Promenade and Lido decks (8 - 10), while her passenger cabins are located on Riviera, Main, Upper and Empress decks (4 - 7). Like other Carnival ships, her public areas are designed and decorated in a flamboyant style by Carnival's award winning architect Joe Farcus, who has a penchant for augmenting the interiors with more than a dash of neon and glitz. While passenger opinions of the decor ranged from glamorous and elegant to gaudy and gauche, there is no denying that Farcus' whimsical design style enhances the Elation's "Fun Ship" aura.

 

 

The ship's centerpiece is its six-story Grand Atrium complete with glass-enclosed elevators. A favorite gathering place before dinner is at the semicircular Plaza Bar on the floor of the Atrium where guests can enjoy pre-dinner drinks to the accompaniment of classical music performed by a trio. Elation's public spaces encompass a diversity of styles and design elements celebrating the arts of music, literature and big screen with references to the Muses and other Greek mythological figures added to the mix. Among the venues with an arts theme are the Romeo and Juliet Lounge, Gatsby's Great Bar, the Cole Porter Club, the Jekyll & Hyde Disco and the Mark Twain Library.

 

One of the most expansive public areas is the area known as Elation Way on Promenade Deck, which is decorated with striking columns featuring crafted classical reliefs of the Muses. Promenade Deck gets especially busy at night as it connects the main "evening" lounges, such as the Romeo and Juliet Lounge, Musical Cafe, and the Drama Bar, which is next to the Casablanca Casino (it sports a Moroccan design after the movie of the same name). Other public areas include the Galleria shopping mall, the Virtual World arcade and the ship's photo gallery. There is also an Internet cafe while Wi-Fi is available in most public rooms.

 

 

Elation has sailed four and five-night Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral, Fl as well as Western Caribbean cruises from Galveston, TX. She currently sails on four and five day itineraries to Baja, Mexico from San Diego, CA, becoming the first cruise ship to home-port in San Diego year-round. Since 16 February 2009, she began making stops at Avalon on Catalina Island.

 

In late 2006, Carnival Cruise Line announced a massive multi-million dollar product enhancement initiative to its Fantasy class fleet known as "Evolutions Of Fun" which is expected to be completed in 2009. The refit will consist of new ship names, with all eight ships receiving a repainted name with the "Carnival" prefix (i.e. Carnival Fantasy, etc.) after their final refurbishment to their pools and outside decks. Celebration became 'Carnival Celebration' in December 2007.

A miniature golf course will be added to the forward sun deck. The aft pool deck will be replaced by a 'Carnival WaterWorks aqua park' with multiple slides. The main pool will be completely refurbished and redesigned in a tropical theme with new materials and new spiral staircases to the top deck and their original waterslides will be removed.

 

The adults-only area (around the funnel) will be moved to Promenade deck aft and will be known as the 'Serenity adults-only area', replacing the children's wading pool on the back of Promenade deck with the wading pool becoming part of the new waterpark. The restaurant and the majority of the public areas will receive new decors as well as new electronic equipment. Finally, all staterooms will receive new decors, new beds and new flat screen televisions.

 

Carnival Celebration will add balconies to ninety-eight existing cabins transforming them from the current ocean view staterooms. In addition, eight of her suites on the Upper Deck will get larger balconies. Twenty four balconies will 'extend' from the vessel mid-ships and another twelve near her stern. The remaining sixty two will be located at her aft section.

 

In addition, all her staterooms will be completely refurbished, as well as virtually all dining, dancing and entertainment venues. Guest corridors will be renovated and a new “Circle C” facility catering to 12- to 14-year olds will be added, as well.

 

 

[Seago2]

She looks so old school, but I love Elation, excuse me, Carnival Elation. The decor is monstrous, but she is FUN.

 

Keep it coming :).

[micro yaya]

our first cruise was on the carnival carnaval, the room was so small we passed each other sideways that weas the beginning doing # 25 in aug on hal in europe.oh how far we've come, and i was afraid i'd get sea sick the first time, and i did, but that didn't stop me. a day at sea is worth two on land............

[SoCal09]

Thanks, John, for all the info about the Elation... I enjoyed the pics... we really did have fun (2001) and we took our daughter who was 16 at the time. I

[Sissy Ruth]

Our first cruise was in April, 1973 aboard the newly christened "Spirit of

London", P & O. She was small, but beautiful and arrived in San Pedro for

her maiden voyage from the US in Feb that year. We cruised to Alcapulco

via Puerto Vallarta and Manzinillo, spent two days in Alcapulco and land

cruised to Mexico City for 4 days & flew home. It was great! My DH didn't

want a long cruise where he would be confined on a ship for more than

4-5 days -- so here we are 28 yrs later and our next cruise on HAL in

Oct is 28 days. So much for getting hooked !!:D

[Sissy Ruth]

Our first cruise was in April, 1973 aboard the newly christened "Spirit of

London", P & O. She was small, but beautiful and arrived in San Pedro for

her maiden voyage from the US in Feb that year. We cruised to Alcapulco

via Puerto Vallarta and Manzinillo, spent two days in Alcapulco and land

cruised to Mexico City for 4 days & flew home. It was great! My DH didn't

want a long cruise where he would be confined on a ship for more than

4-5 days -- so here we are 28 yrs later and our next cruise on HAL in

Oct is 28 days. So much for getting hooked !!:D

This ship became the "Sun Princess" a year or so later.

[Copper10-8]

our first cruise was on the carnival carnaval, the room was so small we passed each other sideways that weas the beginning doing # 25 in aug on hal in europe.oh how far we've come, and i was afraid i'd get sea sick the first time, and i did, but that didn't stop me. a day at sea is worth two on land............

 

ss Empress of Britain (1956-2008) Built in 1956 as ss Empress of Britain by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering, Govan (Glasgow), Scotland for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company. She was launched on 22 June 1955 by HM Queen Elizabeth II, nearly fifty years after the first CP Empress of Britain was launched from Govan in November 1905. Eleven months later, she set off on a maiden voyage from Liverpool to Montreal, Quebec departing on 20 April 1956.

The 25,516-ton vessel had a length of 640 feet, and her beam was 85.2 feet. The ship had one funnel, one mast, twin screws and an average speed of 20 knots. The ocean liner provided accommodation for 160 first class passengers and for 984 tourist class passengers. She would sail for Canadian Pacific Line until 1964 when she was sold to the Greek Line and renamed Queen Anna Maria.

 

 

Her new owners had her rebuilt at the Marriotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy to 21,716 gross tons with accommodations for 168 first class passengers and for 1,145 tourist class passengers. She sailed on the Piraeus, Greece to Naples, Italy to New York route. Towards the latter part of her career with the Greek Line, she provided service on the Haifa, Israel to New York route. In 1975, after her owners ran into financial problems and ultimately collapsed, she was laid up at Perama (Piraeus), Greece.

She was sold to Carnival Cruise Line in 1976. Her former stable mate with Canadian Pacific, the third Empress, the Empress of Canada, was already at Carnival as their Mardi Gras. Queen Ana Maria entered drydock in Newport News, VA and emerged as Carnivale in February 1976. Carnival placed her on weekly cruises from Miami, FL to the Caribbean, alongside Mardi Gras. By the late eighties, she had been placed on three and four-night "party cruise" runs to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, FL.

As Carnival's market expanded and the company was able to afford buying new ships, the ship was transferred in to a Carnival Latin market subsidiary cruise line by the name of Fiesta Marine Cruises in 1993. With Fiesta Marine, and as the Fiesta Marina (her new name), she became something of a test ship in a cruise-line expansion venture, sailing out of San Juan,Puerto Rico and Caracas, Venezuela. After only three months, this ultimately proved to be unsuccessful.

In 1994, Fiesta Marine sold her to Greece-based Epirotiki Line. She sailed for Perama, Greece and emerged in the spring of 1995 as the Olympic for Epirotiki's Mediterranean cruise program. She was loved by her passengers and for a while, was once again "queen" of a Greek fleet. In 1996, Epirotiki Lines merged with longtime competitor, Sun Lines, to form Royal Olympic Cruises.

In 1997, the former Olympic was sold to Greece-based Topaz International and, after a rebuilt at Eleusis, Greece, the ship was re-named Topaz on a bare boat charter to British tour operator Thomson Holidays in the spring of 1998.

[Copper10-8]

In 2003, the vessel was placed on a long-term charter through 2006 with the Tokyo, Japan-based Peace Boat International orginazation, still as Topaz for world-wide cruising. Peace Boat is an international non-governmental organization based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, seeking to establish a global network among people, grassroots movements and NGOs working on issues such as peace, human rights development and environmental protection.

In the past 15 years it has chartered passenger ships to make 25 voyages and taken over 10,000 people to more than 80 ports.Through personal exchange and co-operation with people in other countries, particularly in areas of conflict and former conflict, it works to increase mutual understanding and bridge the gap between peoples, countries and cultures. By inviting guests from all over the world to join the voyage and participate in conferences on board it offers a global perspective on events and issues.

 

In April 2008, she was retired from the Peace Boat organization; and she was laid up at Singapore Roads. On June 15, while she was anchored there, she was struck by the chemical tanker Champion Brali. The collision severed off part of her bow.

She was subsequently sold for scrap to Indian shipbreakers and in the late summer of 2008, she arrived at Alang, India where she was beached awaiting to be scrapped. She was placed not too far away from where the remains of the former liner ss France (later NCL's ss Norway) are located. However as of November, 2008 no work on her had started as scrap prices had dropped significantly.

[Copper10-8]

Our first cruise was in April, 1973 aboard the newly christened "Spirit of

London", P & O. She was small, but beautiful and arrived in San Pedro for

her maiden voyage from the US in Feb that year. We cruised to Alcapulco

via Puerto Vallarta and Manzinillo, spent two days in Alcapulco and land

cruised to Mexico City for 4 days & flew home. It was great! My DH didn't

want a long cruise where he would be confined on a ship for more than

4-5 days -- so here we are 28 yrs later and our next cruise on HAL in

Oct is 28 days. So much for getting hooked !!

 

 

Spirit of London (1972-present) Built in 1972 as ms Spirit of London by Cantieri Navali del Tirreno e Riuniti S.p.A., Genoa, Italy for British-based P & O Lines (Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company). She had originally been ordered by Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL) and was to be named Seaward (a sister to Southward), but P & O bought her unfinished hull on 30 March 1972 after NCL had pulled out of the deal due to problems with the Italian shipyard. On 11 November 1972, she departed Southampton, England on her maiden cruise to San Juan, Puerto Rico. January 1973 found her cruising on the U.S. West coast.

 

In 1974, P & O bought Princess Cruises and on 9 October 1974, Spirit of London was renamed Sun Princess, joining the Island Princess and Pacific Princess (from Love boat fame) in the Princess fleet. The ship appeared in the 1975 TV series Columbo episode "Troubled Waters", guest starring Robert Vaughn, as well as in the 1980 motion picture 'Herbie Goes Bananas".

 

 

1988 saw the sale of the Sun Princess by P & O to Premier Cruises, where she was initially named Majestic, but then in February 1989, becoming Starship Majestic, one of the "Big Red Boats". In May 1989, she underwent a refit at Lloyd-Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany.

 

 

In 1994, she was chartered to British based shipping company CTC (Charter Travel Club) and on 5 March 1995, she was renamed Southern Cross, leaving Tilbury, England three days later for worldwide cruising.

 

In October 1997, she was purchased by Greece-based Festival Cruises who began operating her as the Flamenco. The year 2003 saw her on charter to a Spanish travel company. After Festival Cruises financial collapse in January 2004, she was laid up at Gibraltar for a month.

 

In February 2004, she was acquired at public action by Fulton Shipping Inc. / Elysian Cruises (both Ravenscroft Ship Management subsidiaries) who first chartered her to Spanish-based Travelplan/Globalia as Elysian Flamenco. That name was changed to her New Flamenco later in 2004.

 

 

In February 2007, she was chartered by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Development and used as a floating accomodation ship.

 

On 6 November 2007, she was aquired from Fulton Shipping Inc. by Dutch company Club Cruise and used as a hotel ship in Noumea (French Caledonia). However, one year later in November 2008, Club Cruise ceased operations due to their inability to repay loans. The ship, now named Flamenco I, remained under arrest in Singapore awaiting another public auction.

 

On 13 March 2009 she was sold to Singapore-based Star Shipping for $U.S. 3.4 million. It is unknown what the future holds for the former Spirit of London but there is some information out she might be turned into a gambling ship.

[bakerintn]

SS Lelani -- 1958 -- Hawaiian steamship company -- Los Angeles to Honolulu -- 5 days

 

This was my high school graduation present...went with 3 other classmates (in the same cabin) and stayed in Waikiki for 6 weeks at age 17.

 

This ship had two classes -- entirely separated -- we, of course, were in second class, but had a ball.

 

The only pictures I have are black and white with those old crinkly edges.

 

Came home on a Pan Am Clipper (double deck 4-prop airplane)

 

Link to the ship: http://picasaweb.google.com/bakerintn/CruisePixMisc#5342140760503887762

There were no balcony / verandah cabins. This ship served as a troop carrier in WWII and Korea before becoming a low-end commercial cruise ship.

 

Don't know why it took so long to go on the next cruise.

[kathynorth]

Our first cruise was on the American Adventure with American Family Cruises in August 1994. The ship was touted as a dream for families with young children and it was. There were none of the bells and whistles that you find on today's ships, but my kids had a blast. We shared a table with a family with two children the same age as our kids and both the husband and wife were in the same profession as myself and my DH. Even our kids interests were the same. Prior to sailing we had filled out a questionaire that was used to set up table mates. On the last night of our cruise a helicopter came to the ship and carted off the cruise director. There were rumours all around about there being a problem with the company, but the staff continued to be great. Two weeks after our trip we heard the news that the company had gone under.

[Copper10-8]

SS Lelani -- 1958 -- Hawaiian steamship company -- Los Angeles to Honolulu -- 5 days

 

This was my high school graduation present...went with 3 other classmates (in the same cabin) and stayed in Waikiki for 6 weeks at age 17.

 

This ship had two classes -- entirely separated -- we, of course, were in second class, but had a ball.

 

The only pictures I have are black and white with those old crinkly edges.

 

Came home on a Pan Am Clipper (double deck 4-prop airplane)

 

Link to the ship: http://picasaweb.google.com/bakerintn/CruisePixMisc#5342140760503887762

There were no balcony / verandah cabins. This ship served as a troop carrier in WWII and Korea before becoming a low-end commercial cruise ship.

 

Don't know why it took so long to go on the next cruise.

 

General W. P. Richardson AP-118 (1944-2004) Built in 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Kearny, NJ in 1944 as General W. P. (Wilds Preston) Richardson. AP-118 was laid down under Maritime Commision contract on 2 February 1944 as General R. M. Blatchford on 15 April 1944. She was renamed General W. P. Richardson on 1 July 1944 and launched on 6 August 1944. She was acquired by the United Staes Navy on 31 October 1944, and commissioned at Bayonne, NJ on 2 November 1944 with Captain Joseph S. Rosenthal, USCG, in command.

General W. P. Richardson sailed from Boston, Mass on 10 December 1944 with over 5,000 fighting men and, after delivering them to Southampton, England on 21 December, returned to New York, arriving there on 4 January 1945 with troops and casualties. Ten days later the busy ship got underway from Newport News, VA with 5,000 soldiers bound for Naples, Italy, disembarking them on 25 January and then returning to Newport News on 9 February with rotation troops and casualties. Underway again on 18 February with 5,000 more soldiers, she disembarked them at Naples on 1 March and subsequently carried 5,500 British troops to Marseilles, France. She once again returned to Naples on 9 March to embark 4,600 homeward-bound American troops and casualties who were delivered safely at Boston, Mass on 21 March 1945.

 

General

 

She then sailed to Le Havre, France in April 1945 with 2,500 troopers and carried over 1,000 liberated American prisoners of war from France plus 2,900 troops and casualties from Southampton, home to New York on 28 April 1945. Following a troop-carrying run from New York to Naples and Trinidad and back, she sailed from New York to Southampton, putting in at Boston on 26 June with 4,300 wounded and other troops. Through the summer and fall of 1945 the transport made four more round-trip voyages from Boston to France, two to Le Havre and two to Marseilles, to help insure an even flow of men and supplies from the New World to the Old.

 

 

On 14 October 1945 she sailed from Boston to Karachi, (British) India, via the Suez Canal and returned to New York on 24 November with over 5,000 World War II veterans. On 30 November she embarked 4,500 rotation troops at New York and delivered them to Naples on 10 December 1945, then steaming via the Suez Canal to Koorramshar, Iran to take on board 3,800 men of the Persian Gulf Command, returning via Naples and Casablanca, Morocco to New York on 23 January 1946.

General W. P. Richardson was decommissioned at New York on 14 February 1946 and returned to the Maritime Administration for peacetime operations as a U.S. Army transport until 10 March 1948 when she was laid up.

 

Between 1948 and 1949, she was converted at Pascagoula, Miss. to a civilian passenger liner and then chartered on 6 May 1949 by American Export Lines as La Guardia. Her first voyage took her from New York to Naples to Genoa, Italy on 27 May 1949. She would also make port calls at Palermo, Sicily, Piraeus, Greece and Haifa, Israel. Her last Mediterranean voyage begun in New York in November 1951. She was returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration on 1 December 1951 and returned briefly to troop service as USAT General W.P. Richardson for the Korea conflict, before being laid up as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet on the James River in November 1952 for the next four years.

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 5 February 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 11 May 1962. She conducted a world cruise in 1966.

[Copper10-8]

In 1970, she was purchased by the Greece-based 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 cruises to Nassau, The Bahamas, Western Caribbean and Mexico out of Miami, Fl. She was one of the first cruise ships to offer moderately priced short duration (3-5 days) cruise vacations.

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.

[/url]

 

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]

SS Lelani -- 1958 -- Hawaiian steamship company -- Los Angeles to Honolulu -- 5 days

 

This was my high school graduation present...went with 3 other classmates (in the same cabin) and stayed in Waikiki for 6 weeks at age 17.

 

This ship had two classes -- entirely separated -- we, of course, were in second class, but had a ball.

 

The only pictures I have are black and white with those old crinkly edges.

 

Came home on a Pan Am Clipper (double deck 4-prop airplane)

 

Link to the ship: http://picasaweb.google.com/bakerintn/CruisePixMisc#5342140760503887762

There were no balcony / verandah cabins. This ship served as a troop carrier in WWII and Korea before becoming a low-end commercial cruise ship.

 

Don't know why it took so long to go on the next cruise.

 

Thanks for serving, Bakerintn!

[tidenik]

My first cruise was aboard the Regent Rainbow out of Tampa .in 1991.a 5 day western Carribean.

Small ship but lots of fun.

[Copper10-8]

Our first cruise was on the American Adventure with American Family Cruises in August 1994. The ship was touted as a dream for families with young children and it was. There were none of the bells and whistles that you find on today's ships, but my kids had a blast. We shared a table with a family with two children the same age as our kids and both the husband and wife were in the same profession as myself and my DH. Even our kids interests were the same. Prior to sailing we had filled out a questionaire that was used to set up table mates. On the last night of our cruise a helicopter came to the ship and carted off the cruise director. There were rumours all around about there being a problem with the company, but the staff continued to be great. Two weeks after our trip we heard the news that the company had gone under.

 

 

ss Guglielmo Marconi (1961-2002) Built in 1961 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy as ss Guglielmo Marconi for Trieste, Italy-based Lloyd Triestino di Navigazione S.p.A. The 27,888 gross registered ton ocean liner was launched on 24 September 1961 for the company's Genoa, Italy to Sydney, Australia express service. She made her maiden voyage in November 1963 and joined her sistership Galileo Galilei on the Australia run.

In 1976, Guglielmo Marconi and Galileo Galilei were transferred to Italia di Navigazione S.p.A., also known as the Italia Line, for Naples, Italy to Brasil to River Plate, Argentina service but this venture ultimately proved unprofitable. In 1979 she was transferred to Italia Crociere as a full-time cruise ship. This ultimately proved to also be an unsuccessful operation, Italia Crociere ceased trading in 1980, and Guglielmo Marconi spent the next three years in lay-up.

On 22 October 1983, she was purchased by Costa Crocieri (Costa Lines). After a two-year rebuild at the T Mariotti Shipyard in Genoa, the ship reappeared as Costa's ss Costa Riviera in 1985. She would alternate between Caribbean and Alaskan cruising until December 1993 when a new subsidiary, American Family Cruises, was launched and she was renamed American Adventure.

AFC was a joint venture between Costa and Bruce Nierenburg, the founder of Premier Cruise Line back in 1983. The new line was established to operate cruises to the Caribbean from Miami, Fl aimed at young American families with children. American Adventure set off on her first cruise on 18 December 1993 however, the AFC operation was not successful, ending on 10 September 1994 after lasting only nine months. The ship subsequently crossed the Atlantic and returned to Genoa.

At Genoa, she was converted and once again resumed the identity of Costa Riviera. Costa used her for European cruises until November 2001 when she was withdrawn from service and laid up.

On 16 February 2002, Costa Crociere was sold for scrap to a company by the name of Global Marketing Systems for U.S. $1.76 million after failing to find a buyer willing to take the ship for further trading. She was renamed Liberty for her final voyage from Genoa to Alang, India where she arrived on 7 March 2002. Scrapping becan shortly afterwards.

[chees]

We sailed the Sunward II in 1988 for three days Miami-Bahamas with a 2-year-old and a six-month-old and STILL got hooked. It was a family reunion cruise. We followed that in 1991 with another family reunion cruise on the Britanis. Our stateroom was huge with a separate closet for each of the four of us because she was used for ocean voyages.

 

What was so cool was that my husband's grandparents had sailed the Britanis to Hawaii when she was the Matsonia/Lurline. My husband had gone down to the dock to watch the sailaway.

 

Tina

[Sissy Ruth]

John, (Copper), thank you so much for giving us some fond memories.

We also cruised on her the following year when she was the Sun

Princess, our first Princess cruise and we are still sailing on Princess

as well as other lines. Thanks again for the time you put into these

wonderful cruise ship histories.

Cindy