Do you remember the TROPICALE?

[im4clowns]

Tropicale was my first cruise as well! Got me hooked!

[Tapi]

You got that right. :)I get a kick out of the newbies complaining about the pricing creeping up.

 

Paid $599pp or $699pp for an inside on the TROPICALE decades ago . . .paying $439pp for an inside on the SPLENDOR in 4 weeks ! ! :eek:

 

 

Yup! Our cabin on the Tropicale back in 1994 was the MOST I've ever paid for any Carnival cruise. I paid over $700 for a Window on the Riviera deck. When we sailed on the Dream in 2011, I paid $589 for a Balcony on the Upper deck...

 

And it's not only on Carnival. We paid MORE to sail on the Monarch of the Seas in 1993 than to sail on the Allure of the Seas in 2011! :eek:

[ltcal94]

From what I remember the room key was a hard plastic rectangle shape with alot of holes on it that acted like a bar code nowadays. Seemed like every room key had a different hole pattern for their door.

 

That is correct. each set stayed with the room in a little box just inside the door.

[dmwnc1959]

I have all of mine going back to before the plastic cards.......I have a Princess one that's

paper inside a plastic holder. Anybody remember keys? That was back in the mid

80's. At least we can keep the plastic ones......

 

I also have one of the old paper cards from sailing on the original Royal Princess. It fit onto something that looked like a tiny blue bi-fold wallet.

 

From what I remember the room key was a hard plastic rectangle shape with a lot of holes on it that acted like a bar code nowadays. Seemed like every room key had a different hole pattern for their door.

 

I remember those as well. On my first Carnival cruise it was a small yet long rectangular shape with a pattern of holes drilled through one-half of it. You could feel the pins in the door lock adjusting as you slid the access card into the slot.

 

Please keep them safe and sound.

 

You can get sleeve inserts for 3-ring binders

that fit anything-credit-card-sized in individual pockets.

That's how I have mine stored. Hobby stores should have them.

 

Your collection looks amazing!!! I have a couple of stacks of cruise sail and sign cards from various lines (Carnival, Holland-America, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Cruise West, Cunard, Princess Cruises) in storage back in North Carolina. One day I'm going to put them all in a binder too. :D

Edited April 2, 2012 by dmwnc1959

[boatnick]

My 1st (83) 2nd (84)and 3rd (86)cruises, they used to allow you to bring friends and family on board for a shoving off party, good times. That sold a lot of first time cruises.

I go through my old photos from time to time and it brings back fond memories.

Tried to add a photo, can't figure out how (too late/tired) :o.

[Aplmac]

I also have one of the old paper cards from sailing on the original Royal Princess.

It fit onto something that looked like a tiny blue bi-fold wallet. ===> Keep it safe!

I remember those as well.

On my first Carnival cruise it was a small yet long, rectangular shape, with a pattern of holes drilled through one-half of it.

You could feel the pins in the door lock adjusting as you slid the access card into the slot. ===> See pic.

 

Your collection looks amazing!!! ===> Thank you: it wows everyone who sees it!

I have a couple of stacks of cruise sail and sign cards from various lines

(Carnival, Holland-America, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Cruise West, Cunard, Princess Cruises)

in storage back in North Carolina.

One day I'm going to put them all in a binder too. :D

Great to hear from you!

 

I dug around a bit, and came up with this shot I took in 2008

when we were on an older UK cruise ship (Ocean Village Two)

where we were each issued two separate cards...

* a cabin access card, like you described above

* a credit-card-sized card to charge drinks and purchases in the shops on board.

 

 

.

[H82seaUgo]

Does anyone remember the Festivale...My first cruise was back in 1984 on her....I remember it was $599 per person WITH airfare from Chicago and it was 7 days...had a blast and got hooked on cruising Carnival ....I even remember the cruise director at the time...Dave Armour.

 

best cruise director we ever had.

 

even the brand ambassador took a lot of his material.

[beachbum53]

Please can someone post photos of the times on this ship from back in the day, thanks. Love seeing the old photos.

 

I have a disc of clip art that includes a photo of the Tropicale. I'll see if I can download it on here for you.

[Tapi]

Please keep them safe and sound.

 

You can get sleeve inserts for 3-ring binders

that fit anything-credit-card-sized in individual pockets.

That's how I have mine stored. Hobby stores should have them.

 

 

I have spares

and am willing to exchange with anyone who has extras of anything..?

.

 

Your collection is absolutely AWESOME! :D

[H82seaUgo]

lots of good threads and pictures of the old ships on the "whatever happened to" boards, where this post will most likely wind up.

[okgirl]

Does anyone remember the Festivale...My first cruise was back in 1984 on her....I remember it was $599 per person WITH airfare from Chicago and it was 7 days...had a blast and got hooked on cruising Carnival ....I even remember the cruise director at the time...Dave Armour.

 

Our 1st and 2nd cruise was on the Festivale in 1983 and 1984. The things that I remember most are:

 

There was only one dining room and no real buffet on the Lido. They did have hamburgers and hotdogs out there at noon, but all other meals were taken in the dining room.

 

They had a full midnight and 2am buffet.

 

You paid for everything with cash.

 

You were accompanied on all Carnival excursions by a Carnival employee.

 

There were safety deposit boxes at the purser's desk to leave your valuables.

 

We were in what was called a demi-suite that was just below the Lido deck and had a port hole window, no television, no sofa just beds that were attached to the wall, but a huge bathroom with a tub so deep it was hard for my sister to get in and out of.

 

If they could find your nightgown they would fold it into a flower shape and that always kind of creeped me out so I would hide mine.

 

The pool area was really large and the Italian officers would sunbathe in their speedo's.

 

The casino was tiny, about the size of........well I can't actually think of any public area on a current ship that is that small......it had only about 4 table games and maybe 15 or 20 slot machines and one guy at the casino cage by the front door. If you know how big the sports bar is by the casino on a Conquest class ship, the Festivale's casino was smaller than that.

 

Every evening dinner had a different nationality featured. The waiters would sing songs in that nations language. On the night that baked alaska was served they brought it out in a darkened dining room on fire on top of their heads.

 

Oh and the price of that 7 day cruise with air from Tulsa to Miami was almost $1000pp.

 

I also don't remember any kind of muster drill.

 

And we did have metal cabin keys.

Edited April 2, 2012 by okgirl

[pamurchu]

"If they could find your nightgown they would fold it into a flower shape and that always kind of creeped me out so I would hide mine."

 

That gave me my morning chuckle. Thanks!

[jimbob70]

Our first cruise was on the Festivale in 1989, and we sailed on the Tropicale in 1992. During our cruise on the Tropicale we got to sit at the captain's table one night.

 

It's a shame that the smaller ships are no longer economically viable for the cruise lines--at least at a popular price. They had many advantages, and of course the large ones do too in a different way.

 

Often a charter as the Peace Boat is the last stop on the way to the scrap yard. Carnivale ended her career as the Peace Boat, for example.

[Rusty Aligator]

Darn, you all brought back sooo many memories. My first was on either the Mardi gras, or the Carnivale, and I still have the keys to my cabin from at least 2 cruises. They were big metal keys on a ring with a plastic tag and cabin number. I don't really remember sailing on the "Big T", cause the fun ships were, "The Fun Ships", and I was under the weather on most cruises. I still have several keepsakes, as; an original ticket from '76 or '77 on the MG....($500 R/T bos/Bermuda) Keys, Capers from 76-77. I only wish i wasn't so "Fun Ship" all the time so that I would have taken more photos at the time. Oh, I have, right in front of me, a catalogue from 90-91 with all the ships, intineraries, and specs, and rates. I just had to dig it out to gaze at again. Boy, what a difference from the Spirit I just got off last week. Give me back the older ships, but maybe with a few more updates. I am not computer-savy, so please do not ask me to scan or paste, or whatever you do to download any photos. Thanx for the memories. RA:)

[elcuchio24]

It's older than I am.

 

On an off note--Man, some parts of the Canal are super ugly!

[micro yaya]

loved the tropical, and loved GEORGE THE GREEK in the dining room. he was terrific

[skyking]

Ohhhhhhh yes I sure do, she was the one that started it all for me.

[dmwnc1959]

On an off note--Man, some parts of the Canal are super ugly!

 

The Panama Canal is in the middle of a massive expansion project (scheduled for completion in 2014) that will add bigger locks and approach channels, therefore allowing much bigger ships to transit. Here is a recent image showing the Pacific side approach channel under construction. That is the Celebrity Infinity shown heading westbound.

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/519/InfinityPedroMiguel1.jpg

 

Often a charter as the Peace Boat is the last stop on the way to the scrap yard. Carnivale ended her career as the Peace Boat, for example.

 

If you remember the Big Red Boat Oceanic she is being replaced by Ocean Dream. Many expect Oceanic to head for the scrapyard shortly there after. Kind of sad. :(

 

THANKS for all the wonderful memories everyone has shared! :D

[VegasCrossfire]

I forgot all about the "nightie" part. It creeped me out too --- so I always hid my nightie, but our friends thought it was cool so every night hers was made into something different and hung in different places in the cabin!:eek:

 

Also -- as far as the price goes - although we pay almost the same now (sometimes), don't forget --- 30 years ago, the price usually included air fare and a hotel room for either the night before or early in the AM if you got to the port city before 8AM. We were also transported from the airport to the hotel / to the ship as part of the price!

[H82seaUgo]

I forgot all about the "nightie" part. It creeped me out too --- so I always hid my nightie, but our friends thought it was cool so every night hers was made into something different and hung in different places in the cabin!:eek:

 

Also -- as far as the price goes - although we pay almost the same now (sometimes), don't forget --- 30 years ago, the price usually included air fare and a hotel room for either the night before or early in the AM if you got to the port city before 8AM. We were also transported from the airport to the hotel / to the ship as part of the price!

 

not only nighties, but shirts and other stuff.

 

sometimes right out of the dirty laundry. :eek:

[meggie711]

Awesome post! I have really enjoyed reading about cruising "back then". :) It's cool to see how cruising has evolved.

[funinthesun1964]

not only nighties, but shirts and other stuff.

 

Sometimes right out of the dirty laundry. :eek:

 

lol

[M&MGirl1]

The first cruise my sisters & I ever went on was on the Tropicale. In fact, that was the first time my 1/2 sister ever saw the ocean. I remember her jumping in the water for our swim with the stingrays excursion in Grand Cayman and yelling about her eyes burning and the water being salty and thinking she must be dumber than a post, until I remembered she'd never been in the ocean before! We still keep in touch with our table mates from that cruise and travel to Indianapolis to see them every few years.

 

Funny thing is, that ship is absolutely tiny compared to most of the other ships I've sailed on since, but it sure seemed HUGE at the time!

[boatnick]

I remember that they even had a tour of the bridge for those interested.

I still have the "bridge info sheet" that they handed out on the tour, just had to show up at the announced time, no security back then.

[abisha]

Thanks for sharing. I haven't sailed on her, but sailed on Holiday..I remember that red bus in the middle of the promenade deck. I still have my old brochure from the 80's with Carnival, Tropicale, Holiday, Mardi Gras and the "new Celebration"... with Kathie Lee Gifford on the pages! "In the morning, in the evening, ain't we got fun" ...those commercials were great!

 

I was in my late 20s and went with 5 other women...we never slept. We partied all night. When we got off the ship, we were so exhausted and needed another vacation to recoup! LOL! It was a blast. I remember the midnight buffet and how everyone dressed up so elegantly for formal nights...those were the days. We lined up before dinner to have our photo taken with the captain. And yes ..I also remember the baked Alaska dessert. The service by the waiters and stewards was fantastic and top notch. I also remember having our "nighties' placed on the turned down bed at night..along with our slippers placed neatly on the floor by the bedside!

Edited April 4, 2012 by abisha