Where was your first cruise?

[Shmoo here]

Where did you go on your first cruise? What occurred on it that made you want to do another cruise?

 

I'll start. In 2001, I went on the Vision of the Seas to Alaska with a friend. What I liked the most was not cooking, no housekeeping, drinking and not driving, and meeting so many people.

 

Looking forward to reading your experience!

 

First cruise - 15 night Panama Canal.

 

I knew I was hooked when I grabbed my husband's arm as we started up the gangway and said "WE'RE GOING ON A SHIP!!!!!!". 6 years later - cruising hasn't worn off yet. Can't put my finger on any one thing that keeps us returning, we enjoy port calls as well as sea days. Definitely not cooking/cleaning is a plus.

[OCruisers]

1961 .... SS Bahama Star to the Bahamas for three days on a HS senior class trip. :)

 

LuLu

[Nebr.cruiser]

About 1974 on the old Regina Magna--a grand old ship. We visited Haiti (what an eye-opener), Jamaica and I think St. Thomas.

 

The 7 day cruise cost about $299 pp including air from Omaha to Miami! We even had windows--our cabin was quite large and actually prow-shaped, in the front of the ship. Which wasn't great as it was the only time I've ever been seasick on a cruise ship. No stabilizers in those days.

 

Oh, the meals--whole lobsters that covered the plate, midnight buffets every night, I still dream of the cream of onion soup, which I've never been able to replicate. Pretty good entertainment too.

Edited May 3, 2015 by Nebr.cruiser

[4boysnana]

I was 18 years old and returning from a summer of study at Oxford in England. There was not a lot of glamor on the first Ryndam with bunks with a wooden edge to keep you from falling out. This was like a student transport. The food was good and I can remember the dining room also had a wooden lip on the table to keep plates from sliding. Don't you love the stable ships now? I will always remember coming into NYC and seeing the Statue of Liberty. I am still thrilled every time I see it and every time I step on a ship.

I have an newspaper from England with the headline about the moonwalk during the summer.

 

4boysnana

[weinoh49]

My first cruise 1992 - was the Big Red Boat - with Disney characters. DH and 2 DSs.

The ship was really small but we were hooked. Our only destination was Nassau, the Bahamas and a private island.

 

We have enjoyed cruising ever since. This year we will do a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

[SPacificbound]

2013 Sydney Australia to Honolulu, 18 nights. I booked it to avoid having another long flight.

 

Within about 30 minutes or so I was hooked. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our first cruise was actually a back-to-back cruise -- thus 2 cruises (14 days) -- back in the 80's out of San Juan.

It took me years to convince DH to take a cruise. I was sick of touring all over Europe, etc., living out of 1 suitcase per person for 3 weeks at a time. Once DH got on the ship, unpacked and saw many ports, he was sold on cruising.

[antmaril]

My first cruise was in 1982 on the NCL Starward to Nassau, St. Thomas and San Juan. I haven't cruised NCL since, but will be on the NCL Gem in September. Looking forward to it!

[Paulette3028]

1989 - Carnival's Jubilee; Nassau, San Juan, St. Thomas.

 

I won our cruise through a radio contest which included airfare and 7 day cruise - I was ecstatic and was sold on cruises from the first day (even though I suffered badly from seasickness). It took DH a few cruises before he really started to look forward to the next one. Persistence pays off! :D

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

 

Good that you did not give up on the experience of cruising, even though you suffered badly from seasickness on that first cruise.

[sail7seas]

My first cruise was about 1990 on the 'then' Royal Princess. It was a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise.

 

We were hooked immediately though not with Princess. :)

We, too, had already done a great deal of European travel, various U.S.Cities, resort stays domestic and in the Caribbean and adding cruising to the mix came at just the right time. We continued to do domestic land stays and many trips to Europe but started regularly doing a cruise, as well.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2015 by sail7seas

[Sandy Sails]

2004 to Alaska. A gal at work had done it the year before and got a bunch of us to go with her the next year. She splurged for the Penthouse Suite - I'll never forget glacier day sitting in the hot tub on her balcony eating pumpkin pie. I had a room to myself because there was an odd number of us and I'm pretty independent.

Since the cruise pier is right down the street from the office, it was easy to get to, lol.

I seemed to travel really well with one of the other gals from work on the cruise (our timing was the same - not too slow and not too fast, shopping, eating, etc) so we decided to go on a Caribbean cruise the next year.

And the rest is history! You'll have to see my signature list to see why. Especially Cruise #3.

[dfish]

First cruise was 2007 to Alaska on the Zuiderdam. Mom, Dad, two sisters and BIL along for the ride and we had a fantastic time. If there was anything that wasn't perfect, we sure didn't notice it.

 

One sister and I continue to cruise every couple of years, doing a low budget land vacation the other years.

[iahawkize]

Mine was on the TSS Carnivale in 1991 3 day to the Bahamas. Man when I see the old pictures of that ship it was TINY compared to what is out there now. We had a porthole cabin at the front of the ship and the anchor woke us up every day.

Edited May 4, 2015 by iahawkize

[catspaw1]

Our first cruise was on Regency cruises in the late 1980's. We took 3 cruises with them & loved it- all to the Caribbean. We went on 8 cruises & in 2000 left for a 7 year cruise (although we didn't plan to be out there that long!) aboard our own sailboat. May times when we saw cruise ships pass us I wished we were on it so I didn't have to do any cooking, cleaning & boat chores. After an almost 20 year "real" cruise break we are leaving in a few weeks on a Bermuda cruise- can't wait although we know cruising has changed a lot from the "good old days".

[kelmac]

How about 1978 on the NCL Starward. We visited Port Antonio, Jamaica; I remember 100's of kids running around; they all seemed so happy and they were healthy and fit. Next, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti; everyone seemed so desperate and I thought someone might hand me their baby and ask us to take him/her away. Nassau, Bahamas -- very similar to today, with a visit to Atlantis. And last, Great Stirrup Cay -- yes it was around even then. Great snorkeling and I have a photo of me on the beach -- tanned, rock hard and young!:rolleyes::)

 

PS -- the cabin was small, I mean really small. The food was mediocre and the entertainment was cheesy. I'm pretty sure our main waiter (Pac I think?) stole the asst' waiters tips we left him.

 

Still, a great experience over-all and I saved for four years to take the next cruise on the Sitmar Fairsea. A much, much better ship and experience!! All this was pre-Lauren (my wonderful wife of 20 years). We have been on 53 cruises together, starting with the Celebrity Horizon in 1993.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

[sail7seas]

2004 to Alaska. A gal at work had done it the year before and got a bunch of us to go with her the next year. She splurged for the Penthouse Suite - I'll never forget glacier day sitting in the hot tub on her balcony eating pumpkin pie. I had a room to myself because there was an odd number of us and I'm pretty independent.

Since the cruise pier is right down the street from the office, it was easy to get to, lol.

I seemed to travel really well with one of the other gals from work on the cruise (our timing was the same - not too slow and not too fast, shopping, eating, etc) so we decided to go on a Caribbean cruise the next year.

And the rest is history! You'll have to see my signature list to see why. Especially Cruise #3.

 

 

 

This is a great story of how you started cruising..... :) and met your DH.

 

Before I looked at your list of cruises, I said 'self',,,,,, she sailed HAL first.

Sure enough, it was Oosterdam.

Our cruise to Alaska was also Oosterdam and it was as close to perfect as a cruise can be. :)

 

[trev71]

Liberty of the Seas 2011.

 

I went with my mom and sister. Nice not having to cook or clean

[Sandy Sails]

This is a great story of how you started cruising..... :) and met your DH.

 

Before I looked at your list of cruises, I said 'self',,,,,, she sailed HAL first.

Sure enough, it was Oosterdam.

Our cruise to Alaska was also Oosterdam and it was as close to perfect as a cruise can be. :)

 

 

I still think HAL does Alaska the best!

[zookiebird]

1990 on the old Cunard Countess. A number of years earlier we were able to go aboard her sister, the Cunard Princess, prior to my parents sailing her to Bermuda. Got "the itch" just from that quick look around but with work and all it took us quite a while to actually go to sea. Our 7-day itinerary was R/t San Juan and included St. Lucia, Guadalupe, St Maarten and St Thomas. In St Thomas we took an excursion to St John and literally had Trunk Bay all to ourselves!!! Been back may times and still think of that day.

[ksqueak]

it's reallly pretty surprising I wanted to cruise again. First cruise Royal Caribbean to Bermuda. Hit with 3 converging storm fronts! 50 foot swells, decks closed, and a good half the ship seasick including me. But I so enjoyed all the other aspects that here I am years later still cruising.

[vicarooski]

May 2014 on Navigator of the Seas for our honeymoon. We went to Cozumel, Gerogetown, and Falmouth.

 

My (now) husband had gone on a family cruise when he was 8 - it was his first and only cruise.

 

Fast forward to last year when we were planning our honeymoon. He wanted to go on a cruise, I definitely did not. I wouldn't even let him try to convince me otherwise. It wasn't an option. You couldn't have paid me enough to go on one. Let alone for my honeymoon.

 

He had talked about his previous cruise before at various times and his entire face would always light up reliving the memories. I always thought it was a couple of years before we met, until I was sitting in his parents office and saw the typical "cruise photo on the staircase" picture and realized HE WAS EIGHT! This was 15 years ago! He had always talked about it like it was yesterday. My mind was changed at that instant.

 

Lucky for us the wedding was on a Saturday and RCI sails out of Galveston on Sunday! It was perfect. I was still slightly apprehensive about it until we drove to the port. And there she was. Beautiful. I was like a child in a candy store with excitement as we boarded.

 

I've become a complete convert, (errr adict? :D ) and laugh when I think about how against the cruise I was to begin with. Thank goodness my husband is a patient man!

 

I loved every minute of the cruise and can't wait for our next one in May 2016. This cruise, my entire family will be going. 8 total. It will also be the first cruise for every one except for DH and me.

[bplazo]

The disney dream. A Christmas gift for my daughter.

[mollymom53]

Honolulu to Vancouver in the summer of 1967 on the P&O Canberra. We stayed longer in Hawaii than originally planned because the Suez Canal closed that summer due to the Six Day War. The ship had to go all the way around Africa and therefore was delayed getting to Hawaii. I was 13 years old. We were bumped up to a first class cabin, but we had to use the tourist class dining room, etc.