Is anyone here a Holiday fan?

[ryano]

I remember my first cruise just 8 years ago and finding Cruise Critic and the Carnival forum here and getting a lot of good information on cruising and Carnival in general. It seems some of those people aren't even here anymore and there were Holiday fans and then Carnival loyalist that hated that ship.

 

After 5, about to be 6 cruises, I can't figure out why Holiday is still my best to date. I guess it's because she was my first? I remember rolling my wheelchair to port in Mobile from the Radisson downtown the morning of the cruise just to get my first look. I couldn't wait til 1130 when the shuttle came. I was blown away LOL!

 

Looking back, she lacks in everything that is important to most cruisers today. Very small, almost no balconies, very few choices in places to eat, no "bells and whistles" and the list goes on. She had charm though, a great crew and an awesome fiddle player and over all funny guy for a CD in Steve Casill (sp?)'and I loved sailing out of Mobile AL. She hooked me on cruising.

 

To this day, the service and food on Holiday was my best yet and there just seemed to be something special about the cruise and that little ship. I guess it was because she was my first and I had zero expectations and didn't have a clue what to expect.

 

Did any of you Carnival loyalists sail Holiday in her last days? Are there any fans here?

 

Sorry for rambling on. It's throwback Thursday lol

 

Edited April 21, 2016 by ryano

[loubetti]

What's not to like about Holiday class ships? They still sail with other lines today, and all are larger than Titanic was.

 

Frankly, I don't care about those who need mega floating shopping malls / amusement parks. There are still MANY who want a smaller ship without all the gimmicks. Just good food, service, and a well-placed deck chair.

[ryano]

What's not to like about Holiday class ships? They still sail with other lines today, and all are larger than Titanic was.

 

Frankly, I don't care about those who need mega floating shopping malls / amusement parks. There are still MANY who want a smaller ship without all the gimmicks. Just good food, service, and a well-placed deck chair.

 

I can't use most of them gimmicks anyway :D. I realize it's a much larger ship and things have changed in 8 years but If the food is and service is near as good on Magic as it was on Holiday, it will be a great cruise.

[lovecarnivalcruises]

I sailed on the holiday on one of its last cruises out of Mobile Alabama. Although I have to say it was one of the worst ships I have ever been on, the cruise itself is one of my favorites. I had so much fun, service was great, food was great had lots of fun, never laughed so much in my whole life. But the ship itself with vibrating constantly I thought it was ugly but I loved that cruise. I was with a few others and it was their first cruise. They thought she was beautiful. So ot was just me. She was not my first. I like the large and the small ships. I just love cruising.

[loubetti]

I can't use most of them gimmicks anyway :D. I realize it's a much larger ship and things have changed in 8 years but If the food is and service is near as good on Magic as it was on Holiday, it will be a great cruise.

 

Just to be clear, I was agreeing with you! My comments were more for others, certainly not you. :)

[2Shoes2Go]

We have fond memories, as well. We sailed on her for a couple of our first cruises. Every experience was new. :)

[heatherhudson15]

I loved the Holiday. She was my second cruise (1st was on theTropicale). The Holiday was my grandparents first and only cruise. BOY did they LOVE IT!! We sailed on her in August of 1985. We had so much fun.

 

 

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[supercanadian]

Count me in as a fan! My first and only cruise to date was on a Christmas cruise in 2004 aboard the Holiday on a 4 day trip out of New Orleans. We had an ocean view on (if I remember correctly) the 3rd or 4th floor. Our only port stop was Cozumel. It was short, but I enjoyed it! I remember the service being stellar, and we ate all meals including lunch in the main dining room. The things I remember most fondly were the food (loved everything I ate in the MDR) and the art auctions. I also really liked browsing the small shops on board.

 

My 2nd time cruising will be next month aboard the Dream. I know it has so many more bells and whistles than they Holiday ever had, but I'm a little anxious about it possibly being so much more crowded! I'm hoping that if I loved the Holiday back then, when it was one of the smaller and older ships in the fleet, that I will have an ever better experience aboard the Dream next month. This time around, I have a Cove balcony booked, and I'm traveling with 3 other family members that have never cruised before. Keeping my fingers crossed that they will fall in love with cruising like I did aboard the Holiday so we can make cruises our annual vacations.

[ryano]

Just to be clear, I was agreeing with you! My comments were more for others, certainly not you. :)

 

We're clear! :)

[mawvkysc]

I never sailed her, but I thoroughly enjoyed my cruise on Grand Celebration recently. She was a Holiday class ship during her Carnival days. I loved the aft pool area. The only thing I missed was an atrium area, but no big deal.

[Thorncroft]

If you have a spare $35M sitting around, you can buy the former Jubilee. It's now laid up and for sale.

[heymom]

She was my 1st cruise in 1992! Loved it

[nwo4life]

We sailed on her for our second cruise, we had fun on our first cruise on Fantasy but we fell in love with cruising on Holiday.

[nofishforme]

I only sailed on her once but i loved the size the aft pool and there was never a line for anything the holiday has some issues but it didn't bother me i only wish i had gotten to sail on her some more.And Mobile was a short drive from Nashville well 7hrs

[jhusemann]

The Holiday was our second cruise. We took a couple of first time cruisers on that sailing with us. Loved it!

[choirgal23]

Took the Holiday out of Mobile a few years ago and had a great time! Small ship, but great service! I'd sail her again in a heartbeat!

 

 

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[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

We indeed were Holiday fans. Our first 3 Carnival cruises were on the Holiday. I remember seeing picture of her after she was sold and remodeled. You would never know it was the same ship.

[ryano]

We indeed were Holiday fans. Our first 3 Carnival cruises were on the Holiday. I remember seeing picture of her after she was sold and remodeled. You would never know it was the same ship.

 

I saw those :) I recognized nothing! Looked great

[Essiesmom]

She's currently sailing for Cruise & Maritime as Magellan. Will be doing a world cruise next year. EM

[cortneyward]

Never been on her, but I agree with you that she may be your favorite because she was the first. We were on Imagination first and loved it! Our second was the Triumph. Not only was she bigger and had more bells and whistles, but I knew so much more about cruising (we booked Imagination within a month of cruising and were ignorant!) but I still didn't enjoy it as much. We were 21 year old kids on the Imagination and had never been out of the South. Entering the atrium was amazing. I learned what tiramisu was and tried escargot for the first time on her. Hope I make it back to her one day

Edited April 22, 2016 by cortneyward

[seashinesunshine]

Not sure what her last days were, but our first cruise was on the Holiday Jan 5th 2002. We were so excited to have a porthole room, right at the very front of the ship. She was sailing out of San Juan then. Really fun cruise!

[mzloolue]

I too loved Holiday.

Three cruises.

 

I liked the no atrium. Holiday actually looked like a ship inside.:)

[Jamman54]

I have very fond memories of the Holiday. My first cruise in 1985 was aboard the then brand new Holiday. Sailed on her a total of 4 times, the last time December of 1992.

[scmom77]

Wow! The Holiday was the first cruise ship I ever went on- I was about 8 or 9 and it was 1986 or so. I thought it was fabulous- one of the best vacation memories I have from my childhood. The servers were so much fun and were great to my brother & I. We went to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Key West.

 

A lot has changed since then- we were on the Dream last year and getting ready to get on the Valor next month.

[Aquajac]

Fun to read everyone's memories of the late great Holiday. She was my first cruise, too - in 2009. I've been on 22 since then but still recall that one as one of the very best. The food and service I experienced has never been matched and recall having filet mignon almost every night. The people we met at our set dinner time were very sophisticated and well traveled. One couple had been on more than 50 cruises and gave us so much great advice.

 

Holiday was small and had limited amenities compared to more recent megaships, but she had class, style and charm, actually more of an ocean-going yacht than a cruise ship. I wish Carnival had kept and renovated her as they have done with other smaller ships. I'm so glad we're getting a refurbished Fantasy back in Mobile!