I remember when......(I feel old)

[kelbell]

What do you remember? What has changed, What is costing now that never has? What

services have been eliminated? Has it changed for the better?

 

I remember when you booked a cabin you could choose from all decks..(not $3.60 for deck 6 ect ect ect)

 

I am now the generation of "I remember"....lol When did that happen..;)

[paul929207]

I am not sure who you sail with, but with Princess, no per deck charge.

[kelbell]

For example if you are to book with Carnival today an interior room deck 3 will

be included in the price you see, once you select your deck if you want deck 6

it is $3.80 pp for a higher deck. (just an example)

Just a fun thread Paul nothing more.

[OCruisers]

A change for the better is having safes in our cabins. I remember when we had to use a safety deposit box at the Purser's Desk.

[fishywood]

Maybe I'm not quite that old but I don't remember a time when every single cabin in a certain category was the same price no matter which deck, There has always been a premium above the cheapest advertised price for a higher deck or midship rather than forward or aft cabin within a specific category (inside, oceanview, balcony et al).

 

But I am old enough to remember when everyone ate all three meals in the MDR every day.

And breakfast and lunch had the same level of service and selection as dinner.

Not to mention even mainstream lines having three different evening dress codes (formal, semi-formal and casual) which were observed the entire evening throughout the ship.

 

And embarkation day was a civilized beginning to your vacation, not a scrum to see who can be on board ahead of everyone else.

 

There was no "mailbox" outside your cabin door stuffed with advertising; the daily activities sheet, plus any important info, was placed inside.

 

And ships with 1,600 to 1,900 passengers were considered "large". Sure they didn't have all the bells and whistles of today's mega ships. But they also didn't have people throwing elbows at each other in order to get to the buffet line--or in and out of an elevator. Nor the need to show up 45 minutes early for a decent seat in the theater. Or using a phone app or the TV remote to contact room service, the shore excursions desk or the future cruise sales desk--which at the time operated under the quaint notion of adequate staffing with actual humans.

[WatchHill]

I remember when no cabin had a TV, and the premium rooms had two port holes and nobody had a balcony, indoor pools were deep in the ship, horse racing was a highlight along with passenger costume parties. Way back when, DH always packed his tux and white dinner jacket, [i got lots of use out of all the bride's maid dresses], and he also packed a suit for the informal nights. Oh, and the port taxes/gov't fees were a whopping $19.95 for ten nights. Tickets arrived via US mail, included luggage tags, tour info and a copy of the cruise contract.

Desserts were prepared table-side each night, one ordered an entree and then requested type of potato, and all the veggies were served by your steward from a large plate of assorted items. Buffet? What buffet? That was only at midnight.

 

Darcy

[marco]

I remember when the brochure rate was what it would cost you, no matter who you called. Now, the brochure rate is pure fiction and if you call 1/2 a dozen TA's, you'll get a 1/2 dozen different prices, including varying perks, OBC,'s, promotions and most perplexing, varying costs of "taxes, gov't and "other" fees".

[DRS/NC]

Yes, all 3 meals in the MDR; breakfast & lunch were usually open seating.

 

No balconies!

 

Shows in the lounges were usually difficult to see because of all the cigarette smoke. UGH!

 

Lots of table-side food preparation at dinner (pasta, Cesar salad, flaming deserts, real baked Alaska w/a burning sugar cube in the center.

 

Passengers were nicely dressed & better behaved.

[FionaMG]

DH remembers when, as a cabin steward on the old Sitmar line, he was responsible for taking guests' room service orders and delivering them, not a separate room service department. One member of the team had to be constantly on duty in case any guest wanted something.

And he also remembers that sometimes those late-night room service orders were not for the guests at all... ;)

[jocap]

My OH travelled from the UK to Africa in the '40s when he was 5 yrs, and all the children used to be collected for their tea and taken to a childrens' room for their tea. When he was 15, he was allowed to eat in the dining room, but his younger siblings were still collected by nannies for their meals.

[OCruisers]

Does anyone else remember when we had "Real Keys" for our cabin doors?

[Dcoy]

A real midnight buffet.

 

Don

[Ashland]

I remember most all of the above...and even some inside cabins that were actually underwater :eek:

[Glaciers]

For a short time when we first started cruising we were able to golf and skeet shoot off the stern.

[George C]

I started crusing as a single in the1970’s in my 20’s , everyone dressed in a suit ant tie every night , no credit cards paid cash for everything , drinks super cheap about a dollar glass each . Lots of singles a little bit like Love boat . Bigger ships were about 35,000 tons many half that size . Tiny cabins , bunk beds , but the always cruised as a single .loved he dish’s prepared by the he loved table . Have cruised every year since lucky for me my wife loves cruises as much as me. Have done over 60 cruises

[miss prairie girl]

We have only been cruising since 2008, but prior to our first cruise, there was an option where we could rent a tux for DH for formal nights (on Princess). I have not seen that option for our upcoming cruise. I wonder what they did with all the rental tuxes?

[pris993]

I remember many things noted here. Plus, when air was part of the cruise price. No buffets, except the midnight one. when you could bring wine on board and not have a corking fee. I remember real wine stewards too. No room service. no tables for two. streamers on sail away. when well know entertainers were on board, like Pat Boone, Rena Marina, Mickey Gilley....

[CruiseGal999]

I am not sure who you sail with, but with Princess, no per deck charge.

 

I'm sorry ... but it did cost more for me to select my deck on Princess. The inside cabin price was $549/per person. Then it listed decks and for deck 12 (my choice) forward, it was $20 more. Mid-ship cost more and aft had a different price as well.

 

Ruby Princess October out of LA.

[fishywood]

We have only been cruising since 2008, but prior to our first cruise, there was an option where we could rent a tux for DH for formal nights (on Princess). I have not seen that option for our upcoming cruise. I wonder what they did with all the rental tuxes?

 

From the Princess website:

 

https://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/bring.jsp (click on 'Formal Wear Rentals")

 

Princess offers formal wear rental on all cruises; this can be arranged prior to embarkation.

Dress with an elegance and style that is perfect for all the formal activities on your cruise with Princess. Cruiseline Formal Wear delivers beautifully-tailored clothing directly to your stateroom.

To order your formal wear, please visit cruiselineformal.com, call 800-551-5091 or 305-252-8572. For questions, email: custservice@cruiselineformal.com.

According to their website this rental company serves Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, HAL and Princess.

So some demand must still be there. I rented from them back in 2011. I have since purchased my own tux--had I known that 2011 cruise was to be my first of four in eleven months I certainly would have purchased it then.

[miss prairie girl]

From the Princess website:

 

https://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/bring.jsp (click on 'Formal Wear Rentals")

 

Princess offers formal wear rental on all cruises; this can be arranged prior to embarkation.

Dress with an elegance and style that is perfect for all the formal activities on your cruise with Princess. Cruiseline Formal Wear delivers beautifully-tailored clothing directly to your stateroom.

To order your formal wear, please visit cruiselineformal.com, call 800-551-5091 or 305-252-8572. For questions, email: custservice@cruiselineformal.com.

According to their website this rental company serves Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, HAL and Princess.

So some demand must still be there. I rented from them back in 2011. I have since purchased my own tux--had I known that 2011 cruise was to be my first of four in eleven months I certainly would have purchased it then.

 

Thank you so much, fishywood, I am going to have go look to see what they have....not going to rent at this late date, but it never hurts to windowshop for 'next time'!

[Z'Loth]

I took a cruise in 2003 and 2005, then again in 2017. This is what I can recall in changes:

• The televisions in the rooms were CRTs, not Flat Screens.
  
• No such thing as shipboard cellular. That was added in the late 2000s. This meant you hardly saw a cell phone until the day of disembarkation.
  
• WiFi? What's that? If you wanted to check your email from home, you had to go to a dedicated IT area.
  
• No such things as smartphones. The first iPhone was introduced in June, 2007.
  
• People still took pictures on film, although some had digital cameras. The phones that took pictures took so-so pictures.
  
• It was a happy day when you received your cruise documentation.... which was a big fat book that looked like an obese checkbook.
  
• Prebook your excursions? Online checkin? That was introduced around 2003-2004.
  

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our first cruises were on 18,000 ton ships -- no stabilizers. No balconies -- but our deck we did have a window. No TV's in the cabins. No movie theater. Bingo was $1 and played with paper and pencils. Payed cash for all drinks and anything you bought in the tiny, tiny shop with limited hours. No safes in the cabins -- limited time to use the safe deposit boxes at the front desk or in a cubby hole across from the front desk -- looked like a closet. Pictures could be bought for a couple of dollars.

3 meals a day -- all eaten in the dining room -- same table. There wasn't a Lido thus no buffet. Many items prepared table side. We ordered our appetizers and entree -- then the waiters came with a tray that had several bowls of vegetables for you to select from. You had casual, semi-formal and formal nights -- and people really dressed up. DH always owned his own tuxedo and white dinner jackets. I always wore long gowns and had silver and gold heels as well as black heels. No room service.

When we got on some ships we were offered a drink of some kind or a glass of champagne and were escorted to our cabins. We did have real keys for the cabins.

Friends were allowed onto the ship to say goodbye to you and view the ship. We threw streamers as the ship left.

Yes there was golf and skeet shooting from the aft deck.

AH -- those were the days.

[JTBCruiser]

Maybe I'm not quite that old but I don't remember a time when every single cabin in a certain category was the same price no matter which deck, There has always been a premium above the cheapest advertised price for a higher deck or midship rather than forward or aft cabin within a specific category (inside, oceanview, balcony et al).

 

But I am old enough to remember when everyone ate all three meals in the MDR every day.

And breakfast and lunch had the same level of service and selection as dinner.

Not to mention even mainstream lines having three different evening dress codes (formal, semi-formal and casual) which were observed the entire evening throughout the ship.

 

And embarkation day was a civilized beginning to your vacation, not a scrum to see who can be on board ahead of everyone else.

 

There was no "mailbox" outside your cabin door stuffed with advertising; the daily activities sheet, plus any important info, was placed inside.

 

And ships with 1,600 to 1,900 passengers were considered "large". Sure they didn't have all the bells and whistles of today's mega ships. But they also didn't have people throwing elbows at each other in order to get to the buffet line--or in and out of an elevator. Nor the need to show up 45 minutes early for a decent seat in the theater. Or using a phone app or the TV remote to contact room service, the shore excursions desk or the future cruise sales desk--which at the time operated under the quaint notion of adequate staffing with actual humans.

 

Yes, this! :D

[evandbob]

Everything changes.....at one time, Dick Tracy was the only "person" with a 2 way wrist phone, and everyone else had a rotary dial up, with some of those calls being transmitted along party lines.

 

We can reminisce with rose colored memories about most anything......sometimes it's fun, and sometimes it's futilely wishful.

 

I've been on a few cruises that advertised "throwback" nights with activities like "horse racing", and those weren't well attended. Some came because they wanted to re-experience their past, and others were just curious; most of the rest couldn't care one way or the other.

[navybankerteacher]

Of course cruising is different.

 

The product is different: ships are much larger, they have far more "bells and whistles", they offer many eating venues, they have evolved from a close-to-all-included experience to an a la carte - pick-and-choose cafeteria environment.

 

The customer base is different: cruising used to be an expensive option for higher income people - professionals and managerial types, or the independently wealthy - largely beyond the reach of the less well-off. Now it is a low cost option available to virtually everybody.

 

How could it possibly have remained unchanged?