Our first cruise ....Celebrity Horizon 2005......., .Why did you go on your first cruise ?

[Chrissi3010]

Our first cruise was not before May of 2016 on Celebrity Infinity to Alaska. DH never wanted to go on a cruise ship but I insisted on doing the Alaska cruise in combination with a western Canada trip because I always wanted to sail through the Inside Passage and see glaciers from the water. And guess what: DH now is even more enthusiastic about cruising than I am. 😉

Meanwhile we did seven cruises and met so many nice people there, especially a couple from Ohio who we already sailed together with twice planned and who already visited us here in Germany (and will come again this autumn) as well as a couple from Toronto who we visited after a cruise in New England. Meanwhile we have a monthly facetime call set up with them to keep in touch, especially during Covid times.

 

And there could be so many stories told about all the joy, experiences, people, wonderful crew, food on our cruises....😍

[MDCruze]

We were looking for a good venue for a multi-generational family vacation - my parents, DH and I and our two young children. Together we decided to try out a Princess cruise because of the children's program. My mother didn't swim and was somewhat afraid of water, but like a trooper she quietly sucked it up and agreed to go. I can see her now waiting to board - she just knew she was either going to a watery grave or staying in bed with seasickness for a week or both, but she'd do it for the family. We weren't on the ship 2 hours before it was clear that everything was going to be much more than fine, and they were hooked. She and my dad went on to take another couple dozen cruises before their health landlocked them. We went on several with them, and I cherish those memories.

[sunnydrk]

I was a senior in high school (1992) and had never really heard of cruising (outside of the Love Boat show).  A friend was cruising with her family and the friend that was supposed to go with her and share a cabin cancelled and she invited me at the last minute.  Shockingly, my parents said yes even though they didn’t know the family.  It was the Big Red Boat, inside cabin and I was hooked.  😃

[mikewomb]

Our first cruise was 1971. We went on NCL Southward. We had an inside cabin.  It was like a closet. The walls were so thin you could hear everything. I remember we paid about $800 each which was a lot of money. Except for covid…we have cruised 55 times and will get on the Solstice in May for the first Alaska cruise. 

[jolly_cruiser]

Our firar cruise was back in 2004 on the Sapphire princess to Alaska ( third voyage on that ship i believe )  i had never considered a cruise before and my wife of 2 years at the time convinced me to try it. Have been on 10 since and plan to do a lot more. Cruising has become our preferred mode of a vacation now, even though we do several land vacations as well. Our daughter who is 12 now is addicted with cruising now as well which is a bonus.

 

Cheers.

[cachouonacruise]

It was 1992, a plan B trip, for our honeymoon, (I was concerned about feeling trapped on a cruise ship). But, since I could not get the time off I wanted for my plan A, we sailed on Sovereign of the Seas, inside stateroom. It was our first, and last cruise, experiencing the midnight buffets! Wow! 
 

Then after a few cruises later on RCCL and HAL, we did our first Celebrity cruise on Solstice, our first Verandah cabin, Hawaii to Vancouver, to celebrate our 25th anniversary.

 

Definitely hooked on cruising! 

[tiff2]

1971 on the Franconia to Bermuda. We took our then 18 month old son with us.

1995 children grown, we started cruising on a regular basis. First cruise “alone” on the Nordic Prince to Southern Caribbean.

[C-Dragons]

Our first cruise as a couple was with X in 2003. It was my surprise gift to my DH as he was retiring from a long career. The cruise was to the Caribbean on the Summit, in a suite. Ironically he wasn’t quite sure he would enjoy the experience… but he ended up loving it.

Needless to say that was the beginning of our long term relationship with X.

[vickykay]

Our first cruise was on the Century late 90’s.   My husband  never wanted to cruise as he was positive he would step on a shop and immediately get seasick.  But he knew how much I wanted to try a cruise and surprised me for an anniversary with a cruise.  It was amazing and he loved it so much ( didn’t get seasick) he booked another cruise while on the ship!  The Century was one of a kind ship.  We both love cruising so much that we now book at least two a year ( of course missed cruising during Covid).  

[Maclet]

I won my very first cruise, through a sales contest at the financial institution I worked for.  There were about 50 winners from all across Canada and we sailed on the Carnival Holiday to the Caribbean in 1993.  All of our on-board expenses were picked up by the bank although most us of were new to cruising and too naïve to look beyond the "freebies" (food and drink) provided on the cruise.

 It was a wonderful trip until the very last day.  It seems no-one bothered to tell our room stewards and MDR waiters that the gratuities, normally handed out in personal envelopes at that time,  would be paid for us.  We sat at breakfast that morning and wondered why the waiters were ignoring us and not taking our orders.  

Eventually it got sorted out but it did put a damper on the memory of the cruise.  However not enough to dissuade me from cruising again.  I'm about to embark on number 28, mostly on Celebrity.

[KKB]

We decided to cruise cuz my folks loved to cruise & said we should try it.

 

Our FIRST cruise was booked on RCCL Oct 2001.

Then 9/11 hit. 

We had 3 little ones at home ranging from 6-1.

I couldn't do it.

So we ate the cost of that cruise--at a time when it really hurt to do so.

(Ironically my folks had a Hawaiian cruise on X that departed the Sunday after 9/11. Once they got to Hawaii no one was there to get on the ship as the cruise ended there. They were offered the 2nd nicest suite on the ship for $500 a piece for 4 of them for 10 more days. They jumped. They could have done the same rate for 2 more weeks thru Panama. They always said that was a mistake)

 

So we didn't cruise until 10/2004 on Princess. 

DH wasn't convinced & needless to say our checkin was a hot mess. (literally & figuratively).

But once we got on, DH declared it was just like Vegas on a ship.

We met SO many wonderful people in line that day, had the best table mates for dinner--we were hooked!

 

We used to cruise about once/year--all we had time/$ for.

 

Just finished our 16th cruise...I retire in May (DH did last May).

Therefore it is retirement year. 

5 cruises booked in the next year, plus a family cruise next summer.

Hoping to cruise SEVERAL times a year now!!

 

[TeeRick]

We went to the Caribbean on our first cruise on RCCL Voyager of the Seas when it was a new ship and the largest cruise ship built to date.  On our first Celebrity cruise,  we went to Alaska on Millennium.

[SonuvaBeach]

On 3/25/2022 at 4:46 PM, chuly said:

Honeymoon Cruise January 15 1972 , 7 day Royal Caribbean Song of Norway . Have cruised at least 2 or 3 times  a year since then including every year for our anniversary except for the Covid cancelled ones. 

Our first cruise was our honeymoon on the Song of Norway...1984. It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. It ended up the being the beginning of a lifestyle...150+ cruises since. But the Song of Norway was still the best cruise EVER!!

[Denny01]

Won’t go into the MATS or Carrier ‘cruises’ i did, but my wife made the Transatlantic on the orignal Queen Elizabeth in 1963. After we married, she wanted to go on a cruise ship but it took her a bit of time to talk me into paying to go ‘back to sea’……we did a Carnival in 1995 and loved it…..just a bit different than ‘gray and under way’.

 

Our first Celebrity was the Mercury right after she was launched, a 1997 family Thanksgiving cruise.

 

Beyond great. So here we are approaching our 41st cruise on the Solstice, a family Alaska cruise with our kids and grandkids who are all hooked also!

 

den

[maryann2]

My first cruise and start of my addiction was in 1971 .Delphi, a Greek ship.  14 day West Africa Canary Island cruise. 

350 passengers.  Inside cabin, no stabilisers. It was wonderful.

[MustBCruzn]

1 hour ago, Denny01 said:

Won’t go into the MATS or Carrier ‘cruises’ i did

 

This cracked me up! That's why I didn't mention my tours on the USNS Mercy! My DH claims that doesn't count as sea duty.  🙂

Edited March 27, 2022 by MustBCruzn

[runningtide]

2 minutes ago, MustBCruzn said:

 

This cracked me up! That's why I didn't mention my tours on the USS Mercy! My DH claims that doesn't count as sea duty.  🙂

Being x Air Force, wondering what MATS stands for. In Air Force parlance, Military Airlift Transport Service if my memory serves me.

[Denny01]

5 minutes ago, MustBCruzn said:

 

This cracked me up! That's why I didn't mention my tours on the USNS Mercy! My DH claims that doesn't count as sea duty.  🙂

So you don’t count it as a cruise….and your DH says you can’t count it as ‘sea duty’?!?!? It’s one or the other!! My MATS was in 1957 from San Francisco to Guam. I was 11 and I still remember it. the staff walking through the ship binging on a chime to announce dinner…..wow. I think it was a Fantastic Cruise!

 

Den

[Denny01]

8 minutes ago, runningtide said:

Being x Air Force, wondering what MATS stands for. In Air Force parlance, Military Airlift Transport Service if my memory serves me.

The Navy has USNS ships staffed by civilian crew and in the past, they had transports that were modified for families and so on to transport to Pacific stations and overseas stations. I misspoke (well typed) and it’s not MATS it is MSC - Military Sealift Command.

 

Den 

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Denny01

[runningtide]

35 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

The Navy has USNS ships staffed by civilian crew and in the past, they had transports that were modified for families and so on to transport to Pacific stations and overseas stations. I misspoke (well typed) and it’s not MATS it is MSC - Military Sealift Command.

 

Den 

 

Thanks so much for the clarification. 

[Azulann]

My SIL  and husband always cruised with friends. Well they  had to canceled . My SIL ask me if I want to go on a cruise? I said , sure, but I will need to be in steerage or cheap cabin.

 I got a inside cabin across from their Sunset Veranda on the Celebrity Century. It was a 11 day cruise out of Barcelona  in Western Med. 

Was hooked.  And the Century  was my favorite ship for this reason, their Martini bar are stellar. Sailed  Celebrity ships  all over Europe, Panama Canal,  till Viking Ocean came along . Have booked my 4th Viking Ocean  cruise . 

Sailed on Viking Venus with same SIL and husband in October to celebrate her birthday.

 I love cruising. 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Azulann

[LGW59]

On 3/25/2022 at 12:51 PM, runningtide said:

My late wife Sharon, back in 2005, asked me what we could do for her mothers 90th birthday. We went over various options, until Sharon mentioned her mom always wanted to see Bermuda. Up to this point, her Mom had never traveled, been on a plane, boat, or train. My wife's family were farmers in Maryland. Her mom and dad used the honeymoon money they saved,  to build their small farm house, and gave up their dream of seeing Bermuda. Now years later and a healthy and active widow about to turn 90, you can understand why we wanted something special for this wonderful woman.

I want to point out that my family are avid sailors in Annapolis, and none of us had every been on a "cruise". We spend vacations and days off sailing mostly on the Chesapeake Bay. While talking to a TA about Bermuda, she suggested doing a cruise from Hampton Roads VA on Celebrity Horizon, instead of flying there. I gotta admit, it sounded so convenient for my mother-in-law, not having to deal with hotels, cabs, airports, etc. My wife and I agreed, and booked the trip. I will admit, though I had over 25 years of sailing under my belt, I knew nothing about cruise ships. Like most, my only experience was watching the TV show.., The Love Boat.  I figured cruising was very lame and boring, and they would have to drag me kicking and screaming to get on a cruise ship.  But to accommodate my wife's mom on her special birthday, we figured....what the hell. 

Along with my youngest son, we left Virginia on Horizon for Bermuda in the summer of 2005. I'll not turn this into a cruise review, but in short, all of us were amazed at how much we enjoyed the ship, the crew, and all the personalized service and activities. It was nothing like what we expected. My mother-in-law was over the moon about cruising, along with getting to spend three days in St George and Hamilton while having her ship waiting for us at the end of each day. 

This first trip became the beginning of many subsequent cruises that continue to this day. I still have that great anticipation before each tip, and owe so much to the first cruise on Celebrity Horizon.

Tell us why you went on your first cruise.

 

All the best.........See you on the next tack !

 

To see what it was like for a week at sea

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, Azulann said:

My SIL  and husband always cruised with friends. Well they  had to canceled . My SIL ask me if I want to go on a cruise? I said , sure, but I will need to be in steerage or cheap cabin.

 I got a inside cabin across from their Sunset Veranda on the Celebrity Century. It was a 11 day cruise out of Barcelona  in Western Med. 

Was hooked.  And the Century  was my favorite ship for this reason, their Martini bar are stellar. Sailed  Celebrity ships  all over Europe, Panama Canal,  till Viking Ocean came along . Have booked my 4th Viking Ocean  cruise . 

Sailed on Viking Venus with same SIL and husband in October to celebrate her birthday.

 I love cruising. 

 

Nice story.  Although not our first cruise, Century was our first Celebrity ship.  I really liked her, too, even though when we were on her there were no balcony cabins, except for suites.  

[floridatravelersforlife]

My DW and I did some pre kids cruises in the 70's on the SS Oceanic and others.  We did the big Red Boat with the teenagers in the  90's, but our first real cruise was on the Century in Oct 2001.  $300 p/p.  And that hooked us.  40 cruises later we have three lined up in the next year.

[jcpc]

23 hours ago, tiff2 said:

1971 on the Franconia to Bermuda. We took our then 18 month old son with us.

1995 children grown, we started cruising on a regular basis. First cruise “alone” on the Nordic Prince to Southern Caribbean.

My first cruise was 1969 on the Franconia from NYC to Bermuda.  That started my "addiction"!  Followed up with many, many Home Lines cruises from NYC.