What did you think of your very first cruise?

[sha88]

My first cruise was last summer and all I can say is that I cried (literally) when it was over. Decided right then and there that I was going to cruise at least once a year (more if I could). Next up: Empress in the Fall of 2006.

 

Have a great time and be careful... you may end up to be a cruise addict.

[Kri]

First cruise was the NCL Starward for honeymoon in 1989. Hooked right away! Between finishing our college educations, starting a family, etc we've squeezed in a total of 5 cruises including the honeymoon but #6 is just around the corner (FOS this summer!)

[wallie5446]

Our 1st was in '87 on the long gone Admiral Cruise Line's Emerald Sea. A small bucket that no one would book today. Still just made us want to go again an again.

[jules815]

Oh my gosh, we had the same type cabin! Honestly, I can't remember...I think it was $800 or $900 each for a cabin in the bowels of the ship, with *bunkbeds*, and we thought it was the bargain of the century! LOL

 

People complaining about prices haven't been cruising long enough. I will tell you though...the food and service is NOT today what it was back then. Not even close.

 

We felt like royalty for the week....even in that tiny cabin sleeping one on top of the other. :D

 

Tracy

 

This is how my parents started cruising, in the 1970's! They would go with a few other couples and all of them had tiny cabins with bunk beds. They still talk about how much fun they had on those trips though.

[NYCRUISR]

Our first cruise...........................June 25, 1990 on the inaugural sailing of Nordic Empress. The port in Miami was quite different than it is now. There was a parking lot in front of the pier and the building to check in was very small in comparison to today. We checked in but unlike cruisers of today, we had NO idea of what we were going to encounter.

Upon entering the ship ( into the "centrum" ) we were dazzled by the awesome beauty of that ship. The glass enclosed waterfall..........the chrome....the brass........... everything was beyond anything we had ever seen in any hotel, anywhere. That was 1990.

2003........ ExplorerUpon entering the ship ( into the "centrum" ) we were dazzled by the awesome beauty of that ship. lol.........yes, we are still impressed.lol.

[happy cruzer]

DH and I did our first cruise in around 1986 ( I know you probably weren't even born yet). We went with our two best friends who were the experts. Well we thought they were the experts anyway. For example they made the reservations and paid full brochure rates on the Regal Princess to Alaska. We were all so suprised when our outside cabin was upgraded to a balcony (I'm sure we had paid more than enought for this upgrade). You've been reading this board so you are vastly more prepared and will have a great time. Here's some of the things that happened to us as newbies:

 

1) nearly passed out when we had to pay 1.50 for a small glass of coke, no drink card in that day, and we did not drink alcohol or even coffee at the time so it was 1.50 a pop for each little sip of coke

2) I got seasick everywhere, on the ship, on the small airplane tour, on the bus to the tour. no wasn't pregnant, just seasick. but i was young and got over it quickly. On the airplane tour, DH had to stop videoing because I was ruining the audio by the time we got off the plane and rode down to the ship I wan't off the bus to get some ice cream Ha just like a kid sick one minute yelling for ice cream the next. Now I use Sea Bands and have no problems which everyone finds are to believe but it's true.

3) We didn't understand the formal service so our waiter was always having fun at our expense and we were too dumb to fix the problem went thru the same embarassment 7 nights.

4) Didn't know that the room steward would clean our room twice a day. On the very first full day, I was late for getting ready for dinner and got a run in my hose and had to leave hose, underwear all over the cabin. Was totally embrassed to find it all folded and neatly put away when I got back from dinner.

 

I'm sure I can remember other funnies from the first cruise. But the point being at the end of the first cruise all we could think of was - Can we cruise again that trip was the best trip we had ever been on. Just the best! So for our second cruise we picked a econo cruise so we would not even expect it to be anywhere as nice as the first. We did the cheapest cabin available on Commodore Cruise lines out of New Orleans on a ship built in the 50's and true small ocean liner not a cruiser. Guess What! Even more fun than the first cruise!

 

Life is what you make it!! A sense of humor is priceless. Have done 12 cruises now, each one different, none perfect, and each one fun.