How has cruising changed over the years?

[mohavemommy]

I want to thank you all for sharing some incredible stories about cruises from the past - I can't believe that garbage was thrown off the back of the ships! :eek: I guess that's why we have the Save the Waves program now.....?

It sounds as if the cabins were substantially smaller then, than they are now....not sure I would have been able to deal with that!

How was the boarding process? Were the lines as long? I know security wasn't an issue then - what sort of documentation did you need to board the ship?

Did you use a sea pass like we do today for onboard purchases???

 

I don't remember if I had a seapass... I don't think so. I probably would have kept it for a souvenir.

 

I do know that I did not receive my cabin key until I got to the cabin. All of the cabin doors were unlocked and the doors were proped open. You just walked into your cabin and picked up your key off of the dresser.

 

I do remember the golf ball driving off the back of the ship as well as the skeet shooting. I also remember that the crew talked about sharks that would follow the ship to eat the food from the trash that was let out overboard late at night.

 

The boarding process was just as lengthy as now. I remember needing my driver's license and my birth certificate.

[rosejazz]

I was a teenager (15-18) in the late 70's and my parents took us cruising every year. I remember us all being in one inside cabin and that the cabin had a bathroom with a shower, BUT in ordet o use your blow dryer, one had to walk down teh hall to a room that had electrical outlets and mirrors in it! Everyone would be in their robes, dryiong their hair an gettignready for dinner! I think that was a Cunard ship :)

 

Dinner was a much bigger event and the dress code was strictly followed. No one cahnged after dinner. You went to the show or the disco in the same clothess you wore for dinner.

 

Midnight Buffet every night, but only one was really a Gala, over the top production.

 

I recall more pool games too.

[sea-cruise]

The Big Red Boat was one of those featured in a Cruise Travel Magazine about 6 or 8 months ago. There was a picture of what is left of her, beached at a scrap yard. The entire bow was cut away and you could see the layers of decks. It was a 3 page article, also showing piles of furnishings and fixtures in a heap on the ground. Sad & shocking to see because she was shown alongside of two other old ships. If you keep this thread bumped up to the top you will probably come across much more information from someone who still has that particular issue of the magazine. I can't remember if one of those others was the Emerald Seas or not. Does anyone have more info?

[Shannon12]

Yes, it was the Disney boat, that's what we learned to. It was very quaint. Maybe someone will know if it's still out there? by the way...where do cruise ships go when they are done?

 

Cruise heaven? LOL

 

you should check out the "Whatever happened to" board. I think they talk alot about where old ships are etc. I believe there is a thread about the oceanic

[Murphy]

I do know that I did not receive my cabin key until I got to the cabin. All of the cabin doors were unlocked and the doors were proped open. You just walked into your cabin and picked up your key off of the dresser.

.

And the keys were REAL keys, not credit card swipers! :) Then they had those thick plastic keys that had holes punched in them that looked like the old IBM punch card thingies.

[ckrobyn]

Yikes! One community "dressing" type room to blow dry your hair?

My, how times have changed!

The sharks chasing the ship thing for garbage kind of freaks me out....:eek:

It sounds as if ships were more "grand" in the traditional sense back then as opposed to now.....

I think it would be neat to see a book on this, or even pictures of yesterday's cruise ships. Has anyone ever seen anything like this?

[rsscaptain]

Wow...I'm truly sad about the Bid Big Red boat ending up like that...Really, I'm sad...:mad:

 

But life does go on. I would have loved to have had that boat for myself. I mean to run like my own bed and breakfast. Well ok, probably to big even still for that, but if I could dream I would.

[Cruising89143]

Wow...I'm truly sad about the Bid Big Red boat ending up like that...Really, I'm sad...:mad:

 

But life does go on. I would have loved to have had that boat for myself. I mean to run like my own bed and breakfast. Well ok, probably to big even still for that, but if I could dream I would.

 

Depending on which BRB that you cruised, she may still be in service.

 

There were four original Big Red Boats for Premier Cruise Lines.

 

The Starship Oceanic still sails today as the Oceanic for Pullmantur Cruises which was just purchased by RCI. She caters to the Spanish market.

 

The Starship Majestic still sails today as the New Flamenco for Elyisa Cruises.

 

The Starship Atlantic still sails today as the Melody for MSC cruises in the Mediterranean.

 

The Starship Royale was sold to Dolphin Cruise Lines and became the Seabreeze. She sank off the coast of North Carolina a few years back after Premier declared bankruptcy. Premier had purchased Dolphin Cruise Line. Her sinking was suspicious.

 

The two cruise ships that were sent off to the breakers were brought on much later. The two ships were the former Islandbreeze and the former EugenioCosta. They were both moved to Big Red Boat market but the cruise line went belly up soon after. The ships were sold for scrap.

[DeepWaterMariner]

Reading these posts have jogged a few more brain cells about the old days of cruising. On security...all you needed was a birth certificate according to the cruise documents but no one ever checked if you had one nor did they say you needed a photo ID too. I cruised for years without taking my birth certificate, all the way into the early 1990's and no one ever asked, not the cruise line or immigration. Also, you use to be able to board just about any ship in NY harbor by paying fifty cents to the seamen's fund. That's how I got interested in cruising, by boarding a couple of cruise ships while I was visiting NYC. That's when they use to have those "all visitors ashore" announcements.

 

Dress...coat and tie every night, even on embarkation day and no one changed after dinner. I was pleasantly surprised when I first cruised on NCL in 1979 to find that I only had to wear a tie on two evenings.

 

Deck chairs...you use to have to reserve them for the entire cruise by paying a small fee. The deck steward would write your name on a slip of paper and slide it into a holder on the deck chair. The last time I had to do that was about 1976.

 

Charging...I had to pay in cash for onboard purchases on my first couple of cruises. From the early 70's on it was always charge purchases to your cabin.

 

Keys...on my first couple of cruises there were real keys and you didn't keep them with you. They were hung in a box on the wall in the hall so the room steward could get into your room when you were out.

[Cruising89143]

My first cruise was twenty years ago on NCL's Starward. A ship that was 525 feet long and only around 16,000 tons. A great ship. Service and food was really good compared to today's dining experience on the mass market lines. Passengers dressed according to each days suggested dress code. Guests treated a cruise as a nice resort and the dress code followed that along with the use of proper manners. Room keys were real keys and that was what you used to charge items to your cabin.

 

Back then there was no room service. The meals were more regimented and there was a midnight buffet every night. There were no balconies on cruise ships and the cabins were very small. My first seven day cruise was around $3200.00 for two people in a room no larger than a broom closet. There was no inch of gold, hawking of bingo, art auctions and such.

 

In many ways cruising has grown in a good way over the years. More choices for cabins, dining and entertainment. Cruises are much less expensive today. Of course with the lower price has come the nickle and dime experience, passengers who have the attitude that it's their vacation and to hell with everyone else attitude, more families on board which can be good or bad depending on the parents.

 

I feel that more than ever today that cruising is still the best vacation value that one can get for the dollar. Unfortunately cruise lines have also found out that the larger the ship and the larger the number of passengers, the less expensive it is for them to operate a vessel so we will continue to see the cruise lines push the limit on the size of ships being built. That is not a good thing IMHO.

[ckrobyn]

Cruisingator - Thanks for the insight....

$3200??? No balcony????? WOW!

I really think times have changed from all that I have been reading. I think the part that should be brought back, is the respect for dress codes onboard - especially at dinner ( but that is a whole other thread, right?LOL)

All in all, I guess the cruise lines like everything else has become more and more commercialized - a victim of modern technology! It does sound as if the choices onboard are a wonderful result of that :)

Thanks to everyone that responded - and thanks to our Hosts for not floating this thread to the floataway lounge! I think there is some pretty interesting information here!

[mohavemommy]

In 86 I paid $2200 for that broom-closet-ocean-view-4-day-to-the-Bahamas cruise.

[Cruising89143]

In 86 I paid $2200 for that broom-closet-ocean-view-4-day-to-the-Bahamas cruise.

 

Mine was a seven day cruise to the western Caribbean. So we paid about the same when you factor in the difference in number of days.

[Guest cvbart]

I think a lot of food was wasted at the midnight buffets. I would go to have a look and would be amazed at the quantities of food on display. Since there are snacks available everynight it seems like 1 or 2 midnight buffets are enough. Perhaps having less also makes them more special.

Another difference, back in the 1980's the dress code was stricter and formal nights were just that.

 

And don't forget that cruising cost a lot more back then.

 

And a lot less people cruised.

 

I think overall things are better now.

[jakedoc]

We first started cruising in 1980 on our honeymoon. St Thomas had some old dock buildings that sold souvineers without any Mac Donalds, Burger King joints etc. Waiters would debone your fish. Ships had doors that you had to watch your head and your shins. They were like dogged doors in the Navy without the levers. You could pay for your drinks in cash. Price of the cruise included airfare and transfers.

[DeepWaterMariner]

While there have been numerous examples of higher prices from the past, if you were cruising on a budget there were some very cheap deals. In 1971 my wife and I booked a 6 day cruise on the old Rotterdam for an inside cabin, uppers and lowers, for a total of $390. A couple of years ago we got a 5 day cruise on Carnival for about $400 total for an inside cabin but both lower beds and much more space which is remarkable given over 30 years of inflation. Our budget use to be about $500 for a 7 day cruise for the two of us not including spending money or air fare. In 1973 we cruised on the Statendam for 10 days, inside cabin, for a total of about $800 cruise only. Two years ago we got an inside on Celebrity for 11 days for just over twice that much...again remarkable considering over 30 years of inflation.

[ckrobyn]

We first started cruising in 1980 on our honeymoon. St Thomas had some old dock buildings that sold souvineers without any Mac Donalds, Burger King joints etc. Waiters would debone your fish. Ships had doors that you had to watch your head and your shins. They were like dogged doors in the Navy without the levers. You could pay for your drinks in cash. Price of the cruise included airfare and transfers.

 

Cash on a ship? What's that? LOL

Sounds like the construction of ships has changed a lot too......

[ckrobyn]

We first started cruising in 1980 on our honeymoon. St Thomas had some old dock buildings that sold souvineers without any Mac Donalds, Burger King joints etc. Waiters would debone your fish. Ships had doors that you had to watch your head and your shins. They were like dogged doors in the Navy without the levers. You could pay for your drinks in cash. Price of the cruise included airfare and transfers.

 

yikes! double post!

[ckrobyn]

We first started cruising in 1980 on our honeymoon. St Thomas had some old dock buildings that sold souvineers without any Mac Donalds, Burger King joints etc. Waiters would debone your fish. Ships had doors that you had to watch your head and your shins. They were like dogged doors in the Navy without the levers. You could pay for your drinks in cash. Price of the cruise included airfare and transfers.

 

sorry! double post!

[skandls]

My first cruise was 1981. So much has changed. If you overslept you might have to wait for the casual lunch to open. There was not 24 hour dining. The bars were not open all day and all night.

 

One of the big things for me is the stabilizers. I used to spend one or two days with motion sickness problems. Now I only have that problem when the seas are rough.

 

As the previous posters have written - costs are a biggie. In the early 80's I remember $2000 per person for one week - and that was not the newest ships. Now we can find bargains - at less then $1000 per person - so even with all the add ons it is still cheaper to cruise today than 20 years ago.

 

One thing I don't like is that the sea day entertainment is disappearing. No lectures, crafts by outside teachers, or other free or low cost activities which are taught by outside consultants. Many of these people were very good - since all they got was a 'free cruise' I don't understand why they are going the way of the midnight buffet. (Which used to give the early diners a chance for a late night snack before bed.)

[beachchick]

My first cruise was 1981. So much has changed. If you overslept you might have to wait for the casual lunch to open. There was not 24 hour dining. The bars were not open all day and all night.

 

One of the big things for me is the stabilizers. I used to spend one or two days with motion sickness problems. Now I only have that problem when the seas are rough.

 

As the previous posters have written - costs are a biggie. In the early 80's I remember $2000 per person for one week - and that was not the newest ships. Now we can find bargains - at less then $1000 per person - so even with all the add ons it is still cheaper to cruise today than 20 years ago.

 

One thing I don't like is that the sea day entertainment is disappearing. No lectures, crafts by outside teachers, or other free or low cost activities which are taught by outside consultants. Many of these people were very good - since all they got was a 'free cruise' I don't understand why they are going the way of the midnight buffet. (Which used to give the early diners a chance for a late night snack before bed.)

 

The great thing about the midnight buffets then was the fact that it was probably the only food available in the evening outside of your set dinner. They don't need to do the midnight buffet deal now in order to give early diners a chance for a late night snack before bed because practically all of the newer ships have multiple dining options open day and evening. As many have mentioned, in the "old days" if you missed the set hours for a meal time, you were often SOL until the next set meal time. Now, goodness, we can graze our way from early in the morning until, well, early the next morning. I actually love the little trays of munchies that the waiters sometimes bring through the various venues in the late evenings. No pushing or shoving or having to wade through masses of other pax at the midnight buffet in order to find a bite to eat.

 

I think it's a shame that some of the sea day activities you mention are no longer part of many cruises. I would guess it might be simply because of the changing preferences of today's pax. The demographic has expanded so dramatically and the dynamic of cruising is so much different that I can only assume the cruise lines have changed many of the daytime activities to suit those changes. In 1970, who would have imagined ice skating rinks, rock walls, and flow riders as part of cruising?

 

beachchick

[ckrobyn]

I would love to have cruised in the 70's or 80's - just to be able to compare!

A very good friend of mine was married 16+ years ago and I remember her saying she was planning a honeymoon on the Sovereign of the Seas........I remember her telling me when she returned of total luxury, lavish buffets every single night with piles of seafood....and basically just how incredible the ship was - I think it was the largest in the fleet back then? This alone tells me that times have certainly changed!

Do you think cruising has changed for the better??

[DeepWaterMariner]

Has cruising changed for the better? I think it's a mixed bag and depends on what you expect from a cruise. Certainly there are many improvements such as better entertainment, larger cabins, better programs for kids, and more and varied facilities (casinos, spas, rock climbing walls, etc.). It's certainly better for the cruise lines as they have tapped into a much larger portion of the traveling public. I also like the fact that I don't need to put on a coat and tie every night, but dislike that many people carry dressing down to an extreme.

 

What I miss is consistently professional service (still around but harder to find), the all inclusive nature of cruising back then, and the absence of sales pitches on the PA system. I also miss the truely European influence on the menus which reflected the ships nationality and also the greater variety of menu choices.

[BobBeaSea]

Hey Robyn how are you? My only experiences with cruising before 2005 were in "90 & '93, both on Sovereign of the Seas, when she was about the biggest ship afloat, she was beautiful and state of the art. Let's see, the food was superb and even included sherbert to "clean the palette". Dinner was an event every night with wonderful attention to detail. The dress code (going from memory) for a 7 nighter was tuxes or dinner jacket for 2 nights....dark suit for 1 night....sport coat and tie for 2 nights and casual for 2 nights. Yes, you stayed in the clothing you started the evening with. At that time the pools and hot tubs were closed at night. Pop or soda was included as were a host of other things..... Midnight buffet every night....Absolutely superb service from your steward and wait staff. Just a note about the stewards, in those days they were like ghosts-you saw them usually the first and last day. This was their instructions, stay out of the passengers' way.

 

As far as tipping, don't recall the stiff rate back then being so high as it is today. Everyone knew what was expected and acted accordingly. The cruise prices today are so much less than 13-16 years ago, resulting in many more people being able to cruise, which is a good thing...it is a wonderful way to vacation and everyone should get the chance to try it. I found my last 2 cruises extremely enjoyable but, were they different from years ago? You bet they were....:)

[sea-cruise]

Yes Bob, you are right. My DH owned 2 tuxedos, bowties & cummerbunds in various colors, a white dinner jacket, and pleated shirts just for cruising. These days he wears a dark suit. Times have changed. Everyone runs to the stateroom to change into extremely casual clothing immediately after dinner. I don't really care because the older we get, the more flexible we have become and to each his own, but your post brought back memories of much grander times....skeet shooting off the stern, driving golf balls into the deep blue, real movie theaters, etc. :p