Anyone remember the Festivale?

[cruiserbryce]

it was kind of funny...this post reminded me of a bar we were just in at Puerta Vallarta...all the pics of ships were the Festivale and RC's Viking Serenade...talk about out dated material???

[2aztravelers]

I had to add a post to this thread, as I too sailed on Festivale as my first cruise when I was a teenager. My Dad took my brother's and I on our first cruise. It was great, we met another girl and her brother. Their Dad had taken them too. We were young but were allowed to drink alcohol. We danced and partied like crazy. My brother's are both older and they were in charge, but we still had fun. I think my Dad gambled. I have the picture of us all still hanging on my wall today, next to other great vacation pictures. I am glad that Carnival will let me send them proof that I was on that ship....it's all such good memories. We have some great pictures of the trip as memories! My Dad has since passed but he chose a great trip for us all. I do remember how glamorous it all seemed and the Baked Alaska, I had never seen anything like it! Ah, so young we were and so much fun! Well, still cruising today and liking it.

[goldiemom]

The Festivale holds a special place in my heart. On July 6, 1980 (second night of the cruise) while on the bow looking out at the gorgious Caribbean night sky, my boyfriend proposed marrige. I accepted and we were married February 14, 1981 onboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. We have been on many cruises since then, but nothing beats the cruising experience of those long ago days.

[cruiselover57]

I was on the Festivale 3 times - first time was in 12/78! Had some really great times on that ship!

 

Laurie

[mrbucky]

We cruised January 1983. I remember we were at the evening show in the showroom. It was crowded and we were late from dinner. We sat as far into the bow as possible. It was rough that night, and our bottoms left the seat and we were airborn for most of the show.

Great time.

[EBFURR]

Wow, I have really enjoyed reading this thread. We first cruised in 1994 on a new ship (of the day) RCI's Majesty of the Seas. It is amazing that many of the things being said of first cruises also apply to our experience. We were awestruck by the size of the ship, amazed at the food (still had midnight buffets every night), etc. We had relatives & friends that cruised in the 1970s' & 1980's but, unfortunately, we waited until the 90's to become hooked. Now, 12 cruises later, I find myself fascinated with the earlier cruise ships from the 1960's forward. It seems that most of the ships of that era were built much earlier and were converted for cruising. Most of them still had remnants of the classic ocean liner style. The only one of these that we have been on is the Big Red Boat (Oceanic). Today's ships are big and flashy, but they lack the "style" of the classics. I hope that you all will keep posting your memories and pictures for those of us that never were able to experience cruising's glory days. Many thanks to those who have shared their experiences.

[griffina6]

 

 

That, my friends, is a lovely vessel.

 

Thanks for the picture Host_Mach. The Festivale was my first cruise as well. Our parents had been on a cruise a year or so before and decided to take my sister (then 13) and I (then 14) and my Grandma a year after my Grandpa had died. It was 1978 then and we had the absolute GREATEST time ever! My sister and I took Grandma all over that ship. She keep saying that we are not supposed to be in these "Crew Only" areas but we were exploring hard. Grandma and sis both won multiple games of BINGO one night and we laughed all the way back to the cabin waking mom and dad and we just laughed and laughed. We still enjoy those old 8mm movies now and then. To say the least we fell in love with cruising and the Festivale.

 

Jump forward to 1990, my wife and I booked a cruise for our 1 year anniversary (honeymooned on NCL Seaward). We had booked another ship with Carnival and they called us three days before our trip to offer a multiple category upgrade to outside window cabin if we would switch so here we go back on Festivale. I was excited to show her around my first ship. Yes the boat had some signs of age by then but she was a beautiful ship.

[bar_20]

My first wife and I sailed on her in May 1979, it was our honeymoon. It was our first cruise. I remember the midnight buffet, the baked Alaska the last night. I also remember not wanting to get off when the cruise was over. I also remember one of the things we purchased was a piece of lucite that was about 1/2"x2"x6". It had a cut out of the ship and our names and the dates of the cruise on it. We used to keep it on a book case we had. I remember one day when things weren't going so well in our marriage, which was quite often, my wife threw it away. Even though we stayed together another year,I new our marriage was over. But things worked out in the end, I married my second wife and she loves to cruise too.:)

[Kirbyq7]

My husband and I took our first cruise on the "Festivale" in Sept. 1987, as well. We actually flew from Boston to San Juan on Eastern Airlines which is no longer in existence either. I have lots of photos & wonderful memories. The waiters with the baked Alaska on their heads, dancing and singing "Hot, Hot, Hot" and waving dinner napkins in the air. The midnight buffet was amazing! Never could stay up to see the one at 2am! They had games at the pool with the cruise director. They would have 2 people sit on greased logs across the pool and each one would have a big spongey bat and try to knock the other one off into the pool. They played drinking games with the huge long glasses with the bulb at the bottom filled with beer. I think it was actually called a "Yard of Beer". One night they had a men's lingerie fashion show, where the men would model their wive's nighties. :eek:

They even had passenger talent night shows. It was so much fun. We loved it. We always swore we'd do it again. Well our lives and children kept us busy all these years and finally we have one planned to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary on Princess' new Ruby in November. Hopefully we'll be able to cruise more often in the future. :D