Your first cruise ship

[Copper10-8]

My first was on the Empress of Canada of the Canadian Pacific line in 1964, trans Atlantic from Montreal to Glasgow. I remember having a great time with some of the younger people who were on the ship, and I remember that our dining table had several young officers eating with us every evening. I also recall renting deck chairs, complete with wool blankets, for the duration of the sailing ,and being served warm beverages and soup on deck. I think the ship later was sold to Carnival.

I loved being at sea from my very first crossing, but have done most of my cruising with my husband in the past 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Empress of Canada (1960-2003) Delivered in 1961 as the Empress of Canada to British company Canadian Pacific Steamships as their last passenger liner, to serve on the Liverpool-Canada line. Sold in 1972 to Carnival Cruise Lines and renamed Mardi Gras. In 1993 she was sold to Greek company Epirotiki Lines who chartered her to Gold Star Cruises as a casino ship, renamed Star of Texas. In 1994 she became Lucky Star cruising out of Miami. In 1995 she was laid up in Greece and renamed Apollon. In 1999 she was chartered as Apollon to Direct Cruises in the UK for one year. From 2001 she operated out of Piraeus for Royal Olympia Cruises (the former Epirotiki) on 3- to 4-day cruises. In December 2003, renamed Apollo for her final journey, she was beached at Alang, India, and scrapped.

[Copper10-8]

My first ship was Leerdam, back in 1952. It was an ocean crossing from Rotterdam to Halifax. Don't remember any of it, but that's probably why I felt at home when we did our first adult cruise on Maasdam in 2003.

 

 

Leerdam II (1921-1954) Originally constructed as a cargo ship of the Gaasterdijk class, she was then built by De Nieuwe Waterweg, Schiedam, The Netherlands for Holland America Line as the third of a quartet of cargo-passengers liners (the others being Maasdam III, Edam IV and Spaarndam II). She commenced her maiden voyage on November 2, 1921 on a Rotterdam - Vigo, Spain - Havana, Cuba - to ports on the east coast of Mexico service. She was operated to carry immigrants outbound and cargo homeward (The Third Class 'tween decks converted to cargo holds). Due to the Great Depression, Cuba and Mexico service was withdrawn in 1932 and she and her three sisters were laid up. She was rebuilt in 1934 with her dummy funnel removed and placed on the Rotterdam-New York cargo-passenger route with her first voyage departing Rotterdam on October 13, 1934.

During World War II, she was seized by the Dutch government and chartered to the British Ministry of War Transport in London in June, 1940 who painted her gray. After the war on March 2, 1946, she was returned to Holland America Line, refitted and returned to Rotterdam-New York service (She called on Baltimore instead of New York in 1952). Her last voyage was in December, 1952 and she was then laid-up in Rotterdam awaiting her faith. On August 7, 1954, she was sold for scrap to the Foreign Assets Realization Corportaion of New York. She arrived at Yokohama, Japan on August 27, 1954 where she was broken up.

[Copper10-8]

I did read the first few pages of this thread but haven't in the past couple of days, but wanted to respond anyway...

 

Our first cruise was on the Oosterdam in 2003 and I was hooked immediately. I love travelling but unfortunately was struck with stomach problems two years prior (I will spare everyone the details). I find that it is the ideal way to travel while at the same time staying in a North American environment. Then in 2004 I cruised on the Westerdam, which was surreal because although it was like returning to the environment of the first cruise on the Oosterdam, there were subtle differences like the carpet, decor, colouring of the Vista lounge, etc. I can't imagine a better way to travel.

 

I would love to take a river cruise sometime, which is obviously in a different league than ships such as HAL's fleet. That is probably the only time I would choose to stray from HAL.

 

 

m/s Oosterdam (2003-present)

[Copper10-8]

On the other hand, my love of the ocean and boats and ships started in the early to mid 1950's when my Dad and Uncle would take me with the MGM Rod and Reel club down to San Diego and we would go on Bill Poole's Polarus for tuna fishing out on the 60 mile bank.

 

The Lido was a galley with a small grill plate and the overnight sleeping accommodations were a few rows of bunk beds below deck.

 

This boat was probably in the 100 foot range - best I recollect.

 

I loved being out on the ocean, the aromas, the fishing, the spray, and tossing leftover bait up to the gulls on the return.

 

Mom would take me on the Great White Steamship from Long Beach over to Catalina for day trips. I also loved the bigger boat. It took a couple of hours to cross and there was generally a Big Band on board (leftover from the forties) for entertainment and that was my introduction to the altosax.

 

And now you know the rest of the story! :)

 

 

 

s/s Catalina (1924-present) She was originally built in 1924 by the Wimington Transportation Company at a cost of $1 million by William Wrigley, Jr., the chewing gum and confectionary magnate who owned most of Santa Catalina Island. Between 1924 and 1975, she carried about 25 million passengers on the 26-mile passage between Los Angeles and the island's Avalon Harbor. According to the Steamship Historical Society of America, the Catalina has carried more passengers than any other vessel anywhere. In her heyday, she was known as the "Great White Steamer" and carried 2,000 passengers at a time on the two-and-a-half hour trip to Catalina. Among its famous passengers were Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover, actor Robert Mitchum and many of the great musicians of the Big Band era.

During World War II, she was used as a troop ship in San Francisco Bay, transporting more than 820,000 sailors and soldiers – more than any other military transport ship in the war effort. By the early 1970s, smaller, faster vessels made it difficult for the Catalina to compete for passenger traffic, and she was retired from passenger service in 1975. In 1977, she was purchased at auction for $70,000 by real estate developer Hymie Singer. He bought the ship as a Valentine's day gift for his wife and the steamship was moved for several years between Newport Beach, San Diego, Santa Monica Bay and Long Beach. As the ship bounced from one port to another, one writer noted: "Twice she broke free of her moorings in Long Beach and once nearly hit a tanker; it was as if the ship was rebelling against her fate, having gone from being a source of pride to an embarrassment to a naval hazard."

In 1985, Singer moved the ship to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, where she became the focus of a series of unsuccessful business ventures, including a floating discotheque and the Catalina Bar and Grill. In late 1997, the Catalina escaped its moorings and became stuck on a sandbar in Ensenada Harbor. Since that time, ahw has remained half-submerged, occupied by sea lions and stuck in the mud in the harbor. After years of neglect, she has become badly decayed and rusted and has been stripped by looters and vandals.

The Catalina has been recognized as a Historic-Cultural Monument by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission, and is a California State Historic Landmark. She was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Preservationists have sought since the late 1990s to raise funds to return her to Los Angeles for restoration. Others have opposed raising the ship, saying, "It's like digging up grandma and putting her at the head of the table." It is feared that tiem is running out for the old lady as the City of Ensenada has plans to demolish her to make way for a large container facility sometime in the very near future.

[Albertiv]

First cruise 1992 Nieuw Amsterdam 7 day Western Carib. out of Tampa. Loved that boat & the crew. Since then Westerdam 1997, Ryndam 2000, Rotterdam 2004, Statendam 2006 and looking forward to Zeendam 2008 Hawaii Holiday Cruise 12-22-08 - 1-6-09. Love those Dam boats.

[Copper10-8]

It's nice to bring back pleasant memories. Our first cruise was with Home Lines on the Oceanic in August of 1980. We sailed NY to Nassau, seven days round trip. When we returned home my DH found the company he was working for had been sold.

 

Our first HAL cruise was 1996 on the Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska. She was a beautiful ship.

 

 

s/s Oceanic (1965-present) Built in 1965 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone, Italy. She was the first newbuild to be purpose-built for Home Lines and was designed as a two-class liner. Planned in the twilight years of the age of the ocean liner, she had many features that are commonplace in cruise ships today, like an engines-aft design, balcony suites, and a midships swimming pool with a "Magradome", a retractable roof over the pool.

She was to operate in summer on the Homes Lines' Canadian route from Cuxhaven, Germany, Le Havre, France and Southampton, England to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. However, by the time of her delivery and due to the increasing popularity of the jet airliner, the company had dropped the their regular trans-Atlantic line voyages. So, she headed for New York instead, where she operated seven-day cruises to Nassau, the Bahamas throughout the summer, whilst in the winter she operated extended cruises throughout the Caribbean. When leaving from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for New York City on her maiden voyage, an interesting incident occurred when she arrived in NYC. The stevedores happened to be on strike and thus would not accept the ropes required for docking. They were there on the wharves, but they just kept throwing them back in the river. However, her captain was able to dock Oceanic just the same.

[Copper10-8]

Duplicate

[Copper10-8]

After 21 years of service, Home Line decided to sell the Oceanic, and she was sold to Premier Cruise Line in 1985.

[savannahgirl1]

It was 1987, I was 14 years old. It was a cruise called The Singing at Sea, a southern gospel singing cruise and it was aboard the SS Emerald Seas. It was a converted war ship. The last I heard she was sold as scrap and was being dismantled. Kinda sad being my first cruise ship. I was so thrilled, we had a port hole. :rolleyes: Now we have balconies. ;) From then on I had cruising in my blood. My husbands was the Veendam in 1998, our honeymoon. Cruise ships have really come a long way since then that 1987 cruise. :p

[Copper10-8]

After 21 years of service, Home Line decided to sell the Oceanic, and she was sold to Premier Cruises in 1985, renamed StarShip Oceanic and in 1986 was initially placed on three and four-day cruises from Port Canaveral, Fl to Nassau, the Bahamas. This cruise could be combined with a stay at WAlt Disney World. Later during her career with Premier Cruises she was often marketed as "The Big Red Boat", and in 2000 she was renamed Big Red Boat I, with no change to her itineraries. When Premier folded in the fall of 2000, the ship was detained by port authorities and then laid up. Premier Cruises was forced to put the ship up for sale.

The ship was purchased by the Spanish-owned Pullmantur Cruises in late 2000. Her hull was painted white and she reverted back to her original name, beginning service with Pullmantur in May 2001. She is currently used on cruises around the Mediterranean with Barcelona as her starting port.

[RJ2002]

My first cruise was on the Carnival Mardi Gras, in 1976. It was a Caribbean itinerary, sailing out of Miami.

 

What fun!

[Sunshinecrew]

Premier's Big Red Boat to Nassau.

[ViolaSwamp]

RCCL Enchantment of the Seas, February 2003, Western Caribbean 7-nighter: Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, back to Fort Lauderdale.

 

I believe this was the ship's last cruise before it was drydocked for an extension.

 

Had a great time and got us hooked! :)

[vbmom87]

First cruise was on HAL's Volendam in June 2008. We traveled to Alaska visiting Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and College Fjords. Although we enjoyed this cruise as our means to visit Southeastern Alaska, we are not hooked on cruising. It is not our favorite type of vacation. Most of our vacations have been driving/camping vacations, which is still our prefered vacation. I would cruise again if it was the best way to see what we wanted to see, the ship was a smaller size like the Volendam, and the price was right.

[Sanibel*Gal]

What a great thread.... I saw our first cruise ship - Post #270:D Really brought back the memories - and so many interesting stories on the other ships, Thanks this was a great idea!!

 

Andrea

~~~~~

[Solara]

RCCL - The Song of Norway - August 1976

[raadsel]

Mine was the Zaandam, August 2006, Alaska. What a great first cruise!

[Celest1022]

It was the ship's name. The cruise line was Admiral Cruises.

 

Also happens to be my first, in 1989 (see sig).

Our first cruise was on the Asure Seas as well. Do you remember, you could bring guests on board? We were in the bowels of the ship and you could hear all this noise, kinda creepy. I still have a bottle of champagne from the Azure Seas. I keep it just because of the memories.

[vegasbill]

Sailed twice on my favorite and first ship the SS Norway in 1984 and 1989.

[tvaud]

My first cruise was on the Carla C in 1980, but the cruise bug bit me many years earlier. Back in the mid 60's, my grandparents sailed on the Michelangelo from NYC to Genoa. We were able to visit them on board for a bon voyage party. I remember walking all over the ship and felt the bite that day on deck. In my head, I vowed to myself that I would someday take a cruise, if I was very lucky. I think I was 9 at the time. This was also one of the only times that the Michelangelo and Raffaelo were berthed together in NYC. Next month, I will take my 22nd cruise...and I'm not done yet...not for a very very long time.:)

Oh, I may have sailed many times, but I wasn't truly spoiled until I cruised on the Sitmar ships.;)

[TheHappyWanderer]

25 anniversary cruise to the western Carribbean. We loved the ship and all the romance of the sea. As we look back we were in the worst room we have ever been on....but it didnt matter....we were cruising!

 

Marilee

[Copper10-8]

Hello all. I tried to edit my previous post to say that HAL is a favorite for us. Sorry to say, the attempt to edit went to neverland, so here's the p.s.

 

We'll be on the E'dam in May next year! I've heard enough to say NO! to the cabanas on the Lido Deck, but YES, by all means, to the Retreat cabanas. Please, O Powers That Be, free up more space on the Lido!

 

 

m/s Eurodam (2008-present)

[Copper10-8]

My first cruise was on the Sun Princess in Jan. 1980...I was 6 months pregnant with my son. I had a 2 yr. old daughter and knew it was going to be a very long time before I would have any time to myself again. So, we left DD with mom and took this wonderful Caribbean cruise that left from San Juan, PR visiting Curacao, Martinique, Caracas, St. Thomas and Princess' private island (at that time) somewhere in the Grenadines. I was hooked but didn't take another cruise until April of this year...and I did it solo. I just booked my next cruise, solo again, on the Eurodam on 11/1.

 

Diane

 

 

Spirit of London (1972-present) Delivered in 1972 to P & O as the Spirit of London, she had originally been ordered by Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL) and was to be named Seaward, but P & O bought her unfinished hull after NCL had pulled out of the deal. In 1974, P & O bought Princess Cruises and the Spirit of London was renamed Sun Princess, joining the Island Princess and Pacific Princess in the Princess fleet.

1988 saw the sale of the Sun Princess by P & O to Premier Cruises, where it was initially named Majestic, then becoming the Starship Majestic in 1989. In 1994, she was purchased by CTC and was renamed the Southern Cross. She was renamed again in 1998 when Festival Cruises began operating her as the Flamenco. After Festival Cruises collapsed, she began sailing for Cruise Elysia for which she currently operates as New Flamenco.

[frekil]

Carnnival Fantasy 05 and I have been hooked ever since

[altosax]

 

 

 

 

 

LOL, John. That's me.