Your first cruise ship

[fcorey]

John, I think you have earned the title of official Cruise Critic historian :)

[fcorey]

No Ma'am - Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

 

That GOL jet was a dead give away :)

[Copper10-8]

That GOL jet was a dead give away :)

 

That post seems like a long time ago, Frank

[themerle]

John, Thanks for starting this thread! I've been reading this thread off/on all day. I've enjoyed reading about the ships and seeing the photos. There's so much history here; I really appreciate the amount of time you are spending on this!

 

My first cruise was on the Commodore Cruise Line on Enchanted Seas. We sailed on 5/03/92 from New Orleans. Ports of call were Montego Bay, Jamica - Grand Cayman - Cozumel. We were a group of 12 couples and we had a great time. As with any addiction we started out slow, but now that's all we think about!!!!

[caribbean girl]

That post seems like a long time ago, Frank

 

 

Hello, Copperoozies...are you getting ready to write a book? I hope all is well...:)

 

(Sorry...I know I'm OT...)

[Copper10-8]

Hello, Copperoozies...are you getting ready to write a book? I hope all is well...:)

 

(Sorry...I know I'm OT...)

 

Great to see you, Alcirita!:) All is well! One book is enough for now, muchas gracias!;)

[caribbean girl]

Great to see you, Alcirita!:) All is well! One book is enough for now, muchas gracias!;)

 

Good to know. I wonder...any news of Stormy? I miss our old crowd from time to time...:rolleyes:

[Copper10-8]

Good to know. I wonder...any news of Stormy? I miss our old crowd from time to time...:rolleyes:

 

No, she completely disappeared from the scene about a year and a half ago - Hope she's doing well

[mrblack]

Our first cruise was just after 9/11. We got a terrific deal because everyone quit travelling. I dragged my husband onboard kicking and screming...that was the Mercury 2002. One cruise and he became hooked. Now he loves it and is always looking for a deal. Since then even though we are both still working full time we have sailed 8 times. We have even done a transatlantic. It was fabulous. Mel

[Copper10-8]

First cruise was aboard the NCL Leeward. A beautiful "little" ship by today's standards. We had the George Bush (senior) suite on the bow with a whirlpool out on deck. It was a wonderful cruise, and I must admit hooked me right away. The Leeward has had a rocky history since it left NCL, definitely a story worth looking up if you have the time. The Leeward took us to the Western Caribbean and returned us to Port Canaveral.

 

 

ms Viking Saga (1980-present) Built as the cruise ferry ms Viking Saga in 1980 by Wartsila Turku New Shipyard, Turku, Finland for Finnish-based Rederi Ab Sally, one of the Viking Line partners. Viking Line is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries as well as cruiseferries between Finland, the Aland Islands, Sweden and Estonia. Viking Saga was the first genuine cruiseferry in the Finland to Sweden traffic pattern. She and her sister, Viking Song, alongside Silja Line's contemporary ms Finlandia and ms Silvia Regina, were instrumental in turning the Helsinki to Stockholm run into a popular cruise route.

In June 1982, Viking Saga was sold to Finnish-based Suomen Yritysrahoitus (common spelling!), who in turn chartered her right back to Sally. This is when a black cloud first appeared overhead the ship and started following her (read on!): In 1985, Viking Saga struck the bottom near Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago, and had to be docked in Stockholm.

After ms Olympia replaced her on the Helsinki to Stockholm route in April 1986, Viking Saga was rebuilt for use as a cruise ship at Wartsila Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland. She did not however, become a "real" cruise ship as she still had her car decks which were not built in/converted. During her conversion at the yard, there was an on board fire, but it was extinguished by the shipyard staff. Now named Sally Albatross, she entered service for the new Sally Cruise brand in May 1986. She was mainly used for cruising around the Baltic Sea from Helsinki (mainly 25-hour cruises to pretty much nowhere).

In 1987, Rederi Ab Sally was sold to its rivals, Effoa and Johnson Line. In January-February 1988, the Sally Albatross was comprehensively rebuilt at Schichau Seebeckwerft, Bremerhaven, Germany, where she received additional cabins on the former upper cardeck, the forward superstructure was built to a more streamlined appearance and smaller changes were made to the bow and other parts of the superstructure. At the same time her livery was altered, in addition to the light and dark blue stripes running along the hull black stripes were painted along the windows of the superstructure, giving the ship an even more streamlined appearance. The cost of the reconstruction was 35 million Finnish markka.

In January 1990, while docked at the Finnboda Shipyard, Nacka, Sweden, for reconstruction of her restaurants, nightclub and conference facilities, practically the entire superstructure of the ship was damaged beyond repair by a fire which had started from drops of liquid metal sparkling on flammnable material. The ship's sprinkler system had been turned off for the duration of the refit work. Due to the danger of gas bottles (used in the reconstruction) exploding in the heat, the local fire department thought twice about enetering the ship. As a result, Sally Albatross burned uncontrollably for three days. For the good news: all workers (and an American actress who had been on board) were rescued from inside the ship and no lives were lost.

The burnt-out hull was first towed to Mantyluoto, Finland, where she was partially scrapped, leaving only the hull below cardeck intact. After this the remains were towed into Naantali, Finland where the remaining hull was cut into several sections. These were then transported to the Finnyards shipyard in Rauma, Finland where they were used as the basis of a new ship with the project name Sally Eurocruiser. She was to be a genuine cruiseship, without a cardeck.

 

She was re-delivered in 1992, still named Sally Albatross, but in essence, she was a completely new ship. The new Sally Albatross was delivered to Finnish-based Sally Cruise on 23 March 1992 and started operating cruises in the Baltic Sea with Helsinki as her port of departure, in a similar arrangement as she had done in the late eighties. In July of the same year she was chartered to Svea 92, a Swedish consortium for advancing exports, as a hotel and conference ship for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. After the Olympic Games had concluded, in September 1992, Sally Albatross was transferred to the Finnish-based Silja Line. Despite joining the Silja, fleet Sally Albatross' old colour scheme and Sally Cruise funnel colors were maintained.

In 1994, that black cloud appeared again! On 4 March 1994, she ran aground in the ice-covered sea outside of Porkkala, Finland. She was towed to shallow waters and her passengers evacuated. After this, she was left on the spot, partially submerged, while preparations were made to re-float her. Re-floating the ship proved to be a complicated process, and it was not until 16 April that she was once again afloat. She was then towed to the abandoned Vuosaari shipyard, arriving on 20 April, where the most necessary repairs were made.

In October 1994, she was towed all the way to La Spezia, Italy where she was repaired and rebuilt for international cruise traffic at Industrie Navali Maccaniche Affini. She then began a charter to Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) who renamed her ms Leeward and, from July 1995 onwards, operated her in the Caribbean.

 

In March 2000, Leeward was once again chartered, this time for three years to Malaysian-based Star Cruises (owners of Norwegian Cruise Line) who renamed her Superstar Taurus and used her on various cruises around Asia, mostly from Japan.

 

In December 2001, however Star Cruises terminated the charter contract and the she reverted once again to Silja Line. Superstar Taurus sailed back to Europe, and between February and June 2002. received another rebuilt at Luonnonmaan, Telakka, Finland for cruise service on the Baltic Sea. On 1 June 2002, she was renamed Silja Opera and placed under Swedish flag. Silja Opera (re)started cruising the Baltic Sea on 29 June 2002 with once again Helsinki as her point of departure. She made a one-day cruise to nowhere from Helsinki and two-night cruises to Visby, Sweden and Riga, Latvia (discontinued after one season) as well as to St. Petersburg, Russia. The ship already had a reputation as a ship of bad luck (you think?) amongst the public, and this was not helped when in September 2003, she collided with not one, but three cargo-ships in St. Petersburg, resulting in minor damage to all parties involved. Less than two months later, in almost precisely same spot, she collided with a Russian icebreaker.

 

Edited February 2, 2009 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

Silja Opera's cruises from Helsinki were not very popular, and in October 2004, she began making cruises from Stockholm to Tallinn, Estonia. These too failed to find popularity, and in February 2005, she was transferred back to cruising from Helsinki. With the ship continuing to lose money, in November 2005 Silja Line decided to cut costs by concentrating on their core markets and sell Silja Opera.

After avery short time (about one month) on the Turku-Mariehamm-Kapellskar route, Silja Opera stopped sailing for Silja Line on 13 February 2006 and three days later she was laid up at Stockholm, waiting for potential buyers. On 22 May 2006, Silja Opera left Stockholm for the last time, bound for lay up at Tilbury Docks on the east of Greater London, England. The ship arrived on 25 May and soon afterwards, the Silja Line markings were painted over and her ownership was transferred to SeaContainers, then the parent company of Silja Line. At the same time she was changed from Swedish to Bahamian flag and her name was shortened to Opera.

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After a year in lay-up, in May 2007, Opera was sold to the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines to replace ms Sea Diamond which had sunk some months before at Santorini (not a real good sign!). After a refit and rebuilding at Piraeus, Greece, she was renamed ms Cristal and started service for the Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines brand, a subsidiary of Louis Cruise Lines in July 2007. After the life she's lived, all the best of luck to her!!

[LDS4me]

What was your first cruise ship? What cruise line, the year and the itinerary? (if you remember;) ) Did it get you hooked?

 

Ours was Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's m/s Viking Serenade, a converted car ferry, back in NOV 1991, a 3-day L.A. - Catalina Island - Esenada, Mexico - L.A. cruise. Never forget our first impressions - we were hooked from that day on!

 

 

Viking Serenade (still sailing today as Island Escape)

 

 

John, our third cruise was on Admiral's Stardancer which shortly after our Alaska cruise in Aug. of 1989 became the Viking serenade. At that time the back of the ship still opened to allow passengers to bring their motor homes along to explore Alaska for a week or two and then hopped right back on the ship and returned homed.

 

Mark.

[LDS4me]

Our first cruise was Carnival's Tropicale, built in 1982, we cruised the Tropicale in 1987 to the Mexican Riviera. She became the Costa Tropical in the year 2000. She then became the Pacific Star in 2005 and then became the Ocean Dream in 2008. We were hooked before we even took a cruise. Back in the 70's we went aboard a ship then known as the Spirit of London as guests while in port. Being young and broke it took us awhile before we could afford our first cruise. Now we are planning our 13th cruise with HAL to the Sea Of Cortez in March. Much has changed over the last 22 years, but we still enjoy cruising.

 

Mark.

 

[Tracyr]

My love of "cruising" started when I was young living in Alaska. Every year we would take the Alaska Ferry Line from Sitka, AK south. We summered in Alaska and Wintered in Oregon.

As an adult I suggested to my husband that we take a cruise for our 10th anniversary. After him putting me off a couple of years I booked an Alaskan cruise on the Ryndam for our 13th anniversary in 2000. I told him his name was on the booking if he wanted to go and if not I could take a friend. He went and loved it. I became HOOKED.

 

Nine years later I have my 17th and 18th cruises booked (he has been on 7) and am a home based cruise specialist. If I can't be on a cruise I'm booking one for someone else.

[Copper10-8]

John, our third cruise was on Admiral's Stardancer which shortly after our Alaska cruise in Aug. of 1989 became the Viking serenade. At that time the back of the ship still opened to allow passengers to bring their motor homes along to explore Alaska for a week or two and then hopped right back on the ship and returned homed.

 

Mark.

 

Hi Mark, kinda like this?;)

[Copper10-8]

My love of "cruising" started when I was young living in Alaska. Every year we would take the Alaska Ferry Line from Sitka, AK south. We summered in Alaska and Wintered in Oregon.

As an adult I suggested to my husband that we take a cruise for our 10th anniversary. After him putting me off a couple of years I booked an Alaskan cruise on the Ryndam for our 13th anniversary in 2000. I told him his name was on the booking if he wanted to go and if not I could take a friend. He went and loved it. I became HOOKED.

 

Nine years later I have my 17th and 18th cruises booked (he has been on 7) and am a home based cruise specialist. If I can't be on a cruise I'm booking one for someone else.

 

 

m/s Ryndam (1994-present) Built by Fincantieri - Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Monfalcone, Italy for Holland America Line. She is the third ship in HAL history to bear the name Ryndam and the third of the four ships in the 'S' class (Statendam, Maasdam and Veendam are her sisters). She was named after the river Rhine (Ryn or Rijn in Dutch) and a dam built by the Dutchies somewhere in that great river. (There is no city or town called Ryndam but the Dutch like building dams and dikes and are pretty good at it too!;))

Upon leaving the yard for the first time, she ran technical trials in the Adriatic for three days in June 1994. She was handed over to her Holland America Line/Carnival Corporation owners on 9 September 1994. She then took off on a transatlantic crossing to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. where on 20 October 1996, she was christened by her godmother, Madeleine Arison, wife of Micky Arison, CEO of Carnival Corporation.

Her inaugural/maiden voyage that same afternoon took her to the Caribbean, an area that she would become very familiar with in the future. The summer season usually finds her in Alaska after having made the crossing via the Panama Canal. One of her most popular HAL captains, Capt. Frans Consen when assigned to her, can be heard bellowing her name with the addition of several 'rolling r's' as in Rrrrrrrrryndam, on his 'voice from the bridge' talk around noon time on sea days;)

The four ships of the 'S' class are just about identical, having only small changes in their internal layout. However, each one has a different decorative theme. Ryndam's theme is built around the Dutch age of exploration, with her decor featuring art and artifacts from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries,

In April 2005, Holland America Cruise Line announced a program of up-scaling their cruise ships, cruise line image and passenger cruise experience called the 'Signature of Excellence program'. This enhancement program included stateroom amenities, luxury beds and bed linens, a Neptune Lounge, Pinnacle Grill, Explorations Cafe, Greenhouse Spa & Salon, and a Culinary Arts Center on all ships and the extension of the gym out and above the bridge. In addition, changes were made for non-adults including newly expanded youth facilities with the "Club HAL" program and the Loft and the Oasis for teens. Ryndam had her SOE enhancements installed while in dry-dock in October 2004

 

In August 2008, HAL announced further enhancements to, as well as new features on, five of the line's most popular ships as part of its ongoing Signature of Excellence program. Over the next two years the four 'S' sisters as well as the lead ship of the 'R' class, ms Rotterdam, will undergo extensive dry docks to create new venues, new staterooms and new decor. The 18-month, $200 million program will begin when Veendam enters an extended dock in spring 2009, and the last ship Maasdam is slated for completion in late 2010. Passenger capacity of the five ships, based on a two per cabin, will be increased to 1,350 for the 'S' class and to 1,404 for the Rotterdam

 

 

Edited February 3, 2009 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

My honeymoon cruise was also my first cruise. It was on the Furness-Bermuda line's Ocean Monarch in 1964 to Bermuda & Nassau from NYC. Although I enjoyed it, I had quite an adventure.

 

I don't know if the ship had stabilizers but the dining room tables had rims that could raise to prevent the dishes from sliding off the table. The other woman at the table because so ill at dinner that she vomited all over the table and they moved us quickly.

 

I got a major ear infection and the aged and possibly drunk ship's doctor wanted to send me home. I didn't want to go as I had never flown at that time. After that I did not cruise until 1975.

Fran

 

 

tss Ocean Monarch (1951-1981) Built in 1951 as tss (Turbine Steam Ship) Ocean Monarch by Vickers-Armstrong Shipbuilders, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England for Furness, Withy & Co. She was based out of New York and was used on the New York - Bermuda service by Furness Bermuda Line, carrying passengers and fresh water supplies to the island's hotels. (Bermuda has no fresh water supply at that time). On 18 April 1951, she left England for New York City on her maiden voyage.

On 22 September 1966 following the ending of sea passenger services to Bermuda, she crossed back over to Great Britain but this time to be laid up in the River Fal, Cornwall awaiting disposal.

In August 1967, she was sold to Bulgarian-base Balkantourist (owned by Navigation Maritime Bulgare, Sofia), renamed Varna to earn foreign currency by cruising in the Black Sea. For three years, she was laid up during the winter season.

In 1970, she was laid up at Perama, Greece. In 1979, she was purchased by Greek-based Dolphin (Hellas) Shipping S.A., refurbished for full-time cruising. First renamed Venus, and then Riviera A, she was operated by Trans-Tirreno Express SpA for Mediterranean cruising. In 1981, she was renamed Reina Del Mar but laid up awaiting financing.

She was then chartered to German-based SUR-Seereisen for summer cruises and was to be overhauled at Ambelaki, Greece. On 28 May 1981, while at Ambelaki, engine running trials led to an engine room fire which gutted the ship. The next day, 29 May 1981 found Reina del Mar still burning vessel towed out to sea by the tug Titan, but the tow parted and she went ashore on Salamina Island. On 1 June 1981, she was towed off but again burst into flames and was scuttled at Kynosaura, Perama Bay where she fell onto her side and became a total loss

[Seago2]

John, some of these are hilarious, i.e; Ocean Monarch (below). It's like they're cursed!

[Copper10-8]

John, some of these are hilarious, i.e; Ocean Monarch (below). It's like they're cursed!

 

I believe ms Viking Saga, aka NCL's former Leeward, has a steady grip on first place and the "Mr. Murphy trophee' as the most unluckiest cruise ship around!:eek: - See post #812

[RedmondCruiser]

Hi Mark, kinda like this?;)

 

 

Did'nt this ship "Stardancer" have its maiden voyage out of Vancouver on an Alaska Cruise and ran aground ? They ran aground in the inland passage and the ship partially sank. My recollection is that it was refurbished as an RCI ship and ran out of LA. ----- Do I have the right ship ?

[Copper10-8]

Did'nt this ship "Stardancer" have its maiden voyage out of Vancouver on an Alaska Cruise and ran aground ? They ran aground in the inland passage and the ship partially sank. My recollection is that it was refurbished as an RCI ship and ran out of LA. ----- Do I have the right ship ?

 

Almost! The ship that ran aground in Alaska and was declared a 'total loss' was the 'first' Stardancer. She was also a former ferry, known as Svea Corona. To solve that 'little' problem, the powers to be at Sundance cruises (the operator of the first Stardancer) bought the ferry Scandinavia in Europe and named her Stardancer (the second one). That Stardancer eventually (after a stint with newly-formed Admiral Cruises) became Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Viking Serenade and is still sailing today as Island Escape

[Atomica]

Almost! The ship that ran aground in Alaska and was declared a 'total loss' was the 'first' Stardancer. She was also a former ferry, known as Svea Corona. To solve that 'little' problem, the powers to be at Sundance cruises (the operator of the first Stardancer) bought the ferry Scandinavia in Europe and named her Stardancer (the second one). That Stardancer eventually (after a stint with newly-formed Admiral Cruises) became Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Viking Serenade and is still sailing today as Island Escape

 

Even more almost, John! The Svea Corona was actually named 'Sundancer'. After being declared a total loss in 1984 following the Alaska incident, the Sundancer (amazingly) was bought by Epirotiki Lines, towed to Greece, refitted and renamed Pegasus. The ship wasn't trouble-free yet: she burned at the pier in Venice in 1991 and was declared a total and complete loss. She was finally scrapped in Turkey in 1995.

 

There's a great writeup on the Sundancer in William H. Miller, Jr.'s photo-reference book, "Doomed Ships".

[Copper10-8]

Couple more pics of the 'second' Stardancer

 

as Scandinavia

 

as Stardancer (leaving Vancouver, BC)

 

as RCCL's Viking Seranade (no more ferry car doors on her butt and the Viking Crown Lounge added to her funnel)

 

as Island Escape, as she looks today

[Druke I]

Atomica is right.

 

Sundance's first ship was Sundancer. Their second was Stardancer.

 

Sundance Cruises was started by the same fellow, Stan MacDonald, who had started Princess Cruise Lines many years before.

[Copper10-8]

Even more almost, John! The Svea Corona was actually named 'Sundancer'. After being declared a total loss in 1984 following the Alaska incident, the Sundancer (amazingly) was bought by Epirotiki Lines, towed to Greece, refitted and renamed Pegasus. The ship wasn't trouble-free yet: she burned at the pier in Venice in 1991 and was declared a total and complete loss. She was finally scrapped in Turkey in 1995.

 

There's a great writeup on the Sundancer in William H. Miller, Jr.'s photo-reference book, "Doomed Ships".

 

 

Thanks for that tidbit, Aaron! Some ships are like cats, many lives!;)