Just for fun...what was your first cruise???

[Blazerboy]

First cruise was back in the late 70's with my parents on the Italian Line "Leonardo Da Vinci". We sailed out of NY and stopped in Fla for more passengers. Loved it, loved the Italian line!

Hey, Donatello! I sailed with my mother and brother on the Leonardo DaVinci in 1976. Loved it, too! We did a Med. Cruise before we settled in Palma de Mallorca. This cruise in Oct will be the first time back to P de M since. Hope to meet you both on the ship.

 

Andrew and Ed.

[donnatello]

BlazerBoy: We went to Italy several times on Italian Line ships, starting when I was "just a tot" in the 60's until one of the last sailings on the "MichaelAngelo". We'd go for most of summer vacation and visit with relatives and my Dad would either come with us and fly home or fly over, sail home with us. (He couldn't sty the whole summer). We will be visiting with family in Italy in Oct before we come home on the "Silhouette". When we came back on the "Noordam" (I really, really really like HAL) and we stopped in Bermuda. That was nice, then one more day of sailing and then docked in NY.

[ShawninFL]

My first cruise was when I was 23 and was with my parents. I was having some pretty serious personal issues at the time and living at home after college. My parents had never been on a cruise before and wanted to try one. They decided I needed a pick me up and took me along kicking and screaming that I didn't want to go. It was December of 1995 and sailed to the Bahamas on The Big Red Boat. We had a blast and I am forever greatful my parents forced me to go. I've been hooked ever since. Our second cruise was a few years later on Carnival Inspiration and this time my partner joined us. Still together 16 years later we'll be leaving on our 23rd cruise together in November when we set sail for our first visit to Hawaii.

[Blazerboy]

BlazerBoy: We went to Italy several times on Italian Line ships, starting when I was "just a tot" in the 60's until one of the last sailings on the "MichaelAngelo". We'd go for most of summer vacation and visit with relatives and my Dad would either come with us and fly home or fly over, sail home with us. (He couldn't sty the whole summer). We will be visiting with family in Italy in Oct before we come home on the "Silhouette". When we came back on the "Noordam" (I really, really really like HAL) and we stopped in Bermuda. That was nice, then one more day of sailing and then docked in NY.

Amazing! We were on the last crossing of the Michaelangelo. Mom was on the Rafaello for a Caribbean cruise and found out that when she arrived in NYC, she was sailing to Italy for the last time. She couldn't book that crossing, so booked the Michaelangelo instead as a spur of the moment thing. We spent the weekend on Lake Como after the crossing and flew home. We'll have to compare notes and see if we were ever on at the same time.

[marybor]

My first cruise was on Carnival Festivale maybe early 90's or late 80's. Like Brian 2204, we went to St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Maarten etc. I have memories of a Brian from San Fran. who was travelling with a lovely guy called King, and we had an almighty time!!! Could it possibly be the same Brian???? Needless to say, I've been completely hooked since.

[Capricorn77]

My first cruise was with my partner on board the Paul Gauguin through French Polynesia.

Started our journey from SFO to LAX, then flew Air Tahiti Nui from LAX to Papeete.

It was a 10 day cruise through Tahiti, Huahine, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, Fakarava, Taha'a, and Moorea.

Best cruise experience ever (although I have nothing to compare against :rolleyes:)

Met lots of awesome, wonderful people too!

I am now hooked on cruises, but I think I'll stick with the all-inclusive ones.

[bdpnatl]

My first cruise was with my partner on a 10 night Southern Caribbean on the Celebrity Millenium. He had crused before on Princess and NCL, but I had never been on a ship before. I was concerned about not having enough to do and now I cannot get enough time on a ship.

[BosKAB-57]

I only do RCI...

[robgvic]

What does that matter? What was your first cruise?

[days@sea]

My partner at the time and I sailed on NCL Leeward in 1998 from Alexandria, VA right outside of Washington, DC. She was the largest ship to come that far up the river at the time. 25,000tons, 900 passengers. The ship was chartered for a couple of months by a local agency. We did a 3 night cruise to no where, hence my love a days at sea. One of the best vacations I've ever had.

[sczar2]

Way back in the Early 70's HAL Rotterdam. I recall the line was celebrating 100 years of service.

 

Been on 14 cruises since, o

Mostly RCCL

[AttilaTheFun]

The Big Red Boat back in the early 90's with my family :)

 

Got to take my first cruise as an adult a couple weeks ago on NCL Gem and had a blast!

[andy_d]

Technically, it was the Silja Ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm and back. The first "cruise" cruise was RSVP to Alaska. Don't remember the dates. No rain AT ALL during the cruise. I remember the locals making comments about how great the weather was. I was so tempted to say it was because of all the Faeries on the ship.

[tbetlej]

Peter, "thanks for the memories"! I expect all first cruises are magical for many reasons.

 

Happy crusing, everyone! :p

 

My first cruise was anything but magical...

Three day Canaveral-to-Nassau on Carnival back in '89 or '90. Decided to "splurge" on a romantic weekend get-away with my girlfriend at the time.

-Dumpy old ship

-Inside cabin with bunks (tres romantique)

-Rough seas

-Sea sick girlfriend.

 

Since then have given up girls, but not cruising.

My husband and I just got back from our 6th cruise together - NCL Jade to the Greek Islands - that cruise was "magical"

 

Tom

[vaguy22]

My first gay cruise was on the Regal Empress.the problay only ship to have a full length 85 minute XXX rated gay movie shot aboard during a cruise, and the director was looking for a few "extras". ( Pillage and plunder cruise 2001) Wild makes an alantis cruise look like a sunday school picnic!

[Aussieguys]

My first cruise was in 1977 for 10 nights on the TSS Fairstar (Sitmar Lines), sailing from Sydney to ports that included Suva (Fiji), Nuku'alofa (Tonga), Noumea (New Caledonia) and Port Vila (Vanuata). I was a young teenager and with my parents and sibling. As kids, my sister and I had a ball and loved it - particularly the "Junior Cruisers Club" - indeed, I remember us not wanting to get off the ship when visiting the ports!

 

I did a second cruise on the Fairstar in the early 80's when I was 18. Like the first one, this cruise was round-trip from Sydney and went to similar ports, however the second cruise wasn't nearly as much fun. I went by myself and shared a small, inside, 4-berth (2 double bunks) cabin with 3 others who were also travelling solo. I was a young gay man and found myself sharing with 3 straight Aussie lads who were looking to get plastered and 'meet' as many women as they could. On some nights they would bring the girls back to the cabin - I would sometimes have to pretend to be asleep whilst the action took place in the bunk above me! This cruise was a disaster and turned me off cruising for a long, long time.

 

30 years later, I finally overcame my fear of cruises and after much research, including this board, my partner and I went on a Meditteranean cruise from Barcelona on the Celebrity Solstice in August 2011. This was my first cruise since the Fairstar and my partner's first cruise ever - and we absolutely loved every single minute!! So much so, as soon as we got home we booked our second Med cruise on the Solstice for Sept 2012 :D We found the crew and passengers of the Solstice to be very gay-friendly (or gay!) and my only regret is that it took 30 years to get over my awful experience on the Fairstar!

[SgpMBL]

My first is a few hours cruise along the Thousands Islands region of NY. As for multi-day cruises, it was a 4-day on RC's Majesty of the Seas.

[stevesing121]

Song of America - Royal Caribbean in 1993. I was 6 years old in a speedo dancing on the pool deck! Fast forward 18 years; not much has changed. ;-)

[nova7415]

I just finished my very 1st cruise to the Caribbean:D and am now hooked:cool:. I am now planning on doing 5+ cruises a year to make up for the past 30 years. Being single sucks though and am looking for a roomate for future cruises here on this Forum:confused:.

[davthox]

In 1971, when I was 5, from New York to Bermuda, aboard the Sea Venture. I still have a photo of me in my groovy aqua blue suit.

 

A couple years after that, the Sea Venture was sold to Princess Cruises, renamed the Pacific Princess, and later became know as "The Love Boat".

[davthox]

My first cruise by myself was on the 1992 Cruise Trek (a Star Trek convention on a cruise ship) from LA to Mexico on the RC's Viking of the Seas. I was roomed with 2 other convention attendees. It was awesome. I got to hang out with Scotty and other cast members from Star Trek.

[mjmkjun]

Alaska - Oosterdam - 2004 (Aquafest)

Had a swell time!!

[CtheW0rld]

in the early 1990s as a xmas present, i took my parents on a 4-day cruise to the bahamas. they hated it, i was hooked. it was our 1st time out of the country (and their only time). i've been to over 40 countries now and still going.

[amusea]

In 1969 Cunard inaugurated the QE2 and I sailed on her from Southampton to New York in August of that year. The staff were all British and the service was impeccable. I sailed on that ship several times but eventually the standard of service began to slip. It is now a floating hotel in Dubai.

The Queen Mary 2 continues that downward slide unless you splurge by booking a cabin which gains you entry to the Queen's Grill although I will confess that I have not sailed her again since the inaugural year. That was 2004 and we sailed round-trip from Miami to Rio for the famous Rio Carnival.

[Rotterdam]

I too loved the QE2(3x) and she sailed like no other - even better than the FRANCE which tended to "roll " a bit!

 

 

In 1969 Cunard inaugurated the QE2 and I sailed on her from Southampton to New York in August of that year. The staff were all British and the service was impeccable. I sailed on that ship several times but eventually the standard of service began to slip. It is now a floating hotel in Dubai.

The Queen Mary 2 continues that downward slide unless you splurge by booking a cabin which gains you entry to the Queen's Grill although I will confess that I have not sailed her again since the inaugural year. That was 2004 and we sailed round-trip from Miami to Rio for the famous Rio Carnival.