Classic Cruise Ships - TSS Mardi Gras

[DaCruzNut]

I thought it would be nice to reminisce about the early days of cruising. Being that the industry is barely thorty years old, many of us were around when it began.

If you have a favorite old ship, please feel free to start a string in this "series!"

In fact, I uge you to do so.........

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The first true “cruise ship†was the Carnival’s Mardi Gras, which went into service in 1972. The redesigned Empress of Canada was refitted to serve as a single-class ship, intended solely for cruising. She was tiny, by today’s standards, at just 27,285 GRT, and carrying about 650 passengers. Approximately the size of two lifeboats on today’s superliners…

It was a whole new concept! No longer were ships to be used for tranportatioon to a particular destination; rather, the emphasis was on the voyage itself.

The ship became the destination.

(Before)

(After)

By today’s standards, she was tiny and cramped. Carnival had not yet adopted the glitz that it has become famous for, and the public rooms seemed ‘ordinary….’

Grand Ballroom

Casino

Typical Cabin

Dining Room

By the time I sailed on her, in 1991, she was already becoming obsolete, and was beginning to show her age. Unlike some of the other classic cruise ships, such as the Caribe I, Britanis, Emerald Seas, and the like, she lacked a “soul.†I cannot explain it, but she felt ‘cold,’ unlike the positive vibrations you got when you boarded the other ships.

[Dan]

Funny, but I got that feeling on my 2 Carnival cruises.

[PEB]

Even though the newer ships are beautiful and I truly enjoy cruising on them I have not felt that any of the newer ships have a soul. I still prefer the old ships that were built just for transportation. My favorites will always be the Independence and Norway that I cruised on. I also hope that NCL can get the Big U going again so I can cruise on another of the greats.

DaCruzNut I am enjoying your trips down memory lane. Keep them coming.

[Shari2]

I was on the, "Carnivale," in 1979. She was the sister ship to the, "Mardi Gras." By the looks of that room in your picture, Jeff, that must have been a suite or a deluxe cabin. My first room was an inside single, and it was about the size of a walk-in closet. lol

[GottaCruz]

Jeff,

I really enjoyed looking at these pictures since we only started cruising after the glitzy ships came out. I didn't realize that the Mardi Gras was the 1st true cruise ship. This thread is extremely interesting. I'd love to hear and see more about the older ships and the early days of cruising. I hope this thread continues. :cheesy:

[TheSkipper]

Wow, what a trip down memory lane. :cheesy:

We sailed on the Mardi Gras on April 10, 1983 in Stateroom M-58. Our very first cruise! Now we have logged 40 and still remember the MG cruise as though it was just yesterday.

The plumbing left a little to be desired and I'll always remember all the ladies going to the room down the hallway where they could plug in their curlers and hair dryers because you could not do it in the stateroom!

Thanks for the post.

The Skipper in Las Vegas

[Kgratteau]

Mardi Gras was the 2nd ship I sailed on. I was 17 in 1975 when we sailed as a family. Imagine 5 people in a tiny inside cabin - my little brother slept on the floor. This was before they were so strict with safety rules I think. We traveled with another family who had teens and we had a blast. I remember going to Magens Bay with my girlfriend and 2 college boys - it was great - we thought we were in heaven. You knew everyone on the ship by the second day.

My first cruise was on the Flavia (a Costa ship) it was even smaller.

We are sailing on Radisson Navigator in May and I am looking forward to the smaller ship experience after sailing on the "big" ships.

Thanks for the memories Jeff.

Kathy G :kiss:

[Shari2]

Skipper and Kathy...Welcome aboard, and thanks for your interesting memories!

Skipper... I was on the Carnivale, and we couldn't use our curling irons or hair dryers on that ship either. I didn't really want to walk down the hall to do my hair, so, being single back then, I just slept in little pink soft curlers :grin: