Tell Us About Your Very First Cruise

Sarge6870 · August 27, 2013

Our first was in 1990 aboard the (then) Carnival Celebration sailing from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean. We had been dealing with a T.A. that we had used prior to the cruise when we had done land vacations and ski trips. She booked us into an Oceanview cabin for the brochure price. My sister that had been on a few cruises before this couldn't beleive that our T.A. was charging us the brochure price and recommended we try getting a quote from her C.A. that she had dealt with for a few years. We called them and wound up saving about $300pp off the brochure price. Not wanting our original T.A. to lose the comission of the booking, we asked her if she could match the price. While we were there, she called Carnival and tried to negotiate with them to offer her the same deal for us that the other C.A. did. Carnival refused and her final remark to Carnival was "FINE, then don't wonder in the future why I don't sell your cruises !" . Needless to say, at a savings of $600, we cancelled with her and re-booked the same category cabin with the C.A. we have now been using since. Our C.A. even gave us a $150 OBC for our upcoming cruise because we have been loyal customers for so many years!! I remember waking every morning on the cruise and sitting on the ledge of the window and staring out at the ocean. Every day was like Christmas morning for us. All the amenities on the ship were truly overwhelming. There were no "specialty" restaurants and the food in the MDR was awesome. Bridge and Galley tours were free. And the sadness of disembarking was just as bittersweet as it has been every cruise since. And thus, two new CruiseCrazies were born.......

DebbieandJerry · August 27, 2013

It's amazing how all of these "firsts" have such excitment and passion in the written words. I remember seeing the ship for the first time and my mouth dropped open. I get this same reaction in reading your posts!

cruisetarp · August 27, 2013

What memories I have been reliving since reading this forum. The year was 1963 and my two best friends and myself went to see my parents off on a cruise complete with confetti and streamers. We decided on the way home that we would cruise together the next year and within 2 days had booked our first cruise. Inside cabin at the very front of the ship./ We sailed in July of 1964 on the Home Lines Homeric to Nassau. Three teens who had spent an entire year clothes shopping. I think we must have had 5 -r 6 outfits for each of the 7 days. Our parents and friends came aboard to wish us Bon Voyage and it was finally time for us to be on the deck looking down at the dock and waving good=bye. Naturally we were dressed to the nines with the obligatory corsage pinned on our frocks.

How has cruising changed? There was only 1 meal seating and you had the same table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No buffets or extra charge restaurants. Dinner was always very dressy - dress - heals - etc. Jackets and ties for the men. Shorts and jeans were not allowed or even thought of. Dining service had white gloved waiters carrying your entrée on silver domed trays.

Chair hogs? No such thing. On the first day you went to the pool deck with $1 in your hand and reserved your deck chair for the week. They had little plates on the back with your chair number. When you went on deck you found your deck steward who moved you chair in the sun, in the shade, wherever you wanted.

Our inside cabin was cleaned every time we left the room. Fresh towels, wastebasket empty and ashtrays cleaned. Our room steward knew we were out of the cabin because we did not have key cards - we had an actual key - which you would hang on a board in the hall when you left the cabin. Wow such a different safer time.

We sailed to Nassau long before Paradise Island and Atlantis and we tendered in. We walked down a ramp from the side of the ship and then down a ladder into the tender. I don't remember much about Nassau other than the straw market and being reminded continually not to eat any food or drink even water on the Island.

We never cruised together again because within 2 years we were all married and busy with our own lives but we have all cruised since then - just not together. I think I have won the prize for the most cruises in our group.

It then took me from 1964 to 1977 to convince Jim to cruise. We left New York in a Nor'easter and had 30 - 40 foot seas all the way to Bermuda. He forgave me though and we have been cruising ever since. (Our friends who we cruised with were not so forgiving. :-)

DebbieandJerry · August 27, 2013

Thanks for reminding us of how the cruising industry has changed.

cruisetarp · August 27, 2013

Things have changed a lot as far as food and service go as well as extra pay amenities. However looking back through my papers I see that we paid very close to $100 per day, per person for that cruise in 1964 in an inside cabin and are not paying a lot more than that today for a balcony. I guess we can see why some cutbacks are necessary to keep the costs down and in my opinion cruising still give you the best value for your dollar.

DebbieandJerry · August 27, 2013

That's amazing MaryLou that the inside cabin was a little more than what it goes for now.

I agree with what you wrote: "In order to keep costs down, we have to be willing to give things up." I try to remind fellow cruisers this sentiment when I hear them complaining ... or comparing

cruisetarp · August 27, 2013

That's amazing MaryLou that the inside cabin was a little more than what it goes for now.
I agree with what you wrote: "In order to keep costs down, we have to be willing to give things up." I try to remind fellow cruisers this sentiment when I hear them complaining ... or comparing

Debbie - Plus remember at that time you had your choice - inside or a tiny little porthole. There were no balcony cabin.

KeithnRita · August 28, 2013

We've told this story before so for those who has heard it before we apologize:

In our case it was our delayed honeymoon, eight months after the fact in 1997, on the Carnival Sensation. After typing in 'cruise' in CompuServe we ended up on a cruise bash with a group of about 75 folks from all over the US and Canada, and including one couple from Belgium. About half of us met each other for the first time in a hotel bar in Miami the night before the cruise. The party continued for seven more days!
Our first night on board we slept until 3:00 p.m. the next day The rocking motion of the ship caused us to sleep like babies! We still get razed about that to this day!

Jan115 · August 28, 2013

What memories I have been reliving since reading this forum. The year was 1963 and my two best friends and myself went to see my parents off on a cruise complete with confetti and streamers. We decided on the way home that we would cruise together the next year and within 2 days had booked our first cruise. Inside cabin at the very front of the ship./ We sailed in July of 1964 on the Home Lines Homeric to Nassau. Three teens who had spent an entire year clothes shopping. I think we must have had 5 -r 6 outfits for each of the 7 days. Our parents and friends came aboard to wish us Bon Voyage and it was finally time for us to be on the deck looking down at the dock and waving good=bye. Naturally we were dressed to the nines with the obligatory corsage pinned on our frocks.

MaryLou - thanks for trip back in time. Confetti and streamers? The only time I've seen those are on TV's Love Boat. Three teens on a cruise - how awesome! Just curious - what was the minimum age to sail alone back in those days? Loved all the other references, too. Corsages, one table, $1 for a chair by the pool ... times have changed!

Jan115 · August 28, 2013

We've told this story before so for those who has heard it before we apologize:
In our case it was our delayed honeymoon, eight months after the fact in 1997, on the Carnival Sensation. After typing in 'cruise' in CompuServe we ended up on a cruise bash with a group of about 75 folks from all over the US and Canada, and including one couple from Belgium. About half of us met each other for the first time in a hotel bar in Miami the night before the cruise. The party continued for seven more days!

Our first night on board we slept until 3:00 p.m. the next day The rocking motion of the ship caused us to sleep like babies! We still get razed about that to this day!

What a cruise party ... thanks for sharing!