First Sight of a Cruise Ship?

[Mason, Altrincham]

My first glimpse of cruise ships had to be when I was a little girl in NY. My aunt and uncle sailed away on their honeymoon on one and in those days all the family were allowed onboard to wish you “Bon voyage “. I remember my sister and I tinkling away on a piano in what appeared to me to be a huge lounge (it probably sounded like clanging!). After we were ushered ashore we held onto streamers till the ship sailed. As my aunt Helen used to cruise we would see her off on her travels as well and I know we saw my other aunt and uncle off on a cruise. Aunt Barbara was all dressed up and my uncle had his suit on as sailing on a cruise ship was a posh thing to do back then. My cousin Walter and his wife Mary had their wedding reception on the old SS Rotterdam in 1971 and the MDR where it was held looked magnificent to me. I can remember how we all started to sing the American version of 99 bottles of beer as we exited the ship and how everyone else joined in with us.😁

Fast forward to 2008 when we first saw the Island Star. We thought she seemed so big until we were docked near Brilliance of the Seas somewhere in the Med.

Take care, Helen

[Bigsis, Waterlooville]

As we live very near to Portsmouth, we have seen lots of ships , frigates and ferries but never got that close to a cruise ship until the day we boarded our first cruise on Airtours SunDream . We actually didn't get a good look at her until we stopped in La Coruna and thought she was enormous. Wow!! Compared to todays modern ships, a bit on the small side. During that cruise we saw Star Princess appearing from the horizon down off the coast of Spain and she was huge, this giant white sparkling ship sailing towards us.

The first ship that left me gobsmacked was the old HMS Ark Royal. During the Queens Silver Jubilee fleet review, she was too big to get in one photograph on my old instamatic! I had to do a cut & shut on the photo.

[Bigsis, Waterlooville]

I still get tingles every time I see Queen Victoria, whether prior to initial embarkation or when ''coming home'' after an excursion.

I didn't get it with any of the other four ships I cruised with over the past three years.

Oh Mrs M, she did look beautiful on Sunday sailing up and out of the Solent.

[Bigsis, Waterlooville]

It certainly is a different cruise with children. Have a fab time.

I can't wait to take ours again, they were so excited on Sapphire and every day was a new adventure

[Dancing Queen, Chesterfield]

Seeing our ship RCI's Song of America in 1989 as we made our way to the port of Miami, it looked huge ( about 1200 passengers ) so very small to many of todays ships, the ship which wowed me the most has to be the QE2 and as much as I love the current 'Queens' ( QV being my favourite ) there will never be another QE2.

[philhar, wallasey]

I first saw Empress of Britain at age 3,but have no memory of it.My first real memory is seeing and boarding Chusan,aged 6.I looked up from the dock and thought she was a monster and couldn't imagine her floating.
As she was 24,000 tons by today's standards, she was tiny.
Despite being sea sick , I was hooked from aged 6.
I still have the P& O souvenir lifebelt.

[Lawnmowerman, Tain]

I do remember the 'Empress' ships (not sure which ones - perhaps Britain?) calling at the tail of the bank in Greenock. They didn't dock so tenders (may have been very small ferries) took passengers out to them. I was quite young and they seemed very big, I didn't know them as cruise ships but as liners. If I remember correctly they also ran school trips - perhaps down to Spain?

My Scottish cousins may know more or correct me.

Bill

[ilovesunshine, east yorks]

I can't wait to take ours again, they were so excited on Sapphire and every day was a new adventure

We have just 2 left to take now but they are only 3 and 4. We first took the older ones when they were 7 and 11 so will be waiting a while yet.

[ilovesunshine, east yorks]

I do remember the 'Empress' ships (not sure which ones - perhaps Britain?) calling at the tail of the bank in Greenock. They didn't dock so tenders (may have been very small ferries) took passengers out to them. I was quite young and they seemed very big, I didn't know them as cruise ships but as liners. If I remember correctly they also ran school trips - perhaps down to Spain?

My Scottish cousins may know more or correct me.

Bill

My grandparents sailed to Canada in the 1960s. It wad a big adventure then. They went to visit my auntie who lived there, having married a Canadian.

[ilovesunshine, east yorks]

My grandparents sailed to Canada in the 1960s. It wad a big adventure then. They went to visit my auntie who lived there, having married a Canadian.

[Smith7]

Our first sighting of a cruise ship was Jewel of the Seas in Harwich. It was out first cruise and as she came into sight, we were so excited knowing that we were going on a 12 day cruise to the Baltics on her. She looked so big to us then, even though she is quite small by today's standards.
I still think of her with fondness.

[JohnR, Chippenham]

Seeing our ship, whichever it is, as we drive into Southampton.

So reassuring compared to arriving at an airport and not knowing if our plane is on time or still stuck somewhere thousands of miles away.

[philhar, wallasey]

My grandparents sailed to Canada in the 1960s. It wad a big adventure then. They went to visit my auntie who lived there, having married a Canadian.

I also sailed on the Empress of England,the ship you posted a photo of,but when it was the Ocean Monarch
I think they did canada runs in the Autumn/winter/Spring and cruises in the summer.

[Little Red Rouster, Lancaster]

Our first sighting of a cruise ship was the Cunard Countess in Porta Rico. We thought she was big (only 18000 tons) until we went on deck the following morning and saw one of the Carnival ships at the side of us which dwarfed the Countess. Although only a small ship was one of our best cruises round the Caribbean that was 1994. May I say that was when the Caribbean was the Caribbean.

[ilovesunshine, east yorks]

I also sailed on the Empress of England,the ship you posted a photo of,but when it was the Ocean Monarch
I think they did canada runs in the Autumn/winter/Spring and cruises in the summer.

How did it compare to the cruise ships of today in terms of entertainment', food and your cabin? I don't think my grandparents were on a cruise as such, more a means of transport to cross the Atlantic. Similar to QM2 today.