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The Old Ships

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Mebert

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Thank you sailinglisa, Shari2, Lisa63, Keith & Rita, and Bibb,

Now that's what I call a real history lesson. I really envy your experiences on the old ships. However, you have captured the period enough for me to live vicariously through your testimonies.

Thanks for taking the time to share your memories of the grand dames of the sea.

I was lol at Shari2's comment That would not do on today's ships. Food is so easy to find on cruise ships today. Passengers would starve to death if they couldn't eat for 15 minutes. :grin:

I have to get to the Regal Empress.

I think I'm going to copy your replies and read them over and over.

Thanks loads!

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My first cruise in 1989 was a Mediterranean aboard - I'm pretty sure I remember this right - the Stella Oceanis. (Sister = the Stella Solaris). This Grecian cruise line was absorbed along with Epirotiki lines to the short lived and now defunct "Royal Olympic" line.

Funny thing these cruises now are among the most expensive. Try and take a 7 day Mediterranean (i.e., Athens - Mykonos - Rhodes - Patmos - Kusadasi - and Santorini) nowadays and it is almost twice as much as a comparable Carribean without air!

But what a cruise. I had no concept of all you can eat, shore excursions, or really anything. It was so overwhelming. The ship though, by todays standards was a bonafide dump - like the cheapest Vegas hotel you can imagine (the Western?). Indoor outdoor carpeting that was all torn up. One dining room where you ate firehouse style, one bar / lounge area with cheezy Greek disco.

It was totally awesome.

th

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Oh, Mebert, have you opened a can of worms……alt text

Although I love the new ships, the classic cruise ships are my passion!

So much so, that I wrote a ‘book’ about some of my experiences called, “A Sea of Memories.†About a year ago, I posted it right here on CruiseCrazies.

Here are a few excerpts that answer your question…

“People ask if cruising was better, ten years ago, or if the new, bigger, ships are superior.

Another question to which I cannot supply an answer… (You’d think that, after all of my cruises, these would be easy questions. Well, I’m blond, ½ Polish and a man…)

I can say, without question, that it is, most definitely, very different! The changes have

been radical, and sudden, and have made a huge impact on the cruise experience, in

general.

The major change has been the increased size of the ships, and all that goes along with it. As the ships got larger, they could offer more varied public areas, atriums, and additional amenities.â€Â

“When the nineteen-eighty’s turned into the nineteen-nineties, cruising hadn’t changed much since its inception, thirty years before. The ships were small, compared to todays.

You have to keep in mind that the Titanic was about the same gross tonnage as the Holiday, which was a behemoth among cruise ships!

The early ships I sailed on were, almost, all under thirty-thousand gross registered tons, and held fewer than a thousand passengers. These included the Britanis (18,000grt/935 passengers); Dolphin (13,000/600); Mardi Gras (27,000/900); Caribe I (23,000/875); among others.â€Â

“When you traveled on these smaller ships, with far less people aboard, everything seemed to take on a pleasant atmosphere, friendly and affable. After only a few days aboard ship, most of your fellow-passengers appear familiar; you have spoken to many of them, either a passing, “hello,†or a short conversation while standing on a buffet line.

The crew, in particular the Cruise Director, Assistant Cruise Director and the C.D. Staff, often spent a considerable amount of time mingling, and interacting, with the passengers.â€Â

“The old "Caribe I," originally the "Olympia," is still sailing, today, as the "Regal Empress." She does a two night cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, and back. Very little has changed, other than her name, since I sailed her almost a decade-and-a-half ago. What has changed is my perception of the question of "old versus new."

It may be related to the way we view nostalgia, and, in retrospect, the slant we place on past experiences.†Fares are extremely low, starting at $149.00 p.p. I took a lot of photos on a recent cruise aboard her. If you’d like to see them, click below:

http://members16.clubphoto.com/jeff812672/...596/guest.phtml

“But, the ship is still THE ship! The library has been turned into a conference room, and kept locked, but little else has changed. She has been refurbished and is excellently maintained. The wood that surrounds you, all over the ship, remains as it was in all its lacquered beauty, and the brass is kept polished round-the-clock.

The enclosed promenade, with it deeply cushioned loveseats, provides a mood of relaxation and contentment that can only be found on the older ships. Unfortunately she is only one of a very few still in operation. The lido pool deck, at the rear of the ship, is still the center of activity. Completely open to the sea on three sides, it is the heart of the ship.

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Thank you thomas and DaCruzNut,

I know how much time it takes to respond to an open question like that. I just finished doing a review of the Carnival Fascination. Your indepth responses along with the others have made me obsessed with sailing on the Regal Empress.

I'm desparate to sail the Regal Empress before they take her out of commission. I want to try to recapture some of the experience that you who have sailed the old ships had. I want to get lost in the maze of unconnected stairways, walk the indoor promenade, and be able to know most of the crew and passengers. That's a very ambitious feat for a two day cruise.

I need to find some vacation days and a good airfare.

Wish me luck.

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