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»	Cruise Talk » Mid-Ships Lounge » How did you become interested in ships?

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Topic: How did you become interested in ships?

J.S.S.Normandie
First Class Passenger
Member # 6253

posted 04-21-2006 09:54 AM

I can undoubtedly say that everyone here has a love of ships, but why? What created this love for cruise ships and the glamorous liners of long ago?

For me, I always had a a small interest in Titanic. Nothing titanic just a casual interest in her. Then I really lost interest for a while. But a few years later I decided to try and finish my old Titanic model. I somehow came across a small one paragraph description of Normandie's interiors, got Picture History of the Normandie, and that was it. I have been a ship fanatic ever since.

[ 04-21-2006: Message edited by: J.S.S.Normandie ]

Posts: 1197 | From: Massachusetts where the Brittania was trapped! | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

Stevie2020
First Class Passenger
Member # 4901

posted 04-21-2006 10:52 AM

I can also honestly say that Titanic got me interested in ships when the film came out. Ever since I have collected books on the Titanic.

These days I only have a small interest in Titanic but I feel QM2 has the values of the past ships and I have a very keen interest in QM2.

Steve

Posts: 140 | From: Northamptonshire UK | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

elad
First Class Passenger
Member # 5150

posted 04-21-2006 12:53 PM

when i was 7 years old (now i'm 19) my parents were seposed to board a cruise, i dont know which ship but i remember the name :"spirit regency" i started to interest in ships but then my interest has almost gone
a year after, i cruised for the first time on the "odessa song" and after a month only (yes we all loved the idea of cruises very much) we sailed in the "emerald seas" (then called "sapphire seas")
and since then i totaly fell in love in ships. by the age of 8, my father and my brother built a scratch built model of a cruise ship - made of cardboard for me - and this was absoulutly my favourite toy!
since then i devoted my life to cruise ships, and i sailed for the 12th time last year. i also collect ship models (since 1998)
cruise ships is part of my life and i cant imagine my life without this!

Elad

Posts: 747 | From: israel | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

Brian_O
First Class Passenger
Member # 3910

posted 04-21-2006 06:39 PM

By travelling on a ship (African Enterprise) from New York to Durban. South Africa in 1955.

Brian

Posts: 2698 | From: Pointe-Claire, QC Canada | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

Thad
First Class Passenger
Member # 1224

posted 04-21-2006 07:24 PM

I think I became interested as about a 6 year old, vacationing with my parents in Bermuda. Our hotel was directly accross the harbor from Hamilton, and I was entranced by the arrival of my "first" cruise ship, the Caribe of Commodore Lines. This was not the most recent Caribe, ex Olympia, but rather the smaller ship designed for the Florida - Freeport run, on which she actually still runs today as the Discovery Sun. We went back every year to Bermuda each April / May and I fell for the ships of HAL and Home Lines, the Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam, Veendam, Doric, Oceanic, and Atlantic. I soon discovered Minic models of some of the classic liners, like Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, United States and Canberra, and I was hooked both on Liners & Cruise Ships and also on the models of the ships.

Here is the Caribe, my "first"

And then some of the ships in Hamilton

And then the collection of Liner & Cruise Ship Models that has grown from those first Minic models

Posts: 1967 | From: Boston, MA | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

Patsy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5611

posted 04-22-2006 01:30 PM

Maybe it's in the blood. My dad's from Liverpool and some of his family were dockers going back to his grandfather. But when I was little I used to love watching the ships come and go from Southampton as far as the eye could see from my bedroom window when the trees were much smaller! LOL! My dad took me down to see France sail for the last time from here but got no pics

in 1974 and also Northern Star's farewell in 1975 (which he filmed on his old movie camera). But I didn't get beyond the 'Aren't they nice?" stage until 1987 when I'd got pen-pals and they would tell me about the wonderful places they lived and I was stuck what I could say about Southampton so took pics of the ships and sent them because let's face it, they're still the only thing Southampton's got going for it. I wanted to know more about them and started to buy books though my interest did wane from 1991-97 as there were other things to do. Canberra's imminent departure got me back into it and I'm still as hooked on these 'hulks of metal' as my Aussie friend calls them now. Probably more seeing as I arrange holidays to places that have calls so I can see some. LOL!

Posts: 2023 | From: Hythe, Hants | Registered: Apr 2005 | IP: Logged

kaiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 3370

posted 04-22-2006 07:09 PM

I got hooked when I was 3. My parents decided to go back to the "old country" and since they wanted to drive through Europe they decided to take the Queen Mary because she had a garage and could transport vehicles (transatlantic crossings were referred to as the "Atlantic Ferry" for a reason

Anyways, we drove our car from the Yukon (where we were living at the time) across Canada to Ontario then down to New York City. My earliest memory is my mom pointing out the Empire State Building, saying it was the tallest in the world. I asked if we could go to the top and she said "No, we have to pay". I remember thinking how stupid it was to have to pay to go see a dumb building.

Our car was loaded, we boarded and sailed to Cherbourg. We then drove through France, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary. After a few months we returned the same way, back aboard the Queen Mary, then home.

Obviously I don't remember much but I've been a ship freak ever since.

Regards, Kaiser

Posts: 212 | From: Vancouver, B.C. | Registered: Sep 2002 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 04-22-2006 10:29 PM

My love for ships came after my second cruise (er, probably before that second cruise). My first cruise to Alaska at age 11 was fun, but a few years later in 2002, my parents asked me where I want to go for a mid-winter vacation. From no-where I said, "I want to go on a cruise"

. Since then, I've been hooked with ships. I went on my 4th cruise last summer and looking forward to a 5th this summer.

Maybe its in the blood, as my dad used to be a deck officer onboard cargo ships. This fall, I will be going to the California Maritime Academy and majoring to become a deck officer.

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

Onno
First Class Passenger
Member # 3071

posted 04-23-2006 03:33 AM

It’s starting to sound like an AA meeting, or should I say a SA meeting.

Posts: 3583 | From: the Netherlands (Berenbotje ging uit varen...) | Registered: May 2002 | IP: Logged

Maasdam
First Class Passenger
Member # 3858

posted 04-23-2006 11:44 AM

Hi my name is Ben and i'm a Shipaholic.

This started yes Titanic. Reading a book about here and there was the mention of the HAL liner ss. Noordam. So ask my dath and he told me wonderfull story's about the line in Rotterdam. Frome that day onwards i was hooked.

Greetings Ben.

Posts: 4695 | From: Rotterdam home of the tss. Rotterdam. | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged

PEB
Just Boarded
Member # 6410

posted 04-23-2006 10:10 PM

I grew up and live in a port city. I have always been facinated by ships of all kinds not just cruise ships and ocean liners.

Ships and trains are two things I have always really enjoyed and been facinated with.

Posts: 3 | From: Duluth, Minnesota | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

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