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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » 1st Experience with a Liner

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Topic: 1st Experience with a Liner

LeBarryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 5308

posted 11-13-2007 10:12 AM

I know this has been covered before on CT, but who can tell us about their first experience with a liner?

Posts: 1955 | From: Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Robertdam
First Class Passenger
Member # 6300

posted 11-13-2007 11:51 AM

Well, because i was born in 1978 all liners were virtually gone by then already, so my first experience is not really with a liner. Or was it? In 1997, me and my sister had booked a holiday in Portsmouth and Southampton. At that time, my sister was really interested in the British naval history. With Lord Nelson, the Victory and all that. I wasn't. In fact i was not interested in anything with ships, but i did went to England to accompany her. At first, we stayed a few days in Southampton. Off course we went to the Maritime Museum there, and at that time there was an exhibition of Titanic artefacts. Seeing these things impressed me, like walking through the town also had impressed me. The liners and their stories are just everywhere. I started to become a little interested in their history. When we were told that one of the last great liners had just left Southampton to be broken up (Canberra) two days earlier i felt bad that I hadn't seen this big ship.
When we went back home, i had a lot more luggage to carry because i had bought some very heavy books about the liners of the past. Just a few weeks later, another big P&O ship (Oriana) was sceduled to arrive in Amsterdam and because i still felt bad about missing Canberra, I went to Amsterdam to take photographs of the new ship. It was raining and cold winds made it a hell to wait for the ship at the quay, but when she appeared I was stunned. This big white ship made Amsterdam very small. Her huge funnel looked like a building itself. Despite the rain, the pictures were great and the next day I went again to IJmuiden to see her leave.
From that year on, I was fascinated by these ships and at the moment i photographed more then 170 passengerships in all sorts and sizes. I started collecting all kinds of things and now these ships are just part of my life, i guess.
Strange thing, I never cruised untill now...

Posts: 135 | From: Haarlem, Netherlands | Registered: Mar 2006 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 11-13-2007 12:16 PM

ss France in 1968 (to young to remember), ss Lurline in 1969 (as a visitor) and ss Rotterdam and QE2 in the early 1970s as a passenger. The rest of the ships I sailed on as a child were cruise ships (or converted cruise ships).

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

Maasdam
First Class Passenger
Member # 3858

posted 11-13-2007 01:14 PM

ms MIKHAIL LERMONTOV was the first Liner (she was designed fore the st. Petersburg - New York trade) when the vessel made cruises from Rotterdam. The second one was the Stefan Batory early 1980's.

Greetings Ben.

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

viking109
First Class Passenger
Member # 6280

posted 11-13-2007 01:50 PM

SS America 1959 Westbound. Extremely rough crossing. Ropes hung down from ceilings to allow you to hold on while you crossed open spaces. Props coming out of the water, portholes covered up. My parents and two brothers seasick for two day, I sort of remember that I was ok. My mother feeding us dry Rusks to eat. Anyone remember those?

Posts: 499 | From: southampton | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

Jekyll
First Class Passenger
Member # 1878

posted 11-13-2007 02:27 PM

While I toured some liners as a teenager i.e. QE2, Britanis, Eugenio C, Sagafjord - the first sailing on a liner was QE2 in 1990 then in 1991 and again in 2001. I have also sailed on Sagafjord and OCeanic (but both as "cruiseships").

Posts: 1524 | From: Nowhere | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

Brian_O
First Class Passenger
Member # 3910

posted 11-13-2007 04:37 PM

S.S. African Enterprise, Farrell Lines, New York.

Passenger/Cargoliner of about 8,000 GRT, approx. 100 passengers and lots of cargo. Single screw.

New York City (Brooklyn) to Durban, South Africa: August 10 to September 7, 1955. Ports of Call: Jamestown, St Helena (Aug 23); Cape Town (Aug 28-29); Port Elizabeth (Aug 30 - Sep 05); East London (Sep 06).

First liner voyage on ship larger that 10,000 GRT:

M.S. Europa, Lloyd Triestino, Trieste.

About 11,400 GRT, 484 passengers (original layout), twin screw.

Durban, South Africa to Brindisi, Italy: August 27 to September 13, 1959. Ports of call using country names as they were known at the time: Beira, Mozambique (Aug 29); Dar es Salaam, Tankanyika (Sep 01); Mombasa, Kenya (Sep 02); Mogadischu, Italian Somaliland (Sep 04), Aden, Aden Protectorate (Sep 06); Suez (Sep 09); Port Said (Sep 10).

Ship departed Durban one day late resulting in cancellation of scheduled stop at Zanzibar on Sep 01 in order to get back on schedule because ship was due to go into drydock for major refit in Trieste on Sep 15. Many passengers were disappointed with this cancellation and expressed their displeasure to the Captain.

An American family of four named Rea occupied the 2 cabins next to my parents. They were moving from Pretoria to San Bernardino, California and were booked to travel on S.S. America from Le Havre to New York in late September. Perhaps they were on the same voyage as Viking109. If so I am sure that Mrs. Rea got seasick because, unlike the rest of the family, she was not a good sailor.

Brian

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

Cambodge
First Class Passenger
Member # 906

posted 11-13-2007 09:23 PM

It was probably 1935 when my Dad took my brother and me to go onboard the Leviathan when it visited Boston. I think it was at Commonwealth Pier. Very impressive.

My first voyage on an ocean liner was a return from Japan on Matson's Monterey, serving as a troopship. Matson really gave us first class service.You can recognize me in this group photo.

http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/aspgallery/pictures/Ad_2726_13.jpg

My first voyage as a fare-paying passenger was our honeymoon to Bermuda on Furness' Ocean Monarch, fifty years ago this coming Friday.

Memories.

Posts: 2149 | From: St. Michaels MD USA , the town that fooled the British! | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 11-13-2007 09:41 PM

My Dad's First X-Atlantic Crossing

My first cruise on the TSS Olympia at age 9 did it for me. It was my first long trip away from home: 11 days. The largest boat I had been on before was the Fire Island ferry.

The interest waned until Christmas day 1996 and saw the SS United States in Phillytown. I literally pulled over to the side of the road, got out of my car and looked at her for an hour.

When was your first cruise/crossing

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Thad
First Class Passenger
Member # 1224

posted 11-13-2007 10:46 PM

In general for me it started with cruise ships as a little kid visiting Bermuda, yet when I was about 8 or so and on vacation with my parents, my dad rented a little whaler so we could go out into the Great Sound and see the QE2, which was too large to make it into Hamilton. It was a little to rough to be out there, but we still saw her from a distance. A couple years later, I saw her in NYC up close, and was hooked on liners more than cruise ships. A few more years after that my parents took the family out to Southern Cal, and we stayed on board the QM. I started my collection of models with the Minic QM, QE, US and Canberra, and have never looked back.

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

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 11-15-2007 10:59 AM

My first two that I can remember were SS Nieuw Amsterdam, Hoboken to Rotterdam and the return two months later on SS Flandre....a very, very rough crossing.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

Willem
First Class Passenger
Member # 3005

posted 11-15-2007 12:43 PM

I used to work as a Bellboy on the s.s. Rotterdam.
It all started in July 1959 when the ship was still at the fitting out berth at RDM. I was on board during all trials and the handover. In September we made the first transatlantic and stayed for 10 days in New York, due to the Hudson festivities. I did verious crossings and both inaugural cruises and left the company in 1960. We visited various HAL-ships when we met them in the various ports. It was very easy by than. Just walk off your own ship (in uniform) and walk on the other ship. We always met some one we knew.
When the s.s. Rotterdam was sold to Premier and was sailing in the Med, I tried to convince my wife, but did not succeed. I did only in December 2003 at an offer for a 6 days cruise on Cunard's Caronia.
In 2005 we sailed on Oceanic and so we did in 2006. This year we sailed on Marco Polo from Barcelona to Dover and for next year we have booked a 11 day Baltic cruise on Costa Marina out of Amsterdam.
In between we try to visit as many ships as we are allowed to.

Willem van der Leek

Posts: 1469 | From: In the namesake city of Cape Hoorn. | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged

TampaMike
First Class Passenger
Member # 4445

posted 11-15-2007 07:15 PM

My parents insist I was conceived aboard Rotterdam V on a transatlantic crossing. Later in my shipboard career, I discovered that I was assigned the cabin they had for that miraculous event. Fate or creepy?

Later as a toddler, I would sail the France with them which I also worked aboard as Norway. Trolland, I thought was merely a dream.

My 1st solo sailing as a teenager was aboard Oceanic, which I also worked aboard and yet again was assigned the cabin I had as a passenger.

I feel very connected to these ships.

[ 11-15-2007: Message edited by: TampaMike ]

Posts: 246 | From: Tampa | Registered: Feb 2004 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 11-15-2007 08:11 PM

Tampa Mike,

Welcome back, have not heard from you in a while

I too had a life alterning experience on the Rotterdam V, as Rembrandt.

quote:
Originally posted by TampaMike:
My parents insist I was conceived aboard Rotterdam V on a transatlantic crossing...............................
[ 11-15-2007: Message edited by: TampaMike ]

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

TampaMike
First Class Passenger
Member # 4445

posted 11-16-2007 07:11 AM

Thank you desirod7. It has been a busy summer and now fall. I will again embark Veendam after the Thanksgiving Holiday for a 2 week sailing. Hopefully it will be uneventful and you will not read about any incidents here!

[ 11-16-2007: Message edited by: TampaMike ]

Posts: 246 | From: Tampa | Registered: Feb 2004 | IP: Logged

Cunard Fan
First Class Passenger
Member # 7530

posted 11-17-2007 02:15 AM

For me my love for ships started when I was younger. We were at a book store here in Pasadena when I found a book about the Titanic (a kids book by Robert Ballard) and got it (I had never heard of the Titanic before this, nor did I know anything about ships). After reading the book I fell in love with Titanic and then with ships in general.

My first experience with a ship happened a while later when for my birthday my mom decided to take me to see a real Ocean Liner, The Queen Mary. After that I was even more in love with ships.

I still haven't ever been on a cruise unfourtunately, only been on 2 ferrys in Brittish Columbia and Washinton state. I am hoping to be able to book a cruise on the QE2 before she leaves Cunard, (I want to go on her so badly I can't even explain how much I want to) it doesn't seem like I am going to be able to though

Posts: 2327 | From: Pasadena just north of Queen Mary | Registered: Sep 2006 | IP: Logged

LeBarryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 5308

posted 11-21-2007 10:34 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Cunard Fan:
I want to go on her so badly I can't even explain how much I want to.. it doesn't seem like I am going to be able to though

Cunard Fan, I can totally relate to that deep-rooted passion to experience first-hand what it's like to be on a ship at sea. I was incredibly passionate about someday going on a cruise or a crossing, but my parents, although well traveled, never wanted to do a cruise to my disappointment. I had to finally take it upon myself to make it happen. It's hard to explain the fulfillment of a dream and to finally experience the ship pulling away from the pier and going out to sea, feeling the ship move beneath my feet, and to see and feel for the first time how the ship reacts as it cuts through the ocean. And then there's the dynamics of life aboard a ship at sea. Some people seem to act differently when they are at sea on a ship....women tend to become easily romanced for example...I don't know if it's the movement of the ship or the sea air, from my experience, many women get an extra sparkle in their eyes. For me it was a magical experience to finally be at sea on a ship...and then to finally live out my wildest dream by crossing the Atlantic on QE2....I had to pinch myself everyday to be sure I wasn't in a dream. Even when I signmed-on to work aboard the ship, I felt I was dreaming.

Posts: 1955 | From: Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

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