when was the first cruise you actually paid for , yourself?

[Dancing Queen]

1989 on RCI's Song of America, 9 day Caribbean followed by a week at Disney all funded by us as neither of us has a rich mummy or daddy

My love affair with cruising started 25 years ago and I love it just as much today as I did then

[Quizzical Bob]

October 2003 on the previous Adonia. My dad died in 2000 but before he did he asked my mum what she would do when he had gone. She said that she'd go on a Mediterranean cruise so he said "good idea, take all the kids with you". It was left to me to organise and in April 2001 (2002?) 9 adults flew to Venice for 7 nights on the RCI Splendour of the Seas. It was only afterwards that we realised how much we had enjoyed it so when a 12-night to the Canaries appeared we gave it a go. 21 cruises with P&O later here we are, still complaining

We really liked the Adonia, sister to Oceana, but some on board hated her. I think they couldn't get used to having an en-suite toilet and washroom.

[Jean W]

I'm showing my age now - 1971 (our Honeymoon ) - Izmir, Rome, Athens, Alicante etc on Canberra and it took us nearly 3 years to save for it

[Silver_Shiney]

2003 - Sundream - Southampton to Harwich (one-night taster cruise as Airtours repositioned the ship)

[Quizzical Bob]

2003 - Sundream - Southampton to Harwich (one-night taster cruise as Airtours repositioned the ship)

I do hope that you took the time to explore the delights of historic Harwich.

[Silver_Shiney]

2003 - Sundream - Southampton to Harwich (one-night taster cruise as Airtours repositioned the ship)

I do hope that you took the time to explore the delights of historic Harwich.

Nah, shepherded straight of the rustbucket onto the coach for the long drive home!

[davecttr]

Ages ago. Up north with mountains and such. i wish i had never gone, it has cost me a fortune since

[Ray Scully]

Apart from our cruises to the Isle of Man from around 1970 it would be
Easter 1995 P&O Victoria. out of St Juan, Puerto Rico
No riff raff those days (smirk)

Ray

[Suekersh]

2001 with Thomsons I was 44 and DH 52. We were not impressed and it took us 3 years and lots of encouragement from friends to book again but with PO. Since then 32 cruises all with P0 so well and truly hooked.

Sue

[screwy]

Now if my maths are right....that makes you......!!!!

[johnjames]

My cruise was on P.O. Orcades in 1966 and we sailed into Southampton the day England played Germany in the world cup.The cost of that cruise was £114. that was for four of us. This year all being well we will do our 128. cruise and that will be on the Aurora Black Sea Cruise, in September.
I think its about time to decide if we like cruising .

[RB1961]

2001 Oriana to the Canaries. Didn't have a clue what to expect and didn't know anyone who had done one.
Better half was ill due to a force 10 in the Bay of Biscay. ..had the injection and not looked back since.

RB

[Theodora]

Our first cruise was in 1997 with the kids - I was 41, and the kids were 16 and 14 - we did four nights in the Bahamas on the Nordic Empress (Royal Caribbean), then toured round Florida for the rest of the holiday - cabin was four berth above staff quarters with a door squeaking all night long - we complained and were upgraded to two suites at the aft for the other three nights! We really enjoyed the cruising concept but it took us up until 2006 to cruise again, this time on Arcadia with P&O - sailed with them ever since!

[Brenda W]

Started cruising in 1999 on the old Arcadia with OH, but I also sailed on the Cunard Sylvania to America in 1961 to take up employment there.

Brenda

[towny44]

Our first cruise was a 4nt Bahamas cruise on Carnival from Port Canaveral back in 1992. We had an inside cabin somewhere in the bowels of the ship where we could hear all sorts of machinary noises. As a result it was 5 years before we dipped our toes in cruising holidays again, this time Thomson's Emerald, DK's favourite line, which we thoroughly enjoyed, but it was our 4th cruise in 2004 a partial Panama transit on Coral Princess that finally hooked us for good.

[CaroleF]

Our first cruise was on Fred Olsen's Braemar (pre-stretch) in 2003, parents gone by then - I think they'd have been amazed that my yachting husband actually went on a cruise ship! Our first P&O cruise was on the old Adonia, which we loved, in 2005. So we really like Oceana as she is Adonia's (now Sea Princess) sister ship.

Carole

[Susan Watt]

Our 1st cruise was on Oceana for our Silver WA in 2007. We will be on her again for my 60th in Dec14/Jan15. I like a long celebration

[Peter D]

Our very first cruise was November 2008, Arcadia, Canaries Cocktail and we paid the grand amount of £2600 for a Balcony Cabin. Arcadia and the Canaries was not our first choice. Because of needing to book our holidays in advance with our respective jobs, we did try for Oriana and Norway in September, but even looking 8 months in advance it was fully booked. The next time Jennifer could get time off was November so the Canaries it was.

After the cruise we both could not understand why we had not done one before. Since then 6 cruises under our belt, 1 more in a weeks time and 2 already boked for next year. Seems we like it.

[brillo]

2005, Ocean Village in the Caribbean, followed by a further four Ocean Village Cruises on both OV1 AND OV2 IN BOTH The Med and the Caribbean.

Been with both PO and Princess several times since 2009.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Our first was 1999 on Oriana to the Canaries and Madeira (our first visit to the island we fell in love with and now visit twice a year). We went with Trish's Mum who had cruised in your younger days. Trish is not a great sailor but her Mum assured her we wouldn't feel the movement. So knowing nothing about ships we booked by price rather than deck plan and found ourselves in an outside cabin towards the bow.

Crossing the Bay of Biscay on a choppy night it was like trying the sleep in a high speed lift, shooting alternately up and down and landing with a thud at the bottom. Mum subsequently remembered a Caribbean cruise where it was so rough the deck furniture was going over the side!

We weren't hooked on that first one, but did a second to the Fjords on Aurora with a balcony cabin. The rest is history. We now know to book mid-ships cabins!

[qbman1]

Can't remember the year but it was the last summer Airtours were trading as such before selling out to Thomson. We did two back-to-back seven nighters in the Med from Palma, on the good ship Sunbird (soon to become Thomson Destiny). Really enjoyable and haven't looked back - although every subsequent cruise has been with "Pile 'em High". Staid, or what ?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Every subsequent cruise has been with "Pile 'em High". Staid, or what ?

Good taste Cubie, but don't mention it to Sleazy Batty or the Calamity Ferret Botherer.

[Manoverboard]

1997 ... basically

[qbman1]

OK, I won't say anything if you don't

[GillD46]

It was in 1997 to the Caribbean and New Orleans, on a Carnival ship - can't remember which. I have to say, despite the views other may have, the food was the best we have ever had on a cruise, with the excption of the Queen's Grill, and standards - including dress code standards - were exceptionally high. We booked just because we fancied it - not for any special occasion.