Poll: Have You Ever Sailed As Passenger Aboard A Cruise Ship?

Testing the new poll feature on the forum made me wonder :hmmm: Have You Ever Sailed As Passenger Aboard Cruise Ship?

  • Yes, More Than Once
  • Yes But Never Again
  • No But I Want To
  • Hell No

0 voters

I have not.

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When I was 10 years old in 1970 my parents took me on a cruise. 3 weeks from NYC to the Med and back. First Class on the Italian Lines “Michelangelo” at the time the 3rd largest cruise ship in the world. The QE2 and the France were larger. She had a sister ship, the Rafello (spelling?). It was a lifelong, memorable trip.

When I got ouf the Navy in San Diego I never wanted to go on a ship or boat again. A reggae station did Friday night booze cruises in San Diego Bay. My friends would go and I never would. I spent so much time just off-shore on the hook or operating staring at the city lights I couldn’t imagine paying to do that again.

Anyway…I won a cruise to the Bahama’s while in my 30’s. It was okay, nothing like the luxury I experienced on the first cruise. But…I had more fun in a different, adult way on the Bahama’s cruise.

While working in the GOM my Captain would often go on cruises because he wife wouldn’t fly.
There nice but just not sure I want more time staring out at the ocean no matter what the luxury. Plus I have little self control with food and would gain a ton of weight I’m sure.

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I did all six months of my wiper time on a cruise ship. Having worked behind that curtain I have no desire to ever be on a cruise again.

Spent some time on the deck side of a cruise ship and as Fraqrat said, “having worked behind that curtain”, I too have no desire to set foot on a cruise ship. Behind the curtains, a cruise ship is a modern day slave ship.

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A post was split to a new topic: Apply for a U.S. MMC outside the country?

Did a west bound crossing on the SS Stavangerfjord of the Norwegian American Line in the fall of 1962, from NYC to Oslo. It was a 10 day trip via Kristiansand S and Copenhagen. Had an opportunity to live with my relatives in Norway, so I dropped out of high school for a year to do it. Returned on the 5 day westbound trip in the spring of 1963 on the SS United States from Bremen, with stops in England and France. That is one trip I’d love to do again.

Live steam coming out of the SS United States horn:

Had a couple rotations as pilot on some smaller “expedition” type ships on the Lakes…fun work at the time but after spending the proverbial late nights with the bridge watch, I learned too much about the same “behind the curtain” stuff. Now that I am sailing as master on a bulker, I just can’t bring myself to spend money on vacation repeating my job as talking cargo for some other poor SOB.

While I have not taken a cruise as a passenger, I did make a trip on one as an Class Surveyor/Flag State Inspector. The old BRASIL, which was then the EMERALD SEAS, I believe. Had a passenger cabin and ate with the passengers if I wanted, but took many meals with the officers. Not my deal. Round trip out of New Orleans, Key West, Anchor off of Cozumel, docked at Cozumel, return to New Orleans. One week. . .

Yes, once.
Aboard the expedition/luxury/adventure type cruise ship Stella Australis in Chile. 7 days down through the Magellan Strait, Beagle Channel and landings at Cape Horn Island.
A very hardworking, mostly Chilean crew with a passenger capacity around 200.

For the poll voters that answered No, But I Want To Where would you like to go on the cruise?

Good question. I don’t know but if I had to pick one right now it would be a small ship transiting the Strait Of Magellan.

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I would like to take a cruise thru the Northwest Passage. Oh well, not this year. I need to start saving some $ or retire. Or better yet win the lottery.

Sailed aboard the QM2. Great experience because it was the 100th Atlantic crossing, so a lot of events dedicated to the QM2 construction, the Cunard history and more in general the history of the ocean liners. Sat at the Captain table for dinner and talked to the Captain about the technical details of the QM2. I think he enjoyed it because usually he gets to talk to “serial cruisers” who want to talk about the new menu at the restaurant, or the show in the theater.

Will cross the Atlantic on the QM2 again to a family reunion in Scotland this coming summer.

This poll needs another answer choice:

“Yes, only once but I want to go again.”

As it stands there’s no option for people that have only gone on one and enjoyed it.

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In college I had the opportunity to sail as a passenger on a cruise ship through a program called Semester at Sea. It had nothing to do with maritime training.

We traveled around the world taking classes on-board and I gotta say it was the best experience of my life. At the time I held a 25-ton Masters license and never considered working on boats as a career.

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Back in '95, We took a week trip on the S/V YANKEE CLIPPER, one of the Windjammer Barefoot cruises. Had a great time, but knew enough to pay extra for the main deck cabins. Wasn’t taking any chances of being caught below deck.

How many of you want to have a meal with the Captain? Haha

Seems odd to me.

Visited several as a contractor but never sailed on one as pax. Would prefer one of the small river cruises. Intimate setting with like-minded quiet people, vs. Animal House with a side dish of norovirus. The choice is easy.

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I eat dinner with a captain every single night and thoroughly enjoy the experience but my wife sure doesn’t appreciate his sense of humor :wink:

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