Things you no longer see on cruises.

[tvguy]

A booklet listing the name, home address and phone number of every passenger on your cruise, left in your stateroom on the last day of your cruise. This is from 1988.

 

[TinkerMouse]

A booklet listing the name, home address and phone number of every passenger on your cruise, left in your stateroom on the last day of your cruise. This is from 1988

Why was this a thing? Was it to help passengers keep in touch like at the end of camp? I'm going to guess it stopped because it was dangerous. I don't know about what was done in the 80s but nowadays you cannot give people's addresses out to strangers because it could invite the stalker or killer to their doors.

 

[cgolf]

Since we are relatively new to the cruising game I am gonna say great deals! What we paid for a Cat V on the Fantasy in 2014 may get us into an ocean view now On the other lines we have sailed now as well, others say the same thing.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Why was this a thing? Was it to help passengers keep in touch like at the end of camp? I'm going to guess it stopped because it was dangerous. I don't know about what was done in the 80s but nowadays you cannot give people's addresses out to strangers because it could invite the stalker or killer to their doors.

Yes, back in the days of "only the rich" cruising, it was like going to summer camp. The idea was you'd make new friends and keep in touch. Much like networking.

 

[tvguy]

Yes, back in the days of "only the rich" cruising, it was like going to summer camp. The idea was you'd make new friends and keep in touch. Much like networking.

Yes. Now you just make your cruisemates your Facebook friends I guess.

 

[tvguy]

Why was this a thing? Was it to help passengers keep in touch like at the end of camp? I'm going to guess it stopped because it was dangerous. I don't know about what was done in the 80s but nowadays you cannot give people's addresses out to strangers because it could invite the stalker or killer to their doors.

Well, I think many people assume they have a lot more privacy than they really do today. All you need is a computer and Internet connection Your address, phone number, what you paid for your house, what you owe on your house generally are available there because it is all public record.

 

[KVH]

Charo on the Lido deck with a whole lotta 90210 types dancing around . . .

 

[hrhdhd]

Charo on the Lido deck with a whole lotta 90210 types dancing around . . .

Charo was a special guest entertainer in my EBTA in 2011. Yes, 10 years ago, but not THAT long ago. I wonder if she still does bookings . . . or would, if ships were sailing.

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

Since we are relatively new to the cruising game I am gonna say great deals! What we paid for a Cat V on the Fantasy in 2014 may get us into an ocean view now On the other lines we have sailed now as well, others say the same thing.

Coincidentally, our one concierge cruise in a Cat. V on the Fantasy was also in 2014. The difference in price between a 4A and Cat. V for a 7 night Western that summer was about $500 more for the five of us. Before we booked, we debated whether or not having access to the lounge and the other concierge amenities was really going to be worth an extra $70 per night since we did our own excursion bookings and didn't want a cabana. We enjoyed the cruise, but then we happily went back to our usual 4A stateroom because it was midship (less motion) and all of our kids got their own sleeping space instead of 2 of them having to share the pullout sofa bed. Currently, the upcharge to go from a 4A to a Cat. V for our 2022 Eastern is over $5000, or more than an extra $700 per night . We always wonder if Disney made a pricing error on their website for concierge rooms that summer.

 

[SnowWhite2]

I remember always getting a few decks of playing cards in the room. I still have a pack from our honeymoon cruise in 1984. Also, if you left your nightgown out the cabin steward might fold it into a fancy flower or swan on your bed.

 

[TinkerMouse]

I remember always getting a few decks of playing cards in the room. I still have a pack from our honeymoon cruise in 1984. Also, if you left your nightgown out the cabin steward might fold it into a fancy flower or swan on your bed.

Was this in addition to the towel animals or was this pre-towel animal? If it was pre then we know what replaced it, especially since now they put our sunglasses on the towel animal whenever we leave them out.

 

[tvguy]

Was this in addition to the towel animals or was this pre-towel animal? If it was pre then we know what replaced it, especially since now they put our sunglasses on the towel animal whenever we leave them out.

I don't recall towel animals on my 1980 cruise, but that was on Paquet, a French cruise line. We did have towel animals on NCL in 1983. But one night I left my P.J.s under my pillow and came back from dinner to find them spread out on the bed with a towel animal in the opening for your head.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My sunglasses often found their way onto the towel animal

 

[SnowWhite2]

No towel animals.

I remember on our first cruise there was one family with three kids. They were the only kids on the cruise. They sat near us for dinner and everyone made a fuss over them because kids rarely cruised.

I also remember that the airfare was included or might be a small add-on depending where you lived in relation to the embarkation port. The cruise line made the flight reservations for you.

 

[tvguy]

No towel animals.

I remember on our first cruise there was one family with three kids. They were the only kids on the cruise. They sat near us for dinner and everyone made a fuss over them because kids rarely cruised.

I also remember that the airfare was included or might be a small add-on depending where you lived in relation to the embarkation port. The cruise line made the flight reservations for you.

There was two passengers under the age of 18 on my first cruise. Yes, the first few cruises air fare was included in the fare, and depending on where you lived, they required you to fly in the day before and they threw in a hotel room for free. Cruised several times our of Miami and NCL and RCCL used the Omni hotel because there was a shopping mall attached. There was a letter in your cruise documents advising you not to leave the Omni Hotel complex due to high crime in Miami. This was the 1980's.

 

[cgolf]

Coincidentally, our one concierge cruise in a Cat. V on the Fantasy was also in 2014. The difference in price between a 4A and Cat. V for a 7 night Western that summer was about $500 more for the five of us. Before we booked, we debated whether or not having access to the lounge and the other concierge amenities was really going to be worth an extra $70 per night since we did our own excursion bookings and didn't want a cabana. We enjoyed the cruise, but then we happily went back to our usual 4A stateroom because it was midship (less motion) and all of our kids got their own sleeping space instead of 2 of them having to share the pullout sofa bed. Currently, the upcharge to go from a 4A to a Cat. V for our 2022 Eastern is over $5000, or more than an extra $700 per night . We always wonder if Disney made a pricing error on their website for concierge rooms that summer.

No they changed the pricing structure for concierge for the 2015 cruises. One of the hosts was very vocal about the price increases and that they were losing families that they had been sailing concierge often.

The biggest thing we miss is our daughter being younger and her enjoying all of the cruise activities more. By her last cruise in 2016 on the Magic it was like she had either outgrown the Disney expereince or cruising.

 

[CM Dad]

Our first cruise was for our 30th anniversary. Our parents and children (youngest was 18 at the time) were on the cruise with us. The kids brought a Yoda with us that stayed in our room. The room steward seemed to enjoy including Yoda when they cleaned the room, or left towel creations.

 

[Dug720]

My first cruise was on the Emerald Seas. They had a special discount so we went. My sister and the little girl at our table and I were the only 3 kids and we were the pampered princesses of the ship for sure - even though we were in a 4-bunk (two lower twins and two upper twins all built into the wall - no option to move the beds together for my parents) tiny porthole cabin! (Lisa’s family was in a suite.)

I don’t recall towel animals, but our cabin steward would always do something with our stuffed animals. The first night my dad left his socks on his bed from getting dressed for dinner and his bed was not turned down.

This was back in the days of everyone wearing their life jackets to muster drill which was in the lounge or the dining room.

The pool was a small square thing and you could only get in it when the ship was docked - after climbing about 4 feet down a ladder.

 

[robinb]

Our first cruise was on NCL’s Norway in the 1980’s. I remember the midnight buffet with ice sculptures, aquavit in little horn shot glasses and lobster canapés.

 

[TinkerMouse]

Our first cruise was on NCL’s Norway in the 1980’s. I remember the midnight buffet with ice sculptures, aquavit in little horn shot glasses and lobster canapés.

Did midnight buffets used to be a regular thing? Were they common place? I have been on 4 cruises and only one had a midnight dessert buffet with ice sculptures and it was hyped as a very big deal and surprise. Then again, it could have been hyped because I was a teenager and it's easy to surprise and excite younger cruisers or anybody when the event isn't listed in the Personal Navigator. It was on a Disney Panama Canal crossing.