What's your favorite cruise memory?

Thanks Sarah for your efforts to keep things positive!

My number one cruise memory is the pleasant surprise I had on my first cruise with a couple of friends, both coworkers.

I was trying a three day reposition cruise on the NCL Pearl mainly to get my friend to shut up and leave me alone about cruising. He had been bugging me about it off/on for 20 years. But I ended up loving it.

Our very first cruise. Stepping into the atrium on the Carnival Legend and seeing the high ceiling, glass elevators and the mass of excited people. Hooked!!!

No matter how many cruises we've taken, its still the first two. That's because a few weeks before we were supposed to cruise on the good ol NCL SPIRIT, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately it was tiny and they caught it early, but they were scheduling her for a lumpectomy and then chemo and radiation. The oncologist said go enjoy the cruise...HAH! well...we went, but that thing was hanging over us like a big ugly cloud.......after the "journey" was done (and you meet the grandest people along the way...) she got used to wearing a wig, and her hair was coming back a spectacular shade of silver...sooo..I called NCL...got the same ship, AND the same balcony room. Never told her...keeping the Normandy invasion a secret was easier...now we have had longer cruises, more involved cruises, and dare I say, more expensive cruises, but THAT "do-over"...well....I would've paid double...we still smile about that one...

My favourite memory would be my first crew .. when we first stepped onto the Norwegian Spirit and saw the Atrium and then walked around the ship in total amazement.

I'll add my own - I definitely have a lot of cruise memories that could be considered my favorite, but one that sticks out in my mind right now is the day we sailed into Geirangerfjord in Norway on Viking Sky. I set my alarm for probably 5 am that morning to get ready and catch most of the sail down the fjord outside with my camera. It was cloudy out and they opened the bow so that we could all go outside and stand right at the front with unobstructed views. It felt majestic and there was a hushed excitement running through everyone who had gotten up that early to see it. Sailing silently through and seeing such high cliffs and the waterfalls tumbling down was one of the best things I could hope to experience. Later that day while in port, the clouds lifted and it ended up being a warm, sunny day, which was an added blessing because I’ve heard that oftentimes in Geiranger, it’s rainy or cloudy. Everything about that day from beginning to end made it one of the best days of my life, cruise or otherwise!

Its December 27th 2010 when I walked on board Carnival Destiny for my first cruise.

Onboard Seabourn Encore earlier this year, the Cruise Director, Chris Harley, did a special performance one evening prior to dinner. We had heard that he was a singer but had no idea the depth of his talent until this show. It was truly a jaw-dropping experience and after his version of Nessun Dorma, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. He has a magical voice and to hear about the journey of his career woven with songs made for a magical night and one that I won’t soon forget.

OK! I tried to have only one favorite memory, but I couldn't do it. I wanted to just go with the first thing that popped into my mind. We have had some fantastic times and I have decided to give three instead of one. Just to make it simple I will do three separate posts. So look out here they come:

Like many others it was our first cruise, a 4 day on the Carnival Holiday.I had won this cruise and part of the prize was spending time with a local radio station’s personalities.We were fascinated with the ship and would walk on the Lido Deck a night before going to bed.On the Formal night we met one of the radio personalities and his wife while they were also enjoying the quiet time on the Lido deck.They invited us to sit and chat with them.They talked about cruising (they had been on several) and we were approached by a young lad who asked us for $5 to spend in the arcade.We simply said no because this was just some random child we did not know.It was the start of a wonderful adventure in cruising

#2

First time on the Paradise: 4th cruise April 2000-

This needs a bit of explanation. Part one: On our way to Miami the airplane was filled with many cruisers. We had some time on the tarmac because we couldn’t pull up to our gate upon arrival. Everyone started talking with each other about the cruise we were about to take. We were feeling confident about cruising because it was our fourth cruise. It so happened there were three single girls sitting in front of us going on their first cruise on the same ship we were sailing. It became a good relationship and we encountered each other several times during the cruise. Part two: We were seated a table for 8 but the young lady’s traveling companion cancelled at the last minute so she was alone sitting on the other side of my husband. When the cameraman came to take pictures one night everyone paired up until he got to Suzzette. My husband just leaned over to be in the photo with her. Part three: We went to the Tulum ruins Suzzette and as we were heading back to our bus to return to the ship the three young ladies from the airplane saw us (they were on a different bus just arriving). The ran up and asked my husband to take their photo near the “jungle entrance” (for those too young… this was before selfies were a thing). Suzzette turns to me and says, “where are they going with our husband?” Of course, my husband hadn’t even heard her.

#3

Big group cruise: Dream 2017

We organized a group cruise for 12 people.It wasn’t the first big group we organized, but we were confident the seating for dinner would work out fine.Guessing we would 2 tables of six or two tables with 4 & 8 near each other.We ended up with a big table of 12 just behind the Maitre ‘d podium. The first night the wait staff was over friendly and couldn’t do enough for us.It turned out we had the Captain’s table and they assumed we were “special”. We had some first-time cruisers and some first time Carnival cruisers with us.It made a great impression on our table mates.It was wonderful to watch the first timers fall in love with cruising.