<p>After completing its scheduled cruise, the ship returns to it&rsquo;s home port and the passengers disembark. But, the journey isn&rsquo;t over&hellip;. The crew scurries to spruce the ship up and ready it for the next group of passengers, who will embark in a few, short, hours. Then, the ship sails, once again, bringing fun and excitement to a whole new compliment of passengers.</p>
<p><br />My story, so far, is like the ship which has returned to port. My past memories have disembarked, and the &lsquo;ship&rsquo; has been spruced up, and ready for the new memories to embark. The journey isn&rsquo;t over&hellip;.</p>
<p><br />Yet, the old memories aren&rsquo;t gone, and the ghost of them remains, just as the ghosts of all its past passengers remain on a ship, forever.</p>
<p><br />From the classic ocean liners, in New York Harbor, which instilled a love of ships, and the sea, in me; to the first cruise ships I sailed, the converted liners that served the early cruise industry so well; onward to the early &lsquo;super-liners,&rsquo; at an unbelievable 45,000 grt; and, finally, the 100,000+ grt &lsquo;mega-liners.&rsquo; What an astonishing transformation in so short a time.</p>
<p><br />I often wonder if cruising was better, in those early days. I have come to the conclusion that it wasn&rsquo;t better, it was merely simpler. The ships were smaller, and the passengers and crew became a &lsquo;family&rsquo; at sea. The food was prepared for less people and, generally, the quality and service were better. The entertainment options were few. During the day, pool games, the calypso band poolside, napkin folding, and so on. At night, the production show, perhaps a single small lounge, a disco and, somewhere, karaoke. You had to have karaoke.</p>
<p><br />You were completely cut off from the world. No TV; no phone; no Times Fax; nothing! If WWIII began while you were at sea, there was time enough to find out about it when you got back to Miami&hellip;..</p>
<p><br />Today, we have so much to do, on a ship, so many choices. Rock wall climbing; ice skating; roller blading; miniature golf; why you might not even think you&rsquo;re on a ship.</p>
<p><br />Turn on the TV in the cabin, and you can catch CNN, via satellite. Wake up in the morning, and there&rsquo;s a Times Fax under the cabin door. Pick up the room phone, and dial home; or, e-mail home from the internet caf&eacute;.</p>
<p><br />&hellip;&hellip;..and, that&rsquo;s my personal little problem with some of today&rsquo;s ships. Don&rsquo;t get the wrong idea. Some of the changes have most definitely been positive, and cruising, today, is better than it was in the early years, for most people. Having cruised in the early dats, I feel that I take a cruise to be on a ship. If I wanted to stay at a resort, I could fly to an island, and do so.</p>
<p><br />On the other hand, some of the mega-liners, like the Grand Princess and the Carnival mega&rsquo;s, maintain the &lsquo;feel&rsquo; of a smaller ship, yet offer all the options only a very large one can offer. I must admit I also enjoy these ships, very much. I do, however, feel the passengers and crew are impersonal towards one another, and I miss the old camaraderie.</p>
<p><br />Sadly, there's only one classic ship still doing regular cruises, Imperial Majesty's "Regal Empress." She sails a two-night from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau. If you want to experience classsic cruising, before it's gone, thgiis is your last chance. And, starting at $149.00 p.p., ($129.00 for Florida residents) she's a bargain.</p>
<p><br />So, big ship, small ship, new ship, old; a cruise, is a cruise, is a cruise&hellip;..</p>
<p><br />Cruises are like sex; At worst, it will be good, and it only gets better from there!</p>
<p><br />Wishing you many, tranquil days at sea; and warm, soothing, breezes to carry you to exotic ports of call.</p>
<p><br />HOLIDAY 09-16-89<br />BRITANIS 03-30-90<br />CARIBE I 05-19-90<br />DISCOVERY I 06-13-90<br />DOLPHIN 08-17-90<br />MARDI GRAS 01-20-91<br />BRITANIS 03-22-91<br />BRITANIS 04-12-91<br />SUNWARD II 09-20-91<br />NORDIC EMPRESS 11-18-91<br />BRITANIS 01-04-92<br />BRITANIS 02-09-92<br />BRITANIS 05-01-92<br />TROPIC STAR 05/15/92<br />BRITANIS 06-26-92<br />DOLPHIN 09-25-92<br />FANTASY 11-16-92<br />TROPIC STAR 12-05-92<br />COSTA ALLEGRA 01-23-93<br />BRITANIS 02-26-93<br />ROYAL MAJESTY 04-02-93 <br />BRITANIS 06-04-93<br />DISCOVERY I 07/24/93<br />BRITANIS 08-27-93<br />MAJESTIC 11-18-93<br />DISCOVERY I 12-24-93<br />ZENITH 03-12-94<br />BRITANIS 04-01-94<br />TROPIC STAR 05-15-94<br />SEAWARD 07-01-94<br />BRITANIS 08-05-94<br />SEAWARD 11-11-94<br />TROPICANA 05-28-95<br />SENSATION 10-20-95<br />DISCOVERY I 01-12-96<br />SCAND. SUN 04-03-96<br />NORWEGIAN CROWN 10-19-96<br />SOVEREIGN of the SEAS 06-16-97<br />NORWAY 12-06-97<br />SCAND. DAWN 04-02-97<br />SCAND. SUN 03-31-98 <br />NORWEGIAN WIND 12-06-98<br />LEEWARD 04-09-99<br />LEEWARD 07-12-99<br />TRIUMPH 12-11-99<br />IMAGINATION 07-15-00<br />MAASDAM 12-10-00<br />GRAND PRINCESS 10-01-01<br />NORWEGIAN STAR 11-16-01<br />HORIZON 12-14-01<br />CENTURY 04-06-02 <br />MAJESTY of the SEAS 07-23-02<br />FASCINATION 11/22/02<br />VICTORY 03/30/03<br />FASCINATION 06/19/03<br />REGAL EMPRESS 02/27/04<br />FASCINATION 04/02/04<br />REGAL EMPRESS 04/10/05</p>
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