SS Nostalgia

I remember seeing the SS Norway in all its royal-blue glory docked at the port of Miami in the 1980s and 90s. I also recall watching Carnival's Mardi Gras and Festivale ships churn the waters off Government Cut as they embarked on another weekly cruise.

But what happened to some of the classic ships that used to silhouette against the South Florida skyline?

Some were retired and shipped (sorry) to the coast of India to be stripped down for parts. But their spirit remains afloat online where former passengers swap stories and history about these vintage ships.

 I wrote an article about these websites and where some of these ships are now.

(Below, that's me aboard the SS Emerald Seas, my first cruise ship adventure. It was a weekend cruise to the Bahamas - my first time out of the country. I was giddy - as you can probably tell -  that I got the top bunk here. I also remembered that I kept thinking I would bump into the cast of The Love Boat but to no avail.)