Hawaii — 1973

Our first cruise was on the SS Independence, a venerable steamship operated by American Hawaii Cruises (now defunct). The ship cruised between the Hawaiian Islands, and since it didn't stop at any foreign ports, fell under the Jones Act, an old US law affecting domestic carriers. The Jones Act requires domestic-only carriers to have US Registry and union crews.

Being first-time cruisers, we were ignorant of the existence of the Jones Act and its impact on passengers. We didn't know what to expect, so we thought the peeling paint and metal lockers in our stateroom weren't out of the ordinary, and a drunken dining room steward was just an inconvenience. We chalked up the flood in the showroom (from the pool on the deck above) to a one-time problem. We learned on later cruises that these experiences were far from normal.

The ship's entertainment was actually quite good and we had a lot of fun, despite the inconveniences. The concept is great, traveling at night while you're asleep, and waking each day at a new island, ready to go ashore and explore the sights.