Well, it was my first cruise, it was free, and I was being paid to Produce 5 half hour TV shows on cruising. Rough assignment for a 23 year old who was 10 months out of College!
The first cruise I paid for was 3 years later on the SS Norway, with 2,000 passengers at the time it was the largest cruise ship on the seas. Far different experience. Broadway quality shows like all ships have now, but their hook was they also had name entertainers on board, folks you would see on the Tonight Show etc, who not only put on a show, but mingled with the passengers for the week. Did two cruises on the Norway and saw and hung out with The Fifth Dimension, Norm Crosby, Jack Jones and his dad Allan who was a big name entertainer in his own right, Shields and Yarnell. Nobody I know has name entertainers anymore on their ships.
Cruising has changed a lot since my first cruise 43 years ago. Everything seems to cost extra. And people seem to have lost the ability to have a fine dining experience. They expect fast food restaurant experiences.......dinner in an hour, not a 3 1/2 hour 12 course Production like I experienced on my first cruise.