Last December, some 2,000 people from across the United States, Canada, and Europe made their way to Miami for a four-day round-trip cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. But it wasn't the golden beaches or sparkling blue waters that united the dedicated band of travelers; it was the onboard events and list of eminent guests.

While celebrity cruises are nothing new, this one - the inaugural Classic Cruise hosted by the cable channel, Turner Classic Movies, which brought together thousands of film fans with their favorite Hollywood legends on Sixthman's Celebrity Millennium cruise ship - was truly a classic.

Two of those fans were from Brownsburg - Rob and Elaine Damler - both long-time film enthusiasts.

"I grew up going to the movies all the time," Rob said. "My mom worked for a small theater chain in Indianapolis and we were able to go to movies for free. My wife is a movie fan from spending time with her grandma when she was growing up. I turn to her when I need to know who an actor or actress is in the old movies."

Since the TCM Classic Cruise was the first for the couple, they were somewhat hesitant about the venture.

"We wanted our first cruise to be a short trip to see whether we liked the experience or not," Damler said. "When I received information about the cruise via e-mail, I knew that this was perfect for us."

The Damlers were not disappointed. TCM had planned plenty of events and movies to be shown throughout the cruise, and many were introduced by the stars themselves. The couple's celebrity shipmates included Ernest Borgnine, Eva Marie Saint, Tippi Hedren, and director Norman Jewison, as well as TCM hosts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz.

For instance, Saint talked about the making of "North by Northwest," Hedren spoke about "The Birds," and Borgnine discussed "The Poseidon Adventure" - the irony of the latter being shown on a cruise ship being appreciated by passengers.

Far from retiring to their cabins and emerging only to fulfill their obligations, the celebrity guests regularly roamed the decks, mingling with the passengers, eating at the buffet, chatting, and posing for photographs. Borgnine was typical of all the celebrities.

"Oh my goodness, I couldn't have been treated better by the TCM folks or fans," said the 94-year-old Borgnine during the cruise. "It's one thing to like an actor, but the kind of love people have shown me is amazing."

Damler says although they saw the celebrity guests at events and walking around the ship, he only got to meet one face to face.

"Meeting Ernest Borgnine and having our picture with him - that was the extra special moment on the cruise," he said.

The couple also enjoyed the movie introductions by TCM hosts and the celebrities. 

"The stories that each of the celebrities told, whether a movie star or a director, they all brought something unique to enjoying the movie even more," Rob said. "And listening to Robert Osborne discuss his background and experiences in Hollywood was also a wonderful highlight. When he told his stories, I felt like he was just talking one-on-one."

TCM host Osborne was clearly pleased with the passengers' response.

"Fans have been coming up to me throughout the cruise, talking about their favorite movies," he said. "I love that, because it really means they love the channel and love the work that I do."

Cabins went for around $800 to $2,500 per person on this cruise, and sold out within 70 days. Osborne says that TCM is considering another cruise, and announcements will be made on the TCM website, tcm.com, which Damler will be looking for.

"We have both discussed going on another TCM cruise," he said, even after learning of the tragic Jan. 13 cruise ship accident off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy. "We definitely took a lot more interest in the story and it made us appreciate the fact that we performed a safety drill prior to leaving port. We are still ready for another cruise, but we both recognize that we need to be more aware of the safety required on the ship because events can happen so quickly."

- Nick Thomas is a freelance writer and was a passenger on the cruise. He is author of the recently released book, Raised by the Stars: Interviews with 29 Children of Hollywood Actors.