Greetings - Advice sought for lesbian couple who have never been on a cruise

Greetings - My girlfriend and I have never gone on a cruise, but she has always wanted to, so I am researching to find us the best one. We are in our 50s and not wealthy, but want it to be a great and memorable experience. It doesn't have to be a whole ship chartered only for gay and lesbian people or only for lesbians - it just has to be very friendly toward G/L people. We want to go to the Caribbean, and would like to do it either late in 2015 or next year (2016). I think smaller might be better than a giant ship, but as I am completely new to this I am open to anything. I am wondering if folks here can make suggestions and/or recommendations for me to explore. Thanks in advance for any help!

-Tokala

Any cruise line will do for you. There are get together s for groups on board . Most people will see you as two women training together to reduce costs.

Chose by what your budget will allow , chose the area , book and then have fun on board.

Same advice I give to all new cruisers.

I would go celebrity. They are very gay friendly. We have never experienced any problems onboard. We always met great people. The ships are pretty big, but not crowded. They are a bit more expensive, but there is always a nice offer. Have fun girls

Generally agree with Kamloops about any cruiseline will give you a good introduction. Things to think about as you look at the different lines:

-do you want to dress up or not

-how small is a small ship to you

-depending on where you live, you might want to leave from a closeby homeport

You might want to check out the page on here about new to cruising also.

and of course ask questions and join your rollcall.

Welcome aboard!

Tokala: welcome to Cruise Critic!

Good advice in the comments above, particularly from Clay.

I will add something else that might factor in your choice of a cruise line: the (no) smoking policy. Right now, all the major lines except HAL (Holland America) prohibit smoking in cabins and on balconies. HAL still allows smoking on balconies, which can be a problem depending on one's neighbors.

Celebrity has the most restrictive smoking policy -- no smoking indoors anywhere, including in the casino. Smoking is allowed only in a few designated public places outdoors. I love this (and many other things) about Celebrity. NCL still allows smoking in the casino by passengers who are actually playing. Royal Caribbean also allows smoking in the casino, but apparently (at least on some ships) there is a non-smoking area, not that smoke won't find its way everywhere else.

In terms of picking a travel date, if you don't want a lot of kids on board, don't cruise during school holidays.

Happy to answer more specific questions....

Enjoy cruising!

My partner and I just sailed on Caribbean Princess last month and had a great time. As recommended by people on this message board, we went to the LGBT meet-up on the first night and were so glad we did! We made friends with interesting couples from all over and it became a nightly pre-dinner tradition.

These meet-ups were held every night but try to go to the first one as it's often hosted by someone from the cruise director's team. They will be listed in the daily patter.

I wouldn't recommend the Caribbean Princess necessarily (it's a bit old), but I hear that Princess is LGBT-friendlier than some other lines. Not sure if that's true, but we had a positive experience. I also suggest a larger ship in case you have a tendency to get motion sickness.

Most of the cruises I have taken have been with my cousin (straight) and people, like the crew, tend to assume we're a couple. We've had no problems on Royal Caribbean and I have not had any on Carnival. Royal Caribbean even tried to give us a romantic dinner for valentines last year lol.

I think most major cruise lines will be fairly gay friendly. The big thing I look at is that smaller ships and long cruises tend to attract an older generation of cruisers (70+) so you may want to take that into consideration.

There have been a few (very few) comments about homophobic stateroom attendants, etc.... But all of that can and should be addressed with supervisors and guest relations immediately. I have NEVER seen it myself but if I ever experience it I would immediately call or go to guest services. I just won't tolerate it at all, from crew member or passenger alike.

I will be on Princess next month and look forward to the LGBT get-together. I was looking at a Princess Patter posted here from a cruise a month or so back and the FOD/LGBT get-together was listed at 5:30PM so I chose the second seating dining so I can attend.

It's been interesting to read this thread. My wife and I booked our first cruise a few weeks ago. We are going on a Royal Caribbean cruise and look forward to it. A couple of my friends have been on Olivia cruises and had a great time but we decided we get far more for our money this way.

We are already thinking about booking another cruise for spring 2016.

I've turned my wife onto cruising and I'm happy to say she loves cruising as much as I do! While our first two cruises together have been on Disney with our daughters,we are finally doing a Moms only sailing in June to Alaska on the Pearl.

I hope you both have a wonderful time on your first cruise!

One quick word of advice,without sound scary...just be aware that some islands are " friendlier" than others. While I'm not a fan of any PDA,be mindful when you are out and about.

Oh,and if you take a taxi,make sure you are clear on the price you agree on. We had a problem in St Maarten with a driver( who drove so annoyingly slow I swear we could have jogged faster and he was pissing cars behind us off all day )tried to change the rate at the end of the day. My Jersey girl kicked in a bit and paid him only what we agreed on but its annoying that as women,some may find it easier to try to take advantage.

My husband and I have sailed with Carnival the last three times and have felt very welcome on board. Our most recent sailing was for our honeymoon and the crew and staff all took the time to celebrate our marriage. The guitar soloist even played several songs in our honor and later some guests came up and congratulated us!! It was a very nice feeling.

We initially choose Carnival back in 2012 due to price and itinerary. We really like Carnival's "casual" atmosphere - as we get all dressed up for work so it's nice to just relax.

Good luck - I am sure you will find a cruise that suits your style.

Best,

Ricky

My wife and I have taken several cruises over the years, mostly with Celebrity, and really enjoy what they offer in terms of the ships features and amenities. If you shop around and book at the right time, you can get good rates (we don't cruise unless it's a deal!)

In February while on the Constellation, travelling with a large group of straight girlfriends, we were picked to be contestants on the ships Not-so Newlywed game.:p We won, too! The audience/other passengers were all very positive and congratulating us all around.

Enjoy your cruise, wherever it takes you!

Princess, Holland America, and Celebrity are our favorites. DH teaches at a community college, so all of our cruises have to fit into his school breaks. These cruises tend to have a younger crowd than we experienced before he started teaching and could go in early December.