Warning About the Potential for LGBT Members to Be Removed from Celebrity Cruises

FYI

On the cruise that I am still currently on a fellow LGBT cruiser was forced off the cruise due to complaints from another passenger.

I was not a witness to the incident but following is a summary of the "incident" as it is currently understood by the LGBT cruisers on board.

Early in the morning at the Martini Bar there was a disagreement between a gay man and a straight man. The straight man accused the gay man of sexually harassing him by touching his behind and complained to the cruise management. The gay man was isolated in the brig while the cruise management reviewed security tapes and spoke with witnesses. For some reason they interviewed the straight man's colleagues immediately but waited a day to talk to the gay man's witnesses. Celebrity sided with the straight man and the gay man was forced off the ship two ports prior to the destination port.

I was not a witness to any of this drama since I am not one to be in the Martini Bar at 1:30 am. However, be forewarned that you have few options as a gay man to fight against charges such as these. I would be surprised if a straight man would be forced off a ship for touching the behind of a straight woman.

What's really bizarre is that Celebrity posts that every evening there is an LGBT friendly gathering at the Martini Bar on deck five. Anyway, I likely won't be sailing with Celebrity again.

FYI

I would be surprised if a straight man would be forced off a ship for touching the behind of a straight woman.

I think they would take the straight guy off if this happened to a woman...;)

Well, we just got off the Century last month. As a couple we were invited to the Captains Table on the first formal night. On the last day a fellow solo gay man was presented with his Zenith level by the Captain at a special party on the bridge to which a number of his friends were invited.

Perhaps there is more to this story than is known. But it does seem an incredible over reaction.

Now that same sex marriage is in the majority of the states and recognized by the Federal government, we must be treated the same as a straight couple. Yes there must be more to the story, but if one is assaulted by another, action must taken. My partner and I have sailed for years and NEVER had any problem on any cruise ship or cruise line. We have always been treated the same as others.

Well, I suspect there is more to this story than the hearsay in the original post. I strongly doubt any cruise line would put a passenger of any sexual orientation off a ship without very good cause.

All that aside, my spouse and I have sailed three times with Celebrity (twice in Pied Piper groups) and have never been treated with anything but respect. We love Celebrity, and will gladly sail with them again.

And the fact that Pied Piper does so much business with Celebrity is another indication that Celebrity is hardly unfriendly to gay people.

" I would be surprised if a straight man would be forced off a ship for touching the behind of a straight woman. "

I think you are incorrect about that. Though it might take more than just a pat to escalate to being taken off the ship. I think the culprit here is the straight man, not Celebrity. If a woman had touched him on the butt, do you think he would have run to management? Or just touched her back and laughed?

People have been thrown off Oceania because they wouldn't stop using foul language in the public areas. So cruise companies do remove passengers for some behavior.

Since you weren't a witness to this unfortunate incident there has to more to this story then someone just touching someone inappropriately. The only reason a passenger (whether straight, gay, bi or transgendered) is forceful off the ship is due to a violation of Celebrity guest conduct policy. Who knows there could have been other complaints about the passenger that you weren't aware of and/or alcohol wasn't involved. Again, a general passenger isn't privy to the full security report so we can't make any statement that he was 100% forced off the ship due to just being gay. How we know if Celebrity hasn't thrown off a straight person in the past for doing the same this? Given the fact the Atlantis Events uses Celebrity as their top choice in all-gay charters discounts to me any overall discrimination toward GLBT at least on a corporate basis. In today's media anyone just being thrown off due to being GLBT would be a corporate PR media nightmare for Celebrity, any other cruise line or corporation.

FYI

On the cruise that I am still currently on a fellow LGBT cruiser was forced off the cruise due to complaints from another passenger.

 

I was not a witness to the incident but following is a summary of the "incident" as it is currently understood by the LGBT cruisers on board.

 

Early in the morning at the Martini Bar there was a disagreement between a gay man and a straight man. The straight man accused the gay man of sexually harassing him by touching his behind and complained to the cruise management. The gay man was isolated in the brig while the cruise management reviewed security tapes and spoke with witnesses. For some reason they interviewed the straight man's colleagues immediately but waited a day to talk to the gay man's witnesses. Celebrity sided with the straight man and the gay man was forced off the ship two ports prior to the destination port.

 

I was not a witness to any of this drama since I am not one to be in the Martini Bar at 1:30 am. However, be forewarned that you have few options as a gay man to fight against charges such as these. I would be surprised if a straight man would be forced off a ship for touching the behind of a straight woman.

 

What's really bizarre is that Celebrity posts that every evening there is an LGBT friendly gathering at the Martini Bar on deck five. Anyway, I likely won't be sailing with Celebrity again.

Since neither you,I or any of the other posters on this thread were there, it's really hard to form a valid opinion. As others have said there could be a LOT more to this story than we currently know.

Since neither you,I or any of the other posters on this thread were there, it's really hard to form a valid opinion. As others have said there could be a LOT more to this story than we currently know.

I agree as second hand information is always dangerous.

Mike:)

Since neither you,I or any of the other posters on this thread were there, it's really hard to form a valid opinion. As others have said there could be a LOT more to this story than we currently know.

Agree. There is probably more to the story. Highly unlikely that is a case of discrimination on the part of the line.

As others have said there could be a LOT more to this story than we currently know.

The information only the ship has... that is critical.... is the security tapes.

It is also misleading to warn of LGBT passengers potentially being removed: it sounds more like potentially removing passengers behaving inappropriately.

I've cruised with 2 different gay couples and they always seemed to know who was gay and who wasn't. I can't imagine any of them going up to a straight and trying any kind of physical contact.

My question is, do all LGBT know who is and who isn't and would anyone really do something like the OP reported and risk alleged sexual harassment?

My question is, do all LGBT know who is and who isn't and would anyone really do something like the OP reported and risk alleged sexual harassment?

The same reason anyone else would do it.

As for knowing: my gaydar is pretty good but not 100% foolproof. :)

The same reason anyone else would do it.

 

As for knowing: my gaydar is pretty good but not 100% foolproof. :)

Sorry if it came off that it would be any different. It's just that there are some evil people who are very unaccepting waiting for a chance for some type of confrontation.:( I guess I might be in a heightened mode to avoid any possibility but of course, that's easy for me to say.

The same reason anyone else would do it.

 

As for knowing: my gaydar is pretty good but not 100% foolproof. :)

Gaydar or not, anybody should be very careful of fondling anybody on a cruise ship or elsewhere. I don't know that I would make a big issue of it, but unless we are properly acquainted, try it at your own risk.

Oh gaydar and fondling are not related! ;)

My gayda is pretty good, you just know. :D But every now and than I'M wrong. :eek: My partner of 45 years, now married for 10, tells me you say everyone is gay and most of the time I'M right.;);)

I requested that actual witnesses post and clarify the "incident". However, they haven't yet and don't seem to be active on CC.

The straight man involved approached the group of gay men twice before his behind was touched and apparently used homophobic language both times. The gay man removed from the cruise touched his behind after the third approach (which I agree was not a smart thing to do). They were probably getting annoyed with him and the guy who got kicked off did it to get rid of him.

Anyway, all I know is that the gay man's friends did not feel that the "incident" deserved being kicked off the cruise. I certainly did not feel comfortable at the Martini Bar after that.

The cruise in question was the least diverse crowd I've ever experienced and the LGBT contingent in a very small minority.

I requested that actual witnesses post and clarify the "incident". However, they haven't yet and don't seem to be active on CC.

 

The straight man involved approached the group of gay men twice before his behind was touched and apparently used homophobic language both times. The gay man removed from the cruise touched his behind after the third approach (which I agree was not a smart thing to do). They were probably getting annoyed with him and the guy who got kicked off did it to get rid of him.

 

Anyway, all I know is that the gay man's friends did not feel that the "incident" deserved being kicked off the cruise. I certainly did not feel comfortable at the Martini Bar after that.

 

The cruise in question was the least diverse crowd I've ever experienced and the LGBT contingent in a very small minority.

Which ship are you currently on?

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Which ship are you currently on?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I'm no longer on it. The ship was the Solstice.

Other than the "incident" it was a good cruise. IMHO, if the straight man had left them alone when he was asked TWICE the entire "incident" would never have happened.

I requested that actual witnesses post and clarify the "incident". However, they haven't yet and don't seem to be active on CC.

 

The straight man involved approached the group of gay men twice before his behind was touched and apparently used homophobic language both times. The gay man removed from the cruise touched his behind after the third approach (which I agree was not a smart thing to do). They were probably getting annoyed with him and the guy who got kicked off did it to get rid of him.

 

Anyway, all I know is that the gay man's friends did not feel that the "incident" deserved being kicked off the cruise. I certainly did not feel comfortable at the Martini Bar after that.

 

The cruise in question was the least diverse crowd I've ever experienced and the LGBT contingent in a very small minority.

I would suggest that the friend of the man thrown off the ship isn't in the best position to determine if the incident deserved his friend to be kicked off the ship.

Clearly there must be more to this and if there were security tapes, it's not likely that the captain would have put someone off for no legitimate reason. Touching someone without an invitation to do so is a no-no; even if it wasn't meant as intentional harassment.

As someone said, a better title for this thread would likely be that Celebrity will put you off if you violate the passenger conduct guide.

I'm no longer on it. The ship was the Solstice.

 

Other than the "incident" it was a good cruise. IMHO, if the straight man had left them alone when he was asked TWICE the entire "incident" would never have happened.

Really? Someone MADE someone physically assault someone else? Is that like a woman "asking to be raped?" Blame the victim of unwanted physical contact? If the "straight" man was bothering these guys, they should have left or gotten security.

The title of this thread really is most unfortunate. I don't think my sexual orientation makes me any more likely to be thrown off a Celebrity ship than any other decently behaving passenger.

Really? Someone MADE someone physically assault someone else? Is that like a woman "asking to be raped?" Blame the victim of unwanted physical contact? If the "straight" man was bothering these guys, they should have left or gotten security.

 

The title of this thread really is most unfortunate. I don't think my sexual orientation makes me any more likely to be thrown off a Celebrity ship than any other decently behaving passenger.

Very Good post ..Like!

Reader

Really? Someone MADE someone physically assault someone else? Is that like a woman "asking to be raped?" Blame the victim of unwanted physical contact? If the "straight" man was bothering these guys, they should have left or gotten security.

 

The title of this thread really is most unfortunate. I don't think my sexual orientation makes me any more likely to be thrown off a Celebrity ship than any other decently behaving passenger.

Thanks for your support of homophobic straight men annoying gay men during the posted LGBT "friendly" gatherings on Celebrity.

I give up on both Celebrity and CC.

The End for my posting on both CC and sailing on Celebrity. I can insure that I am not the only gay man on that cruise who will not be sailing with them again.

edit

No wonder the people involved did not post here.