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Does anyone do the FOD/LGBT gatherings?


3DogDay
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Might be worth mentioning again that on Royal, anyone is permitted to place a card on an announcement board located at guest services to set up their own get-together. No guarantee that people will see it, but if you don't like the (later) times listed in the cruise compass, you can try to get your own going at whatever time and location you'd like.

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We were on the Summit in October and while LGBT was in the daily bulletin, attendance was basically non existent. There were a couple guys at a table for two who seemed to have no interest in speaking to anyone and a couple who wandered through. Timing was a problem and the time was changed several times. But it always seemed to collide with dinner seatings, shows or even with a straight party in the same space and time.

 

RCL and Celebrity seem to have been the least well attended. Cunard, Holland and NCL the best.

 

There was a good group on Breakaway last January and we're hoping that will happen again when we sail Jan. 19, 1918. (Still some good deals available.)

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I'd agree with your comments on Holland and NCL having the best gatherings. Later hours are ok with me as I am a night owl and love longs chats over cocktails. I will even grab a late dinner seating to try my best to show up and stay a half hour. If no one shows then I'll leave. I'll give credit to the ladies as they have always been friendlier than a few male couples that have not stayed when just single men have been in attendance.

 

 

We were on the Summit in October and while LGBT was in the daily bulletin, attendance was basically non existent. There were a couple guys at a table for two who seemed to have no interest in speaking to anyone and a couple who wandered through. Timing was a problem and the time was changed several times. But it always seemed to collide with dinner seatings, shows or even with a straight party in the same space and time.

 

RCL and Celebrity seem to have been the least well attended. Cunard, Holland and NCL the best.

 

There was a good group on Breakaway last January and we're hoping that will happen again when we sail Jan. 19, 1918. (Still some good deals available.)

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  • 2 weeks later...
It depends on 2 things for us.

 

If it is in a venue conducive to conversation.

 

Not too late for us .

 

Best LGBT's for us have been before or between dinner times in a lounge without entertainment.

 

D&J

 

I can relate with that. Maybe just an old married couple here but not really interested in being up to the wee hours of the morning.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just was on Liberty Dec. 17, 2017 and it was nice to see that on the daily schedule it was listed as LGBT get together rather than FOD.

I like that they now feel they don't have to hide it from the other guest.

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I usually try to go, but I'm not very outgoing, and they are usually at a public bar so you're not always sure who is there for the get-together. I usually stand there for a while and then go back to my cabin. How do y'all know who is there for the get-together when it's not obvious (I've only been one time when it was quite obvious who was there for FOD).

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I usually try to go, but I'm not very outgoing, and they are usually at a public bar so you're not always sure who is there for the get-together. I usually stand there for a while and then go back to my cabin. How do y'all know who is there for the get-together when it's not obvious (I've only been one time when it was quite obvious who was there for FOD).

 

The 6 million dollar question!

I wish I knew for my radar is probably powered by the wrong means LOL.

 

Maybe a FOD Hello my name is sticker??

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The 6 million dollar question!

 

I wish I knew for my radar is probably powered by the wrong means LOL.

 

 

 

Maybe a FOD Hello my name is sticker??

 

 

 

Note to self: Cover myself in glitter, wear Pride Day go go shorts, squeal “hey girl, HEY!” at every man that shows up.

 

Kidding. Truth be told, we’ve been told we look like two soccer Dads, waiting at the bar for our wives to get ready for dinner. And I do have ZERO gaydar. We do find a smile and hello are harmless intros, whether the person is there for the LGBT meet/greet. If they are, awesome. If they’re not, no biggie.

 

 

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Note to self: Cover myself in glitter, wear Pride Day go go shorts, squeal “hey girl, HEY!” at every man that shows up.

 

Kidding. Truth be told, we’ve been told we look like two soccer Dads, waiting at the bar for our wives to get ready for dinner. And I do have ZERO gaydar. We do find a smile and hello are harmless intros, whether the person is there for the LGBT meet/greet. If they are, awesome. If they’re not, no biggie.

 

 

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en

 

I think i simply didn't find the people on my first several cruises. . . . most of the groups are men. I am often the only woman who attends, but one cruise there were three female couples. And about as many men. It was the first one I really enjoyed, and so I've taken more risks in approaching people since then, the men have always been very welcoming to me, so it continues to be fun.

 

 

Anne

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The 6 million dollar question!

I wish I knew for my radar is probably powered by the wrong means LOL.

 

Maybe a FOD Hello my name is sticker??

 

I've probably had a 50/50 experience with it being fairly obvious who is at the venue for the LGBTQ meet and who might not be, but i can guarantee that you will find them if you wear a "Hello, My Name is Sticker" name tag, or at least some of them will find you. :D

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Note to self: Cover myself in glitter, wear Pride Day go go shorts, squeal “hey girl, HEY!” at every man that shows up.

 

Kidding. Truth be told, we’ve been told we look like two soccer Dads, waiting at the bar for our wives to get ready for dinner. And I do have ZERO gaydar. We do find a smile and hello are harmless intros, whether the person is there for the LGBT meet/greet. If they are, awesome. If they’re not, no biggie.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

LOL! Absolutely or serve with dishes that have naked men doing leap frog on them (Birdcage reference).

 

Glad to hear someone else's gaydar is broken as much as mine is.

 

When we do socialize (schooner bar most of the time), we generally don't have any issue(s). Never been disrespected or frowned upon when saying hello (On the ship).

I have perceived none were gay, but hey it's broken so they very well might have been... they may have been hitting on me and I didn't notice LOL

 

On Anthem we went to every one of the FOD's and never saw a single one BUT I did find that there was an under 21 meet that was scheduled at the SAME location each time also :( Probably why it never happened.

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We were on the NCL Getaway in September 2016 and the NCL Escape in September 2017 and both cruises hosted great evening cocktail gatherings that were well attended - sometimes by the cruise director. We had a blast and met a lot of great new people! NCL seems to do this very well!

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We had a large group on the Norwegian Sun going to Santiago a couple of years ago. The first night we looked in at the meeting and saw about 5 male couples in one part of the bar chatting. I said, "Hi, we're not sisters... is this the right place?" It seemed to break the ice and we had a great time with everyone for the rest of the trip (16 days)

Before that, we had cruised on Norwegian in the Baltic and the Mediterranean and there was no one at the FOD meetings. It could be the difference in European vs. American clients.. I don't know. We're doing Vancouver to Toyko this fall. We'll see.

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  • 2 weeks later...
We had a large group on the Norwegian Sun going to Santiago a couple of years ago. The first night we looked in at the meeting and saw about 5 male couples in one part of the bar chatting. I said, "Hi, we're not sisters... is this the right place?" It seemed to break the ice and we had a great time with everyone for the rest of the trip (16 days)

Before that, we had cruised on Norwegian in the Baltic and the Mediterranean and there was no one at the FOD meetings. It could be the difference in European vs. American clients.. I don't know. We're doing Vancouver to Toyko this fall. We'll see.

What I've noticed is that the fod/LGBT gathering are at some insane time like 10 or 11pm!

Even on vacation, I'm in for the night!

 

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My wife and I sailed the Grand Princess in December from San Fran to and around Hawaii. There was a listed LGBTQ meeting every day at 5 pm in one of the bars. It took a day or two past sail away for the crowd to appear, but in the end there were at least 20-25 of us every night. We were the only women. We had cocktails and then went to dinner. Sometimes as we got to know each other, we went in small groups. We did meet other lesbians on board but they had no interest in going to the gatherings so we found other ways to engage. No one from the Cruise Line was present or even checked on us at the bar. We made our own fun.

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We just returned from a 14 day cruise of Southeast Asia on the Celebrity Millennium, and no one showed up for the scheduled LGBT gathering at 8PM at the loud Martini Bar. During the 2 weeks, we met several gay couples, but none seemed to know about, or care about the gatherings. Many were not native english speakers, which might have explained their reluctance.

 

Our next two cruises are with a gay travel group, so hopefully less of a problem.

 

 

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We'll be doing round-trip crossings on the QM2 in September and I look forward to the FOD meetings. I'm assuming that this year, as in the past, they'll be in a reserved area of the Commodore Club each evening at 5 PM and will attract 20-30 attendees.

 

One of the daily highights.

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I always go to the LGBTI/FOD/etc meet ups!

 

I've made some incredible friends on them who've become dry land friends too.

 

Hoping there'll be a homo or two on my next two cruises!

 

17th May - Independence of The Seas

1st September - Celebrity Silhouette

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  • 2 weeks later...

Recently completed a cruise on Allure of the Seas.

Royal screwed this one up.

Cruise compass stated '24 hour LGBTQ Gathering to be posted at Library' nothing posted or showed or anything in/by/near by. So went Guest Services for understanding or explaintion on it. They did not have a clue what I was talking about. After third or fourth reiteration on where it is or what does this mean. They stated they would look into it. Took down our room number and heard nothing further.

That being said each day the ~Posting of the gather moved but each one was labeled 24 hours. Nothing further lead to anything in regards to the "Gatherings"

On the third day there was a 'note' stuck to our door (we had a PFLAG with a magnet - for those days you need help finding your room) stating "Love the flag. Meet at the Champegne Bar at 5:30 PM for drinks" no indication as to how or whom from anyone else.

For fun we went anyhow.. We were at the bar [early] and had matching outfits (Cuz sometimes it is fun to do that). The idea, thinking it might help to indicate who we were AND had the note [out in the open] that was left on our door in the open and well NOTHING.

 

You would think if you took the time to leave a note, to reach out to someone, and to indicate the time ~ you would show up. No further notes left on the door or anything.

So confused on such mannerisms

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We enjoyed the LGBT meetings on our Princess cruise last month. There was great attendance. It was held at the open bar at the back of the ship. We got to see some great sunsets from there while talking with new friends. There was a clique of lesbians traveling together who'd show up some of the time. Another couple of lesbians complained that they were too cliquish, but I did not have any problems having conversations with them.

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I always go to the LGBTI/FOD/etc meet ups!

 

I've made some incredible friends on them who've become dry land friends too.

 

Hoping there'll be a homo or two on my next two cruises!

 

17th May - Independence of The Seas

1st September - Celebrity Silhouette

Considering both ships you are going to be on have large groups of pax, I think you'll be in luck. Certainly wish Celebrity would do a better job of promoting the LGBT meetings. The Martini bar is a crappy place! It gets way crowded & even with good "Gaydar" it gets hard to tell!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow..... I'm a bit amazed that this thread is still alive. I had almost forgotten that I had even posted it - had no idea that this would be a topic that would go on for almost 3 years!

 

In January of 2016 we did a 14 day SE Asia itinerary on the Celebrity Millennium. There was a couple from our home town who lived close by (we only know this because we asked) and was traveling with another couple that just so happened to be on our flights. And as it turned out they were in cabins down the hall from us. We saw that the LGBT gathering was posted on the community bulletin board, so we figured we had nothing to lose. We showed up to the gathering, and the local boys and their friends were there holding court with some ladies. As they were the only ones there and they never even looked our way, we just had a drink and left (oh well, the purpose of flying 10k miles wasn't to meet them anyway - we could just as easily be ignored by them back home). But that being said, we ended up meeting two Australian couples just by hanging out at the pool. We would have had a wonderful time regardless of whether or not we had met anyone, but they just made it all the more fun.

 

In April of 2017 we did a 7 day Western Caribbean on the Carnival Glory (my partner absolutely put his foot down and refused to get on any plane that was flying for more than 2 hours) and they actually had the gathering listed in the daily Fun Times. At the first gathering it was only two younger guys traveling together and us. We talked to them for a bit and they were nice. But the next night they were hanging out with a couple much closer to their age, and they seemed like they would rather keep the group to just themselves. We could hardly blame them for that and didn't intrude. There were also a few other obviously gay couples on board, but we neither saw them at any of the gatherings nor did they seem as though they wanted to be engaged. But once again, we met a really great lesbian couple while hanging out at the pool along with several other straight people from various excursions.

 

I guess the moral of the story is that you have nothing to lose by checking out any of the gatherings. You may meet some nice people, if only for a brief time, you may meet no one or you may be completely ignored. But if nothing else, hang out by the pool - this seems to be where all of the interesting people are! But regardless of whether you meet 100 people or none, enjoy your cruise.

 

We leave for a Med cruise out of the UK on the Navigator of the Seas in 42 days. Will let you know what happens - hopefully it won't be too cold to hang out by the pool.

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