Why we don't go on "all gay cruises" anymore

[keithm]

I know what I am talking about. I was there, but on deck for only about 10 minutes. If those snobs were having fun, it was difficult to tell. I didn't see any happy laughter. I can't imagine why they were out there other than it's what was expected of them. FYI, it was the Queen Victoria Inaugural World Cruise on the segment from NYC to LA.

Well, in all the times we cruised Cunard, it was never expected of us to be on deck in black tie. Only at night did we or anyone else ever dress in black tie. We've not done the Victoria. Only the QM2. You say you were there. Do you mean on the Victoria? If so I don't know why you're referring to the pax as snobs, if you're on the ship as well. People don't do anything "more" on world cruises than they do on regular cruises. We don't knock you, so don't call us snobs.

[toras]

, we tried Pied Piper and did two cruises with them - one very good, one not, so we stopped sailing with them.

Doug

 

What was not good? lack of organization? activities not interesting?

[Darrell6t]

Well, in all the times we cruised Cunard, it was never expected of us to be on deck in black tie. Only at night did we or anyone else ever dress in black tie. We've not done the Victoria. Only the QM2. You say you were there. Do you mean on the Victoria? If so I don't know why you're referring to the pax as snobs, if you're on the ship as well. People don't do anything "more" on world cruises than they do on regular cruises. We don't knock you, so don't call us snobs.

 

Yes, I was on the cruise. I was not amongst the snobs. Everyone on the ship was not that way. But some certainly were. Why else are there three classes of staterooms and dining rooms? We met some lovely people, but also some who were not.

 

And the party was at night, but it was still quite hot. If the sun had still been shining down, it would have been even more unbearable.

 

My partner and I do not really enjoy dressing up. But Cunard has some beautiful ships and some interesting itineraries, so we book them every now and then. The all-gay charters are more casual than many ordinary cruises, and we think that is a good thing. We just returned from an NCL cruise and their policy is you can wear what you want every day. One day was Dress-up Day, if you wanted to. We didn't. On Cunard you need to stay in your stateroom if you aren't dressed in the evening or be shunned. An entirely different atmosphere. We prefer Hawaiian shirts to black ties and cummerbunds.

[DougandEric]

What was not good? lack of organization? activities not interesting?

 

We did a 14 day Baltics cruise on the former Caronia - 2nd trip with PP, the first being a transatlantic on the QE2 which was wonderful. The hosts onboard from Pied Piper (guys from England) were horrible - very disorganized, didn't follow through on stuff they said they would handle, rude to the American's of which we were 75% of the group, screwed up the dinner seating assignments which pissed off a lot of people (they made us change seating on day 3 to match what the ship had us for but didn't tell us we were assigned to specific tables so we moved around (all of us), etc. They also didn't associate with any of the group other their friends they were sailing with. They were basically on vacation (they told us so) and didn't act like hosts at all other than show up for the free cocktails PP provided. They had sent out a letter on PP letterhead before the cruise saying they suggested we take a transfer in from the ship to Berlin and then as a group they'd escort us around since they'd been there before. Didn't happen - they told us the day before Berlin that they were not doing it because PP wouldn't pay for their transfer so we were on our own! It was too late to book anything else because the tours were sold out - we ended up booking the transfer on our own (6 of us) and did our own thing and had a great time. I wrote them off after that fiasco. Why I won't sail with PP again is that I wrote a detailed letter to PP after the trip asking for their opinion of the hosts and was this the expected behavior and never heard back. I sent the letter again a month later with the same results - they never once acknowledged it. After that, I've not gotten an emails or mailings from them again which is fine with us - I'll spend my money where it's appreciated!

[bmcg0102]

My partner and I enjoy both gay and straight cruises. We usually travel with friends that are gay and straight, men and women and we found Atlantis generally very inviting. Being women we've only done the cool weather cruises, it's a little more comfortable for us. The entertainment is better but the cost is higher. We loved Travel Pride but they are no longer booking trips. They were tame, on small ships and offered very personlized service.

 

I agree with the posts about NCL, they are very gay friendly and an excellent value. We took an NCL cruise out of Barcelona last November and met several couples that we had dinner with I think almost every night.

 

I would like to see some of the cruiselines market to groups that include men and women and make it easier to meet. We've found that women don't tend to show up at the Friends of Dorthy meet ups.

 

In December we go on our first Seaborne cruise in the Caribean. We're traveling with another couple but would love to meet some new friends.

[keithm]

Yes, I was on the cruise. I was not amongst the snobs. Everyone on the ship was not that way. But some certainly were. Why else are there three classes of staterooms and dining rooms? We met some lovely people, but also some who were not.

 

And the party was at night, but it was still quite hot. If the sun had still been shining down, it would have been even more unbearable.

 

My partner and I do not really enjoy dressing up. But Cunard has some beautiful ships and some interesting itineraries, so we book them every now and then. The all-gay charters are more casual than many ordinary cruises, and we think that is a good thing. We just returned from an NCL cruise and their policy is you can wear what you want every day. One day was Dress-up Day, if you wanted to. We didn't. On Cunard you need to stay in your stateroom if you aren't dressed in the evening or be shunned. An entirely different atmosphere. We prefer Hawaiian shirts to black ties and cummerbunds.

That's why we(and most)who do Cunard..We like to dress up. It's what they are noted for. If you don't..then perhaps you should choose another line. I saw a guy in a wife beater T shirt & skanky shorts in the dining room on formal night..and yes, I got him ejected. We found out from his tablemates that he was doing it to flaunt the dress code. Cunard plainly prints it's dress code. No, you don't have to be in a tux, but dressing like a slob is not right, either. Call us snobs, I don't care, but you should follow the cruiseline's protocol.

[keithm]

Yes, I was on the cruise. I was not amongst the snobs. Everyone on the ship was not that way. But some certainly were. Why else are there three classes of staterooms and dining rooms? We met some lovely people, but also some who were not.

 

And the party was at night, but it was still quite hot. If the sun had still been shining down, it would have been even more unbearable.

 

My partner and I do not really enjoy dressing up. But Cunard has some beautiful ships and some interesting itineraries, so we book them every now and then. The all-gay charters are more casual than many ordinary cruises, and we think that is a good thing. We just returned from an NCL cruise and their policy is you can wear what you want every day. One day was Dress-up Day, if you wanted to. We didn't. On Cunard you need to stay in your stateroom if you aren't dressed in the evening or be shunned. An entirely different atmosphere. We prefer Hawaiian shirts to black ties and cummerbunds.

To further address..NCl yes, they have a much less formal dresscode. The Epic, however, has it's little "class" system. Even more than Cunard. The Courtyard villas are quite restrictive, are they not? Maybe not the dress code, but the rest of the pax can't venture to that entire part of the ship. Hawaiian shirts are not the norm on Cunard except during the day.

[CruisinMaterial]

To further address..NCl yes, they have a much less formal dresscode. The Epic, however, has it's little "class" system. Even more than Cunard. The Courtyard villas are quite restrictive, are they not? Maybe not the dress code, but the rest of the pax can't venture to that entire part of the ship. Hawaiian shirts are not the norm on Cunard except during the day.

 

To the contrary... NCL doesn't have a class system. You pay for the access to that part of the ship because it comes with your stateroom accomodation (eg Courtyard Villa). If everyone was allowed to go up there then it would be over crowded and the accomodations would lose their attraction to those cruise guests. It's not a class system at all.

 

Cagney's restaurant which is open for breakfast and lunch exclusively for Courtyard Villa, Garden Villa and Owner's Suites guests is open at night to ALL guests on the ship who are willing to pay a $25 cover charge per person. This is hardly a "class" system. NCL is the one breaking the barriers to get away from all that.

 

The Courtyard complex on the Epic is a larger scale version of their Courtyard villa complex on the Jewel and just takes up more space but the idea is the same. You want access... you pay for it. Simple as that. :)

[02143]

To the contrary... NCL doesn't have a class system. You pay for the access to that part of the ship because it comes with your stateroom accomodation (eg Courtyard Villa). If everyone was allowed to go up there then it would be over crowded and the accomodations would lose their attraction to those cruise guests. It's not a class system at all.

 

In what way is that not a "class" system, though? I don't think it's a bad thing, NCL has every right to do it and it's surely good business practice... but it seems to be essentially the same thing Cunard is doing, and to a lesser extent, what Celebrity does with Blu. I think maybe there's confusion between "class" as a neutral term used by ships to denote different levels of service, some exclusive, vs. "class" as a term which has a certain meaning in Britain and a different one in the U.S. where almost everyone, no matter how much money they make and how much exclusivity they can buy, thinks of themselves as "middle class" because they don't have aristocratic heritage or habits.

Edited November 16, 2010 by 02143

[Darrell6t]

Yes, we are NOT Cunard regulars for the very reasons you mention. But when we do go with them we follow the dress code. Still on one formal night when we were in dark suits, which is acceptable according to Cunard's policy, another passenger asked if anyone had spoken to us about our dress. That's a snob.

 

The fellow deliberately trying to challange the dress code with a wife beater and shorts deserves to be called by another, less flattering term. I would also call his behavior worthy of being evicted.

 

Did you hear about the passenger being evicted from an Oceania ship for excessive bad language?

[Darrell6t]

NCL's policy for their villas is not quite as pervasive as Cunard's three classes, with their own bars, dining rooms and deck space.

[Schplinky]

 

Did you hear about the passenger being evicted from an Oceania ship for excessive bad language?

 

Are you sure you don't mean Cunard?

 

This is from USA Today

 

Report: Elderly couple ordered off Cunard ship after 'explosive' argument

 

Comments 107 By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2.

 

CAPTION

By Michel Verdure, Cunard

 

 

 

News outlets from New York to London this week are abuzz over the story of an elderly couple allegedly ordered off Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 after an "explosive" argument with a fellow passenger.The incident, first reported Sunday by the New York Post, occurred last month as the ship was sailing off the coast of Canada, the news outlet says.

The Post says the captain of the Queen Mary 2 told Frederick Evans, 91, and his wife, Gloria Sher, 82, to leave the vessel at the next port of call after Sher, who is Jewish, erupted at a black-tie dinner at another passenger who allegedly made an anti-Semitic comment.

The Post says the couple faced being stranded in Quebec before other passengers convinced the captain to let them stay. The captain then confined the couple to their cabin for six days until the ship reached New York, according to the news outlet.

"I was treated with no respect and unbelievably rude and shockingly terrible," Sher -- a Broadway producer -- tells the Post. "I've been sick ever since."

The Post quotes Evans as saying the ship's captain acted like a modern-day Captain Bligh, refusing to even listen to their side of the story. But another passenger told the Post the couple was at least partly to blame.

In a statement to the Post, the line said the couple engaged in "multiple incidences of disrespectful and disruptive behavior."

[02143]

NCL's policy for their villas is not quite as pervasive as Cunard's three classes, with their own bars, dining rooms and deck space.

 

NCL has been moving more in that direction with each new generation of ships... first with the Courtyard Villas with a private pool, and then with NCL Epic which has its suite-level "box" at the front of the ship with a private night club and restaurant. However since Epic seems to be a one-off it remains to be seen how far they take this in the future.

Edited November 16, 2010 by 02143

[Schplinky]

NCL has been moving more in that direction with each new generation of ships... first with the Courtyard Villas with a private pool, and then with NCL Epic which has its suite-level "box" at the front of the ship with a private night club and restaurant. However since Epic seems to be a one-off it remains to be seen how far they take this in the future.

 

Their new designs will be interesting to look at. As someone who just booked on one of their older ships, I can say that NCL does have a bit of a velvet rope bewteen the upper suite pax and the rest. We've been told we will be able to eat in a specialty restaurant each day for lunch, for instance. While the Cunard experience seems a little too precious for me (my opinion only), I think all lines treat those who pay more better than those who don't. RCL has special areas for Suite pax to sunbathe on Oasis, for instance.

Edited November 16, 2010 by Schplinky

[keithm]

In what way is that not a "class" system, though? I don't think it's a bad thing, NCL has every right to do it and it's surely good business practice... but it seems to be essentially the same thing Cunard is doing, and to a lesser extent, what Celebrity does with Blu. I think maybe there's confusion between "class" as a neutral term used by ships to denote different levels of service, some exclusive, vs. "class" as a term which has a certain meaning in Britain and a different one in the U.S. where almost everyone, no matter how much money they make and how much exclusivity they can buy, thinks of themselves as "middle class" because they don't have aristocratic heritage or habits.

Thank you for proving my point! No ship really has a class system. There are a few perks on some ships..NCL's Villas, Cunard's Princess/Queens Grill. As they say..If you pay more expect to get more.

[keithm]

Yes, we are NOT Cunard regulars for the very reasons you mention. But when we do go with them we follow the dress code. Still on one formal night when we were in dark suits, which is acceptable according to Cunard's policy, another passenger asked if anyone had spoken to us about our dress. That's a snob.

 

The fellow deliberately trying to challange the dress code with a wife beater and shorts deserves to be called by another, less flattering term. I would also call his behavior worthy of being evicted.

 

Did you hear about the passenger being evicted from an Oceania ship for excessive bad language?

Really? If you're not in the Villas, you don't have acess to that part of the ship. They have their own "segragated" sections/restaurants. No different from the Grills lounge & the "quite" small upper terrace sun deck on Cunard.

[keithm]

Yes, we are NOT Cunard regulars for the very reasons you mention. But when we do go with them we follow the dress code. Still on one formal night when we were in dark suits, which is acceptable according to Cunard's policy, another passenger asked if anyone had spoken to us about our dress. That's a snob.

 

The fellow deliberately trying to challange the dress code with a wife beater and shorts deserves to be called by another, less flattering term. I would also call his behavior worthy of being evicted.

 

Did you hear about the passenger being evicted from an Oceania ship for excessive bad language?

Yes, a dark suit is fine. Tuxes are preferred but by no means mandatory. God, I used to hate cleaning the suites to get the smoke smell out. Luckily most of the ship started going smoke free during our last cruise. I have no problem with smokers out on deck/staterooms, but inside it could get pretty nasty. You're right it can get snobby, but that can occur on any line(especially the so called luxury lines)We met this nice(so we thought) couple from England. We'd do excursions together, but they were in a "duplex" We'd see them waving down to us, but never did they invite us up. On the other hand, last year we met this couple who had the Sundringham suite. They invited all of us who went on an excursion to canapes & drinks in their suite. No snobbery there. The Brits can sometimes corner the market in that area.

[RickinNYC]

Never been on a gay cruise, but my partner and I have tossed the idea around. We've talked to a number of friends who have, and they completely balk at the idea of going on a non-gay cruise. Meh. To each their own.

 

Three reasons why we haven't done it thus far: 1. The cost is just too high to justify the need. 2. Most gay cruises are in the winter, spring or fall. My other half is a teacher, so more often than not, we just can't make the scheduling work. 3. We live in NYC. We have access to a HUGE gay community with restaurants, clubs, bars, parties, shows, entertainment and lots more. We often think, why pay the extra price when we have access to all of that all year long. We know we're fortunate and not everyone has that ability.

[Boytjie]

2. Most gay cruises are in the winter, spring or fall. My other half is a teacher, so more often than not, we just can't make the scheduling work.

 

Unfortunatley that is usually the case with gay charters and often mentioned as an issue for teachers. They usually have charters when people want to escape the cold North; there are less ships in the Caribbean during the hurricane season; or - my speculation - charters are cheaper (off peak season).

 

Summer cruises are usually in Europe which has the higher expense of flying there and accomodations pre-cruise (flying the day of a cruise is not recommended).

 

3. We live in NYC. We have access to a HUGE gay community with restaurants, clubs, bars, parties, shows, entertainment and lots more. We often think, why pay the extra price when we have access to all of that all year long. We know we're fortunate and not everyone has that ability.

 

As a New Yorker I can testify that a gay cruise is very different from living in NYC with all the gay thinsg around. Its a whoel different kind of fun.

[apollobeach]

After reading and rereading these posts, maybe one of the biggest advantages of a Gay cruises is its an environment where being Gay is

a non issue.

[soldham]

I have always found it to be a non-issue on any cruise I have taken thus far. Perhaps I have just been lucky.

[MiamiSpartan]

Never been on a gay cruise, but my partner and I have tossed the idea around. We've talked to a number of friends who have, and they completely balk at the idea of going on a non-gay cruise. Meh. To each their own.

 

Three reasons why we haven't done it thus far: 1. The cost is just too high to justify the need. 2. Most gay cruises are in the winter, spring or fall. My other half is a teacher, so more often than not, we just can't make the scheduling work. 3. We live in NYC. We have access to a HUGE gay community with restaurants, clubs, bars, parties, shows, entertainment and lots more. We often think, why pay the extra price when we have access to all of that all year long. We know we're fortunate and not everyone has that ability.

 

Those all make sense...

We have good friends who live in Provincetown all year long, and they say the same thing as #3....

For us, even tho we live in Miami, gays are pretty much integrated throughout all parts of the city, but there really is no longer a gay "community"...to socialize "gay" we have to drive up to Ft Lauderdale since we are not into the all night major South Beach parties, so the cruise makes sense to us, but you are right on the expense....

[mbsilk]

Just noting that I have yet to see a gay cruise going to Antarctica, or Patagonia, or Greenland, Indonesia, etc, etc. That is what I meant by adventure.

But you are right that I did make an assumption that people would pay premium to go to places that you can see for half the price on a mainstream cruise and assumed it was for the 'onboard experience'. My bad.

________________________________________________________

 

I was the ship doc in 99 or 2000 for Quark which was originally to be an all gay cruise but ended up about half and half. We planted the rainbow flag on the continent and declared it a region free of hate.

[emjsea]

Having been on four gay cruises and four "regular" cruises, I find I enjoy them both.

 

The non-charter, regular cruises are much cheaper and more relaxed as there isn't as much to do.

 

The gay cruises are more expensive, but you get what you pay for. The amount and quality of the activities and entertainment leaves regular cruises in the dust. Atlantis brings on big name comediens, the best DJs, great non-lip-synching drag acts, great singers and they often work with the entertainers already on the ship to put a gay-friendly twist into the proceedings. And then there are the fantastic piano-bar stylings Pamala Stanley and, also, Matt Yee.

 

Oh, and I've found that the gay cruises have all kinds of people on them, not just "scene" (whatever that means anymore) or "circuit" boys. There are plenty of circuit boys, but they keep to themselves and I've never gotten attitude from any of them. In fact the only unpleasant interaction I've ever had on an Atlantis cruise was from a snotty older, less in shape, "bear" type. Every night is a "circuit" type dance party on the deck of the ship, but at the same time there are tons and tons of shows and other carbaret style entertainment for those who aren't interested. We do a little of both. And at the dance parties, the circuit boys stick to the center and everyone else comes in and out around the peripheries. It is worth it just to see all the great costumes as the parties are themed and people put A LOT of work into their costumes.

 

I think that people that go on gay charters expecting attitude put off a bad vibe and get just that.

 

Finally, on Atlantis at least, we've never had an offensive or boring Cruise Director.

[MarkBearSF]

We've been on 23 cruises. Of these, two have been on gay charters (Atlantis & RSVP), 5 with gay groups, and the remainder on regular cruises. We've enjoyed them all.

 

In general, we don't seek out the gay charters, primarily because of price, and the fact that we're usually looking at a different itinerary or schedule that year. However, on occasion, if friends are on a cruise and it meets our schedule, we'll consider it.

 

While gay charters are more "comfortable" than others, it's not a major deal. (And, to be frank, since we live in the Castro, it's not as if we need to cruise to be surrounded by a gay atmosphere). We also did notice attitude on them (moreso the Atlantis Caribbean cruise than the RSVP Alaska cruise - but that could be due to the itinerary as much as the provider) However, after a few days, most everyone gets the casual cruising attitude.

 

Traveling with a gay group, you have a built-in group to socialize with - and as long as there are a few people to hang and visit ports with, you've got your comfort of the "family" without the limitations and expense of a gay charter (and the Friends of Dorothy meetings allow you to find others as well)

 

Yes, the entertainment is specialized on charters - that may or may not be a factor in your calculations. Since we're not dancing bears (HATE dance music), the many dance parties were more of a negative than a positive for us (takes up a public room and draws people from other events) The "special" entertainment can be a mixed bag.

 

Luckily, there are no "bad" answers here - all the choices wind up with a cruise - a very good thing!

 

Mark