Why do gay men like celebrity vs. Other lines?

[Schplinky]

We also do a significant amount of cruising and we prefer Celebrity, though as of late, Princess has become a close second. You can not beat the food and service on Celebrity and Princess for the mid-priced/mass market lines and the crowd is a bit more upscale. We have always been treated respectfully, as we do not go overboard about being gay in public.

 

We will not go on NCL again :( (no matter how gay friendly it is; food was disgraceful (my husband is still waiting for NCL to discover chocolate) and service average at best); RCCL is a bit too family oriented for us (too many kids); Holland had the best cabins and food was very good - the people were a bit too old for us. We have friend who is 84 and she said the people on HAL were too old for her. :eek::p

 

We are going on a TA on Oceania this summer for the first time and we we see how we like the "smaller" ship experience. We heard food and service are excellent - we shall see...

 

Happy Cruising Everyone!!!:)

 

 

Agree with you on all counts. We've been big RCL fans because of the absolute WOW their ships and entertainment deliver but the prevalence of family-oriented stuff is becoming a bit much for us. Dreamworks Parades, kids hours in the disco and the like have made for pretty crowded ships with less and less area for us to feel like we're on vacation. After enjoying a few Celebrity cruises, this last RCL trip on Allure was also the first time i felt hemmed in by the abundance of smoke in too many public venues. It was all a bit much and more or less halved the number of bars and lounges we felt we could visit.

 

Like you, I found the food on NCL to be awful in the MDR. It seemed that they approach it as fuel instead of dining. We also had a lot of service issues and I found it annoying that in some specialty restaurants, there was a further upcharge if you wanted the better items on the menus. We had mediocre service on our first NCL cruise and almost aggressively bad service on the second. There won't be a third. NCL consistently has great prices on its cruises but we felt the value for money was the lowest of any lines we have sailed. We have also sailed Carnival and as much as folks like to disparage CCL, we found that the maintenance of the ship, the food and the service were vastly better than NCL. I'd try CCL again under the right circumstances but not NCL.

 

We LOVED the HAL cabins and food. Still, we'll age another few decades before we try it again since at 45, I felt like jail bait. We actually had older passengers ask us why we would sail HAL when there were so few people under 60.

 

I'm looking forward to the new Princess ship and would sail a Solstice class ship on Celebrity any day of the week.

[neilrr]

Agree with you on all counts. We've been big RCL fans because of the absolute WOW their ships and entertainment deliver but the prevalence of family-oriented stuff is becoming a bit much for us. Dreamworks Parades, kids hours in the disco and the like have made for pretty crowded ships with less and less area for us to feel like we're on vacation. After enjoying a few Celebrity cruises, this last RCL trip on Allure was also the first time i felt hemmed in by the abundance of smoke in too many public venues. It was all a bit much and more or less halved the number of bars and lounges we felt we could visit.

 

Like you, I found the food on NCL to be awful in the MDR. It seemed that they approach it as fuel instead of dining. We also had a lot of service issues and I found it annoying that in some specialty restaurants, there was a further upcharge if you wanted the better items on the menus. We had mediocre service on our first NCL cruise and almost aggressively bad service on the second. There won't be a third. NCL consistently has great prices on its cruises but we felt the value for money was the lowest of any lines we have sailed. We have also sailed Carnival and as much as folks like to disparage CCL, we found that the maintenance of the ship, the food and the service were vastly better than NCL. I'd try CCL again under the right circumstances but not NCL.

 

We LOVED the HAL cabins and food. Still, we'll age another few decades before we try it again since at 45, I felt like jail bait. We actually had older passengers ask us why we would sail HAL when there were so few people under 60.

 

I'm looking forward to the new Princess ship and would sail a Solstice class ship on Celebrity any day of the week.

 

Schplinky - You are correct - those RCCL ships have grown too large and we really like Celebrity, Princess and HAL size ships. We have heard that the food has been vastly improved on Carnival, though I have yet to travel on one of their ships (even though I am a stockholder). They do still tend to draw a very young crowd and from what we have heard just recently, I would avoid any 3 day cruise, as they tend to be out of control. The avid cruisers like us would probably do better on a longer Carnival cruise. The only things that were nice on NCL was the balcony stateroom and the entertainment. Though they have some very interesting itineraries and pricing - my husband knows not to even mention NCL again to me.

Funny I made a comment in my last CC review about kids in the disco after 11 PM on Princess. It appears that Princess has a policy of allowing 18-20 y.o.'s in the disco, but they can't drink.:eek: :rolleyes: The last cruise they took over the disco and all of the people who could drink left as the music was not their (or my style), thereby losing potential revenue.

Princess needs to find a spot for the 18-20 y.o.'s, as it is sending a mixed signal to the kids. The kids got wise too - they would order a coke and put their own rum in that they taped under the tables in the disco during the day or bring it in with them. I love our youth being resourceful - who says they are not smart.:) Celebrity does not allow anyone under 21 into the disco after 11PM - which is IMHO the way to go.

 

We are also looking out to our next Spring break - I think we will go back to Celebrity on the new Reflection, as we just noticed they are doing some competitive pricing out of Miami. We are also Elite on Celebrity and they treat us great. We love the free happy hour 5-7PM - in Michaels and hot and cold hors'doeuvres, free laundry and computer time. We are not opposed to going on Princess again either - though X's perks are better than Princess. I will miss those perks on our upcoming Oceania cruise..:)

Happy Sailing!!!

[shepp]

You are correct - those RCCL ships have grown too large and we really like Celebrity, Princess and HAL size ships.

 

The new Royal will be Princess' largest ship by a largeish amount, and it will be interesting to see how things go.

 

One thing I like about Princess ships is their "small ship feel" design, which, despite some bottlenecks, keeps things relatively intimate-seeming throughout. There may not be that Wow Factor, but there's always some cozy, quiet nook somewhere.

 

The notion of being stuck in some gargantuan themed mall as a parade passes through is just too Main Street, U.S.A. for me....and I like the Disney parks. Just not at sea.

[Schplinky]

The new Royal will be Princess' largest ship by a largeish amount, and it will be interesting to see how things go.

 

One thing I like about Princess ships is their "small ship feel" design, which, despite some bottlenecks, keeps things relatively intimate-seeming throughout. There may not be that Wow Factor, but there's always some cozy, quiet nook somewhere.

 

The notion of being stuck in some gargantuan themed mall as a parade passes through is just too Main Street, U.S.A. for me....and I like the Disney parks. Just not at sea.

 

 

I wouldn't call it a themed mall but I take your point. RCL used to do massive ships really well and from a design perspective, the new ones are still fantastic. It's just too slanted to families in terms of activities now.

 

It will be interesting to see how princess does with a larger ship. We'll certainly be trying it but not in the first short while. We were on CCL Dream the first few months it was out and that ship had a lot of growing pains. The designers seemed to know where they wished folks would go in order to spread out the crowds but people having their own minds, they all went to the same few venues and the lines were crazy. They tweaked things and it got better. I'd rather be on a ship once they figure out how to run it well.

[neilrr]

The new Royal will be Princess' largest ship by a largeish amount, and it will be interesting to see how things go.

 

One thing I like about Princess ships is their "small ship feel" design, which, despite some bottlenecks, keeps things relatively intimate-seeming throughout. There may not be that Wow Factor, but there's always some cozy, quiet nook somewhere.

 

The notion of being stuck in some gargantuan themed mall as a parade passes through is just too Main Street, U.S.A. for me....and I like the Disney parks. Just not at sea.

 

I wouldn't call it a themed mall but I take your point. RCL used to do massive ships really well and from a design perspective, the new ones are still fantastic. It's just too slanted to families in terms of activities now.

 

It will be interesting to see how princess does with a larger ship. We'll certainly be trying it but not in the first short while. We were on CCL Dream the first few months it was out and that ship had a lot of growing pains. The designers seemed to know where they wished folks would go in order to spread out the crowds but people having their own minds, they all went to the same few venues and the lines were crazy. They tweaked things and it got better. I'd rather be on a ship once they figure out how to run it well.

 

shepp and Schplinky (sounds like a law firm) :p - I agree with you both. Those RCL ships have grown too big - with too many families and kids when I am on vacation. I also agree that new ships need at least six months to a year to get the "bugs" worked out and the crew starts to gel together.

We were just thinking about the new Celebrity Reflection for next spring break, but the ship debuts in October --so that gives it about 6 months to get things straightened out -- I am a bit hesitant... My husband is dying to book it... We shall see... (I am the more sensible one...:eek:)

[Schplinky]

shepp and Schplinky (sounds like a law firm) :p - I agree with you both. Those RCL ships have grown too big - with too many families and kids when I am on vacation. I also agree that new ships need at least six months to a year to get the "bugs" worked out and the crew starts to gel together.

 

We were just thinking about the new Celebrity Reflection for next spring break, but the ship debuts in October --so that gives it about 6 months to get things straightened out -- I am a bit hesitant... My husband is dying to book it... We shall see... (I am the more sensible one...:eek:)

 

I wouldn't hesitate. While the ship is new, it's when it's a whole new class that you have to look out. This is the 4th or 5th one in this model and many of the staff will be coming to that ship from other contracts on its twins. I don't think you'd have anything to worry about. It's when it's a whole new design and they don't know where anything is that you need to worry.

[neilrr]

I wouldn't hesitate. While the ship is new, it's when it's a whole new class that you have to look out. This is the 4th or 5th one in this model and many of the staff will be coming to that ship from other contracts on its twins. I don't think you'd have anything to worry about. It's when it's a whole new design and they don't know where anything is that you need to worry.

 

Schplinky - I was reading up on the Reflection - they got rid of the"Lawn," added 89 new cabins, added a few new restaurants, put more space in the dining room (needed). We were on the Soltice and we were not overly impressed as compared to the older "M" class ships. Our favorite ship is still Millennium. Though the ship was cutting edge in style to attract a younger crowd it was not very practical. The space was better utilized on "M" -- e.g. the drawer space in the stateroom on Solstice - we had 5 drawers in a balcony cabin; I had to stand on the bed to get my shirts, a sofa was in front of the closet (blocking it). I don't see how you could take a trip on there for more than 7 days, as there was nowhere to put anything.

The safe was on the floor level of the closet. I had to crawl on the floor to get the family jewels.:) We heard they fixed the safe issue on the newer ships and on Solstice. The Martini Bar was out in the middle of the boutique area - not very intimate and romantic. I hope they fixed some of these things; that is why I am not in a rush to make reservations. I also miss the Thallostherapy pool/sauna (big picture 10 ft. porthole window) and steamroom on the "M" class ships. The pools on "S" were like watering holes and they put a "sprinkler" section for the kiddies (shrinking the pools) - now how many kiddies does Celebrity attract?

 

Anyway, we shall see what happens...

[Schplinky]

Schplinky - I was reading up on the Reflection - they got rid of the"Lawn," added 89 new cabins, added a few new restaurants, put more space in the dining room (needed). We were on the Soltice and we were not overly impressed as compared to the older "M" class ships. Our favorite ship is still Millennium. Though the ship was cutting edge in style to attract a younger crowd it was not very practical. The space was better utilized on "M" -- e.g. the drawer space in the stateroom on Solstice - we had 5 drawers in a balcony cabin; I had to stand on the bed to get my shirts, a sofa was in front of the closet (blocking it). I don't see how you could take a trip on there for more than 7 days, as there was nowhere to put anything.

 

The safe was on the floor level of the closet. I had to crawl on the floor to get the family jewels.:) We heard they fixed the safe issue on the newer ships and on Solstice. The Martini Bar was out in the middle of the boutique area - not very intimate and romantic. I hope they fixed some of these things; that is why I am not in a rush to make reservations. I also miss the Thallostherapy pool/sauna (big picture 10 ft. porthole window) and steamroom on the "M" class ships. The pools on "S" were like watering holes and they put a "sprinkler" section for the kiddies (shrinking the pools) - now how many kiddies does Celebrity attract?

 

Anyway, we shall see what happens...

 

Interesting to read your impressions. We loved Solstice class so much more than M class. We missed the T-pool but otherwise, we thought the S class so clearly superior. Just proves that taste is subjective.

 

On Solctice and Eclipse, which we've sailed in that class, the martini bar is in the middle of the atrium, not a retail area. It's opposite the wine bar and below the panini restaurant and coffee bars. I think you're confusing it with the molecular bar, which is in the retail strip. That bar just does not work and they often put the friends of dorothy there. On every cruise we've done on X, we've moved the meeting from there to the martini bar.

 

We didn't like the M class (we were on constellation) because we found them drab and dull. Now that they're offering some Solstice amenities on them, we will re-think that.

 

We agree with you that there could be more storage on Solstice class ships but the large cabinet over the bed made up for the lack of drawers for us. We sailed for 13 days on Eclipse and didn't feel limited.

 

Our favorite Solstice experiences have been when we're Aqua class. It feels like you're going to the specialty room every night ad there is FAR less hub-bub in Blu than in the MDR, which I find loud on most ships.

[neilrr]

Interesting to read your impressions. We loved Solstice class so much more than M class. We missed the T-pool but otherwise, we thought the S class so clearly superior. Just proves that taste is subjective.

 

On Solctice and Eclipse, which we've sailed in that class, the martini bar is in the middle of the atrium, not a retail area. It's opposite the wine bar and below the panini restaurant and coffee bars. I think you're confusing it with the molecular bar, which is in the retail strip. That bar just does not work and they often put the friends of dorothy there. On every cruise we've done on X, we've moved the meeting from there to the martini bar.

 

We didn't like the M class (we were on constellation) because we found them drab and dull. Now that they're offering some Solstice amenities on them, we will re-think that.

 

We agree with you that there could be more storage on Solstice class ships but the large cabinet over the bed made up for the lack of drawers for us. We sailed for 13 days on Eclipse and didn't feel limited.

 

Our favorite Solstice experiences have been when we're Aqua class. It feels like you're going to the specialty room every night ad there is FAR less hub-bub in Blu than in the MDR, which I find loud on most ships.

 

Schplinky - As I remember, the Martini Bar was in the middle of some walking area - it is the one with the ice on the top of the bar and not very cozy - I believe.

 

The M class ships are more traditional wood and glitter; the "S" class is more cutting edge in style -- we are more the traditionalists where common and stateroom area space is better utilized. As another example, the public restrooms were huge and the dining room was so small (top level) they had tables set up in rows -- it looked like the mess hall - all squeezed in; we moved to a large round table downstairs after the first night. We prefer it to be a bit more elegant and less cutting edge. Hopefully, the new solsticized "M" class will a better option for you. We have only been on the Millie (multiple times) but we have heard that that was the nicest of the 4 ships built.

 

You can not compare the Aqua Class to the regular MDR -totally different animal.. If you ever end up on Millie - the Olympic Restaurant is one of the nicest restaurants at sea with lots of history, with regard to Titanics sister ship and they have a chandelier, sink and bell from the ship and an article featuring the only time all three ships were photographed together. The food and service have been wonderful in the past.

 

We just like the facilities of "M" better too. I do believe that they made some changes on the later "S" ships now - we are hoping... I want to see the schematics before we book...:)

 

Though they are not using the Century as they should, after it was renovated (the Martini Bar has moved around several times) -- Celebrity created the nicest Ice Bar with subtle light changes -- it was the best and most intimate and cozy. Unfortunately, I am sure Celebrity will phase that ship out like they did with Mercury and Galaxy.

[shepp]

While the ship is new, it's when it's a whole new class that you have to look out. It's when it's a whole new design and they don't know where anything is that you need to worry.

 

Well, yes, I did get sucked into the general excitement and booked the Royal's maiden TA. It looks like the ship'll be gorgeous, the sailing coincides with my partner's birthday, it's been many years since we've been to mainland Europe, and we've never done a TA. Sure, things could go awry, but compared to some of my cherished travel disasters...

 

Did I ever mention my partner breaking his jaw in Saigon? My losing my passport on a plane trip from Mumbai to Bangkok? Being robbed in Quito? The riots in New Delhi? My serious reaction to anti-malarials in Laos? That dog bite in Jaipur? Compared to those, a little confusion in the buffet will be a piece of cake.

[alanandneil]

We are ardent fans of Celebrity. We sail in Aqua Class and eat in the private restaurant "Blu" and find the food there and in every specialty venue to be outstanding. We eat lunch in the main dining room and like that also! As far as other gay passengers we find Celebrity to be "crawling with them"!! Meet many great passengers in the Martini Bar, both gay and straight. Celebrity is a cut above, in our experience, and well worth it.

[Mermen]

The M class ships are more traditional wood and glitter; the "S" class is more cutting edge in style -- we are more the traditionalists where common and stateroom area space is better utilized. As another example, the public restrooms were huge and the dining room was so small (top level) they had tables set up in rows -- it looked like the mess hall - all squeezed in; we moved to a large round table downstairs after the first night. We prefer it to be a bit more elegant and less cutting edge. Hopefully, the new solsticized "M" class will a better option for you. We have only been on the Millie (multiple times) but we have heard that that was the nicest of the 4 ships built.

 

You can not compare the Aqua Class to the regular MDR -totally different animal.. If you ever end up on Millie - the Olympic Restaurant is one of the nicest restaurants at sea with lots of history, with regard to Titanics sister ship and they have a chandelier, sink and bell from the ship and an article featuring the only time all three ships were photographed together. The food and service have been wonderful in the past.

 

We just like the facilities of "M" better too. I do believe that they made some changes on the later "S" ships now - we are hoping... I want to see the schematics before we book...:)

 

Though they are not using the Century as they should, after it was renovated (the Martini Bar has moved around several times) -- Celebrity created the nicest Ice Bar with subtle light changes -- it was the best and most intimate and cozy. Unfortunately, I am sure Celebrity will phase that ship out like they did with Mercury and Galaxy.

 

I have to agree with your taste, Neil and Jerry. Our absolute favorite is the Connie, with the Millie a very close second. Eclipse third. There are wonderful things about both classes. We prefer the wood and glitz, lol. The Olympic is a wonderful restaurant and we really enjoyed Oceanliners as well on the Connie. The last cruise I remember a Harpist played for the almost-3-hours we dined.

 

Love the layout of M-class. Rowell and I very much enjoy Blu, but the MDR was nice. Thallossotherapy was amazing and have to say, I really enjoy the size of the men's locker room and spa on M-Class. S-class does not have a cool down area - however, the showers are better.

 

Looking forward to returning to the Millie in October!! Woot! :D

[cruzeluver]

We too are huge fans of Celebrity's "M" class of ships. The size is just right as is the decor. We did our first "S" class in March on Silhouette. Absolutely stunning ship and had a wonderful cruise as we always do, but I have to say I think we still have a slight preference for "M" class. We are booked for Infinity next year to the British Isles and cannot wait!!

[crusincraig]

Celebrity is my "go to" line...I find the food consistently good, better than other regular lines....that is consistent with reviews. Celebrity food is cooked to order...can't be said on other lines. No tacky waterslides or rock climbing walls, fewer announcements...more refined experience in my opinion after a dozen cruises.

[Bramcruiser]

My partner and I just got off our first ever Celebrity cruise - the Millenium to Alaska. I deliberately chose Celebrity based on reputation and the fact I was tiring of same-old same-old and wanted to try something different. Reading the OP's initial posting, I have to somewhat agree with him. After hearing so many people's - gay and straight - love for the line long before we left I am wondering why Celebrity is so well loved.

 

Like the OP:

 

1. No official FOD (or whatever you want to call them) listed although I am the first to admit this is not what I look for when I cruise. My partner and I hardly ever attend these as we tend to stick to ourselves when we travel. We did notice a few handful of gay couples onboard but did not see any organized gatherings. Just an observation rather than a comment.

 

2. I did notice the Gideon's bible and laughed as I too don't recall them on our previous cruises.

 

What we also noticed:

 

3. The Millenium was just out of drydock finishing the "solsticization" of the M class fleet. Unfortunately it didn't look it. All ships show signs of rust here and there but there was more than I was expecting out of a ship on its fourth voyage out of drydock. And what was with the welding that kept going on the smoke stack on Deck 11?

 

4. Cleaning took place at very odd times and in full view of the public. Washing down the decks before dinner and sweeping the carpets at happy hour at the martini bar? I mentioned this to people in the hotel industry and they thought it odd too and its definitely not something I noticed on previous cruises.

 

I don't agree with the OP on food. We did enjoy the MDR cuisine (comparable to our favourite) and loved the speciality restaurant, the Olympic. We also noticed the friendlyness of the crew and their willingness to please (despite not being perfect but most were on the ship in the past two weeks so there was an excuse). The decor was pleasing to the eye and I thought the use of modern art was well placed.

 

Overall we enjoyed our cruise and our Alaska vacation. We didn't go looking for a gay life. However, I must admit I wouldn't rank Celebrity over my favourites. Let's just say it was the little things that kept making it hit all the right marks. Would I travel the line again? Perhaps - I didn't dislike the experience but just did not fall in love with it. Iteniary and price on future possible cruises would be a deciding factor.

 

David

[TxnAquarian]

My partner and I just got off our first ever Celebrity cruise - the Millenium to Alaska. I deliberately chose Celebrity based on reputation and the fact I was tiring of same-old same-old and wanted to try something different. Reading the OP's initial posting, I have to somewhat agree with him. After hearing so many people's - gay and straight - love for the line long before we left I am wondering why Celebrity is so well loved.

 

Like the OP:

 

1. No official FOD (or whatever you want to call them) listed although I am the first to admit this is not what I look for when I cruise. My partner and I hardly ever attend these as we tend to stick to ourselves when we travel. We did notice a few handful of gay couples onboard but did not see any organized gatherings. Just an observation rather than a comment.

 

2. I did notice the Gideon's bible and laughed as I too don't recall them on our previous cruises.

 

What we also noticed:

 

3. The Millenium was just out of drydock finishing the "solsticization" of the M class fleet. Unfortunately it didn't look it. All ships show signs of rust here and there but there was more than I was expecting out of a ship on its fourth voyage out of drydock. And what was with the welding that kept going on the smoke stack on Deck 11?

 

4. Cleaning took place at very odd times and in full view of the public. Washing down the decks before dinner and sweeping the carpets at happy hour at the martini bar? I mentioned this to people in the hotel industry and they thought it odd too and its definitely not something I noticed on previous cruises.

 

I don't agree with the OP on food. We did enjoy the MDR cuisine (comparable to our favourite) and loved the speciality restaurant, the Olympic. We also noticed the friendlyness of the crew and their willingness to please (despite not being perfect but most were on the ship in the past two weeks so there was an excuse). The decor was pleasing to the eye and I thought the use of modern art was well placed.

 

Overall we enjoyed our cruise and our Alaska vacation. We didn't go looking for a gay life. However, I must admit I wouldn't rank Celebrity over my favourites. Let's just say it was the little things that kept making it hit all the right marks. Would I travel the line again? Perhaps - I didn't dislike the experience but just did not fall in love with it. Iteniary and price on future possible cruises would be a deciding factor.

 

David

 

 

 

Hi David! I'm curious what your favorite ship / cruise line is since you weren't that excited with Celebrity. I have found Celebrity to be a great compromise between low-end cruising (like NCL) and luxury cruising (like Crystal). I am wondering what you have enjoyed in the past because I am on a kick right now to find new ships and cruise lines I haven't tried. I am starting to do a different ship each time I travel now.

 

 

 

Michael

[whw]

New to this thread but find it very interesting that gays are so anit-christian. I do not think that the Jewish, Moslem or other faiths have been particularly pro gay. I am a practicing Christian in a who attends a main stream church. My homosexuality is well known in the church and fully accepted by all the clergy there.

 

If someone decides to travel at Christmas then to bad you have to listen to a Christmas Carol or two. I am tried of being expected to apologize for being a Christian.

[keithm]

New to this thread but find it very interesting that gays are so anit-christian. I do not think that the Jewish, Moslem or other faiths have been particularly pro gay. I am a practicing Christian in a who attends a main stream church. My homosexuality is well known in the church and fully accepted by all the clergy there.

 

If someone decides to travel at Christmas then to bad you have to listen to a Christmas Carol or two. I am tried of being expected to apologize for being a Christian.

I'm not religious to speak, but I do really love the festive times at Christmas. It brings back a lot of fond childhood memories(I guess that's ok at age 57?)