RSVP Feb 9-16, 2013 - Eurodam

[dendren]

 

Such as, I'm sure a "swap" of the characters wouldn't work out, as imo they(the regular entertainment) with the "brand". Brand being RSVP, and Atlantis. And there is something to be said about that...

 

Actually you make a good point (and not just your fabulous heels), keeping the brand in mind with entertainment is important. RSVP has definitely been in flux with it's "host" entertainment the last few years. RSVP feels like it is missing their own Miss Richfield for a while now. Danny Williams seems to be all but gone, and the lovely Paul J Williams didn't seem to be nearly as high a presence on the Feb 2012 cruise, sadly replaced by some new guy that really didn't click with me at all (trying to be kind). Gert and Chi Chi have been brought in and out and I think Nuclia Waste only lasted one year LOL

 

However, when I think of some of Atlantis' entertainment, it's pretty mixed. Kristine W or Idina Menzel sound very Atlantis to me (tho I'd love to see Idina)... but Debbie Reynolds, Charro and some others I know have played Atlantis... they could easily fit in RSVP.

 

enh... in the end there have been very few acts that I truly thought were bad on RSVP (*coughthe horrible guy who took Madam after Wayland diedcough*). I don't go for the entertainment so it's all good in the end :)

[monumax]

enh... in the end there have been very few acts that I truly thought were bad on RSVP (*coughthe horrible guy who took Madam after Wayland diedcough*). I don't go for the entertainment so it's all good in the end :)

 

Don't forget the country singer/comedienne who most of the audience walked out of! That was truly a disaster!

[dendren]

Don't forget the country singer/comedienne who most of the audience walked out of! That was truly a disaster!

 

 

oooooh, I don't remember that one LOL

 

the guy who took over Madam, I truly felt bad for the guy. He was just horrible, not funny, and trying to carry on a very loved tradition. I even left the show halfway through which I never ever do, just out of respect for the performer.

 

My understanding is it turned out later that he never had permission to take over the Madam act in the first place, and I've since seen someone else handling (hehehe no pun intended) her much better.

 

The only other truly bad act I remember was Billie Myers. It's a shame, I liked her music but she didn't translate to a live on stage disco queen very well at all LOL

 

OH!!! and then there was Kristine W, who on the October 2006 cruise was totally awesome but then on the Feb 2007 cruise she went in to full diva mode, came on over an hour late (she was on a cruise ship, where the hell could she be to be late???... her manager even yelled at us for booing her lateness, "you don't boo the star" LOL) and overall did a crappy job. Another shame, she really was so incredible on the previous cruise.

 

Enough of the negative though... how about some of the great acts over the years. Harvey Fierstein was a hoot on my first cruise in 1992, Kathy Griffin, Martha Wash, Anne Hampton Calloway, Abigail (both doing her lounge act and disco hits), Nikki Blonski, even Wayne Brady... all great fun! RSVP really has brought in some great acts over the years :)

[monumax]

 

 

Enough of the negative though... how about some of the great acts over the years. Harvey Fierstein was a hoot on my first cruise in 1992, Kathy Griffin, Martha Wash, Anne Hampton Calloway, Abigail (both doing her lounge act and disco hits), Nikki Blonski, even Wayne Brady... all great fun! RSVP really has brought in some great acts over the years :)

 

Leslie Jordan and his one man show was one of our favorites over the years. Also enjoyed Lorna Luft and Suzanne Westenhofer.

[Typhoon1]

The only other truly bad act I remember was Billie Myers.

 

Let's not forget the infamous Sandra Bernhard incident of 1996. :mad:

[monumax]

Well, we originally got an inside cabin when the cruise was going to New Orleans, but now that it is going to warmer, more scenic locations we have actually decided to upgrade to a veranda. Hooray....I love breakfast out on the veranda!

[MightySailinMan]

Booked this, but then decided not to go.

Seeking warmer climates in Feb

 

But if they do Alaska I am there

[MightySailinMan]

WHAT?

RSVP changed the Feb itinerary? I cancelled because I did not think it would be warm enough

Now I think differently

I want my Suite Back

 

I also realized that the New Orleans would be a waste, you would get there and have to fight to get to anything, just seemed not the way to Mardi Gras. I did it once from a small Hotel in the French Quarter where my suite faced an interior courtyard that was very pretty and silent. I could easily slip in and out to escape too much madness. I actually got my 1BR Suite, including breakfast for $325 for the week and this was just a couple years ago. So nice. It was a timeshare unit in a hotel and I could not believe it was real until I checked in. Some one was selling it off and I think they meant $325/Night but that is not how it was listed so I slapped that sucker on my credit card!

Some very cute curious navy boy was next door, his parents unit but he was alone...and that is all I will tell about that!

[dendren]

Leslie Jordan and his one man show was one of our favorites over the years. Also enjoyed Lorna Luft and Suzanne Westenhofer.

 

Leslie Jordan's show totally rocked. I had forgotten about that one.

[Typhoon1]

WHAT?

RSVP changed the Feb itinerary? I cancelled because I did not think it would be warm enough

Now I think differently

I want my Suite Back

 

Better act fast. Who knows how this cruise will sell once RSVP officially announces it. (The website still shows the NOLA itinerary.) Other travel agent sites have the new voyage listed.

[MightySailinMan]

I am now happily booked in my suite 7076. Not the same one I had booked back when it was going to NO, but Still the same size and midship...BTW for those who wanted Mardi Gras and think you lost that, In Curacao that is the day of Carnivale (As they call Mardi Gras almost everywhere but New Orleans).

 

Curacao is a very gay friendly place...actively markets to Gays, we have been a number of times. So we get a real Carribean Carnivale experience without all the drunk straight boys.

 

http://www.curacaocarnival.info/eng/index.php

[Boytjie]

Curacao is a very gay friendly place...actively markets to Gays, we have been a number of times. So we get a real Carribean Carnivale experience without all the drunk straight boys.

 

While Curacao may be generally gay-friendly some of the spectators in the stands next to ours at Carnival in 2010 were not happy to have us there. When we had to leave before the end of the parade to get back to the ship, some of them were cheering our departure.

 

On the otherhand there were younger people in those same sections that moved to be closer to us because we were obviously a fun group. :) And when we left people rushed up to us to say goodbye, thank us for being there and told us to come back.

 

I am sure to have 500 RSVP cruisers in the middle of the parade route was a surprise to many.

[monumax]

While Curacao may be generally gay-friendly some of the spectators in the stands next to ours at Carnival in 2010 were not happy to have us there. When we had to leave before the end of the parade to get back to the ship, some of them were cheering our departure.

quote]

 

I thought they were cheering FOR us and thanking us for being there.....at least that is the way I took it at the time.

[Boytjie]

I thought they were cheering FOR us and thanking us for being there.....at least that is the way I took it at the time.

 

Not the way I read it. :)

 

There were the older people stoically sitting in the sections next to us while we were partying and having a good old time; they were not too happy to have us in their midst. When they announcement was made that we were leaving (when the stopped the parade and made an opening for us to cross the street) they started applauding.

 

Then there were younger people that migrated to the sides of their sections to be closer to us, chatted with us and had their pictures taken with some of us - they gave us a very different send off. While crossing the street there were marchers that rushed back towards us to say goodbye and thanking us for coming.

 

There were two very different reactions IMO.

[Boytjie]

I may have told this before... but when we arrived in Curacao five of us form the ship had arranged to go scuba diving with the Dive Bus and had to get our own transportation there. We caught a taxi together and once on the way the driver announced: "there is going to ba a gay ship in port today". We responded: "yes, it is us!" He did not quite know what to say after that. :) I think he had expected something different from what he saw...

[SantaRosaCruiser]

Leslie Jordan's show totally rocked. I had forgotten about that one.

 

I agree with you on Leslie, and he was amazingly friendly and available throughout the trip, which seems kinda rare. He was charming, amusing and delightful!

[SantaRosaCruiser]

While Curacao may be generally gay-friendly some of the spectators in the stands next to ours at Carnival in 2010 were not happy to have us there. When we had to leave before the end of the parade to get back to the ship, some of them were cheering our departure.

 

On the otherhand there were younger people in those same sections that moved to be closer to us because we were obviously a fun group. :) And when we left people rushed up to us to say goodbye, thank us for being there and told us to come back.

 

I am sure to have 500 RSVP cruisers in the middle of the parade route was a surprise to many.

 

I did not take the cheering as hostile, rather the contrary, but perhaps I am delusional on that point. I took it as a "Thanks for coming!", but then even in gay-friendly places we are still not universally loved, and you could be quite on the mark.

 

-Peter from Santa Rosa, CA

[AlohaChuck]

I agree with you on Leslie, and he was amazingly friendly and available throughout the trip, which seems kinda rare. He was charming, amusing and delightful!

 

He was on the recent med cruise with his twin sisters and mom; what a performer. I had to go to both of his shows he was hilarious and like you said very friendly; actually his whole family was.

[Typhoon1]

I think he had expected something different from what he saw...

 

He expected to see you in your dress and heels, Peter. :D:D

[Typhoon1]

I've been told to expect changes to the entertainment also. I know some of it already but not much.

 

Recently noticed Andy Schmiedel from RSVP has retired. He arranged the entertainment. Will a new face mean some new entertainment?

[Cruising since 1984]

I want to first start off by thanking everyone on here for keeping us loyal RSVP cruisers updated on the series of mistakes that RSVP VACATIONS is having within their corporate brand in respect to their managment and marketing decissions.

I've been a loyal RSVP cruiser on over 15 plus sailings and I would like to continue this tradition if this company/brand doesn't become a sinking ship.

 

I've noticed a downward trend of management and marketing decision starting back in 2007 with the Caribbean Princess not selling out [even with a last attempt to promote 2-for-1 cabins ], and the numerous unsold cabins on the chartered Queen Mary transatlantic. The 2007 Caribbean Princess was also the last year that a tradition of having a "headliner" [Thelma Houston] perform on the cruises . I personally don't make my decision to sail every year based on the entertainment but you can't compare the "headliners'' of the past with what they have been promoting these past couple of years. Jimmy James?....never heard of him/her until I took the cruise. Went to the show with an open mind only to feel embarrassed for him for the awful stage act that he was trying to pull off. After a few minutes of him attempting to sing, I found myself along with others around me walking out. RSVP should of saved their money on that expense and spent it better elsewhere.

 

When my friends and I heard the announcement while on the Feb 2012 cruise that the 2013 cruise was going back to New Orleans, we were very disappointed just because going on a cruise in Feb to Keywest and New Orleans was not our idea of a fun cruise to escape the winters of the North. We were looking forward to a warmer cruise, not really caring where it was sailing, but cruising to NOLA in Feb in the Gulf of Mexico is iffy for warm weather. I thought that RSVP learned from their mistake of going to NOLA after the cruise years ago was fogged in and could not depart NOLA on time. For those that have not been to NOLA during Mardi Gras, it's a good time if you have a hotel in or near the French Quarters that you can escape from the crowds when you need a break, but to go and stand around all day outside is not for the majoity of us "mature" aged that sail with RSVP. If the weather is lousy you will be standing outside most of the day because the bar's are packed. Finding a restroom is almost impossible, and getting something to eat in the area is not going to happen unless you walk blocks away. If anyone want's to experiance NOLA during Mardi Gras, I would suggest going for a few days but not as a day port during a cruise. Better yet go back to NOLA and explore what at great city it is during a non-event time for just as much fun without all the crowd.

 

I 'm also guessing I'm not the only one feeling the same about the NOLA cruise now that RSVP has decided to pull the NOLA sailing and head to a warmer climate, with only 6months left to fill the ship. The only fault I see in this decision is the reaction from people who just did this Southern Caribbean itinerary in 2011. I personally don't care where the ship is heading as long as it's heading south into the Caribbean warmer weather. I've been to San Juan/St. Thomas/St. Martin many times but its the sea days out near the pool with friends that make the cruise memorable. My perfect RSVP cruise would be the first full day at Half Moon Cay, 4 sea days, and end it with the last day back on Half Moon Cay.

 

The issues I'm seeing now with RSVP is why haven't they updated their web site to let the general public know of the change? Why am I getting email updates about the NOLA cruise this week and also about a cruise in Europe for 2013 when this one is still needing to sell cabins with less than 6months to sailing? Another issue I don't understand about RSVP marketing is why they wait with less than a year before sailing before they advertise to the public for their upcoming cruises. I 'm speculating what's behind their thinking is why should they be advertising for future cruises when they are on a deadline to sell out the one that is sailing in the coming months. They also used to hold out from advertising to the public until all their members had their choice of cabins. This might have been the standard in the past when future cruises would sell out a year in advance by repeat cruisers, but the trend now does not show this to be the case. They need to put the information out for future sailings as soon as they can so people can start planning and booking for their next vacation. By not posting a Caribbean cruise is not going to persuade someone to book a European cruise. Those are two distinctive cruises designed for two types of cruisers. RSVP needs to market their products out to their customers and the general public as soon as they can. Holding out to advertise for whatever reason is not a good selling strategy.

 

And lastly, and I might loose my "GAY MANS MEMBERSHIP CARD" for this comment, but I'm also relieved that others agree with my thinking that Amy and Freddy will not be missed. Nothing against them or their act, but it's the same lounge act year after year. And while I'm on the subject of RSVP bad entertainment decissions that has also been discussed on this thread, their new Host who replaced Danny is annoying. His personality does not mix well the demographics of the cruisers. It was disappointing to see at the pool games, the dating show, and the pool side fashion show that out of all the mature men on board and the huge number of guys from the BEAR CRUISERS GROUPS, they were overlooked when this new Host picked out the few skinny younger guys to participate. That look might work on Atlantis but it really didn't work on RSVP. I'm not saying I am partical to any age group or looks on board, but this host made a mistake when not playing toward the crowd he was surrounded by. What used to be fun entertaining events near the pool turned out to be pretty boring.

 

I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of negative follow up to this thread, but I also hope I'm speaking for others who are feeling the same frustrations with a product that I have supported 100 percent over the years

[Boytjie]

I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of negative follow up to this thread, but I also hope I'm speaking for others who are feeling the same frustrations with a product that I have supported 100 percent over the years

 

It would have been helpful if you started a new thread for this instead of tagging it onto a Roll Call thread. ;) It can get a lot of comments and maybe heated arguments that have nothing to do with the February cruise in particular.

 

I see it is your first post on Cruise Critic. Welcome! General discussions on LGBT cruises can be found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=162. Roll Calls are for people booked on a specific cruise to discuss that cruise.

 

You may want to cut-and-paste your post and re-post it there where it may be more visable.

[Tony&Phil]

We're just back from a trip to the london Olympics and kept an eye on this thread when we could.

We kept checking the RSVP website and it's still saying NOLA, we haven't heard anything about changes apart from what weve read here. We were so looking forward to New Orleans, so can anyone tell us what there is to see and do in Aruba and Curaçao ? I for one am not a sun worshiper anymore and am not fond of snorkelling etc.

Reading the post from "cruising since 1984" I get the impression that RSVP cruising might be for younger guys ! Is that right? We did the Atlantis Baltic cruise a few years ago and loved it. I would hate this not to be similar , entertainment and guest wise.

[Cruising since 1984]

Thank you for your Welcome and your recommendations on how I should be using this website Peter. I am booked on this cruise now that the change has been made to the itineary.

 

As far as not having anything to do with the Feb cruise I think I've touched on comments that have previous been discussed on this thread. I've have notice that others post replies on these RSVP Roll Call threads that have/had nothing to do with the cruises, but are conversations back and forth between each other about topics other than the RSVP cruises that should of been discussed on private email chats.

 

See you on the cruise. :)

[Typhoon1]

We're just back from a trip to the london Olympics and kept an eye on this thread when we could.

We kept checking the RSVP website and it's still saying NOLA, we haven't heard anything about changes apart from what weve read here.

 

Should you have any doubts as to the new itinerary, give RSVP a call or drop them an email.

 

They are more than happy to confirm the new itinerary is indeed Curacao, Aruba and HMC.