Same sex or no sex?

[nana51]

Things have changed that is true. We here on cc are maybe more open, or only the open people are responding. It still happens though, the dirty looks, the head shakes, the whispers, etc. It may be easy for us who don't get those looks and stares to say "ignore it", but it isn't so easy. There are a lot of people out there who are usually older, who are still not onboard with anyone who is different from what they grew up with. Of course I'm not saying all older folk, heck I'm an older folk myself. I think people who have traveled extensively are way more open to differences. There always people who still want things to stay the same and keep some things hidden so that don't have to see it. Just look at our formal wear threads if you want to see people who hate change. Remember.....I'm not talking about all the wonderful people who posted on this thread, but the ones who didn't because they don't want to see "it".

[S1drfl]

I'm really sorry you've had less than good experiences. My DH (I'm his DH) and I have been very fortunate in only meeting very pleasant dinner companions during our cruises in the past.

 

And in response to the older folks might not be so excepting comments: We sailed to Norway out of Rotterdam on the Westerdam in 2010. Our table consisted of ourselves (in our 50's), another same sex male couple in their late 30's, and two opposite sex couples, one in their 70's and one in their 80's. We had the best time! The senior couple even had everyone to their cabin the last night for cocktails.

 

Our best wishes that you meet great folk on your cruise.

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

What a shame you were treat so badly. It does not matter to me if you are married, traveling with your mistress, or same sex married/parrtner. Its none of my business. I never understand why people want to make it thier business. I think it would be nice to attend a wedding, commitment, renewal service. People who say any please ignore. You are happy I bet they are not as happy as they are. they have to make like messiberible for others. Who are they to judge. Please have a great time. Be proud. Don't let anyone ruin that

 

 

Mary

[Watson's aunt]

I'm proud to be from Massachusetts.......

the first U.S. state to vote gay marriage legal. :)

That was a vote of the PEOPLE, not the politicians.

 

 

Second that.

 

Boston Proud

 

Mary

[serendipity1499]

No one should feel that they are not worthy of our time, be they, gay, black, brown or even "green",

 

 

does that mean people who can't tell when the thread starts :p and conservatives??? lol

 

The first post of this thread was started yesterday a 9:12 p.m. See page 1..Have no idea what you mean by this thread being old? Perhaps you should re-read post No. 1 (one) on page 1 (one) again..

Craig..I feel so bad that you have experienced discrimination.. We couldn't care less if you were straight, gay, black white, or other..

I worked with many Gay's & several became very close Friends.. You & your Partner would be welcome to share our table any time..

 

Enjoy your cruise..Betty

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

I wonder how one of those people would feel the same way about you If you saved there partner?

 

Mary

[Sea Belle]

...and we wonder about bullying in schools? To me anyone who would create a problem just because of a person's sexual orientation is nothing but a BIG BULLY!!! :eek: Please don't let anyone ruin your cruise and mingle while you are being spoiled by the great HAL crew! :D

[kirin]

As a widow of 12 years, I generally travel solo and have experienced some prejudice. Most notable example was arriving for dinner (fixed seating) on my Alaska cruise a few years ago. There was a middle-aged married couple at the table. Two "30 something" young ladies were also seated. Once the married lady realized I didn't have a husband who would be turning up shortly, she flicked her napkin in the direction of our waiter, shouting "Boy! Boy! Get over here and get us moved to another table with our kind of people! We can't waste time with single women on the prowl for men!"

 

We were stunned, but once they left, had a laugh and became fast friends.

 

Just remember that if anyone rolls their eyes or "dismisses" you........it is their loss, for they will never know the pleasure of your company.

 

Hope it is a wonderful cruise for you all......

 

Kate

[CowPrincess]

Things have changed that is true. We here on cc are maybe more open, or only the open people are responding. It still happens though, the dirty looks, the head shakes, the whispers, etc. It may be easy for us who don't get those looks and stares to say "ignore it", but it isn't so easy. There are a lot of people out there who are usually older, who are still not onboard with anyone who is different from what they grew up with. Of course I'm not saying all older folk, heck I'm an older folk myself. I think people who have traveled extensively are way more open to differences. There always people who still want things to stay the same and keep some things hidden so that don't have to see it. Just look at our formal wear threads if you want to see people who hate change. Remember.....I'm not talking about all the wonderful people who posted on this thread, but the ones who didn't because they don't want to see "it".

 

This is soooooo worth repeating, thank you! We live in a small town where there are a lot of closed minds and open mouths :( Sadly, there IS still discrimination for anyone who is "different". It may be more obvious in our little town, but IMHO the opinions still exist in more urban areas; they may just not be spoken aloud, in public.

 

Mind you, we have had some "looks" and some less-than-subtle comments when we (a heterosexual white couple) cruise. Mostly because we are Canadian (that whole "socialized health care" thing :rolleyes: ) and because we are not prepared to get into the "asset-bragging" thing. For some (very few but they do exist) cruisers those are "issues" and they feel the need to demean us. We just move on.

 

So, OP -- if someone's mind is closed and their mouth is open, just move on. There are plenty of other people on the ship to socialize with.

[Fouremco]

As a widow of 12 years, I generally travel solo and have experienced some prejudice. Most notable example was arriving for dinner (fixed seating) on my Alaska cruise a few years ago. There was a middle-aged married couple at the table. Two "30 something" young ladies were also seated. Once the married lady realized I didn't have a husband who would be turning up shortly, she flicked her napkin in the direction of our waiter, shouting "Boy! Boy! Get over here and get us moved to another table with our kind of people! We can't waste time with single women on the prowl for men!"

 

We were stunned, but once they left, had a laugh and became fast friends.

 

Just remember that if anyone rolls their eyes or "dismisses" you........it is their loss, for they will never know the pleasure of your company.

 

Hope it is a wonderful cruise for you all......

 

Kate

I don't know whether to laugh or cry...

 

[sail7seas]

Maybe I have missed a post but I don't notice OP has returned.

I hope they have seen the positive comments here and they are helpful.

 

It's a good thread. :)

 

[andilynnwright]

Your post and all the supportive posts made me cry over my pancakes this morning. My friend Stefanie and I, who are both straight, went on a cruise 2 years ago and met the most awesome couple who were together for over 30 years, Bob and Bob. I wish I would have stayed in touch. I loved them. We played trivia together and went to dinner. Had a blast. My Mom and I are going on a Thanksgiving cruise and hope you are on it! My Mom was joking last night that she hopes a handsome father and son or a fun gay couple are at our dinner table. Can't wait to meet you in one of our adventures!

[CowPrincess]

I have a very dear friend who is in a same-sex relationship. They generally do not participate in "groups" when cruising, because they fear the reaction of other cruisers :( They dine at a two-top in Anytime dining, because they figure there will be fewer opportunities for non-acceptance or outright confrontation. That's their reality. That's what they have been conditioned to expect, from years of being demeaned and terrorized. So, while society overall may be much more accepting of differences now than 20 years ago, some who were raised when "different = bad" still have real, valid concerns. It only takes one negative "incident" to cause the fears and prior conditioning to rush back, IMHO. At least, that is my take on it, from the many discussions I've had with my friend.

[babyher]

As a widow of 12 years, I generally travel solo and have experienced some prejudice. Most notable example was arriving for dinner (fixed seating) on my Alaska cruise a few years ago. There was a middle-aged married couple at the table. Two "30 something" young ladies were also seated. Once the married lady realized I didn't have a husband who would be turning up shortly, she flicked her napkin in the direction of our waiter, shouting "Boy! Boy! Get over here and get us moved to another table with our kind of people! We can't waste time with single women on the prowl for men!"

 

We were stunned, but once they left, had a laugh and became fast friends.

 

Just remember that if anyone rolls their eyes or "dismisses" you........it is their loss, for they will never know the pleasure of your company.

 

Hope it is a wonderful cruise for you all......

 

Kate

 

 

 

I bet that womans husband screws around on her a lot, and she saw you as a threat . In a way look at it as a compliment. *LOL*

 

You know how many of my dad's friends (all married ) hit on my mom after he passed away? All the while their wives were thanking God it wasn't their husbands dropping dead that young. They should have only known .

[sppunk]

As a widow of 12 years, I generally travel solo and have experienced some prejudice. Most notable example was arriving for dinner (fixed seating) on my Alaska cruise a few years ago. There was a middle-aged married couple at the table. Two "30 something" young ladies were also seated. Once the married lady realized I didn't have a husband who would be turning up shortly, she flicked her napkin in the direction of our waiter, shouting "Boy! Boy! Get over here and get us moved to another table with our kind of people! We can't waste time with single women on the prowl for men!"

 

We were stunned, but once they left, had a laugh and became fast friends.

 

Just remember that if anyone rolls their eyes or "dismisses" you........it is their loss, for they will never know the pleasure of your company.

 

Hope it is a wonderful cruise for you all......

 

Kate

WOW

 

You are much better off not having to deal with those Neanderthals - glad they moved! ;)

[Ev01241]

I have been with my partner for 30+ years. We have taken numerous cruises on HAL, and have never had any problems with two men traveling together. We have met some great people on all of our cruises. In fact we have never had any problems on any line that we have cruised. We have cruised on all of the major lines.

 

Hi I am sorry you had a bad experience I would say those people are in the minority and majority of people love to meet people from all walks of life regardless of a person sexually orientations jion the roll call of your next cruise and enjoy x

[Spinner2]

Craig, if by any chance that November cruise you are speaking of is the Statendam's Inca Treasures (Nov 3, San Diego) I hope you'll come right over to the roll call and introduce yourself. I'm in charge of the Meet/Greet for that one and I, for one, would be delighted to meet you and have you join in. I'm sure plenty of others will feel the same way. That roll call is here.

[CruiseWhere]

I love you guys as does Frank!!! Heaven only knows if you hadn't been there for me on that cruise I would have had to dance with my goat!! I wish you had told me this...I had no idea! You know I would have been more than happy to have spoken with them;) Some people live such sheltered lives in this day and age! I feel pity for those poor souls...

I say suck it up buttercup:)

[Rowsby]

Makes no difference . Period. .

 

Also agree......

[startwin]

Things have changed that is true. We here on cc are maybe more open, or only the open people are responding. It still happens though, the dirty looks, the head shakes, the whispers, etc. It may be easy for us who don't get those looks and stares to say "ignore it", but it isn't so easy. There are a lot of people out there who are usually older, who are still not onboard with anyone who is different from what they grew up with. Of course I'm not saying all older folk, heck I'm an older folk myself. I think people who have traveled extensively are way more open to differences. There always people who still want things to stay the same and keep some things hidden so that don't have to see it. Just look at our formal wear threads if you want to see people who hate change. Remember.....I'm not talking about all the wonderful people who posted on this thread, but the ones who didn't because they don't want to see "it".

 

You do make some very good points, which most of us who have posted would prefer not to admit, I think. We here on CC are likely more "with it" than many of the older generation. I know my Mum - bless her, she was a wonderful lady with a huge heart - would likely not be accepting, but she wouldn't say anything hurtful. The world is changing, thankfully, and we are able to celebrate our differences. I think those that cannot are in the minority now, and in the future there will be no such prejudice.

 

And just as an aside - we once did an Alaska cruise where we teamed up with a couple of gay guys from the UK. It took my dear DH almost a week to figure out that they were spouses! We had a wonderful time with them on excursions, then one night in the ocean bar, they danced together. Of course there's always one idiot... a younger guy who was making some nasty comments about it. He ended up slinking away when just about everyone there told him to keep his opinions to himself. That was 6 years ago, and we've all come a long way since then.

[DFWGUYZ]

I have a very dear friend who is in a same-sex relationship. They generally do not participate in "groups" when cruising, because they fear the reaction of other cruisers :( They dine at a two-top in Anytime dining, because they figure there will be fewer opportunities for non-acceptance or outright confrontation. That's their reality. That's what they have been conditioned to expect, from years of being demeaned and terrorized. So, while society overall may be much more accepting of differences now than 20 years ago, some who were raised when "different = bad" still have real, valid concerns. It only takes one negative "incident" to cause the fears and prior conditioning to rush back, IMHO. At least, that is my take on it, from the many discussions I've had with my friend.

 

Your take on it is spot on for some of us older gay couples and we still feel this way. Better safe than sorry....at this point we've had enough.

However, we have never had a problem on Hal with passengers or crew and do participate in some of the organized events.

 

Cruise on...be happy....

[sun~]

"Well, I don't care what anybody is - I don't care whether they're gay, straight or Australian. It's what they're like as a person that matters." Barbara Royle from The Royle Family

 

Love that quote!

[arewethereyet]

Simply a non-issue to me. I don't care about anyone's sexual orientation, nor do I want them to announce it to me one way of the other.

 

The less I know about people, the better I like them. Meaning, people are a blank slate when I meet them. We start off brand spanking new. That works well for me.

[TracieABD]

Personally, I don't care who you love. I really hope that you are well-read, easy-going, a fabulous trivia player, and interesting!

 

But I will tell a story.

 

In 2010, I was on a HAL cruise to Alaska. Right before we got on board, our 17 year old only child came out to us (and it was a surprise). We love our son, but we were worried and concerned for his safety. As it happened, we were joined in trivia by a couple from SLC, Utah. They had been together for 8 years and were obviously really in love. We shared our news with them, and they offered to answer any questions that we had. They were truly forthcoming. The best piece of advice they gave was just to be there for him. They joined us for formal night and for many other trivia games. I thought they were wonderful and their presence was right on time. Actually, they made the cruise for us. We still talk about them.

 

So Craig, if we are ever on the same cruise, feel free to come sit next to me. :):):):):)

[HokiePoq]

Although my partner and I have been together for over 33 years, we still seem to get some unpredictable attitude from certain co-cruise guests. It's to the point that, although we're about to embark on our third cruise this year, after our eye-brow-raising reception on our latest cruise last May, I haven't even bothered to sign us up for the roll call on the cruise we'll be taking in November.

 

So please, here on an anonymous forum, this is the time to speak up. Would you prefer that two women together or two men together on a cruise just keep to themselves and not participate in cruise life? There's obviously no right answer nor no wrong answer, I'd just like to hear your gut-response! Don't feel as if you'll be pre-judged by me because you won't be.

 

So what is it, same sex or no sex?

 

Don't let some bigot discourage you! We have had some really great times at trivia and in activities with gay couples. Would have missed out on meeting some very interesting people if we felt it made a difference.