Brillance of the Seas Transatlantic - November 7

[Zurichguy]

Is anyone crossing with us from Barcelona to Maimi?

 

This is my 2nd trans-Atlantic crossing and I'm thrilled. It will be my boyfriend's first.

 

E-mail me if you are joining us! Pikapdude@aol.com

[Andros]

I posted on our regular thread as well. Glad to know we will have family on board with us. My partner and I have been together 10 years and love cruising. Looking forward to meeting you guys. Maybe we can get together in Barcelona. Are you going to have any time pre-cruise there? We will be renting an apartment as we did last year. It was real nice and right on the Ramblas. Furnished with things from IKEA, which was right up my alley. Let us know what's on your agenda! Andros/Tony;)

[Zurichguy]

Hey Andros,

 

It's good to know that there will be more family aboard. On my last Trans-Atlantic there were plenty of gay couples aboard; all great guys and the the gay staffers liked chatting with all of us at the disco. My boyfriend and I have only been together 2 months (but we have no hesitations planning a trip so far in advance). We're getting into Barcelona on the morning of the 6th from Baltimore; and probably just taking a hotel room near the water. My travel agent said she'd make reservations for us at a nice place.

 

I'm such a freak about sea days; so this trip is perfect for me.

 

Brian

[Andros]

Just got my e-mail notification of your post. We also had plenty of family on our transatlantic. We made lots of new friends and really enjoyed ourselves. I loved Barcelona for the 2 days we were there. It rained off and on but, that was OK. We most likely will arrive in Barcelona on Sat. or Sun.. Shooting for Sat. most likely. That will give us time to explore as, we missed everything we wanted to see and do. We went to Montserrat and missed all of our planned things in town. So, this will be nice to visit again so soon. Did you get a chance to check out my homepage? There is a lot of information and links there for this trip. I made up info packs last year and they were useful to everyone. I decided to make it a little easier for myself this time. Saving much time, ink, and luggage space. I didn't mind but, wanted to lighten my workload. Glad to know you will be near the beach. Our apartment will only be a few blocks from the port. I've already talked to the owner to let him know we will be there. He wrote back saying we would get a 10% discount for all future bookings. That sold me, not that I wasn't sold already! LOL!

 

Well, getting ready to crash, but will talk again soon. Laters, Tony:rolleyes:

[Andros]

Hope this finds you and your boyfriend doing well. We are getting ready to book mid-month. Have to take advantage of the C&A coupon before it expires. Our anticipation is growing! We too, enjoy the seadays. A great time to relax and rejuvinate after all the ports and touring. Have had a good week here in TN. with weather in the mid 70's. Hope to talk to you soon, Tony

[Zurichguy]

Last week I got my contract from my travel agent. We'll be on the 8th deck, starboard side.

 

Did you ever hear what cabin belonged to that honeymoon couple where the guy fell overboard from this ship?

 

The boyfriend and I are arriving in Barcelona on Monday morning so we have a day to explore before departure. We're thinking about getting married at a courthouse since it is legal in Spain and then using the cruise as our honeymoon.

 

I have to look into some marriage sources on the Spanish websites.

[Andros]

You guys must be doing well together if you are thinking of getting married:cool: ! Gregg and I have been together fo about 10 years now. So, we might as well be married:rolleyes: . I am quite pleased with this, as most gay relationships don't last long. He has been a blessing to me. Nothing like having someone to share your life with. This particular cruise will be like our 10th anniversary, so I'm thinking of doing something special for him;) . He truly deserves it putting up with me all of these years:eek: ! I know that silver is the color for this one, but haven't decided what to get yet. He doesn't wear jewelry, so that is out. I'm sure I'll think of something, I'm quite resourceful.

 

Not sure where the honeymoon couple were on the ship. We will most likely be on the 3rd deck, we loved our oceanview last year. I enjoyed watching the swells outside the window. We ended up paying less than our deposit last year, hoping that will be the case this time. Ended up paying about $1000.00 each for our 18 day vacation. That included 3 days in London, 2 days in Barcelona, and our 11 day cruise. Airfare, hotels/apartment, cruise, etc.... I'm very budget minded and search for the best deals! The fact that there was 3 of us helped a great deal as well. This year it will be just us, our friend in VA. doesn't want to go this time. However, he changes his mind frequently, so you never know. He's a great guy and I hope he does go with us.

 

Glad to know you guys are well and looking forward to meeting you. Talk again soon, Tony

[Zurichguy]

Anyone else booked for this sailing?

[sneakerstud]

I wished I could go too!!!! I do the transatlantic in actually 6 weeks, I will be having my first glass of champagne in my villa overlooking Miami!!! We booked the NCL Jewel! A Gruezi to Zuerich and Hello to TN from NC!!!

[Andros]

Just thought I would give us a bump and say hello. Hope you and your partner are doing well. You guys have a great summer and I'll talk to you soon. Tony

[russg140]

My partner and I are travelling with a (str8) couple who we met on the Radiance from Vancouver to Honolulu. Looking forward to the trip, but hearing all this nastiness about the bad hurricanes the year wonder how much "rockin' and rollin'" we're gonna be doing. We're starting in Paris on the 5th and taking the overnight train to Barcelona.

 

I have been in touch with a woman who works at the Spanish embassy to give me suggestions for things to do in Barcelona. Also, I have been in touch with a private tour company about a small wine tour in Lisbon. Could be interesting - none of the RCL excursions go beyond the standard, and if we're only in Portugal for a day I thought a winery tour with lunch, etc. might be fun.

 

Any thoughts?

[Andros]

Russ, my partner and I were on the Brilliance last November. We experienced 20-25 foot swells leaving Barcelona and then again leaving Lisbon(10-15 foot). Other than that, the weather was great with an occassional rain maybe 2 out of 11 days. As far as hurricanes, this will be at the end of the hurricane season and I wouldn't worry to much. They will steer us clear of any danger. As far as excursions, we always go on our own. Much less expensive than any guided tour of any kind. We had a very easy time with public transport both in Barcelona and Lisbon. Both have travel passes for their subway systems which made it very easy and inexpensive to get around. If you want some ideas for things to do I have a homepage I started for the regular roll call for this sailing. There is a bunch of information there, so check it out. We will be arriving in Barcelona a few days early to see all that we missed last year. We went to Montserrat, which took most of the time we had for exploring Barcelona. We don't regret going, but missed all that we wanted to see and do. We are going to rent an apartment like we did last year. Had a nice place right on the Ramblas that was convenient to everything. I'm going to do a bike tour this year while we are there. Someone from the roll call thread gave me the link for it. Sounds real fun with a lunch somewhere along the way. Let us/me know when and what you may want to do in Barcelona or Lisbon, as we may be able to help(I have done extensive research on both and have been to both). Look forward to meeting you and the rest of your party. Talk again soon. Andros/Tony

[russg140]

Tony:

 

Thanks for the info. We are actually taking the overnight train from Paris on the 5th (arriving on the 6th). The other couple we are travelling with really like, as do we, local restaurants and soaking up the local culture. I've heard about the Ramblas area, but am concerned that it is becoming too touristy (?). Our train arrives at 8:30 a.m. on the 6th and we're staying at the Gran Florida. Lisbon looks like it will be a day trip to Sinatra (sp?), a winery, and lunch there. The swells don't bother me (or the others). Temperature-wise, how cold/cool will it be? i.e. will the on-deck pools be open or does everyone crowd into the Solarium? Did you have a lot of kids on the trip? I would guess not, but...

 

I'll check out the site you listed. Thanks for any and all info. 6 months'll go by before you know it!

[Andros]

Yeah, I agree about the swells. I actually had a ball when they started. Loved every minute of it. Some don't do well with the rocking/swaying, but I love it. Nothing like a real adventure!!!

 

As far as the weather and stuff you asked about, it was usually good. In Barcelona it was rainy, but still in the mid 60's. By the time we reached Lisbon it was in the 70's. It got a couple degrees warmer everyday, reaching 80 by the time we got to Miami. The outside pool was just as busy as the solarium, sometimes busier. We had no problems finding a lounger in the solarium at any time. I don't remember any kids at all. Maybe some younger people, but would assume they were all over 18. If there were any kids, it was very few!

 

You are exactly right about the 6 months. I remember last year saying I can't wait till such and such date. It was here and gone before I knew it. It really added to my excitement, being this was our first trip to Europe. After you look at my site, if you have any questions or want something researched, just let me know. I don't work, so I have all the time in the world to research anything you may be interested in doing in any of our ports. I agree that the Ramblas is getting to be real touristy, but you can get off the beaten path in any direction from there. This is why we enjoyed our apartments location. There is a gay area there, I will have to look up the name of it. There is a certain street which I have written down somewhere with our travel stuff from last year. We definately want to check it out this year.

Well, will talk again soon. Tony

[Zurichguy]

Hi Russ, It's good to see that there will be more family members aboard.

 

My boyfriend just applied for his passport the other week and I just mailed mine away for renewal. This trip will be here sooner than we think.

 

My boyfriend and I are arriving in Barcelona on the morning of the 6th as well. We just plan to take a hotel room someone in Barcelona close to the water amd spend a quiet day seeing some of the local sites. The cruise will be the real adventure for us (he has never been out of the country).

 

We have our hearts set on the daytrip from Nice to Monte Carlo; I have always wanted to say that I have visited the big casino there.

 

Brian

[russg140]

Brian:

 

I was in Monte Carlo the summer after I graduated college - I think Lincoln was in the White House at the time :eek: ! My friend and I thought it would be fun to do the whole "Riviera" thing, but at 22 with limited funds and no tux we were totally limited. Just watching all the yachts, limo's, etc. made me think I was born at the wrong time, the wrong place, and ABSOLUTELY the wrong family :D .

 

We haven't actually figured out what to do in Nice. With the exception of the Caribbean we try to avoid RCL's excursions, figuring we can do better and more affordably, on our own. Taking a local driver with a few friends usually ends up to be more fun than in a bus with 50 others, although it does take some work.

 

Russ

[rienreiter]

Hi Guys:

 

As an FYI, the missing honeymooner cabin is 9062. I am always curious if this cabin is available for sale. I don't think that I would want to stay in it though.

 

Anyway, I just completed a Northern Europe cruise on the Constellation (Celebrity) and took advantage of the opportunity to book the Nov. 7 trans-Atlantic on the Brilliance OTS and get a $200 on-board credit. So, I will be joining you guys too. I was on the TA on the Brilliance last November also and it was great. There was a lot of family on board. It was my first TA but now I am hooked. Just did an eastbound in April and there was a lot of family on board that one also.

 

Keep in mind that no matter how many or how few respond to this roll call, there is likely to be many more on board as very few dedicated cruisers are aware of this website. TA's traditionally have a large family following so don't despair. There was no roll call here for my last cruise and there must have been at least 30 family members on the ship.

 

Andros: Do you remember me? I posted here last year regarding last year's TA on the Brilliance but we never met. Hopefully, that won't happen this time.

 

Regards To All

[Andros]

Sorry for the abrv., but it is easier! It was real funny last night when my e-mail notification came in. My partner was on the PC when it came in. I told him to look to see what it was. When he opened it, I said who posted that? When I saw your name, I was like, where do I know that name from? When I saw the last line of your post, my memory was refreshed. LOL! That happens as you get older, you know? My sister calls it oldseimers!

 

So, how are you? Sounds as if you are still traveling the world. How fun is that! Glad to know that you will be on the BOS again this year. We had so much fun that we just had to do it again! Most likely we saw each other in passing sometime during the cruise, but never met. We will be looking forward to finally meeting you. We were going to go on Celeb's Galaxy leaving from Rome in Dec., but were unsure of flying home from San Juan.

 

Anyway, if you get a chance, look at my homepage. Lots of good info there. Are you still traveling solo? My hopes are that you are not! Talk again soon. Andros/Tony

[rienreiter]

Hi Andros/Tony:

 

I am doing well. Indeed I have been busy doing a lot of traveling which is what I really love to do; it is my passion. After I got laid off I have developed a belief that life should be lived as if it was your last day because you never know what tomorrow will bring. I am very lucky to have a partner (of 20 years) who understands me and allows me to travel alone as this is what makes me happy. Does not make me happy to leave him so often but, life must be lived. I have seen too many friends and family who have had their dreams unfulfilled due to life shattering events. Anyway, enough of this stuff.

 

Unfortunately, I will be traveling again this time also. My partner and I just returned from our Baltic/Scandinavia/Russia cruise where we had a fabulous time. If you like traveling as much as I do, do me a favor and and make plans with your partner to one day do this itinerary. You will not regret it; everything really is beautiful up there. Specially, St. Petersburg in Russia.

 

By the way, my name is Juan so you do not have to call me by my screen name. Will be looking at your home page now.

 

Regards,

Juan

 

PS This will be my 4th time on the BOTS. You think I'll get some special discount for a BOTS repeat cruiser?

[rienreiter]

Hey Andros:

 

Above, I said "Unfortunately, I will be traveling again this time also." What I actually meant to say was "Unfortunately, I will be traveling solo again this time."

 

Regards,

[Andros]

Hey Juan, I figured that was what you meant. I read your post last night, but was tired and went on to bed.

 

Thanks for suggesting the Scandinavian/Russian itinerary. We have Russia on our list, but will still be a few years until we can do that. I already found Alaska for next year, and then it is on to Hawaii for the next. Since our funds are somewhat limited( and Gregg only gets so much vacation time), we usually only do 1 per year. However, you never know what changes may come in life, so maybe someday we will be able to travel more. We actually have a world map on the wall, where I have a color coded legend that tell where we have been and where we want to go! I truly believe as you said, "Life is too short" and I also live for today. If you read my biography on my webpage, you already caught this message of my belief in this.

 

I'm sorry that you will be traveling alone, but you will not be alone by any means. I thought we were doing good with almost 10 years under our belts, but 20:eek: ! That is wonderful and not heard of much in the gay society that we live. Kudos to both of you for making such a wonderful commitment to each other;) ! Well, going for now, but will talk again soon. Tony

[Andros]

I figured that was what you meant. I lost a whole post this morning trying to respond to you. I'm busy doing house work and stuff today, so I'll come back later to try again.

[rienreiter]

Hey Tony:

 

I know what you mean about losing your post. I came here this morning shortly after you posted. I could tell that you posted because page indicated that you had posted about 10 minutes earlier. However, my last post is the last one that continued to show. You will see that there are now 22 replies but page does not indicate that amount.

 

I read your homepage after I submitted my comments so I knew that we would be in agreement. I also realized after I posted that not everyone understands this type of comment.

 

Yes, 20 years is not something heard of these days. It is very rare. Believe it or not, I have met a lot of couples on cruises and all of them have at least 10 years or more. Have not yet met someone with as many years as us though.

 

Regards, Juan

[Andros]

Yeah, when I came back to redo my post, it was there. As you can tell, my quick reply came after my mysterious disapearing one. Somedays these boards just act up. I'm grateful to just have CC, so the little problems are no big deal. It can get aggravating though:( !

 

Even though we are fairly new to all this travelling stuff, we love it! Gives us something to look forward to and a life full of great memories. We actually met a few couples last year that had been together for 20 years or more. Ken Cruiser and his partner(lurker), had been together for 25 or so. Randy and Joe, our friends that we met from the UK had been together for about 20. They were the ones we were in the Champagne Bar with on the night of the FOD meeting. They were getting married when they got back home from the cruise. It had just been made legal there and they had everything already planned.

 

I am soooo looking forward to this November:rolleyes: . It will be here before we know it! Talk later, Tony

[rienreiter]

Is November here yet? Five months to go! I better plan another cruise between now and then.