Celebrity Solstice 3/7/10: Atlantis Cruise

[CruisinMaterial]

Quick question for y'all...another friend is interested in going, but he can't find someone locally to go with him. He is considering going and having a roommate assigned by Atlantis/Celebrity for him. Have any of you had experience doing this, or talked to many folks that have?

Thanks!

Matt

 

Matt - I have done Atlantis room shares twice. Both times on longer Med cruises where you're rooming for longer than 7 days with a stranger. I didn't have any issues whatsoever. The roommates were great. Either I was a late night party goer respecting the person when I got in and they were sleeping or they'd get up and show the same respect and let me sleep a better part of the day away. One couldn't speak English very well (from Spain) and the other just was a day person. I tend to flip my sleep schedule on Atlantis cruises since there's not very good club venues around me. We set the boundaries on the first day and go from there. That tends to work best.

 

You may also try and find someone selling a bed in a room on one of the many forums out there like I did on the Solstice cruise. Post a little bit about himself on there and a commonality may exist between someone who has a bed for sale in their cabin and your friend. It could work wonders like it did for me in March. I had a roommate in the profession I am going into and we had wonderful technical discussions at dinner and it helped make things less tense and got rid of my shyness.

 

Just thoughts to ponder... feel free to ask any more questions if you have them! :)

 

~Jake

[CruisinMaterial]

Bumping this post for a person who just booked! :)

[Darrell6t]

I searched but didn't find this thread, so I started another. We'll let that one fade away. Thanks for making this one visible.

 

My partner and I just booked this cruise. It will be our 3rd Atlantis. The ship and the ports look to be interesting. We were on the Eurodam RSVP cruise when the Solstice parked next door in San Juan and it looks amazing. Now we are working on a few friends to join us but some are so wary of an all-gay cruise despite our enthusiastic recommendation.

[CruisinMaterial]

Darrel - Welcome aboard. The search function on here is very hit or miss. Since I posted in this thread it makes it easier for me to find when I scan back on the pages because of the arrow it has on the left hand side.

 

Glad you decided to book! The more CC'ers the merrier! :D A lot of gay people are hesitant on a vacation like this because they see it as being one huge floating party / bath house. It can be if you want it to be I suppose but it's not the reason why I went this year!! I went for the ship and it's too costly to go with a family member so I just found a bed online and went! Atlantis is what you want to make of it. :)

[philamike]

I just posted this on the Alumni forum, but figured we could talk about it here, too. :-)

 

So what are everyone's thoughts on the new itinerary? According to the Atlantis site:

 

3/7 FLL

3/8 Coco Cay, Bahamas

3/9 At sea

3/10 St. Barts

3/11 St. Thomas, USVI

3/12 Samana, DR

3/13 At sea

3/14 FLL

 

The original itinerary included San Juan, a (very) brief stop in Tortola, St. Barts and Labadee.

 

I'm glad St. Barts is still the highlight of the cruise (and a long day there -- until 11 p.m.). St. Barts will be a new experience for me. Although I've been to Labadee three times now, I'll miss not going there. I haven't been to Coco Cay, but I understand from other cruisers that Labadee is a better private island (but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!).

 

The Tortola stop was going to be so early in the morning and so brief that it was unnecessary (plus I've been there before...). I've also been to St. Thomas twice, but it is a beautiful place -- the only drawback is that everyone will have to go through an immigration/passport check before they clear the boat -- not sure how they're going to do this at 9 a.m. on an Atlantis cruise!

 

Samana -- I've been there too. If you thought that there was little to do in La Romana this year, there's even less in Samana (and not as pretty). The only good option is an excursion to a nearby private island (Cayo Levantado) and they'll tender you directly from the ship. IIRC, the excursion cost seemed a bit excessive for a 5-minute boat ride there just to relax on a beach (maybe about $30-35 pp).

 

But of course, it's an Atlantis cruise -- and we already know it will be fantastic wherever we go! Only 272 days to go...

 

- Mike :-)

[CruisinMaterial]

MIke - Welcome home from your Norwegian cruise! I just wrapped up hell week at school so now I'm back into the regular flow of things. I was away from the PC all last week! :eek: Didn't miss it though - there was no time to!

 

Anyway, thanks for the update on the itinerary. I will miss Tortola. The place was beautiful when Princess did the surprise call there and I was looking forward to a planned call so the locals would be ready and have more open for us. Not to be though. :( I haven't been to St. Barts either.

 

The DR is a beautiful place but there just doesn't seem to be that much to do there. I have no issues with staying on the ship though because she is that beautiful in her contemporary elegance. My friend is taking her to Egypt and I spent the weekend with him at Pride in Boston and he is very much excited now about his trip (less the Eygpt part). :D

 

Did you post your review yet Mike of your Alaska trip?

~Jake

[NYCBri]

I haven't been on an Atlantis Cruise since the 15th Anniversary one in 2006... very psyched for it! I did 2 RSVP cruises in between... which were a lot of fun.. made some great friends on there... some of which will also be on this cruise. Um, uh, yeah, I got nothing else for now... rock on. :cool:

[philamike]

Did you post your review yet Mike of your Alaska trip?

 

Hey Jake! I really owe you an email... But my review was just posted by the good folks of CC: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=55581

 

I also posted a lot of photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/philamike/collections/72157619386205583/

Check out the "Behind the Scenes" gallery!

 

The cruise was great, but my friend and I didn't have much luck finding other "friends of dorothy." We stopped by the advertised gathering a few times, but no one was ever there. We did meet a lesbian couple and a gay couple (who recognized my friend's orange Atlantis tote bag). But the Alaska cruises skew older, quieter, and (it seems) straighter.

 

But RSVP is doing an Alaska cruise later this summer -- maybe all the 'mos are holding out for that one. :-)

 

- Mike :-)

[CruisinMaterial]

Hey Mike!

 

Thanks for the review of the Pearl. I am hoping to sail on her in January but everything is so far up in the air I can't be sure of what is going to and not going to happen. Things are not looking quite so good for this particular sailing either. I saw a draft of the academic calendar and they have Spring Break being the next week!! It was just a draft that the Dean of Nursing had but we'll see how that goes. :cool: It should be finalized by the middle of July.

 

I will check out the pictures at home but it sounds like you had a fun time albeit subdued on the Pearl. The Spirit was a blast and can't wait to do that run again next year. I do hope the energy level can be re-created. :D

 

The Atlantis tote bags definitely give you away. I use them quite frequently on all my trips. Convenient and can hold a lot of stuff!

 

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on how things are running... until then... it's back to the cruise planning and oh yeah... WORK! :eek:

~Jake

[CruisinMaterial]

Mike - Finally got to look at all the photos! Looks like you had a really nice time up there in Alaska. Already getting the plans going on for next January. So much unknowns at this point because of the school schedule. I can't wait until they lock it in. Thanks for helping me day dream though during a study break yesterday! :D

[philamike]

200 Days! :)

 

Better start planning my outfits... ;-)

[meddy]

I just booked this cruise for my partner and I. We've only been on one cruise before, a short 4 night cruise on RCCL to Key West and Cozumel.

He has been wanting to cruise again and although I was not super impressed with our last cruise, I figure this would be a good way to try it again. We're staying in an Aquaclass stateroom on deck 11. Now that it's booked, I'm getting excited and looking forward to it! Since cruise vacations are pretty new to us, any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks :)

[philamike]

I just booked this cruise for my partner and I. We've only been on one cruise before, a short 4 night cruise on RCCL to Key West and Cozumel.

He has been wanting to cruise again and although I was not super impressed with our last cruise, I figure this would be a good way to try it again. We're staying in an Aquaclass stateroom on deck 11. Now that it's booked, I'm getting excited and looking forward to it! Since cruise vacations are pretty new to us, any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks :)

 

Hey meddy -- welcome aboard! CruiseCritic has a very thorough section for first-time cruisers, here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/ftc/

 

Some of it won't be relevant for an Atlantis charter, of course. For example, dinner is open seating (not set times) so you can eat whenever you like. And there are no "formal nights."

 

My two suggestions:

 

1. PACE YOURSELF! I've seen many first-time Atlantis cruisers try to do too much right away. Atlantis offers a multitude of activities and entertainment, and no one can do it all. Make sure you give yourself time to relax.

 

2. Don't wait until the last minute to pack. Take the time to make a list, and start packing a few days out. (If you don't, you WILL forget something or wish you had thought of packing it.)

 

I'm sure you will enjoy the experience and the ship -- Solstice is gorgeous!

 

- Mike :-)

[CruisinMaterial]

Mike - Excellent words of advice for a first time Atlantis cruiser! :D

 

Meddy - There's far more to pack like Mike said. There's the costumes for the parties onboard and that takes extra luggage space. If you want to blend in for a first-timer then get a heads up on the parties before hand. That is, of course, if you're into the night life. There's a signature White Party (so that's easy... wear white), Classic Disco T-Dance (where your disco outfit bell bottoms, big hairdo, etc), Mardi Gras (beads are given out, festive outfits with feathers and masks usually are the norm but you can be creative as you want). There's a few other parties as well.

 

The Solstice is an incredibly beautiful ship. You'll enjoy her. There's multiple entertainment venues onboard and they each have something going on. There really is so much to do that you will become overwhelmed if you try to do it all. The parties go late into the evening so you don't have to worry about getting there right when they first start so you can catch early evening entertainment in the Solstice Theater or Celebrity Central. :)

 

Hope this helps and welcome aboard!

~Jake

[meddy]

Thanks for the advice Mike and Jake!

We do like to party but enjoy our down time as well, so will definitely take your advice re: pacing ourselves.

As far as packing... whew! I'm assuming we will receive info from Atlantis about the party themes in order to be sure we are "dressed" appropriately? :D And if we aren't costumed for a specific party, no problem enjoying the festivities regardless?

I'm sure I'll have more questions before departure and am glad for the forum. I usually plan our trips to the last detail, taking quite some time to prepare, but it seemd that with a cruise, other than the possibilty of shore excursions, everything else is pretty much taken care of! Or am I forgetting something else? LOL

Thanks again,

Mark

[numberguy]

I had posted a couple of months back that I might be going on this cruise, and now it looks like I am. My friends are going (they're in Boston, I'm in Chicago), and they've found a roommate for me (again, he's in Boston). I'm trying to figure out a way to meet him before the cruise, so we can be sure we're compatible.

 

Question for you: if I'd like to make my deposit (or full payment!) now, but I'm not sure when my potential roommate can/will, can I do so, hold a 2-person stateroom, then have him pay when he's able? I don't want them to arbitrarily assign me a roommate when I've got one who might not have things all lined up yet.

 

A quick primer on booking an Atlantis cruise would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

--Michael

[philamike]

Question for you: if I'd like to make my deposit (or full payment!) now, but I'm not sure when my potential roommate can/will, can I do so, hold a 2-person stateroom, then have him pay when he's able? I don't want them to arbitrarily assign me a roommate when I've got one who might not have things all lined up yet.

 

Hey Michael -- welcome aboard! Yes, you can book the cabin as a "single" now and add a roommate at a later time. There's no extra charge to do so. (It's not considered a "name change" if you add someone.)

 

Atlantis will also allow your new roommate to pay his share on his credit card, and refund any difference owed you on your credit card. (I've done this before...)

 

- Mike :-)

[flashglm]

Who's rebooked? :-)

 

My friends and I retained our eight cabins, and a few other friends rebooked in other cabins adjoining ours. I think we have 11 cabins for this trip!

 

- Mike :-)

 

I live in Wilmington and going on the cruise. Looking for a roomate. Do you know anyone interested.

[CRSNDC]

Hey guys,

 

I am booked in a Cat 2B balcony cabin on the Solstice. Near the main elevator. Looking for a cabinmate. I'm 44 and a 7 times Atlantis alumni. Half the cabin is $2049. For more info contact me directly at crsndc@gmail.com

 

Thanks. Chris

[FLCruiseGuy]

Hey guys, looking for a roommate. Have just recently decided to go on this cruise, so I'm sure last minute doesn't really help. If anyone else has waited - drop me a line at dnhines@gmail.com. I'm 48, have done 3 previous Atlantis cruises and many others. I just emailed Chris from the previous post, but posted here in case he has already made plans. Going to be a great cruise - hope I can join!

[NAVYBOYUSA]

You guys probably get this all the time, but I would like some info/help. :confused:

 

One of my friends is going on this cruise and was encouraging me to go. He is already full in his room, so i checked into prices etc and it is out of my budget for just myself.

 

Some things about me:

1) I have never been on a gay cruise (excluding the NAVY ones) lol! :D

2) I don't smoke or do drugs or anything freaky. :eek:

3) I am not looking for sex. I truly just want someone to share a room with. preferably close to my age (32) and at least HWP, so they don't take up too much space ;) If they need privacy for 2 minutes to get off, I am ok with that.

4) I am SCUBA certified and will go on those excursions if any. :cool:

5) I have money and I will pay everything that I owe upfront and ensure billing gets sent to me and not the room.

 

So what is the next step? is this the right place to post this. :confused:

[philamike]

You guys probably get this all the time, but I would like some info/help. :confused:

 

One of my friends is going on this cruise and was encouraging me to go. He is already full in his room, so i checked into prices etc and it is out of my budget for just myself.

 

Hey there -- Atlantis Events maintains a site for "alumni" (www.atlantisalumni.com) and there is a roommate-sharing forum on there. However, since this would be your first trip, I don't think you can get access to it. If your friend has traveled with Atlantis before, perhaps he can post something on your behalf?

 

Otherwise, perhaps try talking to other friends and see if you can encourage one of them to join you?

 

- Mike :-)

[Tamaracboy]

You guys probably get this all the time, but I would like some info/help.

 

One of my friends is going on this cruise and was encouraging me to go. He is already full in his room, so i checked into prices etc and it is out of my budget for just myself.

 

So what is the next step? is this the right place to post this.

 

Atlantis themselves accepts "share" bookings directly.

You could try first with them.

And, I bet your group of friends has someone else also trying to make the decision to go, having a share can make all the difference.

Also: One of the major TA's that books a lot of cabins (and mine), has been very helpful in finding someone.

Contact Dan at vacationgay.com , you can tell him Reuel referred you.

I have had very good luck with shares.

Hope you have the same,

r.

[Teddy Bear]

Does anyone know if there are outlets near the nightstands at the head of the bed on the Solstice?

 

I know there was an outlet on the table area about halfway down the cabin on the Millenium class Celebrity ships, but am unfamiliar with the Solstice.

 

The reason I ask, a friend and his partner are going on the cruise also, and he uses a CPAP machine at night. I didn't know if he needs to bring an extension cord to reach midway the cabin, of if there is a plug at the head of the bed.

 

Thanks in advance!

Matt

[Tamaracboy]

Does anyone know if there are outlets near the nightstands at the head of the bed on the Solstice?

 

I know there was an outlet on the table area about halfway down the cabin on the Millenium class Celebrity ships, but am unfamiliar with the Solstice.

 

The reason I ask, a friend and his partner are going on the cruise also, and he uses a CPAP machine at night. I didn't know if he needs to bring an extension cord to reach midway the cabin, of if there is a plug at the head of the bed.

 

Thanks in advance!

Matt

 

Matt,

 

There is at least one recent thread dedicated to traveling with CPAP machines:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=887414&highlight=cpap

There are probably more to be found with a search of all of CC.

This thread was HAL specific, but much of the information applies to traveling with the machines.

The best solution seems to be taking along your own power strip and a long extension cord.

 

Hope this helps,

r.