djg30084
-
Posts
107 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by djg30084
-
-
Hello!
We're on this cruise to celebrate our 30 years together!
😍 🥂
Dennis & Richard
Costa Romantica, 4/1998
Celebrity Mercury, 4/1999
Celebrity Galaxy, 12/1999
Costa Victoria, 4/2000
Costa Atlantica, 4/2001, 4/2002, 4/2003, 4/2005
Costa Mediterranea, 4/2004
RCI Serenade, 4/2006
Golden Princess, 6/2006 Venice to Rome
Carnival Sensation, 10/2006
RCI Radiance, 11/2006
Carnival Holiday, 10/2007
RCI Jewel, 11/2007
RCI Grandeur, 2/2008
RCI Serenade, 11/2008
Carnival Holiday, 9/2009
RCI Liberty, 11/2009
Celebrity Solstice, 11/2010
Carnival Elation, 4/2011
Celebrity Eclipse, 11/2011
Carnival Fascination, 9/2012
RCI Allure, 11/2012
Celebrity Reflection, 11/2013
Celebrity Silhouette, 11/2014
Celebrity Constellation, 11/2015
Celebrity Constellation, 2/2016
Carnival Paradise, 10/2016
Celebrity Reflection, 11/2016
Celebrity Silhouette, 11/2017
Carnival Fantasy, 9/2018, Panama Canal
Celebrity Equinox, 11/2018
Celebrity Eclipse, 2/2019 Antarctica
Carnival Fantasy, April 1, 2019
RCI Symphony, 6/2019
Celebrity Equinox, 11/2019
Celebrity Apex, 11/2021 -
In case you didn't know, there is a very active "Carnival Fantasy April 1 2019" group on the big social media site (something about front of head and bound print media)
-
Hello! Anybody else here going?
Dennis
-
We were on Celebrity Equinox the day NCL Bliss docked in Nassau.
There was an ambulance (lights and sirens on) that went over to Bliss: we heard from friends on Bliss that the slide incident was pretty serious.
-
1
-
-
We're on Carnival Fantasy out of Mobile on 17-Sep-2018 for a Panama Canal cruise (our 1st time!). We want to see flora and fauna. Who's been and what do you recommend?
Thanks!
-
Yes, I know this is the Celebrity board.
Does Celebrity have anything like Carnival's Hub app? (FREE TO USE on ship WiFi, synchronized to SHIP'S TIME, etc. - https://www.cruisehive.com/18-must-know-things-about-carnival-hub-app/22834 )
Thanks!
-
I don't want to use my "real" cellphone on the ship, because of the risk of "de-airplane mode", and because it's expensive.
I just ordered this $10 phone to use aboard the ship:
-
Dennis and Richard.
Tucker, Georgia.
Please tell me we're not the only LGBT passengers on this 10-day Panama Canal cruise :o😳
Costa Romantica, 4/1998
Celebrity Mercury, 4/1999
Celebrity Galaxy, 12/1999
Costa Victoria, 4/2000
Costa Atlantica, 4/2001, 4/2002, 4/2003, 4/2005
Costa Mediterranea, 4/2004
RCI Serenade, 4/2006
Golden Princess, 6/2006
Carnival Sensation, 10/2006
RCI Radiance, 11/2006
Carnival Holiday, 10/2007
RCI Jewel, 11/2007
RCI Grandeur, 2/2008
RCI Serenade, 11/2008
Carnival Holiday, 9/2009
RCI Liberty, 11/2009
Celebrity Solstice, 11/2010
Carnival Elation, 4/2011
Celebrity Eclipse, 11/2011
Carnival Fascination, 9/2012
RCI Allure, 11/2012
Celebrity Reflection, 11/2013
Celebrity Sihouette, 11/2014
Celebrity Constellation, 11/2015
Celebrity Constellation, 2/2016
Carnival Paradise, 10/2016
Celebrity Reflection, 11/2016
Celebrity Silhouette, 11/2017
-
Congratulations on your 25th!
Hi, This is Keith & Mark from Chicago. We will be celebrating our 25th on this cruise. Really looking forward to being on Celebrity again. -
Dennis & Richard from Tucker, GA
Joining friends for this cruise instead of our normal Pied Piper Post-Thanksgiving Cruise .
Costa Romantica, 4/1998
Celebrity Mercury, 4/1999
Celebrity Galaxy, 12/1999
Costa Victoria, 4/2000
Costa Atlantica, 4/2001, 4/2002, 4/2003, 4/2005
Costa Mediterranea, 4/2004
RCI Serenade, 4/2006
Golden Princess, 6/2006
Carnival Sensation, 10/2006
RCI Radiance, 11/2006
Carnival Holiday, 10/2007
RCI Jewel, 11/2007
RCI Grandeur, 2/2008
RCI Serenade, 11/2008
Carnival Holiday, 9/2009
RCI Liberty, 11/2009
Celebrity Solstice, 11/2010
Carnival Elation, 4/2011
Celebrity Eclipse, 11/2011
Carnival Fascination, 9/2012
RCI Allure, 11/2012
Celebrity Reflection, 11/2013
Celebrity Sihouette, 11/2014
Celebrity Constellation, 11/2015
Celebrity Constellation, 2/2016
Carnival Paradise, 10/2016
Celebrity Reflection, 11/2016
-
Dennis & Richard from Atlanta, back on this ship again!
We were on Constellation for the Pied Piper Post-Thanksgiving 2015.
-
Pied Piper Travel (dot com) specializes in gay group tours, and the group size ranges from 10 to 1000+
The big one is always the week after Thanksgiving, and for 2016 is on Celebrity Reflection doing a Caribbean sailing out of Miami November 26, 2016.
The advantages are just sheer size: they get great group discounts across all categories, private parties, exclusive group excursions and private entertainment as well.
As for the smaller groups, they tend to have exotic itineraries, like Baltic, Australia and Asia cruises. In both cases, you have other GLBT peeps to hang out with, without having to go to the FOD/Rainbow/GLBT Meetings, or scrutinize the photo gallery for pics (which I know you do!).
I don't work for Pied Piper, I just got off from my Tenth Post-Thanksgiving cruise, and we're booked for next year's, as well as Asia 2017 (Singapore->Hong-Kong). I'm also a fan of run-on sentences.
-
There are now 6 of us: Stephanie and Joe, Wilda and Ed, Richard and Dennis.
Been packed since last week! Weather reports keep changing every couple of days, but so what? It's still going to be warmer than home, and it's a CRUISE!
-
Dennis and Richard, tagging along with Stephanie and Joe.
Who's going for the long weekend on this one?
-
There's a huge group: that's the annual Pied Piper Post-Thanksgiving cruise. It has had as few as 400 to as large as 1200 in the group.
-
It's been a while since I last posted on this board (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=28233927&postcount=170)
When we were on the Carnival Fascination out of Jacksonville, FL, back in September 2012, I had a different experience that never happened before: I fell asleep face down on a lounge next to the very crowded pool, woke up with someone straddling me and trying to pull my speedos off :eek:
Yup, he was drunk as a skunk! And he did compliment me on my "figure" :D
I'd have to say he was being mighty gay friendly, while on Carnival.
Dennis
Costa Romantica, 4/1998
Celebrity Mercury, 4/1999
Celebrity Galaxy, 12/1999
Costa Victoria, 4/2000
Costa Atlantica, 4/2001, 4/2002, 4/2003, 4/2005
Costa Mediterranea, 4/2004
RCI Serenade, 4/2006
Golden Princess, 6/2006
Carnival Sensation, 10/2006
RCI Radiance, 11/2006
Carnival Holiday, 10/2007
RCI Jewel, 11/2007
RCI Grandeur, 2/2008
RCI Serenade, 11/2008
Carnival Holiday, 9/2009
RCI Liberty, 11/2009
Celebrity Solstice, 11/2010
Carnival Elation, 4/2011
Celebrity Eclipse, 11/2011
Carnival Fascination, 9/2012
RCI Allure, 11/2012
Celebrity Reflection, 11/2013
-
I would NOT recommend your friends take Carnival as their first cruise, but we have never had problems on the Carnival cruises we've been on. I've posted twice about Gay-friendliness of Carnival in another thread here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=28233927&postcount=170
We've done Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Princess and Royal Caribbean. Our favorite is a toss up between Celebrity and RCI (Celebrity for food, service and "taste level", RCI for facilities and very friendly staff). We liked Princess only for the itinerary, but found the ship and people to be "meh", and probably won't sail them again. We used to like Costa, but that was back when Americans were the minority on their ships (the Titanic drills, Welcome Aboard shows, even Bingo were done in FIVE languages!).
As for Carnival, we will definitely sail them again: there is usually a "Friends of Dorothy"/LGBT social scheduled on the FIRST night (meaning nobody requested it, they just put it in the schedule automatically), and everyone we've met has been very friendly (passengers and crew). And yes, it is OBVIOUS we're a gay couple, since we're in speedos at the pool, sitting together at the bars and restaurants, etc.
Back to your friends: I'd recommend a gay group cruise, like Aquafest, Chumley's, Arno's or our favorite, Pied Piper. Pied Piper leans toward Celebrity and Cunard ships, which fits in with the profile of your friends. Also, Pied Piper has an extensive calendar and varied itineraries. We're on their Post-Thanksgiving cruise in two weeks, on Celebrity Reflection. Check them out on piedpipertravel dot com.
Dennis & Richard
Costa Romantica, 4/1998
Celebrity Mercury, 4/1999
Celebrity Galaxy, 12/1999
Costa Victoria, 4/2000
Costa Atlantica, 4/2001, 4/2002, 4/2003, 4/2005
Costa Mediterranea, 4/2004
RCI Serenade, 4/2006
Golden Princess, 6/2006
Carnival Sensation, 10/2006
RCI Radiance, 11/2006
Carnival Holiday, 10/2007
RCI Jewel, 11/2007
RCI Grandeur, 2/2008
RCI Serenade, 11/2008
Carnival Holiday, 9/2009
RCI Liberty, 11/2009
Celebrity Solstice, 11/2010
Carnival Elation, 4/2011
Celebrity Eclipse, 11/2011
Carnival Fascination, 9/2012
RCI Allure, 11/2012
Celebrity Reflection, 11/2013
-
-
I last posted on this board three years ago
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=14439483&postcount=121
Our two previous Carnival experiences were with close friends (a straight couple), so we were always having fun with them. In 2009, we decided to go out of Mobile again, on one of the last sailings of Holiday, and by ourselves. We still had a BLAST!
While we didn't gel with any of our fellow cruisers (including other family we met at the FOD's), being gay was a non-issue. NOBODY CARED. And I have to point out that the cruise was out of MOBILE, a drive-in port for Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, The Carolinas, Georgia and Florida (yes, this is "Redneck America" who shop at Wal-Mart).
On one of our Mobile cruises, I ended up getting a handshake and business card from a couple who said, "Y'all come visit us if you're ever in Texas". The business card's logo was the "Christian Fish" (Even here in the South, I find few Christians homophobic - they're out there, I just rarely meet them).
I think that a cruise is what you make of it. Smile a lot, say "hi!" often, and you get that back.
All that said, we're going out of Mobile AGAIN in April, this time with two straight couples (and it's a first cruise for one of the couples). Wheeeeee!
Dennis & Richard
Costa Romantica, 4/1998
Celebrity Mercury, 4/1999
Celebrity Galaxy, 12/1999
Costa Victoria, 4/2000
Costa Atlantica, 4/2001, 4/2002, 4/2003, 4/2005
Costa Mediterranea, 4/2004
RCI Serenade, 4/2006
Golden Princess, 6/2006
Carnival Sensation, 10/2006
RCI Radiance, 11/2006
Carnival Holiday, 10/2007
RCI Jewel, 11/2007
RCI Grandeur, 2/2008
RCI Serenade, 11/2008
Carnival Holiday, 9/2009
RCI Liberty, 11/2009
Celebrity Solstice, 11/2010
Carnival Elation, 4/2011
Celebrity Eclipse, 11/2011
-
We've been on two Carnival cruises: 10/2006 Sensation for a three-day out of Port Canaveral, and 10/2007 Holiday out of Mobile.
Both cruises were EXCELLENT!
Our first was Sensation: when we got to our cabin upon boarding, there was the "Carnival Capers" on the bed, with TWO FOD's scheduled for that day. Since that was when everyone first boarded, nobody had to ask, they had already scheduled them prior to embarkation!
Our second was Holiday: Mobile is a "drive-in" port, so most people drove in from Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas & Florida's panhandle. It doesn't get more "Red-State" than that. Everybody we met was very nice and friendly!
We're very obviously a gay couple, and we encountered nothing but friendly people. In all the cruises we've been on, the only negative thing ever said to me was, "It's SINFUL to be wearing such a small swimsuit!", barked at me by some old coot on the beach at Trunk Bay, St. John. Yes, I was in a speedo, but so were a number of other guys on the beach, as we were with a bunch of Europeans and South Americans off the Costa Romantica.
Anyway, a lot of the posters are correct, gauge the surroundings. Finally, everyone else is on vacation too, so they're all out to have a fun, relaxed time.
Dennis & Richard
Costa Romantica, 4/1998
Celebrity Mercury, 4/1999
Celebrity Galaxy, 12/1999
Costa Victoria, 4/2000
Costa Atlantica, 4/2001, 4/2002, 4/2003, 4/2005
Costa Mediterranea, 4/2004
RCI Serenade, 4/2006
Golden Princess, 6/2006
Carnival Sensation, 10/2006
RCI Radiance, 11/2006
Carnival Holiday, 10/2007
RCI Jewel, 11/2007
RCI Grandeur, 2/2008
Is Celebrity going to Eliminate Butlers on Sky and Celebrity Suites?
in Celebrity Cruises
Posted · Edited by djg30084
Hello!
We're only talking about 10% of the total number of cabins/suites that are losing individualized butler service. I always tell people who ask, if it's something you want, you need to be ready to pay for it (so if you need a dedicated Butler, ante up for Celebrity Suite and above).
Our last three Celebrity cruises have been in Sky Suites (Apex NOV-2021, Reflection NOV-2022, Edge JUL-2023). On Apex and Reflection, our Butlers were sooo disappointed with us, because we're the guys who do our own reservations/make changes/etc. Our Butler on Reflection went so far as to run to Baccio because he heard me say, "This view is so awesome, but we need some coffee" (He INSISTED that we stay on the Balcony while he went to get it for us.) So when we boarded Edge 29 days ago (😭), I made sure that our butler had stuff he could do for us, like get our laundry, get my shoes shined, cancel one pre-booked tour). It makes them sooo happy to be able to provide service. That said, the laundry is something that our stateroom attendant has handled when we've been in pre-butler Sky Suite or Aqua Class, and another of our excursions got changed by the Edge Retreat Concierge. So, for us, losing the Butler does not affect us (because I have to think about/plan out stuff to have the butler take care of).
Now about the "Retreat Experience": I'd rather book Aqua on S-class ships, and save the Retreat for E-class ships. The Retreat Lounge is so much better than the repurposed Michael's Club, and the Retreat Sundeck on E-class cannot be duplicated on the S-class ships. We've had Luminae twice on Reflection, and both times were disappointing, so never again on S-Class. There's definitely a problem with the Reflection Luminae kitchen, because it takes waaaaayyyyy toooo looong. And before anyone says anything about how dining experiences should be savored, we spent four and a half hours in Le Jules Verne in Paris and never felt like we were waiting forever. We also spent a minimum of two hours at dinners when we were in Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and Rome on this last trip.
I like the Celebrity product, and we're going to find out what non-Retreat is like when we go on Apex this fall (and not even Aqua, because we're bummed that the view there is of lifeboats).