xProfessor MA

Do you know if the AE aft suites on the Gem include the Cagney breakfast and lunch....

My partner (26 years, married in MA) and I are flying to Barcelona on October 16th, spending a few days, staying at the Montecarlo on LaRamba. Our friends, another couple from Boston, are joining us on Friday, and then we board the NCL Jewel - adjoining suites (they can remove the barriers between the balconies...for a fifteen day transatlantic.....there are at least four other gay (male) couples on the same cruise, and I know (this will be our fifth NCL cruise) there will be FOD gatherings on board

The internet makes this trip do-able....I can work anywhere, moving my students through their dissertations...gotta love the technology.

our traveling plans have just gotten mucn more complicated....we booked an October Transatlantic on the NCL Jewel, conviced two of our friends to join us...set up three extra days in Barcelona on the front end....within a week of booking at was attending graduation (I'm a professor in Cambridge) and one of my graduating master's students came up to me to remind me of his wedding in New Delhi...his parents offered to pay for our hotel for a week if we can get ourselves there...the wedding is in January...seems like a once in a live time kind of opportunity....and my partner (a lawyer) does not have any trials that cannot be continued during the first two weeks and January, it's semester break....we call that "ment to be". So we will be off to Barcelona October and into November, and then December 30th off to India...New Years in New Delhi at a prepaid five star hotel...hard to beat....

Regarding the cruise, there are at least four gay couples that have outed themselves on the NCL roll call...price is right...I think including airfare for a balcony minisuite we are paying a total of $6K...looks like a great trip...still trying to intice others to join us.

looks like the Austraila sail will not work for us...we will be off to India in January for a huge wedding for one of my students....we just have to get there the rest it paid for...should be quite an event...festivities go on for about a week...on another note, I've been approached about teaching a leadership course for NorthEastern in Austraila, so we may get there via another route...our transatlantic in October continues to develop...looks like we will have an extra week in Barcelona on the front end...our time is really dictated by my partners court responsbilities and my teaching....but at some point perhaps we can retire....

My partner and I have been on five NCK cruises and have had a great time on all of them. We generally eat in the premium resturants and the food and wine list is great. Service was wonderful.

the 31 night sounds great....perhaps we can make it happen, have to get an advance look at my teaching schedule....I generally teach all three semesters, but have the month of May and August off....my partner loves to plan ahead as it allows her to block off time, she's already scheduleing court appearances for the middle of 2008....nothing like the guarntee of a speedy trial.....what are the actual datea?

any estimates on cost yet?

If anyone else is looking for a "nudge", there are four of us traveling to Barcelona to board the October 20th TransAtlantic on the NCL Jewel. We're hooked on the Freestyle casual dining, there are ten resturants on board, you can eat where you want, when you want and with whom you whant...this is be our fourth of fifth cruise with NCL. This is a fifteen day cruise final destination Miami....we are flying out of Boston and the entire trip with a minisuite, including airfare is about 6k for both of us....if you can find the time, these repositioning cruises cost often a bit less than a standard 7 day....there are always "friends of dorothy" meetings onboard, and we've met many gay crew members....worth looking into.

we are talking and researching another repositining cruse...possibly panama canal with and alaskan tagged on to the end. we did alaska September 14th fo 2001....took two days to get from the east coast to seattle, flying over the smoking pit of the twin towers was awe inspiring...the cruise was amazing, and we are looking forard to going back.our hope is our two kids (not really children daughter 30 and son 28) may be able to join us for the Alaskan portion...both currently live on the West coast....we've looked at the olivia cruises as well, but they are so expensive, and honestly, I'm not sure I want to be trapped on a ship with 2000 lesbians...personally, I'm big on diversity. On all of our crusies and other travels we mannage to meet, and have made long term friendships with gay folks.

we (our traveling companions) and my partner and I won a trip two years ago...12 days all expense paid including limo's to the airport plus $3000 in spending money to Ireland...was a terrific trip, and we know we travel well together...this will be their first cruise...perhaps we will meet in the real world on some future adventure.

carol and linda....if you can find the time, you may want to look at NCL Jewel in October for a fifteen day Transatlantic - Bacrelona to Miami...my partner (of 25 years) and another couple will be onboard....first cruise for them, but our fifth....big fans of long repositioning cruises. We cannot wait to retire, seems we will be working until the bitter end....with two grown children and student loans we somehow forgot to get a retirement...so we are enjoying it as we go.....glad you found the board...anticipation of a trip is almost as good as going.

thanks shoreguy...you are indeed the wizard of all things ncl'ish

what about the jewel?

we just booked a 15 day transatlantic (october 20th) on the ncl jewel. will be traveling to barcelona a few days early via ireland....any one else on board?

we've not yet booked a hotel in barcelona...any suggestions?

on our last ncl cruise, a repostioning *15 days* there were about 25 folks at the fod meetings, and we had a party in our suite with about 20 folks on the last evening of the curise (actually a few member of the crew snuck up and joined us - worked out great for them...we were in the owner's suite, and with this cabin you have a full bar set up, with a total of six top shelf bottles of what every you want, an two more bottles of mums, ..there was plenty left over and the crew happily took the balance down for what I was later to learn, a great party ... the cabin also came with a delightful gay butler. seems there are lots of ways to track down family on board. a number of years ago (alaska) we met a group of four men from maui...we've been in touch ever since, and while we have not been able to make it happen yet, we all check with each other when we book a cruise.....

any advise for for vatican tours or place to stay in barcelona

texas diver...what to add us to your collection

we live in western mass

professor - 57

lawyer - 55

grown children 28 and 31

together for 25+ years

married - yeah MA

My partner and I are hooked on NCL........we will be off on our sizth cruse, fifth with NCL October 20th, a TransAtlantic adventure. After +25 years together, two grown (and now out of college - no more tuition) children...we are good to go for lazy vacations.

NCL has been great, one of the first to hold FOD meetings....any one else on this cruise?