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Is anyone else having difficulty charging their devices in their cabins? I plugged my iPad in before dinner with 62% charge and left it overnight. In the morning it had 72%! Similar with my phone. Is this just a problem in my cabin, or are others noticing the same thing?

I definitely feel bad for both parties. 😢

I met some gentleman from Germany who said their friends who traveled with them from Germany were denied boarding because one had lost a passport. I wonder if they were the same??

I never did find it

Safe travels, everyone. I’m heading to the airport tomorrow morning. Dreading the long flight from San Diego, but I will have the cruise to recover from it!

What is the current status of the ship? Is the power restored? Is water back to normal?

When the Flag of the United States was first created, the plan was to have one star and one stripe for each former colony that became a state. As new states joined a star and stripe were added, but very quickly the shape of the flag became awkward, and then impossible. It was decided to go back to the original, 13 stripes, but keep adding stars as needed. Our community faces a similar dilemma, as we try to be ever more inclusive. The original “everybody is represented“ rainbow flag keeps getting new stripes added with different colors. There is also the new section with the angled stripes. And what is the result? Everybody now has to have their own flag! There are more than 30 different flags to represent all of the different ideas of gender and gender expression and sexuality. How can we possibly unite under such a fragmented system? I long for the good old days when the discussion centered around whether we should say “gay and lesbian,” or “lesbian and gay…”

Your husband is a lucky man indeed if he has always been 100% free to be his authentic self, never holding back a kiss or a touch, nor feeling unsafe because of other people or his surroundings. That definitely wasn’t the world in which I came of age. A gay cruise is, first and foremost, a cruise. But it is also a week or so of freedom from heteronormativity, its attitudes and constraints.

I just booked this one this morning -got a truly amazing deal from *****. Over on the straight roll call there are 15 pages of posts. Any other LGBTQ+ travelers going to be aboard?

Thanks for the rec for Pied Piper. Always good to find another option. 🙂

Hi Everyone, I'm joining a group of theatre lovers on a trip that includes the westbound crossing on the Queen Mary 2 on October 17. I hope there will be others aboard that week!

So glad you had a good time, ToriOKC! I sailed the Glory out of Galveston a few years back, and while I enjoyed the ship and ports, some of may fellow passengers were, well... a bit of a shock! First (and likely last) time I was the Body Beautiful by the pool! Never saw so many mobility scooters and smokers in my life. Despite a lot of cultural and political differences I found people were friendly and respectful -but I imagine it's always easier for a cis man in those situations. I hope you'll enjoy another cruise soon!

I recently saw a review of Celebrity that said the company was reversing its position on solo cruisers -going back to more reasonable single supplements. That's a huge relief for me, as Celebrity has been my favorite line. I think most lines today are pretty LGBTQ-friendly, though it can vary a bit from ship to ship (like everything else). My only bad experience as a gay cruiser in recent years was aboard NCL. I find it gets harder to find a good cruise, as I am over Carnival, NCL, and Royal Caribbean. I don't like big ships and whole floating-amusement-park mentality. Food and service on all three of those lines have gone down significantly in the last few years. Just booked my first TA on QM2 -very much looking forward to that!

I've done Atlantis, RSVP, and a couple of gay-group cruises. I much prefer the all-gay ones -and I am not at all a partier. I don't even drink. What makes the all-gay cruise is the ambiance and camaraderie. Everyone gets to be themselves without fear or worries. And there are no children running about... I did feel very much like a third wheel in the gay-group cruises, as I was almost the only one not in a couple or traveling with a close friend. On the all-gay cruises usually a third to half of the passengers are single. Yes there are parties every afternoon and evening, but nothing says you have to attend them. I usually go to bed by 11 and never hear a thing (though I do see some interesting sights on my way to breakfast in the morning). The afternoon "t-dances" only last for about 90 minutes, and you can easily get away from them (though the people-watching can be amazing). The only way to really know is to take the plunge and try one. Look for a ship or itinerary that really interests you.

Puerto Vallarta is a safe and welcoming city for LGBTQ people. I've been there a dozen or more times -most recently in October. A visit to the Zona Romantica will reveal gay bars, clubs, restaurants, shops and even a few resorts. There are gay baths, along with several men's spas that offer legitimate services at very reasonable prices. On the negative side, unless you're on a gay cruise you'll likely miss out on most of the PV scene, as ships typically sail at 5:00, and many of the livelier places don't open until later. Fortunately the malecón and the beaches are beautiful, with lots of great food and places to hang out. You'll have a wonderful time!

Sadly, I very much fear we could be going backwards, what with all the hatred, violence, and new criminalizations around the world (and at home). 😞

Or maybe Barry Manilow?

I've looked around the internet and can't find anything about a "towel code." Not doubting the info -but it's odd that I can't find anything.

I would have thought that the way you tie your towel was mostly a function of whether you are left- or right-handed? Seems like if this were a real thing a lot of mistakes would be made...

Okay -I've heard about the pineapples, but what is with the "towel code"??

Did you decide to go? I've done the Konigsdam as a solo gay cruiser and had a great time. The Konigsdam has a small (single sex) sauna with a great view that's separate from the actual spa. On my trip it was very quiet and I could sweat and enjoy the ocean view in peace.

I just filled out my boarding docs, ordered wi-fi, etc. It's really happening! I look forward to meeting you on board. 🙂

Between this thread and the "unfriendly gays" thread it's a wonder any gay people cruise at all. So many of the posts suggest we are either sex maniacs who can't contain ourselves, or singularly unpleasant people who can't carry on a friendly conversation at a public gathering. If you don't want to meet new people, just don't attend! As a single cruiser I always appreciate the chance to meet others -singles, couples, or groups. I really don't care what they call it. If FOD is meaningless to the younger folks, by all means call it a Gay and Lesbian meetup -or any of the various alphabet stews that are in fashion. The point is to bring our community together, not divide us. In nearly forty cruises I've never come across "unfriendly gays." Sometimes you see people the first night and they don't come back -that's fine. I have never hooked up with anyone from a meetup, though I'm fairly sure others have. It's none of my business what other people do. I think if we do attend, we owe it to each other as human beings to be friendly and courteous. If we like the company, we can meet up again. If not, we can go our merry way -no harm, no foul. The ship and cruise line shouldn't matter at all.

I guess the bottom line is that if you're an unfriendly jerk on shore, you're not going to the life of the party on board ship... Frankly, this is why I prefer all-gay cruises. You have all kinds of people aboard, and you're likely to find compatible friends simply by doing the things you like to do. If you like to party, you go to the parties and meet the partiers. If you like to lay out in the sun, you grab a towel and meet your fellow sun worshipers. I've met many a jigsaw puzzler or card player on a gay cruise, and no one has ever tried to foist a drink on me. Cruise ships are large and offer a variety of spaces and activities to fit most people's interests. If everyone on board is gay, then you'll likely meet gay people that you like. And if they don't like you, it won't be because you're gay. 😉

Chiming in long after the original post... One of the realities of cruising is that the departure port does make a difference as to who your fellow passengers will be. Sail out of Los Angeles, and you'll have half the ship (or more) be from southern California. When you sail from Galveston you get a lot of people from Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, etc. Of course people are usually nice, but you will notice a few things. On my last sailing from Galveston there were so many more smokers than on other cruises. Probably 50% or more of the passengers were on deck smoking -to the point where they spilled into areas that were officially non-smoking. People weren't ignoring the signs -there were just so many of them that they didn't fit in the designated areas. Another issue was the large number of MAGA hats/shirts and conversations in the dining room. I didn't feel singled out for being gay as much as I felt looked down on for now espousing the same political views. I actually didn't see any LGBTQ people aboard that ship. I've no doubt they were there, but I could see why they wouldn't be wearing a lot of rainbows... I imagine a person from the Bible Belt sailing on a cruise from LA or San Diego would feel equally out of place at times. If they're smokers, they'd certainly get hostile vibes from more than a few passengers, and they might be put off by some of the dinner conversation, too. This is not to say that people should restrict themselves to certain ships, lines, or ports -far from it. But we ALL need to be aware of common courtesy and treat our fellow passengers with respect, and that includes keeping politics and religion out of the dinner conversation.