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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.

There is a roll call on the main board, which was begun before the Atlantis charter deal was signed. Thought it would be better to have our own thread here, rather than piggybacking onto the original. I sailed this same ship/itinerary last October with Atlantis and had a really good time. Hopefully this year's cruise will be just as good. Who else will be aboard?

I'll be aboard -Hope to see you there!

There's still room on the October Mexican Riviera cruise. 🙂

I think the ugly experience at LPC would have tainted the whole cruise if not for the outstanding asst. maitre d' (Gorica) in the main dining room. Her outrage at my experience was worse than mine, and she did everything in her power to make sure every meal after that was perfect. It's funny, but I just watched a review video on YouTube that talked about how wonderful all of the a la carte restaurants were on the Solstice, except Tuscan Grille -and I had an outstanding meal there which I would recommend to anyone without hesitation. Obviously, things are subjective and any place can have an off night. Still, I wouldn't take a chance on LPC again -I'll stick to places that have vegetarian options on their menu without having to rely on special efforts from the staff.

Just back this morning from my cruise on the Solstice. My overall rating of the ship was a 10 -the crew was amazing and the main dining room was excellent. Following advice here, I booked LPC for mid-cruise, informing them that I was a vegetarian. They assured me the chef would make something fantastic for me. Sadly, on the night the server said that no one had told them, and they had nothing for me. They offered me a veggie burger from Blu, or spaghetti with marinara from the Tuscan Grill. When I said that those were hardly an appropriate substitution for a fine French dinner (with a hefty surcharge) they came back with an offer of rice and tofu from the sushi restaurant. We walked out and went (very late) to our main dining room table. I was seething at the total failure, but fortunately the wonderful asst. maitre d' Gorica greeted us -remembering that we were supposed to be at LPC - and asked what happened. We told her and she went ballistic (or as ballistic as a highly-trained pro can get). She escorted us to our regular table, all the while reciting French dishes that could have been made on the spur of the moment had the chef been so inclined. I'm pretty sure she went up to LPC to give them a piece of her mind, and had the charges removed. She made a point of visiting our table at every meal for the remainder of the cruise. So, La Petit Chef was a total disaster, but the main dining room went above and beyond to make up for it. Will I try it again? Probably not. I did have an absolutely wonderful meal at the Tuscan Grille, which had several official vegetarian options, as well as wonderful side dishes that could be made into an entree if you so desired.

Thank you for this thread -It was exactly what I was looking for! Sailing on the Solstice tomorrow, and hoping to get into LPC. I'll report back here if I manage to get in.

I'll be back aboard for this one. I'll look forward to meeting you guys.

I don't always agree with Ben and David, but I enjoy watching their videos because they genuinely seem to be enjoying themselves. There are some cruise-tubers who seem to hate cruising. Never a smile and nary a spark of joy. We may not like the same things, but with Ben and David there's no doubt that they are having fun.

I definitely will 🙂 Can't wait to climb aboard.

Looking forward to some sunshine! Only a few more weeks! Do we have any last-minute additions?

atexsix is right -the port you sail from and the length of the cruise make a big difference. (Dare I say size matters?) I totally avoid 2-to-4-day cruises, as most of the people are there to drink and party, and that's not my thing. I've met perfectly nice people sailing from Galveston and New Orleans, but I didn't feel very comfortable overall, due to the politics and the smoking. No one went out of their way to make me feel bad, but it was the very definition of micro aggressions -casually-hateful comments, bigoted jokes, etc. I've done small-group and full-ship charters like Atlantis, and they are much more welcoming.

At the very least, know that you and your family are always welcome at the LGBTQ+ meetups. Small comfort, given the potential hassles every time you order a drink at the bar, or want to get on/off the ship, but at least there will be a safe haven to look forward to. One option that does come to mind is a Mexican Riviera cruise out of Los Angeles or San Diego. Those cruises do not require a passport for US citizens -a photo ID and birth certificate are enough, and getting a new photo ID is usually much easier/faster than getting a new passport. That should also facilitate getting a cruise card with the name to match the ID. Best of luck and happy sailing!

I wish I could! Sadly, those long cruises are out of my price range (barring winning the lottery). My dream cruise is the 30+ day trip from the east coast to the west coast around South America. Maybe someday!

Same here. I recall that the Atlantis Baltic cruise I was on changed its itinerary when Russia announced its new anti-LGBTQ laws. Obviously, RCCL doesn't care enough about the current situation to take a stand. Or, maybe this is them taking a stand? Scary thought...

A newer YouTube channel worth checking out is See More Seas Cruises. It mostly focuses on Celebrity. Doug is the host. Never got his partner's name or where they're from. They look to be in their 50s, and from their shore excursion pics they enjoy being active but are not part of the circuit party crowd. Best video so far is a detailed breakdown of the different classes of ships in the Celebrity fleet, and what each has to offer.

So, OP -did you end up going on an Atlantis cruise? If so, please tell us about your experiences. 🙂

I'll chime in and second (third, fourth...) what several others have said: I always feel completely safe in Europe (minus Russia). I've done many, many Caribbean cruises, but always make it a point to be more low-key. No problems at all in Alaska, Mexico (both coasts) or Central/South America. I've done quite a few Atlantis and RSVP cruises, and they are excellent about safety in the ports. In fact, it's quite a secure feeling when you look up and down the street and see all those orange lanyards and Atlantis duffel bags.

The food and service on Celebrity is lightyears beyond NCL -much more upscale. Much as I love going to Europe, I'd choose the Celebrity Pride cruise hands down.

I'll look for you in the Martini Bar 🙂

Hi! A friend and I have also booked this cruise. Hope to see you on board!

Will anyone else be aboard for this Mexican Riviera getaway?