fshepinc

There was one male massage therapist on board the Norwegian Bliss when I sailed her in October 2021. He was the first I'd ever seen, and he said that he knew of only one or two others still sailing. He gave a first class massage!

lol -The way they are still pushing it, with so many cabin choices available, I wouldn't be all that surprised. I was extremely disappointed to learn this evening that the ship's spa has no thermal suite. 😞

Hmm. Looks like I'm sailing alone.

I get the change in attitudes of cruise lines and passengers over the last few decades -I've seen it first hand. But if you're a single gay man, your chances of meeting and connecting with someone on a straight cruise are pretty slim. The other gay passengers are usually couples. On the Atlantis cruises I generally skip the deck parties and the "scene" but I enjoy the opportunity to meet and mingle with other single gay men. On straight cruises I end up as a third wheel or a temporary gay bff.

The news is changing daily, but from what I've read non-sexual shipboard transmission would likely be from sitting on chairs and lounges used previously by an infected person (skin contact with the fabric of the chair) and bedspreads that aren't laundered between cruises. Table and countertops are cleaned regularly, and normal washing is sufficient -but it is not normal to sanitize chair cushions and other soft materials that get a lot of skin exposure, especially out on deck and around the pool. That said, a person is at their most infectious when they have an active rash/sores, and it is quite painful, so I think that there will be very few undiagnosed cases aboard. I would assume that suspected cases would be isolated, and their cabins thoroughly sanitized. I think the all-gay cruises will likely be the safest, simply because those passengers will be more fully vaccinated and aware. The best news, of course, is that the rate of transmission has slowed. The community has heeded the warnings and gotten vaccinated wherever possible. It's not over yet, but MAYBE we'll continue to see case rates decline. In the meantime, get vaccinated if you can. (It's just a smallpox booster.)

I my cabin you had to keep a card of some kind in the slot in order to keep the power going. My cabin steward actually left a cardboard card for me. Worked like a charm. Evidently it's a simple physical switch/butting that is engaged inside the mechanism.

Anyone else sailing on the Atlantis charter of the Navigator this October?

Not a couple, but I only have great things to say about Celebrity, notscb. I've done quite a few Atlantis and RSVP cruises (I'm booked on another Atlantis cruise in October). I've posted elsewhere about why I like all-gay cruises. Just wanted to comment on the idea that Atlantis is one-sided in its marketing. I've actually talked to them about that. Their response? Pictures of hot guys in bikinis sell better. I totally get how someone could find the images intimidating, and fear that they would be out of place on an Atlantis cruise -but the reality is that there are more of "us" than "them" aboard. At least on the cruises I've done with them (Mexico, Alaska, Baltic). I'm always in bed by eleven, and often earlier. Never had a problem with noise or disturbances of any kind. I don't drink or do drugs, and while there were -perhaps- more people walking around buzzed than on other cruises, it was never a problem. For the most part, passengers on the Atlantis cruises are FAR better behaved than on many straight cruises I've been on. I've seen the tell-tale videos of craziness at the parties, but I've never seen it first hand. No one flashing their privates or engaging in sex on deck. I suppose it happens -but I guess you have to look for it. My only complaint about those deck parties is that the music is much too loud. Ear-damaging loud. Traveling on an all-gay cruise often entails a bit of compromise. There just aren't that many of them to choose from. You may have to fly, or go on a ship/line you're not thrilled with, or sail to ports you've seen before or have no interest in. And then you have to match a cruise to your available vacation dates... The trade-off is the all-gay environment, and that's what makes it worth it for me.

That's been my experience, too, Surfguyxxx. I always chat with crew members -especially in the onboard shops. They always say the same thing: the Atlantis cruise is their favorite. I'm enough of a skeptic to think, "sure, that's what you've been told to say," but they offer valid reasons. First off, Atlantis gives all crew the option to temporarily transfer to another ship if they don't want to work the charter. There is a waitlist of staff from other ships who want to transfer TO the charter. They all say that gay travelers have fewer complaints and blow-ups, and tip better. They say we are generally much nicer and easier to have around. Every department on the ship quickly turns a profit, which makes management happier and lightens the mood for staff. They like the late-night parties and additional activities, saying it's better than standing around or doing busy work. The female staff say they enjoy attending the dance parties and disco (usually not allowed on regular cruises) because they can dance without fear of getting hit on -or worse. They also love seeing the male crew getting eyed up or hit on for a change. Most are perfectly fine with the attention, but I've been told several times that they get a kick out of seeing some of the older officers squirm. As a veteran of three-dozen cruises I can say that gay cruisers tend to be more polite and treat the crew better. They engage them in conversation, and tend to remember the names of the servers. Things are just more relaxed and friendly...

I've sailed both lines, and have a strong preference for Celebrity. The food is orders of magnitude better than NCL's offerings. The only area where I would rate NCL higher than Celebrity is onboard entertainment, and that will vary with personal taste and from ship to ship. My last NCL cruise was aboard the Bliss, and they offered the full production of the musical SIX, which just picked up a couple of Tony Awards on Broadway. After aqua on Celebrity you may find NCL a bit of a letdown, but the destination should more than make up for it. Have a wonderful time!

The advice above is excellent. I would stress the importance of using an agent who specializes in cruises. I put more faith in an agent who insists on doing the booking on the telephone, as opposed to me filling out forms online. A good agent should be asking you questions to help choose the correct destination, line and ship, as well as dining preferences, and other on-board things. If the agent doesn't strongly recommend that you buy travel insurance, use someone else.

Karen, It sounds like a great cruise -You're going to have a great time! Here are some tips that might be helpful: 1. Study the ship's excursions, paying attention to things like activity level. You'll get a good understanding of which kinds of activities will be in your comfort zone. When considering the amount of walking you'll do, don't forget that you'll be walking on cobbled streets! 2. A canal cruise in Amsterdam is lovely, and generally easy -but you have to decide if climbing in and out of the boat is a problem for anyone in your party. I would also encourage a visit to the Anne Frank museum. Streets in Amsterdam tend to be uneven, so a lot of walking can be hard on your feet and hips (at least if you're my age). 3. Oslo has an excellent on-and-off tour bus that will take you around the city and let you hang out at the places that interest you. The city hall is really worth a walk-through, and the statue park is amazing. It was my favorite port on my last Baltic cruise. Word of warning: it's a very expensive city. A cup of tea in a café cost me $13. 4. Copenhagen is a beautiful city, and mostly walkable. Bicycle tours are popular. 5. London is my absolute favorite place. Not sure how much time you'll have in the city, but some of the musts are the National Gallery, the British Museum, and afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason. The latter requires advance reservations, and go hungry as it is an all-you-can-eat meal. When I did my last Baltic cruise I flew in and out of London. I went two weeks early and stayed with friends, then flew to Copenhagen to catch the ship. The cruise ended in Stockholm, and I flew back to London and spent another week before flying home. The ship's own excursions have the advantage of being easily arranged, with total confidence, and the assurance that if something runs late the ship will wait for you. The excursions offered will likely be things that have proven popular with your fellow passengers. Booking a private excursion is usually much cheaper, but you do have to plan it yourself and keep an eye on the time. It does offer much more personalization -more time to spend at a gallery or museum that interests you, or the ability to stop at sidewalk café that catches your eye. Whatever you decide to do, remember this: It's your vacation, and it's okay to skip an excursion if you just don't feel up to it, or if a different plan sounds more attractive. I've had people swear that an excursion was not to be missed, only to find myself bored out of my mind - and had a wonderful time on excursions others said were a total waste of money. You know yourself better than any of us here, so take our specific suggestions with a grain of salt. Finally, for some people a cruise like this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and they feel they must cram everything in. Others have the luxury of knowing they have been before, or will go again. Take all the stress off yourself and just do what you want to do, with no regrets over money spent or missed opportunities.

You wife is quite correct -at least as far as the luggage sorting goes. Colored tags make the initial sort onto racks (to be delivered to the various decks/sections) much faster and easier for the crew. Once the racks have been delivered, cabin staff have to actually read the numbers, and colors really don't matter. One caveat is that mistakes are sometimes made, and a wrong-colored tag sticks out and is more quickly corrected.

I have actually run into people I knew on three different Atlantis cruises. Only once was it someone I had no idea was gay (I hadn't seen him since he was 13 or 14). He was on board for a honeymoon with his new hubby! He recognized me and came over to say hi -I was quite flattered to be remembered from his childhood. He said, "I didn't know for sure you were gay, but I always hoped you were." Bottom line: go on the cruise and have a wonderful time! You won't regret it.

I'm back from a four-night cruise on the Carnival Radiance. My tenth -and last- Carnival cruise. On the plus side, they did list an LGBT gathering every evening in the Alchemy Bar at 9:00. I met four men the first night, but never saw anyone the other evenings. Nothing wrong with the time or the place -it's not Carnival's fault that the passengers weren't into the meet-up. That said, it was easily the worst cruise I've ever been on. I didn't like the ship, the food was terrible, and their new policy is to never seat single travelers with other people, so I had to eat dinner alone at a table for two. I was even told, "If you want to socialize, next time travel with a friend." Not a policy or attitude that will get me back aboard a Carnival ship.

I got the same message from everyone, and even spoke to the maitre'd. I was told it was the ship's policy, and there was nothing to be done. I asked about the option on the hub app to request a shared table, and was told that didn't apply. It was actually very embarrassing, as the staff's reply was to say, "If you wanted to socialize with people you shouldn't travel by yourself." That was my tenth Carnival cruise. I never had a bit of trouble or a problem until this one. But this was definitely my last trip with CCL.

Toggling the preference in the hub app makes no difference, Jelly_Toast. I did it every time. I spoke with the maitre'd and he confirmed it is the ship's policy to not seat people of different parties together, "at this time." Yes, the tables are close together, but only at one meal was any table near me occupied at the time I was there. (I was given "your time" dining -no other option.) As bad as the policy is (people have never been forced to share tables -it's a choice -how is this protecting anyone?), it was the bad attitude from the staff that really got to me. I was basically told that since I was traveling alone, I had no right to expect socialize with others!

I was on the Radiance last week, and they absolutely refused to seat me with any other people, even though I requested a shared table (I was traveling solo). They said it was absolutely against their policy, and I was relegated to a table for two by myself for the entire cruise. That was my tenth cruise with Carnival -and also my last!

I just returned from the Carnival Radiance. They had an LGBTQ meet-up every night at 9:00 in the Alchemy Bar. The Piano Bar was shuttered, so it was pretty quiet other than the karaoke in the next bar over.

Just returned from a cruise on the Carnival Radiance, where their policy is to not seat solo travelers with anyone else in the dining room. I didn't see any warning of it here, nor did my travel agent know about it -So I'm posting a heads up to other solo travelers: be prepared to be seated alone at a table for two.

There were two guys that I was pretty sure were a couple. Just when I worked up the nerve to approach them, their wives came to get them and go to dinner... I didn't see anyone else who looked like they were there for the FOD gathering.

I don't drink alcohol, either -but I've never had trouble getting Perrier or seltzer at any bar on a ship. On a Carnival cruise the first (and only) gay meetup was at the Alchemy bar. Didn't see or chat with anyone there -except the three bartenders. Turns out that bar didn't stock Perrier, so they called it in to another bar and had some bottles delivered, which they kept stocked for me throughout the cruise. I kept going back and chatting with them throughout the week. They were very nice, friendly, funny, and interesting. I think one was gay (and gorgeous), but it wasn't hookup vibe -just enjoying the company. They were the highlight of my cruise.

I actually got seasick on the Queen Mary tour. Never a good sailor. On my first cruise I had the brilliant idea that since the ship sailed at midnight, if I went to bed early I would somehow get my sea legs during the night and be okay. I woke up in the morning on the floor of my cabin, clutching a trash can. I literally had to crawl down the corridor to the purser's desk. The woman there looked at me and pulled out a basket of tiny envelopes. Prescription meds from the ship's doctor. She said that I needed to put my name on the envelope at some point to make it legal. I said she should just shoot me and throw me overboard. The drug was meclizine, and it worked so well I was actually able to eat breakfast! (It's one of the few remedies that actually works after you get sick.) I never sailed without it again -my doctor gave me a prescription. Lo and behold, it has since gone over the counter at the same dosage as the prescription version. It's sold everywhere under the brand name Bonine. It has never failed me. Best of all, it doesn't have the side effects of all those other drugs!

I did the Atlantis Mexico cruise in October, and a straight cruise on HAL in February. Sailing Carnival in eight days, and have another Atlantis booked for next October. On my last two cruises the ships were at 60% and 30% capacity respectively -and that made for great service and easy access to the facilities. The Atlantis cruise had a much more rigorous testing requirement, but no masking required on board. HAL asked every to mask except while eating or drinking -which translated into servers bringing everyone a glass of ice water so they would always be drinking... I really enjoyed both cruises, and didn't hear of anyone coming down with covid on either ship.

I've done seven or eight Atlantis cruises, and I'm booked on the October cruise to Mexico. Me: late 50s, bear, not at all into loud dance music. I don't drink. The October cruise tends to suit my work schedule, and I do bring a Halloween costume, but usually skip all of the theme stuff. Who needs the extra suitcases? I've always found the crowd to be friendly -even some of the eye candy. No matter how out you are at home, there's something to be said for being in the majority, rather than a minority, for a change.