Celebrity Reflection - Nov 1, 2013

[zentah]

That is exactly what we experienced on the TA on the Solstice in November 2011, All the guys met in the Martini Bar, before going to late dinner, after 20:00.

[sdbart]

That is exactly what we experienced on the TA on the Solstice in November 2011, All the guys met in the Martini Bar, before going to late dinner, after 20:00.

 

That's because we were on the same cruise! Do you remember the gay group who drew their chairs into a circle every evening in the Martini Bar, pretty much excluding everyone else? It reminded me of settler's drawing the wagons into a circle as defense against hostile natives.

[rockmartian]

I kind of like the idea of a pub crawl, maybe on one of the first few nights. It seems that on every cruise, I discover the bar I like best toward the end of the cruise. Even on the solstice class ships, it seems that all of the bars have their own personalities, depending on the sailing.

 

Pub Crawl sounds great, especially at the beginning of the cruise. I tend to get "stuck" in the Martini bar and think I have to go every night. It will be great to check out all the other bars with a group. Kim and i are definitely in!

[rockmartian]

That's because we were on the same cruise! Do you remember the gay group who drew their chairs into a circle every evening in the Martini Bar, pretty much excluding everyone else? It reminded me of settler's drawing the wagons into a circle as defense against hostile natives.

 

OMG Bart! I think you are going to make me go to confession before I even get to Italy! I think we were in that group. :confused: Hail Mary! We were a group that had met before the cruise on CC and established our own Facebook page as well and got to know each other before the cruise started. Forgive me father for I have sinned...

(maybe thats why I felt "stuck" as I mentioned before)

No one of that this time!

[sdbart]

OMG Bart! I think you are going to make me go to confession before I even get to Italy! I think we were in that group. :confused: Hail Mary! We were a group that had met before the cruise on CC and established our own Facebook page as well and got to know each other before the cruise started. Forgive me father for I have sinned...

(maybe thats why I felt "stuck" as I mentioned before)

No one of that this time!

 

All is forgiven, my son. From the way those chairs were so tightly together, you couldn't have gotten out of that circle if you'd wanted to! Actually, I tried to be friendly with a couple guys in that group out on deck, etc, but they never seemed interested. Like Kathy Griffin, I must be on the D List. ;)

[vulcan1971]

All is forgiven, my son. From the way those chairs were so tightly together, you couldn't have gotten out of that circle if you'd wanted to! Actually, I tried to be friendly with a couple guys in that group out on deck, etc, but they never seemed interested. Like Kathy Griffin, I must be on the D List. ;)

 

LOL.... too funny! :-P

 

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[vulcan1971]

OMG Bart! I think you are going to make me go to confession before I even get to Italy! I think we were in that group. :confused: Hail Mary! We were a group that had met before the cruise on CC and established our own Facebook page as well and got to know each other before the cruise started. Forgive me father for I have sinned...

(maybe thats why I felt "stuck" as I mentioned before)

No one of that this time!

 

I probably won't do anything formal, but maybe we can start the conversation here as we look for interested participants to partake in this event. We can recruit at sail-away and go from there.

 

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[zentah]

All is forgiven, my son. From the way those chairs were so tightly together, you couldn't have gotten out of that circle if you'd wanted to! Actually, I tried to be friendly with a couple guys in that group out on deck, etc, but they never seemed interested. Like Kathy Griffin, I must be on the D List. ;)

 

Actually we were always sitting in the Martini Bar, every night before late night dining. As I am trying to think back, I seem to remember that all the people that were sitting in that corner, were Europeans and Canadians. I wonder why? The only the only thing that comes to mind, is that in Northern Europe we don't really stand up and mingle, we tend to sit down. So partly it is just a matter of cultural difference I suppose. I am not fond of sitting at the bar, I do however like to walk around and socialize that way.

On the TA in 2011, there were some swedish guys and I was excited to practice my swedish, which I hadn't done for over 10 years, at the time.

Ted & I are really looking forward to this trip and to meeting all the guys on this Roll Call.

[Schplinky]

Interesting. On our Eclipse transatlantic, there were three nearly distinct gay crowds. The Canadians, Americans and the Australians hung out together, the British were their own sizable group, and the Europeans hung out together. The groups rarely mingled except for one night when one of the Brits arranged for Michael's Club to be closed for a private function for us all. It still intrigues me how we all ended up in these groups.

[sdbart]

Actually we were always sitting in the Martini Bar, every night before late night dining. As I am trying to think back, I seem to remember that all the people that were sitting in that corner, were Europeans and Canadians. I wonder why? The only the only thing that comes to mind, is that in Northern Europe we don't really stand up and mingle, we tend to sit down. So partly it is just a matter of cultural difference I suppose. I am not fond of sitting at the bar, I do however like to walk around and socialize that way.

On the TA in 2011, there were some swedish guys and I was excited to practice my swedish, which I hadn't done for over 10 years, at the time.

Ted & I are really looking forward to this trip and to meeting all the guys on this Roll Call.

 

It seems to me that most of the Canadians and all the Americans were either sitting at the small Crush Bar or standing. We did both and circulated. The last night, a bunch of us were sitting in the chairs by the railing next to the atrium laughing before dinner, along with a couple of straight friends. Do you remember the man with the beard from St. Louis? He almost always had his camera with him and on formal nights was dressed in formal Scots garb, with kilt.

 

We have European friends and like Europeans, so it's a shame we didn't get to meet; hopefully, we'll all become friends on this cruise.

[AndersonIslander]

Interesting. On our Eclipse transatlantic, there were three nearly distinct gay crowds. The Canadians, Americans and the Australians hung out together, the British were their own sizable group, and the Europeans hung out together. The groups rarely mingled except for one night when one of the Brits arranged for Michael's Club to be closed for a private function for us all. It still intrigues me how we all ended up in these groups.

 

Schplinky...I was on that Eclipse TA...and guess I kinda hung out with the Brits as I recall, however, I got a bad cold and subsequently spent a LOT of time in my cabin as to not give it to anyone! LOL Think I must have missed the Michael's Club get together.

 

Also, that was a rough crossing!! Lots of rock-and-rolling! And I had really looked forward to the Azores, which was cancelled.

 

Randy

[Schplinky]

Schplinky...I was on that Eclipse TA...and guess I kinda hung out with the Brits as I recall, however, I got a bad cold and subsequently spent a LOT of time in my cabin as to not give it to anyone! LOL Think I must have missed the Michael's Club get together.

 

Also, that was a rough crossing!! Lots of rock-and-rolling! And I had really looked forward to the Azores, which was cancelled.

 

Randy

 

 

Looking forward to meeting you again. I'm afraid I have a horrible memory for screen names! :)

 

The Michael's Club night was absolutely fun. The waiters in there also loved it as I suspect they sold more drinks that they might in a normal week in that oft-ignored bar.

 

That was the roughest ride I have ever had on a ship but I loved it. While disappointed to miss the Azores also, I really liked Gijon, where we parked for the day in northern Spain. We had the absolute best lunch of the sailing there!

[sdbart]

Interesting. On our Eclipse transatlantic, there were three nearly distinct gay crowds. The Canadians, Americans and the Australians hung out together, the British were their own sizable group, and the Europeans hung out together. The groups rarely mingled except for one night when one of the Brits arranged for Michael's Club to be closed for a private function for us all. It still intrigues me how we all ended up in these groups.

 

I think sometimes we need a social director. ;)

[Schplinky]

We had one of those once. He was self-appointed busy thing from Toronto and he would literally come to us in other bars and say loudly "we are ALL in the wine bar, should you care to join us." Not cute. The part that made it awkward was that he was the reason we started avoiding the gay gatherings. He was rude/lewd to the staff who cannot fight back and we found him embarrassing.

 

Also, I don't think I deal well with authority so if someone told me that such and such was the place the gays MUST gather, I'd organise a party elsewhere. :)

Edited October 13, 2013 by Schplinky

[sdbart]

We had one of those once. He was self-appointed busy thing from Toronto and he would literally come to us in other bars and say loudly "we are ALL in the wine bar, should you care to join us." Not cute. The part that made it awkward was that he was the reason we started avoiding the gay gatherings. He was rude/lewd to the staff who cannot fight back and we found him embarrassing.

 

Also, I don't think I deal well with authority so if someone told me that such and such was the place the gays MUST gather, I'd organise a party elsewhere. :)

 

I meant a nice, POLITE director. Maybe it's better to avoid situations like that altogether.

[Schplinky]

I meant a nice, POLITE director. Maybe it's better to avoid situations like that altogether.

 

Oh, I know you did! I was responding to other memories. We have a friend we travel with on and off who also hectors us for not attending "the meeting!" It feels a bit like he's an AA sponsor, but for the gay meetings.

[sdbart]

Oh, I know you did! I was responding to other memories. We have a friend we travel with on and off who also hectors us for not attending "the meeting!" It feels a bit like he's an AA sponsor, but for the gay meetings.

 

Ugh. "Meeting" does make it sound like a 12-step program. The ships are so big that it's very easy to miss people you want to socialize with. So it's easier to know that if you show up at a certain time at a certain place, when you're in the mood, you have a decent chance of running into friends. No one should feel bad if they would just as soon not join in.

[AndersonIslander]

Looking forward to meeting you again. I'm afraid I have a horrible memory or screen names! :)

 

The Michael's Club night was absolutely fun. The waiters in there also loved it as I suspect they sold more drinks that they might in a normal week in that oft-ignored bar.

 

That was the roughest ride I have ever had on a ship but I loved it. While disappointed to miss the Azores also, I really liked Gijon, where we parked for the day in northern Spain. We had the absolute best lunch of the sailing there!

 

Same here, but I'm bad at remembering people's real names too...and people for that matter! I'd make a terrible bartender!! My lack of memory is made even worse as people usually seem to remembery MY name, maybe because I'm so damn tall?? LOL Looking forward to getting reacquainted

And it seems on my past couple cruises, Celebrity has stopped referring to FOD "meetings" and calling them LGBT Getogethers... on the April/May Reflection TA we were even successful in getting it listed in the Daily.

Randy!

Edited October 14, 2013 by AndersonIslander

[Schplinky]

Ugh. "Meeting" does make it sound like a 12-step program. The ships are so big that it's very easy to miss people you want to socialize with. So it's easier to know that if you show up at a certain time at a certain place, when you're in the mood, you have a decent chance of running into friends. No one should feel bad if they would just as soon not join in.

 

I think that's the whole point of vacation. Like you, we love to meet people but would never want it to be an obligation. We will definitely be there the first night and less likely the second, as that's our "must dine in a specialty" night because of the specialty package. We find it harder to eat a small meal in those so likely we will eat early. I think our reservation is Murano at 7. Otherwise, count on us to be joiners who flit from bar to bar.

 

Same here, but I'm bad at remembering people's real names too...and people for that matter! I'd make a terrible bartender!! My lack of memory is made even worse as people usually seem to remembery MY name, maybe because I'm so damn tall?? LOL Looking forward to getting reacquainted

And it seems on my past couple cruises, Celebrity has stopped referring to FOD "meetings" and calling them LGBT Getogethers... on the April/May Reflection TA we were even successful in getting it listed in the Daily.

Randy!

 

That's good to hear.

 

We had a bartender on Eclipse who we had enjoyed on Solstice. Wayans was his name and when we saw him, he actually brightened and seemed to recall us. How on earth do they do that?

[rhertzberg]

We've been kind of late booking tours and as a result we're still trying to decide. The major port for sightseeing seems to be Tenerife. Any suggestions?

[Schplinky]

Our plan is just to stroll around and have a slow lunch but I think Walter and Bart each have structured tours planned.

[Schplinky]

Randy's comment about missing the Azores on the Eclipse reminds me to pack my Zen-like go-with-the-flow impulses. We are, after all, sailing toward the end of hurricane season and we have a whole ocean to cross so that might mean changes. If a storm slows our progress, we could lose the Caribbean islands or have them change at the last moment.

[rhertzberg]

For those of us who live in the tropics. (i.e. South Florida), and closely follow the hurricane season, it's been almost non existent. The likelihood this year is extremely low. The Cape Verde (off Africa) season is about over which leaves a Gulf formation. With that said, expect that it could happen.

[vulcan1971]

My trip last year was nearly derailed by hurricane Sandy. I'd be just fine with a quiet storm season.

 

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[sdbart]

Our plan is just to stroll around and have a slow lunch but I think Walter and Bart each have structured tours planned.

 

Sorry, Lee, but I think you have me confused with someone else. We don't usually do structured tours and aren't doing any this cruise. Like you, we either plan to just walk around or take the tram up to the old colonial capital of San Cristobal de la Laguna and stroll around. Supposedly, it was the inspiration for most of the colonial architecture of Spanish America.