Gay Cruisers on HAL

[refontaine]

Could anyone tell me of their experiences as a gay cruiser on HAL? I like some of their itineraries and was wondering what kind of experiences you have had. My partner and I usually go on Celebrity and love their ships but he'll be away on a work related project for several weeks. Thanks

[tworoberts]

Not much to tell about HAL from a gay cruise point of view. Quiet ships and not really a party atmosphere. They really don't attract many gay cruisers. Seems funny because RSVP charters HAL ships for their week long all gay cruises and these are very popular with the staff. HAL offers a quality cruise product and its a very enjoyable experience but not really all that gay. That said, there is always a chance of some high seas playtime and that has happened to us more than once on HAL. After 8/10 HAL cruises we always seem to meet up with a few traveling family members too but, all in all, HAL ships are quiet and couples oriented. Personally I was considering switching to Celebrity for our next cruise.

[Darrell6t]

My partner & I are very fond of HAL cruises. Of course, we are not young ourselves. The cruises have varied greatly on the Gay scene. We went on a New England - Canada cruise where there were quite a few Gay couples. But a 10-day Panama Canal cruise had none that we ever met. And the wonderful Rome to Copenhagen cruise had a group of us put together by our travel agent. But we met several more guys and gals onboard. HAL puts together a great time for RSVP.

[Brucemcdou]

Agree with TwoRoberts and Darrell. We normally cruise on Celebrity and always meet a number of other gay and lesbian couples and singles. We were just on our first HAL cruise last week, to the Western Caribbean on Zuiderdam. We expected to meet more gay and lesbian singles and couples on a Caribbean itinerary, but there were only two other gay couples and one lesbian couple, and one gay single traveling with his father. The cruise director, Dottie, did schedule a FOD on the second day and it was in the daily, so they get major points from me for that.

 

I'll also say that the average fellow passengers were perhaps a little less gay-friendly than we've experienced on Celebrity, but certainly nobody was unfriendly, just a little more middle-America than we've seen.

 

If you like Celebrity you should try HAL - there are some things that are better (the standard cabins, the entertainment) and some things that are not as nice (the food and service in the main dining room, the constant announcements) but certainly in the same class overall.

 

There are never enough days at sea!

[digby]

My partner and I (and two other gay couples) took a cruise on the Westerdam in May. There were at least 25 other gay people on the ship. They would not let us have a FOD party, but we noticed NO antigay attitude from the staff or other passengers. I think they are trying to attract a younger crowd with their new Vista Class ships.

[voyeurism26]

We are a gay couple in our mid to late 30's and we have been on both HAL and Celebrity as well as others.

 

Our choice cruiseline is and always has been HAL. Since we live an exciting life on land we feel that we enjoy a quiet time at sea. Part of going on a cruise for us is to relax and be pampered. HAL gives us that type of cruise experience, relaxing and restful.

 

When we go on our vacation cruise we do enjoy meeting other gay passengers however if it happens,great,if not,it does not ruin our time. When we go on HAL, we have been lucky and have met several gay passengers and found they are very nice person(s). The straight passengers stay to themselves as we do too and nobody bothers us.

 

HAL's staff is very accepting of gay guest and we seem to be treated better, and many of the staff are "family".

 

We also have been on Celebrity...our experience on Celebrity was great and we felt very welcome onboard our Celebrity cruise...the ship and the service and food is just as good as HAL. However, the gay guests on our celebrity cruise were very snubbish,rude and tacky and very distant towards each other. NO FOD party! No smiles! No hello! many of the gay guests on Celebrity wanted to be left alone. We found that we made many friends with the straight guests and had a great time drinking, dancing, eating and even going on shore excursions and shopping with a group of straight folks we met on the ship. This was the first time this ever happen to us and we enjoyed there company and they enjoyed ours.

 

So no matter which ship you choose, you just have the make the best of it and let the natural forces of life lead you in the right directions.

[RMS Olympic]

Just goes to show there are different tastes and that no two people will experience the same thing on the same cruise line let alone the same voyage.

HAL hs always been a class act for a mass market line. Food has been good but nothing outstanding in my book. I do wish the dining room stewards were more relaxed and less formal...but then that goes for Celebrity as well. Give me Italians in the dining room for that fun, festive but never tacky (Carnival hype) service.

Hope you try HAL....

[shipcafe]

I have sailed HAL on a personal trip before and had brought my partner. We found the entire ship to be positive and friendly upon knowing that we were together except for two instances. One involved dining room table mates who very obviously communicated that they were digusted to even be near a male couple. We promptly requested a table for two for the remainder of the cruise. This was not because I am anti-social by ANY means and I had requested a two-top prior to leaving anyway. I just do not care to be around anyone who is interested in sharing their narrow-mindedness while I am on vacation.

 

The only other instance was a photographer on formal nights. We had our portrait taken together and he acted as if he had no idea how to pose two gentlemen. I wasn't asking to be posed in a questionable position or anything .. just *together*. People in line waiting were more receptive and understanding than was the photographer. Given that photo staff is "outsourced" on most all lines, I do not attribute this to the beliefs of HAL by ANY means.

 

Other staff were wonderful. The cabin steward was more than happy and even seemed to celebrate when I stated that we needed a queen bed .. maybe there was something to be said about HIM? heheh

 

Steve

www.shipcafe.net

[Calliope]

My favorite blue water cruise line is HAL. Their class act permiates through the ship and passengers. My partner and I have enjoyed our HAL trips together and have never felt that we were being treated any differently from a straight couple. Our table partners were also delightful; we still stay in touch with a number of them.

 

I have traveled on HAL as a single passenger, and that was a positive experience too. Infact I will be on the four night repositioning trip of the STATENDAM from Vancouver to San Diego this fall. I'm looking forward to two days at sea, a quiet nap on the promenade deck, good food, friendly service, and the shear enjoyment that I find riding a ship or paddlewheel steamboat!

 

I will admit that the number of single gay travelers or couples does seem to be less on the HAL trips that I've been on than on Cunard, or Princess, but that hasn't hampered the cruise experience for me or my partner. Hopefully though others will discover what makes HAL so attractive for me and increase the gay presence on HAL ships.

[Fit Heart]

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your candid comments on your experiences on HAL and Celebrity. I have booked (with my bf) the December 4 Eastern Caribbean cruise on Zuiderdam, and it was great to read your comments. It came down to HAL and Celebrity and from what I read they are pretty comparable lines. I was attracted to the larger deluxe suite on HAL, so that is why I chose them. It's good to hear of your positive experiences with them, as this will be my first time on HAL. I will look forward to a trip on Celebrity in the future. Thanks again!!

[ctdahlquist]

My travel partner and I had a great experience on HAL Maasdam last October. There were at least 20 other gay passengers on the ship, and I quickly made friends. The crew was warm and friendly -- not a hint of anti-gay sentiment.

 

Being 35, I was a bit apprehensive about the "older" crowd reputation of HAL. I don't mind a good mix of folks of different ages, but I'm also not looking for a cruise with just one age group represented. We were pleasantly surprised by the good mix of folks from different age groups; the demographic was a bit younger than I expected.