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RSVP Caribbean Cruise returns to Florida - Shipboard Emergency

Cruisegoer

By Cruisegoer,
in LGBTQIA+ Cruisers

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Cruisegoer

Cruisegoer

Posted
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Just received a text from some friends aboard the current RSVP sailing. The ship is back in Florida, the previous itinerary is being scrapped, no clue what will happen yet.

 

Supposedly 2 passengers Overdosed last night, conditions were such that they could not be transported via helicopter so ship returned to Florida.

 

I bet that is one angry boat!

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CruisinMaterial

CruisinMaterial

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Safe travels wherever you may be headed boys!

 

Such a shame this had to happen. I just got off the world's largest electronic dance music festival at sea - Groove Cruise and we had dogs EVERYWHERE in the port prior to embarking. They sniffed my carry-on, they sniffed me. They sniffed my checked luggage. I didn't bring anything but pity the people who did who were removed from the line, bags searched and promptly arrested. Port of Miami is not messing around.

 

I do wish the rest of the cruisers an uneventful voyage. :)

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absolutboy20

absolutboy20

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The itinerary for the cruise is not port intensive and included three sea days so the two remaining ports are still scheduled with a sea day being replaced with their unscheduled stop in Miami. So revised itinerary is:

 

Wed-sea day

Thurs-cozumel

Friday-grand cayman

Saturday-sea day

Sunday- fort lauderdale

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CruisinMaterial

CruisinMaterial

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With only a few days left I can't see the ship sailing far away, I know it is all relatively close however so perhaps they will just pick up in the next scheduled port. Still curious however.

 

They were leisurely cruising before. Now they're burning fuel like no one's business! :eek: The cross winds on the deck might make it hard to have deck parties outside but RSVP's focus is less on parties (unlike Atlantis) and more on the cruise experience itself. Parties are still a part of the experience though. I do hope for the 2 people I know on the ship that the rest of their cruise was uneventful. We'll find out Sunday!

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Boytjie

Boytjie

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We had cooler than usual weather conditions throughout the cruise but the parties did continue (three tea dances and dancing outside every night except the last night.

 

We were sailing fast most of the time and I did see a speed of 23 knots one day.

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Cruiser Bruiser

Cruiser Bruiser

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We had cooler than usual weather conditions throughout the cruise but the parties did continue (three tea dances and dancing outside every night except the last night.

 

We were sailing fast most of the time and I did see a speed of 23 knots one day.

 

I'm glad to read that things are "back to normal" on your cruise. Any quick thoughts on Regal Princess? I really wanted to sail her with RSVP. Any word on next year's Caribbean itinerary?

 

Safe travels. :)

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Cruiser Bruiser

Cruiser Bruiser

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Regal is a very nice ship and food and service was good. I intend to write a cruise review.

 

I started a thread under the G&L roll calls for next year's cruise.

 

Thanks for your reply and for starting the roll call. I've sailed Nieuw Amsterdam with RSVP, so I'm not sure of my motivation level. I'm booked solo on Celebrity next spring, but maybe I will try RSVP's roommate share program instead. If RSVP uses Koningsdam in 2017, I will definitely book.

 

I look forward to your review. :)

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EdmPair

EdmPair

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I ran into some difficulties after the meet and greet. It has been 5 years since my last RSVP and I guess it will be at least that until the next.

 

Regal is nice but big. I spent the whole week always looking at maps to figure which direction to walk to anything. Usually, I am very good at this on ships and big buildings. I am looking forward to the longer review.

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RMS Olympic

RMS Olympic

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I have sailed both Atlantis and RSVP, although its been since 2010 that I did a gay charter. The mixed reviews have me wondering whether these big ships are working against a charter. With so many passengers, there just aren't spaces designed for large group activities. Mainstream cruises tend to have the passengers dispersed via activities throughout the ship. On a gay charter the big parties and or special entertainment make it tough to get everyone together. Years back on smaller ships you could get the majority of folks in one place at one time....3000 passengers ships cannot. I am not sure the environment is as social as it was on smaller ships......you don't see the same people continuously......the same as on a non charter

Also with the immense number of passengers on big ships, food quality suffers. Cooking for so many people limits attention to detail in my opinion. I ran a military mess hall that made 13,000 peals a day....it was hell. These ships do much more considering the crew has to be fed......so they do a very good job I think. But gourmet dinning is almost an impossibility, not to mention budget cutbacks in light of reduced cruise fares (non charters).

So is the size of the ship a detriment?

If the Koningsdam is used in 2017, I will book it and see how this ship does. At least it has a stern deck/ pool area for the parties so popular with RSVP cruisers.

So for those of you who were on the Regal Princess....do you think it was just too big. Perhaps size does matter....good and bad?

Boytjie...I await your review as I appreciate your opinions.

Cruiser Bruiser....Koningsdam....maybe we will meet!

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Boytjie

Boytjie

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Pre-review comments: I think 3,500 is too big for a RSVP cruise. People I knew were on board I only saw for the first time on Day 5.

The food on the Regal was pretty good. Richard and I have different opinions about what was better or not, but all in all I was happy with it.

I do prefer the HAL aft deck for parties but the absence of a large TV screen for videos/graphics at the parties will be missed.

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Darrell6t

Darrell6t

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This cruise had more simultaneous events than usual, I think. It was impossible to manage to see every act live without some sort of scheduling software for your calendar. But many of the shows were recorded and could be seen on the cabin TV as you wished, on demand. With that we managed to see most of the main acts. Did not manage all the comedians from Princess Live, but saw at least a few minutes of almost everything else.

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EdmPair

EdmPair

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I returned yesterday to this thread and realized I had perhaps by not saying certain things left a wrong impression. Also, RSVP has replied appropriately to my email outlining how MY cruise went. It was also fair to tell them and Princess first of the issue. (Princess has not replied but we shall see how that goes.)

 

Now the back story ...

I was travelling alone with my husband and feeling alone because of it. We are not the party types and so I thought I could mostly ignore the constant dance party feel of the trip. However, I was feeling alone and then went to see one of the singers. She did a good job of an old Streisand number and somehow I was instantly back at the death of my first partner 20 years ago. The song was not 'our' song in any way but was just the right words to bring it all back. I left the theatre and suddenly found the party around me a problem. I spent the rest of the cruise in emotional pain and while I could point to a few small irritants by RSVP and Princess, there was little to do. I tried to keep in touch with husband best I could to ease the pain and waited it out.

 

In all this, it is not RSVP nor Princess who did anything wrong and I feel I may have left this impression. However, for my mental health I know it best to not take another RSVP cruise which was never a great fit for my life as a gay man anyway. I can see myself taking another Princess cruise but will avoid the Regal.

 

It was nice meeting you folks and I suspect I shall run into a few of you again.

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keithm

keithm

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We did an RSVP cruise a fewf years ago. We will and have cruised since then but will NOT be doing another RSVP again!

Just enough reason for us to not do RSVP! Sure it's not the majority doing drugs, but these guys helped screw it up for everyone else. We'll just stick to the mainstream cruises,thank you. I've seen enough of this scene in Ptown.

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Boytjie

Boytjie

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They did not really screw up anything for the rest of us. We got to all our ports. The only disruption to the entertainment was that Ann Campton Halloway had to disembark in Miami because otherwise she would not have made it to her next commitment. Pro that she is, she did a show in the theater that was simulcast on the big screen as we sailed to Miami.

On regular cruises people get drunk and fall off ships; maybe you should stop cruising.

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