?Cruising = trapped on a boat full of str8 ppl?

[W2Me]

My best friend and I are a alittle nervous about our first cruise coming up.... I am sure there will be other gay folk on this cruise, how do we manage to find each other??

 

TA on Galaxy May, 2006

[petguy]

Look in your daily guide for "friends of dorothy" meeting.

 

And, umm.... Whats wrong with us str8 people?

[bruce-r]

Yah, some of us breeders can be nice people to meet too.

 

Personally, I'm afraid of being on ship with a large group of NASCAR fans. ;)

[emjsea]

You forgot to add "not that there's anything wrong with that.":rolleyes:

 

The Friends of Dorothy meetings don't happen on all cruises or all cruise lines. It depends on which line you are going and, unfortunately, whether or not they happen are up the the cruise directors. The lines that sometimes or even most of the time have FOD meetings, have a "no answer" policy about the policy on FOD meetings. It's really up to the cruise directors. A lot of cruise directors are homophobic and refuse to have them. I'm told that if you go over the cruise director's head, after asking nicely a few times, you can get results.

 

Good luck. I've been on 3 straight cruises and went on my first gay cruise last January. I won't be going on any more straight cruises ever again.

[Brucemcdou]

W2Me - You needn't worry about your Galaxy transatlantic. Celebrity has a large gay following because both the staff and the fellow passengers are (generally) very gay-friendly. On a transatlantic I predict you'll have even more than normal. We know that you'll have a very nice couple from Dallas on your trip that we met onboard our transatlantic cruise on Millennium last November. But really, the fellow straight passengers on Celebrity are usually very open and friendly, typical of experienced travelers.

 

We've gone with gay groups a few times, but have usually cruised on "regular" cruises. On Celebrity or Princess we've never had any problem finding the other gay couples on board. During our Millennium trans in November, the cruise director (Don Fluke) hosted a Friends of Dorothy get-together every sea day and some of the other days as well. We'd usually have 20 to 30 people show up each evening. Our cruises on HAL and especially on NCL were very different - gay and lesbian couples were few and far between, but they were still there.

 

Enjoy your cruise, chat with everyone, and you'll have a great time!

[Andros]

You guys will have a great time. I believe you will be surprised at how some straight people/couples will be more open minded than you think. We have been on a few cruises and have met wonderful people both gay and straight. So, don't worry about it and just enjoy yourselves. We are looking forward to our 2nd Transatlantic this fall. Andros/Tony

[Schplinky]

I like being trapped on a ship with nearly anyone, although maybe not Rush Limbaugh. I'm sure the straight people on your ship will be fine.

[etoile]

How early in advance can one find out if there will be FOD's scheduled? Do you have to wait until you're on board?

[W2Me]

Well, I dont so much MIND the straight people as long as they keep their sexuality in their cabins, yanno... :eek:

 

as a rule, I find that the vast majority of str8 folks are benign and friendly, but my god when you find a rabid one, it can be traumatic... and being one of the queeniest lesbians I know, there is no way to hide --

 

Good to know about the friends of Dorothy idea... just having the option to find some nice folks to go dancing with sounds good...

 

Laura, looking forward to Saturday

[thulewx]

Generally you'll have to wait until you're on board since it's usually left up to the Cruise Director whether they have them or not... :(

[petguy]

I'm sorry to hear that they are not always a sure thing. My sis-in-law (who is gay) is coming with DW and I in nov. and I guess I just assumed if they were in the daily, that they would have the meetings.

 

At any rate, I have never seen anyone be outwardly nasty toward a gay/lesbian on either of the two cruises we have been on. But I don't live in their shoes 24/7 and I know there are many st8 people who are (unfortunately) homophobic.

 

I am certain your cruise will be enjoyable, regardless if there are any morons on the ship or not.

 

You can come hang with us on the NCL Spirit on nov. 30th if you like! ;)

[jeffs55]

We've been on a bunch of cruises and have never had a problem.

(And we're gay NASCAR fans, go figure!)

Well actually we kinda sorta had a problem once on Millennium, but we handled it.

My partner doesn't take any crap from anyone.

[caribbean dreams]

I'm straight and most all my friends are gay, i cruise with them all the time and have never really had any problems aside from the few rude people who like to stare. Your right about "finding them" we always seem to find "them" and i think we have the most fun of anyone on the ship.

Have fun!!!!

 

[sjbdtz]

Generally you'll have to wait until you're on board since it's usually left up to the Cruise Director whether they have them or not... :(

 

 

 

On NCL, they're on every ship, every sailing.

[cccruiser59]

We've been on a bunch of cruises and have never had a problem.

(And we're gay NASCAR fans, go figure!)

Well actually we kinda sorta had a problem once on Millennium, but we handled it.

My partner doesn't take any crap from anyone.

 

I love gay NASCAR fans - no one has to take crap to anyone. I'm sure Celebrity ship have FOD groups.

 

Have a ball. Most people are great & who needs the rest.

[Schplinky]

I love gay NASCAR fans - no one has to take crap to anyone. I'm sure Celebrity ship have FOD groups.

 

Have a ball. Most people are great & who needs the rest.

 

On Celebrity, it is up to the individual CD and most will have them; ours on Constellation had 4 but we did read of one CD who refused them, claiming the company had a policy against parties for specific groups. I doubt he cancelled the newlywed, Friends f Bill W or other parties, though.

 

Celebrity is known as gay friendly and in all likelihood, you will get a party. Trying to find out ahead of time is futile. We emailed and got an email back saying they don't have the parties and we should do a google search for gay cruises if that's what we want. I was miffed but then we had 4 onboard. I do not care to take a gay cruise (we like straight people, too) but wanted to meet other gay travellers so the email seemed abrupt. Seems a silly tactic, to me, since they likely lose some passsengers who actually believe what they're told by customer service.

[johnsfo]

A 'Friends of Dorothy' party is definately the pervue and choice of the cruise director. I suggest that as soon as you get on board you might choose to stop at the front desk and leave a message for the cruise director to ask for an FOD party--if that is what you want. Several years ago my partner and I were on HAL Prinsendam, SF to Alaska, return. We asked the cruise director for an FOD party which was refused. He said that if he gave us an FOD party, he would also have to give a party to any other affinity group. Meantime, he still managed to have a party for anyone involved in a philanthopic organization. Go figure! Also, the cruise director's critenials strongly suggested GAY! As far as cruising with stright people, that is my and my partners choice. While we have never been on a 'gay exclusive' cruise, I strongly suspect that I would not like one of those. I suspect (but I don't know) that the pressure to be in the right chothes and appear at the right function, etc. ect. would be too much pressure which I certainly do not need. We have meet alot of very nice straight people and gay people on our five cruises without having any pressure. Whatever decision you make, enjoy your cruise. John M and Bob M

[English Jane]

I know that I'm probably being really thick - but what is 'NASCAR' ?

 

Jane

x

[bruce-r]

I know that I'm probably being really thick - but what is 'NASCAR' ?

National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing It is where up to 200,000 people get together at a raceway to watch cars go around an oval track at speeds of over 200 MPH (about 325 KMPH). The crashes are often spectacular. It is quite popular in the US, especially in the South.

[English Jane]

Oh yes, I see.

 

We do have some stock car racing here (on a smaller scale) and a 'downmarket' version called 'banger racing' where the emphasis is a little more on the crashing rather than the racing. There is also a 'drag' racing circuit near where I live.

In fact Northanptonshire is the home of car racing in the UK. There are two large circuits here, one of them - 'Silverstone' is the home of the British Formula 1 Grand Prix. Many of the F1 constructors are also based in our county.

 

Having said all that, it's all a little too fraught for me, I like my fun to be a little more sedate - sitting in the garden, stroking the cat, reading a book and eating chocolate!

 

Thanks for the information, I hate not to know things.

 

Jane

x

[gigand]

Bruce,

 

Not to get off track on the topic of this thread but I viewed some of your dive photos and thought they were absolutely beautiful. Thanks mfor posting them.

 

Jim

[bruce-r]

Bruce,

 

Not to get off track on the topic of this thread but I viewed some of your dive photos and thought they were absolutely beautiful. Thanks mfor posting them.

 

Jim

Why thank you Jim. They do seem to be getting a little better the more I practice.

[BaltiGator]

A good friend was on an Atlantis all-gay cruise in February to South America. This friend of mine is happily very much into most of the so-called "gay" culture - fashion, design, theater, old movies, you name it. He is, to put it nicely, very gay. :D

 

And...he HATED his all-gay cruise. Not the ship (Insignia - he said it was very comfortable, classy, good food), not the itinerary (B.A., Rio, etc. - he loved the cities), not the people on board (all very nice). But it was, in his words, JUST TOO GAY. Too much cruising - of the other kind. Too much late-night revelry (very noisy in the hallways as people finally retired in the middle of the night, still laughing and whooping it up). Too much partying 24/7 and not enough just hanging out getting to know people, relaxing, and enjoying the ports of call.

 

These are his opinions, not mine, so please don't bash me. :rolleyes:

 

But to the original poster I must say (at the risk of stepping awfully high up on my high horse) welcome to Earth, trapped on a planet full of straight people. :eek: :D

[emjsea]

Hello there fellow Baltimorian.

[BaltiGator]

Hey dere hon, how ya doin? :D