Splendour of the Seas transatlantic 2007-12-04

[Malmö]

We are considering the Splendour of the Seas transatlantic this (2007) December. Are there other gay & lesbian cruisers going as well? ;)

[Malmö]

We have booked, paid and received booking numbers.

Is there anyone else out there on this cruise? There are still bargains to be had. :cool:

[AnnieMarilyn]

Hi guys! Glad to hear from others on this sailing! Steve and Colin here celebrating our 10th. We live in Seattle. We will be flying out on the 29th for a few days in Lisbon.

[Malmö]

Hi guys! Glad to hear from others on this sailing! Steve and Colin here celebrating our 10th. We live in Seattle. We will be flying out on the 29th for a few days in Lisbon.

 

Steve & Colin/AnnieMarilyn? Do explain! :confused:

 

Glad :D we're not alone. We have been on the straight board

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=273

while waiting for this one to get going.

We signed up for the Meet & Mingle for this ship. Maybe you'd care to join? :cool: It just went over the 25 minimum for a cruisecritic party.

 

Are you returning to Seattle when it docks in São Paulo? :confused:

 

Philipp' & Scott from guess where? :rolleyes:

[AnnieMarilyn]

Yes, that might be misleading. Annie is our dog and Marilyn is our camper van that she likes. We recently joined cruise critic and had to choose something that we both might remember!

 

I think we just signed up for the meet and greet. But did it say 10:30 a.m.?! It sounds like you've done the meet and greets before? Not too scary, we hope! We've been on other cruises and do the Captain's Club gatherings with Celebrity, but we've had friends with us on the latest cruises. This one we've ended up all by ourselves.

 

We're actually getting off in Rio to spend a couple of days, then flying back to Seattle. We're guessing you're from Seattle? Will it be just the two of you cruising?

 

Steve and Colin

[Malmö]

I think we just signed up for the meet and greet. But did it say 10:30 a.m.?! It sounds like you've done the meet and greets before? Not too scary, we hope! We've been on other cruises and do the Captain's Club This one we've ended up all by ourselves.

 

We're actually getting off in Rio to spend a couple of days, then flying back to Seattle. We're guessing you're from Seattle? Will it be just the two of you cruising?

Steve and Colin

 

Yes, your names didn't match the lesbian pair log-in name! :rolleyes:

 

Last I looked, the meet & greet hadn't been set up. 10,30 is a bit early. Hopefully it isn't cutting into port time. Yes, we have done them before. Via cruise critic we attended an all-gay meet & greet on the RSVP cruise in August, and a mixed one on our last trans-Atlantic last year (our first). As the gay folks had all connected here, the meet and greet was interesting enough.

I posted on the hetero-board for this cruise, hunting for lost gay souls, so these folks know and seem to cope. I think it's worth going, at least to meet us! :o

 

Captain's club? Is that a drink or a fizzy soda? :confused:

 

We're from ... Malmö! Probably the BIGGEST city you NEVER heard of! The third largest in the realm! ;)

 

Just the two of us. Our friends either don't have the time available in December, or the money. We have to find a home for the cat for all this time. :(

 

Philipp' & Scott

 

PS We arrive in Lisbon on Sunday (hopefully!) :eek:

[AnnieMarilyn]

Steve here, that sliped right by. I am the one who loves geography, so I have learned!

 

 

Yes, to Captains Club which transfers to Crown and Anchor. Our first time on Royal Caribbean.

 

 

We signed up for M&M and yes to cocktails!

 

We arrive in Lisbon late on the 30th

[Malmö]

geography, so I have learned!

 

Yes, to Captains Club which transfers to Crown and Anchor. Our first time on Royal Caribbean.

 

We arrive in Lisbon late on the 30th

 

And what have you learned? ;)

 

All these clubs. Guess they are cruise line clubs? We do have a Crown club. We don't have much loyalty (to cruise lines).

 

We arrive in Lisbon on the 4th, hopefully. We have a dodgy connection through Mallorca on Air Berlin. Don't understand this. :rolleyes:

Have you found something good on Lisbon?

Remember, Portugal is a domestic partnership country. And they have a fine gay bookstore, as of a couple years ago. :)

 

Did you get a yellow fever vaccination? :eek:

[AnnieMarilyn]

That Malmo is the commerical center of southern Sweden, with a new university of the same name and a geographic location that explains your use of air berlin.

 

Sounds like you arrival might be cutting it close, any chance of not making it?

 

I have not be to Lisbon in 10+ years and Colin not at all, so it will be new to us. We have some plans but are also open.

 

Yes! we work the customer loyality programs ships, airlines, hotels, car rentals. They really pay off BIG! for us and I enjoy working them.

 

We were told by the Public health department and our private Dr. that we do not need Yellow fever Vac. And that is what we submitted to the Brazillian consulate for our visa, which has been approved but not returned yet? We worked on that for two months. Steve

[Malmö]

That Malmo

use of air berlin.

Sounds like you arrival might be cutting it close, any chance of not making it?

I have not be to Lisbon in 10+ years and Colin not at all, so it will be new to us. We have some plans but are also open.

 

Yes! we work the customer loyality programs I enjoy working them.

 

We were told by the Public health department and our private Dr. that we do not need Yellow fever Vac. And that is what we submitted to the Brazillian consulate for our visa, which has been approved but not returned yet? We worked on that for two months. Steve

 

True, except there's a bit of "cheating" going on in their translation of "högskola" to the English "university" which translates back to Swedish as "universitet". I was at the university (of Lund) today for a 4-5 hour test on only one part of my term program.

 

We have a day's cushion if something goes amiss. We have once had a miss ... subject for a horror story on the boat. :eek:

As to Lisbon, I recommend 2 small books:

Top ten Lisbon

Wonderful Weekend in Lisbon

Mapguide Lisbon (it is a small book with hard paper maps that fold out of the book.)

Lisbon is nice. As I have been saying since our first trip there: See Portugal before it crumbles into dust.

We're staying in a convent (the nuns were cleared out long ago!)

 

Scott has been more the miles & such worker, but as you can see, our cruises have been all over the place. It is rewarding to be rewarded. I work the supermarket and credit card points. :cool:

 

When Scott needed to go to Brazil for work, I went in person to the embassy, and returned to collect his passport. I don't believe in mailing passports to embassies.

Worked on the visa for two months or have been waiting two months? If the consulate is in Seattle, you might trip phoning them and telling them you'll come in to collect it if they don't send it. Or phone them and pressure them as to your departure. :(

 

We plan to stay on the boat to São Paulo and get out of town (it is 3x the size of Sweden!) a.s.a.p. and go to Iguaçu. For which we need to organize yellow fever vaccinations. I'm afraid! :( Scott had one (he is 2 years over the expiry) and he remembers how painful it was ... and WHERE it was delivered! :mad: :eek:

[aaerobear]

Kind of a bummer we will miss you guys. We are taking the Splendour from Venice to Lisbon 11/24 - 12/04. Wish we were staying on, but, alas, we have to get off the ship and head home.

 

Ed/Jeff/Bob/Richard/Mike/Paul

 

Have fun

[AnnieMarilyn]

GREAT! Passports with visa arrived this A.M. Our only option was to use a passport/visa service ( ZVS.com) or travel to San Franisco ourselves and wait for the embrassy to process it, way to much time.

 

We will be staying at Sherton Lisboa (points)

 

Do have interesting info. on our ports? We have not found to much, all just out of the box stuff. Except the Marine Manatee Center in Recife.

 

Steve

[Malmö]

GREAT! Passports with visa arrived this A.M.

Do have interesting info. on our ports? We have not found to much, all just out of the box stuff. Except the Marine Manatee Center in Recife.

Steve

 

Staying at York House. Where the nuns were.

 

I have been informed I gave you incorrect information. I thought the Bel Ami calendar was still on December, when I told you the dates of our flight. In fact, it is the 2nd. :o So we have a day of ... grace for any troubles. (The missing nuns would be glad.)

 

In your case, I would have gone to S.F. and waited (hopefully some time) for the visas! :D I lived there two summers of Esperanto studies on scholarship.

 

As to the ports, yes. Collecting info. Resolved the question of Cape Verde Islands visa. We have been to Madeira twice (quite nice!). The Canaries once, but never to La Palma (the islands and their capitals are confusingly similar!) We are copying things on the Brazilian ports. Unfortunately, the library's copy of Lonely Planet Brazil is a few years old. But we did learn that São Paulo is not worth staying in. We still are weighing in on whether to take any tours or not. On our last cruise we did one. :rolleyes: What box did you get stuff from?

 

Did you vote on the poll on this thread? Two have voted no. The numbers are getting depressing! :(

[Malmö]

Kind of a bummer we will miss you guys. We are taking the Splendour from Venice to Lisbon 11/24 - 12/04. Wish we were staying on, but, alas, we have to get off the ship and head home.

Ed/Jeff/Bob/Richard/Mike/Paul

Have fun

 

Hello, Brady Bunch!

We went from Rome to Venice on the RSVP cruise this summer. You should try a trans-Atlantic sometime. It is quite special. :cool:

If you attended a cruisecritic meet & mingle on your cruise, you can vote "yes" in the poll here. :D

 

Philipp' & Scott, only a pair

[AnnieMarilyn]

S

 

As to the ports, yes. Collecting info. Resolved the question of Cape Verde Islands visa. We have been to Madeira twice (quite nice!). The Canaries once, but never to La Palma (the islands and their capitals are confusingly similar!) We are copying things on the Brazilian ports. Unfortunately, the library's copy of Lonely Planet Brazil is a few years old. But we did learn that São Paulo is not worth staying in. We still are weighing in on whether to take any tours or not. On our last cruise we did one. :rolleyes: What box did you get stuff from?

 

Did you vote on the poll on this thread? Two have voted no. The numbers are getting depressing! :(

 

Colin responding: We are working with a 2005 Lonely Planet Brazil from the library ourselves. We're quite envious of your extended trip to Iguaçu. Work will be waiting for us at that point.

 

From the other message board, I read that we don't apparently need a visa for Cape Verde. Correct?

 

We made reservations for the afternoon North Island RCI tour in La Palma and will probably book the basic afternoon city tour in Salvador. That's all we've decided so far. We tend to avoid getting on any "coach" in the morning with so many other people, so we'll just have to see what happens in Madeira. We have a specific interest in seeing the Manatees in Itamaraca near Recife, so we are looking into a private guide/car there to tour Olinda and Itamaraca. Quite short time there. (Creative, adventurous people would choose something "out of the box" meaning it does not come pre-packaged. I think my dear partner may have actually used his native language incorrectly. Most of what we have chosen so far is from "the box". )

 

We responded positively to the poll. The meet and greet happens on the 2nd day, so it will go good to make your acquaintance there, if we can't pick you out before that! So far, in the cruise critic world, the gay contingent is just us.

[Malmö]

Colin responding: We are working with a 2005 Lonely Planet Brazil from the library ourselves. We're quite envious of your extended trip to Iguaçu. Work will be waiting for us at that point.

 

From the other message board, I read that we don't apparently need a visa for Cape Verde. Correct?

 

We made reservations so we are looking into a private guide/car there to tour Olinda and Itamaraca. Quite short time there. (Creative, adventurous people "out of the box" Most of what we have chosen so far is from "the box". )

 

your acquaintance there, if we can't pick you out before that! So far, in the cruise critic world, the gay contingent is just us.

 

My library LP guides to Chile & Argentina are 2003 & 2004, respectively! Guess we'll be doing more internet research, including on the boat. Hope there is in-the-room internet, as there was on the VGer of the C's.

Are you saying you work during xmas? :confused:

 

Cape Verde. Everyone needs a visa, though we have seen where the boat gets a group visa, at least for the tours. As the board writer learned, we all join in on the group visa. I don't know if the tours are worth it. I also read something horrible in the Italian news that happened there. The town's architecture is supposedly nice ... but as compared to bombed-out destroyed west africa?

 

We'll decide on tours at the last minute. We were "wait listed" for our singel RSVP tour, but got on it as some dizzy queen/s didn't wake up for it (they still pay). Often we have enough maps with us to strike out on our own. We toured Naples on our own and saw things the boat people never did ... including the "secret room" in the Archeological Museum.

 

Iguaçu: yellow fever, dengue, ¿malaria? :eek:

 

What time is in "over there"?

http://www.worldtimezone.com/time-brazil24.php

south = east :confused:

 

Scott informs me I was wrong again about our departure. We leave on a Sunday, and are in the convent by dinner time. He suggests we could meet for a meal in Lisbon, depending on your schedules.

OBS! We also learned from Portuguese on the other board that the Monday is a national holiday. Don't know what this means for museums, palaces and churches. :confused:

 

We just got an affirmative on someone to take the cat during our 40-day trip! :D

[aaerobear]

Have fun guys, we have done several TA's and the days at sea are the best. We did several stops in Brazil last year and the cities are so great.

 

We are only dong 4 cruises this year (as opposed to 6 normally)

 

Brady Bunch

[AnnieMarilyn]

Are you saying you work during xmas? :confused:

 

Iguaçu: yellow fever, dengue, ¿malaria? :eek:

 

What time is in "over there"?

http://www.worldtimezone.com/time-brazil24.php

south = east :confused:

 

Scott informs me I was wrong again about our departure. We leave on a Sunday, and are in the convent by dinner time. He suggests we could meet for a meal in Lisbon, depending on your schedules.

OBS! We also learned from Portuguese on the other board that the Monday is a national holiday. Don't know what this means for museums, palaces and churches. :confused:

 

We just got an affirmative on someone to take the cat during our 40-day trip! :D

 

We always work. :( The American system sucks! I work for a social service agency with many immigrant and refugee staff people. It is not uncommon for these people to save up their vacation time for the whole year and return to their home country for 3-4 weeks. But in most workplaces my 3 week trip would be very hard to approve. (we earn only 3 weeks of paid vacation per year and that is above average).

 

We will look forward to hearing about your travels. We travel more than most of our working friends and families, but you two really get around! 40 days is a huge trip! We took 4-week trip to Australia and New Zealand about 7 years ago while I was between jobs. That is the longest we've ever gone. Currently our dog Annie is older with arthritis and cancer, so leaving her for 3 weeks causes some stress for all of us. Luckily we co-parent with a dear friend of ours. We have his greyhound right now while he is trekking on a horse in Mexico. Our dogs go back and forth between homes pretty easily. Your cat will go stay at someone else's house or they will come to yours?

 

If all goes as planned we will arrive in Lisbon on Friday night. We will be staying at Sherton Lisboa, which seems to be close to York House. Perhaps we can meet up on Monday? If you get in as scheduled and feel up to meeting, you can give us a call at the hotel unless you have another suggestion. What do you suggest we see in Lisbon?

 

Colin and Steve

[Malmö]

We always work. The American system sucks! But in most workplaces my 3 week trip would be very hard to approve. (3 weeks of paid vacation above average).

 

40 days is a huge trip! dog Annie is older with arthritis, 3 weeks causes some stress for all of us. We have his greyhound right now while he is trekking on a horse in Mexico. Our dogs go back and forth between homes pretty easily. Your cat will go stay at someone else's house or they will come to yours?

 

Lisbon on Friday night. We will be staying at Sherton Lisboa, which seems to be close to York House. Perhaps we can meet up on Monday? If you get in as scheduled and feel up to meeting, you can give us a call at the hotel unless you have another suggestion. What do you suggest we see in Lisbon?

 

Colin and Steve

 

We know the american system well. We won't tell you about the Swedish system unless you tell us you won't be upset! :( 3 weeks is decent for there!

 

Our absence will be 38 or 39 days, depending on how you count the departure & return days. This is unusual for us. Scott is between projects, though he still goes off on (paid) vacation (+ all the trimmings! :D ).

 

The cat was a bit of stress. He adjusts to where we take him (like that old Reagon cabinet minister said, "as long as he has a toilet to *go* in!"), and it is more important that he has company than stay home. He is 21½ , so he needs company and emotional support, not to mention warmth, frequent feeding and digestive care. We give him arthritis pills, and he's totally deaf, but has learned to respond to sign language. We couldn't be sure his usual "uncle" was available or willing to take him for so long and over xmas. But we got lucky (his ex- also gets involved! :eek: )

 

Is the greyhound a rescued racer? :D

 

Lisbon: I suggest strongly you pick up the "mapguide" thin small book and at least one of the other 2 I recommended. They are quite excellent!

Looking at my pictures from our last 2 visits, the castle, which has excellent views (and will take quite some time to walk the ramparts) and the cathedral. Then just on the edge of the city is Belém, with the montument to Henry, and a tower that sits at sea, and an impressive monastery. I'll look at the book for exact names, if this doesn't ring a bell with what you read.

 

Does your mobile phone work in Europe? Do you know how to send/read sms (text messages)? If so, we could contact you when we are in the monastery. If not, phone you at the hotel ("the 2 homosexuals, please?"). This would require exchanging information OFF cruise critic. (We have an e-mail address listed under our details that we can check). We tend to dine on the late side. :cool:

The York House also has a spectacular breakfast, from what we remember in 2001. €15.

While we're not in the least worried, what is your information on the dining hours on the boat? On the hetero- board, people are more worried about the late dining time than visas, or diseases, or touring. :rolleyes:

 

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/personal.html

[AnnieMarilyn]

We know the american system well. We won't tell you about the Swedish system unless you tell us you won't be upset! :( 3 weeks is decent for there!

 

The cat was a bit of stress. He is 21½ , so he needs company and emotional support, not to mention warmth, frequent feeding and digestive care. We give him arthritis pills, and he's totally deaf, but has learned to respond to sign language.

 

Is the greyhound a rescued racer? :D

 

While we're not in the least worried, what is your information on the dining hours on the boat? On the hetero- board, people are more worried about the late dining time than visas, or diseases, or touring. :rolleyes:

 

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/personal.html

 

Out of sight-out of mind-we take a lead from our dear Presidente when it comes to considering how backwards our social systems are to other countries. Seattle is a rather progressive place to live, thankfully.

 

21 years! That's quite amazing as well as the sign language. The greyhound is a rescued racer, 3 years on the track.

 

My cell phone will function there from what "they" tell me, and I'll be glad to send the number to you. I don't text much and I think I may have that service turned off on my plan, so I should check.

 

We're not very social before lunchtime, I'm afraid, so we're already handicapped for the 10:30 M&M! How about lunch? That would tend to be 2-3 p.m. for us.

 

We are also late eaters, but the possible 10:30 dinner might have forced us into the early seating. However, Steve talked to the Crown/Anchor people who apparently called the ship (?) and confirmed that the late seating will be a 9 p.m. That's what we are assuming for now. I've been reading a lot of the hetero board, too, and that has been a hot topic. Seems a little strange that it is so hard to get an straight answer from RCL. Apparently there must be a random director on the ship that decides from cruise to cruise what the schedule will be. :confused:

 

Thanks for the recommendations on Lisbon. It sounds just our speed.

 

Colin and Steve

[AnnieMarilyn]

We know the american system well. We won't tell you about the Swedish system unless you tell us you won't be upset! :( 3 weeks is decent for there!

 

The cat was a bit of stress. He is 21½ , so he needs company and emotional support, not to mention warmth, frequent feeding and digestive care. We give him arthritis pills, and he's totally deaf, but has learned to respond to sign language.

 

Is the greyhound a rescued racer? :D

 

While we're not in the least worried, what is your information on the dining hours on the boat? On the hetero- board, people are more worried about the late dining time than visas, or diseases, or touring. :rolleyes:

 

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/personal.html

 

Out of sight-out of mind-we take a lead from our dear Presidente when it comes to considering how backwards our social systems are to other countries. Seattle is a rather progressive place to live, thankfully.

 

21 years! That's quite amazing as well as the sign language. The greyhound is a rescued racer, 3 years on the track.

 

My cell phone will function there from what "they" tell me, and I'll be glad to send the number to you. I don't text much and I think I may have that service turned off on my plan, so I should check.

 

We're not very social before lunchtime, I'm afraid, so we're already handicapped for the 10:30 M&M! How about lunch? That would tend to be 2-3 p.m. for us.

 

We are also late eaters, but the possible 10:30 dinner might have forced us into the early seating. However, Steve talked to the Crown/Anchor people who apparently called the ship (?) and confirmed that the late seating will be a 9 p.m. That's what we are assuming for now. I've been reading a lot of the hetero board, too, and that has been a hot topic. Seems a little strange that it is so hard to get an straight answer from RCL. Apparently there must be a random director on the ship that decides from cruise to cruise what the schedule will be. :confused:

 

Thanks for the recommendations on Lisbon. It sounds just our speed.

 

Colin and Steve

[Malmö]

My cell phone will function there from what "they" tell me, and I'll be glad to send the number to you. I don't text much and I think I may have that service turned off on my plan, so I should check.

 

We're not very social before lunchtime, I'm afraid, so we're already handicapped for the 10:30 M&M! How about lunch? That would tend to be 2-3 p.m. for us.

 

also late eaters, but the possible 10:30 dinner might have forced us into the early seating. the late seating will be a 9 p.m. Seems a little strange that it is so hard to get an straight answer from RCL. random director on the ship that decides from cruise to cruise what the schedule will be.

 

Thanks for the recommendations on Lisbon. It sounds just our speed.

 

Colin and Steve

 

Text messaging (sms:ing) saves a lot over phoning, and you have the information saved, rather than writing it down. I don't know if you're covered under the new EU rules that limit the costs to maybe €0,25 per message. If you can't, then we could phone, but then you pay for an international call when you receive. :)

 

We are likewise morning challenged. Scott has been moaning that the 10.30 M&M cuts breakfast short. Normally we check when b'fast ends, and get there just before. Likewise, we have to check the eating hours, as to NOT get caught in the viscious cycle of wanting to eat when it is NOT eating time. (And restaurants have closed.) :( On past cruises we have posted for a F.o.D. meeting, and scarfed up lost gay souls. Our VGer cruise was good this way.

 

Any knowledge if they have internet-in-the-room? On our VGer, they had "dial up" which worked good enough. On our RSVP they had only the wireless, which was quite a rip! Hopefully, Scott will get work to pay. :p

 

We decided to wait until we are on the boat to deal with the dinner. 22,30 seems unrealistic, as that would push the midnight buffet to 3 in the morning. Too early dinner means tiring out, taking a nap, and crashing. :mad: I never found a cruise where you couldn't switch, except this last RSVP, where we were put in the early, and never could get an official place in the late seating. Though we later learned that there were always places, as people grazed at the buffet, and skipped the sit-down dinner. :rolleyes:

 

Another suggestion is a small Portuguese phrase book (I believe I have a Berlitz, though I did study Portuguese a million years ago. :o ) All the ports except La Palma are Portuguese speaking. Might come in handy.

 

How are you travelling to Lisbon? You're not flying through London, I hope?

[robertsw15]

Hi Guys,

 

Robert and David from the UK here - we're also on the cruise and looking forward to seeing you. We get to Lisbon on Saturday night and will probably take the easy option by taking a city tour and hopefully one to the Sintra/Estoril/Cascais area. The other place I want to return to is the Gulbenkian Museum - very much similar to the Frick in NYC or Burrell in Glasgow, one person's vision.

[Malmö]

Robert and David from the UK here -

We get to Lisbon on Saturday night and will probably take the city tour and to the Sintra/Estoril/Cascais area. return to is the Gulbenkian Museum - very much similar to the Frick in NYC or Burrell in Glasgow,

 

(An old saying where I came from.)

 

Do register for the Meet & Greet so you can join us there. :cool:

 

Do vote in this stupid poll I put up here. It developed a life of its own! :o

 

We have been to Lisbon twice before, but we somehow missed the Gulbenkian, though I had read of it. Will try to find it this time, though it is a long bloody holiday weekend in Portugal, or so I've heard! No idea what the hours might be, if any. :rolleyes:

Not sure what we'll do during our couple days in Lisbon, other than have brunch in the convent. Where are you staying? :confused:

 

When did you book the cruise?

Very nice to have others on board. We look forward to seeing you on the boat, if not in Lisbon. (We tend to eat late, though maybe not as late as :rolleyes: 22,30!)

 

Philipp' & Scott

[AnnieMarilyn]

Steve here. Sorry we have not been responed, we have both been under the weather. Steve