atlantis room share

[rexrab]

I am 26 and thinking about doing a atlantis cruise. has anyone done the room share before? what was your experience?

[Oslo Dutch]

This can be a hit or miss. I did a room share twice (also RSVP last February) and I really didn't like it. It was probably me but once my roommate showed up on embarkation I felt immediately ill at ease with him. I did avoid him as much as possible. In the end I only stayed one night in my cabin. That night he showed up at 4am and left immediately after slamming doors and making a lot of noise.

 

However I just think I am not lucky as far as this. I've met enough guys who were traveling solo and who I wouldn't mind sharing at all.

As solo travelers are fined to pay double fare, so I have opted for another room share next year on RSVP instead.

 

But I find it pretty bad the way solo travelers are treated in the cruise industry. Cruises are considered to be a 5 star product. Can you imagine that 5 star hotels like the Ritz, Savoy or the Manderin are offering room shares for solo travellers???????

A little less corporate greed might be appropriate here!

[NudeSleeper]

Reint,

 

You poor thing, you had a freak of a roommate, as I told you when we were on the ship, he was in the cabin next to ours on the Panama cruise, and was very annoying.

 

 

Rexrab, I have done the room share also, only had a bad experience one time, although he never did anything to me, Make a long story short he was locked up and taken off the ship at the first port. (RSVP Zuiderdam 2003). Give it a try, keep us posted.

 

Donald

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Cruises:

Holland America- Eurodam 2/21 - 2/28/09

 

 

Past RSVP Cruises

Holland America- Zuiderdam (Exotic Caribbean) 2008

Holland America - Westerdam (Panama) 2006

Holland America - Westerdam (Caribbean Sun) 2005

Holland America - Oosterdam (Guatemala) 2004

Holland America - Zuiderdam (Que Rico) 2003

Carnival - Ecstasy (Mexican Rivera) 2002

[Oslo Dutch]

Reint,

 

You poor thing, you had a freak of a roommate, as I told you when we were on the ship, he was in the cabin next to ours on the Panama cruise, and was very annoying.

 

 

Rexrab, I have done the room share also, only had a bad experience one time, although he never did anything to me, Make a long story short he was locked up and taken off the ship at the first port. (RSVP Zuiderdam 2003). Give it a try, keep us posted.

 

Donald

 

Upcoming Cruises:

Holland America- Eurodam 2/21 - 2/28/09

 

 

 

Well Donald, This is turning into a very constructive thread promoting to share a room! ;) I was boxed off with one of the nerds of the ship and you once ended up with a prospective serial killer.

 

However I am fully convinced there are also good stories here. I ran into a group of guys who were initially roommates and now book the same cruise together every year.

 

Like I said I didn't stay in the cabin at all as I more or less moved in with a very nice guy in a very large comfortable balcony room. So it wasn't such a problem after all

 

Reint

[Boytjie]

 

Like I said I didn't stay in the cabin at all as I more or less moved in with a very nice guy in a very large comfortable balcony room. So it wasn't such a problem after all

 

Reint

 

Was that your dancing partner? ;)

[Oslo Dutch]

Yep :D He was a great buddy and partner in crime! I had a great time with him. I was a very lucky man indeed!

[Treven]

Personally, and as I've posted before, I bite the bullett and shell out the 100% Single Suppliment so I can get a cabin to myself.

Guess if I did the cabin share thing, I could cruise more often.

I look at the cabin share as a blind date that lasts all week.

[emjsea]

Does anyone who has ever done Atlantis room share if they ask any questions ahead of time to at least try to have some compatibility going? If they just randomly dump two people together, that could be scary, but if they at least ask about things such as smoking/non-smoking and up-all-night-dancing/not-up-all-night-dancing it would probably alleviate a lot of potential problems. I'm guessing they couldn't ask about preference for drug use due to liability issues.

 

We have a friend who would like to go, but being a romantic couple, we'd prefer not to share our room. If he can't find a roommate on his own, this could be an option.

[Treven]

Does anyone who has ever done Atlantis room share if they ask any questions ahead of time to at least try to have some compatibility going? If they just randomly dump two people together, that could be scary, but if they at least ask about things such as smoking/non-smoking and up-all-night-dancing/not-up-all-night-dancing it would probably alleviate a lot of potential problems. I'm guessing they couldn't ask about preference for drug use due to liability issues.

 

We have a friend who would like to go, but being a romantic couple, we'd prefer not to share our room. If he can't find a roommate on his own, this could be an option.

The only criteria Atlantis uses in matching people up is smoking/non-smoking. I think they should set up a few more things such as similar age groups, or party-hearty types vs. early to bed - early to rise.

[rexrab]

I will have to try to find someone to go with me. I have time since they are not posted for first time cruisers yat for next year. If i can't find anyone i will have to try it.

It is to bad they have 20 different hookup sites on the internet but atlantis cant set up a board for the people looking for roomates. that way we could find our own.

[emjsea]

They have a board, unfortunately it's only for alumni. It is supposed to be for things like finding a roommate, so you'd think they would open that portion up to anyone interested.

[promenadedeck]

I did the Atlantis cabin share on my first Atlantis cruise. When I found out that my cabin mate was DECADES older than me I called to see if they could change it to someone more or less within my age range. Unfortunately, they couldn't because the ship was already full and any changes made would create a domino effect, plus it would constitute age discrimination. Although, I don't how setting up people in similar age groups is age discrimination.

 

I didn't let it ruin my vacation, but I wasn't too happy about the situation. I made the best of it. Since we talked over our preferences at the beginning, he told me that he didn't like inviting "guests" over and was not willing to make arrangements or any sort of compromise. That was the worst thing about sharing a room.

 

For my next Atlantis cruise in October, I reserved an entire cabin in the share category so that I could find my own cabin mate, and if I don't find one, I have the back up option of letting Atlantis find one.

 

The Atlantis site has a section for alumni to look for room mates, and there's also Atlantis411.net. I'm thinking about giving both a try, but honestly don't know how successful it could be, or if it has worked for other people. It would probably be best to go into it without any expectations, so you won't be disappointed if things don't turn out the way you expected.

[Oslo Dutch]

.

 

I didn't let it ruin my vacation, but I wasn't too happy about the situation. I made the best of it. Since we talked over our preferences at the beginning, he told me that he didn't like inviting "guests" over and was not willing to make arrangements or any sort of compromise. That was the worst thing about sharing a room.

 

It would probably be best to go into it without any expectations, so you won't be disappointed if things don't turn out the way you expected.

 

 

This was one of the problems with my room mate on RSVP. After I came on board very happy but pretty tired after a wonderful day cave tubing with the Cruisecritic boys, I opened the cabin door and he I saw him having a high jump on a man person in his bed.

I would have been very obliged to give him space and time for some horizontal refreshment. However don't do it at a time when everybody comes back on board. from a shore excursion and is in dire need of a shower and a nap. And put at least a do not disturb sign on the door, I was not a pretty sight this display of homo concours hippique. I grew very irritated by the retarded way he responded to it.

So I headed off to the Spa and bubbled, steamed and sweated my frustration out.

Later I became even more annoyed as discovered I missed Church bingo because of this!!!:eek::eek: Luckily Sister Helen organised another bingo session on the last night of the cruise. (P.S. Atlantis cruisers, forget about late night deck parties and T dances, Church Bingo is the absolute summit of the RSVP social calendar!)

[emjsea]

I opened the cabin door and he I saw him having a high jump on a man person in his bed.

 

LOL... what a great way to put it :D You gotta be careful you don't hit your head on the fire sprinklers when you do that though!

[CRSNDC]

I prefer to take responsibility for the whole cabin myself and then find a roommate. It can be pricey up front (Atlantis takes $1000) but it works out in the end. Once you find a roommate you call Atlantis and authorize the person to join your reservation. And request the payment to be split/reapportioned. The the new guy calls Atlantis with your reservation number and pays for his half.

 

The following places are helpful- atlantis411 dot net, groups dot msn dot com slash atlantisevents, the atlantis alumni site (have an alumni friend post for you), cruisemates dot com, cruise critic, and craigs list.

 

-Chris

[sexyaznboy]

Great thread, and I enjoy reading everyone's experiences. It seems that a good proportion of the gay men on Atlantis cruises are singles, it really surprises me that they are not trying to make more efforts to make finding a compatible roommate more of a priority. I am one of I'm sure many who are hesitant about trying an Atlantis cruise because the 100% single supplements on an already inflated price is totally unacceptable. I know that the increased price is to support gay related activities and entertainment, but to pay twice that much to me is not worth it. On the other hand having a roommate assigned at random purely based on smoking preferences is naive IMO. With my luck I'd end up with some psycho partier who brings in people at all hours of the night! Oh well, until I find a way to find a roommate that is based on more compatibility features, I'll have to stick with mainstream cruising. Although I do admit one day I definitely will want to try a gay cruise.

[emjsea]

I think the difference with the single-room supplement is strictly due to economics. Many mainstream cruises have trouble selling out and, sometimes, have much lower prices as you near the date of the cruise. The cruiseline itself only wants every "space" sold, even if that space is a ghost space sold to one person a second time at a huge discount rate.

 

Atlantis has no trouble sellling out, in fact there is a waiting list, so it wouldn't make business sense for them to let someone have a whole room for less than full price. The cruiseline makes money on other things besides the fare (such as casino, drinks, buying things in the stores) so it doesn't hit them as hard. I suspect Atlantis only makes money off your fare so it wouldn't make sense for them to offer one of their much-coveted spaces at a discount rate.

 

Atlantis is a business and, unfortunately for some folks, it doesn't have all the things everyone wants, but that is only because they are making a killing for providing a very much wanted service. That's what businesses do. If they needed to provide such specific services (roommate matching) or discounts to fill their spaces, they would. They aren't a service organization or non-profit and they are not obliged to provide anything special to the "community." If they sold stock and I were a stockholder, I'd be angry if they cut into the profits by doing something like that.

[DarwinOrlando]

I just got back from my first Atlantis cruise last week and used the roommate share program. My friend and his partner were going but I couldn't find anyone else to go.

 

My roommate ended up being a very nice guy who happened to be 20 years older than me but it didn't seem to matter. By the end of the trip we had decided that we would room together again if the need arose. He told me that I was his third random roommate and he had lucked out all three times and his odds were running out of avoiding psychos (and there were a few on the boat)!

 

I only had two issues. I was supposed to be matched with a smoker but Atlantis screwed up and put me with a non-smoker. Thankfully my roommate didn't care and we had a balcony anyway.

 

My other issue was with Celebrity. Both my roommate and I were given the same reservation number to sign up on the Celebrity website. When you log in, both names are listed and you click on yours to enter your info. This includes name, address, email, passport number, and credit card number for your ship account if you choose to do it then.

 

After I entered my info I clicked on my roommate's name out of curiosity. The first page gave me his address, phone number, and email. If I clicked any further I think I would have access to alot more!!!

 

My advice is to wait until boarding to give your credit card number for the ship account. Take the risk of a stranger, I had a great time!

[Oslo Dutch]

My roommate ended up being a very nice guy who happened to be 20 years older than me but it didn't seem to matter. By the end of the trip we had decided that we would room together again if the need arose. He told me that I was his third random roommate and he had lucked out all three times and his odds were running out of avoiding psychos (and there were a few on the boat)!

 

You see! There are some good experiences! So now it's my turn to have a good one after two bad ones! :)

 

 

My other issue was with Celebrity. Both my roommate and I were given the same reservation number to sign up on the Celebrity website. When you log in, both names are listed and you click on yours to enter your info. This includes name, address, email, passport number, and credit card number for your ship account if you choose to do it then.

 

After I entered my info I clicked on my roommate's name out of curiosity. The first page gave me his address, phone number, and email. If I clicked any further I think I would have access to alot more!!!

 

My advice is to wait until boarding to give your credit card number for the ship account. Take the risk of a stranger, I had a great time!

 

Correct, I had the same problem too. As I was the first person on the list I ended up with all my roommate's room service charges on my bill. And had to queue up on disembarkation morning to have them taken off. When I told the front desk staff that he was my roommate but for the rest I had nothing to do with him they looked at me like the sea was burning. So this seems to be something very specific for gay cruising.

 

So check your bill in the end!!!!

[RMS Olympic]

A few thoughts.

I have done shares in the past and some were good....some were non desript, some were so bad my trip was seriously impacted.

As a single that lives at home alone, sharing means compromise...something you might not be use to.

Vacation styles can vary, some people could care less about being considerate, Throw in alcohol, mood swings, lack of sleep and what might seem like a small issue can escalate quickly.

When you live alone.....sharing can be a real stretch. Early riser / sleep in? Neat / slob. On board for sex as often and as much as possible or not. Remember some times a hard.....has no conscience.

Age......to me this should only be an issue if deep down you are hoping for chemistry. vacation style is more critical. My last share (On RSVP) I booked a veranda cabin share. My roommate, a few years older than me stated immediately upon arrival that he never wanted the drapes opened, never to open the veranda door....no noise, no lights...that he intended to sleep till noon every day because of the late nights he intended to keep. When I opened the veranda...I was reprimanded with vulger slurrs. I put up with it, bit my tongue and regretted spending the money on a veranda cabin.

I am an early person.......having a night owl that is inconsiderate is a major problem. I am quiet and neat. I can accept someone elses agenda except when it is done in an inconsiderate way. To those insisting on having sex while on the cruise...get a cabin by yourself....to me there is no excuse to keep your share out of the cabin regardless of time of day unless it is arranged upfront and is acceptable to the share that must get out. Even then there should be a time limit. If you are a me me mine mine all about me kind of person....get a room alone.

Remember you dont know someone till you lived with them...so there is no guarantee even if you exchange e-mails ahead of time.

My suggestion is for RSVP or Atlantis to schedule a gathering on board for meeting roommates for future cruises....this way you can meet, chat during the current cruise and observe behavior patterns. At the gathering people could be grouped into early birds, night owls, noon nap types, high maintenance, party types, gym rats, those looking for multiple hook up types. Potentials matches could then continue to discuss on their own over dinner, drinks, by the pool.....or even in an intimate setting if chemistry overrides reasoning. Sometimes the chemistry fails and sisters emerge.....the perfect roommate.

[sexyaznboy]

Great post RMS, I too am an early person, I like to eat dinner at the early sitting, and yes I will occasionally party of course, but I like to watch the sun rise and work out in the morning (all those extra calories!)

 

You sound like you'd make a great roomie!

 

Let me know if you ever want to take applications in the future!:D

[Treven]

Ditto on the good post Tom.

 

Since I've lived alone for a good long time, I don't know that I could compromise; perhaps it's good that I do get a cabin to myself.

 

I do get up early, like to eat dinner by 6, and "generally" am in bed by 10:00; although I have been known to stay up till 3 or 4 on Atlantis cruises.

[woofie71]

Hey sexyaznboy,

 

I can't figure out how to send private messages on this forum. Can you send me an e-mail? woofie71 @ yahoo.com

 

Wanna ask you something. Thanks.

[RMS Olympic]

Sexyaznboy.....next time we cross paths on a cruise...lets talk.

 

Treven...I still dont know who you are. Although I paid for the BlueQ in Key West I never made it so I did not get to find out who you are. The first night out I was a bad boy....I got too chummy with Togi who was running the Martini bar. As a light drinker I had way way way too much and the next thing I knew my watch said 4am......considering I go to sleep early. Well I still got up at about 7am and was on deck for our sail into key West....but. It was only after noon time did I venture ashore with a hangover I havent experienced since the 2005 Atlantis Mexico cruise on the Radiance. Come to think of it, its was Cosmos that time as well.

So I did not get to meet you and associate a face witha name.....my loss.

Perhaps in the future.

woofie...love the picture.........

Too all others...a roommate can be a great thing if you are honest with yourself on what you expect, what you can tolerate and understand the pros and cons.

Me, on my next cruise I intend to ask for a meet and greet future roomie gathering.

[Treven]

Tom, I do know they were a couple passengers short on the bluQ; and as there wasn't anyone named "Tom" on the ship's listing I figured one of the missing was U. I happened to be the last person to sign their waiver so it was easy to scan the names - no Tom. I have a few pix posted on Smugmug that I took on the excursion: http://treven.smugmug.com/gallery/4536680_sAEWH#267178512

I had a good time, for the most part. The one thing that really did irk me was as we were pulling back up to where they were docking, the guy who was "driving" the boat said, "since we took care of you during the cruise, now it's your turn to take care of us". I really didn't appreciate his trolling for tips. Now if they simply had a coffee can taped on one of the pieces at their berth with "Tips Appreciated" or something to that affect, that would have been fine. Then I would have shown my appreciation. Certainly though, not the way they did it.

 

At the end of the City & Beer tour in Belize City, we were shaking hands with our driver/guide. As I shook his hand, I slipped him a $5. He didn't ask for or even mention expececting to be tipped. I'm quite certain others on the tour did the same thing as they shook his hand.