Ncl Dawn - 5/11/08

[cruisersNY]

My partner and I are booked on the NCL Dawn 5/11/08 cruise (NY to Bermuda). We've never sailed NCL, so not sure if they have FOD meeting or what the atmosphere is like. Anyone else gonna be on this cruise?

[jeffs55]

I love your avatars. What the heck happened on Carnival Fantasy?

The other time I was on Dawn (Sept 2006) they scheduled 2 FOD meetings, but they were un hosted! I went up to Star bar for the first one and there were just a bunch of people milling around, I didn't know who was who so I left. Next to last night they published that there would be an FOD in the pub (I forget it's real name, port side.) I'd met these 2 guys from Brooklyn earlier and they were there and I met a lesbian couple, but it was not organized at all.

Jeff

[jeffs55]

Explorer of the Sears makes me think of how wound up I'd get about the Sears

Christmas catalog that got delivered to our house every September back in the sixties.

[jame_g]

The best FOD group we ever had was on the Dawn. Met almost every evening over cocktails, sometimes went to dinner as a group, or met up with another couple for dinner.

 

Look in the newsletter, they will usually meet in one of the bars in the evening. (We were always in the Star Bar, near Cagneys) Show up, stake out a visible location with extra seats around and look for other family to come in. Very informal. A lot of it just depends on those cruising and if they are interested in attending.

[cruisersNY]

Thanks for the feedback. Will you be on this cruise?

As for Carnival Fantasy - yuckkk. Didnt like it at all. There were 2 fist fights in the night clubs and it was not an enjoyable cruise. Then again, we practically paid nothing to sail (so you get what you pay for).

 

Cheers-

[cruisersNY]

Received ort tickets this weekend - getting excited. Question: Usually, we dont pick a room - we let them assign one to us upon check-in. This time, we picked a room and we received the luggage tags with the Room # on the tags. Does this mean any chance of an upgrade is lost? We have a Balcony room and it would be great if they up'd us to a Suite :-)

[CruisinMaterial]

Hey There!

 

I'm sailing to Bermuda the next week when you return, only I'm going from Boston on the NCL Dream. You gave me a good idea though. I should check other sailings to the island and find out what if other folks want to get together and head to Hamilton for their nightlife!

 

Anyway, to answer your question about the upgrade. The only way NCL will now give you an upgrade is if they call and upsell you one. You've got the cabin you're assigned to. We did the guarantee category once with NCL and didn't get upgraded. The next time we got a huge upgrade. It's a gamble and this time we've actually picked a room since it's an older ship with a jogging track on one of the decks with staterooms directly beneath so imagine what that's going to be like at 8AM after a night in the disco! :eek:

 

Carnival cruise lines is aweful. I had a similar experience on the Destiny out of San Juan. Carnival is for the rowdy crowd! NCL is awesome and loves us gay folks! FODs every night and now the White Hot Party as part of 2.0!! Yay! :D

 

Happy Sailing!

~Jake

[cruisersNY]

Hey Jake - I didnt even think about local "nightlife" . Didn't realize there was a scene. Any suggestions (bar/clubs) would be great.

 

Enjoy

[jeffs55]

Not much.

A few years ago my friend Doug and I went on (my favorite ship) Celebrity Zenith. White Horse Pub in St George was open late, lots of folks of all persuasions there. Hamilton just had some twink video bar.

Now we're stuck out at the Navy Yard on my Dawn cruise.

I love Bermuda anyway.

Jeff

[CruisinMaterial]

Jeff - The place you mentioned is the place that I saw online for the NCL crew hang out and for Celebrity too. I didn't see anything else there for St. Georges but if you've gone then it must be worth while. I planned on trying out that place since it was close to the ship.

 

As for Hamilton, do you remember what the name of that place was? Was it Splash or something else? I've seen two different places as "the clubs" of the island so I figured those might be worth a try if I was going to hoof it to Hamilton. Being in the Naval Yard is actually closer to Hamilton than I am in St. Georges though. You can take the ferry across to Hamilton earlier in the evening and then cab it back to the ship. For me it seems like it's farther and what's with the locals driving 20 mph? I read that some where over the weekend, how do they get anywhere? :(

 

CruisersNY - From what I've read it's the tavern in St. Georges and Splash in Hamilton but I don't know how reliable that is. I keep digging for info. Check out my thread in this section about Bermuda.

 

Jake

[jeffs55]

Splash may be it, I totally don't remember. Didn't appeal to us, I'm 53 now and I think that was 2003. Also traveling with my Mom (and now I find out maybe my aunt, cousin and cousin's daughter.) Don't get me wrong I love my Mom and I try to take her on a cruise out of NYC about once a year. (She won't fly anymore.) But had I known the other family members were considering going I could have opted out and done something else with my vacation.

LTR partner staying home, sometimes not a bad thing to get away from each other for a bit.

We're on the May 11 Dawn with Cruisers NY.

Jeff

[CruisinMaterial]

I'm jealous you guys are leaving a week before me! I could use an escape right now! :eek: :(

 

Sounds like it's going to be a family affair. I'm going with mom only. My aunts went to Bermuda last year out of Boston on the Majesty and they didn't give it stellar reviews but it was their first cruise. I'm not sure I'd love cruising if I started out on the Majesty buy luckily I didn't. I can't wait for the F3 series. They look awesome!

 

Have an awesome trip!

[sjbritannic]

Splash may be it, I totally don't remember. Didn't appeal to us, I'm 53 now and I think that was 2003. Also traveling with my Mom (and now I find out maybe my aunt, cousin and cousin's daughter.) Don't get me wrong I love my Mom and I try to take her on a cruise out of NYC about once a year. (She won't fly anymore.) But had I known the other family members were considering going I could have opted out and done something else with my vacation.

LTR partner staying home, sometimes not a bad thing to get away from each other for a bit.

We're on the May 11 Dawn with Cruisers NY.

Jeff

 

Aha, you are still there LOL. Yes, that's happened to me more than once. I think we earn extra wings or something for such times. Is email working?

[jeffs55]

I have had to help coordinate the manufacturing of a pathetic straight boy magazine this week.

I've been a bit out of touch. Pied Piper probably skews a bit older, but in total there have been all types on board, and I have no experience with any other gay groups.

Jeff