Zuiderdam 12/04/04

[colo-cruiser]

Is anyone else on this cruise? I just booked this particular sailing, and it seemed that it was not heavily booked. Will there be any other gays or will I have to forge the frontiers on my own for this sailing. The FOD get-together could be rather limited. I just hope that there is not some sort of large group on the ship.

[Fit Heart]

Hey colo-cruiser! Glad to hear that you've booked the Zuiderdam for December 4. My partner and I will be on the ship. His first time on a cruise ship and to the Caribbean. I'm looking forward to sharing that with him. I know there is another gay male couple booked as well. They posted here quite a while back, but I haven't seen anything from them for some time now. I don't think there is a large group scheduled to be on the ship. I think it's just a slower time of year for cruises. I have sailed around this time of year before, and it tends to be slower to book. I think that's because kids are still in school and folks are planning their Christmas and Hannukah and are quite busy. Many folks cruise over Thanksgiving and Christmas while kids are on break, so we get the advantage of a not so packed ship. Sounds good to me!!! I saw on your other post on Holland America thread you were on the Z in July. I'm assuming this means you like the ship and had a great trip. We've never been on Holland America Line, and I booked it because I could get a suite at a great price. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts as a gay traveler on HAL. I've heard pretty good things actually. Anyway, welcome to the 12/04/04 Zuiderdam cruise. It will be fun to have other gay folks on board, even if it isn't lots of us. Who knows maybe we can arrange dining together somehow.

[colo-cruiser]

Hey there,
I'm glad that you found the message. I saw that you had posted quite some time back and hoped that you hadn't abandoned your watch.
My partner and I were on the Z at the end of July. Great deal on the S cabin back then. The S cabin is really very nice. The best parts are having the separate check in line at the pier. Then, you also get laundry service, so be sure to get those tuxes pressed when you get on board. We also liked the Neptune lounge, because it was very nice to avoid the crowds for things like signing up for shore excursions and such. So of course, I am in a S cabin again. HAL seems to be a bit more sedate than some other lines. And, as you said, the kids are mostly in school.
I think that there will be a FOD get together so watch the schedule. There was a gay asst cruise director in July and I think he may still be on board in December. We'll just have to wait and see.
I am traveling alone this trip, since I get more vacation time than my partner. I think it would be great to catch up with you and help you celebrate your birthday. It's less than 60 days away!!!
Are you going to Fort Lauderdale early? Any great shore excursions? I don't know about the gay scene in St. Thomas or Tortola. I think it is pretty underground in Nassau.

[Fit Heart]

Good to hear back from you. We are in an S cabin ourselves and looking forward to those extra perks. Makes it easier not to pack so much stuff for sure (we'll see if that really happens). It's great that you're comfortable traveling alone and doing it in style nonetheless. I would find it very easy to do as well. Right now, I have booked two shore excursions. I booked the turquoise cabana on HMC, and I'm hoping they are back in working order by then. The Z stopped at HMC this past Friday and none of the cabanas were available. I'm assuming in two months they should be back up to speed. I've also booked a private sailing excursion for my partner and I for the day we're in St. Thomas. I have spent some time there, but not familiar with a gay scene at all (of course that doesn't mean it's not there). I figure we'll sail a good part of the day, and still have some time to shop if we want. As far as Tortola, my family has a time share there, and I have spent some time there as well. I imagine we'll take the ferry over to Virgin Gorda to show my partner the Baths. There is some incredible snorkeling, and it is a great place to explore. I do believe they are a must see when in the area. There are two ferry services over to VG and not expensive, especially compared to what the ship charges. It's nice to be on your own over there. Anyway, that's what's scheduled at this point. We'll hope that Mother Nature slows down the hurricanes this month and next, so that the Eastern Caribbean stays intact for our early December arrival. Feel free to contact me via email if you like [email]fitheart@aol.com[/email]. It would be nice to have you join us to celebrate my birthday. I'm guessing you'll have a great time relaxing and meeting people on your own. A very different experience on the Z this time from your trip in July.

Michael