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News & Expert Advice
A Blog for the LGBT Community Who Love To CruiseRandall Shirley: Editor
Tom Baker: Cruise Expert
Don Church & Tony Schillaci: Guest Writers
Tagged: Celebrity RSS
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Randall Shirley
Gay cruisers are gonna love this! Big Broadway stars at sea…
The cruise ship Celebrity Summit. Photo courtesy © Celebrity Cruises.
Anyone who’s been on a mainstream cruise knows that while the main theatre entertainment is usually pretty good, it’s generally just a bunch of young performers who haven’t made it to Broadway yet, and are cutting their teeth by working on the ships instead of summer stock or Disney parks. Indeed, seeing a big Broadway name on a ship is a rarity previously reserved for special “theme” cruises.
Celebrity Cruises has just changed that, and your Broadway-loving editor couldn’t be happier about the May 2, 2013, announcment from Celebrity:
“Celebrity Cruises announced an exclusive partnership with Manhattan’s noted “54 Below,” which will bring guests on Celebrity’s newly “Solsticized” Celebrity Summit the industry’s most comprehensive, direct-from-Broadway entertainment experience while sailing to the pink-sand paradise of Bermuda.
54 Below – ensconced in a cool, cozy cellar space beneath the legendary, disco-era “Studio 54” – has been dubbed “a throwback to the heyday of authentic New York nightlife,” and “the hot new stage attracting Broadway’s brightest stars.” Now, those stars will light up the stage of Celebrity Summit during its Bermuda vacation season from Cape Liberty (Bayonne), NJ, from this Sunday, May 5, through October 2013.
“‘We are incredibly excited to partner with 54 Below, offering our guests a unique theatrical experience featuring world-class Broadway talent in cabaret style performances,’ said Celebrity’s Director of Entertainment Eric Bohus.”
As of today Celebrity’s planned “Below 54″ schedule are those listed below. If I were booking, I’d be glad to hear any of them, but personally I’m especially keen on Faith Prince, Darius DeHaas, Tom Wopat (well howdy, Luke Duke!), and Marin Mazzie. At this time, the schedule of dates and performers is not available, but Celebrity has confirmed that there will be a performer on each sailing through the specified period. Who would you be excited to hear?
- Faith Prince, Tony Award winner for Best Actress in a Musical for Guys & Dolls
- Donna McKechnie, Tony Award winner for Best Actress in a Musical in A Chorus Line
- Anthony Rapp, best known for originating the role of “Mark Cohen” in Rent
- Jarrod Spector, who starred as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys
- Alice Ripley, who won a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for Next to Normal, and also has appeared in Les Miserables and Sunset Boulevard
- Telly Leung, star of the hit TV show Glee (“Wes”) Telly Leung, whose Broadway credits include Rent and Godspell;
- Andrea McArdle, the original “Annie,” who went on to star in Les Miserables, Starlight Express and Beauty & The Beast
- Christine Andreas, three-time Tony Award nominee recognized for her roles in Oklahoma and On Your Toes
- Elizabeth Stanley of Company, Cry Baby, Million Dollar Quartet
- Shoshana Bean, whose credits include Hairspray and Wicked
- Darius DeHaas of Kiss of the Spider Woman, Rent and Carousel
- Tom Wopat of TV’s The Dukes of Hazzard, City of Angels, 42nd St., Guys & Dolls, Chicago and Sondheim on Sondheim
- Brent Barrett, whose credits include West Side Story and Chicago
- Ann Hampton Callaway, Tony-nominated for her role in Swing
- Liz Callaway, nominated for a Tony for her role in Baby, and who also performed in Cats and Miss Saigon
- Gregg Edelman, a four-time Tony nominee, including nods for Best Actor in a Musical for City of Angels
- Marin Mazzie, three-time Tony Award nominee for her roles in Passion, Ragtime and Kiss Me, Kate
- Karen Mason, who has appeared in Mamma Mia and Hairspray and is best known for her portrayal of “Norma Desmond” in Sunset Boulevard
- Emily Skinner, whose credits include The Full Monty and Billy Elliot
Additional acts will yet be announced.
Who from the list would you be excited to hear? Who’s the most amazing performer you’ve ever heard on a ship?
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Randall Shirley
Alaska Port: Ketchikan shore excursions with bears!
Denni on the lookout for bears (we saw them! video below) at Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary near Ketchikan–ideal shore excursion! Photo: © Randall Shirley
It seems just about every cruise ship that heads to Alaskan waters will visit Ketchikan. On our first Alaska cruise, Ketchikan was simultaneously one of our most- and least-anticipated port stops. I was excited about it because it sounds exotic, plus one of my university crushes was from there and I hoped to catch a glimpse and see if his hotness remains. It was least-anticipated because my husband grew up in nearby Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and basically figured Ketchikan would be just like Prince Rupert.
Turns out, it was our favorite port of our entire Celebrity Millennium cruise during August, 2012. Why?
1. The Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary – Bear tour. This is among the coolest things I’ve ever done, anywhere. Wandering into woods filled with black bear mamas and their cubs seems a foolish thing to do, but the guides from the sanctuary gave me the confidence that they could keep us safe, and they did. This is a phenomenal operation. And yes, we saw plenty of lovely black bears and cubs. At right, you can see a photo of Denni on one of the viewing platforms (between platforms we were often on trails, complete with bear scat!), and below that is a video:
2. The totems. I’ve seen the totems in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, but in Alaska they seem to belong even more. We enjoyed wandering amidst the totems at the Totem Heritage Center, about a 20 minute walk from downtown and the cruise pier.
Denni and Randall visit the Ketchikan Totem Center, in Alaska. Photo: Photo: © Randall Shirley
Totems are magic–extending both the storytelling and history of native people’s, plus being brilliant artwork. Photo: © Randall Shirley
3. The amazing “chef’s table” experience at the Alaska Fish Co., as detailed in a previous posting here. If you’re as
Chuck Slagle, owner of Alaska Fish House, is an outstanding storyteller and host. Photo: © Randall Shirley
lucky as we were, owner/fisherman Chuck Slagle, seen in the photo here, will be your “lunch guide,” sharing the stories of the region’s seafood bounty and history.
4. Gallery strolling. Mind you, it often rains in Ketchikan, so it is an ideal port for shopping. We particularly enjoyed the art and the crafts at a shop called Coho Soho, which features many fabulously fun pieces by Ray Troll. This gallery is in the “Creek Street” area, which is basically structures built above a creek—once home to many seedy elements of the port city. Fun stuff!
Note: As is customary in the travel writing industry, the author visited as a guest of Celebrity Cruises and the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, who arranged the experiences mentioned. None of these travel/experience providers has reviewed this text/photos, and the opinions are purely those of the author.
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Randall Shirley
Gay cruise perspective: My 5 favorite ports (to date). What are yours?
It seems everyone loves a “favorites” list. So I jotted down my favorite ports—but only places I’ve actually visited by ship! I’ve been to many great port cities as a “land” visitor, but these were all visited by cruise ship (list is in no particular order).
What are your faves? What makes a great port? Comment below
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A fruit stand in Sorrento indicates the towns connection to agriculture. There are literally lemon groves in the city. Photo: Randall Shirley
San Juan, Puerto Rico. Every time I’ve been there, I’ve absolutely loved the vibe of the place, not to mention some seriously tasty eye candy! I like the reasonably rough Atlantic waves, even if Condado beach feels a bit Miami wanna-be. One of my all-time fave local foods, the “mofongo,” made from plantains, can be found around San Juan (unfortunately the amazing Ajili Mojili has closed) and is a must-try. Fun gay bars there, too.
- Hilo, Hawaii. Tiny, rainy Hilo. I love that it’s a laid-back bit of the Big Island, since most visitors focus on the dryer Kona region. It is the perfect port for renting a car and driving to Volcanoes National Park. Hot!
- Sorrento, Italy. We were so happy onboard the Azamara Quest that we almost stayed on the ship in Sorrento—especially after overly-crowded Taormina. Thankfully, we decided to go for a peek. Look what we found! We can’t wait to go back and stay a few days in this Italian gem where lemon trees literally scent the Mediterranean air.
- Caracas (La Guaira), Venezuela. A caveat: it’s been a lot of years since I visited Caracas. In fact, it was a port on my first-ever cruise; age 22, with my parents. I convinced Dad and some other guests to charter a van, and we drove from the coast into the center of Venezuela’s sprawling metropolis. It was my first taste of South America, and it seemed so very exotic, and was such a clear visual of wealth against poverty (circa 1988). I hope to go back sometime.
- Ketchikan, Alaska. This may surprise many Alaska cruise veterans, but Denni and I loved funny little rainy Ketchikan, during our honeymoon cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. We liked the walkability, and the visualness. We also loved the rainforest bear sanctuary (see video below) where we came dang close to many black bears. It was all topped off by a “best of the best” seafood meal at the Alaska Fish House Chef’s Table. Several courses of locally-caught seafood…wow.
What ports do you love? Why?
Note: As is common in the travel journalism industry, for purposes of reviewing the products, the author’s visit to Ketchikan was hosted by the Ketchikan Visitor’s Bureau, his Alaska cruise courtesy of Celebrity, and his Italy cruise was hosted by Azamara. These entities have neither reviewed nor approved this posting; all opinions are unbiased and that of the author.
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Randall Shirley
Celebrity Qsine: Cruise specialty restaurant on steroids!
Do you generally find the specialty restaurants on ships worth the extra money? Comment below.
Dining on Celebrity ships is generally one of my favorite things, and on the Millennium (Alaska, late summer 2012) we found the experience and quality in the specialty restaurants to be worth the extra charge. Months later, I still find myself thinking about how outstanding both the Olympic and Qsine® experiences were.
On Millennium we were particularly fond of the Olympic. The service was spot-on, and the food was our favorite of the entire cruise. Generally, Denni and I order different entrées so we can sample more tastes, but from the Olympic’s menu we both selected a trio of filet mignon. Months later, and many other great meals later, I still think about this meal. From an appetizer called “wild forest mushroom cappuccino” to the entrée to an insanely good chocolate soufflé, the food exceeded our expectations. We tried the Olympic during our first night onboard, and it really set the tone for a perfect trip. The restaurant’s atmosphere is a bit stuffy for my taste, and feels very historic European. French walnut panels in the restaurant are from the SS Olympic, sister-ship of the ill-fated Titanic. It would be an excellent formal night choice.
Qsine Restaurant Celebrity Millennium. Photo: Randall Shirley
At the other end of the décor spectrum is Qsine, the Celebrity concept restaurant that’s turning expectations about cruise ship dining upside down. I call this a specialty restaurant on steroids. We ate at this restaurant on night four of our cruise, and were amused by the clever use of iPads® as menus. Unfortunately, the iPads are not wirelessly connected to the kitchen, so you still place your order via a traditional server—albeit a very good server! We found the service in this restaurant as good as any we’ve experienced anyplace on earth. Absolutely superb.
Qsine’s food is basically an international tour, with nods to Indian food, Chinese food, and many others. We were a bit tired of red meat at that point in the cruise, but the server insisted we try their filet mignon, called “painter’s mignon.” So freaking good—served with a variety of sauces. Other standouts of the belly-busting meal (we just couldn’t stop ordering) were “lava crab,” and spring rolls made from short ribs.
Throughout the cruise, we weren’t shy about letting it be known we were a couple on our honeymoon. In Qsine, we were shocked when the entire restaurant staff presented our dessert with a rousing singing of “Happy Honeymoon to You.” Wow.
The décor of this restaurant is whimsy and fun, with splashes of elegance. The room’s largest table is graced by an upside-down chandelier. Throughout the room the colour scheme leans to orange, black, and white—yet somehow manages to avoid feeling like an homage to Halloween.
Read our full review of Celebrity Millenium.
Do you generally find the specialty restaurants on ships worth the extra money? Comment below.
Note: The author cruised as a guest of Celebrity Cruise Lines. Opinions are unbiased, and the cruise line has not reviewed or had any direction of this content.
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Joe Ridky
We cruise more on NCL and always enjoy their specialty restaurants, with Le Bistro and Moderno being the best. Gagny’s Chop House restaurant was also a favorite, until recently when the quality of the steaks noticeably declined. With regards to Celebrity, two of the VERY BEST restaurants I have ever been to was Tuscany and Murano on the Celebrity Solstice. The food was top notch and the restaurants themselves were beautiful. Well worth every penny.
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Randall Shirley
Ship Review: Celebrity Millennium
Sailing date for review: August 17, 2012
Itinerary: Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, British ColumbiaOverview
Photo © Celebrity Cruises
The Celebrity Millennium was launched in early 2000, and relaunched after “Solsticizing” during 2012, in time for the Alaska cruise season. Solsticizing is a clever branding term for a major face lift. The Millennium was remodeled in many public areas, and freshened in others. New staterooms called “Aqua Class” were squeezed onto deck 11 where apparently the walking track used to be (it’s still there, just a shortened version), and the ship was given new restaurants called Qsine®, and Blu. Other notable new additions are a mid-ship Martini Bar and a wine bar.
The ship carries just over 2,100 passengers. This is a very desirable ship size for me. I find it manageable for getting around; can find the various amenities, yet still have the occasional surprise. The number of passengers also means there is a good chance to actually connect with people, without being either overwhelmed by numbers, or giving up all anonymity.
Gay Friendly Rating: Four Liferings (out of five)- Gay gatherings were included several times in the printed daily program. The listings were in a section called “Top X Tips,” on the inside of the newsletter—not mixed into the “Today’s Activities” section. They were listed simply as “LGBT” with the time and place (always Martini Bar). The first listing occurred on the first full cruise day, and set the tone for the entire cruise. The gays were at the Martini Bar nightly, announcement or not.
- We presented as a couple throughout the ship—often holding hands, and usually referring to each other as “husbands,”—and felt completely comfortable in every setting, including interactions with cabin staff, dining staff, shops staff, and ship’s officers.
- Yes: Other MeetMeOnBoard.com members on board. We connected on board with MMOB members we had communicated with before the cruise.
- I would give this ship a 5/5 if they had assigned a gay staffer to attend the LGBT socials.
Highlights
- Artwork. We found the artwork throughout the ship to be particularly attractive and engaging—it seemed to fit Celebrity’s hip and upscale image. Of special note were the human caricature sculptures nestled in the forward stairway alcoves, by German artist Stephan Balkenhol.
- Captain’s Club host. Bruce Van Der Boon, a South African, has spent many years working on ships and really exudes hospitality and warmth. We had numerous chats with him around the ship, and knew we could count on him for solid advice. He was often available at the Captain’s Club desk on deck 3.
- Martini Bar. Located midship on deck 4, this very public spot was the nightly gathering place for the many gay passengers onboard—along with many straight folks. Service was outstanding, and there’s some fancy choreography to the bartending. It’s social and fun.
- Qsine. This upcharge restaurant on deck 10 has great views out the windows, but the highlight is the clever,
Photo: Celebrity Cruises – Qsine
unexpected dining concept which essentially turns everything you thought about cruise ship cuisine upside down. The menu is presented on an iPad (unfortunately, they haven’t got them synched with the kitchen to allow you to actually order from your iPad—you still need a server). The food is essentially a sampling of international cuisine—including unique twists on spring rolls, butter chicken, and filet mignon. Of course, you can eat all you want—we left overstuffed. We also found the service in this restaurant to be the best on the ship: the servers seemed to really enjoy their work. We were very comfortable as a gay couple, and were served a dessert decorated with “Happy Honeymoon” while the staff serenaded us.
- Olympic Restaurant. This lower deck restaurant is a nod to the traditional side of cruising, and the décor feels like old-Europe. The food was probably the best we ate on the ship, of special note was a trio of small filet mignon pieces, wrapped in pastry. The chocolate soufflé was probably the single-best desert of the cruise. The full menu for this restaurant is available on Celebrity’s website.
- Michael’s Club. This bar area specializes in beers from around the world, but we liked it because of the cozy, old-boys-club atmosphere and the outstanding service. It was a great spot for Denni and me to just chill together, as well as an end-of-cruise, late-night gathering of our newfound gay friends where we could talk easily and exchange contact info.
- Grand Foyer. My inner princess just couldn’t get enough of walking up and down the chic, back-lit onyx staircase that connects the Martini Bar area of deck 4 to the guest services area of deck 3. It was the perfect spot for formal photos.
Stateroom
Photo courtesy Celebrity Cruises
Our stateroom was deluxe verandah, far forward on deck 9. It was nicely appointed, and I found the bed to be very comfortable—Denni found it hard. Everything was operational, and the room was clean. Décor was pleasant but not memorable. The stateroom service was appropriate—our Indian (Goa) cabin attendants were friendly but never intrusive, and one of them often wished us a “blessed day.” Upon arrival, our the bed was already configured as one bed for a couple, and we were not questioned by the attendants as to whether we wanted it separated, as has happened on some ships.
Dining
- Qsine & Olympic Restaurants: see above in highlights.
- Main Dining Room “Metropolitan”: While the taste of the food was very good, we found the food temperatures to be inconsistent—which is not up to Celebrity’s reputation. We advised the hotel manager of this toward the end of our cruise, and hopefully it has been resolved.
- Buffet “Ocean Café & Grill”: The food quality in this buffet setting was very good. We were able to find plenty of healthy choices, and especially enjoyed the salad bar and freshly-made sandwiches. They also generally had a meat carving station, some Asian-focused choices, and some Indian foods. The poolside grill area’s offerings included delicious turkey burgers.
- Solarium Aquaspa Café: Items offered here included organic breads, yogurt parfaits, and more. The quality was outstanding, and its relatively obscured location on the ship made it less crowded than the main buffet for breakfast.
- Blu. This restaurant is limited to Aqua Class guests. We did not travel in Aqua Class, so did not dine in Blu.
Entertainment & Leisure
- The Millennium’s evening production shows were predictable (Broadway, variety singer/dancer), and of excellentquality, and music around the ship was always enjoyable. The onboard comedian didn’t impress us. With the LGBT gathering happening nightly at 7:45 and the general busy-ness of an evening on this ship, we didn’t find ourselves “looking” for the stage shows like we have on some ships. The ship’s crew talent show, on our last sea day, included some very good singers and was enjoyable.
- Gym and spa. We found the gym on this ship comparable with most mid-sized ships these days. The variety of cardio and weight equipment was satisfactory, and was in good shape. Our only complaint was the fitness class music was played too loudly, and benefited relatively few people. We didn’t choose a spa package on this ship, although did take a look at the steam rooms during the Day 1 “tour the ship” time. We smartly realized that the long shore days on the itinerary would not permit much spa time, but would consider a spa or steam bath package on an itinerary with shorter shore days or more sea days. The men-only dry sauna had at least one user every time I popped by (5-6 times during the cruise). I did not use the facility—only checked on it for our readers’ interest. I didn’t perceive that anything sexual was going on, although the moderate privacy level of the facility could have permitted a tiny indiscretion or two. It did appear that a window facing into the bathroom/locker area was probably installed to prevent that very thing.
- Shops. We quite enjoyed watch shopping on this ship, and Denni actually bought. The ship includes a sexy Tag Heuer boutique, and it is supposedly owned by Tag with pricing guaranteed. In more practical shopping, I was frustrated that the basic Celebrity logo wear didn’t come out until our final sea day, as I wanted to replace an old logo sweatshirt—much of the logo stuff for sale pushed the Alaska destination concept. I asked early during the cruise, and was surprised that the clerk told me it would come later in the cruise, but didn’t offer to get it for me earlier.
- Photographers. We found the photography staff on this ship to be particularly enjoyable and engaging, and gay-welcoming. You can read more about our out experiences with them here.
Disclosure: As is customary in the travel writing profession, the cruise was provided by the cruise line for the purposes of reviewing the experience. Opinions remain unbiased, and are those of the author.
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Randall Shirley
Waves of Love: Choosing a gay honeymoon
Choosing a gay honeymoon: Waves of Love
Editor Randall Shirley and his husband Denni, enjoying the first dance at their recent wedding in Canada. Photo (c) may not be reproduced without permission
I got married in early August. I’m lucky enough to live in a place where same-sex marriage is legal and recognized at all levels of government: Canada. And while this blog is about cruising, I hope you’ll indulge me for just a moment while I say that Denni and my wedding ceremony was the most beautiful, moving, and powerful experience of my life. About 80 friends and family members attended, and as one friend put it, “it felt like we were repeatedly washed over with waves of love.”
We got a lot of advice prior to the wedding (and some at the wedding!), and among that advice was, “don’t skip doing a honeymoon—take it soon after the wedding because it will be a powerful time for you two.”
And today I’m writing you from Day #1 of our honeymoon, which is a 3-part trip involving 3 planes, 3 trains, 2 automobiles, and 1 cruise ship. Right now we’re on AMTRAK (organic apples and surprisingly good quality food in the deli car, who knew?), southbound from Vancouver to Portland, Oregon where we’ll spend a few nights and attend other friends’ wedding, and then fly to Anchorage, for a few nights there. Then we’ll board our Celebrity Millennium cruise home to Vancouver, visiting many ports along the Alaska Panhandle.
How we chose this trip. Our honeymoon could have been anywhere in the world. With the amount of travel I do, I have enough frequent flyer points to take us both around the globe. I also have gobs of hotel points, and car rental points. But we’ve both been to the other side of the world (many other sides, actually), and decided we wanted a honeymoon that felt closely associated with the region where we live.
We have both always wanted to do an Alaska cruise—and while this may sound snobbish: for me it had to be one that started on Mainland Alaska. I felt like racing up and down the panhandle would sort of feel like only doing a partial transit of the Panama Canal, not quite a full Alaska experience. That’s just my opinion, so we decided to spend some of my points getting to Alaska (an often expensive plane ticket if you buy it cash), and cruise home.
That really limited our cruise line and ship choices, but luckily Celebrity (a fave of mine) makes the run on a date that works for us. We also considered Seabourn, but I have a dream of first trying them in the South Pacific (I have a lot of cruise dreams).
So, welcome to our honeymoon. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be writing, sharing photos, and videos about Celebrity, the Millennium, Anchorage, flightseeing over Denali, glacier and wildlife viewing, riding the world’s longest zip line, enjoying a seafood feast in Ketchikan, and more. Come along for waves of love.
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Mark & Dale
Congratulation Randall & Denni ! ! ! Dale and I wish you all the best!
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Patrick
Congrats. We will be on our honeymoon too.
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PaulF
Congratulations Randall & Denni! And have a wonderful Honeymoon cruise to Alaska!
We just sailed on the Millennium’s sister ship, the Infinity, to Alaska in July and loved it. You’ll have a great time.
Yes, we did notice that the “Friends of Dorothy” meetings were not listed in the daily bulletin. Celebrity only lists it on the Bulletin Board near the Front Desk. (We only found it by accident.) Many other gay couples on the cruise didn’t learn about the meetings until well into the cruise, which was unfortunate. -
Tim
My partner and I ONLY cruise mainstream. We have always been welcomed by both the crew and guests alike. We are there to travel and sightsee, not to be on a floating bath house with 3,000 other “bitchy queens”. That may sound harsh but most of you probably know exactly what I’m talking about!
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MeetMeOnBoard
Celebrity Millenium: Gay Perspective
A member of MeetMeOnBoard recently returned from a 7-night cruise on board the Celebrity Millenium. Below is his review from the ‘gay perspective’.
LGBT PERSPECTIVE:
The cabin staff was very accommodating and had no issue pushing the beds together for us. They were very friendly throughout the cruise.
The cruise director and staff were cordial to us. We asked about a Friends of Dorothy announcement being placed in the Celebrity Today newsletter and were told, nicely but coolly, that the corporate policy is not to publish the FOD meeting announcement.
We felt reasonably comfortable as a gay couple. When we chose to join a table with other passengers at a table for 6 or 8, everyone was very friendly and talkative with no apparent issues.
There was no Friends of Dorothy gathering that we could discern. They did have an 8.5 by 11 inch sign at guest relations mentioning FOD (along with 2 other types of gatherings) in the Martini Bar at 7:45 but we didn’t see anyone there the one night we went. The time was not convenient with the dinner options and the location was not optimal as it was on a main passageway and well attended by a variety of straight martini drinkers. We saw only two other gay couples on the ship but did not have the opportunity to chat with them.
We did encounter LGBT crew with the entertainers of course and one in particular was friendly and talkative with us.
We didn’t feel overly comfortable being on this ship as a gay couple and were often somewhat on-guard wondering what we might encounter. We never felt comfortable about making any sort of public display of affection.
Ship activities were not of interest to us and certainly didn’t have an LGBT component. If you were into cooking, wines, cigars, or gambling, they would be happy to take your money. Overall, we found the variety of onboard activities lacking to our taste. The shore excursions were well organized, varied, and typical for a cruise ship.
Overall, we did not find Celebrity very inviting as an LGBT positive experience and would most likely not sail with them again. We had a much more negative experience several years back with Royal Caribbean, so it seems the corporate policy is pervasive.
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randall
This is an interesting perspective–especially as I’ve arranged to spend part of my honeymoon on this very Celebrity Cruises ship–an Alaska sailing in August. As Editor of MeetMeOnBoard, I will certainly be watching to see if this ship has indeed become less gay-friendly. And if so, I’ll be challenging them on it. If you’ve been reading my content for a while, you know that Denni and I pull no punches when we travel–we are out, we are visible, and we are very proud to be a couple.
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randall
I should say “if this cruise line” rather than “this ship,” as I previously have sailed on a different Celbrity ship. I have also sailed on both Royal Caribbean, and Azamara — sister companies to Celebrity, and had wonderful, gay-positive experiences on both.
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Bill
I’ve travelled Celebrity probably five times on Solstice class ships, as a single gay man traveling with my mother. Although I’ve met other gay men along the way, and sometimes at the FOD meetings, they certainly don’t go out of their way to publicize them, or indeed have a GLBT staff member attend or organize. They used to have the FOD on the newsletter, but it hasn’t been there for the last two years for sure, and is posted on the board at the front desk instead. I’ve commented on this regularly, but it seems to have “stuck” as a policy. Other than this specific complaint, it’s my favorite cruise experience…
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Brian
I have to agree, regarding Celebrity Millennium. I had the opportunity to sail on board for their 4-day Thanksgiving Cruise in November 2011. I had the same experience not finding any gay-friendly hosted events. There was a paper sign posted on the back side of pillar at the front desk, announcing an LGBT gathering, however, no one showed up each evening. I tried to chalk it up to a family holiday commitments. It was my first time cruising with Celebrity, so I did not consider it a big deal. I also have to agree, that the Celebrity crew, including the ship’s officers, were sincerely nice and accommodating, and cannot fault any of them for, what seems to be a corporate decision.
I have taken 15 Holland America Cruises, both RSVP Charters, as well as non-charter cruises. On the “traditional” Holland America product, LGBT are listed in the daily Explorer program. On the smaller ships, they were offered only at sea, however they were hosted by a staff member in the Mix Bar. On the larger Signature Class ships, they are offered in the Silk Den Bar, adjacent to the Tamarind Restaurant, daily, again hosted by a crew member. What a difference! -
Dave
I have cruised aboard a number of Celebrity ships and my experience has always benn positive. Celebrity posts a number a meetings down by Guest Relations including straight groups, Friends of Bill, as well as FOD. I know Princess puts it right in the daily Princess Patter. As for the martini bar location, it just seems the best place. Perhaps the author’s cruise had very few fellow gay passengers. Our recent Transatlantic cruise was heavily gay and we took over the martini bar every evening as well as the disco one night. Perhaps the Solstice class ships draw more GLBT passengers? I say try them again. My partner and I love Celebrity.
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Tom Baker
Ship Review: Celebrity Cruises – Modern Luxury?
What does this mean?Celebrity Cruises has just launched a marketing campaign called ‘Modern Luxury’ as the tag-line for its fleet of premium class 5-star rated ships.
Is this luxury? I would argue the semantics of this. I think marketing today over promises categorically by many brands but this new campaign might be pushing the envelope. Modern Luxury, according to Celebrity Cruises, is equating the superb décor of many (not all) of its ships and the overall experience to that of driving an Audi. The new ad campaign by this prestigious brand shows old guard luxury and new guard luxury – where it believes it fits.
The fact remains True Luxury exists in today’s cruising World with all-suite, mostly all-inclusive ships that offer travel experiences in the $350-$1000+ per person a day. Luxury ships offer experiences for 200-700 passengers with no lines, no nickel-and-diming, and exclusive travel experiences. Celebrity offers a fantastic cruise experience but most of its 7-day cruises offer lead-in rates for far less than $100pp a day. At this price point this is not luxury but rather mass market…sorry, it’s a fact! I found a 10-day Mediterranean Cruises on Equinox from $869pp and 7-day Caribbean Cruises on Summit from $529pp. This is mass-market pricing and fits most of today’s average traveler’s budget. This is a GREAT VALUE – just not luxury!
Louis Vuitton does not offer fire sale or reduced prices to its clientele. It has a standard and price point that keeps it exclusive-it is luxury. Celebrity ships carry 2000-3000 passengers per ship. How does that equate to Modern Luxury? Celebrity Cruises is FAR from all-inclusive – you pay for everything extra onboard other than most meals, accommodations, and entertainment. How is this Modern Luxury? I’m not beating them over the head but debating an important point of differentiation and perhaps overselling!
The true LUXURY (5-6 star rated) cruise lines in today’s cruise market include: Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, and Silversea (there are some other smaller players but these are the main players).
The true PREMIUM (4-5 star rated) cruise lines in today’s cruise market include:Oceania, Azamara, Cunard, Celebrity, and Holland America
The true MASS-MARKET Contemporary (3-4 star rated) cruise lines in today’s cruise market include: Princess, Royal Caribbean, NCL, MSC, and Carnival
Don’t get me wrong. I love Celebrity ships and think the soon-to-be five Solstice Class ships are BEST IN CLASS – but, in the 5-star premium market. Having exceptional décor and amazing marine architecture doe not make luxury – even Modern Luxury.
Even Oceania Cruises (a line that says unabashedly that it is a high premium class experience) offers smaller ships than Celebrity with a capacity of 700-1200 passengers, offers airfare, pre-hotel stay in Europe, local port transfers, unlimited alternative dining, bottled water, soft drinks, and all coffee drinks and juices included. This line does not call itself Luxury yet, it includes more value.
This is just a point of differentiation between brands.
I don’t want today’s cruise consumer to be completely confused. Celebrity is a GREAT BRAND, has a GREAT REPUTATION, and is a LEADER in the 5-Star premium cruise experience. It’s Solstice Class ships are luxurious in décor and offer a very fine cruise experience but, it is not a luxury travel experience.
Happy Cruising!
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David
Outside of perhaps Solstice class ships, I wouldn’t rank Celebrity any higher than any mass market line. As you mentioned, the prices are the pretty much the same whether you choose mass market or so-called “premium” lines. What you are really choosing is the type and age of passengers you wish to be with while onboard as well as the newness and features of the various ships. I have had better
food and cleanliness on Carnival Dream over the, say, the Celebrity Summit. The prices were actually lower on Celebrity for a similar one week cruise. Yes, there were more kids on Carnival, but they were well behaved. I don’t feel any more special setting foot on Celebrity and I certainly have never spent more to do so. But, if it’s an ego boost, I say go for it! In the mean time, I’ll continue to look at the individual ships and customer reviews before being brand-conscious regardless of how they market themselves or what demographic they strive to attract. -
Rex
I agree that Celebrity is still “Mass Market”. On our last cruise on Royal Caribbean, I started thinking about “how much would I pay?” to avoid some of the problems that mass market will always have: for example, how much would I pay to not have the chaos of the lunch buffet? how much to have a quiet dinner for two once per cruise? how much to have the bartender actually remember what I ordered every night? how much for a chocolate on my pillow? how much for a soft towel? Turns out that those luxury lines seem like a bargain…
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Scott
Target and Trader Joe’s belong in the “Modern Luxury” category. An upscale feel without a true luxury cost. Sort of like a Lexus or BMW, very nice, but certainly not a Bentley or Maybach.
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markdale
Celebrity Silhouette's Naming Ceremony
Celebrity executives and the godmother herself honor Celebrity Silhouette in the heartwarming naming ceremony.
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Randall Shirley
Power Cruisers: gay cruise travelers who can’t stop sailing! 41 cruises and counting…
Jimmi & Kevin (right). Kevin has been on 41 cruises... and he's sailing again!
One of the most fascinating things I’ve learned both as a passenger on cruises and in my work with editing this site, is how many gay people take lots and lots and lots of cruises!
If you read about the recent mainstream Holland America Oosterdam cruise Denni and I took to Mexico, you’ll recall there were lots of gay passengers on the ship. Among them: Kevin and Jimmi from Phoenix. They’re relatively young guys, so I was shocked to learn that Kevin has been on a lot of cruises.
How many? 41 cruises and counting!
A few interesting nuggets from Kevin:
- First cruise: Sovereign of the Seas, in 1988
Favorite Ship for overall experience: Dawn Princess – Kevin has spent more than a month onboard that ship. - Favorite ship for appearance: Celebrity Eclipse
- Favorite itinerary: full transit of the Panama Canal
Watch for some additional favorites and thoughts on cruising from Kevin in the future!
Are you a power cruiser? Tell us about your favorites by commenting below (or send Randall an email).
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David
My first cruise was Nordic Empress (RCCL) back in 1993. For my 40th birthday, in 2000, I decided to do my fourth cruise, a gay-group cruise with Pied Piper, and do my first t/a crossing on the QE2, and that hooked me.
I’m getting ready for cruise #33 – another t/a crossing, my third trip on the QM2.
Most of my travel has been on Royal, Celebrity and Cunard, but I’ve been on Azamara, Windstar, NCL, Princess and HAL once each. I’m looking forward to seeing the Oceania Marina next year, and to completing the Solstice class set, with Silhouette and Reflection crossings already booked.
I really love the feel of the newer Celebrity ships – each new Solstice class ship is my new favorite.
I loved going thru the Panama Canal, and docking in downtown Shanghai was absolutely magical. -
Gordon
My own total is 39 cruises so far, many of them maiden voyages. Nine were transatlantic crossings (eight of those on the QE2, one on the maiden voyage of HAL’s ms NOORDAM). My longest was a 22-night transpacific cruise from Vancouver to Xingang (Beijing) on Norwegian Wind. Spent three weeks onboard ss NORWAY. A favorite was a two-week cruise around Indonesia on ms PEARL OF SCANDINAVIA. Latest cruise(s) were the pre-maiden and maiden voyage on OASIS OF THE SEAS, which definitely spoils one for lesser ships…!!!
I’m hoping that my income situation improves so that I can resume pleasure travel… I especially want to sail on ALLURE OF THE SEAS, QUEEN MARY 2, and several others. My smallest cabin was aboard the Hurtigruten vessel ms RAGNEVALD JARL, a single where one barely had room to enter the cabin, turn around, and close the door. -
Jimmi
I think we have been on 3 more cruises since this post. I know, we are obssessed!
We have two more booked for 2012. One in March & the other in May. We need to figure out something for the end of the year too. The reason for so many cruises/vacations? You only live once and why not take advantage of as much as you can.
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Mdhphx
I can’t believe the cruise lines are still having issues with this. I guess you can’t slow down a virus.
- First cruise: Sovereign of the Seas, in 1988
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Jake 12:28 pm on February 12, 2013 Permalink |
One of my favorite port cities is San Juan, Puerto Rico. The port is next to Old San Juan, an area filled with history, cobblestone streets and brightly color building facades. One gets a real sense of the history of this region while walking these narrow streets. Oh..did I mention the food and the gorgeous men!