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  Randall Shirley 2:02 pm on November 4, 2010 COMMENT
  Tags: cruise tips   

  National Cruise Month: gay cruise passenger tip #6 

  At MeetMeOnBoard, we’re celebrating “National Cruise Month” with Seven Tips for gay cruise passengers. Check out the past 5 tips, and watch for tip #7, coming shortly!
  

  Plan your own shore-excursions. This is one place where I advise you to use the Internet and do-it-yourself (just make sure you’re back to the ship in time!). Do your Internet research, and find things about the ports that interest you. Generally, the ship’s official shore excursions will cram you onto a bus. Why not plan ahead…rent a car on Hawaii’s Big Island for a day? Or hang out at the Blue Chairs gay area in Puerto Vallarta? Or find the one gay bar on Aruba? If you decide you do want that see-it-all-tour of the local waterfalls and monkey zoo, don’t worry—in most ports locals offer it right outside the ship, and often for lower than the ship’s pricing.

  It’s “National Cruise Vacation” month in the U.S. That most likely means your travel agent is trying to up his quota and will be pushing email “deals” your way. We say: GO FOR IT! And don’t forget to add your cruise(s) to your profile to increase the chances of connecting with other MeetMeOnBoard.com members.

  
  
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  Randall Shirley 8:10 pm on October 31, 2010 COMMENT
  Tags: cruise tips   

  National Cruise Month: gay cruise passenger tip #5 

  At MeetMeOnBoard, we’re celebrating “National Cruise Month” with Seven Tips for gay cruise passengers. Watch this spot for more tips in the coming days.

  

  The world of cruising is more and more gay-friendly...especially in destinations like Key West. Photo © Randall Shirley

  Tip #5: Be OUT on your mainstream cruise. Cruise companies are delighted for our business, and the onboard staff are used to gay passengers. In my experience, it’s comfortable to hold hands at dinner or on deck, dance together in the bars…basically anything straight people would do. On Royal Caribbean, my partner and I participated as a couple in mainstage game shows and pool deck games. We made lots of straight friends because of it, and discovered the cruise staff are 100% supportive.

  It’s “National Cruise Vacation” month in the U.S. That most likely means your travel agent is trying to up his quota and will be pushing email “deals” your way. We say: GO FOR IT! And don’t forget to add your cruise(s) to your profile to increase the chances of connecting with other MeetMeOnBoard.com members.

  
  
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  Randall Shirley 9:57 am on October 28, 2010 COMMENT
  Tags: cruise tips   

  National Cruise Month: gay cruise passenger tip #4 

  At MeetMeOnBoard, we’re celebrating “National Cruise Month” with Seven Tips for gay cruise passengers. Watch this spot for more tips in the coming days.

  

  Few cruise experiences will match the marvel of transiting the Panama Canal. You can actually touch the sides of the Canal! Photo: © Randall Shirley

  Tip #4: Take a dream itinerary—perhaps a long one! Cruise prices have been extremely cheap in 2010. This could be the time to choose an exotic itinerary in Asia, a trans-Atlantic crossing, or a world-cruise.

  Longer itineraries—14 days or more—are a great choice. You have time to really unwind, and they often have fewer families/children (not true over holiday periods!). My best-ever vacation was 14-nights, from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale via the magnificent Panama Canal. We are still friends with gays and straights from that cruise; the long trip provided time to really connect.

  It’s “National Cruise Vacation” month in the U.S. That most likely means your travel agent is trying to up his quota and will be pushing email “deals” your way. We say: GO FOR IT! And don’t forget to add your cruise(s) to your profile to increase the chances of connecting with other MeetMeOnBoard.com members.

  
  
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  Randall Shirley 11:19 am on October 21, 2010 COMMENT
  Tags: cruise ( 14 ), cruise tips, gay group cruise ( 8 ), shore excursion ( 8 )   

  National Cruise Month: gay cruise passenger tip #3 

  At MeetMeOnBoard, we’re celebrating “National Cruise Month” with Seven Tips for gay cruise passengers. Watch this spot for more tips in the coming days.

  Tip #3: Plan your own gay group? If you have a group of friends who want to sail together, you may be able to get special group pricing, or if your group buys enough staterooms you may get a free or heavily-discounted cruise for yourself. You will need to work with a cruise travel agent to make this successful.

  It’s also important to know your limits—do you want to feel responsible for the group? Do you know the people well enough to travel with them? Are you still willing to go if you don’t qualify for a free cabin? Will you take the freebie or simply spread the savings among your group?

  It’s “National Cruise Vacation” month in the U.S. That most likely means your travel agent is trying to up his quota and will be pushing email “deals” your way. We say: GO FOR IT! And don’t forget to add your cruise(s) to your profile to increase the chances of connecting with other MeetMeOnBoard.com members.

  
  
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  Randall Shirley 12:15 pm on October 18, 2010 COMMENT
  Tags: cruise tips   

  National Cruise Month: gay cruise passenger tip #2 

  At MeetMeOnBoard, we’re celebrating “National Cruise Month” with Seven Tips for gay cruise passengers. Watch this spot for more tips in the coming days.

  #2. Know your “cruise type.” A huge number of gay travelers prefer mainstream cruising—it opens a much larger selection of ships and itineraries than all-gay cruises. On all of our mainstream cruises my partner and I have met other gay travelers, essentially forming our own instant groups. We’ve then arranged shore excursions together, dined together, and in many cases become life-long friends.

  One of the easiest ways to connect with other gay sailors is to “meet” them beforehand through MeetMeOnBoard.com. Onboard, “Friends of Dorothy” parties are held on most ships—check the daily schedule.

  

  A pool party on a gay cruise, RSVP on board Diamond Princess. Photo: © Randall Shirley

  All-gay cruises are tons of fun. RSVP & Atlantis (mostly gay), or Olivia (lesbian) charter an entire ship, sometimes taking over 3,000 homos at once. I’ve sailed RSVP three times, and the ship was never a “floating bathouse.” Marketing materials don’t really tell the story—yes, there are hotties on board, but most cruisers are normal gay people.

  Think an all-gay cruise is just a just floating bathhouse? Think again…read about myths of all-gay cruises.

  In between are gay group cruises. Basically, a travel agent chooses a mainstream cruise itinerary and markets it specifically to gay travelers—but the majority of passengers will not be gay. Depending on the size of the group or the agency’s clout with the cruise line, the group may have special entertainment and other activities, or even pricing that’s not advertised to the mainstream. Major agencies specializing in gay group cruises include Aquafest and Pied Piper Travel.

  It’s “National Cruise Vacation” month in the U.S. That most likely means your travel agent is trying to up his quota and will be pushing email “deals” your way. We say: GO FOR IT! And don’t forget to add your cruise(s) to your profile to increase the chances of connecting with other MeetMeOnBoard.com members.

  

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    Chris 12:38 pm on November 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    I took my first Aquafest Halloween cruise a week ago. The staff was outstanding! We had our own parties, excursions and incredible DJ with a dance night on the deck to our group specifically. I HIGHLY recommend Aquafest for any cruise you’re thinking about doing.

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  Randall Shirley 2:04 pm on October 13, 2010 COMMENT
  Tags: cruise tips, gay cruise ( 20 ), travel ( 3 )   

  National Cruise Month: gay cruise passenger tip #7 

  At MeetMeOnBoard, we’re celebrating “National Cruise Month” with Seven Tips for gay cruise passengers. Since this is tip #7, take a look back at the previous 6 tips. What do you think? Add comments!

  Make it personal: Decorate your door, get t-shirts. An easy way to make friends on any type of cruise is by announcing something about

  

  Cabin Door Decoration on a Cruise Ship. Think they’re bears?

  yourself. Decorating your stateroom door is a great trick—get creative: bring photos, signs, or anything you can easily pack and assemble. You’ll also make fast-friends through messages on t-shirts. If you’re a bear lover, let people know! The straights won’t have a clue, but the bears will.

  October was “National Cruise Vacation” month in the U.S. That most likely means your travel agent was trying to up his quota and pushing email “deals” your way. We say: GO FOR IT! And don’t forget to add your cruise(s) to your profile to increase the chances of connecting with other MeetMeOnBoard.com members.

  
  
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  Randall Shirley 12:28 pm on October 13, 2010 COMMENT
  Tags: cruise tips   

  National Cruise Month: Gay cruise passenger tip #1 

  At MeetMeOnBoard, we’re celebrating “National Cruise Month” with Seven Tips for gay cruise passengers. Watch this spot for more tips in the coming days.

  

  You can't make gay friends on cruises if you're not on a ship...but you can start the process by booking a trip and adding it to your MeetMeOnBoard.com profile! Photo: © Randall Shirley

  #1. Use a cruise travel agent. It’s tempting to book directly through the Internet, but cruises are not as simple as airfares and hotels. Once your boat has sailed, if you don’t like it you can’t exactly swim away.

  Vancouver-based cruise agent Raymond Anderson, who works with Expedia Cruise Ship Centers, has sailed 34 times (he met his partner Michel on a mainstream cruise). He explains using a gay, CLIA-certified agent helps find the best product and value for you—especially for mainstream cruises. “I encourage gay people to be open to mainstream cruising,” he says. “You will meet other gay people on board. My partner and I have made lifelong straight friends on cruises and changed people’s misperceptions about gays.”

  Cruise lines do pay agent commissions, but that won’t increase the cost to the traveler. The agent can still match the fares you find on the Internet or even better, plus watch out for upgrades and even price reductions the Internet may never reveal. “I just got a Celebrity passenger upgraded from a balcony to a suite on an 18-day cruise for only $150 more, total,” Raymond notes.

  Raymond says experienced gay agents have the power to make things right for gay travellers, such as helping ensure you get one queen bed instead of two doubles, or that you’re on the right ship for your age group—more important than you might think. He advises “interviewing” a couple of gay agents before choosing one: ask how many times they’ve cruised, how many different ships and lines they’ve tried, if their agency is CLIA* certified, and how many cruises they’ve successfully planned and sold.

  It’s “National Cruise Vacation” month in the U.S. That most likely means your travel agent is trying to up his quota and will be pushing email “deals” your way. We say: GO FOR IT! And don’t forget to add your cruise(s) to your profile to increase the chances of connecting with other MeetMeOnBoard.com members.

  

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