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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: gay group cruise RSS
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Randall Shirley
Poseidon and other films that happen on a ship
Watching gay films on a ship…sounds like fun! Photo courtesy: Pride of the Ocean.
With the upcoming gay film festival at sea, called Pride of the Ocean, just over three months away, I’ve been thinking a lot about movies and ships, since we’ll be watching a number gay-themed films onboard the Norwegian Pearl.
But beyond gay films, I’ve been thinking about movies I’ve seen that take place primarily on a ship. Surprisingly, my list is very short, and both are tragedies:
- Titanic
- The Poseidon Adventure
Both of them, of course, are memorable for so many things. Shelly Winters’ death scene in The Poseidon Adventure, after she’s done the big swim through some impossible underwater labrynth, is among my all-time fave drama moments.
While there are a bunch of ship-related movies listed on websites like AllAtSea or Listal, I actually haven’t seen most of them (will be finding Juggernaut and Voyage of the Damned, though!).
But this little exercise got me thinking about other entertainment forms that have used ships as an important part of the story.
On TV, The Love Boat is a shoe-in. But I often giggle about Further Tales of the City when Deedee Halcyon Day sends her mother and the twins on a cruise to Alaska. If you’ve never seen the Tales series, find a way to download and watch it (better yet, read Armistead Maupin’s marvelous books!).
On the live stage, we have the always delightful Anything Goes, and the lesser-known Dames at Sea.
What are your favorite films, TV shows, or theatre that involve a ship? Comment below!
Anyway, dreaming of watching the glaciers and the movies on our upcoming cruise. I have received the planned outline of festival films and activities, and it looks to be a really interesting, fun time! I’m very excited to meet Greg Louganis—the biopic about him will preview on the ship.
There is still some space for festival attendees on the boat, if you’d like to jump aboard and sail with Denni and me, and the many other LGBT film festival-goers sailing from Seattle on August 18.
Note: As is customary in the travel journalism industry, the author will travel on Norwegian Pearl as a guest of Pride of the Ocean organizers. Opinions about the experience, shared on this blog, have not and will not be approved by the travel providers.
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Randall Shirley
Top 10 Cruise ideas for Gay Cruise Travel in 2013.
Here we are, new year, and with the Kwancrhismukkah (my multi-inclusive term) holiday season behind us and the Northern Hemisphere doldrum season ahead, you’re likely dreaming of vacations ahead (I certainly am!), even if you’ve just returned from one.
Since you’re on this site, I can only assume that cruising is in your thoughts, so here are my top 10 cruise ideas for you to shake it up in 2013!
1. Sail on a new-to-you cruise line. On my personal dream list are:
• Disney. Everyone I’ve talked to who’s sailed this line, with or without kids, has loved it. But I haven’t had a substantial report from anyone who’s sailed extremely “out.”
• Silversea. Supposed to be ultra-sumptuous. I could handle that.
• Queen Mary 2. I feel like the only princess who still hasn’t been crowned queen by sailing one of this line’s reportedly-lovely ships.
• Norwegian Cruise Lines. I hear good thing after good thing about this line, and want to go see for myself!2. Shake up your cabin type:
Never sailed in an outside cabin? You’ll be amazed at how different a cruise feels when the sun comes up!
Never tried a verandah? Save up and give it a try—fresh sea air in your cabin and the sound of the waves can be intoxicating (and making out with your lover on the balcony is plenty romantic…just don’t do anything inappropriate like those guys on the Atlantis Cruise last year.
3. Think cruising is only for warm weather spots? Try Alaska. We didn’t think we’d like it, and gave it a try. Now we can’t wait to return for another dose of this amazing wilderness.
There are also an increasing number of amazing cruises in the Arctic. While the ship I sailed there on several years ago is now out of service, others have taken her place on a variety of stunning itineraries.
4. Scared of all-gay cruises? Afraid they’re just “floating bath houses” or a “circuit party at sea”? Give one a try—you might be surprised how diverse and fun they can be.
5. Organize your own group cruise, and you could cruise “free.”
6. Take a longer-than-usual cruise. If you’ve previously taken only 7-night cruises, try a 10- or 14-night itinerary. I always find the longer cruises make me feel like I’ve really been on vacation.
7. Get into fresh water. Consider a River Cruise like Mark did last year. He’s still raving about all the fun he had in Europe. A fellow cruiser wrote this report.
8. Try a theme cruise. Try an itinerary focused on Broadway, cooking, wine, golf—whatever floats your boat! The right travel agent can help you find them.
9. Give the gift of cruising. Always wondering what birthday or holiday gifts to get for your friends or family who “have everything”? How about a cruise line gift certificate that will encourage them to join you on an upcoming itinerary.
10. Tell every gay cruise traveler you meet about MeetMeOnBoard.com! Ok, shameless plug here. But the site gets more and more meaningful and powerful with more and more members! Every new member increases your chances of meeting new friends for future sailings!
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MeetMeOnBoard
Meet Greg Louganis on your cruise to Alaska
MeetMeOnBoard is proud to be one of the first to announce that Pride of the Ocean, the first and only LGBT film festival at sea, will screen a special sneak preview of Back on Board Greg Louganis on their next cruise, which sails from Seattle to Alaska’s Glacier Bay in August 2013.
To help promote the film, Cheryl Furjanic and Olympic gold medalist and LGBT activist Greg Louganis will be at a special bon voyage party in Seattle and at an opening cocktail party on board the ship.
Furjanic’s Back on Board Greg Louganis will be a featured film on the Seattle to Alaska Pride of the Ocean cruise sailing from Seattle to Alaska August 18-25, 2013.
When Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving board at the 1988 Seoul Games, it was an unforgettable moment of those Olympics. Then despite his injury he earned the highest single score for his next dive and went on to win the gold medal, making it one of the most incredible feats in sports history. Olympic champion Greg Louganis is considered by many to be the greatest diver of all time.
Back on Board Greg Louganis is an engrossing story about an American legend on the cusp of a comeback. This film reveals Louganis’ evolution from childhood diving prodigy to Olympic champion and from pioneering openly gay athlete with HIV to a sometimes forgotten sports icon. His recent return to diving as a mentor to US Olympic divers competing at the 2012 London Games provides an exciting new chapter to his life-story and to the film.
Louganis’ story is connected to so many important moments in American history including the Olympics, the AIDS epidemic, the gay rights movement, and even the recent housing crisis.
And one of the first screenings of this film will take place on Pride of the Ocean as the film festival at sea cruises to Alaska’s Glacier Bay on a 7-night luxury cruise aboard the Norwegian Pearl.
The Pride of the Ocean Alaska cruise aboard the Norwegian Pearl will sail from Seattle to Alaska, August 18-25, 2013. With filmmakers and film fans on board, the luxury cruise ship will head to Alaska, making scenic stops in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, where passengers can absorb the beauty of the state by helicopter, zip-line or kayak. Then passengers will be treated to a full day in glorious Glacier Bay. The 8-day, 7-night cruise will return to Seattle, traveling through the famed Inside Passage and stopping in historic Victoria, British Columbia.
During the cruise the film festival also presents top LGBT filmmakers who show their films to the cruising audience. Pride of the Ocean has brought on board a number of talented filmmakers including Cheryl Dunye who presented Watermelon Woman. Thom Fitzgerald screened his Olympia Dukakis film, Cloudburst. Bahamian director Kareem Mortimer showed Children of God and JC Calciano brought the house down with his eCupid.
Pride of the Ocean is the brainchild of Jim Pollin, the CEO of the group cruise travel agency the Pollin Group and John Scagliotti, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and creator of the first LGBT television series, In the Life, which airs on PBS.
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Randall Shirley
Shore time craziness — when the lights went out on Oahu.
What’s the strangest thing that’s happened to you on shore? For me, it was the lights going out on Oahu. Add to the conversation by commenting at the end of this posting.
Aloha cruisers.
Randall Shirley at Honolulu's Aloha Tower, cruise ships dock nearby. Photo: Kevin Spragg.
I’ve just returned from Hawaii. Unfortunately it wasn’t a cruise vacation, but while flying into both Honolulu and Lihue (Kauai) we could see cruise ships in the ports—a Carnival ship at Honolulu and NCL at Kauai.
Seeing the ships in these far-flung islands reminded me that occasionally there are gay group cruises that visit here—I organized one of them a few years ago (did you know you can organize a group cruise? Check out these tips on how to organize your own group cruise.
But it also reminded me of a wild experience that happened on shore during that gay group cruise. Our Honolulu port day had been fairly typical, some Waikiki gay beach time at Queens Surf Beach, some Honolulu gay bar time at Hula’s, and of course some shopping. Toward evening as my partner and I began heading back to Aloha Tower and the ship, all the lights went out in Honolulu—we watched in disbelief as neighborhood by neighborhood, the entire city went black. Traffic turned into a mess, so we walked the hour or so to the ship.
Of course, this was a huge news item worldwide—mostly because U.S. President Barack Obama was on the island at the time. Well, while his compound got it’s power back from generators (most of the island was powerless into the next day) at the cruise terminal of Aloha Tower, things were decidedly dark.
The cruise terminal on Oahu couldn’t board the ship because the lights and security equipment on the shore side were out. The ship itself was lights-ablaze, but 100s of passengers were stuck on the shore side, temporarily denied boarding. I’m sure safety was the biggest concern—security could be handled onboard the ship if needed.
Waikiki gay beach area, photo: Randall Shirley
It seemed to take forever (maybe an hour), but finally someone got really creative—the port workers found some flashlights, and the lighting equipment from the ship’s photo studio was moved onto the shore – strung through the building’s corridors on long extension cords back to the ship. Before we knew it, we were carefully guided back through the cruise terminal and onto the Celebrity Mercury where things were fully powered up. It was strange to look over the side of the ship at the very dark silhouette of Waikiki!
There’s lots of info about Hawaii on this site! Click here to learn more about cruising gay in Hawaii.
What strange things have happened to you while cruising? Comment below!
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Sophie Needelman
Love this post! Thanks for turning a frustrating situation into an entertaining one!
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Randall Shirley
How to plan your own group cruise, Part 2
If you want to organize a group cruise and perhaps sail free, it is possible! If you do it right, you may end up several free cruise cabins! Starting last week, and continuing over the next three weeks, I’m providing a series of tips for planning your own group cruise with specific sensibilities for the gay cruise traveler.
- Choosing a cruise agent to help you book a group cruise. Not all travel agents are the same, and sorry, but your friendly neighborhood agent may not have the power to pull off what you need. In order to get the most out of your group cruise, you need an agent who brings the following:
- Clout and experience with the cruise line(s).
- At the very least, your agent should have sailed more than once on the line you’re hoping to use.
- Ask if they are “certified” by the cruise line in question – most lines have certification courses agents can take.
- Ask how many passengers they’ve booked onto the line
- Ask how many previoius groups they’ve booked onto the line, and what their success rate is for getting the group organizer to the “free cabin” level X
- Previous experience booking group cruises. If this is their first time, you likely won’t get the best deal or service.
- A willingness to give you part of their kick-back (commission) if you reach certain targets. If they’re not willing to discuss this possibility, push them. Ask what they’re willing to give.
- A willingness to help you sell the trip. If, for some reason, your friends aren’t jumping aboard as quickly as you wish, your agent should be pushing the itinerary to others—they don’t need to be pals with you on board, but if they are booked as part of your group it counts toward your free cabin and possible other perks.
- Understanding gay spending power. Your agent doesn’t need to be gay, but they need to be able to remind the people they’ll be negotiating with at the cruise company of the well-known fact that gays tend to spend more than straights, thus incentivizing the cruise line to give you a better deal.
- Clout and experience with the cruise line(s).
- The politics of your “free cruise.”This can be tricky territory.
- Do you tell your friends that you will be cruising “free” if enough of them book? You probably should, but you will need to have your sales pitch ready—the reason why you should cruise free.
- What are you adding to the experience for them?
- Determine the value of your advance work in dealing with the travel agent
- Any shore excursions you’re independently arranging for the group, etc.
- All those things do have value, and you shouldn’t be expected to plan your friends discounted cruise for nothing. Your reward is the trip. But gays can be catty…so have a thick skin!
- Negotiating extras from the cruise line. If you believe you’ve got enough interest for a reasonably large group—say 20 or more people—ask your agent to do everything in his/her power to upgrade you to a suitewhich you can use for hospitality purposes on board—perhaps your own group gatherings 2-3 times during the voyage.
- This is good PR for both you and for the cruise line—letting your fellow group members know that the cruise line provided a “hospitality suite” helps show that the cruise line values all of your business and wants you to have a good time.
- If the cruise line isn’t willing to do this, then ask for a complimentary hospitality space elsewhere on the ship that you can use to entertain your group.
- Choosing a cruise agent to help you book a group cruise. Not all travel agents are the same, and sorry, but your friendly neighborhood agent may not have the power to pull off what you need. In order to get the most out of your group cruise, you need an agent who brings the following:
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Randall Shirley
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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Tom Baker
Sublime Scandinavian Sailing: gay "small group" cruise in Baltic finds great value on NCL
I recently accompanied a gay group of 52 cruisers to Scandinavia and Russia on the Norwegian Sun. Many friends and clients have asked how the trip was.
View of Copenhagen Port from a Cruise Ship. Image courtesy Tourism Copenhagen.
In a nutshell: it is one of the most-exciting cruises you can take in Europe.
The Trip. We sailed from Dover (London’s major port) on board the 3-star Norwegian Sun. 12-day Baltic Cruise sailed to Copenhagen, Denmark; Warnemunde, Germany (for Berlin); Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg (for 2 very short days, 3 would have been perfect); Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and returned to England.
Sailing in mid-summer allowed us to experience the season called “White Nights,” so-called because the sun is up almost 24-hours. “Night” lasts only a few short hours and really is just a long twilight that gives way to sunrise—gorgeous and breathtaking sunset-sunrises. Weather in mid-summer is generally great!
Sitting on my balcony at midnight with the moon on one horizon and the sun on the other was sublime. The sea was ablaze with brilliant light and had an inky black shimmer…amazing.
NCL Norwegian Sun is great for gay group cruises. Image courtesy NCL.
The Ship. The Sun is nearly 10 years old. She has not been refurbished but is impeccably maintained and clean. She was well-painted, clean, and although her furnishings are outdated, not a bad cruise choice. This is one of NCL’s two oldest ships and was one of the first purpose-built “Freestyle Ships”.
This ship is going to get an overhaul in the near future although nobody can give me a straight answer as to when. The Norwegian Sun could use some updated color schemes and furnishings-she would surely shine!
The Sun does not have the excitement of maritime architecture of newer NCL ships. But, she offers great value. You cannot beat the prices offered for this ship. She is almost 80,000 tons, carries 1,900 passengers, and is easy to get around barring a couple of specialty restaurants high atop the ship and a lousy-designed Garden Café (the ship’s one downfall).
I love the freestyle concept as it allows a more resort like atmosphere. I am not one to eat at the same time every night, am not ritualistic, and enjoy a relaxed dress code… This part is for me!
NCL Norwegian Sun Balcony Stateroom
My stateroom. I had a balcony stateroom on Deck 10. It was nearly 250 square feet with a nice-sized, well-maintained balcony. There was more than adequate storage with a double door closet, six full drawers, 11 shelves, storage under the bed, a full six-foot sofa bed (could convert for 3rd passenger), and a spacious bathroom with plentiful storage. Guests in some cabins complained about the shower stall and curtain wrapping itself around them, but I never had that problem. The water pressure was superb, and Elemis shampoo, body soap was replenished by my two cabin attendants. Anyway, the room was decorated in kitschy little boy bedroom decor with anchors abounding on fabrics and carpets and a TV that was a vestige from the past. This all needs updating but it was in great ship. The bed was very comfortable but NCL has upgraded all bedding on all ships with new pillows and thick foam mattress covers for a more comfortable guest rest.
NCL Gay Friendly. NCL was the early-adopter of Friends of Dorothy (GLBT) gatherings. They are a GLBT friendly cruise line all around and host these gatherings on a daily basis. They are also the first cruise line to use a GLBT godmother with comic icon Rosie O’Donnell being the gal who christened NCL’s beautiful Norwegian Pearl.
My room stewards had no issues with my partner and I requesting the beds being put together as one bed. We were always made to be felt as welcome guests on this GLBT friendly ship
The Service. My cabin attendants were “oh so friendly” but sometimes inefficient Indonesians. Delights as they were, they always forgot my special requests.
The service throughout the ship was good to adequate. I found the bar staff incredibly good although drinks are now very expensive. Costs have increased some 25% in the last year. I predict this is due to cruise pricing plummeting after the market crash last year. This is a chance for them to increase revenues. The dining room service was a little lackluster but food was delivered quickly and warm. The food ranged from average to quite good. I was baffled at this factor but never went hungry. I thought the poorly designed Garden Cafe (24 hour eatery) has great food, selection, and always replenished. It just isn’t big enough for this size of ship. Freestyle worked well too. I never saw any lines or experienced drama about waiting for a meal anywhere. It was also easy to get a reservation in any of the fee based restaurants (where the food is all cooked to order and better than the dining room). I particularly liked these venues as it felt more resort like to me than going to a large convention style dining hall. The food program worked quite well I just think the staff could use a little “up with the people” training in personality and finesse.
Entertainment. The shows were pretty good but activity seemed to lack. The art auction seemed to be the main event onboard. I felt a few cultural lectures might have made us all feel a little better. A shopping talk for each port is not telling the story of Russia! The lines were long at shipboard art auctions but I think the guests were going for the free art giveaways and champagne rather than buying “Art.”
Overall While I am a luxury traveler and prefer to surround myself with the best, the 3-star Norwegian Sun did not leave me with any bad taste in my mouth. She offered incredible value, efficient cruise experience, the best embarkation, disembarkation, and luggage delivery I have had in years… Even the pickiest guy or gal can be happy on a ship that makes you feel welcome.
What / when is Value for this itinerary? I have so many friends who talk about saving money and want to go when the price is “right.” To save money, some of them have travelled to Scandinavia in the early-season when the weather can be nasty. I say: make the most of your experience, shell out a little bit more, and travel during the PEAK season which is June-August. Enough of the commercial about when to go. It is true though… This season is incredible…
This is in thanks to being in the Baltic during the peak Summer White Nights. If you are going to take this cruise, please go from mid-late June to mid-August… I don’t think you will be disappointed…
Happy Cruising. Tom Baker
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Randall Shirley
Gay Group Cruises…getting more notice!
Wow…we noticed the cool-ness of gay group cruises ages ago; nonetheless, Out Traveler (formerly of glossy-print fame, which ceased publishing a print edition last year) just ran a piece on gay group cruising — in this case, their writer sailed with a group from Aquafest. Don’t forget: you can see gay group cruises and all-gay cruises with MeetMeOnBoard.com’s fabulous gay cruise calendar!
Here’s a link to the story from Out Traveler.
Will is discussing. 
Randall Shirley
Why connecting with other gay travelers is important to me
Hi Cruisers!
I’ve just returned from a really fun trip, probably my 2nd best vacation ever. My #1 Vacation was a
Gaily enjoying sunset on a mainstream cruise
cruise–14 nights through the Panama Canal. You can read about that trip’s ultra-gay moment here and from the Boston Globe here.
The trip I just took wasn’t a cruise, but had some similar aspects that confirmed for me how important it is to connect with other gays and lesbians when I travel.
We were deep in the mountains of British Columbia at a tiny resort town named Rossland. Believe it or not, this town of 3,000 has an annual gay ski event. In many ways, it worked out like a gay group cruise:
- There were about 40 gays there
- We all could easily find each other on the slopes or in the lodge
- We could eat together
- We could do our “shore excursions” together. One day I went back country cat skiing with another gay guy (and a bunch of straight people…just like on a cruise!); two other days we skied with small groups on the main resort slopes
- You get the picture
It
Just like our Panama cruise, Kevin and I made lots of new friends, and we’re already talking with them about future get togethers. Maybe we’ll even convince some of them to meet us on board a cruise (which is our favorite form of travel).
Ultimately, travel is the most enjoyable when we make human connections. That’s what happened for us in the mountains, and that’s what has happened for us on every cruise we’ve taken: we meet cool gay travelers on board. And MeetMeOnBoard.com helps it happen.
Book a cruise! Travel!!
Randall Shirley
One bed or two, sirs?
This is similar to the room my partner & I had recently, we simply asked the steward to remake the beds as one. No prob. You?
A question: when you’re cruising on a mainstream itinerary, have you ever had any challenges with your stateroom steward with regards to your sexuality? I.e., if you’re two guys who want a queen/king bed, has the steward generally had the beds prepped that way when you boarded the ship? If not, and you’ve had to request it, have you always had positive responses?
My partner and I have had very good luck with getting the two beds remade as one, although they’ve always been separated when we boarded (fine, as the steward would have no way of knowing we are a couple). On our recent Hawaii cruise, one couple mentioned that during the early days of the voyage their steward asked several times if they would like the beds separated. My suggestion to them: Just tell him/her that you’re a couple.
I’d love to hear what you think about this. Comments, please.
Randall
Ron Cullember, 
Tim, 
Scott and 3 others are discussing. -
Bob G
Never had any problem. We’ve been on Princess, Norwegian CL, and Oceania mainstream (not specifically gay) cruises. Cabin stewards were all helpful and friendly.
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Elesa B.
My wife (yes, we’re still legally married in California until “they” undo it) and I have taken many cruises over the past ten years and have never had a problem when we ask our cabin steward to remake our two beds as one. We’ve always cruised on mainstream lines.
Happy Cruising,
Elesa -
Lee
Interesting that on all but 2 of the cruises we’ve been on, the beds have always been made up as one! No question ever asked about it. On the 2 cruises that the beds were seperated, it was the layout of the cabin, and they could not be combined. I think we are in NCL’s system as a couple, all of the mail comes addressed to both of us by name and Lattitudes numbers. On our Princess trip, we requested it in the Cruise Personalizer after we made the reservation and it was never questioned.
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Scott
I think you will find most cruiseships have majority of crew from countries with much more liberal/excepting lifestyles… I have taken most of my cruises on lines that have had GLBT exclusive cruises so I think it is excepted and I believe that most of the crew enjoy having us aboard.
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Tim
I, too, have never had a problem. My partner and I have taken 3 cruises with Norwegian (another planned for next summer) and have always found the staff to be very friendly and open. On all but one of the cruises, the beds were already pushed together.
By the way, we PREFER “regular” cruises as opposed to gay cruises. My friends who have been on the gay cruises have told us stories. The idea a floating bathhouse, shows with drag queens and pretty boys with too much collagen (and too many implants) is just not our idea of “fun”. We go on cruise ships for the travel experience – not for a “gay” experience.
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Ron Cullember
I had to smile when I read the comments above.
My partner and I never had a problem on any of the mainstream cruise lines we have been on. In fact only once or twice have we been asked by the room-steward, “Shall I separate the beds?” We just laugh and say “NO, its just like home, Thank you very much for asking, but they are fine just the way they are.”
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Will 12:06 am on February 19, 2013 Permalink |
I am wondering if there may be any gay-friendly folks travelling on the Celebrity cruise ship Reflection on February 23rd from Miami