pke-atlanta

Thanks for posting about NOTS, billybeach!  Appreciate the insight.

Nice to meet you, JR!  Glad to know more will be onboard.  Perhaps we can all meet up for a cocktail onboard after our mothers are in for the night. 

It's been so long since I've been on NOTS that I don't even know what their equivalent is of Celebrity's martini bar - but I'll probably hunt down whatever their version is.

I'm just happy to hear it is crossing.  We're booked on the November 18 sailing from Miami, and I don't want to be disappointed with a cancelled cruise. 

You’re absolutely right about that!  :-)

Good to meet a fellow traveler!  I'm hoping it will be on the quiet side - or at least not completely overrun with children.  :-)

I'll be traveling with my 85yo mother.  It's been years since i traveled on the Navigator (or frankly any of the Voyager class), but this one worked for us because of the timing.

Have you been on the Navigator recently?  Just wondering what to expect - especially as she's going into dry dock soon for a refurbishment.  Hoping she's not looking too shabby.  This will be my mother's first experience on Royal Caribbean, and I'd hate for her to walk away with a negative impression when she compares it to the Celebrity and Cunard ships she's accustomed to.

First, my apologies for asking something that has probably already been covered in this forum, but a search of the forum didn't return anything.

I've just booked Navigator of the Seas sailing on Nov. 18, 2018.  It's been a very long time since I sailed on this ship, and I'm hoping one of you kind folks can fill me in on the current state of the men's spa facilities on this ship.  Since we'll be sailing over Thanksgiving, I'm anticipating a need to escape for some "me" time.  :-)

Anyone have any recent experience with this ship?

Just booked this sailing as a somewhat last minute Thanksgiving option.  Anyone else from here going to be onboard?

Congrats, surfguy, that's awesome!  I guess the answer all depends on what type of cruise destinations/activities you like, where you've already been, any "bucket list" destinations and what time of year you plan to travel.  We really enjoyed a French Polynesia trip (including the romantic over-the-water bungalows at the St. Regis Bora Bora), but it's a very beach oriented vacation.  Obviously not the same as Trans-Pacific, but part of the general area.  We also really enjoyed a Hong Kong to Singapore trip, beginning with a land stay in Tokyo.  But hands down the most thrilling, stunning and memorable cruise we've done is an expedition trip to Antarctica.  It so far surpassed anything that I imagined it would be, and it's definitely a trip I want to do again.  We sailed with Silversea on that one, but the Ponant ships look beautiful as well.  But January/February (which are the best times to go) might not work for your schedule.

Keep us posted on your thoughts and, ultimately, where you decide to celebrate the milestone!

Paul

Wow! That’s an impressive number of cruises. And I definitely want to hear about Norway. We’ve done Antarctica, but not the Arctic, and I’m really eager to see polar bears (while we still can outside of a zoo!). I do hope we’ll meet on board. If I knew of a way to send PM’s on here, I’d do that instead of posting this for everyone. If anyone does know how, please let me know! Otherwise, TinyG, we’ll see you onboard Saturday.

Hello Paul, we look forward to seeing you....at the Martini bar! We have tried once before to go to Iceland, but we missed that due to icebergs off of St Johns...which we also missed in 2015! We did get to go to Stavanger instead, which we loved. We are also on the next cruise B2B. Our first time to Ireland as well! Diane

How nice to do a back to back! It's all I can do to be away from work for 2 weeks. Make me jealous by telling me about the next leg of the journey? This will be cruise number 6 for us on Celebrity (and we already have #7 booked on the Edge in December). But we've probably been on 25 or so cruises at this point. It's not the ONLY way we vacation - but it's hard to argue with the convenience of it!

We'll certainly hope to meet you on board.

Paul

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll take a look and get something booked - especially now that the sailing is just 12 days away! I need to get on the ball.

TinyG, nice to know you'll be on board! This will be our first time visiting Ireland and Iceland, and we're looking forward to a break from the Atlanta heat. :-)

Perhaps we'll bump into you onboard. We typically have a cocktail before dinner at the Martini Bar. If you see two guys who look like brothers (we get that all the time, for some reason), then that's most likely us. Feel free to say hello!

Paul

Will be arriving at Heathrow on 18 August and looking for recommendations for a private transfer for 2 adults from Heathrow airport to Southampton. Anyone have a company or service you can recommend?

Also looking for return private transportation from Southampton to Central London on 1 September. All suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

Partner and I have booked this cruise. Sorry we’ll miss you, Dickie and Dang! Who else is going?

Partner and I will be on this trip, visiting both of these destinations for the first time. Anyone else onboard?

Will be sailing on the Celebrity Edge in December 2018. Has anyone heard what the spa design/layout will be on this ship? Especially anything in regards to sauna/steam available in the locker rooms? Thanks.

Does anyone know if any mainstream cruise lines or ships have a clothing optional area? I'm not asking about a nude charter or completely nude cruise, but a "regular" cruise that allows nudity on a secluded deck of the ship. I'd never get my partner on a nude cruise, but I do like enjoying a little naked time occasionally when we're on vacation, and wondering if such an animal exists. Thanks!

Safely arrived In Rome this morning, night at Hotel Palazzo Manfredi, and transfer tomorrow to the port. I'm so ready for this vacation!

Christopher,

We are Paul (me) and Joe. Some people ask if we are brothers, although I don't see it. Maybe because we both have blue eyes? Or maybe it's because of the 17 years together. LOL.

We look forward to meeting you and Bill at the martini bar before dinner one evening. Seems unlikely that we will be the only 2 gay couples on board, but it you spot someone you think could be us, feel free to say hello!

I'm definitely looking forward to it, now that the trip is less than 3 weeks away! We're only staying in Rome one night on the front end, and two nights on the back end. We've all been to Rome several times, and 3 days of Rome in August is about all I can stand. The last time we were in Rome in August, we swore never again - it was sweltering! But this itinerary and the dates work out well for us. Besides the August heat, my only other regret is that Ibiza is practically at the end of the trip, when I'll have added my cruise pounds and have to wear a bathing suit! LOL

We typically will have a cocktail in the martini bar before dinner. If you guys indulge, perhaps we'll bump into each other there.

In regards to an earlier question way up the thread, we've sailed on Celebrity, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Oceania and Silversea. We've also done a combination of both regular, "straight" cruises and all-gay charters.

Haven't booked tours yet, but plan on doing that this weekend. Probably will do the priority access in Florence to see David again. Will also do the Monte Carlo tour that visits the casino, and Gaudi's Barcelona. I'm interested in the cave in Malaga, too. And probably upper rock of Gibraltar. Planning on just grabbing a taxi in Ibiza to head to the gay beach. Have you been there before? Will be our first time and hoping that it is similar to Elia beach in Mykonos from an atmosphere perspective.

What's on your agenda?

Hey, Christopher! Nice to hear from another couple who will be on board. Yes, we've been to Rome several times, Florence, Nice and Barcelona. The other Spain stops and Gibraltar will be new for us. Really looking forward to visiting Ibiza for the first time and hitting the beach!

I've been on a bunch of gay charters with Atlantis (around 17) and do like them. I've also seen how very supportive and appreciative the gay passengers are of straight allies and friends who are onboard. And while there are a handful of other straight passengers onboard (plus straight crew, of course), in my experience the majority of these straight supporters are women. In my opinion, everyone who sees your 21yo nephew will assume that he is another gay passenger, and you should anticipate it being the same experience as if he walked into a gay bar where no one knew him or you, and all assumed he was gay. If he is comfortable in that situation and can actually enjoy gay men flirting with him (and possibly flirt back) all in fun without feeling harassed, then he'll be fine. Some straight men are flattered by that attention and enjoy it. But if there is any doubt, I wouldn't want him or you to be uncomfortable and have a negative experience.

Just booked Celebrity Reflection roundtrip from Rome. Any CO areas on this ship? I'm a guy, so while topless is nice, CO for me would involve removing the swim trunks. Thanks!

So how was it??

Partner and I will be traveling with my mother on this ship. Anyone else?