PolarisKale

Just checked mine and it's under the person icon. 

@DonnaK - Thank you for managing this list! I, too, like the ship names. Your format is awesome, and makes it so easy to find info.

I'm friends with the neighbor of the family involved. The FBI is sending the girls home this morning. They're completely wrecked by this and have now lost both parents since the father is (obviously) in custody. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. They will need a lot of love, support, and therapy to help recover from this.

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I totally agree with SelectSys. We really enjoyed the cruise and found everyone to be very accommodating. We'll definitely be back.

We will probably cruise again, but are unsure on which cruise line or ship.

Not to say we did not have a good time with the company we had, we just had a better time on Norwegian.

Any suggestions??

Very interesting. We absolutely love RCI - far more than NCL. There are definite differences in what we expect and why we cruise, though. For the group you were traveling with, my suggestions would have been:

1. Disney

2. Carnival

3. RCI's Quantum Class

4. RCI's Oasis Class

5. RCI's Freedom Class

I personally wouldn't recommend going lower than Freedom or sailing Holland America for your needs. Most cruise lines know their target market for their various ships and tailor everything around them. For those markets, they're phenomenal.

There are now cabins available on all February 2016 sailings. There are a couple smaller groups on this sailing and on the 05FEB2016 sailing, but no groups are showing yet for the 26FEB2016 sailing.

...But why bring up intolerance in San Francisco, where it is so firmly opposed by both the populace and the body politic, in a discussion of a place where widespread homophobia is fully endorsed by the government?

Shepp, I'm sure you and I would get along swimmingly if we met in a bar during a cruise. Your reply in the "Proposing?" thread about the romantic nature of moonlight on the Promenade aft made me sigh, agreeing that you had nailed the most romantic spot on the ship. This misunderstanding is tiny in the scope of things upon which we agree & stand shoulder-to-shoulder against.

We all filter what we read & hear through our life experiences. With my background in personal protection and law enforcement, I read the question in relation to whether it was safe to go ashore, and my initial reply was more focused on not allowing any unfounded fear to prevent one from going where they desired. There are enough justified concerns for safety - especially if you engage in overt PDA or look like you just left a 70's dance party on your way to star in a drag show. We can't exacerbate these fears with a conflation of facts & urban legends or so many one-off incidents that we incapacitate ourselves. If one does desire to go ashore and have a good time, it can often be done safely as long as one adheres to basic principles of awareness and "safety in numbers." The point I was trying to make is that, if you look hard enough, you can even find red in a sea of green, water in the dry desert, peace amidst conflict, or hair on Howie Mandel's head. To illustrate the expanse "green" in which it would be very difficult (but not impossible) to find a speck of "red" homophobia, I chose what I felt was the greenest of greens: San Francisco at Pride. It was the closest example of a place completely devoid of homophobia I could conceive.

In reading my comment, I believe I can safely assume that your history of taking a stand for justice, extinguishing homophobia wherever you find it and a strong sense of civic pride (no pun intended) - which is well-deserved - caused you to bristle at the very thought of putting the name of your great city in the same sentence as 'homophobia.' And on the spirit of that belief, you and I agree. Pairing them together was in the context of one extreme (homophobia) against the other (San Francisco). It certainly wasn't meant to put SFO even in the same realm as the Caymans or any other place where we would feel less than welcome. Quite the contrary. Had I been looking for a place where one would be hard pressed to find an Eskimo, I would have used Death Valley, or for finding an acrophobe, the top of the Empire State Building.

Please know that using SFO as the antithesis of homophobia was the highest compliment possible. I was not, in any way, attempting to draw a parallel between the graciousness of SFO and the vitriolic hatred coming from many Caribbean destinations. Possibly a "perpendicular," but certainly not a parallel. ;)

Ok, so this thread went the exact opposite from what I was expecting. I thought the OP was going to say "I'm more comfortable with all gay and not sure I'd like a non-gay cruise." I was going to share our heart-stopping experience:

On the second cruise we ever took, computer problems kept them from checking people in on time, so basically every passenger was herded into the cattle lines to wait. I noticed one guy's shirt, then another's, then a hat, then a leather jacket... Finally I asked one of them, "Uhm...I'm seeing a trend here. Is it coincidence that most everybody has Harley gear on or what?" He said, "Oh no, it's not a coincidence. This the annual 'HOGS on the High Seas' cruise. I think this ship fits about 3,500 people (actual capacity 3,634 pax) and we've got something like 2,300 in our group." I almost had a panic attack, thinking "OH GOD...they're going to find our lifeless bodies at the bottom of the pool one night." Although I've never seen so much Bud Light in my LIFE, we actually enjoyed interacting with more people on that cruise than any other we've been on.

{Side note in case you know someone who needs it: The 'HOGS on the High Seas' cruise is a benefit cruise, with the fare premiums paying all expenses for dialysis patients and their families, as well as for bringing dialysis machines & extra medical staff on board. There were 7 dialysis machines on that sailing.}

We've never been on an all-gay cruise, mostly for the same reasons as SunDiegoCruiser and cle-guy cited as their preconceived notions. Huge thanks to cle-guy, shawne71, Boytjie, Darrell6t and COMBOY for providing such insight into what the RSVP, Atlantis, etc. cruises are really like. :)

Sounds like it will be romantic no matter where it happens, because you're obviously in love. As to coordinating with the crew, you know from having been crew just how many gay guys and "fruit flies" there are on board, so that shouldn't be difficult at all. If you can't get it coordinated with the crew, I'm sure you'll meet another gay couple on board and you can enlist their help. Give them the rose & gift box the night before and have the mimosas sent to their room instead of your own. Heck, I hate mornings, and even I would get up before sunrise to help with something that sweet.

I think it also depends on which ship you'll be on. Since you're going on FotS soon, you may have seen the "Olive or Twist" lounge in the virtual tour. A place like that, facing forward, overlooking the water and the ship, with dim lighting and soft music in the background, would be perfect. You'd be facing forward, symbolic of your future together. Conversely, I love shepp's idea, standing aft and watching the water trail into the moonlight, symbolic of the two of you moving forward together.

The ultimate, IMHO, would be onboard Quantum of the Seas, booking a private ride on the North Star capsule and proposing while hovering 300' above sea level.

From Carnival's passenger ticket contract -

 

Guests may also provide Carnival or others certain sensitive data such as health, medical, dietary, religious, gender or sexual orientation information. All Guests agree that Carnival may (1) keep their personal and sensitive data, (2) use it in its business worldwide in accordance with its published privacy policies, (3) share it with its affiliated or related companies and (4) subject it to processing worldwide provided Carnival’s safeguards are used.

IMHO, this could more easily be read: "Guests may also provide Carnival or others information to help us identify our target demographics, especially if you're a DINK (Dual Income, No Kids). We are well aware that the LGBTQ community spends more per person on their vacation than any other group, so we invest more in marketing and in specialized advertising venues to attract you."

The key parts are the "why" after the "what."

(2) Use it in its business worldwide (translation: marketing)

(3) share it with its affiliated or related companies (translation: sharing and cross-referencing info in marketing databases), and

(4) subject it to processing (translation: chart the purchasing habits of our customers by their age, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)

Like most everyone who has commented before me, I use the camera on my phone (Samsung Galaxy S5) for my everyday use.

When visiting a port we've seen numerous times, I typically take an older (5MP) Canon ProShot, which takes great pics, has a decent-quality zoom, and has a tripod mount. It also fits neatly on a carabiner attached to my belt loop or backpack. For wet locations (where this klutz could accidentally get the camera wet or when intentionally going underwater), I use a GoPRO Hero. You have to be aware of the fisheye lens and know it's not the best for scenic shots, but it's great for capturing the "What the ?!?!" look on a fish's face when you sneak up on it. :D

If I'm going into new territory or taking pics of the onboard shows (no flash allowed), I love my Canon EOS Rebel XS. I had (basically) the same camera in SLR and stayed with it for my DSLR since I already had the lenses.

...As for marriage rights, while DOMA has been overturned, and the circuits have been making progress, the Supreme Ct has not yet held a fundamental right to marriage for same sex couples exists. And a majority of states still have constitutional bans on the books.

Sadly true.

We aren't where I'd like us to be. We aren't where we will be. But thank God we aren't where we used to be. Gone are the days when a ceremony could only be a "Civil Union." Still, I'll be glad when I don't have to fly to California to wed friends who live in Colorado, or research the marriage laws of each individual state so I'm sure the vows I say or the location we're in meets local requirements. I love seeing the beautiful places my friends choose for their ceremony, but knowing we have to go somewhere other than home to gain legal standing just reminds me that we're still second-class citizens.

In the words of the late, great Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." In the meantime, we keep doing what we can wherever we travel to help push that speck of the universe in the right direction.

Yea plus we were thinking that we might do western just to see labadee and we have shown our kids the owners and crown loft suite and despite having 2 bathrroms, they prefer the owners.

IMHO, if you have a TA who is a Royal Caribbean Expert or Expert Plus, you might want to talk with them about waiting a while before booking. Savings could be huge.

Here's my very quick summary of the ports:

Nassau: With the kids, your choices are pretty much to swim with the dolphins or pay a lot to go to a resort (Atlantis). Granted, the Atlantis is uber nice, but why go on a cruise just to go to a resort? A decent amount of the excursions have alcohol included, so you might want to wait on those.

St Thomas: Has one of the top beaches in the world (Megan's Bay). It's not crowded like you'd expect, just very beautiful. Not sure 2 15 y/os would be thrilled with calm & peaceful, but stranger things have happened. Aside from Megan's Bay, go snorkeling, take a catamaran, go shopping, go to St John's... tons of options.

St Maarten: A beautiful beach. Typically you'll rent a spot in the sand by spending $XX at the bar. Perfect shopping destination. Or go over to St Martin and enjoy the "clothing optional" beach. :eek:

Labadee: It's ... nice. Go in knowing that it's Royal Caribbean's private island (under lease through 2050). Think of it as basically a land extension of the ship. There is ship food, equipment you can rent, and beverages you can purchase with your SeaPass card - which can be very convenient. Just don't expect anything lavish. There's a lot of ... "enthusiasm" from the vendors along the walk to the beach, so consider taking the tram/trolley ride over to it. As to your comment I quoted above, I don't think Labadee should weigh too heavily in an itinerary decision if you find something you really want to do at another port of call.

Falmouth: I call the port, "The shopping mall that Royal Caribbean built." Definitely plan on a shore excursion. In Falmouth with 15 y/os, I'd highly recommend Dunn's River Falls. You also have the zipline, horseback ride 'n' swim, river tubing, etc. to consider.

Cozumel: A nice walking port. Take a taxi to the far end and walk back, wrapping up your day at Margaritaville on the other end. There are also a good amount of excursion options in Cozumel.

Personally, I would suggest you take the kids on Western and come back by yourselves to experience Eastern sometime. Either way, you're in the Caribbean! How can you go wrong? :D

I'm sorry, but reductio your ad absurdum elsewhere. I happen to live in San Francisco, and yes, there are half a dozen religious maniacs who stand on Market Street on Saturday afternoon and make nasty homophobic comments. But I just walked home from the 11-day LGBT film festival, holding the hand of my husband, whom I married at City Hall, and no one gave us a second glance. Explain to me again, please, how that is in any way comparable to a country where there are no gay bars, where same-sex couples have no legal standing, where the government takes virulently anti-gay stances, and LGBT people have no civil rights protections?

 

Sure, no place is perfect, or even near-perfect. But "Why not go to the 1936 Berlin Olympics? There's anti-Semitism in New York City, too." is a weakish argument.

To clarify, you want me to reduction my to absurdity elsewhere???

The fact is that you actually proved my point AND spun the discussion toward reductio ad absurdum, twisting my comment to fit your comparison of life in the Caymans to the treatment of Jews in 1936. San Francisco is one of the, if not THE, most accepting cities for the LGBTQ community. Pride is an gathering which welcomes all participants, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. I combined these two loving and accepting communities into a metaphor for the most homophile environment imaginable. Homophobia in San Francisco at Pride is like ice in the Sahara: It won't last long before being obliterated. My statement was: if you look for it, you can even find homophobia in San Francisco at Pride. You chose to rebuff my statement by saying, point blank, that there are homophobes in San Francisco. Uhm...thanks for backing me up with facts...I guess?

Do I think the hatred and fear spewed by the Cayman government is acceptable? Absolutely not. Under no circumstances would I choose a Grand Cayman resort as my week-long vacation destination. That being said, I'm going on a cruise in just over a week. As it happens, Grand Cayman is one of our ports of call. Royal Caribbean is not going to change their itinerary because of the ignorance of the Cayman government. In exchange for enjoying the ship I want and an itinerary I like, I have to go to the port in GC for 8 hours. Now I'm faced with 3 choices:

1. Refuse to go to the destinations I DO want because a stop in GC is on the itinerary,
   
2. Stay on the ship, in which case the GC government gets my tiny portion of the port fee - but nobody else gets any money, or
   
3. Go ashore and patronize businesses bold enough to put up a rainbow flag (even if just for those 8 hours). In that political climate, they know that putting that flag up could bring serious consequences long after we're gone. If I feel they are genuinely accepting, I'll override my pennies that went to the port fee by putting dollars in the pockets of people who are trying to feed their family and pay the light bill. Knowing where that money came from, I'd like to think they will return the support - financially and physically - by joining the groundswell that will someday rise up and demand change.
   

In short, if my itinerary includes a place where change is needed, I want to help those who can make that change happen.

...If you prefer not to financially support places that are homophobic, then you should avoid the Bahamas and Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

 

D&J

While I completely agree on boycotting the homophobic, let's try to remember that the viewpoint of a government is not the viewpoint of all their citizens. We live in Atlanta, and I would hope no one would decide not to patronize my business because Georgia is a fiercely red state.

When it comes to Grand Cayman, some of my most accepting friends have lived / have a place there. When we were there in 2012, we were with the most gay people I've ever seen on a ship. Some in our party were so flaming that I thought they'd create steam at Stingray City! We had a shore excursion with a non-sponsored company. None of us had a single thought about any Cayman reputation of homophobia, because the proprietors & employees of both the excursion company and the restaurant we went to for lunch welcomed us in like family. We haven't encountered any issue on other visits, either.

In most places - and there are definite exceptions - you find what you're looking for. If you're looking for homophobia and negative comments, you're bound to find them even if you're in San Francisco for Pride. My partner (13 1/2 years) and I have traveled extensively without any issues. Granted, my cop father started training me to be a cop as soon as I could walk, and I've done executive protection for politicians, pro athletes, and Fortune 500 CEOs. Now I'm a travel agent with my finger on the pulse of travel news around the world, so I approach some of these scenarios with a different level of awareness & insight than the average bear (or otter, or ....).

The world is changing, and we move it forward by being who we are and living our lives confidently. Go forth and conquer! Just don't try to multiply on your balcony.

(Oh, and as for Africa, they're so far off the homophobia chart that I don't actively promote tours there.)

Another thing to take into consideration is that it's been scientifically proven that less options mean higher sales. Like MissBrightStar said, "With previous cruises we've struggled to narrow choices down."

I'd have to look up the report again, but ("the story is true, the products and amounts have been changed to protect my memory") a jelly manufacturer did a store sampling with 12 new flavors, and another with only 3 new jellies. With the 12, there were significantly lower sales because, the consumers reported, it was basically sensory overload and they perceived the time & energy necessary to determine the best of 12 was more than they had.

There are also an increasing number of excursion options through independent companies, and frequent cruisers start looking for variety. Your TA could help you if you want to go that route. Just balance the benefits against the protection of time & money by going through the ship. If going independent, I'd make sure the excursion end time is *at least* an hour before the All Aboard call.

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My Time Dining - The Only Way To Dine (j/k)

We love MTD and have sailed several times dining only as a couple. Normally they (try to) sit you in the same area unless you request a change. If your server is phenomenal, feel free to ask for him/her again. If not, ask for a change. With MTD, the pre-paid gratuities are mandatory, so the only way a waiter won't get the most gratuities possible is if diners repeatedly ask not to be seated in their area, and, likewise, the Maitre d' will let the head waiter know that one of their staff members is repelling diners.

As Molly said, you can request MTD and/or make reservations onboard - provided MTD isn't full. I would recommend making the MDR (Main Dining Room) one of your first stops when you board the ship. Personally, I like making reservations each day depending on the scheduled events, although showing up isn't usually an issue unless you arrive at the same time as the scheduled seatings. (It's not an issue of space - it's an issue of the kitchen getting bombarded with your order at the same time as everyone in the MDR.) Arriving ~15-30 min before or after scheduled seatings typically works great.

While I enjoy dining at a larger table and getting to know my table-mates, MTD allows you the choice of having some time alone or of chatting with the people at tables around you if you wish. I could have a conversation with a stop sign, so I usually wind up asking her if she would recommend getting the appetizer/ entree/ dessert she just ate, him if he found that wild tropical shirt in port or brought it with him, them where they're from, etc. Heck, when we finished one cruise, I realized the only pics we had of us with other people were the ones we took with the 2 neighboring sets of waiters / assistant waiters we'd bounced between during the cruise! Get there at good times, find out if they got to talk with their family that day, and ask them what they REALLY think about the lamb. You'll have the very best service and a surprise plate of the item you debated about choosing but didn't. :D

Just back from Navigator OTS, sailing out of NOLA, and had no problem at all taking our wine on-board. We had each bottle wrapped in the store's plastic bag for protection during transport. We look the two bottles out of my backpack, left them in the store's bag, put them on the belt right behind my backpack, and sailed straight through.

Below is taken right from RCCL FAQ page:

 

Q: Can I bring liquor or non-alcoholic beverages (from home or from a port) onboard?

A: Guests are not allowed to bring beer, hard liquor or non-alcoholic beverages onboard for consumption or any other use.

First off, thanks cruisin0425 for posting the official policy so we're not all trying to figure out how to beat the system. :D

Secondly, I know what it says about bringing non-alcoholic beverages on board, but we take an entire case of bottled water on board with us every cruise, and nothing has ever been said. We usually put the individual bottles in our checked luggage, but have put them in our carry-on luggage and also carried the shrink-wrapped case right through security. Has anyone had any problem with the "non-alcoholic beverage" called "water" being an issue?

Graham - You stated in a previous post that you realize you aren't everyone's "cup of tea," and I'm glad you're not. The world would be a boring place if one person pleased everybody. That being said, I am bummed that you won't be our CD in September. We're going B2B to celebrate my turning 40 (if it happens at sea, it doesn't count). When I told my DP that you were off during our cruise, his response was a smirk & a light-hearted "Good." His humor ... sorry, humour ... and mine are different.

During our last cruise with you, he'd come back to the cabin from some boring place like the gym, glare at me and ask, "You're watching Graham's broadcast AGAIN?!? You know it's the same one from this morning, right?" I couldn't help it, I was usually laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Even though he feigned relief that Drew would be our CD, I got him to confess that Graham Seymour is an experience EVERYONE should enjoy at least once. :D

Very sorry to hear of Corey's passing. He seemed like such a great person. On a much lighter note, huge congratulations on your pending nuptials! We'll miss you and hopefully catch you again on one of those new routes you're wanting.