Jump to content

Does NCL have LGBT meets?


dennis-in-ct
 Share

Recommended Posts

Yes there are nightly LBGT meetings on NCL. They are scheduled for 7 or 8 -- not 10 like on carnival.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

The unfortunate timing of the NCL Friends of Dorothy meetings are that they are at 7pm..right in the middle of dinner for most... we usually meet up with others and make our new time that suits all..often 5-6 ish

Rod and BArry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi -

 

Does the Breakaway offer nightly LGBT meets?

We have sailed on CARNIVAL and every night at 10pm there was a designated LGBT meet.

 

thanks !

 

They do. Timing varies by ship.

 

I've been to them at 6, at 9, and apparently on my upcoming trip they're at 7.

 

 

On Breakaway specifically, if memory serves (I don't keep the dailies), it was at 6 p.m., and we frequently went from FoD to dinner with others.

 

 

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you everyone for the great info. I am very happy to know we have a meet and greet !

 

side rant: " FoD " = Friends Of Dorothy :) .... hysterical.

 

I love our culture but no reason to be "hidden" or "discreet" in 2015. For the love of god... the president, supreme court and even the pope acknowledge and have an understanding of LGBT citizens. I personally do not need "code word" to meet with my fellow tribe members :) as if to imply I am hiding from the rest of the ship passengers.

 

Why can't NCL in this day and age with all the new laws, rights and privileges simply call it what it is ... the LGBT meet?

 

I guarantee that no one cares.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

FoD, as I understand it, is a fun term not intending to hide anything. On most NCL cruises I've been on they list FoD/GLBT. I hope my upcoming cruise has them closer to cocktail hour so we can gather and then eat together. Many cruises I've been on have had them at 7 or later and we just ask that they change them. They do, but it takes a couple of days as the dailies are preprinted for the first couple of days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those who have changed the time of the meetings pre-cruise, who did you contact? Thanks, Sam.

 

Probably the Group Service Coordinator shore-side who would then get in touch with the ship. I've never personally done it but the GLBT is considered a group on most ships but it's one that just has a designated meeting time and venue set aside so it can't be used by other real groups (like travel groups, themed groups, etc).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably the Group Service Coordinator shore-side who would then get in touch with the ship. I've never personally done it but the GLBT is considered a group on most ships but it's one that just has a designated meeting time and venue set aside so it can't be used by other real groups (like travel groups, themed groups, etc).

 

A set aside venue was not the case for me on the Getaway in August. It was at the Sunset Bar which was open to all guests with absolutely no signage as to where exactly people should sit for the meetup. Since the bar has an inside and outside component it was difficult to see who was straight and drinking and who was a LGBT there also drinking.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Once we get a group going, we normally make up our own times for the meetings. On the epic last year, there were dozens of guys in the group, so several smaller groups just splintered off for their own thing. We'll see what happens next week on the Getaway.

Edited by thatjoeguy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi -

 

Does the Breakaway offer nightly LGBT meets?

We have sailed on CARNIVAL and every night at 10pm there was a designated LGBT meet.

 

thanks !

 

As everyone has mentioned, an LGBT Gathering is always listed in the Freestyle Daily. The time can vary from ship to ship. On my most recent cruise on Epic, the time was 7pm in Shakers. My advice is to attend on the first night. That's when most folks go and that's your best opportunity to meet people. I've never not met gay folk on Norwegian ships. And I haven't met all of them at the FOD; sometimes you just meet them in the hot tub, or Spice, or around the ship. I hope you enjoy your first Norwegian cruise. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A set aside venue was not the case for me on the Getaway in August. It was at the Sunset Bar which was open to all guests with absolutely no signage as to where exactly people should sit for the meetup. Since the bar has an inside and outside component it was difficult to see who was straight and drinking and who was a LGBT there also drinking.

 

It’s not hosted on NCL and not at a private bar on the larger ships. There’s no place which exists to have it at a private bar on the newer ships. The older ships had the Star Bar which was out of the way. It was still open to the public but it gave a more intimate setting and was out of the way so you could use your gaydar very easily and strike up conversations with others. If you want a hosted FOD then go on Princess which I’ve heard lately doesn’t have hosts at those either.

 

Scheduling-wise, if they wanted to close a bar off for another group on the ship, it would show a conflict if the FOD was being held there. That’s why they put it in as a group even though it is loosely so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As everyone has mentioned, an LGBT Gathering is always listed in the Freestyle Daily. The time can vary from ship to ship. On my most recent cruise on Epic, the time was 7pm in Shakers. My advice is to attend on the first night. That's when most folks go and that's your best opportunity to meet people. I've never not met gay folk on Norwegian ships. And I haven't met all of them at the FOD; sometimes you just meet them in the hot tub, or Spice, or around the ship. I hope you enjoy your first Norwegian cruise. :)

 

That is awesome advice about the first night! I usually go the first night and arrange to keep my schedule open on the first night to accommodate it and then plan accordingly for the rest of the cruise depending on attendance and people there. Some cruises are hit or miss. The FOD on the Star cruise fizzled by Day 3 but it was a 14 day cruise and some people went and others didn't and some nights I didn't bother to go. We were on the cruise so long everyone go to know each other outside of the events but people still went to that bar because the bartender was SUPER nice! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It’s not hosted on NCL and not at a private bar on the larger ships. There’s no place which exists to have it at a private bar on the newer ships. The older ships had the Star Bar which was out of the way. It was still open to the public but it gave a more intimate setting and was out of the way so you could use your gaydar very easily and strike up conversations with others. If you want a hosted FOD then go on Princess which I’ve heard lately doesn’t have hosts at those either.

 

Scheduling-wise, if they wanted to close a bar off for another group on the ship, it would show a conflict if the FOD was being held there. That’s why they put it in as a group even though it is loosely so.

 

There's no need to close off a bar or even have a host. There is table seating at Sunset Bar (both outside and inside) where a simple table tent saying "reserved for LGBT meetup" on one of the tables would suffice. The fact there is absolutely nothing at the bar & the bartender not knowing that there is a NCL listed meetup at their bar can easily turn away many people. For my next cruise I might just need to purchase table top flag to use as a gathering point at the LGBT "meetups".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's no need to close off a bar or even have a host. There is table seating at Sunset Bar (both outside and inside) where a simple table tent saying "reserved for LGBT meetup" on one of the tables would suffice. The fact there is absolutely nothing at the bar & the bartender not knowing that there is a NCL listed meetup at their bar can easily turn away many people. For my next cruise I might just need to purchase table top flag to use as a gathering point at the LGBT "meetups".

 

The bartender should know what’s going on because all staff is given an very small and I mean small (need a magnifying glass) copy of the FreeStyle Daily to know what is going on in case a passenger asks.

 

The bar doesn’t need to be private but the out of the way ones like the Star Bar on the older ships meant it was a more intimate feeling and people were more inclined to talk and mingle. The open concept of the Breakaway class at the martini bar is less conducive to that and if people are shy it’s definitely a deterrent to stopping in. However, if you have a good gaydar you can see them cruising by looking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The unfortunate timing of the NCL Friends of Dorothy meetings are that they are at 7pm..right in the middle of dinner for most... we usually meet up with others and make our new time that suits all..often 5-6 ish

 

Rod and BArry

 

 

Right in the middle of dinner? Oh yes I forgot those from North America like to eat early. Us Europeans are more accustomed to eating later so the timing them for 7pm ish doesn't interfere. However, as others have pointed out, NCL, in our experience schedule them at the start of a cruise but as time goes on the group tend to arrange their own thing so it's never an issue.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bartender should know what’s going on because all staff is given an very small and I mean small (need a magnifying glass) copy of the FreeStyle Daily to know what is going on in case a passenger asks.

 

The bar doesn’t need to be private but the out of the way ones like the Star Bar on the older ships meant it was a more intimate feeling and people were more inclined to talk and mingle. The open concept of the Breakaway class at the martini bar is less conducive to that and if people are shy it’s definitely a deterrent to stopping in. However, if you have a good gaydar you can see them cruising by looking.

 

I agree with all that you said. It was my very first cruise so after coming from the hosted solo meet I probably expected too much. Its water on a ducks back at this point looking back it didn't detract from the cruise in a significant way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, there were LGBT socials listed every night during my recent sailing on Norwegian Sky. Alas, they were held at the same time other events were occurring in the lobby bar, and so it was a potentially mixed crowd--when there was anyone at all. A couple times I was the lone person sitting at the bar. Oh well, maybe the wrong time of year!

 

I also tried to attend the Cruising Solo M&G, and there were several present, but the overzealous Cruise Director came swooping in with a loud voice, calling all the solo cruisers over to a secluded corner, out of sight, and effectively killing the night for those of us who prefer a less-structured event.

 

I could see a similar behavior driving people away from a FoD gathering, but did not witness it firsthand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Thank you everyone for the great info. I am very happy to know we have a meet and greet !

 

side rant: " FoD " = Friends Of Dorothy :) .... hysterical.

 

I love our culture but no reason to be "hidden" or "discreet" in 2015. For the love of god... the president, supreme court and even the pope acknowledge and have an understanding of LGBT citizens. I personally do not need "code word" to meet with my fellow tribe members :) as if to imply I am hiding from the rest of the ship passengers.

 

Why can't NCL in this day and age with all the new laws, rights and privileges simply call it what it is ... the LGBT meet?

 

I guarantee that no one cares.

Most of my NCL cruises listed it as GLBT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

There are FOD meeting on RCL & NCL.

 

The best FOD meetings were on the QMII Private sectioned off area of the Comadore Lounge. Complimentary drink with canapés every night. Large crowd, busy every evening. Meeting was scheduled for 6pm (I think) always before the first dinner service.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...