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Does anyone do the FOD/LGBT gatherings?


3DogDay
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With only two cruises under our belts, we're hardly seasoned, but the BF and I have a made a point of doing NCL's FOD/LGBT meet-ups every night we've been aboard, even if that has sometimes meant sitting in an otherwise empty lounge for a while.

 

The way we figure it, we're probably going to be enjoying cocktails somewhere anyway, and those who are "fashionably late" will be less inclined to poke their heads in, see an empty bar, and trudge slowly away disheartened that no one attended. In the meantime, we get our own bartender and full run of the place.

 

Typically, once others see signs of life, we get company. Mind you, when I opined to the BF that we were like the little specks that a hail stone coalesces around, he told me lay off the frozen drinks, so YMMV. :eek:

 

That's a good idea. We probably weren't the only ones who stopped by the bar, saw nothing going on and left.

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And by te wat, using the term FOD is to me an ancient unneeded disguise that only powers the feeling of being the odd ones out.

 

Seems like RCCL and Celebrity have gotten away from using it. That said, they don't publish it in the daily events anymore since they have stopped.

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I'm disappointed to hear that the LGBT gatherings are often poorly attended. We will be doing our first cruise in September, on the Celebrity Constellation, and we were hoping that by meeting other gay couples (and singles too), that we could quickly learn the ropes.

 

Any other advice for gay newbies trying to figure out what will work for us?

 

Thanks

 

You might want to take EvilBanker's advice and just show up to the gathering and hang out for a bit. Other than that, we tended to meet people around the pool. But the bottom line is to enjoy yourself and not let whether or not you meet other gay people be the barometer of how well your vacation went. You may even meet some really great straight people (we did).

 

Based on your countdown clock, you are going to some very amazing places, several of which are my favorite places in the world. Have a wonderful time!

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We also like going down to the photo display boards on day two, and scan through the pix and wait for "gaydar" to kick in. It's good entertainment for 30 minutes, if nothing else😉

 

 

Haha! We do that, too. It's a good way to know who to look out for. When my mom travels with us, she gives everyone nicknames from the pics lol

 

 

 

Michael

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We also like going down to the photo display boards on day two, and scan through the pix and wait for "gaydar" to kick in. It's good entertainment for 30 minutes, if nothing else😉

 

Thank god I'm not the only one that does this!!!!!;) And congrats on your "win". We've gone to the events years ago but alas, the turnouts were too dismal. We usually find more family sitting at the bar or just walking around.

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They can be hit or miss, sometimes based on the cruise itinerary - longer, more expensive cruises attract and older crowd, and well those folks eat early lol and miss the afternoon meetings.

 

I've done the FOD meets on RCL and Norweigen. From what I saw, people would show up at one of the first or second meets and deem the participants as undesirables and not return. Gays can be fickle bastards. For example, On a recent cruise, 2 aged twinks showed up, ordered a drink, eyeballed the bar to see if anyone met their level of perceived attractivesness, finding nome that met their standards. quickly alienated themselves from the rest of the group and moved off to a separate area. They were not seen again at the meetings.

 

 

I ran into some "family" and suggested the meets but were told it wasn't their scene. ok, fine enough. Some people are shy, some people have no interest in meeting other gay passengers, they just want to vacation.

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We also like going down to the photo display boards on day two, and scan through the pix and wait for "gaydar" to kick in. It's good entertainment for 30 minutes, if nothing else😉

 

I'm so glad to hear that I and my DH are not the only ones who scan the photos for "family." Once we discover them, we play a game where you get points if you see them around the ship.

 

As for the FODs, we've gone to a few of them on NCL and sometimes they have a crowd and sometimes they don't. The good thing is NCL usually holds their meetings in the martini bar that is quiet enough to have a conversation.

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We also like going down to the photo display boards on day two, and scan through the pix and wait for "gaydar" to kick in. It's good entertainment for 30 minutes, if nothing else😉

 

This made me laugh.. A lot. I never even thought to do this :D

 

As for the LGBT meet-ups, we're not really drinkers so it's kind of weird for us to sit in a bar in hopes of meeting new friends.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I always make a point to try and attend. I find that most times it's a slow start and a lot of people might walk by to see if anyone is there, but not actually sit down and stay. Especially on Carnival where it is usually at the Martini/Wine/Alchemy bar which is open concept. I find that if we sit down then eventually people will trickle in.

 

The exception was my Princess cruise this past January, what a turn out! Met countless amazing people throughout the sailing and even did some lunches/dinners together. This was my first solo cruise and sure made it a memorable experience.

 

So although it can be hit or miss, I always give it a try and hope others continue to do the same :) cruises are best spent in good company!

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  • 2 months later...

It is like any kind of 'cruising.' You never know what will come of it, but you still have to try.

 

Try because you want to meet someone, but also try because there may be that one guy with his mom and in the closet who is dying to meet someone to talk to over a drink.

 

Try because you know guys will be casually passing by wondering if anyone is actually there. If you don't try, he won't have the courage to come in for a drink.

 

Make eye-contact and be friendly... you have nothing to lose.

 

Chat up and be friendly with the server... let him know why you are there... there may be some others on the other end of the room who don't know you are there... and you may find a friendly crew/staff member. :o

 

I expected nothing on a HAL Alaskan cruise, and it actually turned out to be the best ever! We made several good friends on that cruise.

 

So go! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If it is at a terrible time, speak to the CD and make a suggestion for a better time.

 

Cast your bread upon the waters boys!

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On our many Cunard voyages, there have been very well-attended FOD cocktail parties, fully-supported by the ship with an assigned space and with an assigned waiter (sometimes also one who knows Dorothy) who serves drinks and snacks. We've met lots of friends at these parties. Recently on Crystal, the ship sponsored a LGBT party which attracted a fairly large group of both guys and gals, plus a few straight friends. Rumor was that the party was requested by a straight couple!

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We have attended FOD on NCL on two cruises, they are printed in the daily schedule. One week was good the other a low turn out. It just depends who is on board.

 

We will attend on the Escape in January and bring my Mother along as she is on the cruise with us!

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We have been on two cruises with Princess. On both cruises several LGBT gatherings were listed in the daily newsletter, usually at 5 pm and was hosted by a member of the crew. The trick is to bring something recognizable (such as a small rainbow flag) so anyone interested can spot the group easily. Once everyone was connected and introduced themselves the gatherings were quite friendly. Folks would schedule dinners together, time at the nightclub, bingo, hot-tubbing etc. depending on interests. We are sailing on the Grand Princess December 20th from San Francisco, and we are certainly looking forward meeting up. - Bill

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I've found that it varies...

 

(1) On RCCL and Celebrity, the meetings aren't included in the daily schedule, but may be noted on some bulletin board/display that no one notices.

 

(2) On more traditional lines (Cunard & HAL) and itineraries (crossings) I've seen much more attendance.

 

(3) It can very much depend upon the cruise director.

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I've found that it varies...

 

(1) On RCCL and Celebrity, the meetings aren't included in the daily schedule, but may be noted on some bulletin board/display that no one notices.

 

(2) On more traditional lines (Cunard & HAL) and itineraries (crossings) I've seen much more attendance.

 

(3) It can very much depend upon the cruise director.

 

Carnival also posted the GLBT daily schedule.

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Did the cruise director have to think on his feet and change up the questions that he asked? My fiancée always wanted to do it but I was afraid we would ruin it when the director asked "What size bra does your wife wear?" or any of the specifically herto questions that they always seem to ask, kind of like RCI gives them a script.

 

I don't recall ever seeing the FOD/LGBT in the RCI cruise compass but the fiancée fills out a card for the bulletin board before he even goes to the room. It has been kind of hit and miss for the get together on the different ships. The people who are usually there are the extreme cruisers that spend as much time on a ship as land and they seemed to have their own click with the other extreme cruisers. That is until they found us on the beach at Club Orient in St Maarten, then they got chatty:D

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We've only been on one sailing so far - the Anthem maiden voyage APR22, the gathering where set for 22:00 at the Bionic Bar. I think we saw the notice on the 2nd day but it was several days later we where able to stop by because we had late dinner.

 

For those that do not know the Quantum class - the Bionic Bar is a very open area on the upper balcony of the Royal Esplanade. It is loud - very loud (DJ music) and people are constantly hanging out / passing through.

 

We may be atypical gays because we do not like to dance, we do not like a venue where you have to shout to communicate. But the nights we went by, we could not identify if there where an LGBT group present - so they may not have kept it up after the first days.

 

I have never been on an Quantum Class, but will be soon, Anthem in December. Just from what I know about the Bionic Bar, I think that would be a terrible place for a FOD/LGBT get together, just based on the novelty of the bar alone. Can you recommend, or has anyone identified, a different, better bar on the Quantum Class for the get together?

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  • 4 months later...

I've always tried to go but, like other commenters, found them sparsely attended, if at all. Only on a transatlantic was there a decent group, I found.

 

On my most recent cruise, last month, I was very pleased that it was posted each day in Celebrity Today as "LGBT Get-Together" (not FOD). That was on an 11-day cruise on the Equinox. Unfortunately, when I walked by the meet-up spot a few days, I didn't see anyone.

 

I'll definitely frequent these gatherings on my Feb sailing on the Allure - with such a huge passenger count I hope there will be a few attendees!

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I find them hit and miss also, however I will always plan on going to the first one. A couple of years ago on the Epic there was a group of about 15 of us who met up every night and the last night everyone met for dinner. The following year there were only a few and they were bitter queens so I only went a few times then avoided them I am there to relax and not wanting the drama

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We always try to attend the first meeting, some hit and miss. NCL are usually more successful than the ones we have attended on RCCL and Celebrity.

 

The timings are usually bad, typically 5-6 pm, no good for us, normally been in the gym and then sauna.

 

Usually met more people in the sauna and steam room to be honest.

 

Usually try and smile and say hello to any family we see on board but not all wish to chat.

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In November/December we recently crossed the Atlantic on the Azamara Journey and had a terrific time with the LGBT folks on board. Each evening at 6:30 there was a well-attended cocktail party in the observation bar, and one evening it was hosted by the Captain and the Cruise Director, with a huge turnout of the gay staff on board. Then later in the evening after the shows the group would reassemble in the same lounge (a disco late at night) for more partying. Very convivial group, I would estimate about 40 guys, not all present at the same time, and one lesbian, plus some supportive kindred spirits who enjoyed the fun of the group.

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On my NCL cruises these have been fairly well attended... 6-12 people per night, mostly couples, and mixed G & L. Occasionally these have been unofficially hosted by one of the CD staff.

 

One memorable night in the Star Bar on our Alaska Cruise, we ordered pizzas, martinis, and bottles of wine and kept the party going... Pretty soon, the bar servers were bringing in more party food items from the buffet. It might have been a record tip night for the bartender and servers.

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What We've found is that going to the LGBT events on the first couple of nights is essential. Even if you're the only ones who show, you have a couple of drinks and move on. When others do arrive, become the host, start a conversation and that should get things going. You won't have to play Julie the Cruise Director all night, but someone needs to set the mood.

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Unfortunately, when I walked by the meet-up spot a few days, I didn't see anyone.

 

 

I think that can be part of the problem. Some people will only ever walk by and if they don't see enough going on, they don't stop. That means if no one stops, the group will never build! We learned this a few cruises ago and now always make sure we sit down for at least a drink, and without fail others always stop by. Someone needs to break the ice! :)

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