How are Gay Couples treated on Straight cruises?

[jason021771]

Just a question...We are going on our first cruise and are a little concerned about how we will be treated since we are a gay couple and we are going on Liberty of the Seas in September.

Thanks for any help or suggestions..

Jason and Dwight

[RuthlessBoss]

Just a question...We are going on our first cruise and are a little concerned about how we will be treated since we are a gay couple and we are going on Liberty of the Seas in September.

Thanks for any help or suggestions..

Jason and Dwight

I don't think there should be any problems. We've seen couples who were clearly gay and having a wonderful time and relationship. The only problem will be if outward affection is shown while out in public, you'll get "the look", but i've seen heteros carrying on and felt like saying go to your room. That behavior has no place in the public eye, I guess they think others are impressed and "in love" WRONG!

[jason021771]

no, we are not the "in your face" gay couple. We too, find it inappropriate to "make out" in public, gay or straight. We are just somewhat concerned about our table mates and if being two men will stand out and draw negative attention.

[Bramcruiser]

We're a gay couple ourselves. Quite frankly I have seen quite a few obviously gay couples on our previous three cruises - all considered to be regular cruises - and did not see much in the way of issues. Personally I think you both will do fine and will enjoy yourselves.

 

The only problem we encountered was not even much of that. We were on the QM2 last December and had a table for six for dining. The other four were made up of two straight couples in their retirement years. We believed one couple had an issue with us being gay but did not outwardly so anything. They quietly disappeared to a new table from the second night onwards saying that the asked to be reassigned as they were eating with friends. The other couple at our table also had issues with them however as the couple who left had a real chip on their shoulders about their self-importance. So the four of us who remained had a table of six for the remainder of the cruise and had a blast. Everywhere else we went it was just regular folks who would stop and talk to you.

 

If you have any problems it will be isolated but chances are that there won't be any. I say go and have a good time. Just remember this isn't RSVP or Atlantis but if you can step out to a regular hotel or restaurant then you should do fine on a cruise - and it doesn't matter what cruise line you are on.

 

David

[caliber35]

You will have no problem traveling as a Gay Couple. I have been on over 20 'straight' cruises with nary a problem. In fact, you will be pleased to discover that you are far from alone. Most ships I have sailed on have had many Gay people on board, usually 5 to 10 percent, mirroring the population at large. Look for a Friends of Dorothy meeting if you want to socialize with other Gay friends on board. Most all cruises have them these days. Also, recognize that the majority of the male crew are often Gay and friendly. The Concierge or Cruise Director can often be helpful in directing you towards activities or excusions you may enjoy. Have a great cruise!

[kris4842]

I dont think you will be treated poorly. my boyfriend and i went on carnival's miracle this past new years and we were the only gay people on board. we were not treated bad at all but im sure people did say some things. We are trying royal's mariner in three weeks so we will see how they treat us

[realent]

I am a married, late forties woman and socializing with gay men or women on a cruise or anywhere else is always just as fun as socializing with any other *fun* couple. There are a lot of stick in the mud straight people out there and I would rather be with fun loving folks any day of the week no matter what their sexual preferance!

[jason021771]

Thanks for all the responses. I am feeling relaxed now about the cruise. Hopefully we can meet other couples onboard and have drinks and conversations with.

[hyp121]

My partner and I have been on 3 regular Princess cruises. We didn't feel like we had been treated differently. We're going on our 4th straight cruise in a little over a month.

 

As a matter of fact, most straight couples are kind of clueless and didn't realized that we're a couple.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I'm sure you'll have a blast.

[BULLOCH12]

i am a straight married, conservative as it gets, person. that being said, on the sensation we were at the table with a gay couple, this couple made our cruise, and they were quit enjoyable. they believed that if they didn't make it an issue others wouldn't either and i have to agree. enjoy your cruise

[Schplinky]

You will have no problem and besides that, you chose a great ship. We loved Liberty and I cannot wait to go on her again. On such a big ship, you will invariably run into other gay couples.

[RichardE954]

We were on the Liberty in May and had a great time. Check the bulletin board for the Friends of Dorothy meeting. When we went it was scheduled for the first sea day. The bulletin board is located on the Promenade by the Bistro.

[seadancer]

I don't think you'll have any trouble from anyone most people are well mannered except for the normal idiots we all have too put up with:D . I agree with the above poster about outward affection other than that have a great time. Your welcome at our table anytime.

 

 

Seeeyaa

Jeff & Francesca

[skf]

Almost everyone is very sweet to us when we cruise. About the worst was on Golden Princess two couples never came back to the table after their first night. They weren't even rude, just pretended we didn't exist. The staff couldn't be nicer, at least on Princess.

Enjoy your cruise, Steve & Pete

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

My husband and I walk around holding hands and get "the look" sometimes but overall everyone treats us no different as any other couple. And the crew couldn't be nicer. We have NEVER had a problem with the crew and sometimes even get those extra perks from "family" (after dinner cocktail, chocolate covered strawberries, etc). I will the rest of the general population could be as welcoming as those on a cruise ship! :cool:

[Crusinman29]

My partner and I have NEVER had a problem. We really enjoy meeting the "straight" people on the cruises. No need to be concerned. You are on vacation!

[5:00_Somewhere]

My husband and I walk around holding hands and get "the look" sometimes but overall everyone treats us no different as any other couple. And the crew couldn't be nicer. We have NEVER had a problem with the crew and sometimes even get those extra perks from "family" (after dinner cocktail, chocolate covered strawberries, etc). I will the rest of the general population could be as welcoming as those on a cruise ship!

 

I see the hubby beat me to the punch here ... as usual. But, I would like to add that my biggest anxiety about cruising initially was the dinner seating arrangements, but we've been very fortunate in that regard. In fact, on our first cruise the 70 year old retiree ended up coming out to us. :eek: And, on our second cruise our table of 4 couples (the other 3 straight) had so much fun every night at dinner the table next to us asked to be moved. :o There are exceptions, but in our experience they've been extremely rare and most everyone we've met couldn't be nicer. I've sort of developed a theory that most people who choose a cruise vacation are pretty laid back and are willing to experience new things (even meeting *gasp* gay people.) ;) As my hubby said, I just wish people in the general public were as accepting.

 

Oh, and we've also always found many other gay and lesbian cruisers on our trips. On our last cruise there must've been 40 or 50 of us! The LGBT cocktail hours were rockin', and a good time was had by all! :D

 

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. Happy cruising! :)

[bububr]

on a Celebrity cruise. Of course we didn't know that a Fundie Christian group was onboard. They did approach us and read us the 'word' a few times until I complained. We were moved to a different room ( they would leave literature ) and they were told to to STOP per their cruise contract or they would be put off at the next port for harassment of passengers.

 

Other than that, we have never had a problem.

 

We even were married in British Columbia. On the tender over someone asked if were going to a wedding as we were dressed in our tuxes. I said yes, ours. It did turn a few heads, however that night returning to the diningroom we were bombarded with champagne, flowers and congrats by some of the straight folks who were on the tender. It was really nice, and we have kept in touch with the friends we made.

 

Other than that, the other posts reflect my experiences also. Our beds are always pushed together, we dress well but not over the top, we socialize with everyone, we try to limit PDA's to quiet moments when no one else is around, and we just have a good time.

 

We've also been invited to the Captains table a number of times:D .

 

Dave:eek:

[Michaelthebull13]

I agree with all of the other posts that you shouldn't have a problem on your cruise. We have met some neat people on our cruise (all straight couples). Hopefully one day we can cruise with a couple gay & lesbian couples! :) The staff on all of our past cruises were exceptional. Our only problem was our cabin steward on Voyager of the Seas. He was totally against us and it showed. However, the rest of the cabin stewards did not like him and were very gracious.

 

Gary

[RobertGT]

Going on my first cruise in January and I too have lots of reservations about how we will be treated.

[Horizon Bound]

We've only cruised a few times, once on Celebrity (no issues) and several times with Radisson (now Regent). Our last cruise with Regent in Central America was awful. We'd been feeling a bit uncomfortable with the treatment by *some* staff anyway. One night, we were asked to wait in the lounge before dinner (they have open seating vs. 1st/2nd seating schedules) and we hit a rush, so we were advisted to wait in the lounge and they would come and get us when a table was ready. We tend to eat solo (table for two) and it's not uncommon to wait a few minutes during peak times. Radisson never came for us, and in fact it was a bartender (FOD) who went over to the maiter'd to inquire about our table. At this point, the lounge which was the wait area for the main dining room was nearly empty, indicative that everyone had been seated for dinner but us. Not so much as an apology from the Maiter'd. So we opted out of the main dinning room at that point and started eating in the specialty restaurants to avoid the 'tude. First time, the waiter couldn't get our orders right, I'd have soup, and my partner the salad, the waiter invariably served me Kevin's dish, and his mine....course after course, to a point where it was laughable. He finally felt he had to offer something by way of an excuse(which is where he wen't wrong). He said he was having trouble because his 'system' wasn't working for him. Okay, so I took the bait.....he said he always wrote M/W on the order so he can remember what the man ordered, versus the woman. Serving two men was throwing him off! I coulda punched the guy - Kevin was so PO'd we got up and left. A written complaint to management about both incidents yielded not one word from management. My other pet peeve is the gym - the ship had only female massage therapists (don't ask me to spell messues!?!). Don't even take me there. So we've sailed our last Regent ship.

 

We've since moved to Crystal, and I gotta tell ya, we're in hog heaven. Not only are the amenities far superior to Regent, the staff are incredible - exceptionally attentive. Ship is impeccably clean. And here's the other surprise at least for me, the pax were amazing. Our TA suggested we get a dinner table for 8, as they don't have open seating for dinner (I thought she was absolutely crazy to suggest it) but we did and we had the time of our life. Of course depending on the itinerary, most cruises will have FOD on board, some more than others. The Crystal cruise in October to the Mediteranean had amazingly few. They did't have any FOD meetings - but that was okay with us - given the ports kept us so active we were exhausted most evenings. Kevin would rather be at the gym anyway than a bar - so not a big deal to us. Would guess they'd have pulled one together if we asked. The straight pax were so cool, I felt we were traveling with friends, instead of strangers. And our table mates were awesome. One older retired couple at o table promptly invited us to dine with them at one of the specialty restaurants a night or so later. The other 4 were single Canadian gals, who as a rule, are far more progressive than many Americans. They were a hoot.

 

So I learned that we can't prejudge people, because just when you think you've figured it out, people are people and we all bring our values and bias with us. I expected to be treated fairly on board Crystal, but to meet so many seemingly open minded people encourages us to continue with Crystal - even if it is a bit pricier than many other lines. Besides, we like to pamper ourselves.

 

Bon voyage Jason & Dwight on your first cruise.

[freddie]

Horizon Bound - I am genuinely surprised that you had problems on Regent which you consider to be related to your being a gay couple. My partner & I have been on six Regent (the first few as "Radisson") cruises in the last few years and have two more booked. We have never had any problem with staff or service that appeared to be in any respect associated with our male couple status. Our cabin attendants (both male and female) have been delightful and quite friendly (i.e. asking the names of our dogs and cats when we put their photos on the shelves above the desk, etc.). One of Regent's most popular cruise directors is an openly gay Brit. Of course, we've had the occasional screw-up by waiters (as we have had on other lines); but it never has had anything to do with our being gay. Clearly, your "H/W" waiter was a bit of an idiot.

 

In any event, Jason & Dwight, I agree with most of the other posters that you will likely have a fine time. We've met some wonderful gay and straight people on our cruises, with several of whom we stay in touch and have even cruised again.

 

Have fun. Cheers, Fred

[Jim in dallas]

My partner and I were on the Carnival Ecasty last Novemeber, and never had any problems. In fact, during one "photo session" on the formal night, the photographer asked if we were just friends or a "couple". I'm pretty sure he was family too ... but he took extra time to pose us and even took more pictures than usual. One of the pictures from that session has become our favorite that we've shared with friends and family. Out table mates at dinner couldn't have been nicer and the staff in the dining room was great. We even had other passengers who saw us taking pictures of each other that stopped so that they could take our picture together! Bottom line -- the experience couldn't have been better. In fact, we're giong back on carnival this November and taking my partners parents. :D

[mother of twins]

Being a married lady age 36 and mother of two I still have alot to learn...that being said,,,,one thing I have learned with age is that no matter where you are or what you do..school, family, friends , work, etc... you are never going to make EVERYONE happy! I'm sure you may run into someone that gives you a funny odd look, or says something BUT if you are acting like mature responsible adults...don't let it bother you. We personally enjoy being around gay men and would share a dinner table on any trip with you! You will be on vacation and have paid the same price as all other passengers so have a good time! Even when it comes to our children, as long as the PDA is not out of the norm,,,,no big deal! It's part of todays society and they have seen gay couples before and they don't think twice about it.

Relax, book your trip, plan fun things to do, get on board, have a drink and make memories....ENJOY!!!

[mother of twins]

Being a married lady age 36 and mother of two I still have alot to learn...that being said,,,,one thing I have learned with age is that no matter where you are or what you do..school, family, friends , work, etc... you are never going to make EVERYONE happy! I'm sure you may run into someone that gives you a funny odd look, or says something BUT if you are acting like mature responsible adults...don't let it bother you. We personally enjoy being around gay men and would share a dinner table on any trip with you! You will be on vacation and have paid the same price as all other passengers so have a good time! Even when it comes to our children, as long as the PDA is not out of the norm,,,,no big deal! It's part of todays society and they have seen gay couples before and they don't think twice about it.

Relax, book your trip, plan fun things to do, get on board, have a drink and make memories....ENJOY!!!