Hilarious!

[Drew B]

I just got off Celebrity Mercury in Alaska. It was really nice. They had a Friends of Dorothy gathering on the schedule every day of the 7-day cruise.

 

On my last night at dinner, I was talking to a (straight) woman at my table who was talking about the great time she had been having listening to and dancing to the music of this great band, the "Friends of Dorothy". She had no idea what the term meant, so she assumed it was the name of the band playing in that particular lounge. She also commented on how nice the young men were who attended their performances....

 

I almost felt guilty filling her in on what it really meant... :rolleyes:

[cruise pup]

So I guess you told her that the Friends of Dorothy were the other boys in the band. LOL. At least you had live music at your party. On a Carnival cruise a lady named Dorothy showed up with her friends. It was her birthday and she thought the meeting was in her honor.

[GBarrontine]

I was surprised they had the FOD meeting every night. You're usually lucky to get one a cruise. I do with that they had been some time other than 7:45 as we were usually still eating at that time. Our waitor had only been promoted about 2 weeks I think, so he was kind of slow.

 

Did you make it to any of the meetings Drew?

[Drew B]

I was surprised they had the FOD meeting every night. You're usually lucky to get one a cruise. I do with that they had been some time other than 7:45 as we were usually still eating at that time. Our waitor had only been promoted about 2 weeks I think, so he was kind of slow.

 

Did you make it to any of the meetings Drew?

 

I went to one on night 1, and then dropped by while leaving dinner later in the cruise.

[peteranddan]

We were on Infinity to Alaska on July 1. There were FOD meetings announced in the dailies every night of the cruise.

 

We decided that it might be fun to meet some other couples while on the cruise and attended the first evening. The first problem was that the "meetings" were scheduled at 19:30. That was ok for us as we had late seating, but for those with early seating, they would never be able to make it. The second problem was that it was schedule in the Martini bar. For those of you who haven't sailed Celebrity, the Martini bar is massive and very popular. There was no real way to determine who was family and who wasn't.

 

We sat at a table and had a couple of cocktails. About 15 minutes after we arrived two young ladies walked in, looked about and decided to sit at the table next to us. Dan and I looked at each other as one of the gals (don't flame me!) was obviously a lesbian. When the waiter approached their table she asked about the FOD meeting, and he didn't know what she was talking about.

 

I leaned over and excused myself and asked if they were there for the "meeting"? They were, so we joined them and the four of us met every evening for cocktails. They had just been married at the British consulate in Australia and were on their honeymoon.

 

Each evening the FOD event was advertized, usually in the Martini bar and we never saw another same sex couple, at least ones that came to the meetings.....

 

They did have the meeting in Michael's club one night and that was even more akward. A small, intimate after dinner club that served liquors and cognacs....no one in there either, but the four of us didn't hang out very long. Before dinner cognacs weren't very appealing to us.

 

Disappointing, but we did meet the one lovely couple who we still keep in touch with.

 

Peter

[Blazerboy]

Peter/Dan, we found the same thing on our Alaska cruise on Infinity...didn't see another G/L couple the whole week. Same was true for our two week Hawaii cruise.

 

But on our two Transatlantics, the boys were out in force! I think sometimes the itinerary creates the 'vibe.' Though I will agree that Celebrity doesn't seem to provide the hosted parties of other lines...then again, we generally don't need them...but have always felt very accepted both by passengers and staff.

[Bookish Angel]

A few years ago when I heard the term "Friends of Dorothy" I thought it was for people who really liked "The Wizard of Oz!" A gay friend finally enlightened me and we laughed about it but, yikes, I felt dumb.

[urbanhawk]

A few years ago when I heard the term "Friends of Dorothy" I thought it was for people who really liked "The Wizard of Oz!" A gay friend finally enlightened me and we laughed about it but, yikes, I felt dumb.

 

 

On one of the other threads in the past couple of months, I read where someone thought that "Friends of Dorothy" was like the "Friends of Bill W.", but for the women! I thought that was a hoot! :D

[Drew B]

...and my sister wondered who "Bill W" was and why he had so many friends...

 

 

 

I've always found it pretty easy to tell the difference between who has shown up for the FOD gathering and who just happens to be wandering through the area. On the other hand, the staff of that lounge should be notified and should be aware so they can assure guests that they are in the right place.

 

Celebrity was better than the one time I tried to go to an FOD gathering on Carnival, and walked into a busy, bustling piano bar filled with straight people. Moreover, the piano player kept making heterosexist comments telling women in the bar to simulate a lap dance on the men, etc. Needless to say, there was not a big gay presence in that bar...

[SingerEsq]

A few years ago when I heard the term "Friends of Dorothy" I thought it was for people who really liked "The Wizard of Oz!" A gay friend finally enlightened me and we laughed about it but, yikes, I felt dumb.

 

My partner also had no idea. Even when I explained the reference, he really did not see the connection. I had to go into an entire history lesson of Stonewall, etc. Bad gay, BAD gay!

[donaldsc]

Just as a matter of interest, I have never heard that term used. Why is it called "friends of Dorothy"?

 

DON

[Boytjie]

Just as a matter of interest, I have never heard that term used. Why is it called "friends of Dorothy"?

 

DON

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_of_Dorothy

[newfarmers]

We were on Infinity to Alaska on July 1. There were FOD meetings announced in the dailies every night of the cruise.

 

We decided that it might be fun to meet some other couples while on the cruise and attended the first evening. The first problem was that the "meetings" were scheduled at 19:30. That was ok for us as we had late seating, but for those with early seating, they would never be able to make it. The second problem was that it was schedule in the Martini bar. For those of you who haven't sailed Celebrity, the Martini bar is massive and very popular. There was no real way to determine who was family and who wasn't.

 

We sat at a table and had a couple of cocktails. About 15 minutes after we arrived two young ladies walked in, looked about and decided to sit at the table next to us. Dan and I looked at each other as one of the gals (don't flame me!) was obviously a lesbian. When the waiter approached their table she asked about the FOD meeting, and he didn't know what she was talking about.

 

I leaned over and excused myself and asked if they were there for the "meeting"? They were, so we joined them and the four of us met every evening for cocktails. They had just been married at the British consulate in Australia and were on their honeymoon.

 

Each evening the FOD event was advertized, usually in the Martini bar and we never saw another same sex couple, at least ones that came to the meetings.....

 

They did have the meeting in Michael's club one night and that was even more akward. A small, intimate after dinner club that served liquors and cognacs....no one in there either, but the four of us didn't hang out very long. Before dinner cognacs weren't very appealing to us.

 

Disappointing, but we did meet the one lovely couple who we still keep in touch with.

 

Peter

 

hi there

 

ours was in Michael's every night for 18 days - Alaska and then across to and around Hawaii - in 2004. We met four couples on the alaska cruise, two of whom were from Oz, a lesbian couple 20 minutes away here in Brisbane and and two now great friends an hour away down on the Gold Coast. Great lady on the piano. When we stayed on for the hawaii cruise the family multiplied and we had a hoot. we gradually built up to nearky twenty at our last gathering. Same pianist, she loved us!!

 

think we'll be lucky to find any family on our rotterdam cruise in a few weeks time:(

 

pete and al

[Bramcruiser]

A few years ago when I heard the term "Friends of Dorothy" I thought it was for people who really liked "The Wizard of Oz!" A gay friend finally enlightened me and we laughed about it but, yikes, I felt dumb.

 

Don't feel so bad. I'm gay and if I didn't hang around the CC boards I would have thought the same thing. I was confused about who Bill W. was on my very first cruise. All I thought was "This Bill W. has amazing friends...they keep meeting every night!":D As I noticed the group hanging around one night I noticed an awful lot of seniors so I just assumed this Bill W. was a war veteran. Gee........it took someone back home to alert me to what that was all about!:o

 

David

[peteranddan]

We're booked on Celebrity's Summit for a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise July 10/08 and are hoping that the FOD meetings may be a little more successfull on that itinerary.

 

As for being able to "spot" the family members at a FOD meeting, maybe my gaydar was off or something. The first meeting night was the second night on the cruise which was the first formal night. There were 5 or 6 single guys sitting at the bar in the martini bar but they didn't have their big "homo" signs on....

 

We however, were dressed to the 9's. I had stopped at the onboard florists to order us boutineers (sp?) for the formal nights. I told the florist that I wanted something different. Stupid move. We recieved what looked like bridal bouquets for boutineers! They were massive with gold bows etc...

 

Needless to say, I hacked them back to a decent size and removed the bows...but sheesh, I might as well had a huge sign on my chest. Come on, how big does the brick have to be??? Two guys together, in tuxes with bridal boquets on their chests...you'd think that if there was another homo with 200 miles they could have picked us out as being there for the FOD meeting....nope...nothing.

 

Oh well, like I said, maybe next time.

 

Peter

[Nobbi]

Jack & i just got back from a Princess TA crossing. We had FOD meetings on several of the 16 nites and informal meetings on others. The cruise director staff sponsored the official one, sometimes with complimentary drinks or champagne. It helped that #3 was gay. My partner & I got great anniversary gifts from the CD staff.

 

I didn't really know about the FOD till I started this board (prior to my 1st cruise). But I did know about the reference.

[Blazerboy]

...but sheesh, I might as well had a huge sign on my chest. Come on, how big does the brick have to be??? Two guys together, in tuxes with bridal boquets on their chests...you'd think that if there was another homo with 200 miles they could have picked us out as being there for the FOD meeting....nope...nothing.

Reminds me of my favorite line from 'Designing Women' which is in re-runs currently here...Mary Jo is trying to pick up men in the grocery store, and Suzanne spots two, and then says "Nevermind." When Mary Jo hesitates, and says they're cute, Suzanne says "Two guys... one cart...fresh pasta...you figure it out!"

 

Always amazes me when folks DON'T get it...

 

But I also have to admit that I take great pleasure in taunting the ones that seem clueless. In a nice way, of course!:D Confidence in these matters goes a long way, and when you tell someone you have a partner, not a wife, and they recoil ever so, you just laugh, and say: "Oh, no need for you to worry....look at the way you're dressed! Please! We DO have standards after all...." The wife will usually crack up, and the husband's first embarassed, then relieved, and then a little hurt....TOO funny to watch it unfold!:p

 

Andrew

[aaerobear]

Andrew, that is so great, I have to remember that one and try to use it.