Cruises - Classier or Trashier? Part III

So, we just skipped Part II?

I actually think this is part IV. But we won’t tell anyone.

How many threads do you bitches need to decide whether cruises are classy or trashy? Are you at least any closer to a consensus than you were in the first thread?

We'll keep them going as long as it takes to catalog all the Golden Girls inconsistencies.

Did the GG ever go on a cruise?

Yes.

That's why they had to buy condoms, Rose. Condoms, condoms!

I always assumed Dorothy was a bareback kinda girrrrrl.

R7, well she does have the back of a linebacker.

I know better than to feed the trolls. Really, I do. But...

"Sorry [R593], but someone who wants to spend their vacation eating buffet food, docking at tourist traps, and watching shitty shows does not know how to live life. I just drove through four Eastern European countries, visited historical sites and national parks, visited my great grandfather’s village in Poland and ate delicious Polish food made with locally grown ingredients, visited some beautiful Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches, visited Baltic beaches, saw Belarus through the fence, saw Russia from across the river, sucked a Polish cock, ate traditional Estonian food at a tavern in the middle of nowhere. I could go on, but I can guarantee you I couldn’t have done all these things on a cruise ship. Enjoy your cold pizza and all the screaming from those loudmouths from New Jersey."

She doesn't know what she's talking about. While I haven't visited (to my knowledge) her grandfathers village in Poland, I have done all the rest -on cruises! She seems to think that every cruise is a Carnival or Royal Caribbean mega-ship. Cruises around the Baltic and Mediterranean often do overnight stays in port, and offer wonderful cultural opportunities for those who are interested. Most smaller ships go to out-of-the-way places that few tourists visit. No one is chained to the sun deck. No one is forced to eat buffet food or cold pizza. On my last cruise I had a six-course meal prepared by a Michelin-starred chef. And, in case you hadn't noticed, loudmouths from New Jersey can be found pretty much anywhere in the world. They are not confined to cruise ships.

If you don't like cruising, fine. But quit spreading misinformation about what they are like. You clearly are not an experienced cruiser, so why should your opinions be considered valid?

R9 - agreed. Everyone bitching about cruises have either never gone on one or have only done the 'fun', cheap or family lines - Carnival, Norwegian, etc.

Those really are just cheap booze and sun vacations for that type of clientele. Somehow they can't wrap their heads around that there are differences with cruise lines and experiences.

Also - there is an assumption that people on cruises have never done the 'in-depth' local travel described in R9. Many have - but it can be exhausting. Cruises are relaxing and easy - yes you're not going to live like a local for a week, but that's not the point. Some people want to mix relaxation with a cultural vacation.

Amen r9. This post was really annoying. No vacation venue is perfect but I prefer cruises to resorts. And a lot of posters who are critical of cruising haven’t even been on one. If you have made a cruise or two and you decide you don’t like it, I would respect your opinion a lot more.

I suppose it's never occurred to 593 that one can do both a driving and a cruise vacation combined. I often plan extended driving trips before and after cruises in remote destinations, like spending a week in England after my Norway cruise (which left from Southhampton).

Who are the other players in the LGBT cruise ship charters besides RSVP and Atlantis?

Can be either

The quote in R9 exposes that this person went on a personal 'visit my grandfather's roots' experience. Fine - but that's a unique experience and yes, of course, you want the local experience.

Being able to see another country through a fence isn't exactly a highlight to me - neither are churches/cathedrals, of which I've had my lifetime's limit.

It's so dumb to criticize all cruise lines - that's like saying you hate hotels because you don't like Motel 6. They have no idea that there are different levels of cruising and different experiences.

Truly misinformed AND it they come off as bitchy 'class' queens who are desperately trying to show how sophisticated and cosmopolitan they are - when we can all see they're just middle-class nobodies trying to impress people.

Vacaya is the newest one. There's a luxury brand called Brand G which primarily does river cruises and land tours, but also has some small-ship ocean cruises as well. Some of the European Atlantis gays also do The Cruise, from Le Demence, which is only one a year (or every other year), but it tends to be very wild. Wilder than Atlantis I mean.

Big Gay Cruise and Pied Piper do group bookings that aren't full ship charters.

Vacaya is actually advertising a Solar Eclipse cruise that's going to be sailing through the path of totality for the eclipse that's going to happen in August of 2026. And they've already announced they're going to have Bonnie Tyler perform during the actual eclipse.

And yes, I'm totally thinking about booking it.

Don’t forget Chumley’s Bear Cruises!

VOTH @ r16, have you sailed with Explora or Oceania yet? What are your thoughts on them?

I meant VOTN…

R16 - aren't many of those cruises (non-Atlantis) more of gay groups on a regular cruise?

I actually like that better than gay cruises - which are usually almost double the price and can be just exhausting.

[quote]I actually like that better than gay cruises - which are usually almost double the price and can be just exhausting.

The thing that gets to be exhausting about gay cruises is that people have the idea that they have to do absolutely everything. I think the first thing that people need to adjust is realizing they can't. Not everyone hits every party or dance. One of Atlantis' regular features is the Classics party, which is basically 80s-90s-early-00s dance music. For a lot of the eldergays and eldergay-adjacents (myself included), this can be a highlight, because it's like going out when we were in college. But for the younger guys, it's not as big a thing. Whereas the White Party is the highlight of the week.

I don't often hit all of the afternoon dances. The last full day, there's always a Disco themed dance in the afternoon. I'm usually so exhausted by that point that I only go briefly if at all. And the final night before we get off, there's a thing called the Last Dance (because it has a hard stop) that I almost never go to.

The freeing nature of being in a space where we're the majority, that's the draw. That's worth the price, honestly.

Anyway, in other news, after less than a year in service, Icon of the Seas' forthcoming 9/28 cruise was completely canceled due to unspecified need for repairs. That's not concerning.

If I haven't mentioned Ben and David:

[quote] Ben and David

Their video of the Norwegian Epic convinced me not to go on it.

[quote]Their video of the Norwegian Epic convinced me not to go on it.

You don't want to poop behind frosted glass and then wash your hands in the middle of the room? Can't imagine why.

At least NCL acknowledged that it was a massive misfire.

Definitely trashier

Adding on to r9, r10, and r11. I went on my second cruise two years ago, before that I was on a RC ship in 8th grade. I only went on the most recent cruise because my mom and I have winter birthdays a couple of days apart and I got tired of celebrating in the cold.

Note, I go on 1-3 international trips a year, usually to Europe. I’m used to the go-go-go atmosphere for my “vacations”.

I was apprehensive at first, but always loved ship open minded, once I got on quickly fell into the idea of just putting all of life’s stresses aside and focused on pleasures (entertainment, cocktails, getting dressed 2 times a day, bad shows, pool time, trivia, dancing, beach time, and food) for the next 3.5 days.

It finally made me realize that for all my travel abroad, I kept seeking adventure, but now that I’m in my mid-30s I prefer to do at least one pleasure vacation cruise or resort, mixed with 1-2 adventure vacations.

The cruise gave me a chance to relax. And I really loved having a brunch, a mimosa, and the view of the gorgeous Caribbean water with the island of the day within reach.

The gays and lesbians at the Friends of Dorthy meet up were all social and kind. I understand why cruises aren’t for everyone, but like most things in life, it’s about what you make of it.

I actually want to try to Atlantis cruise because it’s so controversial among gay men, at least my social circle looks down on them. But I sort of get a kick out of the idea of being surrounded in an all gay space at sea. I know the ships offer enough refuge that I don’t need to be in the mix of everything, every moment.

The only issue I have is the idea of buying all the outfits but you only live once so when in Rome.

[quote]you only live once so when in Rome

How many times do you live when in Paris?

One time I a smoking hot Danish couple do the Eiffel Tower on me, while in Paris. Was 3am when I got to their hotel room and had a fantastic time with a nice uncut cock in my ass and another in my mouth, while they made out!

I find J from The Shiplife to be very adorable. He’s straight but I love his reviews and news reports. His French partner is so pretty.

[quote]The only issue I have is the idea of buying all the outfits but you only live once so when in Rome.

You don't really have to go all out on the costumes for the dances. Mine don't tend to be elaborate. Honestly, some of the bottoms just do a different colored jockstrap each night.

The Halloween cruise is the only one where I'm trying to go all out, in part because of it being Halloween. Given where the dates fall, I was thinking they were going to combine Halloween and the White Party (the White Party is always the night before the last full day, which for us is 10/31), but when we got the list of the parties for this time, they're doing Halloween the previous night (so when 10/30 rolls over to 10/31) and then the White Party the night of Halloween. So now I don't know if I put on my Emma Frost outfit for the Halloween party or not. I have other white outfits, so I can make that work, but I was kind of proud of what I settled on.

What does anyone think about this dude, cruise vlogger Josh Corjay?

He's alright. I might have said in another thread, but I met up with The Weekend Cruiser, while on an MSC 3-day trip Last year. Connected with him via Grindr. Met up at the Friends of Dorthy event. Didn't have sex or anything, but once I saw he was a social media influencers for cruises, I geeked out and got to ask him some questions. He's super sweet and attractive.

No hookup but the conversation was very enjoyable. I just had to know how he stayed fit going on multiple cruises a month. He keeps to a strict healthy diet, no or minimal alcohol, lots of water, chicken breast, and workouts. I commend his ability to say know. I'm working out hard for my Feb cruise but accept that I'll waddle off that ship 10-12 lbs heavier.

I love JoJo's reviews! I thought he was gay or bi for the longest time until a girlfriend appeared in one of his videos. Oh well, I can still dream of him and Kyle (in this video) having a late-night encounter. JoJo is entertaining because he gets progressively wasted on his vlogs as the day goes on. He’s one of the few vloggers who shows us life on a ship from a younger perspective, sun up to sun down. Many cruise influencers don't touch on evening activities beyond dinner and the theater show, but for many of us, we want to know what's available (and the vibe) after dinner. JoJo covers that.

Kyle Pallo, featured in this video, is attractive. I think I watch his content because he’s so fuckable. His girlfriend is simply gorgeous; they’re a couple I don’t mind seeing on camera. Anyway, give JoJo’s page a chance!

[quote]I'm working out hard for my Feb cruise but accept that I'll waddle off that ship 10-12 lbs heavier.

Don't eat everything just because it's offered and take the stairs.

I mean, I know not every cruise has all-night dance parties, but I've actually lost weight on Atlantis before. My best-ever day for that was on my first cruise, where between dancing and everything else, I took over 50K steps. Even on the much-less intense Valiant Lady cruise this year, I was often doing in the neighborhood of 20K.

The walking tours are a great way to get steps in. And on a week long cruise I try to get at least four days of exercise. I bring my resistance bands with me and work out in my cabin. Gyms on ships are supposed to be breeding grounds for Covid and other maladies.

r35, I know what I should do, but honestly, I’m not going to stress about weight gain. I can burn it off in two months. It’s the cocktails that really get me—so much sugar! I can easily down three margaritas in a day, plus an espresso martini, a glass of wine at dinner, and whatever fun drink I see the bartender making for someone else. Since I have a drinks package, I’ll be buzzed most days and probably drunk by bedtime. I’ll probably take it easy on the Dominican Republic stop since that’s a new location for me!

But for five days, I’m not going to worry about the gym, my diet, or anything else. I currently hit the gym 4-5 days a week for lifting and stick to a lean diet—no fast food, rarely a soda, and alcohol only once every two weeks. So, I’m going to enjoy this little moment of indulgence!

r36 I told myself that when I was in Paris. Walked a ton, but decadent food is me weakness so I still gained 3 pounds in Paris.

[quote]So, I’m going to enjoy this little moment of indulgence!

That's the other thing about gay cruises. After about the mid-point, people start eating more thinking it won't show before the end of the week.

If I do end up doing an 11-night Asia cruise, I wonder about my willpower.

I've been on many Atlantis cruises. I bring a costume for the Halloween party (if there is one), but otherwise I pretty much ignore all the dress-up. As was pointed out above, the "costumes" are often just appropriately-colored jocks and underwear -with added harnesses and bling. I usually do a walk-thru of the afternoon parties. They are too loud for me, though the eye candy is incredible. Then I go back in to relax in the spa/sauna or play games, etc. If you do go on an Atlantis cruise, take advantage of the relaxed social scene and chat up people. Not just the ones you find hot. I once spent several hours in conversation with a gent in his upper 80s who had worked in the theatre and had marvelous stories to share.

I usually lose weight on a cruise, as I put in a lot of steps, and I don't snack between meals (that 24-hour pizza and ice cream will really add up). I've also learned to skip dessert if what's offered doesn't really appeal to me. Food portions tend to be quite reasonable -and smaller than most shoreside restaurants - but most of the calories are in the desserts. I do tend to make a pig of myself at the breakfast buffet, but overdoing the scrambled eggs isn't going to cause serious weight gain (and may actually keep you feeling full longer so that you don't overdo it at lunch). At home I love to cook (and I am really very good at it -no false modesty) but on a cruise I indulge in the things that are hardest to do when you're cooking for one: salads and a variety of fresh fruits. My last Carnival cruise failed both of those areas dismally. My last Celebrity cruise was food paradise, with lots of variety of fruits and salads. Of course, there's the issue of alcohol -empty calories that don't fill you up. Thank god I don't drink!

r39 how much action was going on in the Spa/Sauna on the Atlantis cruise? Did staff even bother going back there?

The first day or two the staff is usually visible, but pretty quickly the bathing suits are shed and there's a fair amount of intimate contact going on. It depends a lot on the layout of the ship. On my last Atlantis there was a small, four-man sauna off the men's dressing room at the spa. I went in after a mani/pedi and almost immediately got sucked off by a cute young Brit.

On Virgin, which has a huge spa with multiple different rooms in the thermal suite--mud room, salt room, dry sauna, steam room, and hot and cold plunge pools, we were given instructions to keep bathing suits on...but most people ignored that. It was odd, because they did have staff kind of patrolling, even mid-week, but they didn't seem to intervene.

The Royal Caribbean thermal suite, which is a lot smaller and kind of hidden in the bowels of the ship (no windows to the outside at all), I don't think I ever saw a single staff member there. I also don't remember a lot of action. The times I was there, there was a group of about five bears that were clearly together, but they mostly ignored me and behaved themselves.

[quote] I love JoJo's reviews!

Seeing your comments made me so confused. Right after I posted at r32, I was going to post a reply asking what people thought about JoJo, and I selected the very video you linked to as the video I was going to link to. I ended up not posting it. However, when I saw your reply, I thought, wait a minute, did I post what I was going to and that’s what this person is replying to? It freaked me out.

r43, I now expect us to end up on the same ship sometime in the future. great minds think alike.

[quote] I thought he was gay or bi for the longest time until a girlfriend appeared in one of his videos.

JoJo has had two steady girlfriends since moving to Florida. The first one was Mel, who he dated in 2021 until he cheated on her, and the current one, Krista. In both cases, he ridiculously refuses to use the G word, even when they are standing right next to him and are required to play along. Of course, neither one matters considering his one true love is Taya Miller. Taya sees JoJo only as a friend, so Krista is his substitute Taya.

The Kyle and JoJo cruises are okay, but I think I prefer the JoJo and Jete voyages. I especially liked the VV Resilient Lady Greek Island Glow series last year, which included Shiplife J also.

Damn, r45, you are really in their business, lol.

Jete and JoJo dress, act, and look like gay friends when the girls aren't with them. I agree, Kyle doesn't seem to always match his energy, on camera, but you can tell when they aren't filming, that he is much livelier. Kyle is too much of an aging bro, but his solo vids are fun.

R46, I remember the vlog the image is from, when JoJo was at Universal with Kyle and Jete and JoJo was pretending to persuade Jete to come to Europe with him (Jete had already decided to at that point). I mention that because sometimes JoJo is inauthentic like that in order to create a vlog, which I don’t like. The travel vlogs are more authentic though.

A current visitor at Cozumel posted on X that the beach where she is staying is “gone”. I wonder if Helene will have an effect on cruise ships scheduled to arrive there in the next few days, or even past that.

It finally happened. I watched a cruise video on YouTube this morning and saw myself in the background. I had noticed the guy filming, but didn't know he was a cruisetuber.

[quote] I might have said in another thread, but I met up with The Weekend Cruiser, while on an MSC 3-day trip Last year. Connected with him via Grindr. Met up at the Friends of Dorthy event. Didn't have sex or anything,

If you're not going to, can I?

You'll have to get in what I imagine to be a very long line, VOTN. ;)

So now the duo from JJ Cruise is moving onboard the VILLA VIE ODYSSEY too. They sometimes get on my nerves. But I am interested in hearing their POV of the ship.

You may be interested, R52, but I doubt you'll get it -at least not without many coats of varnish. The company's owners require a confidentiality agreement as part of the lease/ownership deal. That's how they expelled that woman who complained about the delays.

The whole thing seems fishy to me r53. They should be able to speak their minds about what the ship is really like. I would not have done this - the ship is 30+ years old and too small.

The ship's size is great for me -I like 'em small. But I'd never book a situation like this until the ship was actually in operation. Every attempt to do this before has failed, and this one has been terribly delayed. I'm skeptical.

When will the STORYLINES floating condo be ready?

[quote]When will the STORYLINES floating condo be ready?

I don't think they even have steel cut yet.

God help me, I took leave of my senses. They opened the Vacaya eclipse cruise up for public sale today. I booked it. It's expensive as hell, but I have a year and a half to pay it off. I feel bad cheating on Atlantis, but this is just too unique an opportunity for me to pass up.

VOTN you trollop. Stay faithful.

Aren’t Atlantis and RSVP basically the same?

What makes Vacaya so different?

Difference is that with their prices, everyone will be ancient, save for the occasional kept boy bored to tears.

So, VOTN, how long have you been a Kept Boy? Is it fun?

I’m just a Splenda daddy.

And it sold out within twelve hours of it going on sale to the general public, so I guess I'm glad I jumped on it.

[quote] I find J from The Shiplife to be very adorable

I find him irritating but his reports are pretty good.

Why irritatingly r63?

Haha, it’s nothing big, but there is something in his presentation style that reminds me of three separate, very bossy former co-workers who consistently interrupted. They just loved the sound of their own voices. They had a tendency to talk at people, to lecture and make listen to them perform.

And a couple of anecdotes showed me he is somewhat of the same cloth. (Though much better looking.)

So although his content is pretty good, I don’t watch it due to the unwanted memories of my pre-work from home days.

r64, I'm not r63 but he reminds me of CNN's Van Jones in the cadence of his speech. But his reviews are good as r63 pointed out.

Hopefully he's not a douchebag like Van Jones.

PS - Ritzy Travel Guide is coming out with their review of the QUEEN ANNE this weekend. Cannot wait.

An old resident of my apartment had a Cunard mailer arrive declaring "EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH YOUR NEW QUEEN."

It seemed DL approrpriate.

[quote] An old resident of my apartment had a Cunard mailer arrive declaring "EXPLORE THE WORLD WITH YOUR NEW QUEEN."

Does Cunard have a new ship called the Queen George?

Has anyone done a Fall cruise in the north east? It would be an interesting alternative to an Autumn leaves road trip.

R71 I did two Carnival cruises from NYC to the Canadian Maritime Provinces. The NY crowd is standoffish. Try to leave from Boston. And another cruise line. I’m going on Princess from Boston next August.

For whoever was asking about the Atlantis Tahiti cruise, it goes on sale starting October 1st. They’re staggering the rollout, so people who have done 10 or more cruises with Atlantis get first dibs. They open it to 5 or more on the 3rd, and then general alumni on the 5th. I’m assuming whatever’s left after that will go up by the first week.

The flight to Tahiti must cost more than the cruise.

And take just about as long.

[quote] Has anyone done a Fall cruise in the north east? It would be an interesting alternative to an Autumn leaves road trip.

[quote] [R71] I did two Carnival cruises from NYC to the Canadian Maritime Provinces. The NY crowd is standoffish. Try to leave from Boston. And another cruise line. I’m going on Princess from Boston next August.

I want to do that, and definitely out of Boston. I wouldn’t want to travel to the NYC area. I thought about 2025, but I’m using all my vacation time for 2025 on two long cruises already. I’ve been looking at September 2026, but I don’t see any cruises to Canada yet. At first, I was thinking doing round-trip to Boston, but a YouTube vlog convinced me to take the longer one-way journey to at least Quebec City.

Yeah the only thing that I don’t like about leaving from New York is the New Yorkers. I socialized with several people on my VENEZIA cruise, but the people all were from somewhere else and not New York. And it rained so bad the day I returned that I was drenched, bags and all because Carnival wouldn’t allow people to get taxis from the shelter on the pier.

[quote]The flight to Tahiti must cost more than the cruise.

Even basic economy isn't cheap. And it's a long, long flight from New York.

I'm trying to figure out how I'd work with the Asia cruise. I can fly nonstop to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, but I'd either have to make a stop coming back (meaning more than 24 of travel) to stay with them on the way home, or get a separate ticket on Singapore Airlines to do it nonstop.

Ben and David review MSC's new ship in their luxury cruise line Explora Journeys, and it looks really promising. Perhaps the most beautiful ship I've seen yet.

I dare you to try to count how many times they say "Absolutely...."

I would secretly like to do vile and disgusting things with David.

Does that make me a bad person?

Luxury cruising is too expensive.

R78 go to LA for a weekend. Air France flys non-stop LAX - PPT

flies

HI GUYS!!!!!!!!!!

[quote][R78] go to LA for a weekend. Air France flys non-stop LAX - PPT

Apparently, Atlantis is chartering a flight from LA. I’m not sure how they’re going to squeeze 1300 people onto one plane, but I assume there will be some high rollers that’ll do it on their own.

I love watching the reviews of luxury cruise ships but I totally accept the fact that I would be completely out of my depth if I were onboard one.

You’d be surprised how many stupid, wealthy people there are on Crystal and Regent. Not much depth to worry about.

Yes rr88 but stupid people can still be snobbish and bitchy.

You push right past them—that’s how stupid they are. I speak from experience—some nights they are the best entertainment on board.

Seriously, both provide an excellent product …overall.

R86 my issue with a lot of luxury cruise ships are this abysmal pool deck options. Usually the pool is too small or not ideal for a pool at sea.

Then you get to the boring entertainment and limited things to do.

So, it really feels like a retirement home or floating hotel. Works for some people, but I’d rather cruise next to normal people, playing bingo or trivia, over the boring sea day activities on luxury lines.

I obsess over their suites and restaurants…many of them have superb menus and beautiful accommodations. And I would love to have a butler who attends to my every need.

You might consider rewriting this sentence: I’d rather cruise next to normal people, playing bingo or trivia, over the boring sea day activities on luxury lines.

On sea days I veg out on my balcony reading and listening to music or playing board games like Rummikub or Mexican Train.

The only trivia I am interested in is 1990s Music Trivia.

I wonder if the old folks on the luxury cruise lines are old ravers?

Does playing Mexican Train involve more than one donkey?

Asking for a friend…

[quote]On sea days I veg out on my balcony reading and listening to music or playing board games like Rummikub or Mexican Train.

Virgin has an entire cabinet of games. They really know their demographic.

Pulling trains? Rumcumm?

Straight or gay demo?

For bawdy r95…

Virgin does a team jigsaw puzzle competition on a sea day. I'm sure to some of you it would be deadly, but those of us who enjoy doing puzzles have a rip-roaring time. With sea days, the thing to do is relax and do whatever you enjoy. I usually hit the spa, play games, read, or hang out in a jacuzzi. When I first started cruising, I looked for itineraries with the fewest sea days. Now, after 40+ cruises, I look for those with more sea days. Next up: an 8-night transatlantic.

I see. A name for a pai gow variation used to condescend to Mexican immigrants. I’ll stick with dominoes.

WTF R100?

The name is a put down of Mexican workers. WTF yourself.

How so?

What is the most overrated cruise line? I’m guessing Cunard.

[quote]What is the most overrated cruise line? I’m guessing Cunard.

Speaking of, I happen to see some interesting itineraries and fares on Cunard, but then I looked at their website and saw confirmation of how horrific the voyage would be. Regarding the dress code:

"If you do want to make an effort in the evening you won’t be alone. The majority of guests traveling with us embrace the chance to switch to smart attire by night. This doesn’t mean you’ll be expected to wear a gown or dinner jacket each evening. Smart attire simply means a dress shirt and trousers, skirt and a top, or a cocktail dress. Essentially, choose something along the same vein as you’d wear to a stylish restaurant or the theater on a special occasion."

"At least once on every voyage of three nights or more, we’ll host a Gala Evening, where we ask that you observe an elevated dress code. Again, it’s your choice whether to participate in these evenings or not. Many of our guests choose to sail with us specifically because they look forward to these events."

If I'm on vacation, I don't want to dress up. Vacations should be the opposite of dressing up. Save the "elevated dress code" for weddings and funerals. Even where it's optional, people would still frown upon you. I want to be on a cruise line that is laid back.

The thing with Cunard is that for a lot of the passengers, they're going for that level of formality. As a whole, it doesn't appeal to me either, although I think I would like to do a Transatlantic with them once. I was actually looking at some holiday sailings with them from New York, but I don't think I could handle that level of stuff for more than week. And it's not even just from the line, the fellow passengers are worse. I mean, they feel compelled to tell you that you're wearing a dinner suit, not a tuxedo, and they hope you're grateful that they've shared that knowledge with you.

And as I've said, aside from the appeal to history (Cunard is almost 200 years old at this point, so assuming the world doesn't end in the next fifteen years, I suspect an aged-me likely will do a 200th anniversary cruise on them), Cunard doesn't really have a differentiating factor from the premium lines. I mean, the Grills are a luxury experience, but aside from some of the truly fancy touches (like being able to order off-menu), I don't know that they're that much more resplendent than the Retreat on Celebrity. Definitely more inclusions than the Neptune and Pinnacle suites on HAL, or the Reserve on Princess, but also quite a bit pricier. And the Britannia and Britannia Club level does not really have anything to it that's different from X, HAL, or Princess once you subtract out the ocean liner drag.

I actually agree that I don't know how I'd deal with a luxury line experience. I've read enough of those seemingly well-heeled travelers talking down to the rubes who think that getting Sevruga caviar is luxury, when everyone knows that the only caviar worth the eating Osetra.

Sevruga caviar. The nightmare. The nerve.

And also, that's Cunard having controversially relaxed its dress code a few years ago. They actually had three different types of evening dress codes, one where you were okay with a jacket and pants (I think it required a tie, but I don't remember), one up was a required dark suit, and the last was full black tie. One of the reasons that the lines have dispensed with the extreme formal nights is that tastes have changed as far as what most people want to do on vacation, but there's also the more practical side where you're not having to deal with checked bag fees.

VOTN @ r106, I thought beluga was the ultimate caviar? Although it’s near impossible to find nowadays.

It is, but it's banned in a lot of places because the Beluga sturgeon is critically endangered. You can't import either the caviar or the sturgeon themselves into the US. There's only one aquafarm in the world that has permits to breed them, and part of what they do is to attempt to restock their natural habitat in the Caspian Sea, not as much for providing the caviar to market.

So, of the ones that are more widely available, Osetra is rated more highly than Sevruga. And no, I don't make enough money to care about such things. I did do a caviar and Instagram-ready champagne cocktail combo in the Virgin champagne bar this year, but that was enough.

Closest I ever got was salmon roe.

I'm doing a transatlantic on the Queen Mary 2 in a couple of weeks. It's a bucket-list trip -a chance to do it the old-fashioned way. When I started cruising every line still had black tie formal nights. I survived it then, so I'll survive it one more time. Live VOTN said, there's a nod to history here. Not to mention there aren't ports and shore excursions and all that -getting dressed up a few times might add a little excitement to the evening. My last cruise was on Virgin -the polar opposite as far as onboard attire goes. Gotta say I loved not dealing with anything more than shorts, polos, sandals, and a swimsuit. Did the whole trip with a small carry-on. But it's a totally different kind of trip.

As for the snobs -you find them at every level of cruising. There's always someone going off about their Elite/Sapphire/Emerald/Savior status with the cruise line, and telling everyone how much things have gone down hill in the last few years. I ignore them. Or, if they are being rude to the crew, I look for ways to puncture their bubble a bit. Hell -it's their vacation, too. Maybe that's their way of dealing with their low self-esteem. It's easy enough to hang out with different people.

I’d rather go on a cruise with Daisy, Onslow, and Rose, and not Hyacinth.

Explora Journeys looks fascinating.

I think I'd rather be on a cruise with Sheridan and his... "friend" Tarquin.

The Ritzy Travel Guy and his intrepid wife have just finished their cruise on the QUEEN ANNE…mixed reviews.

Checked in last night for Atlantis.

I find HAL’s shore excursions underwhelming. There’s one specific one for Atlantis in PV at a gay resort, but otherwise…

What type of gays travel on HAL?

Is this the Halloween cruise VOTN?

VOTN, I always hit Acqua men's spa in PV for a vichy bath and massage. It's a legit place -not a rub-n-tug, and they have great prices and service. It's by appointment only -no walk-in.

That's a thought. There are also some Atlantis exclusive resort offering.

R115 what a disappointment the Queen Anne staircase is.

The QUEEN ANNE has a very blocky exterior. It is also Cunard’s attempt to reach younger customers. Maybe they should have designed her to be an ocean liner like her fleetmate QM2.

With the exception of the Queen Mary, all the Queens are based on HAL ships. Queen Vic and QE are Vista-class, slightly larger versions of HAL's Noordam, Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, and Westerdam with an extra deck and I believe thicker hulls for a higher polar rating. And the Vista-class itself is a modification of Carnival's Spirit-class, which despite being small, is probably their best one.

Queen Anne is Pinnacle-class, so the same thing, but with the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, and the current Rotterdam.

I agree that she looks blocky. The shape of the funnel doesn't help. It looks better in the HAL livery.