Gay cruise vs. "regular" cruise?
I have two questions regarding gay cruises vs. “regular” cruises. Feel free to just answer the ones you have an opinion on.
I’m a lesbian, and me and my partner recently got engaged. I’ve been on several “regular” Carnival cruises, and I absolutely loved them, so we’ve been thinking about going on one together and having a ceremony at sea, with some of our straight friends & family present. However, I’ve never been on a gay cruise, so I have a few questions about the differences.
1.) Do “regular” cruises typically allow gay couples to have a commitment ceremony at sea?
I know that weddings are usually held on an upper deck that isn’t accessible to people who are not wedding guests, so I’m not worried about offending anyone (even though anyone who would be offended could kiss my ass anyway), but I don’t know if they even are open to hosting ceremonies between gay couples.
2.) Do gay cruises offer the same on-board entertainment as the other cruises? Are all of the activities/entertainment tailored for homosexuality in a way that would make straight friends/family feel out of place?
My absolute favorite part of cruising are the days at sea, when the ship has it’s own shows and games going on. I absolutely love the comedians, “game shows” that the vacationers can play (like Newlyweds), magic shows, dancers, ice carving, etc… the family-friendly atmosphere with separate night-time activities for adults only is very appealing to me, especially if some of my family will be coming along. Do gay cruises have typically have the same type of entertainment?
Obviously most of the people on the ship will be gay, so I’m assuming the activities will be somewhat tailored for the lifestyle… but are there activities that my straight friends/family could fully enjoy as well?
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9 Answers
First of all – Yay! Congratulations!
Second of all, I really don’t even know where to begin in answering this for you because I’ve never been on a cruise before… “regular” or gay – but I’ll give it a go!
I think that there is definitely a chance that you’ll be able to have your wedding on the gay cruise and that they may be able to tweak the activities and entertainment for your guests. Just remember, the guests you invite will (and probably will/should be) completely comfortable with same sex marriages, so perhaps they won’t feel as uncomfortable as you think they might be if you held your ceremony on a gay cruise.
Don’t know if this was any help at all for you – but Best Wishes and Good Luck!
1. I’m sure it would be allowed
2. I’m sure it is the same type of entertainment depending on the cruise liner
3. Are straight people allowed to on a “gay cruise”?
I have no idea since I have never been on a cruise but just wanted to say “Congratulations”. How lovely and whatever cruise you choose, sounds like a lovely way to get married.
@digitalimpression assuming that “straight people are not allowed” on a gay cruise, how do you suppose that would be administered and enforced?
To answer the question, I don’t think that anyone who isn’t a cruise line representative or employee could tell you what the requirements, qualifications and amenities are for whatever they may offer, or if they (the cruise line) even offers marriage or commitment ceremonies.
But look at it this way: If you and your partner invite (and pay for) a person who is empowered to perform the ceremony you want in whatever jurisdiction that you want it performed in, then who’s to gainsay that? All you’d have to do is ensure that you had a suitable venue for whatever audience you also invited to attend. And even if you employ someone who doesn’t have legal standing in the jurisdiction of your choice, you could still have a ceremony to signify a legal intent that you could handle in a more convenient place at some other time.
@CWOTUS I don’t know how it would be enforced, I just find it peculiar that there are such things as gay parades and gay cruises, but the reverse would be seen as preferential and wrong. However, I don’t want to take away from the original question so I suppose I’ll leave it at that.
I bet the sunset is much prettier on the gay cruise.
Congrat’s! Have fun!
Wow. Your favorite parts of cruising are the exact opposite of how I feel about cruising. At each port, I can’t wait to get off that damn boat.
Yes, gay cruises have the same types of entertainment and performances. But rather than the “staid and middle-aged +” feel to a regular cruise, there’s more of a “meat market” vibe to gay cruises.
Thanks everyone for your answers and congradulations!
@syz I knew there was a 3rd question I wanted to ask, but it slipped my mind after I wrote the first two. I’ve been to pride festivals in the state I used to live in, and they were very family-friendly and something that actually resembled a group of people who have pride in who they are. On the other hand, the pride festivals in my current area mostly consist of naked people on the beach, getting drunk and rowdy and hitting on everyone.
Is that the kind of atmosphere of gay cruises? I’m not really interested in “getting married” to the love of my life as we are surrounded by horny half-naked girls.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVED the Cayman Islands, and the other places I’ve been to were just as beautiful and fun… but I’ve always gone with family previously, and I just sort of tagged along on their excursions instead of picking my own, because I have social anxiety and didn’t want to be stuck with a group of people I didn’t know. I know I would have enjoyed Jamaica and Mexico more if we did more than get shit-faced drunk and see a waterfall.
When I was comparing cruise lines, most had a live-chat feature to ask questions. Check which ones will marry you. I know when we honeymooned, there was a LGBT group announced on board for anyone who wanted to join and take in excursions, dine or enjoy the shipboard venues together.
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