Atlantis/RSVP gay tours

[Guest youngblood]

Has anybody been on any of the gay trips which are frequently advertised? I am considering going on one this winter and was wondering--what age group are the men, and are they mostly single and looking to hook up? (Not to be overly cynical, but I am sure that they all don't look like the men in the ads!)

 

Are any of the tour operators better organized and/or more upscale than others? Thanks for the info!

[OceanTraveller]

I have been on a couple of cruises with Pied Piper Travel out of NY. These are Gay "group" cruises. This means that they are gay groups which travel on mainstream ships. They provide an upscale vacation and an opportunity to meet some wonderful people who come from all over the country. They do a lot of travel on the QE2 as well as Princess , Celebrity , and Norwegian. If you are interested check out their website at http://www.piedpipertravel.com

Men of all ages go on these trips and some are single as well as partnered. If you get the opportunity you should go :-)

Ocean Traveller

[tedbear]

I have done a couple of RSVP cruises and one Club Atlantis.

The Club Atlantis was a good vacation (lots of emphasis on sports)--but is a typical Club Med experience. (Club Atlantis rents out Club Meds for the weeks and re-sells them). CA doesn't offer much in addition to what Club Med already does. Some of the male Club Med staff are used to having their pick of all the lovely ladies that are typically at Club Med,and they can be a bit unhappy at not having their typical buffet--and will take it out with surliness and unfriendliness.

 

RSVP charters a ship and re-sells. But they take all the entertainment, activities, etc., that the cruise line offers to their other clients, and then RSVP adds to it tremendously. The two RSVP cruises I've been on have been about the best vacations I've ever done (and I tend to take pretty good trips). Their entertainment is superb, they even cart an extra disco set-up on board and they have constant fun activies. On my last RSVP cruise (aboard a Carnival ship, ) Carnival actually sent along cruise directors from other ships to study why RSVP's bingo games were so phenomenonly successful. (You can't beleive how much fun you'll have playing Bingo RSVP-style! I realize how lame this sounds, but it's true. And the stakes get pretty interesting for Bingo!)

 

Unfortunately, RSVP's brochures show a skewed view of who's aboard. While there are some gorgeous twenty-something hunks aboard, just like in the brochures, the more typical cruiser is somewhat older. Thirty- and Forty-year olds are more the norm and I've met guys in their seventies having a blast. (And you'll probably see a couple or two that seems to be a well-to-do retired guy and his escort).

 

The most interesting thing my friends and I have noticed on RSVP's cruises is that everyone seems to really get along onboard. The attitude seems to be left behind. It's really a great feeling realizing that, for probably the first time in your life, you're in the majority--straights are the minority for a change. I am very comfortable living in the middle of Chicago's "Boystown," but I've never felt as completely at ease as I do onboard a RSVP cruise. No matter how comfortable are are with your sexuality, you'll never feel better about being gay as you are on a RSVP cruise.

 

The cruise line staff has always welcomed us warmly. The waiters and stewards will gladly tell you how much they enjoy the gay people after dealing with the typical cruise goer--whiny older retired people and families that discover too much togetherness makes everybody crabby. One cocktail waitress says she loves when RSVP's on board. On my first cruise, one of the cruise directors was a hunky straight man who played DJ at the ship's disco and was obviously used to being the center of attention for all the women. He was even more so the week we were aboard and, even though he blushed a lot, he was good natured about all the attention.

 

While the Club Atlantis was a fine vacation, it paled in comparison to the RSVP offerings.

[Guest youngblood]

Thanks for your reply, tedbear! You were very informative and I am going to contact RSVP today to see what they are offering in 2001. Maybe someday we will cruise together...

[Traveller]

A bunch of my friends, from all over the country, go on an Atlantis cruise each year from the last weekend in Jan thru the first weekend in Feb. I understand the crowd is very circuity - i.e., cute, buff and pharmed up. I'm waiting another 30 or 40 years before I start taking cruises. However, this is their third year, they love it, and more of the crowd keeps going.

 

Later.

[Guest Nice Guy]

Just throwing in my 2 cents. I have done about 6 RSVP's and 1 Atlantis Cruise.

The main difference is that RSVP is entertainment oriented, while the Atlantis is more sports. And the other guy was correct, Atlantis crowd is more buff and circuit like, But just as friendly.

Atlantis brings it's own entertainment as a subliment to the ship's own staff. RSVP is a walking Vegas show. Every Disco Diva has been on Board. And add the "GAY Don Rickles" Danny Williams to the roster, and LOOK OUT, he can be dangerious!!!! OH and I can not forget the Costume Party... IT's a show not to miss. SO have fun