Cruising on Cruises

[Kevin]

Any tips on meeting other gay singles on str8 cruises...Im a gay male traveling alone for the first time...anyone have experiences with gay crew members or other guests...besides the friends for D meetings any other tips

[bryan]

I was wondering the same.
No one has an answer????

[Paul]

Just keep your eyes open. Use your gaydar. Be open and friendly. Look around the deck on sail-away to see who is with whom. Couples are easier to spot, but just strike up a conversation with anyone you see that is interesting. Everyone on the ship is there to have a good time, is people are usually outgoing.
Try the disco late at night, the gym during the day, and the lounges before dinner. Go with an attitude of meeting interesting people, and be interesting yourself.

Suggestion #1: Check the boarding photo graphs as soon as they are put up for sale. You can window shop on who fits your fancy, see who is traveling alone and who is traveling with another of the same gender. You can then see if they are chasing the other sex...if not switch on the gaydar. Once they are identified you can stike up a conversation.
Suggestion # 2: Turn gaydar on full strength.....look for Family members working in the bars and ask if they have any recommendations for that weeks cruise...gay beaches etc. The Cruise Directors assistants historically are family members..great resource for info and contacts. When on the Century I spotted the shore excursion manager...just my type but saw no indication he was anything but straight. well I went up to him and asked if there were any gay beaches at our various stops. He came back with "exactly what are you looking for"......I froze....then took a big sip of my drink and responded.....someone that looks as good as you. I thought the women close to me would drop dead on the spot. The shore excursion manager said...would I do.....I said yes...in my dreams....taking his come back as a joke. Two hours later while I was dressing for the evening meal there was a knock at the verranda glass sliding door....it was him...he ahd climbed over the balcony!
Never made supper.

Suggestion: sauna 4pm to 6pm.........nuff said.

I've heard that on 'straight' cruises the Cruise Director will sometimes let you put an annoucement for a Friends of Dorothy meeting in the daily activities guide. Meet in one of the lounges/bars and see who shows up. I've heard from friends that this works well.

[Jim Bragg]

Friends of "D" are often announced. You will find a higher percentage of gay/lesbian population among the passengers simply because gay/lesbians are often of a higher income bracket and are able to cruise more often and very few have children. There is also a pretty high percentage of the crew that are gay, especially among the dancers BUT....word of warning, it doesn't matter if you are gay or straight, that type interaction between crew and passengers can get someone fired. In other words, leave the crew alone no matter what your preferances are. Go with your mate or friend or maybe you may meet someone onboard but don't really make that the main reason for cruising.
Jim

[David and Larry]

Tom has some good suggestions ... I especially like the "sauna 4-6 pm" suggestion!

[LVMediaboy]

Hi Kevin,
You could take all the guesswork and gaydar out and do a gay cruise with Atlantis or RSVP. Great guys, great variety -- something for everyone.
Lee in Las Vegas

[slipcoquille]

I agree with Tom. My best experiences on board have been using the sauna and/or steam room, any time of day or night. What you sea is what you get!

[Snick's Guy]

OK, I got in trouble for replying to one of these threads earlier, but the sauna/steam option is your best bet for "meeting" other family members, or family members in hiding.

That's all I'm gonna say on this subject.