lost little boy

5 hours ago, Grogu said:

You’ll be fine!   Enjoy Rome and all it has to offer!  It’s a great city!  

thank you! bathrooms always concern me lol but im sure it'll be fine  ill have a great time nevertheless! 

11 hours ago, Grogu said:

In museums, the bathrooms are definitely gendered, but in small restaurants, it’s possible to have one bathroom for both genders or perhaps a couple of stalls and communal hand washing area for both genders.  There are a lot of cool things in Europe, like great train service and food quality, but bathrooms are not a strong point IMHO, but definitely okay.  

thank you, ill try to just use my hotel and hope for the best otherwise lol...

1 hour ago, MorganH said:

The ones I went to were either €0.50 or €1 unless you were in a museum like Vatican Museums or Borghese etc, then no charge. Yes, exact change is needed as most do not have an attendant. Some have turn-styles or various payment slots.
I hope this helps.  

can i ask are most bathrooms gendered or are there any non-gendered public bathrooms that you noticed? thank you for your information!

On 4/9/2024 at 8:29 AM, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

I’m excited for all of you on this cruise!  Since mine is the 2025 crossing…this one is where I am hoping to grab lots of ideas, opinions, packing tips, and do’s and don’ts!   Ship details, excursions, weather, sea conditions…oh and one of my current questions….parking while gone for this length of time?  
That’s not asking for too much…is it?    
 

id gladly share my experience with all of that! ... except the parking! Im getting a ride to the airport then flying down, so my car is just going to be sitting at home...

10 hours ago, MorganH said:

So excited!! Have you joined the FB page for this trip too?

no! i looked it up but couldnt find it! what is it called?

we now officially have less days until the cruise than the amount of days of the cruise itself!! 

On 3/13/2024 at 10:07 AM, MorganH said:

Thanks for asking! I am curious too!

Also, what excursions have you booked? Either with RC or with another vendor?

Thanks!

All excursions except for rome i booked through rc so I didn't have to worry about missing the boat or timing of any sort in case of delays or if anything happened! I have:
Azores - Dolphin & Whale Watching
Malaga - Tapas Tasting
Cartagena - Cartagena & Conception Castle
Pisa - Tuscan Farmhouse Experience

And for Rome:
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel guided tours, St. Peter's Basilica Dome guided tour - both through Headout
Colosseum Underground and Ancient Rome guided tour - booked through Viator

We are then spending a few days in Sorrento where we booked a tour of Pompeii and a climb of Mt Vesuvius through Viator and a Capri and Blue Grotto Boat tour through Viator! 

11 hours ago, amypmom23 said:

Curious- what airlines are you all flying home on? We are flying on Turkish Air.

We are flying home on United! Was hoping for Delta as that's just my personal favorite airline (that I've had experience with) but my travel agent got us united which I'm perfectly fine with too! 

4 hours ago, MorganH said:

It was very easy! We took the shuttle from the ship to the train station. We then rode the train to the San Pietro exit. The walk is about 10 minutes and we dropped off our luggage on the way. 
When we got to St Peters, there was a line but they kept us moving quickly. I looked back at my pics and we were seated by 9:15. We did not rush off the ship or at the station at all.

We are thinking we will go to the Pantheon for Mass this time. If I remember correctly, their Mass is at 10:30. 

I hope this helps?!?

it does help!! thank you!  

On 3/13/2024 at 7:50 AM, Abby Wetherington said:

Hi guys, just wondering about what I can expect temperature wise on this cruise? I'm used to caribbean cruises, so I know this will be different.

my friend who has been on the exact cruise on the exact boat just one year ago told me to bring a light jacket! he said it gets cool and he and his husband didn't swim in the outdoor pools at all because it was too cold for their taste. However, I'm taking this with a grain of salt as I know he gets cold easier than me. I can't speak from experience (and my body also tends to run warm), but I would assume based off of what he said and just knowing how the weather works over the ocean (I'm a weather nerd lol) it won't be scorching hot or anything of that sort! def pack shorts, t-shirts, etc, but also have a light jacket/windbreaker and some sweats or joggers! 

but anyone who has actually BEEN on one before can give better insight, I just saw this wasn't responded to and if you still wanted an answer that's the information I have!  

On 3/21/2024 at 8:57 AM, MorganH said:

Last time we were there we were able to make it in plenty of time for Pentecost Mass with the Holy Father. I think we were seated with 20-30 min to spare. 

This is amazing!! do you mind sharing general information about this? did you go straight from the ship to there? did you have luggage with you? did you just show up? sorry for all the questions, and I know I could just google this, but I also like hearing from people's experiences! 

10 hours ago, MorganH said:

Did anyone get an arrival time before noon? 

I got 11:30a! I waited for check-in to open and that was the earliest time available 

Thank you so SO much to all the quick and incredibly kind responses to my post! Everyone is so warm and welcoming  I greatly appreciate everyone's words, advice, and tips!  I'm excited now more than ever for my first cruise thanks to this wonderful community! 

7 minutes ago, KristiZ said:

Looks like we’ll be cruising together on that Odyssey Trans Atlantic! Feel free to reach out with a DM if you have questions or concerns. Mr Z and I would be happy to lend an ear 

thank you!

50 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

They're usually self-led and if they're advertised in the Cruise Compass, it is usually listed as Friends of Dorothy.

oh i love that, especially since i used to run a zine by that same title  thank you!

4 hours ago, Grogu said:

Wow!  How exciting for you!  It's our first cruise in about 30 years, and I was about your age my last cruise.   I think a lot has changed in 30 years in the cruise line industry.  I think the cruise ship I was on last was about 1/3 the size of Odyssey, so I'm really looking forward to exploring the ship and making the voyage across the Atlantic.   Back then many cruises had a midnight buffet, which I think died a slow death.  I really didn't each much on the buffet, it was just something to do at midnight and a spectacle.  

Is there anything you're particularly looking forward to?  

 

that's exciting for you too! 

to be honest, a midnight buffet sounds like sometime I would try once but not get much use out of. interesting concept though! lol

honestly I'm most excited for the long stretch of sea days! getting up and just seeing nothing but the ocean for so many days sounds so relaxing to me.  what about you?

11 minutes ago, Jamesszy94 said:

If you feel uncomfortable using the mens restroom, you can use the family restrooms - it's not ideal but if you're that worried, it's an option, most of the time, the public restrooms aren't that full, so not many people will be in there at any given time. 

thats a great point! idk why i didn't think of that! thank you

14 minutes ago, Jamesszy94 said:

Most people cruise to get away from reality. Some people will probably stare and talk and make snide comments, but most of them won't care. There are LGBT+ meetings onboard where other LGBT+ cruisers can meet each other. 

Cruising is just like any other holiday experience you'll probably take. It's no different to judgemental people back on land, you'll find judgemental people everywhere. 

are there LGBT+ meetings onboard on every ship? i had no idea about this! where can I find information about this?

On 4/10/2023 at 2:09 AM, ScottD said:

Cruises tend to be pretty friendly and open to the LGBT+ community.  You're obviously going to get someone who may give a look or maybe not accustomed to people being "different" in their eyes, but to hell with them...enjoy your vacation. Remember, also, that they have LGBT meet ups on the ship on  a nightly basis!  

a year late but I just saw this while "cruising" (sorry) the lgbt tag and omg!!! there are meet ups?? is this for every ship? i had no idea about this! any more info or know where I can find more info on this? first time cruiser and I'm trans and I'm nervous...

I wasn't sure how to word the title without it sounding like bait or trying to be controversial, so I will elaborate below.

I am in my mid-20s, autistic, and transgender. While I am more accustomed to dealing with the world around be as an autistic adult with minimal support needs (more so concerned about loud noises and how "picky" my food tastes can be, but not a real concern), I am mostly asking how I will be treated as a transgender man who is very early into my physical transition.

There is a stereotypical kind of person who enjoys cruising, but I truly love relaxing, laid-back experiences, hot tubs, fine dining, classic rock, and spas. Cruising sounds like a perfect vacation for me and I am very excited to embark on my first one! (I tend to get along best with "older" people and am the closest with coworkers my parents age as we usually have more in common lol!) However, I know I visibly appear very gender nonconforming and I am no stranger to people being rude, uncomfortable, or straight-up hateful for my appearance or "unique" name (which was actually picked out by my father and wasn't me trying to have a ~different~ name, but I love that it's uncommon anyway).

In my swimsuit I appear much more like a 13 year old boy than the 24 year old man I actually am, and in more formal wear it's about the same. I am on hormones and my voice is deeper, but I am still usually referred to as a girl by strangers. 

While I don't think I am going to be discriminated against or anything of that sort by the staff or yelled at by other cruisers, I do worry about how I will be treated in general. Will people make comments to me if I use the men's restroom? Will I get weird looks while swimming? If my party is seated with other cruisers at MDR will they judge me and make my dining experience uncomfortable?

Obviously I am aware no one can answer these questions for me, but I was wondering if there were any other trans, queer, or allied people who have noticed anything while cruising royal? Is it a generally accepting, chill experience? I just want to be respected and viewed the same as other guests, but unfortunately this is something I worry about with any new environment.

Note: this is NOT a post to discuss LGBT+ opinions, topics, identities, politics, or anything of that nature! I am only making this post because in my two years of researching cruising since I booked mine, I haven't seen anyone discuss anything like this. I am not looking to "invade" any spaces or make anything about "being trans/gay". I am only asking from a comfort and safety standpoint. No discourse, PLEASE. I would not be asking this or making this post if I didn't have reason to be. Please be respectful and kind. Thank you 

this will be my first ever cruise and my first time ever leaving the country! i am only 24 and I'm super excited!! 31 days!!!