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Mediterranean Cruise | April 2012

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by Gilles Marchildon*

To paraphrase Maya Angelou, people will forget what you say and what you do but never how you made them feel. Norwegian Cruise Line seems to have payed particular attention to Angelou’s words.

Travel provides opportunities to see incredible, breath-taking sights but there are only so many mountain ranges, ocean sunsets, church spires and castle dungeons one can absorb within a short period of time. These are often best revisited through pictures to prompt our recall.

It’s funny, though, that we don’t need pictures to recall the people or stories of a particular trip. For the vast majority of travelers, the bedrock foundation of a truly enjoyable and memorable trip are the people we encounter and the experiences we share. Humans are social animals and nowhere is this more obvious than on a cruise.

Cruises are often used to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. They’re also opportunities for people to cut loose during the many zany on-board game-shows as well as trivia and dance contests, not to mention make friends at the bars.

Our Barcelona to Venice cruise (with stops in Sicily, Croatia and Slovenia) was our “in-between-birthdays” trip. My spouse and I celebrate our respective birthdays in mid-April and early May so travel between these dates is our annual gift to each other. We find a trip so much more meaningful and fun instead of splurging on extravagant gifts for each other. No gift-wrapping required!

Prior to our trip, we had put in a special request for birthday cake at one of our dinners. Except we got caught up in their “free-style” approach, forgetting to book a specific night. So it was that on our second-last evening, we finally remembered our request. We were at a table of fellow gay men whom we’d met (thanks to Norwegian’s promotion of a nightly “Friends of Dorothy” LGBT meeting). Near the end of the meal, a tentative enquiry was made with our cute Indian waiter. We weren’t really expecting that a cake could be produced on such short notice and at this late hour. Indeed, our chatty group, aided by 3 different bottles of wine on the table, was practically the last one in the grand dining room.

Well, about as fast as Dorothy could click her heels together and be swept back to Kansas, our table was surrounded by close to a dozen staff singing “Happy Birthdays” (yes – plural) and a jumbo cake landed among the wine bottles and first round of desserts. We had foolishly ordered desserts from the menu, not thinking that a birthday cake was realistic. Round two of desserts. Such is the hardship. We did our best, particularly aided by the ferocious appetite of one of our sweet-toothed fairies. Complementary digestifs helped us wash it down.

See? Norwegian’s efforts ended up being just as memorable as the splendours of the Adriatic cities through which we’d walked during the previous two days. Maya Angelou would just smile knowingly.

* Gilles Marchildon is the former Executive Director of Egale Canada, the country’s main LGBT advocacy group. He was also director of Winnipeg’s Reel Pride gay and lesbian film festival and editor of the city’s monthly queer publication, Swerve

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The narrow walls seem full of secrets and unfulfilled yearnings. The hairs on my arms note the coolness of the air but my pulse is racing. Every corner rounded, every new passage discovered reward my eyes with fantastic sights. Curiosity and excitement propel me forward with my
companions.

Lest you wonder if I’m exploring a dungeon of depravity, let me state that it’s instead a fabulous fortress, the Diocletian palace. At the heart of the Croatian city of Split lies the former digs of a Roman emperor with delusions of grandeur – a trait likely inherent to all emperors. Diocletian might be barfing in his mausoleum, though, if he saw the veritable flea market that’s taken up residence in his once-regal dwelling.

Fortunately, the palace retains its majesty thanks to the abundant and impressive stone walls, towering columns and notable bell tower. Sprawling around the original palace, there is a maze of smaller structures all crammed delightfully into an old city where narrow passages connect to each other and offer fascinating explorations. As one companion remarked, it’s like Venice without the water (and far fewer tourists).

English seems to be understood by most restaurateurs and shopkeepers but it’s best to convert your Euros and US Dollars into the local currency, the Kuna.

Wandering in this picturesque town, it’s easy to forget that Split is the second-largest city of Croatia with a metropolitan area of about 468,000 people. As we park ourselves in an unassuming pizzeria just outside the tourist-trodden streets of the old city, we are rewarded with oven-baked pizza and pasta dishes that rival the best that Italy could offer. Obviously, the culinary culture straddles both sides of the Adriatic. Unfortunately, the success in our plates is not reflected in our wine glasses but you can’t have it all, I suppose. Still, it’s a gorgeous day and with full bellies, we enjoy the delicious people-watching. Who needs dessert with dark and swarthy Croatians?

En route back to our cruise ship’s tender boats, we follow our intuition and make a detour up a hill in a residential area. At the top, a splendid view of the city and harbour greats us. Fortunately, we discover steps that lead us back downtown more directly.

During our jaunt along the waterfront, we make friends with a small posse of adventure-seeking French cyclists joined by a Venezuelan acrobat. The locals seemed wary but once we break the ice, a couple young girls are only too happy to make their acquaintance. Glad to have been of service, guys.

Views, food and friends: we savour Split three ways.

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* Gilles Marchildon is the former Executive Director of Egale Canada, the country’s main LGBT advocacy group. He was also director of Winnipeg’s Reel Pride gay and lesbian film festival and editor of the city’s monthly queer publication, Swerve.

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Dubrovnik, looking out to sea. Photo: Mark den Hartog

Dubrovnik, Croatia is a spectacular city in an amazing natural setting. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, It is an ideal port stop. A day in the old city gave us a good exposure to this unique part of the Adriatic.

It was heartbreaking to see the damage to this beautiful walled city done as a result of shelling and incendiary bombs during the war in the early 1990′s. For those of us untouched by war on our own soil, it makes us grateful. It also makes us think of the thousands of people who are in the midst of war and conflict today.

We’ve met a great group of LGBT folks aboard. The first night of the LGBT get together in the Star Bar, we had to rearrange the furniture to accommodate our large group. The second night our little corner of the bar was all ready for the large group. Nice work, Norwegian Cruise Line, we appreciate it.

Once again I have to say how much we’ve enjoyed the food on this trip. The buffet line food is not only plentiful, but high quality. The fact that I’ve been eating quite a healthy diet so far is more a testament to Norwegian than to my will-power. I go out of my way to pretend the dessert table doesn’t exist! Mark admits that he’s had his first ice cream at what I call “gluttony central.” He doesn’t know I’ve been there twice already today while he was napping!

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Franklin cuts into their anniversary cake. Photo: Mark den Hartog

We’ve only been on the Jade now for 3 days and already we’ve met so many other wonderful LGBT sailors. Dale and I thought it would be a good idea to form a small group so we could all enjoy a fine dinner together and to share our stories from the day. Again, the staff on the Jade went out of their way to make sure this was a memorable event. After a wonder day in Messina, Italy (Sicily) the ship departed at 6:00 p.m. and we we all met for dinner at 7:00 p.m. Smiles, hugs and laughs were shared by all. Kelly and Franklin from from Fort Lauderdale were celebrating their 2nd anniversary and the chocolate cake that was delivered for this occasion was divine!

After a full stomach, it was time to call it a day. Tomorrow is another sea day as we continue sailing to Dubrovnik.

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Meeting other on Board--what it's all about! Photo: Mark den Hartog

Before we even entered the terminal we knew this would be a great cruise. The check-in was quick, smooth and well-organized. The hospitality started with the baggage handlers and continued all the way to the personal escort to our cabin. Airlines should take notice.

The remodeled JADE is a fine ship with good flow and nice tasteful decor. She used to sail exclusively in Hawaii so there is a lot of art and decor from that earlier positioning, especially a theme of blown glass flowers.

One major improvement over other ships is the buffet line. The organization of that space if much more user friendly than we’ve seen in the past. We’ve been extremely pleased with the food, and the Norwegian staff is already calling us by name. Could that be because we buy so many drinks?

Norwegian Cruise Line sponsors an LGBT gathering every night. Interestingly, we were originally scheduled for the Star Bar. When we noticed hoards of elderly Germans in the room we thought we were in the wrong place. Indeed the room was double booked, but Norwegian had the courtesy to have a staff member from the group cruising department meet us there and direct us to another space. The new location gave us each a drink on the house. Thanks, Norwegian, this shows that you recognize we are a significant and important portion of your market.

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Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. Photo: Mark den Hartog

Everything we’ve heard about Barcelona we found to be true – beautiful, clean, out-going and friendly people and unfortunately pick pocketers. More on that later.

We are not the bus tour type but on our first day we decided to take the double-decker bus tour so we could get a feel for the neighborhoods and the attractions we wanted to go back to see. There is a blue & red line which you can hop-on and hop-off at any time. I found it not to be quite the value I was expecting. With the entire loop being 2-hours, it feels like it takes too much time to get back to the starting point. Know what you want to see prior to visiting Barcelona and take the Metro. The metro is extremely easy to use and will get you within steps to everything you want to see.

We stayed two blocks from the gayborhood. Through Airbnb we found Caesar who rents out his studio apartment. Caesar is very welcoming and will help you with anything you need. The apartment is on the 4th floor with no elevator so if you have trouble with stairs it might not be ideal for you but if you don’t mind a little exercise we highly recommend staying there. You will also save dollars by using Airbnb for your accomodations.

Now back to the pick pocketers. We were on the street searching for a recommended gay restaurant and a nice looking guy asked us if we needed help finding anything. He suggested a few places and joked with us a bit about the “attractions” at the gay pole dancing club. A few minutes later Dale noticed his iPhone was missing! This guy was slicker than any Las Vegas lounge magician. We’re fairly seasoned travelers and are always on our guard, so be sure you pay attention to all the anti-theft advice. Wear a money belt (we did) and next time I’m leaving my smart phone at home. The good news is with the phone insurance plan, a new one will be waiting for us when we return home.

If you plan on spending a few days in Barcelona, a nice day trip is to the gay beach resort town of Sitges. It’s a very easy 30-minute train ride and some of the ride hugs the azure Mediterranean. From the train station, it’s a 10-minute downhill walk to the beachfront. There you will find the popular gay beach and many gay restaurants, clubs, saunas and stores. If you want a drink at a gay bar anytime in the afternoon, your only choice is Parrots. You won’t miss it with the rainbow colored table umbrellas that look like Hawaiian grass skirts. When we asked if there were other places to eat or get a drink the waiter chuckled and said most won’t open until 10:00 p.m. If you can’t stay up that late, Sitges might not be the place for you. Sometimes we fit into that category but with the jet lag, we had no problem adjusting to their hours.

Now it’s on to the NCL Jade for our 7-day cruise. More to follow…

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After enduring the awful red-eye from Phoenix to JFK, I wasn’t looking forward to the 12 hour layover before boarding the plane to Barcelona. I was only minimally pleased with the JFK Delta Sky Club. The good news is that there were decent snacks and the complimentary wine was excellent. The bad news is that I needed a nap more than Brad Pitt needs a decent haircut. And i mean a get-naked, under-the-sheets, multi-hour nap!

I suggested to Mark that it might be a good idea to find a hotel nearby so we could sleep. He would describe my reasoned request more like a hysterical demand wrapped in a tantrum.

A few minutes on his iPad resulted in Mark reporting a $100 “day rate” at nearby place called the JFK Inn.

I’m pretty naive, but the term “day rate” seemed perilously close to “hourly”. The google earth view made the place seem even worse.

The place was dated, unattractive, and looked as if Roseanne Barr would appear on the porch of the house directly across the freeway wearing only her bra and panties.

When I asked for a room on the quiet side of the building the very polite and in fact quite beautiful front desk clerk could barely suppress a chuckle.

The room was old and the bathroom tiles were mostly missing around the sink. Complaining bitterly as I rolled my eyes, Mark muttered something about Lady Astor.

Everything was clean, the shower was blissfully hot, and I’ve never had a better 5 hours of sleep. I would have paid much more and would seriously recommend the place. Encountering a disgusting layover there is no need to torture yourself. Inquire about a day rate so that you can enjoy the next leg of your trip while inventing new ways to annoy your partner.

I’m not even going into the 40 minute taxi ride on the way made necessary by Mark forgetting an item or two.

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My (literally) sleepless night – courtesy of Delta Airlines – was such a joy. I want to share the lovely details.

Mark and I spent seconds savoring those 17 peanuts they provided for the two of us What a model of Christian Charity Delta has become.

My private time consisted of a few seconds in the bathroom where I earnestly prayed for God to take me the few remaining steps into hell.

Back in my hideously uncomfotabe and costly seat designed for a late-booming 4th grader, spasms of the spine and continuous leg cramps were relieved by the odor of Mr. Onion and Miss Garlic…between whom I was seated.

Wish you were here. Now it’s on to Barcelona.

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http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/30/10944611-fire-breaks-out-on-azamara-quest

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ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) — Two California men on a gay cruise of the Caribbean were arrested Wednesday in Dominica, where sex between two men is illegal.

Police Constable John George said police boarded the cruise ship and arrested the two men on suspicion of indecent exposure and “buggery,” a term equivalent to sodomy on the island. He identified the men as John Robert Hart, 41, and Dennis Jay Mayer, 43, but did not provide their hometowns.

George said the men were seen having sex on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship by someone on the dock.

The two were later charged with indecent exposure and are scheduled to appear before a magistrate Thursday morning. If found guilty, they could be fined $370 each and face up to six months in jail.

The ship carrying about 2,000 passengers departed Puerto Rico on Saturday and arrived in Dominica on Wednesday. It departed for St. Barts without the men, who are being held in a cell at police headquarters in the capital of Roseau.

The cruise was organized by Atlantis Events, a Southern California company that specializes in gay travel.

President Rich Campbell, who is aboard the cruise, said in a phone interview earlier that he thought the two men would be released. He later said in an email that the company has organized many trips to Dominica and would “happily return.”

“Many countries and municipalities that gay men visit and live in have antiquated laws on their books,” he said. “These statutes don’t pose a concern to us in planning a tourist visit.”

Campbell said he expects the two men to be released on Thursday and that they only face misdemeanor charges.

“The guests’ actions were unfortunate but minor in this case and have no bearing on our overall guest experience,” he said via email.

The pastor of Dominica’s Trinity Baptist Church, Randy Rodney, praised the police for their intervention.

“I am very pleased that the police were called in and have arrested the people in question. I have warned about gay tourism and its implications for Dominica,” said Rodney, who is a vocal critic of homosexuality and lesbianism.

The presence of gay cruises in the Caribbean has riled several conservative islands including Jamaica and Grenada, where anti-sodomy laws are enforced with strong backing from religious groups.

According to Cruisemates.com, no gay cruise lines sail to Jamaica or Barbados for fear of homophobia and possible violence. It said other places like the U.S. Virgin Islands welcome gay cruises.

In 2010, the Cayman Islands rejected the arrival of an Atlantis gay cruise amid protests from religious groups even though homosexuality is legal on the archipelago.

Don Weiner, a spokesman for Atlantic Events, referred all questions to Campbell, including why the company organized a trip to Dominica and whether it knew about the island’s anti-sodomy laws.

Elizabeth Jakeway, a spokeswoman for Celebrity Cruises, referred all questions to Atlantis.

The last time authorities in the Caribbean intervened on a gay cruise was in February 2011, when agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested a California man aboard the Allure of the Seas, which had docked in St. Thomas. The man, Steven Barry Krumholz of West Hollywood, pleaded guilty to selling ecstasy, methamphetamine and ketamine to fellow passengers.

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Associated Press writers Danica Coto and Ben Fox in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed

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http://www.gadling.com/2012/03/10/travel-smarter-2012-travel-apps-help-you-explore-like-a-local/

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