Atlantis

The BF and I went on the Atlantis 20th anniversary cruise at the beginning of February. This is our 5th gay cruise and the first in several years. The 20th anniversary cruise was to be on the brand new and largest ship in the world named the Allure of the Cruise. With over 5,400 passengers, I call it the "big gay cruise". There were a ton of guys from the Washington area that went.

I have to say that the ship was absolutely amazing! Having been on a couple of Royal Caribbean's Liberty-class ships, which were the largest just a few years, this ship absolutely dwarfs anything I've seen before. But it wasn't just the size that makes these ships great. It's also the spaces and the views. It truly is very well designed.

Although I enjoyed it immensely, there were some things that could have been better. Some were due to the ship while others were just had to do with the way Royal Caribbean and Atlantis organized this cruise. Here are some of my issues:

• The ship was so big that I routinely met and clicked with people that I wouldn't see for the rest of the cruise. Perhaps I've actually found a ship that is just too big.
• The ship was really desgined to disperse people to various parts of the ship and does so wonderfully. The problem is that gay cruises typically have parties in which a large number of cruises will be in a single location during that time. This ship had no space that was conducive to this kind of party. The solarium area was used for the largest parties, but it was too small, too fragmented and way too crowded. It's also, by definition, indoors. Atlantis' normal incredible light show was completely obscured and lost in the space.
• I'm not sure that I could explain it, but for the first time I felt like we were being watched. I don't typically break too many rules, but I don't like feeling like I'm being watched or policed while on vacation.
• Which brings me to my next point... Given that we're in a completely chartered ship and in international waters, I would hope that the "normal rules" would have been suspended to some extent. I'm not asking for anarchy, just a more relaxed atmosphere, which I did not feel existed.
• As usual, they did have a nude sunbathing deck, but I wish it were larger.
• Unlike all prior cruises I've been on, there was neither a cruising deck or area.

I doubt I'd go on the January cruise next year, although I'd still consider their March cruise. Frankly I think RC contributed to the less-friendly atmosphere quite a bit so maybe I'll have to re-think cruising with RC again.


Some pictures...