Straight Couple Sues Over Gay Cruise

By Michelle Garcia

GRIMALDI LINES ITALY CRUISE X390 (COURTESY) | ADVOCATE.COM

A straight Italian couple is suing a cruise line for accidentally booking them on Italy's first all-gay cruise.

The unnamed middle-aged couple was booked for three nights aboard a Grimaldi Lines ship from Civitavecchia to Barcelona. They said that when they saw media crews at the dock they thought a celebrity was on the ship. They only later found that it was a cruise for gay men.

Their lawyer, Antonio Francesconi, told the Daily Mail that the suit isn't because they are homophobic but due to "lost satisfaction because no one had told them their holiday was at the same time as the gay cruise."

Francesconi said the couple was not notified that they would be on a gay cruise. They said they were embarrassed because they bumped into some people they knew who were not out to them, "which was uncomfortable for all parties," Francesconi said. They are suing for approximately $4,500 U.S.

Alessio De Giorgio, one of the cruise organizers, said, "This is a clear case of homophobia. Nothing scandalous happened. It's a clear example of how prevalent homophobia is in this country."

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Reader Comments

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Name: John Woods
Date posted: 10/18/2009 4:53:04 PM
Hometown: Seattle, WA

Comment:
Luckily, they happen to be Italians and are suing for 4500$. Would they have been Americans they would ask for 12 000 000$ as they'd claim it completely ruined their vacation, was emotionally straining and they couldn't eat anything from the buffet as they feared they'd get some diseases.
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Name: Topher
Date posted: 10/16/2009 11:00:50 PM
Hometown: Saint Louis

Comment:
This couple must be seriously ignorant not to realize the implications of demanding a refund. Gay people have to navigate a straight world all the time. Was the couple physically threatened or attacked? If they get their money back, I want money back from every entertainment venue that didn't warn me they catered to a straight clientèle. I want my years of rent back too for living in otherwise straight apartment buildings. And my college tuition. Welcome to our world.
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Name: Franz
Date posted: 10/16/2009 12:01:32 PM
Hometown: Seattle

Comment:
You don't sue because of dissatisfaction, you complain and get a refund. And YES it was because it was a gay cruise and not a straight one. They should get their money back but that's it. I'm dissatisfied with my hoover that doesn't pick up the cat hair own my throw rug, but I can hardly sue over it. I just take it back.
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Name: JT
Date posted: 10/16/2009 1:49:25 AM
Hometown: Lewiston, ME

Comment:
I knew Damian had his own shipping company, but I never knew he had an 'all gay' cruiseline. I wonder if Luke going to work for him had any influence over this...and why isn't the cruiseline out of Malta instead of Italy, isn't that wear Damian is from?
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Name: Jim Webber
Date posted: 10/15/2009 11:09:34 PM
Hometown: Sacramento, CA

Comment:
I don't blame them for being dissatisfied. While in the Army, I was assigned to the Lurline for my transportation back to the mainline when I was transferred. The military routinely reserved a number of staterooms on each cruise for selected officers. In the dining room, I was assigned to a table with a Colonel and his wife and with the wife of a Major who was being sent to Vietnam. At our table was a couple from Texas. They were clearly disappointed at being seated with all the other military. So I can see why this couple were dissatisfied. I don't think it was homophobia at all. It is simply a matter of persons liking to associate with persons like themselves. The Cruise line should have told them when they booked.
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Name: dave
Date posted: 10/15/2009 10:36:20 PM
Hometown: austin

Comment:
I'm just curious as to what the fine print on their paperwork said - I know a number of people who don't bother looking at the little details on their tickets if the big ones match - ie date & location/s. I'm just wondering how many cruises were going to those locations on the dates they requested its entirely believable that they might well have ordered tickets and not even bothered to look at what kind of cruise they'd be on after all this was Italy's first gay cruise if I'm reading the article correctly - at any rate the devil is in the details.
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Name: Ben
Date posted: 10/15/2009 9:53:32 PM
Hometown: Los angeles

Comment:
I am a gay man and woudln't necessarily want to go on a gay cruise!!! Poor straight couple!!! No offense, but I'm sure the gay men could be raunchy and if you weren't in store to see that, I wouldn't see why they aren't entitled for their refund! I'm proud to be gay, but at the same time, straight cruises aren't nearly as "fun" as gay ones! :)
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Name: Dave
Date posted: 10/15/2009 7:32:42 PM
Hometown: Philadelphia

Comment:
If gay people like to go on gay cruises, it seems reasonable that straight people would prefer to be on straight cruises. It never occurred to me that people on RSVP cruises are all heterophobic. The couple probably had a very uncomfortable three days. They deserve their money back.
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Name: Mike
Date posted: 10/15/2009 7:20:58 PM
Hometown: Gurnee, Il

Comment:
At least they're only suing for the cost of their tickets (apparently) and not some crazy sum of money for perceived "damages." If I tried to book a gay cruise and ended up on a ship full of octogenarians I'd sue.
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Name: John
Date posted: 10/15/2009 6:48:44 PM
Hometown: Philly

Comment:
That happens to me all of the time...I just grin and bare it!!

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