10 Lessons From a Gay Cruise Virgin

8. Corners of Peace and Quiet Abound
Despite our fears, we found plenty of peace and quiet on the ship when we needed a physical or mental break from the noise. The lounges were generally void of pounding dance music, sounds at the back of the upper deck were simply from the waves crashing below, and the early morning (when we were up for it) featured tranquil sunrises and sedate partiers stumbling to someone else’s cabin. Plus, the staterooms were relatively quiet; Heck, we were woken up more by announcements from the ship’s captain and cruise director Zack than anything happening next door!

9. Sleep When You’re Back On Land
We made a conscious decision after the first night aboard: We’d push ourselves to the limit. This wasn’t a week’s vacation in a remote cabin in the Rockies; This was an Atlantis cruise! We stayed up until 4 a.m. (or much later) every night and went on three to four hours of sleep most days (though the occasional 30-minute nap on the pool deck helped).

One night mid-week, our bodies grabbed us by the shoulders and forced us into a good night’s sleep. But other than that, we took advantage of every minute on that ship. (You’d be amazed what stumbles across your path at 4 a.m.) We both paid for it with a slight cold as we disembarked for the last time. But it was worth it.

10. Just Go With It
One of our biggest assumptions was that the cruise would be a week-long floating bathhouse. While that wasn’t quite accurate (for most), there may have been some debauchery in various staterooms that spilled onto the dance floor. And when it happened to us, we quickly learned we had a choice to make. We could clutch our pearls and put an end to the mayhem… Or go with the flow. Worst-case scenario: No one notices.

CYD ZEIGLER is co-founder of Outsports.com. You’ll be able to find him and Dan on another Atlantis cruise in the near future. For now, you can find him on Twitter @cydzeigler