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  • Think all cruises are the same? Be first among your gay friends on this adventure

    by Randall Shirley 10:47 am on September 9, 2010 | No replies Permalink | Reply

    Inuit youth Aisa Pirti is just one of the “locals” you might meet aboard an Arctic region cruise. He’s onshore here protecting passengers from potential bear attacks. Photo: Randall Shirley

    Inuit youth Aisa Pirti is just one of the “locals” you might meet aboard an Arctic region cruise. He’s onshore here protecting passengers from potential bear attacks. Photo: Randall Shirley

    In case you think all cruises are basically the same, just with differing levels of service on board, here’s something truly different, truly remarkable, and likely worth every penny you’ll spend to do it:

    Parks Canada and Cruise North Expeditions are collaborating on a new two-year project to clean up old waste sites in and around Canada’s newest national park, Torngat Mountains National Park in Northern Labrador.

    In a world where it seems gay travelers have been everywhere and done everything, this experience will give you something truly new and different. Act FAST!

    From September 16-21, 2010, Cruise North’s passengers will travel from Kuujjuaq along the Northern Labrador coast to Nain on board the ice-class 122 passenger ship Lyubov Orlova. Calling it a “stewardship mission,” guests will work with Parks Staff, Inuit from the region, management boards, researchers, scientists, government officials, students, industry representatives, and visitors.

    Using the ship’s zodiac boats and cranes, and the people power of the group, the Cruise North team and guests will remove waste including used fuel drums and contaminated soil from the areas, and store it aboard the ship. At the end of the tour they will transport the material by ship to proper disposal facilities.

    While the focus will be environmental preservation, the project will include informative presentations and discussion of stewardship issues such as park management, research and exploration, student learning, and tourism. There will also be plenty of opportunities to go ashore in the company of Inuit and experience the Torngat Mountains through a cultural lens.

    I (your Editor, Randall) have sailed with Cruise North in the past, seeing polar bear and much other wildlife in the Arctic, plus interacting with Inuit “locals.” It is a remarkable experience, and Canada, where the cruises run, is gay-friendly, as was my general on-board experience.

    While you’ll have to act fast to jump on this, I promise you’ll have a life-changing experience. (If you can’t make it this year, they’ll repeat next year, I’m considering going. Put it on your calendar).

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  • Best cruise value I've seen this season: $40/day on Costa

    by Randall Shirley 9:47 am on July 30, 2010 | 4 replies Permalink | Reply

    First, a disclaimer: I’m not a travel agent, and I don’t claim to have seen every cruise bargain out there. It does seem, however, that the going rate for mainstream cruise ships these days runs between $50 and $100 per passenger, per night. There are some cheaper itineraries, generally on short hops to the Bahamas or Caribbean.

    But lately, I’m more interested in “exotic” itineraries. My most-wanted voyage is trans-ocean through the South Pacific. Princess Cruises is offering that dream itinerary, departing my very own home port of Vancouver, and ending in Australia about a month later. But at about $100/person per day, plus return airfare, it’s out of reach for my partner and me.

    The sailing that is in reach, if I could just figure out an affordable way to do the damn airfare, is a gem from Costa Cruises — a cruise line owned by Carnival Corp., but rarely sailed by anyone I know. (My first-ever cruise was on Costa…in 1988 aboard a ship that apparently is now at the bottom of the ocean off France).

    It departs Savona, Italy, on December 2 2010, and arrives in Buenos Aires 20 days later. The price tag? Costa’s own site lists it from $799 inside, and I haven’t found it much cheaper on discounter sites. And how could it get much cheaper: it’s already going for about $40/person per day. That’s WOW.

    If you’ve got the time (and the airline points or cash for the flights), I can’t imagine why you’d skip this trip. Wow.

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    • stephen 9:25 am on August 1, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      wow- seriously looking into this-they offer a pretty great deal on a flight also- thanks for the tip

      • Dennis Keegan 12:08 pm on August 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Hey, Stephen…I’m interested in taking this trip. The itinerary is great. Have put a posting at the MUSTER Station expressing my interest in a room share. If you interested get back with me…IF YOU DON’T SNORE. You can look me up on silverdaddies.com is you want, #934108, Silverstar. You can answer me at spanrish1@comcast.net.
        DENNY K in Colorado.

    • Ken 4:46 pm on August 3, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      That is a great deal indeed… thanks for posting it!

      • stephen 11:55 am on August 6, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Dennis I already booked with a friend but sure hope you get a cabin mate!!! This should be a good trip. Good Luck—let me know how that goes

  • Homophobic countries, would you cruise or travel there?

    by Randall Shirley 12:30 pm on July 26, 2010 | 8 replies Permalink | Reply
    Tags: cruise ports, , homophobic countries, illegal to be gay

    I’m keen to travel and cruise just about anywhere, and like you, I have something of a destination dream list.  Cruise destinations like Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad, and St. Lucia in the Caribbean are certainly of interest. Further afield, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Samoa, and Mauritius are all places I’d love to cruise.

    re it is illegal to be gay are marked in the yellow, orange, and red colors, image courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

    Countries where it is illegal to be gay are marked in yellow, orange, and red colors, image courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

    Malawi was never on my travel list. However, the events that occurred in Malawi over the past few months have made me think a lot about whether or not I should travel to countries where it’s illegal to be gay. (In case you haven’t heard, a gay Malawian couple was  imprisoned for getting engaged; after massive international outcry the couple was released from prison, one of them is now trying to be straight and the other lives in fear for his life).

    According to the annual ILGA* report State-sponsored Homophobia: a worldwide survey of laws prohibiting same-sex activity between consenting adults, it is currently illegal to be gay in 76 countries, “including the ‘infamous five’ which put people to death for their sexual orientation: Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen (plus some parts of Nigeria and Somalia).”

    I’m not surprised to see those five on the list. But digging into their list is fascinating. Other than South Africa, I’ve always assumed we’re “criminals” everywhere in Africa. Not so. Surprisingly, being gay is not a crime in a handful of African countries, among them Benin, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Madagascar.

    What should be more sobering to gay and lesbian travelers is the reminder that we are very illegal in some nearby, sexy vacation spots, as listed above. Jamaica has a particularly bad reputation with gay travelers. But other spots where gay people go have nasty laws that, if ever enforced, could land you in the proverbial brig, or worse. In Barbados homosexuality carries a life sentence.

    Of course, enforcement varies around the globe. While homosexuality is legal in most of the world’s nations, that doesn’t mean it’s widely accepted. While I am comfortable holding my partner’s hand throughout our “home ports” of Seattle and Vancouver, I doubt I’d do the same in Acapulco or Shanghai—or New Orleans, for that matter–all in countries where homosexuality is legal.

    The big question is really this: should we visit countries where we’re “illegal?” Check out the easy-to-read list of countries on Wikipedia.org. Then tell me what you think. Also, I’d love to hear if you’ve ever been harassed or had problems when cruising through gay-unfriendly destinations.

    * The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association

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    • Dave Cantrall 3:02 am on July 27, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for posting this interesting – yet disturbing – article.
      Would I visit countries which are against gays (thus me)? No, I would not.

    • Rick 4:33 pm on July 28, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Hell freakin’ no. Don’t give countries that criminalize us one red cent of our tourist money.

    • Liz 8:41 am on August 2, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      I’m a gay rights supporter planning my honeymoon in the Caribbean, and I’ve backed out of a decision to vacation in Jamaica after learning of the anti-gay culture and rampant anti-gay violence in that country. I think all LGBT couples, individuals, and any person that supports equal rights for all people should think long and hard before supporting the tourist industry in a country that blatantly oppresses the rights of its LGBT citizens.

      Thanks a lot for this article!

    • Ping Wei 10:31 am on August 4, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      In Shanghai or Beijing, holding hands will be fine, but not kissing.

      I’m now at the Gay Games in Cologne this week. One of the message the German vice chancellor delivered at the opening ceremony was “no religions can justify killing (referring death for people’s homosexuality”. I would say no religion can justify hatred, which then include US.

    • Ralph Denney 12:44 pm on August 4, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      I agree with Rick… if if they don’t want me because I love a man… then they don’t deserve my money. It’s really as simple as that. There’s enough places where we don’t have to worry to visit for the rest of our lives. We should also let our families and friends know about this.

    • Julian 6:10 pm on August 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      My partner and I try to avoid any destinations which are notoriously known for their homophobia. We have no interest in visiting Jamaica. Furthermore, we wont even visit places in the USA that are too conservative.
      We cruised to Alaska with a gay group last September and we encountered a church group with signs protesting our arrival to Juneau, yelling out homophobic slurs. Luckily we all laughed it off and it did not ruin our short stay.

    • Julian 6:12 pm on August 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Actually, we should all boycott those places…. they will definately hurt financially…money makes the world around, you know…

    • Pedro 7:39 am on August 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      You should be aware that during the past 2 weeks, a trong homophobic environnement occur in Costa-rica, a so called paradise. ” young men (34 and 23) were brutally murdered in their house, a gay bar was attacked and two Drag Queens doing a show were assaulted. Beware of Costa-Rica. JUst back from tthere and will never go again. The Press specially the DIario Extra is the worst homophobic newspaper.

  • 8 of "20 Top Gay Cities" in U.S. are also great cruise ports

    by Randall Shirley 1:06 pm on July 23, 2010 | 2 replies Permalink | Reply

    Richard Florida (I’ve always envied his last name) of “Creative Class” fame has announced a fairly compelling and believable list of America’s Top Gay Cities. Developed through a variety of methodology in conjunction with Gary Gates, a scholar at UCLA’s law school. The duo announced the list on The Daily Beast, where Florida is a frequent contributor.

    The cool thing for cruisers? Nearly half of the cities on the list are also cruise ports!

    Cruise Ship in San Francisco, the #1 Gay City in America. Photo courtesy Mila Zinkova, Wikimedia Commons

    Cruise Ship in San Francisco, the #1 Gay City in America. Photo courtesy Mila Zinkova, Wikimedia Commons

    Next time you’re planning a cruise that includes U.S. ports either as embarkation points or as stopovers, consider including one(s) of the following (shown in ranking order from the report):

    1. San Francisco, CA. Duh. The Gay “Mother Ship” is an obvious spot to cruise!  Click here for a list of cruises visiting San Francisco in 2010.

    8. Portland, Maine . While it’s not a huge destination, plenty of ships call on this progressive community, especially during Autumn Leaf season. See which ones on the Portland Maine Cruise Calendar.

    4. Boston, MA. Have your own gay tea party onboard when sailing through this great city of American history. Here’s their port schedule for 2010.

    5. Seattle, WA. While many Alaska cruises use the fabulous Canadian port of Vancouver, BC, as their launch point, a big number also use Seattle. Check out our list of great pre- or post-cruise gay-friendly hotels and B&Bs in Seattle, and then book a cruise using the Port of Seattle Cruise Calendar.

    9. San Diego, CA. With arguably the best year-round weather in North America and perfect proximity to the beach destinations of the Mexican Riviera (like gay-popular Puerto Vallarta), San Diego has become your Editor’s favorite destination in the western U.S. It has a great gay vibe and one of the most convenient cruise terminals on earth, plus there are loads of great gay friendly places to stay in San Diego. Here’s the San Diego 2010 cruise ship schedule.

    11. New York City, NY. It’s your Editor’s favorite travel destination on earth. If you want to know why, you’ve never visited the spot announced nightly on David Letterman as “The Greatest City in the World.” MeetMeOnBoard.com has scouted out some great, gay-friendly New York hotels near the cruise pier, and here’s the New York cruise ship schedule.

    15. Washington, D.C. The port isn’t in D.C., it’s 40 miles away in Baltimore, MD (which didn’t make the list). But the nation’s capital is close enough to a major port to make it a viable stopover for a few days before or after your trip. Check out cruise ship information for Baltimore.

    18. Los Angeles, CA, as a kid I thought this was the only embarkation point in the U.S. because Pacific Princess, aka The Love Boat sailed from there each week. As ports go, this one is terribly inconvenient, and I recommend you fly into Long Beach rather than LAX. Of course the LA area is chock-a-block full of homos. When cruising from LA, I enjoy staying in the Long Beach area, which has a good vibe and plenty of gays rather than traipsing clear up to the West Hollywood scene. Here’s the cruise ship schedule for Los Angeles.

    20. Miami / Ft. Lauderdale, FL, hard to believe this was the last city(s) on their list, considering South Beach and Ft. Lauderdale are both high on the travel gaydar scale. But better last than not at all. Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale are great gay destinations; personally I prefer Miami for hanging out (and not just for South Beach), but Fort Lauderdale Pier’s (Port Everglades) proximity to the airport is perfection. Here’s the Miami cruise ship schedule, and here’s the Fort Lauderdale cruise ship info.

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    • Dave Cantrall 9:18 pm on August 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      This particular article has great appeal to me – first becuase I love San Francisco; and secondly, because I have repeatedly tried (unsuccessfully) to garner interest in an all gay cruise OR even a gay group cruise with S. F. as a disembarkation port or embarkation port.

      If San Francisco IS still a “gay favorite” as the article implies, why is that it is impossible to arrange for a gay cruise including this city?
      I suggested a gay cruise which would begin in San Diego and end in Vancouver, B.C. However, I was told it cannot be done. Why? There is a straight cruise – May 2011 – that will make almost the SAME port visits as I recommended and in the time frame I mentioned.

      Dave

    • JayTaylor 6:32 am on September 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Great article. I have been on cruises that left from New York many times. I just found a great dinner cruise on http://www.NewYorkCruises.com . They have some of the best cruises in New York.

  • Wouldn't Mandy be a GREAT entertainer on a gay or gay group cruise?

    by Randall Shirley 2:56 pm on July 8, 2010 | 3 replies Permalink | Reply

    Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I just came across this delicious YouTube video of Mandy Steckelberg, whose website describes her as “actress, singer, writer, fun in a hot tub too.” Hilarious. I’d love to see her perform on a gay or gay group cruise itinerary. (BTW — watch her promo on her website, absolutely divine).

    Check this out:

    I have seen some kick-ass gay-specific entertainers on previous all-gay cruises, which is one of the selling-points of the genre (often referred to as having a “gay tax.”). I’m curious, what great entertainment have you seen on cruise ships?

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    • Dave 8:08 am on July 9, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Hi Randall,

      Just watched the YouTube link on Mandy Steckleberg you provided. It is great!
      Yes, talent this good should be offered on a gay cruise – definitely. I have been on several gay cruises – Mandy Steckelberg would be right up there with the “best of them”; and far better entertainment than some performers who have previously been booked on gay cruises.

      Thanks for sharing the video link, Randall.

      Dave

    • Steve 7:56 am on August 3, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      This is hysterical! Thanks for sharing and I’d love to see her ‘live’ someday.

    • Mandy Steckelberg 5:03 pm on August 4, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Randall…

      Mandy Steckelberg here. I think it’s a GREAT idea! I’d LOVE to perform on a gay cruise…that’s a positively dreamy idea, I’ll look into it. Thanks very much for posting the video and for the kind words! xoxo

  • Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas sponsors chef contest

    by Randall Shirley 2:23 pm on July 7, 2010 | No replies Permalink | Reply
    Tags: contests, Cruise ship food

    God knows we gays love good food and drink. So I think many of us will be interested in helping Royal Caribbean

    Allure of the Seas chef challenge Royal Caribbean cruise ship

    Allure of the Seas chef challenge Royal Caribbean cruise ship

    choose their new Chef de Cuisine for Allure of the Sea’s “150 Central Park” restaurant.

    According to RCI, through partnership with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), RCI launched the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge, a contest open exclusively to graduates of the CIA with either a bachelor’s or associate degree. Alumni were invited to enter for a shot at the job of a lifetime – a one-year paid contract to be the Chef de Cuisine of 150 Central Park onboard Allure of the Seas. Entrants were required to create an original, signature recipe that could potentially be featured on the menu of 150 Central Park, as well as submit a video entry to http://www.AllureOfTheSeas.com demonstrating the preparation of the dish.

    Qualified judges whittled the competition down to six finalists, now it’s up to the public to make the choice. As added incentive, RCI will award one voter with a trip aboard an Allure of the Seas “preview” sailing.

    Enter at the Allure of the Seas contest page. Good luck! And check out our gay ship expert’s review of Allure’s already-launched sister ship, Oasis of the Seas.

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  • Cool video shows Norwegian Epic's new "studio" cabins

    by Randall Shirley 1:51 pm on July 7, 2010 | 1 reply Permalink | Reply

    Recently our ship expert, Tom Baker, gave a preview of the massive new Norwegian Epic from NCL. Blogger Jason Cochran of WalletPop.com, a site that helps consumers make smart spending choices, was lucky enough to be on board the ship’s maiden voyage, and posted the video below about this innovative new cabin class. It’s cool because it will help solo travelers avoid the dreaded single supplement.

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    • John Campbell 7:16 pm on July 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Thank you to Jason for giving us a view inside the studio cabin. I think this is a great concept and I hope it catches on. I can live with the cabin size and its interior location if I can avoid the single supplement. I’m thinking of the transatlantic repositioning cruise next year.

  • Luxury Cruises for Gay Travelers: Crystal Cruises Review

    by Tom Baker 9:29 am on July 1, 2010 | 1 reply Permalink | Reply

    Crystal Cruises luxury balcony staterooms are popular with gay passengers

    Crystal Cruises luxury balcony staterooms are popular with gay passengers

    We gays love quality, style, and pampering—Crystal Cruise Line offers all of this and more.

    I am always surprised how many of my friends and clients have not heard of or know very little about the amazing Crystal Cruises.

    Crystal Cruises is the highest rated line by Conde Nast Traveler readers for 15 years, the same for Travel & Leisure for 14 years. Crystal actually is the only travel company or hospitality company to rate so high in the history of Conde Nast ratings! We gays love quality, style, and pampering-this cruise line offers all of this and more.

    The ship I am on is Crystal Symphony. She is the #2 rated ship in the world, according to Conde Nast readers, and just a fraction behind her leading newer sister Crystal Serenity.

    This 15-year-old ship is old by cruise ship standards, however, she has undergone repeated refurbishments, upgrades, and has had $50 million in overhauls over the last three years. Honestly, I can promise you there is no other aging ship out there that looks this good. This ship is spotless. The attention to cleanliness, detail, and passenger comfort is amazing. Does she look perfect? No. There seems to be a hodge podge of décor in some places but overall, she is pretty amazing. A decorator might raise his eyebrow in a few place but we all know that style is personal.

    People ask what makes this company unique, my answer is simple: The attention to detail and service are remarkable. The staff are incredibly friendly, amazing, eager to learn your name, and the experience very special…

    This is so far different from any contemporary or premium cruise product that they don’t even exist in the same universe. That is not a snobbish comment but one that exudes what luxury is. Attention to detail, extensive onboard programming that exceeds expectation, service extraordinaire, and a large ship (50,000 tons) that carries a maximum of 900 passengers. There is one crew member here for every two guests! The current industry average is 1 crew for every 3-4 guests… This 7-day sailing from Dover, UK, consists of a wide age group. There are many younger couples with children,  gay couples, middle aged, and elderly clients. The average age is likely mid 50’s. It is a well traveled group and one that seeks the finer experiences in life…

    Sometimes I struggle to explain the value proposition of true luxury cruising such as Crystal provides. Luxury is cherished by those who want and can afford the best. To me the difference is clear. I suppose the same goes for the 50% of guests who repeat frequently with this cruise line and also seek the best experiences when they travel. It is spoiling to have a very personalized cruise where you are not “nickeled and dimed” along the way, where you can enjoy truly superb food, service, and entertainment. It is a pleasure.

    For you cruisers who feel cruising has become mediocre in the premium category and the value proposition has been compromised for a list of personal reasons, come try this line. I seriously doubt you will be sorry and will likely be a fan as I have for the last 20 years this company has been in business.

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    • Andrew Lewis 12:42 pm on July 2, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      The Crystal Symphony is definitely my favorite ship. I have logged over 100 days onboard her, including a circumnavigation of South America last winter. She is truly a classic ship and is just the right size to sail comfortably anywhere in the World, while being small enough to be intimate. I especially love their low single supplements which allow me to sail on a true luxury ship for little more than I would pay on a lesser line. The service is outstanding and the cusuine divine!

  • The best "gay" travel experience?

    by Randall Shirley 12:20 pm on June 16, 2010 | No replies Permalink | Reply

    Help me out, guys!

    I’m (Randall, your Site Editor) conducting a survey about the best “gay” travel experiences. The appropriate results will be shared with you in a future newsletter and column.

    When you take the survey, please feel free to elaborate. I hope you ‘ll share more about what it means to be a “gay traveler” in any destination, cruise ship, or resort, rather than traveling to destinations just because they are “gay.”

    Got five minutes? Click the logo or here.

    Thanks!

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  • Cruise traveler concerns about Gulf oil spill?

    by Randall Shirley 2:57 pm on June 10, 2010 | No replies Permalink | Reply

    It’s no secret that Gulf states are already reeling from the possible, effective “cancellation of summer” on their beaches. While there hasn’t (yet) been a lot of cruise-specific info about the impacts of the spill, here are a couple of resources.

    • A new http://media.visitflorida.org/international_news.php?id=68 " target="_blank">micro-site, arranged by the Florida tourism association, gives consumers real-time photo and beach condition updates through Twitter feeds and webcams.
    • The only other news came out in late April/Early May, such as this report from USA Today.
    • Essentially, the major cruise ships that sail through the Gulf were already relocating to their summer seasons (Europe, Asia, Alaska) as the Gulf oil problem began to develop.
    • If you are concerned about the oil impacting an upcoming cruise, make sure you discuss this with your travel agent (one of the many reasons I still believe in using an agent to plan your cruise).
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