A Blog for Gays & Lesbians Who Love To Cruise

Hello Cruisers, and happy New Year.

2009 was an awful year for the cruise and travel industries, and while things are reportedly starting to slowly rebound, there are still astonishing deals on upcoming cruises.

While MeetMeOnBoard.com doesn’t endorse any travel agent or cruise company, here are a few deep discounts I’ve seen lately (and if you’ve seen better, let us all know!).

• Celebrity: Caribbean Sailings from $79/day. This is actually being promoted by the cruise line themselves in a paper brochure that arrived in my mailbox. Wow. Departure ports include San Juan, Fort Lauderdale, and even Charleston and Baltimore, you eastern sailors have few excuses not to go!
• $38/night on Carnival sailings via Expedia.com.
• 30% off on some onboard services in a deal through Orbitz.com, plus great per-day prices.
• Balconies at Oceanview prices to Alaska, Europe, and more through Princess.com and their “Balcony Bonanza” promotion

I’m not even scratching the surface. There are deals everywhere you look. And I’ve always felt cruising was the best vacation value anyway, so these days it just seems extra good.

Use one of those ideas, or check out your own favorite travel site or call your cruise agent, and book a cruise before these deals become a thing of the past. Then be sure to post your cruise on your profile so other gay cruisers can find you!

Where will you go?

Variety Cruises, a cruise line based in Athens, Greece, has announced a gay cruise from August 20-27, 2010.  The

Variety Cruises "Panorama" will take an all-gay sailing. Photo courtesy Variety Cruises.

sailing will include Greece and the Greek islands–Mykonos, Santorini and other islands on their small sailing ship, the Panorama. Cruise-only rates start at $2,290 per person per week–certainly hefty compared to the fares RSVP and Atlantis are offering, but it’s an apples to oranges comparison when you consider the difference in ship style. But it also seems very steep considering the price only includes some of your meals.

I personally don’t know how Variety will do with the concept–if any of you have sailed them on a mainstream itinerary, I’d love to hear about it.

Special activities include lengthy swim stops in selected beaches such as in Mykonos, DJ-spun music, evenings off-board in specific ports of call, and “special events,” not sure what that means.

News from Royal Caribbean:
While crossing the North Atlantic Ocean on its way to Port Everglades, Florida, Oasis of the Seas, now the largest cruise ship in the world, encountered strong winds and high seas. Due to the inclement weather, Oasis of the Seas is now scheduled to arrive at Port Everglades on the morning of November 13, 2009, two days later than originally scheduled. The late arrival will not impact any inaugural events, promotional activities or revenue sailings. You can follow Oasis’ journey on www.OasisoftheSeas.com.

Let’s face it, if Johnny Depp boarded my cruise ship as Captain Jack, well he could have his way with me. But modern real-world piracy is a completely different thing.

While it’s been a lot of years since pirates killed a passenger onboard a cruise ship, it’s interesting to note that pirates and cruise ships are together in the news again–of course I’m talking about the Indian Ocean.

Unfortunately, the messy situation in Somalia continues to create a ripe climate for sea-going pirates, and there has been no shortage of media attention given to this.

Today I read that at least one cruise company has started to cancel exotic itineraries to the region, likely based on piracy dangers.

So I’m curious: would worries about piracy make YOU less likely to sail in the region?

Sail safely, gays!

I just got my new National Geographic Traveler magazine (October 2009), and they’re reviving the 50 places concept. It’s been 10 years since they first created their list, and now they’ve added another 50–so technically it’s their list of 100 places of a lifetime.

I’ve pulled out the places from their list that you can visit by cruise ship, and have bolded the spots I’ve personally visited. (Note: I’ve only kept places that are actual ports or easy shore excursions, not nearby major cities).

In the future we’ll do a survey on your favorite cruise places of a lifetime. Now, what do you have to say about the Nat Geo choices?

• Athens, Greece
• Barcelona, Spain
• Dublin, Ireland
• Hong Kong
• Istanbul, Turkey
• New York, New York
  
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• San Francisco, California
• St. Petersburg, Russia
• Tokyo, Japan
• Vancouver, Canada
• Venice, Italy (soon, I hope!)
• Aleutian Islands, Alaska
• Amazon Forest
• Antarctica
• Arnhem Land, Australia
• Auyuittuq National Park, Canada
• Galapagos Islands
• Papua New Guinea’s Coral Reefs
• South Georgia Island, South Atlantic Ocean
• Venezuela’s Tepuis
• Aitutaki, Cook Islands
• Amalfi Coast, Italy
• British Virgin Islands
• Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil
• Greek Islands
• Hawaiian Islands
• Kerala, India
• Lord Howe Island, Australia
• Mayreau, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Molokai, Hawaii
• Pacific Islands
• Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
• Salina, Italy
• Seychelles
• Torres del Paine, Chile
• Yap’s Outer Islands, Micronesia
• Asturias, Spain
• Azure Coast, Turkey
• Canadian Maritimes
• Cordillera Terraces, Philippines
• Danang to Hue, Vietnam
• Gaspe Peninsula, Canada
• Montenegro
• North Island, New Zealand
• Norway’s Coast
• Easter Island, Chile
• Karnak, Egypt
• Leptis Magna, Libya
• Pyramids, Egypt
• Sagrada Familia, Spain
• Vatican City

Of course, not all these interesting spots are fully gay-friendly…I’m interested in your take on that, too!

St. Thomas is among the most-frequent Caribbean cruise stops. Long-popular for shopping, gorgeous beaches, and its proximity to tiny St. John’s snorkeling diving, the U.S. island-territory undoubtedly has a substantial gay population, even if they’re transient. Alas, gay options on the island seem to be few.

For cruise passengers, that’s not a big deal, although it can be fun to visit a gay watering hole or beach during a shore day. And some cruise passengers using Puerto Rico as a beginning/ending spot might be keen to fly back to St. Thomas for a few days…in which case there is a B&B,  The Caribbean Countess, gay-owned since 1989.

Traveler Rick Smith recently spent a week on the island, and here’s his report:

“Just got back from St. Thomas…and after checking the web for gay friends bars or places ended up finding that they had all closed.  Talked to a few people at the resort we stayed at for a week, Marriott Frenchman’s Reef, and they said that there are a lot of gays on the island but they tend to all get together mostly by word of mouth.  If you can find a gay person at a local resort they are more than happy to direct you in the right direction…  The “locals” tend to be a bit more uptight but if you can find others that are from the main land and they seem to be much more approachable when you ask them outright about gay friendly spots.”

Nearby St. Croix is a more-gay port; we’ll look more closely at it in the future.

Posting by Randall Shirley

Hello cruisers–mini-survey below, don’t miss it!

As the straights drop their kids off for the first days of school it appears Americans and Canadians may finally be figuring out how to put this ridiculous recession behind us. Hopefully that will give more people confidence to book travel plans..

A Royal Caribbean ship at sunset in Cabo San Lucas. Photo: Randall Shirley

.but as that happens, prices on cruises will begin to stabilize or rise, so it may be smart to lock in a great cruise now!

One of the most interesting offers and itineraries I’ve seen lately is a 46-night trans-Pacific cruise on Holland America’s Volendam (Sept. 23 departure). It sails from Seattle, with exotic stops in places like Petropavlosk Kamchatski Russia, Keelung Taiwan, Pusan South Korea, and Da Nang Vietnam, and Sanya China, before ending in Hong Kong. Prices have been around $93/day, which isn’t a huge steal, but not bad considering the complexity of the itinerary and the distance covered. (If you can’t find great discount pricing online yourself, use a travel agent who specializes in cruises!).

I’m curious: my longest cruise (to date) was 14-nights. Friends of mine recently booked a round-the-world itin on Cunard. Have YOU cruised on a super-long itinerary like the one above? What’s your favorite length of cruise?

Click here and tell me about your favorite cruise length and ship in a super-short survey!

This is an unbelievable offer, and I assume it will sell out very quickly–so jump on it if you’re interested.

Holland America Statendam, image courtesy Holland America Line.

Holland America’s Statendam, 28 days from Fort Lauderdale, as low as $1,799 inside.

Think about it: that’s just $65/day. I can hardly stay home for that price! If you can hold yourself back from onboard expenses (booze, spa, shore excursions), the price can stay low!

Super-low pricing may vary slightly between agencies and the cruise line itself, although I’ve found almost equally-low pricing on this itinerary from Holland America’s own site.

The itinerary is Caribbean/Panama Canal/Mexico, round-trip Fort Lauderdale.

Search by ship: Statendam
Date: October 2009
Departure Port: Fort Lauderdale

Other cruise values continue–call your travel agent, book a trip, and then be sure to add it to your MeetMeOnBoard.com profile!

If you’re sailing from Seattle to Alaska (or repositioning) this fall, you may want to arrive a day early and catch the

Gay-popular Wicked will play several cruise ports this season. Image courtesy Broadway Across America.

Broadway touring musical Wicked at the Paramount Theatre. Of course you’ll get lots of great entertainment on your cruise, but Wicked is musical theatre at its best.

If you’re not familiar with Wicked (and it’s hard to imagine a gay person who isn’t), it is the re-imagined back-story of the two witches from The Wizard of Oz. And it’s simply brilliant.

Amazingly, Seattle ticket prices start at just $27…a number you’re unlikely to find on Broadway, and a price we likely will never see again once the recession is over.

Ports where you could see Wicked in the coming months:

• Seattle Sep. 2-Oct. 4, 2009
• Miami March 3-21, 2010
• New Orleans Mar. 24-Apr. 11, 2010

Montreal may be the most gay-friendly city in North America, and is an increasingly popular start/end point for cruises, with Boston or New York on the other end.

“Fall colors” sailings have become especially popular, and seeing the leaves from the St. Lawrence Seaway is spectacular.

Montrealers pride themselves on their cosmopolitan style and “who cares” attitudes—sort of like the Amsterdam of North America. After generations of repression by the Catholic church, most Montrealers (and people throughout Quebec province) said, “enough.” Today they have very few hang-ups about sex and sexuality. Open relationships—even among straights—are hardly shocking to Montrealers where “swingers” clubs are legal and popular. The city’s gay village is enjoyed by everyone, and in the summer several blocks become a pedestrian-only zone.

Here are three great hotels to make the most of a night or two at the beginning or end of your Montreal, Canada, cruise.

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La Loggia Art & Breakfast Editor’s Pick

La Loggia owner Joel Prevost teaches sculpture in this remarkable Montreal bed and breakfast.

One of the planet’s more interesting B&B’s, proudly gay-owned La Loggia is a unique combination of lodging, art gallery, and sculptor’s studio. Co-owner and sculptor extraordinaire Joel Prevost is a wealth of knowledge about Montreal, and is fiercely proud of his city’s dedication to culture and the arts. He’s quick to explain an aspect unique to Montreal: their B&B has dual business licenses—one for the B&B and one for the sculptor studio—even though the two share the space. And he’ll point out many other businesses up and down Amherst Street that have the same arrangement: a dentist/art gallery, a florist/restaurant, a bike shop/hair salon. A small, fun gay bar is right next door to the B&B.

The B&B’s five rooms are ultra comfy, and crammed with amazing Canadian art: all of it is for sale. Continental breakfast is served on the property’s back deck. Two of the rooms share a bath; the others have private baths. The hosts don’t service your room unless you ask, reflecting their belief in your absolute privacy. They are, however, generally just a buzzer away.

• Best for: Artsy types who wish to stay in the heart of le Village, Montréal’s gay neighborhood.
• Gay Friendly: Gay owned, straight-friendly. The owners say many straights stay with them because gay properties provide a finer experience.
• Distance to cruise pier: 1.3 mile
• Distance to Montreal Trudeau Int’l Airport (YUL): 13.5 miles
• Secret tip: If you have any interest in sculpture, you might be lucky enough to catch Joel in action—often sculpting the male form. During winter months he teaches at the B&B, and guests are welcome in the studio anytime. During summer, the studio becomes an additional bedroom, and his studio moves a few doors down—but you’re still welcome to go watch.
• Extra touch: “Mop-up towels” carefully placed at each bedside.

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Hotel Gault

Tucked on a side street in Montreal’s “Old Port,” (known locally as Vieux Montréal), the Gault is a gorgeous

The gay-friendl Hotel Gault in Montreal stands on the site of North America's first YMCA. It's fun to stay...

boutique property with surprisingly affordable rates. Created from a historic, renovated warehouse, once the centre of a Andrew Gault’s Canadian monopoly on the cotton trade, the Gault’s exterior only shows four floors – in fact, the hotel has five floors, with the top being “set back” to comply with heritage zoning rules. Rooms on the top floor, thus, have fantastic shared balconies and some amazing cityscape views.

Rooms are clean and modern; polished concrete floors (heated floors in the bathrooms!) are softened by cushy rugs, and the piece de resistance is an Italian-made Flou bed, which draws rave reviews. The hotel hasn’t yet upgraded to flat-panel TVs, but with the European charm of Old Montréal right outside the door, there’s no need for TV in the first place. The hotel includes a small gym, and prides themselves on an extensive book-exchange library in the ultra-cool, open-concept lobby.

• Best for: Cruisers who want to stay in style, and affordably, near the pier.
• Gay friendly: Very. As with many Montréal experiences, you’ll think most of the metrosexual staff are gay. We’ll leave it to you to confirm who is and isn’t!
• Distance to cruise pier: 0.5 mile.
• Distance to Montreal Int’l Airport (YUL): 12.5 miles
  
• Secret tip:This ultra-cool property gives a whole new meaning to “It’s fun to stay at the YMCA.” Amazingly, the first branch of the YMCA in North America was organized on the corner where the hotel stands, way back in 1851.
• Extra touch: Breakfast is included in the small lobby café, which is proud of their evening tapas menu.

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Opus Hotel

This slowly growing luxury Canadian chain (currently there are two, Montreal and

Montreal Opus Hotel Room (photo courtesy Opus Hotels)

Vancouver, with more planned) smartly presents themselves as the hippest address for the hippest people, and that means hip gays, right? Indeed, the hotel is crawling with gorgeous, metrosexual staffers, and plays host to a number of gay events on a regular basis.

Opus is not exactly in the gay village—but it’s pleasantly situated roughly between the village and downtown, about a 10-minute walk to either. It’s technically at the top of a neighborhood called the Latin Quarter, which includes many fine dining spots.

Rooms at the Opus are not shy—bright colored walls come in a variety of schemes, all coordinating smartly with the consistent gray carpeting. The rooms have a fairly loft-ish feel, and include large flat panel TVs and pampered concierge service.

• Best for: Trendy gays who don’t mind spending a few bucks for the privilege.
• Gay friendly: Very. The restaurant manager is openly gay, and the hotel actively courts the gay market, being host-spot for Montreal’s GLBT chamber of commerce meetings.
• Distance to cruise pier: 1.3 miles
  
• Distance to Montreal Int’l Airport (YUL): 12.7 miles
  
• Secret tip: The hotel hosts a gay tea dance on many Sunday afternoons (ask when reserving).
• Extra touch: the hotel’s small gym has a full-time trainer on staff to help ensure you don’t lose your six-pack abs before your cruise, or re-find them after!

Researched & written by Randall Shirley