I spent 10 days on one of Europe's biggest 'all-gay' cruises for $3, Here's what it was like on the ship.
In November , I booked my first-ever cruise: An "all-gay" Atlantis tour around the Mediterranean via Royal Carribean. It would establish sail in August
I was a bit overwhelmed by the cost, since I spent $3, on a shared room. The price didn't even involve booze.
With over 4, passengers — the majority of them being queer men — this boarding on the Odyssey of the Seas was one of Europe's biggest gay cruises.
Within 48 hours of boarding, we had to receive a negative COVID test. I had an Italian breakfast while I nervously waited for my results.
When I boarded, I used the Royal Caribbean's messaging service on its app for $20 — I could contact fellow passengers if I knew their entire names.
I came prepared with my "business" cards, which are common on lgbtq+ cruises. Many put their socials and room number on them to store track of who they meet.
The first thing that stands out on all-gay cruis
Cruising
This blog was written by our Sexual Health Outreach Worker, Chris Dunbar.
Sometimes, having sex in the reliable confines of your bedroom just doesn’t cut it. You may be looking for somewhere new, inquiring thrill or adventure, or just not be proficient to have the sex you want within your four walls. You may have heard someone discuss about cruising, or own been asked if you want to go, but what does it actually mean?
Let’s have a peer together at what it means, the laws, and general safety if you do decide to provide it a go.
Definition
Cruising is walking or driving about certain areas, called cruising grounds, looking for a sexual partner. These meetings are usually one-off, anonymous encounters.
Cottaging is a legal title used to describe anonymous sex meetings in common toilets.
Where do the terms come from?
Cruising: The synonyms originated as a homosexual slang term, sometime in the early s, as a way for people who knew its sense to arrange sexual meetings. It was a way to plan sexual encounters without attracting the attention of people who may wish to report t
Before my first all-gay cruise, I heard a lot of warnings—myths really, as you’ll see below—all from people who’d never been. Only one was true: gay cruises are generally more overpriced than mainstream cruises. But that’s comparing apples and oranges.
Five years later, before leaving for my second gay cruise, friends blurted out all the equal myths. After my second all-gay voyage, I can verify that these are, indeed, myths. If you’re curious-but-nervous about all-gay cruises, peruse on. Then as one cruise line says: Get Out There.
1. It’s just a floating bathhouse.
Sex sells. That’s why the brochures are loaded with hunky guys. It’s uncomplicated to assume all those guys are just wacko with lust.
Perhaps they are. But none of the major all-gay charter companies nor Olivia, (lesbian-focused charters) officially allows sex in public areas of the ships. RSVP Vacations, who pioneered the lgbtq+ travel industry, is very strict about it.
On one of my RSVP cruises, the ship’s spa area did, effectively, become a bathhouse&mdash
I went on a day cruise with 4, other gay men. I cried for days after it ended, and I can't wait to go back.
At the end of the final, disco-themed dance on my day "all-gay" cruise, I met up with a man I'd shared a few intimate moments with.
As we swayed to the opening bars of Donna Summer's "Last Dance," I burst into tears. I sobbed on his shoulder throughout the entire song. I recall thinking that I'd fallen in love.
Not with him, as pleasant as he was. And not with cruising, as fabulous as that was.
I'd fallen in romance with being the majority.
When I booked my 'all-gay' cruise, I prepared myself to be disappointed
In , I raided my savings account and spent $3, to book an "all-gay" cruise around the Mediterranean.
My dancing troupe convinced me to buy the ticket, which was for 10 days on the Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas. The distinct Atlantis sailing would be filled with about 4, gay people, the majority of them men.
People in my life warned me to manage my expectations. I was told to prepare for claustrophobia, cabin fever, endless gluttonous