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Cruises have long been promoted as all-inclusive vacations with accommodations, meals, entertainment and transportation all rolled into one price. But the number of extra amenities passengers must pay for has been proliferating as cruise lines go beyond the usual extras (like shore excursions, cocktails and Internet access) and add increasingly elaborate offerings.
Read the NYTimes article here >>>
Do you have any other tips? We’d love for you to share.
After you read this article, please see our blog that we posted only a week ago. Your comments are encouraged. Should we as gay and lesbian people travel where we are not welcomed?
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ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) — Two California men on a gay cruise of the Caribbean were arrested Wednesday in Dominica, where sex between two men is illegal.
Police Constable John George said police boarded the cruise ship and arrested the two men on suspicion of indecent exposure and “buggery,” a term equivalent to sodomy on the island. He identified the men as John Robert Hart, 41, and Dennis Jay Mayer, 43, but did not provide their hometowns.
George said the men were seen having sex on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship by someone on the dock.
The two were later charged with indecent exposure and are scheduled to appear before a magistrate Thursday morning. If found guilty, they could be fined $370 each and face up to six months in jail.
The ship carrying about 2,000 passengers departed Puerto Rico on Saturday and arrived in Dominica on Wednesday. It departed for St. Barts without the men, who are being held in a cell at police headquarters in the capital of Roseau.
The cruise was organized by Atlantis Events, a Southern California company that specializes in gay travel.
President Rich Campbell, who is aboard the cruise, said in a phone interview earlier that he thought the two men would be released. He later said in an email that the company has organized many trips to Dominica and would “happily return.”
“Many countries and municipalities that gay men visit and live in have antiquated laws on their books,” he said. “These statutes don’t pose a concern to us in planning a tourist visit.”
Campbell said he expects the two men to be released on Thursday and that they only face misdemeanor charges.
“The guests’ actions were unfortunate but minor in this case and have no bearing on our overall guest experience,” he said via email.
The pastor of Dominica’s Trinity Baptist Church, Randy Rodney, praised the police for their intervention.
“I am very pleased that the police were called in and have arrested the people in question. I have warned about gay tourism and its implications for Dominica,” said Rodney, who is a vocal critic of homosexuality and lesbianism.
The presence of gay cruises in the Caribbean has riled several conservative islands including Jamaica and Grenada, where anti-sodomy laws are enforced with strong backing from religious groups.
According to Cruisemates.com, no gay cruise lines sail to Jamaica or Barbados for fear of homophobia and possible violence. It said other places like the U.S. Virgin Islands welcome gay cruises.
In 2010, the Cayman Islands rejected the arrival of an Atlantis gay cruise amid protests from religious groups even though homosexuality is legal on the archipelago.
Don Weiner, a spokesman for Atlantic Events, referred all questions to Campbell, including why the company organized a trip to Dominica and whether it knew about the island’s anti-sodomy laws.
Elizabeth Jakeway, a spokeswoman for Celebrity Cruises, referred all questions to Atlantis.
The last time authorities in the Caribbean intervened on a gay cruise was in February 2011, when agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested a California man aboard the Allure of the Seas, which had docked in St. Thomas. The man, Steven Barry Krumholz of West Hollywood, pleaded guilty to selling ecstasy, methamphetamine and ketamine to fellow passengers.
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Associated Press writers Danica Coto and Ben Fox in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed
The Sun UK says the unnamed passenger who fell off an Atlantis all-gay cruise “intentionally went overboard”. Royal Caribbean representatives who reviewed the security tapes said the British man did not fall accidentally and was not pushed over the railings.
The 30-year-old passenger plunged from his balcony on deck 11 of luxury liner Allure of the Seas in waters off Mexico… The ship made multiple public announcements and began a complete search of the ship, in efforts to locate the guest. When the guest did not respond to the pages and was not found onboard, the captain alerted the local authorities of the situation. Our care team is providing support to the guest’s family and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Atlantis has had it’s share of ‘events’ recently on their cruises. What are your thoughts?
Photo by Seb & Martin
If you’re interested in all-gay cruises, now there’s even more options for you.
LA DEMENCE has announced their second European all-gay cruise in the Mediterranean from Sunday, July 22nd, till Sunday, July 29th, 2012 with a departure and arrival in Marseille (France).
On route, they will visit Napels, Sicily, and an overnight in Ibiza. Enjoy some relaxing time on the beach or at the pool, and at night enjoy the best open air summer parties.
They have chartered the same Horizon ship, in order to recreate the very friendly, familiar, open-minded and easy going atmosphere. The ship will be completely renovated in Spring 2012!
Be prepared for a week that you will remember for the rest of your life !
Celebrate paradise with hosts Charlie David and NOH8 Co-Founders Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley on this very special NOH8 cruise featuring exclusive parties, get-togethers, and your own personal NOH8 photo shoot! And even better, your participation in this special sailing will result in a direct donation to the NOH8 Campaign. In the true spirit of this cause, this sailing is open not just to the gay community, but to their friends, family, and others seeking to make a difference.
This special cruise is still several months away, but tickets are on sale now! Contact David Morris International for reservations and more information at 800-279-6200.
Our editor Randall Shirley recently returned from a cruise that departed out of Venice. In fact, he said that Venice became one of his favorite port cities. Things might be changing in this world class city if the mayor has his way.
Russia seems to be putting out the 'Unwelcome Mat'
The New York Times recently carried an article about recent developments in Russia. It seems that Russian cities are falling over themselves to outlaw “propaganda of homosexuality” including the use of rainbows.
This was interesting to us especially because of our Baltic cruise with Atlantis a couple of summers ago. St. Petersburg was mentioned in the article, and we chose the cruise because of the extended time there.
We were on a bus tour of the city, and the 20-something female guide was giving us the traditional “on your left you’ll see….and on your right you’ll see…” treatment. At one of the stops I spoke to her and explained that the tour was made up totally of gay men.
“If you know any gay people we’d be interested to find out what you could tell us about their experience living in Russia as a LGBT person,” I said.
“Well, I can help you, because I am not straight myself” she responded.
Our guide went on to say that it was difficult being gay anywhere in the Soviet Union. Moscow was among the worst, she said, but if you were gay or lesbian, St. Petersburg was the place to be. How things change in a short time.
Read the entire New York Times article.
New Orleans is not only becoming one of my favorite port city but it will soon be one of my favorite cities…period. The sights, sounds and smells of Bourbon Street can be overwhelming. Starting around 10:00 a.m., the streets become alive. Even the gay bars are active in the morning and who could complain about Bloody Mary’s and dancing boys! Tonight is our pre-cruise party followed by Halloween on Bourbon Street. Let the party begin!
Everyone sailing on the Atlantis charter of Holland America’s MS Oosterdam departing San Diego on October 15 has a real treat waiting for them in the Piano Bar. I was on the repositioning cruise to San Diego from Vancouver, and the highlight of the voyage was each evening I spent listening to Mark Farris singing Pop songs and Broadway melodies. Mark is a terrific entertainer with a wonderfully humorous air that instantly makes everyone feel welcome. You can sit back and listen, join in the chorus, or maybe even get the opportunity to sing a solo with this marvelous entertainer. I rarely hang out in any ship’s piano bar, but Mark changed my attitude. I regret being shy and not grasping the opportunity of having this incredible entertainer help me stumble through a song or two, but I hope to have a second chance to discover my inner Broadway baby sometime in the future as Mark publishes his itineraries on his web site. In the meantime, everyone traveling on the Oosterdam next week should take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy Mark’s company and check out his performance in the piano bar as you sail the Mexican Riveria!
Just book the Atlantis Greek Isles/Istanbul cruise for Aug-Sept 2012 … very excited, first time on a Celebrity ship, but it looks awesome!
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