LGBT Pride Month party onboard Azamara Journey
I’ve never been so excited to see a flagpole in my life. Even one with a rainbow flag attached.
Celebrating Pride month at sea provided a highlight to our recent voyage on Azamara Journey. Everyone from Journey crew and officers, to Azamara Miami headquarters to our fellow cruisers, supported us in creating a wonderful LGBTQ Pride cocktail party onboard. Plus, for the first time ever, we arranged to have the Pride Flag raised on the ship while docked in Amsterdam for two days.
The crew couldn’t have been more accommodating and supportive. The entire entertainment staff decorated the beautiful Azamara “Living Room” for a Pride month party. Shipboard staff attended the celebration, and helped plan the event — all the way down to the rainbow-colored cupcakes from the Journey kitchen.
This did not feel like one of those empty corporate gestures we’ve all seen too many of during decades of Pride celebrations. Along with the other LGBTQ cruisers onboard, we experienced a strong sense of Azamara’s embrace of our community.
UPDATE: Apparently it’s not just us who see this party as a big, gay deal. The New York Times , which ran a series of Pride month articles, mentioned the shipboard pride celebration in an article last week . Take a look, maybe even take a couple minutes from your busy schedule to fire off a message to the Times saying “thank you” for covering LGBTQ cruising.
Raising the Pride Flag aboard Azamara Journey docked in Amsterdam.
Sailors from Denmark, the UK, Ohio, New York City and elsewhere joined in the fun. Entertainment crew is headed up by Cruise Director Eric DeGrey. He’s the tall one on the right!
Assistant Cruise Director Stephen (L) and three of the opera singers onboard seem ready to attack the cupcakes.
Tiago from Brazil works his feather boa.
Eric hams it up with Peter and Kim, an amazing, flag-waving straight ally couple from New Zealand who joined us to show their support.
Jimmy (L) from New York and Danish couple Tony and Fleming join Dale (R) for a cocktail on the deck with the Pride Flag flying proudly above.
Magician/Comedian Mandy Muden – semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent 2018 – joined the festivities.
Baritone onboard entertainer Ned (L) poses with cruiser Jimmy, a baritone himself who has performed on broadway.
