Report on board the world's largest gay cruise

Feb. 10 2013

by misterb&b

More than 4,200 gay men and women, in addition to the 2,200 crew members, have taken place on board the ship chartered for the second time by the American gay cruise company Atlantis Events. On board the Allure of the Seas, all nationalities are represented: Americans, English, Norwegians, Italians, Canadians, Belgians, Brazilians and some 90 French!

It was 4:30 p.m. on February 5 when two blasts of the siren signaled the departure of the ship from the port of Fort Lauderdale, located an hour's drive from Miami. Just a few minutes before, the passengers were invited to participate in the drill, the mandatory rescue exercise. Everyone was called to their assembly point for a safety briefing. Once the drill was over, the passengers went back to their duties. This time, it is the good one. The cruise is going to have fun!

1st day: day at sea

The passengers take advantage of this 1st day to discover the boat: Central Park with vegetation, the whole covering the area of a soccer field, the 4 swimming pools with several whirlpools and 8 Jacuzzis, the gym, the spa, the 17 decks to explore, the 23 different restaurants, the the gym, the spa, the 17 bridges to explore, the 23 different restaurants, the skating rink with show room, the 2 wave pools to surf, the two 43 feet high climbing walls or the life-size basketball court! Everything here is totally out of proportion!

On board, the 4,200 passengers occupy 32 types of accommodation, including several 2-story lofts with panoramic windows. A great majority of cabins have a balcony.

Tea-dance on board the Allure of the Seas © misterb&b

Atlantis Events didn't just rent a boat. It also made sure that everything on the boat was adapted to this day's clientele: the bar closes later than normal, (much) more casual attire is allowed at dinner, everyone is invited to unlock their cabin door, and there is no need to leave the boat.the bar closes later than normal, (much more casual) clothing is allowed at dinner, everyone is invited to unlock the door of their cabin, gay programming is provided on the internal TV circuit, and a naturist area is provided for those who like to sunbathe without a bathing suit...
It's already 4pm, time for the traditional "dog tag" and welcome aboard to facilitate meetings. Each one receives a military plate and has a sticker put on it: green for I am free or red for I am in couple. First tea dance and first opportunity to get to know each other.

day 2: Stopover in Labadee

In the early morning, the Allure of the Seas stopped in Haiti, on the private beach of Labadee. Royal Caribbean, the company that owns the ship, has privatized a part of the island. On site, passengers can enjoy all the activities offered: diving, jet skiing, zip-lining, etc. The less courageous will simply enjoy the hundreds of deckchairs installed at the water's edge.

3rd day: day at sea

For the staff on board, this cruise seems to be a parenthesis in the heart of a very intense season. Many of them, waiters, barmen, doctors on board, explain that this exuberant public contrasts with the usual clientele, much more familial.
We take advantage of this day to meet the staff. first stop in one of the bars of the promenade. Dorothy reveals to us that she has never had so much fun on the boat: "the passengers are charming, smiling and amusing. It's a change from the family cruises, it's really great. You know how to party!" A little further on, Julia, the spa hostess, confides, "I've never seen so many boys at the spa. They are all hotter than each other. What a week!".
It seems that the hierarchical pressure is less strong during the gay cruise. The general atmosphere lends itself to it.tonight is a "bright and fluorescent" evening. The whole ship is glowing and the passengers are dancing to the sound of DJ Pagano.

4th day: stopover in Costa Maya, Mexico

Wake up at 7am for all the passengers of the boat. Important message from the captain informing them that one of them would have jumped into the water. A few minutes later, the captain sets off the alarm signal and asks all the passengers to evacuate their cabins in order to carry out an exceptional count to know if other passengers are missing.

It was a little bit painful to think about the fate of the Costa Concordia. A bad vibe quickly overtook all the passengers gathered at their meeting point. It was 9:30 am when the captain confirmed that one of the passengers had jumped into the water from the 11th deck. A call was made to the Navy and the port authorities of Costa Maya to come to the aid of the Allure of the Seas. The ship stopped a few kilometers off the coast to coordinate the search for 4 hours. The passengers were all upset by this news and the celebration quickly gave way to sadness.

Some of the excursions were cancelled due to the late arrival of the boat at its destination. The others will have the chance to take a bus to discover the Mayan temples a few dozen kilometers inland. It is 8 pm when the captain takes the floor on board to announce that the passenger has not been found. It was a young Londoner of 30 years old who came alone on the boat. The captain's voice seemed very marked by this disappearance. He once again thanked all the passengers for having participated in the morning count.

The evening of this evening will have a particular resonance. Despite the most original outfits, the spirit is not to celebrate.

day 5: Stopover in Cozumel, Mexico

We disembark on the island of Cozumel in front of Cancún. An opportunity to discover some of the most beautiful beaches of Mexico and the center of this typical city.this evening, we will have a white night.

day 6: Day at sea

Last day to relax by one of the pools, jog on the 700-meter track built on a whole floor of the boat, or to relax and enjoy a treatment at the spa. At 4pm, everyone gathers at the back of the boat for a rainbow tea dance. This time it feels like the end. Despite the cheerfulness of the colors worn by everyone, the sadness of leaving the ship is felt. The animation team goes on stage for a choreography of the song of Adele, Someone like you. Everyone enjoys these last moments of celebration.

Last concert also this evening before the dinner. It is Idina Menzel's turn to take place in the showroom of the boat. The singer, little known in France, is very popular in the United States. The heroine of the series Glee offered 1,380 passengers an exceptional concert with many covers. Like every evening, passengers were divided among the 25 restaurants on the ship. The most courageous will be able to enjoy the Last Dance in the ship's nightclub, the others will go to bed early. Arrival is scheduled for 7:00 am and cabins must be vacated by 8:30 am at the latest.

day 7: The end

Last hours on board the ship. "And is it flirting, then? ". It's hard to escape the Love Boat cliché. With 4100 boys and 100 girls in swimsuits, locked on a boat for 7 days, of course it hits on people! Singles on the move, "open" couples, the pool afternoons and especially the moonlit evenings are the occasion for sometimes intense closeness. Oh, nothing trashy! Here we conclude in his cabin...

(updated on January 30, 2020)