Your gay cruise program in 2013

Jan. 30 2020

by Julien Chadeyron

If the gay tourism sector has been booming for a few years, the gay cruise sector is booming! The offer and the themes are multiplying and you should no longer be able to say that "it's not for you". The organizers are doing everything possible to ensure that everyone finds the cruise that suits them best. Destinations from the most local to the most exotic, atmospheres from the most intimate to the most gigantic, there is something for everyone. One thing is certain: you will feel like a fish on water.

Ask anyone who has ever been on a cruise: it's an unforgettable experience! There is the magic of being on the open sea, with the sky as far as the eye can see, the conviviality of sharing the same space with several hundred or thousands of people for a few days, and then an immense feeling of freedom. Want to do nothing on board? get out your swimsuit, sunglasses and sunscreen. Want to make some discoveries? The excursions along the way will satisfy you. If you want to party, you can enjoy a variety of evening events and shows. Floating cities or intimate settings, the cruise ships will offer you the ideal setting for a dream vacation.

To help you take the plunge and make your choice, we have compiled a calendar of the main gay (and lesbian) cruises in 2013.

Let's start with the one we don't need to introduce anymore: Atlantis Events cruises, which welcome more than 20,000 travelers per year, mainly Americans, offer a vast choice again this year, on all the seas of the globe.

The first 2013 cruise will take place in the Caribbean, from February 2 to 10. On board a Royal Caribbean ship, the luxurious and gigantic "Independence of the Seas", you won't have time to get bored: a surf simulation area, a water park, a climbing wall, a 4-story theater and more will occupy your days on board. Endless outdoor spaces for a little "farniente" under the Caribbean sun
Availability from $1299.

From February 20 to March 3, head to the southern hemisphere for one of the must-do gay Atlantis cruises, between New Zealand and Australia. The 1,800 passengers will sail from Auckland to Sydney to discover the wonders of Oceania. The voyage will end in Sydney Harbor on Mardi Gras Day, the world's most gay-friendly event
Tickets start at $2719 (almost sold out).

>New to Atlantis this year is a cruise to Asia, from Singapore to Hong Kong, from March 31 to April 11. You will be aboard the newly renovated Celebrity Millenium. Discover or rediscover, between modernity and tradition, Koh Samui, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh or Halong Bay. You will successively follow the coasts of Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and China for a stay combining culture, relaxation and entertainment. An exceptional experience to live, starting at $1699.

>Finally, as it does every year, Atlantis is organizing two cruises to Europe. The 2013 Mediterranean cruise will depart from Venice on August 24, heading for Dubrovnik, the sublime Kotor in Montenegro, Corfu, Mykonos, Santorini, Naples, Ajaccio and finally an arrival in Rome on September 3.

Another cruise will leaveAmsterdam on September 5, heading for Barcelona, aboard the Celebrity Constellation, with stops in Bordeaux, Bilbao, A Coruña, Lisbon, Cadiz and Ibiza. These last two products are not yet on sale.

The other historic gay cruise organizer, RSVP, now owned by Atlantis, will offer three cruises in 2013, aimed at a slightly older clientele and a little less clubbing than the Atlantis cruises. The first, from February 9 to 16, invites you to the heart of the Caribbean. Stop over for Carnival in Curacao, and sunbathe under the Florida sun. From $999.

The second, less exotic and more picturesque, "Blue Danube Cruise" will take place from July 22 to August 2, on the Danube, between Budapest and Nuremberg. A trip to the heart of Europe, more intimate than the other cruises with "only" 128 passengers.

You will be able to take the same cruise but in the other direction, from July 29 to August 9, on the same boat, departing from Prague. After spending two nights there, you will sail from Nuremberg to Budapest (On waiting list, from $3782).

No Mediterranean cruise for RSVP this year, but an Alaska cruise July 21-28 from Seattle aboard the Holland America Oosterdam, with stops in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria.

Source Events, another American gay tour operator, is also offering 3 cruises. From April 15 to 19, treat yourself to sunbathing during the Miami Beach Gay Pride, and enjoy VIP treatment including a party on a private island. Boarding from 439$.

not enough time for 4 days? Then embark on a luxury cruise from Costa Rica to the Panama Canal! For $3,199, climb aboard a luxurious 4-masted ship that can accommodate 148 passengers and discover this little haven of peace on the open sea.

Finally, for the first year, in partnership with "Gay Naturists International", Source Events offers you to choose simplicity. Travel naked and let Mother Nature guide you. A cruise in the simplest of clothes to enjoy the beaches of the southern Caribbean. (From 1799$)

Concierge Travel proposes a gay cruise in the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This cruise is family and mixed, ideal to invite your in-laws!

Another Concierge Travel product, much more upscale, is a cruise aboard the "Royal Clipper", a majestic and luxurious sailing ship. It will welcome its 227 passengers from Barbados from February 22 to March 1, 2014 (yes, yes, in a year and a half!).

What about Europe? After the huge success of its first two editions, we can't wait to know the dates and itinerary of the next Démence Cruise. This very international gay cruise (60 nationalities on the last edition) is primarily aimed at clubbing fans, but it also gathers more than the usual Demence clientele. The organizer should soon announce the route chosen for 2013. We'll tell you more as soon as possible!

LAST MINUTE (October 12, 2012): The Dementia Cruise 2013 will leave Athens on June 3, 2013, heading to Santorini, Tel Aviv (2-day stopover during the gay pride) then Patmos and back to Athens on June 10.

The Dementia Cruise, 2012 edition, evening under the stars in the Mediterranean © misterb&b

Finally, let's also note in France the return to the gay travel market of Attitude Travels (under the new name of Attitude Voyages), which had been a pioneer in organizing three French-speaking gay cruises from Marseille, from 2009 to 2011. the agency should offer gay cruises again, but probably not before 2014.

More anecdotally, let's note the mini-cruise (one evening) which will take place inMarseille during Europride and which will allow some 250 guests to visit the Chateau d'If, the Frioul Islands, the Calanques and the village of Cassis. The day also ended with an evening on board.

And it should be noted that there are also lesbian cruises! Olivia offers a cruise in the heart of the Caribbean from January 27 to February 3 or from February 3 to 10, to celebrate her 40th birthday. Embark, between girls from 2399$.

You can also discover Alaska (May 19 to 26), the Bahamas (June 28 to July 1) or the Caribbean (November 10 to 17) with Sweet, the other organizer of lesbian and "eco-friendly" cruises.