So what's to do on a sea cruise? Those who have cruised before know that there is lots to do during the day: shore excursions and shopping while docked in ports, exercise rooms and sunning decks on ship board, games, and, of course, endless eating opportunities.
Then the sun goes down, and the fun really starts. Cruising, more and more, has become about the after-dark entertainment. Cruise ship lines have always been attentive to the entertainment needs of passengers. Nowhere is this more evident than in the GLBT cruise business. The coming season's hands-down entertainment leader is Olivia Vacations for Women.
Wynona and Melissa
As all good dyke historians know, Olivia got its start as a promoter of women's music. Then the company branched out into cruises and vacations for women. All the trips featured music and entertainment especially geared to the tastes of women. Then, Olivia went after the superstars. Look at the 2005 line-up:
Country music superstar Wynona ( of mother/daughter The Judds fame ) is scheduled to give an intimate performance during Olivia's four-night Caribbean Cruise from Jan 29, to Feb. 2, 2005. What a way to kick off a new year.
Then, the one and only Melissa Etheridge will give an on-board concert in Ft. Lauderdale to kick off Olivia's Eastern Caribbean Cruise, April 3-10, 2005. Olivia's Mexican Riviera Cruise features the Indigo Girls.
Laugh yourself silly
Olivia has also been noted for bringing on some great comedians, such as Kate Clinton, Marga Gomez, Elvira Kurt, and Suzanne Westenhoefer. Plan for even more laughs in 2005. Olivia has scheduled a Comedy Extravaganza at its Club O Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from May 1 to 8, 2005. ( Club O is sort of like a cruise, but entirely on land. )
First-class entertainment
on RSVP Cruises
The flagship of LGBT cruises, RSVP Productions, set the pace for the entertainment competition years ago. RSVP brings on its own comedians and entertainers, both gay and straight. Who can forget the afternoon games mc-ed by the hilarious Danny Williams? Or such headliners as the gay favorite Gloria Gaynor? Not only does RSVP provide outstanding talent in the main evening shows. But it also makes sure that there are high-quality entertainers in the smaller lounges and piano bars. Now for the major LGBT cruise offerings of 2005.
January 2005
Jan. 29-Feb. 2, 2005—Olivia's Bahamas Four-night Cruise ( with Wynona ) , leaves from Port Canaveral, Fla., stops at Nassau and Half Moon Cay.
Jan. 29-Feb. 5, 2005—Atlantis's Caribbean Cruise ( billed as the Largest Gay Cruise in History ) , leaves from and returns to Miami, with stops at San Juan Puerto Rico; St. Maarten, and the Dominican Republic.
February 2005
Feb. 20-27, 2005—RSVP's Caribbean Sun Cruise, leaving from and returning to Ft. Lauderdale, with stops in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Half Moon Cay, a private island in the Bahamas. ( Wait list only available. )
March 2005
March 12-19, 2005—RSVP's Caribbean Sail Cruise aboard the Royal Clipper, leaving from Bridgetown, Barbados, with stops in such picturesque spots as Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, Iles des Saintes, and Antiqua. ( Wait list only available. )
March 12-19, 2005—Atlantis's Southern Caribbean Cruise, leaving from and returning to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with stops in Mt. Martin, St. Lucia, Grenada, and Aruba.
April 2005
April 3-10, 2005—Olivia's Eastern Caribbean Cruise ( with Melissa Etheridge ) , leaves from Ft Lauderdale, with stops at Turks & Caicos, St. Thomas and St. Johns, Virgin Gorda, Half Moon Cay, and returns to Ft. Lauderdale.
May 2005
May 8-15, 2005—Olivia's Alaska Discovery Cruise, leaves from Vancouver, B.C., Canada, cruises through the Inside Passage, and stops at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, glides past Hubbard Glacier, and disembarks at Seward, Alaska.
June 2005
June 24-July, 2005—Olivia's Greek Isles & Venice Cruise, leaves from Athens, with stops at Mykonos, Patmos, Santorini, Croatia, and ends in Venice.
July 2005
July 14-24, 2005—RSVP's European Riverboat Cruise and Tour of Prague and Budapest. This trip combines a 7-day cruise on the Danube River with a land tour of landmark cities in Eastern Europe.
July 29-Aug. 7, 2005—Atlantis's Barcelona to Athens Cruise, with excursions to Florence and Rome and stops in Ibiza, Santorini, Istanbul, and Mykonos.
August 2005
Aug. 21-28, 2005—Atlantis's Alaska Cruise, leaving from and returning to Vancouver, Canada, with stops in Ketchikan, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, and Sitka.
September 2005
Sept. 3-10, 2005—Olivia's Tahiti Cruise, leaving from and returning to Papeete, with stops at Raiatea, Taha'a, and Bora Bora.
Sept. 3-10, 2005—RSVP's Alaska Cruise, leaving from and returning to Seattle and traveling through the Inside Passage, with stops in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. ( Wait list only available. )
October 2005
Oct. 29-Nov. 5, 2005—Olivia's Mexican Riviera Cruise ( with the Indigo Girls ) , leaving from and returning to San Diego, with stops at Puerta Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.
November-December 2005
Nov. 26-Dec. 5, 2005—Olivia's Galapagos Cruise, leaving from Guayaquil, Ecuador ( after a flight from Miami ) , to explore the wildlife on the islands that Darwin made famous and disembarking at Quito, Ecuador.
Nov. 29-Dec. 10, 2005—Olivia's Australia & the Great Barrier Reef Cruise, leaving from Cairns ( after a flight from L.A. to Sydney ) , with stops at Willis Inlet, Magnetic Island, Hardy Reef, Laguna Whitsundays Resort, Percy Isles, and ending in Brisbane.
Entertainment on other lines
It's not only GLBT cruises that offer spectacular entertainment. Straight cruises do to. For example, you can experience productions of Broadway shows on a number of Royal Caribbean ships outfitted with theaters equipped to offer the most sophisticated staging.
Many Carnival ships offer Las Vegas-style extravaganzas. GLBT families take note: Disney Cruise Line offers Studio Sea, a nightclub suitable for all the member of the family—including the kids.
If you're looking for a vacation loaded with entertainment, why not look for a cruise with the right kind of shows for you?
Your travel writer: Cynthia A. Marquard is the owner of Aqua Terra Travel, Inc., 65 E. Wacker Place, Chicago IL 60601. Cynthia can be reached at 312-787-2400 or visit the Web site, www.aquaterratravel.com .
