I spent 10 days on one of Europe's biggest 'all-gay' cruises for $3, Here's what it was like on the ship.
In November , I booked my first-ever cruise: An "all-gay" Atlantis tour around the Mediterranean via Royal Carribean. It would set sail in August
I was a bit overwhelmed by the price, since I spent $3, on a shared room. The price didn't even include booze.
With over 4, passengers — the majority of them being queer men — this boarding on the Odyssey of the Seas was one of Europe's biggest gay cruises.
Within 48 hours of boarding, we had to get a negative COVID test. I had an Italian breakfast while I nervously waited for my results.
When I boarded, I used the Royal Caribbean's messaging service on its app for $20 — I could contact fellow passengers if I knew their full names.
I came prepared with my "business" cards, which are frequent on gay cruises. Many put their socials and room number on them to keep track of who they meet.
The first thing that stands out on all-gay cruis
The new Atlantis policy does appear to be an outlier in the industry. Jim Walker, a maritime lawyer based in Miami with four decades of experience who has a particular noun on the cruise industry, told BuzzFeed News that he had never seen a similar social media policy on a cruise line.
Atlantis competitor Vacaya is also set to take gay and bisexual guests on a Caribbean cruise that leaves on Feb. A Vacaya spokesperson said they could not comment on any discussions they have had with the cruise lines due to contractual reasons. However, they referred BuzzFeed News to the online guidance Vacaya has sent out to guests for their upcoming cruise. This guidance makes no mention of any social media content restrictions but notes cameras are not allowed to be used in certain public areas of the ship where nudity and sex are permitted.
Atlantis has produced gay-focused events for over three decades, including on more than ship charters, according to Campbell. The cruise liners include been “fully supportive” of the company and their guests, he said.
Some of those on board th
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Atlantis Cruise
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