All Your Frequently Asked Questions About Taking An LGBTQ+ Cruise!

Here’s some great pr about LGBTQ+ cruises which could answer many of the questions you might have about taking just such a cruise and spending all that money! Via www.brandgvacations.com

When you’re in your 20’s and 30’s, LGBT+ party cruises can be incredibly fun and memorable: all-night dancing, a virtual buffet of hot young people to mix it up with, and that sense of freedom that comes from being surrounded by 4,000 gay folk.

Some LGBT+ travelers, though, yearn for more in-depth sightseeing, real cultural experiences, and more meaningful interactions and friendships with their fellow LGBT+ guests.

Both experiences are great…they are just different.

It’s important, then, to find tour operators who offer what the individual travelers are looking for in terms of a vacation experience.

Companies like Brand g Vacations, the #1 operator of luxury all-LGBT+ cruises and land tours (25+ trips per year), offer an incredibly wide array of vacation experiences, from river and ocean cruises to land tours in almost every corner of the world – many quite exotic. Brand g’s trips are 4.5 and 5-star all-inclusive affairs, where virtually everything except airfare is included in the price, and the level of personal service is top-notch. Brand g offers a sophisticated travel experience that can provide that culture without losing the sense of fun and fabulousness.

So, how do you figure out where you’re at on the LGBT travel continuum?

DECIDE WHAT ASPECTS ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU

AGE:

Do you want to be around younger people in their 20’s and 30’s? Then a large all-LGBT+ ocean cruise or resort buyout (where a resort in Mexico or a similar tropical destination goes all-LGBT+ for a week) is likely your best bet. Brand g trips tend to skew older in terms of guests.

SIGHTSEEING VS. PARTIES:

What is more important to you, a top deck costume party or a private wine tasting at a French castle? Both are fun and can create wonderful memories, but only the more sophisticated trip will offer both.

ENTERTAINMENT:

Do you prefer DJ’s on the top deck, or a cabaret or Broadway star in a lounge or theatre setting? Some big ocean cruises will offer both, but the LGBT+ river cruises and luxury ocean cruises specialize in cabaret, Broadway and drag entertainers.

DECIDE WHAT YOUR BUDGET IS

There are all-LGBT+ trips that can be as low as $200 a day or as high as $1,500. Naturally, the higher the fare, the higher the quality of the accommodations, food, and sightseeing experiences, and the more vacation components that are included in the price.

(A note regarding the higher cost of all-LGBT+ vacations vs a mainstream one: you will see higher fares anytime a niche company is chartering a ship or buying blocks of rooms at hotels, since there’s a huge financial risk involved, given that the company has to pay that cost regardless of whether the trip sells out.)

It is typical for vacations costing more than $500-600/day will result in an older crowd, since typically men and women in their 50’s and 60’s have more disposable income.

Large ocean cruises tend to be the most cost-effective form of LGBT+ travel, since they have economy of scale. River cruises and land tours, though, by dint of their size (land tours are usually 30-50 people, and river cruises 100-150) will cost more, but will also result in a more personalized vacation with more unique tours and experiences.

DECIDE WHY YOU’RE TRAVELING

Is your goal to relax, enjoy some parties and check one or a few destinations off a bucket list?

Or to have significant, once-in-a-lifetime cultural experiences? Neither is better than the other, it all simply depends on how/why you like to travel.

Vacations that center around relaxation and fun, or ones that “do the hits”, offering quick visits or tours of major sights, will be less expensive and generally shorter in duration that trips that offer deep dives into a country’s sights or culture. 

Often travelers save the “deep dive” trips for later in life when they have larger resources of time and money.

NARROW DOWN WHAT KIND OF LGBT+ TRIP WORKS BEST FOR YOU

There are so many options available now:

• Large ocean cruises
• River cruises
• Small luxury ocean cruises (often referred to as luxury yachts, holding 200 or so passengers)
• Land tours
• Resort buyouts
• Combo vacations that include a small-ship river cruise (generally 40-50 guests) with a land tour

Do you prefer a larger pool of guests to mingle with?

Then a large ocean cruise (generally 4,000-6,000 guests), resort buyout (typically 500-1,000 guests) or luxury yacht cruise (200 or so guests) is your best bet.

Are you working while on vacation, and prefer a trip of, say, 7-10 days?

Then a cruise (of any kind) is likely the way to go, since land tours are frequently 10-14 days.

Do you prefer a trip with primarily gay men, or gay women?

There are companies for that, including Olivia for women and a dozen different options for gay men. Lesbians who enjoy gay men can often be found on the trips offered by companies specializing in travel for gay men (like Brand g Vacations, etc), and they are welcomed with open arms, since they provide a wonderful counterpoint to the trip’s male energy.

Do you want to see many places and/or countries in one fell swoop? A cruise is, of course, the way to go.

Or are you looking to deeply experience one country? Then a land tour, or a combo of a land tour and river cruise will provide the kind of cultural immersion you’re seeking.

There are options for every LGBT+ person and every style of travel and budget, so it is just important to decide what type of vacation you are after and what feels best for YOU.