A great way to explore the world starts from the deck of a cruise ship. Image the thrill of seeing your destination far out at sea, soon the coast looms closer as unspoiled white beaches, small villages, hidden coves pass by and viola, the port is in view and it’s time for the adventure to begin.  But is this destination gay-friendly?  Is there a history of hostility towards our community?  Should I spend my money supporting their economy with my gay dollar?

Unfortunately, as a member of the LGBT community, there are so many things to consider when selecting a destination to visit than our straight compadres are confronted with. Sadly, some ports have historically been intolerant and hostile to LGBT visitors. When visiting en mass some destinations have denied gay cruises from docking or had protestors at the docks.  And some ports even deny access to visitors with HIV.

Thankfully many of these attitudes and regulations have changed and we are welcomed to places where, not long ago, we were shunned.  Much of this is because Gay Groups like Olivia, Sweet and Atlantis have added socially conscious group activities on their cruises that provide impoverished schools and communities with needed supplies, even providing groups of volunteers to help build homes, community buildings,  start gardens and most recently providing funds, relief work and goods to the earthquake victims in Haiti.

When selecting a gay-friendly destination there are four major things to consider:

Cruising a park in big cities like Paris or Berlin may seem relatively safe, however cruising a beach on a small tropical island or in a back alley may get you incarcerated or worse yet maimed or killed. 

Has there been any recent anti-gay protests, hostility or violence towards LGBT visitors?

Unfortunately there are recent altercations that make some destinations unsafe or unfriendly for LGBT travelers to visit. In Egypt a group of gay men partying on a barge on the Nile River were arrested for homosexual activities and many were imprisoned for 5 years.  In 2006 on the island of St. Martin in the Caribbean two gay men were severely beaten making international news and receiving an outcry of rage from the international LGBT community.  In recent years, the island has taken steps to make the beautiful island safe for our community to visit.  In the Bahamas, an island nation where gay sex is still against the law, an r family cruise was met at the dock by hundreds of religious protestors shouting anti-gay rhetoric.

Thankfully, most of the world is not completely intolerant of LGBT people. Many nations, cities and communities that cruises visit are rich in culture and acceptance.  The most important thing to be is informed and safe, know the laws and chose either to visit a port or take your vacation dollars to a port that accepts our community.  Most Gay Group Cruises like Atlantis, Olivia, RSVP and Pied Piper, have enough experience planning safe and fun Gay Vacations that they will choose an intinery that does not include a port