Not everyone gets to be "immersed" in gay culture.
I did my first Atlantis cruise this year. Now, I live in New York City, so I get to more or less be authentically myself 365 days out of the year, but I still found the experience incredibly freeing.
Compare that against a guy from Utah that I met while I was on board. One of the last nights, while I was feeling great but ready to get back to my normal life, he told me how much he wished he didn't have to go home. And it took me a minute, but I realized that what his day to day life is like is very different than mine. It was a powerful moment for me.