Solo gay travel ideas

Hi I'm 45 solo gay guy looking to try a group experience. Tried a Barcelona trip with a 7 day cruise Norwegian epic. Sadly was a disaster, chemical burns from sunscreen, minimal gays on cruise and mainly older single ladies ( was like cruising with mum), dishonest gay share host, disaster. I'm in west Australia , local to nothing, I know of pied piper tours but seem very pricey, but maybe that's what you have to pay. Any other ideas?

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Yep, its mostly retired folks on most of the cruises I have done too. I still enjoyed my Fiji cruise on captain cook.

If you're looking for gay company have you considered going to turtle cove in queensland?

Try Celebrity. In my experience there are always lots of gays onboard. Short cruises and TA's atract more gays then longer exotic cruises.

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I remember turtle cove being a well regarded resort, but wasn't sure how a single guy would go there.

I was thinking maybe a gay only cruise but must say all the pics I've seen (candid and promotional) have been Calvin Klein models. I'm AV, 5'7" 45, hopefully cub like.

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For many years I sailed solo(I'm closer to 60 than 50 at this point. I tried the Pied Piper thing but didn't like it - too forced a scene for me. So I would go somewhere I was interested in seeing and then catch a ship from a nearby port. I always met interesting people of all ages onboard - some gay some not but it always was fun.

Here in the USA catching a ship out of FT Lauderdale or Miami in the winter time w/ a pre or post stay in either city pretty much covers everything. Or a visit to NYC for a fw days & then catching a ship is great also.

After meeting my partner we continued the combo of land & sea as it makes us both happy.

We / I always stayed away from Disney & Carnival.....RCCL is too big and HAL too old..but Cunard and the better lines Azamara, Windstar,Seabourn& Silversea are now our focus now.

Good luck & let us know what the outcome is....

You may want to give Aquafest a try. The group usually runs around 400 to 500 people on a regular voyage of a ship. Most customers are in their 40's and 50's, some younger, some older. There are lots of activities to join in if you wish. The folks who run Aquafest are very pleasant people who strive for everyone's inclusion.

If interested, try Googling Aquafest Cruises.

I remember turtle cove being a well regarded resort, but wasn't sure how a single guy would go there.

 

I was thinking maybe a gay only cruise but must say all the pics I've seen (candid and promotional) have been Calvin Klein models. I'm AV, 5'7" 45, hopefully cub like.

 

 

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Every time I have gone to Turtle cove it has always been a mix of singles and couples and for the most they have all got on well together. The dining area has a shared table along with tables for two and four, though on many occasions the shared table ends up getting expanded and expanded as more just join in together. The place did take a dive a few years back but is under new management and ownership and has picked up on its game. My one moan is the limitations of the menu in the single restaurant there whereas on the cruise ships they work hard to vary the menu along with the specialty restaurant options.

What about windstar ships/cruises....its something different & seems to have an active & interesting agenda and itinerary for all ages???

Did someone say 45 & cub like...oh how delish.....

My cruise research had led me to believe that in the bigger ships, like the one I was on (Norwegian epic, about 4000 sailing) there would be more gays, more social events, and fun to be had. the ship had lots of activities for sure, heaps of dining options, and the solo suite I thought was very good. I however found the other guests to be standoffish, at times plain rude,and generally older women. This cruise was a 7 day Mediterranean trip, Barcelona to Barcelona, ending just as gay pride started in Barcelona. Considering pride was so soon I had thought others would have thought a pre-pride cruise would rock. This is why I am thinking a gay group of some sort will at least encourage social contact.

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For many years I sailed solo(I'm closer to 60 than 50 at this point. I tried the Pied Piper thing but didn't like it - too forced a scene for me. So I would go somewhere I was interested in seeing and then catch a ship from a nearby port. I always met interesting people of all ages onboard - some gay some not but it always was fun.

 

Here in the USA catching a ship out of FT Lauderdale or Miami in the winter time w/ a pre or post stay in either city pretty much covers everything. Or a visit to NYC for a fw days & then catching a ship is great also.

 

After meeting my partner we continued the combo of land & sea as it makes us both happy.

We / I always stayed away from Disney & Carnival.....RCCL is too big and HAL too old..but Cunard and the better lines Azamara, Windstar,Seabourn& Silversea are now our focus now.

 

Good luck & let us know what the outcome is....

Cunard now is offering "solo" cabins for single travelers. Prices are reasonable..but book quickly, as they fill up fast!

I was thinking maybe a gay only cruise but must say all the pics I've seen (candid and promotional) have been Calvin Klein models. I'm AV, 5'7" 45, hopefully cub like.

 

 

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This is all just marketing. It's no different than fashion magazine's models all being a size zero. Gay cruises have all kinds of passengers on them, the only difference between the demographics on a gay charter and a typical cruise is gay charters attract a bit younger crowd. Say an average age of between 30s and 40s instead of 60s and death.

I remember turtle cove being a well regarded resort, but wasn't sure how a single guy would go there.

 

I was thinking maybe a gay only cruise but must say all the pics I've seen (candid and promotional) have been Calvin Klein models. I'm AV, 5'7" 45, hopefully cub like.

 

 

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The promo material is unfortunately very unrepresentative of the actual passenger base for the all-gay cruises. I've been on 8 Atlantis Cruises and 3 RSVP cruises and passengers range from 21 to 80; 50/50 singles to couples or groups of friends traveling together. You find all types on board from twinks/bears/older couples, etc. It's been asked many times on these cruises to the promoters why they just "30 something gym rats" in their ads and they claim market research shows that sex sells and gay men (young and old) book cruises based on these types of ads. Although you will find plenty of eye candy around the pool...the all gay cruises are far more diverse in age & style from my experience. Also, they do get a lot of guys from outside of the US and Canada...like Mexico, Europe, South America as well as many from Australia too. I met a guy from Bali on my last cruise. I'm over 50 and I've never felt out of place, met wonderful guys and always had a good time. If you go with a positive attitude you'll have a good time.

Hey,

Interesting thread, especially since I went on two wildly different "gay" cruises from two different gay charters during the past six months. These were my first cruises ever, and while the experiences had their pluses and minuses, I would say that I am now a cruise convert for life.

Cruise #1: Venice, Montenegro, Croatia, back to Venice

Charter: Source Events

Cruise Line: Starclipper

Ship: Royal Clipper

As my first cruise experience ever, I can honestly say that I am pretty much spoiled for life. The ship, purported to be the largest sail ship in the world, was spectacular in every way, especially given its relatively small size and passenger load (approximately 200-passenger capacity). Although the ship sailed under engine power most of the time, the unfurling of the sails each night as the ship left each port, set to Vangelis's soundtrack to the Ridley Scott film "1492," was spine tingling. Spending a week aboard this majestic vessel, amidst the calm Adriatic Sea and the breathtaking Croatian sunsets, should be on everybody's travel bucketlist.

My sailing was a 100% gay male cruise chartered by Miami-based Source Events, a boutique tour operator that caters pretty much exclusively to upscale gay male clientele. Actually, make that 99.5% gay, since one woman happened to be traveling with us.

As expected, the passengers were generally on the mature side; at 46, I was one of the spring chickens. Also, it seemed that at least 2/3 were either married or in committed relationships. And also as expected, some of the dinnertime conversation veered toward the "it's hard to find good help these days," subject matter as people immodestly spoke about their second homes in Palm Springs, Fort Lauderdale, etc. If you enjoy hearing rich people kvetch about rich people problems, this is the type of cruise to be on. This is not to say that everyone was pretentious and insufferable. There were plenty of fun party nights and events planned during our time at sea, which were invariably campy and bawdy. Still, I did not get the sense that many "love connections" were being made, if you know what I mean. That being said, everyone seemed super-friendly and plenty of new friendships were formed.

The ports were invariably medieval walled cities that, while breathtakingly stunning, began to get repetitive after a while. Still, the heavenly Mediterranean climate and scenery, especially in Dubrovnik Hvar and Rovinj, were unforgettable. If you want to take a deep dive into history and culture, save it for Venice.

Cruise #2: Montego Bay to Cuba, back to Montego Bay

Charter: Al & Chuck

Cruiseline: Celestyal

Ship: Celestyal Crystal

My second cruise was a purported "first gay cruise ever!" to Cuba chartered by Al & Chuck Travel aboard the Celestyal Crystal. And the price point was very, very low, especially for a U.S.-based operator of legal people-to-people programs in Cuba. Well, although it sounded unbelievably good on paper (website), there were some problems to note even before stepping foot on the ship. First of all, this was not the first "gay cruise" to Cuba; Aquafest cruises organized their own GLBT cruise aboard the same ship two weeks earlier. Secondly, this was hardly a "gay cruise;" rather, it was a gay group charter (about 160 passengers) aboard a ship carrying 1100 passengers - mostly straight old couples from Germany, the UK and Canada. Deception in advertising much, Al & Chuck? For the price, I realized this would not be a top-shelf Source Events cruise. Still, that did not in any way justify the deception.

I had never heard of Celestyal cruises before so, given the low price point, my expectations were not great. My main motivation for going was to visit Cuba, even if it meant suffering for a week on a substandard ship. Happily, despite my misgivings, Celestyal exceeded my expectations in spectacular fashion. My cabin was a decent size (especially since I was traveling solo) and spotless, the crew were attentive and the common areas were well appointed. I heard that the food was really good too; alas, as a vegetarian, my options were far more limited, so I really cannot comment on that. Still, I never lacked for things to eat and drinks to drink (on the all inclusive drink plan). Other than one particularly rough night at sea, I slept like the dead every night.

As for the small subset of gay clientele aboard the ship, as before, it was comprised mostly of older couples; however, there seemed to be a greater age and socioeconomic range. Since we were in the minority, we were generally on our best behavior (boo!), so overall, it was a more sedate experience, which was just fine with me since the primary objective was to visit and experience the most forbidden of destinations for the U.S. citizen. I could go on and on about the people-to-people experience and Cuba itself, but that is another topic altogether. It was simply an unforgettable experience and the Celestyal Crystal cruise, despite the blatantly deceptive marketing tactics of Al & Chuck (and the prevailing sense of managed chaos by their staff), turned out surprisingly well.

I know of pied piper tours but seem very pricey

Actually, I think that you'll find that PP is cheaper than all-gay cruises, comparable to other gay-group cruises like Aquafest, and at or a bit below the price of cruises booked directly through the cruiselines.

I remember turtle cove being a well regarded resort, but wasn't sure how a single guy would go there.

 

I was thinking maybe a gay only cruise but must say all the pics I've seen (candid and promotional) have been Calvin Klein models. I'm AV, 5'7" 45, hopefully cub like.

 

 

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If you are "cub-like" most of the gay bear cruises offer a cabin share option and will pair you up with someone. Yes, that can be a crapshoot but it is an option to look at it to reduce costs.

Don't want to hijack the thread but I have a question about going solo as well...

Does anyone know of a particular cruise where there are going to many LGBT travelers in the next month or so? Not looking for an only gay cruise just one perhaps you know through the roll calls has a large group going? Probably Caribbean would be best but I'm not married to it.

Thanks

Michael

Cunard is very gay friendly. On a recent transatlantic on the QM2, the FOD gatherings in the Commodore Club were standing room only. Lots of interesting people to meet.

I've also traveled with Pied Piper, and enjoyed them immensely. We were a group of 25 or so - so not a gay charter, but they offered special lecturers for us, as well as events throughout the cruise. Of course whether you attended or not was your choice.

What was nice is that we all gathered for drinks before dinner and then ate together, which ensured congenial dinner companions. Much laughter and good conversation - we were always the last table to leave the dining room.

Hello, I'm Gerry Cork Southern Ireland.. I'm a solo gay traveler, I have traveled on many cruises, last few were Norweigan Epic, Great ship. Most gay guys were very friendly but "couples". I am trying to find a gay travel friend. Email me if you many to chat become friends

madmantravel@gmail.com

looking forward to hearing from you Gerry

By luck, my Barcelona cruise on Royal Caribbean a few years ago just happened to have a local gay tour group of about 500 mainly from Barcelona. They were very friendly and even invited me to "crash" one of their closed events.

I have done a couple gay cruises with RSVP. As a solo they have a roommate share program where they match you with a roommate at no additional single supplement charge. RSVP mainly just does cruises; their sister company Atlantis does cruises as well as land based vacations. They always charter out the entire ship or resort and provide entertainment based on who we are. I've done two cruises with RSVP (Regal Princess, Caribbean, Feb 2015, HAL Westerdam, Alaska, Aug 20150. As well as two Atlantis resorts in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta. Always had a great time and met some great folks.

I agree with what people have said about seeing all the buff Calvin Klein waxed gym bodies represented in all the gay cruise/vacation pictures. Nothing is further than the truth. It is all marketing. I've been on two all gay cruises and at two all gay resorts. Everything is there, 20-80 years old, pale to bronze, 120lbs to 280lbs, chiseled to flabby, smooth to hairy. Everything, no exaggeration.

... I know of pied piper tours but seem very pricey, but maybe that's what you have to pay.

We sailed Pied Piper on QM2 and the prices were pretty much the same as Cunard prices. When Cunard offered free upgraded we got the same upgrades.

Please message me on madmantravel, love to get to know u..Gerry

Hello, anyone still around this thread, posts seem a little dated. After looking for a group discussion that focuses on gay travel and gay cruises this one seemed to provide the most insight and depth from knowledgeable cruisers. I'm seeing some additional advice. Anyone still out there?

Hello, anyone still around this thread, posts seem a little dated. After looking for a group discussion that focuses on gay travel and gay cruises this one seemed to provide the most insight and depth from knowledgeable cruisers. I'm seeing some additional advice. Anyone still out there?

I come by here every so often....