Gay Pride NYC & Cruising

I have lived in NYC for 35 years now and yesterday was our Gay Pride Celebration..for a week there were all sorts of celebrations from cocktails to demonstrations & memorials all ending in the Parade down 5th avenue with millions watching & participating. It was such a wonderful supportive & joyous celebration & demonstration..the parade kicked off shortly after noon & did not end until the fireworks went off on the Hudson River at 9:45 pm. The 49 murdered victims were remembered over & over again. During the week our Firemen were wearing gay pride shirts & buildings were illuminated w/ the Gay flag colors. Much thanks to our police officers & all their efforts.

What I thought was that for those of you planning to come to NYC it would be a great great vacation to see the parade & then take a cruise or vice versa. There was something for everyone on top of what NYC has to offer all year round.

As a gay man, a New Yorker & an American I was so proud & moved by the all the efforts, compassion...to be sailing out of NY harbor on the beautiful afternoons we had this week would just be glorious.

Either way ...do come & see what possible!!!! I'm now walking over to see the official ceremony of the Landmark designation of the Stonewall Inn!

I was lucky enough to be in NYC for Pride during the 90s for the 25th anniversary of Stonewall. We were flying late Sunday evening but got to experience the parade including joining in and walking part of the route before we jumped in a cab to LaGuardia (I wonder if that means we were toting our luggage?:confused:). WOW is all I can say. I have participated in Gay Pride in NC, Key West, San Francisco and this past Saturday in Houston but I wholeheartedly endorse Rotterdam's suggestion....every gay person should experience Pride in NYC at least once.

Sunday was a LOOOOONG day for most people marching! The parades are usually supposed to be done by 6 PM but everyone knew this year was going to be bigger because of the tragedy in Orlando. We were told to be ready to line up at 3 PM (but we knew that was way too optimistic!). We finally started down 5th Avenue at 6 PM and ended at 8 PM (the last groups tarted matching at 7 PM).

By the time we were done I just wanted to get to a bathroom, have some beer and food before we went home and crashed.

All in all it was a great day - mishaps and all (our group's float was accidentally sent into the parade ahead of us so we did not have our music :( )

Now if one could board a ship Sunday night and experience the fireworks that ends Gay Pride week at sail-away would be amazing.

Sunday was a LOOOOONG day for most people marching! The parades are usually supposed to be done by 6 PM but everyone knew this year was going to be bigger because of the tragedy in Orlando. We were told to be ready to line up at 3 PM (but we knew that was way too optimistic!). We finally started down 5th Avenue at 6 PM and ended at 8 PM (the last groups tarted matching at 7 PM).

 

By the time we were done I just wanted to get to a bathroom, have some beer and food before we went home and crashed.

 

All in all it was a great day - mishaps and all (our group's float was accidentally sent into the parade ahead of us so we did not have our music :( )

 

Now if one could board a ship Sunday night and experience the fireworks that ends Gay Pride week at sail-away would be amazing.

Seriously LONG day. We were told to get there at 1pm, finally got to march about 4. But we did have our float so we danced down 5th ave. Too much sun, but still fun.