GayCities/Queerty co-founder Chris Bull and Swish Edition podcaster R. Scott Wallis were on the Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world—along with Idina Minzel, Bruce Vilanch, Alex Mapa, Tupperware queen Dixie Longate and thousands of gay men (and 78 women!), ranging from 20-year-old twinks to 80-year-old grandads.
The Atlantis Events cruise sailed last week from Ft. Lauderdale on a seven-night itinerary that included ports of call in Labadee, Haiti and Costa Maya & Cozumel in Mexico. With countless bars, multiple restaurants, a huge gym, concerts and performances, and of course the usual all-night dance parties, the big ship was rocking in more than one way from start to finish.
The Allure staged a spectacular high dive show as well as a pared down version of the musical “Chicago.” Travis Wall & Nick Lazzarini from TV’s “So You Think You Can Dance” fame taught the cruisers how to move–as if the boys needed lessons! And a gaggle of comedians like Alec Mapa, Erin Foley and Bruce Vilanch were a highlight.
“It’s mostly bottoms that come to our shows, so they are very receptive,” New York City-based comedian Chris Doucette quipped.
The jubilant mood was dampened on Friday, however, when the ship’s captain announced that passenger Kenneth John Gemmell from Ireland went overboard in what is being described by Royal Caribbean as an apparent suicide.
Here’s a small, mostly G-Rated, sample of all the goings on.
Click through for images from the Atlantis Events Cruise of the Caribbean
Scott Wallis is the co-host of the Queerty/
lika
gawd, that is a diverse crowd. sign me up.
Stephen
I’d jump overboard.
disco lives
if they could see me now, duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh…no
Gauthier De Boosere
Ooooohh ok good, good. Because we gheys didn’t have enough places to segregate ourselves to, or to find a horny no-brain slut to cultivate std’s with! No, I’m really glad about this giant boat of sluts because at least they’ll keep our bad reputation offshore. I’m sorry to say I understand why we are so stigmatized. I’m so tired of the propagation of shallowness, the bland and over-played body worship and the aggravating dickmatization voodoo in general. It seems intellectualism, a moderate sexual appetite and a healthy interest in causes outside of the little ghetto bubble of boxed homosexuality has become a taboo now that we all have our ‘rights’. End of rant. If anyone needs me I’ll be protesting ACTA in Brussels together with the four and a half other people that still give a fuck about making this world a better place.
Way2Go
Having been on a cruise of this sort, i must confess, there were times I wanted to jump. These ships are loaded with people with drugs, dealers, users, all…to have a good time. It makes sense— here is nothing to wake up early for, except the occasional whale watching, and the evenings are like wonderful in that you are dancing under the stars with a lot of people who are on drugs. This is NOT to suggest that everyone is doing that, but there is a major portion that do. Just as the front of the boat becomes that dark alley where strangers are touching and suggesting you blow them. It’s life!
dave
Gee Gautier, with all that anger I find it surprising you ever even look at this site. Lighten up.
J
I don’t have a problem with the fact that gay cruises exist but damn, why are they always so monochromatic? The mainstream media never addresses this but unfortunately there are deep racial divides in the gay community. We need to come together because it helps our movement.
Danny
Nice that Atlantis gave free cruises to so many media people.
Gauthier
@dave: I AM angry. And I know it’s judgmental, but in all honesty I’m really, REALLY tired of all the shit I have to see wash over society day after day. I myself enjoy a good crass joke, and I’m not a prude sexually, I profess openness in my art and in my acceptance of others, but too much is too much. There is so much fake everywhere and it just makes me sad. if it makes me come off as elitist; fine, there are less and less people whose opinion I still care about. Sometimes I hope a stupid rant like I just had will find an echo, that there are more individuals out there that still have an appreciation for the sensitive, sensual, sophisticated aspects of life… But so many people are in their comfort zone with the brain-relaxing entertainment and cultural emptiness they are being spoon-fed that all I seem to get is indifference. I’m not a zealot, or a conspiracy theorist, but sometimes I get really frustrated with society today. Things could still be so much better. I also speak form a personal place; because even with a good dose of cautiousness, as well as open-mindedness, I have had some pretty bad experiences whenever I have immersed myself in the gay circuit. Be it Grindr, a club or a group consisting solely of gay friends. I’m not saying it’s all bad, but sometimes the good is really hard to find. And I come to this site, usually out of boredom, sometimes because thee are informative or thought-provoking articles… But certainly not for the writing. DListed it ain’t.
christopher di crapito
@Gauthier: I hear you, my friend. We are two of the very very few. But don’t expect to find many like-minded people on this site. You won’t.
Gauthier De Boosere
@christopher di crapito: Thanks, that’s nice to know 🙂
Isaac C
@J: “The mainstream media never addresses this but unfortunately there are deep racial divides in the gay community.”
Like what? Unless this cruiseline was rejecting people based on skin color, I don’t see how you can make a claim like that based off of one photo gallery.
Herb Hoover
De Booser; I enjoyed your little rant but if you are older and coming to terms with
how society FUCKED YOU OVER it’s pretty hard to get all up in arms to aid all the causes
that exist. Rather with the time you have left it would be nice to enjoy gay men for who they are- many are truly happy gay men who are fun to be around. And in that simplicity
lies great depth which I for one don’t even try to understand. Merely cherish. Should I do more? Of course but I am just grateful to have made it this far.
Toferdavid
I love Bruce Vilanche
divkid
@Gauthier De Boosere:
oh dear, it seems somewhat inappropriate in light of what you’ve expressed with such fearless righteous passion but i feel obliged to confess to you that your rant made me slightly horny. and morally uplifted. but mostly horny.
J
@Isaac C: You know what I mean you internet troll, you usually don’t see much integration at black gay bars or white gay bars. It’s just sad that’s all.
Isaac C
@J: Nope, I don’t know what you mean at all. Why is it “sad” that people are enjoying themselves and they happen to look like each other? Maybe they just prefer it that way? I still don’t see how that indicates a “deep racial divide.”
Elmwood Mac
Had I gone on the cruise looks like me and Bruce would be the only fatties on the boat. At least the line up for the buffet would be a short one because these guys don’t look like they eat much. Pass da butta!
Brian
Seems like everyone that gets on a gay cruise doesn’t come back home.
Bill
@Gauthier:
“I’m not saying it’s all bad, but sometimes the good is really hard to find.”
Wrong. It is all bad. There is no good to find. The Grindr/Manhunt/circuit subculture is exploitative, loveless, shallow and conducive to disease and, as illustrated by this cruise, death. And worse, all gay people get stigmatized by association, even those of us who have nothing to do with it and who would be pleased to see vanish from the face of the Earth. It won’t end until gay people actively stigmatize it.
And for the record, I am 23 and hot. I don’t hate the circuit because I couldn’t succeed in it. I hate it because I see what it does to gay people.
Way2Go
An addendum: my experience was actually great. I left with the impression that the cruise could be anything you want it to be. If you’re a slut, you could find other sluts. There were plenty of couples, happy people enjoying each other. There were incredibly smart, engaging people.
If you’re complaining, i doubt that you have the condition of gay people in mind; gay life is like a radio, you can always change the channel. For the 23 year old “hot” guy, stop looking on Grindr, stop going to circuit parties; attend lectures from Gore Vidal. If gay life is shallow in your mind, its because your attention is on shallow gay things, like Queerty, frankly. I doubt any comment has ever changed a mind about anything. Write your piece instead of seeing the therapist and move on. In a boat, preferably.
Quest
What wouldn’t a gay man stick his dick in? Is it all about sex with the gay community?? I am all for loving who you want but that is such an empty life to have…just sex sex and more sex. I enjoyed my younger years partying and such but thankfully met my beautiful wife who together we have built a beautiful home and my adorable kids..they are my center and my rock in this world.
I support gay rights and the right to marry but when I look at these parades and pictures such as this or hear the stories of what goes on in these cruises I wonder if the gay man primarily focuses on sex above all else. Isn’t there more to life than physical pleasure. Anyway that is my view…may be misguided to some but I actually pity some of these men esp when you hear the HIV statistics in the gay community!!!
Gauthier
@divkid: Um, thanks? Haha. I’m glad my passion can instill such, ah, feelings in people.
Gauthier
@Bill: I’m 25; I said that there is good because I do think it is of our age to see things in extremes and when we are up in arms we do sweep everything under the same denominator. I also don’t think very highly about our generation and the ones coming after it because a lot of them are just brainless morons with no opinion. But, walking on the extreme edge of the road will make you fall off so that’s why I choose to be a little closer to the middle. Because bile and sadness will make your life dreary and like Herb Hoover said, at a certain point you have to find a way to enjoy life because you have been put on this planet so why not make the best of it? And one more thing, Way2Go; it’s that kind of mentality that keeps things staid; “Oh, I doubt it’ll change anything, or ever changed anything in the first place”. Yeah, right. tell that to Rosa Parks, the Suffragettes, Occupy, the anti-Vietnam movement. If you don’t at least get off your lazy ass, or open your moth to fight for what you believe in then no, we might just as well just all get on that cruise, fuck each other to pieces and blow ourselves up off the coast.
Satirical Biddy
The Stereotype of the Seas
See for yourself
You should see what it’s like for yourself–only spend some time actually seeing the things that the photos and media don’t focus on. The shallow, appearance-obsessed people are the ones who look at a gay cruise and only see what they expect to see.. There is so much more going on if you’ll just step away from the late-nights and pool sides. Leave your own insecurity behind, open your mind to the real variety of people on the boat, and make some new friends.
michael hynes
Help us here in Ireland to piece together the final moments in the life of kenneth Gemmell who went overboard on friday 3rd february. The cruise liner Royal carribean, Atlantis events are not assisting us. Police investigators are doing nothing either. Kenneth was a lad who did not use drugs. have you any information on kenneth’s last few hours alive. Do you know the person who is said to have seen him fall or the bar tender who is said to have had an argument with him.Contact me michael Hynes by email ; [email protected]
Gauthier
@michael hynes: You should post your request on Reddit.com, on multiple subreddits. I’ll send you a mail to make sure you get this.
Nat
“But so many people are in their comfort zone with the brain-relaxing entertainment and cultural emptiness they are being spoon-fed that all I seem to get is indifference. ”
It’s the world. It’s always been like that and will likely always be like that. Most people are afraid to think too much.
JMark
@Gauthier De Boosere:
you must be a real hoot at parties.
I wouldn’t want to go on a gay cruise, either, but not sure calling people “sluts” is really helpful.
I’ve got a lot of friends who were on that cruise and they all had a great time. totally not what i’d be into… but none of them are “sluts” at all, just guys who don’t get to spend much time in exclusively gay environments and hey… let them have their fun.
FelixWood
That looks like my idea of hell
Jbaltes
This is definitely not my idea of a good time! We have done a number of gay group cruises, which have been very enjoyable! However, an all gay cruise is just a little too over-the-top… And too far removed from reality for my taste!