Finding fun, family, and friends on our first luxury LGBTQ+ cruise

By Paul J. Heney

Some say there are three things you shouldn’t talk about in polite company – sex, politics, and religion. But the free-wheeling, funny, and often deeper-than-expected dinnertime conversations on our first-ever luxury LGBTQ cruise often wove through all three topics. And that was sort of the point – queer folks usually must keep societal guards up around these charged topics because of our identities and the inherent intersectionality. So, we truly found it liberating to be able to cast all that aside for a 10-day cruise with Brand g Vacations that included Italy, Croatia, Albania, and Malta.

The author (left) and husband (center) make a new friend with help from Brand g VacationsCourtesy Paul J. Heney

This was our first time traveling with Brand g Vacations, a luxury travel group that creates some incredible itineraries all over the globe, including river cruises, ocean cruises, and land-based adventures. We were aboard the high-end, yacht-like ship the Atlas World Traveller, a stunningly designed vessel that holds fewer than 200 passengers.

Aboard our sailing was one of the co-owners of Brand g Vacations, Brian Van Wey. He explained that their customers trust them because they continually provide value and take nothing for granted. Van Wey noted that the company can quickly make adjustments on each individual trip in real time because they always have an owner or executive on each trip.

“We don't have to sit back and read surveys later [to see if that was] a good trip or not,” he explained. “We definitively know it was a good trip, and if something fell short. I would much rather be a very good tour operator with our 95.5 percent repeat rate than a good marketer with a 25 percent repeat rate.”

The Atlas World Traveller near the coast of Dubrovnik

We met Michael Amend aboard, who was on his 11th (he thinks) Brand g trip. Amend, a retired IT executive from Palm Springs, said it was mostly the people – both the Brand g folks as well as the other passengers – that keep him coming back.

“The people at Brand g are wonderful. They run a very honest, fair business. I’ve known lots of cases where they could have kept somebody’s money because they had to cancel. Things come up. And they’ve always been great about that. They were great during Covid, nobody lost any money,” he said. “While I came on this cruise by myself, I knew I’d know people because I’ve just been on so many Brand g trips. It’s been nice reconnecting. Plus, I like how Brand g works. It’s all-inclusive, so you show up at the airport, and you don’t have to think about anything after that, they take care of you.”

Indeed, Brand g made us feel very well taken care of. The trip included airport transfers to and from the ship (or your local hotel if you were extending things), as well as 1 GB of free WiFi aboard (per person), premium drinks, and excursions every day. You could opt to pay more for some top-shelf liquors (I think I only witnessed this happen with guests once or twice on our trip – we were completely happy with the choices) or pay a bit extra for a couple of special excursions, but we never felt we were being nickeled and dimed, as on some cruises. In fact, there were a few problems with the WiFi being intermittent while onboard. Some guests must have said something because several days into the sailing, we received a notice that everyone was getting a second GB of data added to their accounts to make up for it, a thoughtful gesture.

Also on our trip was Boston-based IT Director João Ferreira and his husband, Ralph DiChiara Jr. This was their third trip with Brand g. Ferreira said that they travel a lot and try to mix it up – some with their families and some just the two of them.

“Sometimes we go on trips that are not exclusively LGBTQ, but we do like the type of tours that we’re doing right now because you can be yourself,” he said. “You can have more interactions that are more intimate and thoughtful, like at our dinner table. We think that’s a bit different, and we enjoy doing that. If you really want something that’s personalized for you, something that's very different and unique, I think Brand g hits the mark on a lot of that.”

Waterfalls at Krka National Park in CroatiaCourtesy Paul J. Heney

Entertainment!

If you didn’t know this was a gay cruise by the overwhelming number of men aboard, you’d have certainly figured it out by the onboard entertainment. I’d heard in advance that Brand g goes all out on the nightly entertainment, and that proved correct. There was a bit of something for everyone. There was British pianist and singer David Papworth, who was often performing in the lounge to adoring fans, with a mix of sing-alongs, show tunes, quizzes, and more. Tony Award-winner Broadway star Levi Kreis also performed several evenings – the last with his very talented and award-winning husband Jason Antone. Kreis’s wit and down-to-earth personality made him a quick crowd favorite.

Also aboard was Meghan Murphy, a Chicago-based performer who could play Jessica Rabbit to a T if ever called upon. Her booming, sensational voice was amazing to witness in person, and her attitude and sense of humor fit the passengers perfectly. We also had to opportunity to hang out with her a bit on some of the excursions, allowing us to see that she’s really the genuine, loving person you see up on stage. And rounding out the entertainment on our cruise was Trevor Ashley, an Australian drag performer and singer. Ashley was one of the contestants on the second season of RuPaul’s Queen of the Universe TV series. Her performances on different evenings varied a good bit, including one where she played a boozy Liza Minelli for the whole show.

Our cruise also featured a Tea Dance during our one day at sea, and the gays came out and embraced the Venetian theme, wearing everything from simple masks to elaborate costumes. Plus, we had a Red Party one evening, where guests donned their best crimson attire, making for a fun dinner experience.

The author (second from right) mingles with newfound friends on a Brand g Vacations cruiseCourtesy Paul J. Heney

Filling ourselves

We gays certainly know how to enjoy ourselves, and our 10-day cruise meant consuming ... a lot. We managed to go through 5,700 eggs, 4,300 coffees, 157 bottles of vodka, and 927 bottles of wine! The food aboard was excellent, and we particularly enjoyed Paula’s Pantry each day for gourmet coffees, lattes, and assorted sweets.

On one of the last nights on the ship, our large dinner table group contained an atheist and a former Episcopalian bishop – sitting next to one another. In contrast to the type of rank political discourse that this country has experienced in the last handful of years, the conversation was wonderful. We ventured into a deep and respectful conversation about death and dying. No one’s feelings were hurt, everyone was respectful of others’ very differing views, and I think we all gained some new insight. That kind of meaningful connection with other passengers is what will have us coming back to a Brand g Vacation soon.

You can learn more about destinations, itineraries, pricing, and more at www.brandgvacations.com. You can follow Brand g Vacations on Instagram and Facebook @brandgvacations.