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Sunday, August 24, 2025
Gay Cruise
A feature article went in depth on a gay cruise on a sailing vessel, a new concept in 1979.
It was almost like a free ad. Maybe the editor got a free cruise.
The very first gay cruise was offered by Island Travel of New York in December 1974 with the MS Renaissance leased from Paquet Cruises of France. Island Travel had started business by shuttling gay men on buses to Fire Island and figured why not host a gay cruise from Florida to the Caribbean. That cruise hosted 300 guest passengers, today there are gay cruises with up to 3000 and more. The full story of that first cruise can be read at the Out History website….:)
The sailing ship Flying Cloud was owned by Windjammer Barefoot Cruises founded in 1947 by Michael Burke and liquidated in 2008. On several ccassions the vessel was chartered for gay cruises. The sailing ship was built as a cadet training vessel for the French Navy, WBC bought her in 1968 and refurbished her for 66 passengers. Mr Burke retired and left WBC to his children to run who apparently lacked business acumen, like many family businesses, and drove WBC into the ground. Of course the loss of their most famous sailing ship the SV Fantome in Hurricane Mitch with all 31crew in 1998 didn’t help. You can see more about WBC and Mr Burke and his Miami castle on YouTube….:)
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The very first gay cruise was offered by Island Travel of New York in December 1974 with the MS Renaissance leased from Paquet Cruises of France. Island Travel had started business by shuttling gay men on buses to Fire Island and figured why not host a gay cruise from Florida to the Caribbean. That cruise hosted 300 guest passengers, today there are gay cruises with up to 3000 and more. The full story of that first cruise can be read at the Out History website….:)
ReplyDeleteAn interesting part of our history.
DeleteThe sailing ship Flying Cloud was owned by Windjammer Barefoot Cruises founded in 1947 by Michael Burke and liquidated in 2008. On several ccassions the vessel was chartered for gay cruises. The sailing ship was built as a cadet training vessel for the French Navy, WBC bought her in 1968 and refurbished her for 66 passengers. Mr Burke retired and left WBC to his children to run who apparently lacked business acumen, like many family businesses, and drove WBC into the ground. Of course the loss of their most famous sailing ship the SV Fantome in Hurricane Mitch with all 31crew in 1998 didn’t help. You can see more about WBC and Mr Burke and his Miami castle on YouTube….:)
Delete