Hi there! The following is one of a multi-part series on 2009 gay cruises. The purpose of each page is to give you useful information about the cruise at a glance. Please feel free to discuss these cruises in the forums! -Ed.
Cruise: Caribbean Halloween Cruise
When: October 25th to November 1st, 2009
Company/Offered Through: Olivia
Type: All-Lesbian
Departs: Tampa, Florida
Visits: Key West, Belize City, Santo Tomas de Castilla, Cozumel, Tampa
Basic Itinerary:
Pricing Info:
Other Info:
Just added! Spice up your Halloween with our onboard Good Vibrations’ sex seminars! We’ve partnered with Good Vibrations to make your Halloween a whole lot spicier. Dr. Carol Queen, Good Vibrations Sexologist, will teach you all the tricks so you get lots of treats! Workshop topics will include: Flirting 101; Spice Up Your Vacation; Get What You Want In and Out of Bed; Spicing it up with Toys: A guide to bringing toys into partner play; and You’re into What? When someone you love is kinky; and How to Have Better Orgasms.
What a way to celebrate Halloween—on a trip with 1,250 lesbians! Get out your best pirate costume (or not) and hop aboard! Great Olivia music and comedy will keep you dancing and laughing, and our new itinerary with exciting ports is sure to please—we’re headed to Belize, Cozumel, Key West and Guatemala. We’ll even be in Key West for Fantasy Fest!
Your Experience
Get ready for fun in the sun with our exciting new itinerary as we cruise to Key West, Cozumel, Belize and Guatemala. Watch a dramatic sunset in Key West—there are only 4 evenings a year that cruise ships are permitted to stay past sunset, and we will be there for one! Cozumel is one of the world’s top diving destinations, and Belize is an eco-tourist’s paradise where sting rays glide over the world’s second-largest barrier reef. Whether you seek out ancient Mayan ruins or just relax by the pool, you’ll be surrounded by the fun, fantastic women of Olivia. Throughout the week, you’ll enjoy endless Olivia entertainment—from the Oldywed/Newlywed game to comedy performances and music.
Your Activities:
From our own Olivia Halloween costume party to spicy sex seminars given by Good Vibrations Sexologist, Carol Queen, this cruise has something for everyone. Workshop topics will include: Flirting 101; Spice Up Your Vacation; Get What You Want In and Out of Bed; Spicing it up with Toys: A guide to bringing toys into partner play; and You’re into What? When someone you love is kinky; and How to Have Better Orgasms. Of course, you can also hang out with your Olivia friends, take in a music or comedy show, go dancing or sit by the pool and watch the wet and wacky pool games. And singles, we’ve got dozens of activities just for you. In port, stroll the beach, explore the local markets or get adventurous on an excursion. Cozumel is one of the world’s top diving destinations, and Belize is an eco-tourist’s paradise where sting rays glide over the world’s second-largest barrier reef. Plus, we’ll have our own Olivia Halloween costume party. Welcome to the world of unlimited fun!
Vickie Shaw returns to Olivia with her slow paced (she’s southern), incredibly endearing, (she’s southern), sharp, don’t mess with her (she’s southern!), comedy. Vickie doesn’t have to go far from home for material – as a recovering SoB (Southern Baptist) and out lesbian mother, she’s successfully raised two sons (one of whom is married and just gave her a “perfect baby granddaughter”), has a teenage daughter still living at home, and a “husbian” in Sgt. Patch. Yeah there’s enough material there to fill a few hours. Vickie has performed in almost every State in the US, and had headlined in too many venues to list here but trust us, this girl’s been around.
Vicci Martinez, the 24-year-old Tacoma WA native, has been turning people on to her music since she was 14, when she started playing rooms she wasn’t old enough to be in. Even then, her music moved people. With dubious crowds looking on, Vicci stood firm, this little frame, and this pretty face, and a guitar that almost tipped her over. And then she’d sing. This huge, powerful, and beautiful voice that ripped through the room and made believers of them all.
Years later, not all that much has changed. The rooms are bigger, Vicci’s core following more devout, but she’s still breaking stereotypes and all expectations. Vicci has carved her niche in the musical echelon, and has done it her way. “The music business is a scary thing. Just like a currant, always moving, always changing, and if you don’t flow with it, you drown, or you at least work a lot harder. I feel like we do our own thing. For the right reasons, music can be healing, bring smiles to your faces, or tears to your eyes.”
Wearing high heels and clutching cocktails, The Wau Wau Sisters, NYC’s bravest and bawdiest burlesque duo, are, as The NY Times calls them “irreverent, sacrilegious, foul-mouthed and uninhibited.”
The Wau Wau Sisters careen through a show full of surprises, teetering on the brink of a delicious disaster! Dirty songs and double entendres mix with irreverent circus routines and guilty pop culture pleasures as old-time variety gets a new twist with brilliant executions of “bad ideas,” like their signature “audience participation costume changes.”
Challenging the state of reverence and preciousness of the Cirque du Soleil aesthetic, the Wau Wau Sisters carve out a new niche for circus events—right in front of you, so close you can see the tear in their fishnets, the sinew of their muscles and the sweat on their skin.
Julie Wolf is a multi-instrumentalist and singer who, besides making music of her own, has established herself as a sensitive, eclectic, collaborative, first-call side player. She has toured and recorded with luminaries in the jazz, folk, funk and rock/pop worlds, including Ani DiFranco (4 1/2 years as DiFranco’s keyboardist), Maceo Parker, Bruce Cockburn, Dar Williams, Catie Curtis, Kris Delmhorst, Laura Love, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, and jazz singer Rhiannon, among others. She’s brought her memorably simple, pure musicality to stages across the world, as well as to a growing number of critically acclaimed recordings.
Preceding the globe trotting touring and recording that has kept her busy for the last decade, Wolf had a seasoned jazz life, having been part of Seattle’s jazz community for many years.
The ms Ryndam has a casual, comfortable atmosphere that will truly make it feel like your “home away from home”. The dining rooms have extensive sea vistas, there are wide teak decks for strolling, and spacious staterooms—many with private verandahs—for relaxing. At the heart of the ms Ryndam a three-story atrium features a monumental fountain created by sculptor Gilbert Lebigre in Pietrasanta, Italy. The ms. Ryndam is built with your comfort and pleasure in mind, with details such as string quartet serenades in the splendid Rotterdam Dining Room and a plush two-deck Vermeer Show Lounge where you’ll take in great evening shows. Welcome aboard for a fantastic journey!
Before Your Trip
What’s included and what’s not:
Just about everything is included in your fare: your cabin, meals, certain drinks (coffee, hot and iced tea, milk, and juice during meals), room service, gratuities to your cabin steward, waiter, busperson and maitre d’, Olivia entertainment, music, dancing and non-stop fun.
The following items are not included: airfare, transfers to and from the airport, travel insurance, personal items, alcohol, soft drinks, bottled water, spa services, beauty salon services, boutique purchases, telephone, fax, internet access, shore excursions, ship’s photos, bingo, casino activities, fuel surcharge, and medical attention.
NDA charges are not included in the price of the trip but have already been added to your reservation as reflected on your invoice.
Travel documentation and identification
You will need a passport that is valid for six months past the date of the trip. If you are not a US citizen, please check with your country’s consulate to make sure that you do not need an entry visa or other additional documentation.
Vaccinations
Please check with your local Public Heath Department or personal physician regarding immunization requirements for all countries on your itinerary. You may also check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site at: www.cdc.gov. Just click on “Traveler’s Health” and then “Vaccinations.”
Travel insurance
We encourage all guests to purchase additional travel insurance. We recommend Travelex (www.travelex-insurance.com). In order to receive the most comprehensive coverage, please purchase your Travelex insurance within 21 days of your initial invoice. If you have questions about their coverage or pre-existing condition waivers, please contact Travelex directly at 800.228.9792 and refer location to number 05-0095.
Joining the Olivia.com trip group
If you’d like to chat with people who are going on the trip, sign up for the official Olivia trip group, Caribbean Halloween.
About Our Destination
Currency
You will often be able to use US dollars, but the local currencies are: Mexican peso (Mexico); Belize dollar (Belize); and the Guatemalan quetzal (Guatemala).
Languages
Spanish, English
Travel and arrival
Air travel
Where to fly into/out of
You will need to fly into and out of Tampa International Airport (TPA), which is located approximately 15-20 minutes (15 miles) from the port terminal. We encourage all passengers to arrive a day early to avoid the stress of unexpected delays.
Suggested arrival/departure times
Guests arriving in Tampa on the day of sailing (October 25, 2009) should arrive no later than 2PM. Return flights must be after 12PM.
Discount airfare offer
American Airlines offers Olivia travelers a discounted rate. When you book your trip, you will receive a discount code that can be used by calling 800.433.1790 or visiting www.aa.com. Dates of travel are September 20, 2008 – September 27, 2008.
Luggage allowances
While there is no luggage limit on the cruise itself, airlines often restrict (or charge) for excess baggage. Because each airline is different, and the regulations change over time, please check with your airline for baggage allowances.
Transfers and meeting up with Olivia
Getting to your pre-trip hotel
Please check back for a pre-trip hotel recommendation.
Getting to your ship
You can take a taxi from the airport to the port for approximately $15 dollars.
Transfers after your trip
Check in
Ship
Check in begins at 11:30AM. Embarkation begins at 1:00PM. All aboard by 4:00PM for lifeboat drill.
During your trip
Amenities
Cabin amenities include: individual stateroom thermostats, 24-hour room service, hair dryers, 24-hour front desk, laundry, pressing and dry cleaning as well as self-service laundry, telephone and television. (Television and telephone are available when signal permits). There are fees for laundry and dry cleaning, as well as phone use.
Ship amenities include: casino, fitness center, spa services, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, shopping boutiques, photo center, 24-hour Internet center, laundry service, and a movie theater. There is a fee for some of these services/amenities. There will also be plenty of dancing, music, and entertainment.
Dining
Seating policy
Seating is open so you may sit where you wish! We will have a special solos dining area for those traveling alone.
Times
The first dinner seating is at 6:30PM and the second seating is at 8:30PM. You will be assigned a dining time when you book your reservation. Restaurant hours will be listed in your daily program.
Restaurants
Rotterdam Dining Room:
The Rotterdam dining room features impeccable service and an extensive wine list. Five-course menus include continental cuisine, vegetarian and low-carb options.
24-Hour Room Service
If you would like to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner or a midnight snack in the comfort of your cabin, a room service menu is available 24 hours a day. Refer to your in-cabin service guide.
The Lido Restaurant
The Lido Restaurant features both an indoor, air-conditioned restaurant and portable buffet bars outside on the deck, offering some healthy choices, such as, make-it-yourself deli sandwiches, pasta dishes, Italian salads and entrees. Stir fry as well as hamburgers, sandwiches, desserts and the daily ice cream bar are also offered. Have breakfast, lunch or for dinner in a relaxed ambiance.
The Pinnacle Grill – Specialty Restaurant
The Pinnacle Grill, the ms. Vendeem’s specialty restaurant, is a great addition to your dining options. Spoil yourself with exquisite menus and a fine dining experience, including many wines rated “Excellent” by Wine Spectator.A per-person charge of $35 will be applied to your ship account. Contact the restaurant manager on board for reservations.
Electricity
The cabins have 110 and volt electricity, which is the same as that which is used in the US.
Excursions
Excursions may be booked up to 30 days in advance. Please come back and visit the Trip Itinerary page for your trip to get your booking number and detailed instructions on shore excursions and activities at that time.
Gratuities
Gratuities are included in the cost of the cruise. Gratuities are provided for your cabin steward, dining room steward, bus person, maitre’d and other-behind-the-scenes crew members.
Internet/e-mail/fax
There is an Internet center on board; minute plans are available and there are approximately 20 terminals. Pricing will be posted onboard. Guests may also bring their own laptops and purchase an Internet wireless plan onboard. Connectivity on board is often very slow, and all guests and ships personnel are using the same feed. Letters and postcards may be mailed from the ship while in ports of call. You may buy stamps in port or purchase them through your onboard account.
Laundry and dry cleaning
Laundry, pressing and dry cleaning service is available onboard. There are also self-service laundry facilities..
Medical services
There is an onboard infirmary. Medical services entail an additional fee.
Money: Paying for things on board
Onboard, the currency is US Dollars. All purchases made on the ship will be charged to your onboard account, which you create when you first check in. The ship will process credit card cash advances for a three percent fee at the front office. You can also obtain cash through your onboard account in the casino. Please check with the front office on board for further details.
Phone
Each cabin has a phone. There is an additional fee to use this phone; please check your final informational packet for details.
Smoking policy
We have designated smoking and non-smoking areas on board. The non-smoking areas include all public areas and the port (left) side of all outdoor areas. Smoking is permitted in your cabins, on the starboard (right) side of outside decks and starboard side of the Crow’s Nest.
Spa services
There is a spa onboard, and massages and other services are available for an additional fee.
Solo travelers
We will have a solos program onboard, including dozens of activities for singles and a solos dining area at dinner.
After your Trip
Transfers to the airport
For those going directly to the Tampa airport, you can take a taxi from the port to the airport for approximately $15 dollars, or you can purchase a transfer onboard. Taxis can be scarce after a cruise, so we recommend purchasing a transfer.
Ship Info:
Your Ship
The ms Ryndam has a casual, comfortable atmosphere that will truly make it feel like your “home away from home”. The dining rooms have extensive sea vistas, there are wide teak decks for strolling, and spacious staterooms—many with private verandahs—for relaxing. In fact, Holland America’s staterooms are larger than most. At the heart of the ms Ryndam, a spectacular glass sculpture climbs through the three-story atrium.
