The Successful 3rd French Gay Cruise

Sept. 16 2011

by M. Dedonder / misterb&b

The third French gay cruise just returned safely. On September 09, after a final and silent morning drive along the Riviera under a blazing sun, the Orient Queen slowly approaches its 16,000 tons from pier 181 of Marseille port, before stopping.

On the upper decks and in the lounges, passengers are exchanging email addresses, phone numbers, Facebook details. On the platform, in a few vivid and precise gestures, sailors and dockworkers moor the ship, which touches ground for the last time during this cruise than began precisely 10 days earlier

Yann, winner of our sweepstake & Stéphane Loiselier, organizer of the French gay cruise on the day of departure, in Marseille © M. Dedonder / misterb&b

By looking at these wet eyes and endless hugs, it is obvious that the third edition of the gay cruise powered by  gay travel agency Attitude Travels is, again, a successful bet. Stéphane Loiselier, the man in charge, is thrilled : "I'm exhausted, but the atmosphere was so amazing ! I managed what I wanted to do: bring together all types of gays in an extraordinary human adventure". We were able to confirm it: the magic of the cruise once again operated.

Magic stops, to get started with:  the steaming flanks of Mount Etna in Sicily,  the walls of Kotor, the ancient city of Dubrovnik,  the cliffs of Malta,  the Venetian balconies of Corfu or the cobbled streets of Split, the passengers of the Orient Queen discovered architectural wonders and beautiful sceneries.

MS Orient Queen in the port of Kotor, Montenegro © M. Dedonder / misterb&b

Two moments come back to our minds: the slow progress of the ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, a totally surprising natural spectacle, and the entry into the majestic port of Valletta, Malta. From both sides of the ship, the ancient city appears dominated by dozens of towers, decorated with flags and banners.

There's the magic of sailing, too. You must find yourself leaning against a railing at sunset or at sunrise with only the sea as far horizon, to understand the peace that comes over you at this time. There were two nights of bad sea but the anti-seasickness pills help you forget the inconvenience.

The magic of a gay cruise, too, since a gay cruise is a bubble of freedom, a unique moment that gays, lesbians, transgender and straight people decided to share, far away from their daily lives. On this boat, they were offered 10 days of life on hold. As Gaetan, one of the passengers, said to us: "I find that this cruise means a lot of freedom : you feel free to be yourself, who you are, as you are." They came from all across France, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, with an average age above 40 years.

MS Orient Queen at sea, south of Corfu © M. Dedonder / misterb&b

There was magic and there were a few grunts. MS Orient Queen, which was not originally chosen by Attitude for this gay cruise, was obviously out of the league of its predecessor, MS Bleu de France. For some regulars, this was too much and Stéphane Loiselier had to face the controversy. "Yes, the boat was not up to some passengers expectations. But I stand to it. I'm not hiding. And I note again that the success of this cruise is all about the quality of the passengers. "

This has certainly not spoiled the fun for the vast majority of passengers. Almost 60% of them set foot for the first time on a gay cruise and discovered the particular rythm of life on a ship.

Sports class with Sébastien in the loungs of MS Orient Queen

It all starts with breakfast, indoors or outdoors on the Horizon deck. Then come the excursions and tours, if the boat is docked, or sunbathing around the pool, or tanning on the clothing optional deck. A little exercise with Sébastien, the sports teacher. It's already time for lunch, buffet in the sun, a nap, a book, a film session or a dance class. In the afternoon, even more activities: dj around the pool, theme tea dances, bingo hosted by the tireless Yvette Leglaire, the Madame Loyal of this cruise, surrounded by Victor and Gary, her sexy dancers and body guards.

From 7:00 PM, passageways start to go crazy. The first costumed passengers come out of their cabins. Every night a new theme : pink, aliens, Venice Carnival or even disco. This year saw a real explosion of creativity among passengers, some costumes would have fitted in the backstages of the top Parisian cabarets. Loïc*, for example, just learned to use a sewing machine one week before departure and drew some of the most amazing costumes of this cruise for himself and his friend.

Everyone plays the game. It's about being in harmony with the rest of the passengers. For those who forgot to bring some costume, the duty free shop offers accessories and costumes that can make it up at the last minute.

Back from a stop in Messina (Sicily) © M. Dedonder / misterb&b

Past 8:00 PM, everyone is in a costume! The passengers then divide into two, some head to dinner, others to the main theater: an outstanding feature of this Attitude French gay cruise is the presence on board of theater and cabaret artists who perform in front of the passengers every night, in exceptional circumstances . This year saw the cast  of Venus Show, "Sauna Le Musical", "A voix et à Vapeur", "Peep Show Music" and "Un coeur en herbe", all played in Paris theaters. The theater is full every night. At 10:00 PM, those who dined come see the show, the others are off to dinner.

Dinner in costumes, like every night during the cruise © M. Dedonder / misterb&b

Dinner is actually the highlight of the day. Tables compete with costumes, makeup, eccentricity ... Unaccustomed to this folklore, the waiters laugh, slum it a little, take pictures. Dinner is also the time when the Attitude team celebrates birthdays, thirty in total this year, anniversaries (50 years together, well done ladies!) or salutes the dean of this cruise, Pierre, 86.

It is finally time for partying on the main deck, decorated every night by the Attitude team. Dj Cyril G, DJ Anthony, DJ Yann, DJ Doc Terry & DJ Dimitri play the music and they play it loud ! Alcohol is at will (all inclusive), people go crazy, bodies heat up, it's hot hot hot! Give me a look, give me your cabin number, those in a hurry disappear for a few hugs in the outdoor cruising area...

Ten days is a long time if you want to successfully combine partying until 3:00 AM and sightseeing from 07:00! Everyone has its own schedule: some, like JM* from Belgium, never disembark, "it's a rule" and some join allexcursions, like Pascale *, who came with her best gay friend to enjoy the stops.

White party on the main deck of MS Orient Queen © M. Dedonder / misterb&b

It's a cruise for couples, groups of friends or singles who come to have fun, to learn something, to make friends, to let go, to find a boyfriend, to sunbathe or simply relax. With one goal: conviviality. If you are alone, it is certainly an opportunity to meet new friends. If you are in a couple, beware: the temptation lurks in every passageway. 700 boys locked up for 10 days on a boat makes it difficult to resist... So beware of jealousy!


Entry into the port of Valletta (Malta), one of the highlights of this 2011 gay cruise © M. Dedonder / misterb&b

What about the 2012 gay cruise then? Stéphane Loiselier is very discreet about it. He is currently negotiating the contracts for 4th French gay cruise. "Nothing is ever won", he says, "for this new edition, it starts from scratch all over again, in a bad economic environment, but one thing is certain: the cruise will happen."

The ship will be more beautiful, he promises, probably bigger, with more cabins. Early bird bookings will start from October 2011!

* Some names have been changed for obvious privacy reasons

(Updated on Jan 30, 2020)