Gay Cruises: 4 Cruise Lines to Celebrate Pride With Year Round

Pride month is upon us, making it the perfect time to talk about gay cruises! The LGBTQ community has long been fans of luxury cruises, and with the embrace and support from cruise lines and fellow passengers, the market for LGBTQ cruises continues to grow. Some cruises are specifically labeled as “gay cruises” and feature pride events and attractions throughout the voyage, while other cruise lines boast queer events and acceptance during their standard sailings. Regardless of how extravagant you want your cruise experience to be, there are plenty of options available to suit your needs. Whether you want to dance the night away in a club on the ocean or simply relax with your partner by an infinity pool at sunset, your perfect gay-cation awaits on the open sea!

The Best Line for Gay Cruises: Virgin Voyages

We’re starting off strong with the best line for gay cruises (in our incredibly humble opinion). The Virgin brand has long been known for not only acceptance but also the celebration of the LGBTQ community, and their cruise line is no exception. Virgin ships are jam-packed with exciting attractions and services popular with the community, from onboard tattoo parlors to drag queen performances. For non-binary cruisers, the cruise line promises to be respectful of your identity, allowing you to select your gender before boarding and offering gender-neutral bathrooms for your convenience. Every year, they host special events for Pride month, including dedicated pride cruises, deck parties, and interactive social media campaigns. They also sail to a number of LGBTQ-friendly countries, such as New Zealand, Greece, and France, so you won’t have to worry as much about harassment when you reach your destination!

Related: Virgin Voyages Cruise Experience on the Scarlet Lady

For LGBTQ Weddings at Sea: Celebrity Cruises

As a regular sponsor of Miami Beach Gay Pride and a winner of accolades from the Cruizie Awards and Travvy Awards for being the best cruise line for queer passengers, Celebrity Cruises is an easy pick for our list of LGBTQ cruises. With Celebrity, almost all cruises are gay pride cruises, as most of them start with an LGBTQ welcome party open to all guests on the first night. In addition to a variety of queer events and social hours during regular voyages, they really kick it into high gear with Pride events in the summer, featuring DJs, drag queens, and beloved queer icons. This is when they host Celebrity’s Pride Party at Sea, with celebrations happening across the fleet throughout Pride month. If that’s not enough to convince you, they were also the first cruise line to legally marry same-sex couples at sea!

For All-Gay Cruises Year Round: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean is not just a facilitator of fabulous pride cruises but has also publicly committed to being a supporter of LGBTQ issues and a defender of diversity year-round. In addition to being a member of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, they recently started a new partnership with Pride 365, which recognizes their commitment to treating crew members and passengers with dignity and respect. Most itineraries here feature an LGBTQ+ meetup at the beginning of the cruise, allowing you to meet others in the community and hopefully make like-minded friends to start your trip. Throughout your voyage, you can enjoy upbeat and friendly entertainment, such as a Celine Dion tribute show or performances by gay comedians. If you’re looking for more dedicated LGBTQ cruises, the cruise line also partners with Atlantis Events to provide all-gay cruises year-round!

The Most Luxurious Gay Cruises: Azamara

Last but not least, we have the most luxurious of gay cruises, Azamara. The advantage of taking a smaller luxury gay pride cruise is the added intimacy that can sometimes be lost on cruises with thousands of people. Whether you are a couple looking to make friends with other cruising couples or on your own and trying to find that special someone out on the ocean, the smaller passenger count means you are more likely to run into people again and have a better chance of making a connection. But the smaller size does not mean less luxury, as Azamara takes your pampering as seriously as any other cruise line! They’ve also won several awards for Best Small Ship Cruise Line for LGBTQ Passengers and Best Onboard LGBTQ Gatherings, and they frequent LGBTQ-friendly destinations to boot. When it comes to gay cruises, it’s easy to see why this is one of our favorites.

Ready to book a gay pride cruise for yourself? Visit Cruises.com for the largest selection of cruise line deals — we can help you book the smart way! We give you our exclusive bonus offers and all qualifying cruise line offers, plus all of the cruise line loyalty program benefits. Book online at Cruises.com or call 800-288-6006 today.