Imagine it: a vacation where a simple gesture like kissing your boyfriend on the cheek or holding your girlfriend’s hand isn’t seen as some sort of “big event” by people around you. If you’re looking for a cruise on a ship filled with gays and lesbians, RSVP may just be the cruise for you!

Since its first cruise sailed out of New Orleans in 1985, RSVP has made providing a safe, tailor-made vacation environment for gay men and lesbians its primary focus. Over the years, RSVP has offered cruises and land vacations in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe.

So you’re hearing “gay and lesbian,” but how much of the ship is actually made up of those communities? According to RSVP, over 99% of their guests identify as gay or lesbian, but the cruise is open to friends and family as well. While a majority of RSVP’s passengers are gay men, lesbians do make up a solid part of the cruise’s passengers – and that part is growing. Roughly half of the men attending an RSVP cruise tend to be single, and the other half are couples. Among women, lesbian guests are almost exclusively couples. And in case you’re wondering about the age of RSVP attendees, the average age is 35 – younger than your typical cruise passenger.

When you travel with RSVP, they take over the entire ship. Every passenger on board, who come from all walks of life and from all over the world, is part of the cruise’s experience. So whether you’re a young single gay man who likes to party or part of an older lesbian couple looking to relax, RSVP promises to have something for you.

Because RSVP has been planning cruises for so long, they work to ensure that each cruise is as perfect as possible. That includes supplementing the ship’s staff with their own crew or changing an itinerary. That also means customizing the ship’s activities to suit passengers’ tastes. Depending on the cruise, that can include costume and toga parties, dating and newlywed games, tea dances, theme parties and pool games. On larger charters, they even replace “traditional” entertainment with custom-designed events. Over the years, entertainers have included Harvey Fierstein, Kate Clinton, Betty Buckley, Lainie Kazan, Judy Gold and Joan Rivers. Cruises also include special guest speakers and commitment ceremonies.

With nearly three decades of experience, RSVP clearly knows how to make a cruise into a big, fun event. RSVP claims that many of their guests make returns over the years. If you haven’t traveled with them before, you owe it to yourself to take a trip with them.

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For more information on RSVP cruises, or to build a trip that meets your needs, contact John Walker of CruiseOne at  j.walker@cruiseone.com, call 1-800-258-8732 ext. 3, or visit cruiseone.com/mhargarther.