The gay cruise industry has boomed in recent years - with gay cruise companies such as Atlantis Events now leasing enormous 5,000-passenger super liners to waft gay men from port to port while they dance the night away. The trend started, as with so many gay trends, in the United States. Atlantis and RSVP cruises have grown over the past 10 years or so from a few hundred guests to many thousands, with gay cruises organised all over the world - from Hawaii to Rio to the Mediterranean. Atlantis cruises are organising two huge gay cruises this year in Europe - one from Amsterdam to Barcelona in September, and another from Dubrovnik to Rome at the end of August.
So the number of gay cruises, tours and package-holidays within Europe has grown in recent years - offering gays and lesbians a wide range of options - from active gay biking holidays to gay party cruises to sedate river cruises. The big American cruises with as Atlantis cruises still dominate, bringing in high-spending gays and lesbians from the States looking for the holiday of a lifetime cruising around the Mediterranean or exploring Provence.
Atlantis Events lead the way with the biggest gay cruises - filling enormous ocean liners with literally thousands of gay men. The slick lesbian operator Olivia are equally impressive, with a wide range of lesbian cruises and tours organised throughout Europe each year - from culinary cruises in the Med to leisurely river cruises through France.
But there's more to gay cruises than Atlantis Cruises. Other, smaller cruises are proliferating, offering more intimate experiences in some of Europe's most beautiful regions. Gay river cruises are growing in number, with gay and lesbian cruises organised this year on the River Danube through Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic, and Rhône river cruises in France - taking their lucky guests through the Burgundy wine region and beautiful Provence.
Then there are the party cruises - such as the La Démence cruise that winds its way through the Greek isles to new gay hot spot Tel Aviv, and of course the Altantis Cruises, which always offer plenty of opportunities to dance the night away. Or the up-market cruises - such as the 'Full Moon' cruises from Lisbon to Barcelona on the absolutely gorgeous Msy Wind Surf. Or Lesbian cruises - organised by the very slick 'Olivia' - who have cruises organised all over Europe this year - in the British Isles, Switzerland and France.
Not all gay cruises in Europe are centered around the Mediterranean. One of the Atlantis cruises runs from Amsterdam to Barcelona - down the Atlantic coasts of France and Spain. There are cruises around Iceland, the British Isles, and Scandinavia. And a very interesting cruise this year within the Black Sea - ending in Istanbul.
Gay only or 'Gay Group'?
It's important to point out that not all gay cruises and gay tours are all-gay. As you'll see from the tabs on our map above, as well as a number of exclusively-gay and lesbian outings such as the Atlantis cruises - there are an equal number of operators organising cruises (and sometimes tours) where a gay group goes on a non-gay cruise. These groups are nearly always 'hosted' by a representative from the tour operator, and include a number of exclusive events and excursions for just your small group. The 'gay group' approach means operators can book you on huge cruise liners without having to fill the thousands of places available. However, how your gay group is treated by the staff and other passengers on board probably varies from cruise to cruise.
Glamour vs Economy
As you investigate further the gay cruises, tours and gay holidays included on this page, you'll realise that some offer very high levels of comfort and luxury (on 5-star sailing yachts or river boats, for example), whereas others are at the cheap & cheerful end. Make sure to read the fine print carefully to avoid any nasty surprises.
Good luck with your search for the gay tour, holiday or cruise that's right for you. If you know of any European gay cruises, tours or holidays that haven't been included here, please contact us. We'd like this page to be as comprehensive as possible.
Gay Tours & Holidays
Again, it's the Americans who dominate gay tours in Europe - organising all sorts of adventures - from biking and hiking tours for the very fit - to more traditional bus-based tours of places such as Scandinavia, Iceland, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. Gay Holidays are another growth market - either at resorts such as the Club Med resort in the south of France near Nice, or organised around some big event such as a pride weekend or circuit party. They're a great way to go somewhere that would normally not be gay - and be in a friendly, gay environment.
Even more on gay cruises >
