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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE April, 1991

Olivia cruises to Alaska and Caribbean

Olivia Cruises' president Judy Dlugacz announced Olivia's first seven-night cruise for women to Alaska in June of 1992. No other women's cruise company has offered an Alaskan cruise before. "We kept hearing it from our passengers, this overwhelming desire to cruise

Alaska. Now, we're off to Alaska! The response so far has been tremendous," says cruise director Jill Cruse.

Scheduled for June 19-26, 1992, the Olivia Alaskan Cruise Adventure departs from Vancouver and travels up the Inside Passage to

Seven RSVP cruises in 1991

By the mid-'80s, all-gay cruises had already been tried a few times, with mixed results. Then, in February 1986, the very first RSVP "Cruise to Remember" set sail from New Orleans for Cozumel, Mexico. For a week, 700 gay men and a few lesbians enjoyed name entertainment, a continuous schedule of onboard events, beach parties ashore, local touring events, a riotous welcome and open-house parties throughout Key West. The concept succeeded beyond anyone's wildest imaginings.

RSVP distinguished itself from the start by competing with the mainstream cruise lines. Over the years, Joan Rivers, Rita Moreno, Roslyn Kind, Freda Payne, Helen Reddy and Jennifer Holiday have

been featured headliners along with gay entertainers Wayland Flowers and Madam, Michael Greer, Tom Ammiano, Danny Williams and Ann Hampton Calloway. RSVP has also offered on-board visits the Rev. Troy Perry, authors Quentin Crisp and Armistead Maupin, Harvey Fierstien, cartoonist Gerard Donelan and gay film historian Vito

Russo.

An RSVP cruise is like nothing else. An on-deck champagne party with a buffet lunch, culminating in a spectacular departure event-different each year-starts the festivities. When passengers assemble for the mandatory lifeboat drill, they show variations on the screamingorange life jackets that the manufacturers never imagined. The first

Ketchikan, Juneau, Endicott Arm, Skagway and Wrangell. The scenery promises to be spectacular, as do the shore excursions into gold country and other special ports-of-call.

Dates have not been finalized for Olivia's first seven-night trip into the Mexican Caribbean.

Our last four-night cruise for 1991 will happen July 22 through 26," Cruse says. The itinerary for July will be Key West, Nassau and Blue Lagoon, a beautiful private island.

Olivia's cruises are distinguished by their nightly concerts, a roster of the finest women recording artists and entertainers. Since Olivia began

night features a "get-acquainted" party, designed to get even the shyest person involved in the activi-

ties.

By the second day, passengers settle into the lazy shipboard routine. After breakfast in bed, mornings are spent around the pool, sunning on the deck, or participating in daily aerobics classes. Afternoons are given over to pool games, gay versions of "The Dating Game” and "The Newlywed Game," lectures,

cruising in February 1990, Cris Williamson, Teresa Trull, Lucie Blue Tremblay, Tret Fure, Dianne Davidson, Deidre McCalla, Nancy Vogl, Vicki Randle, Ranch Romance and Two Nice Girls have graced the stages of the cruise liners.

Olivia's four-night cruises range in price from $595-1,095 per person; the seven-night Caribbean cruises from $795-1,695 per person; the seven-night Alaska adventure from $1,395-2,695 per person. All prices are based on double occupancy.

For more information about Olivia Cruises, call toll-free 800-6316277.

rap sessions, and, or course, bingo. There are daily meetings of the "Friends of Bill W." as well as RSVP's own innovation, "Positive Friends," a special place for HIVpositive cruisers to share time with each other.

Cocktail parties, two "formal” dinner nights, an absolutely outrageous masquerade party, main room shows, intimate lounge entertain-

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