ISLAND FRUITS
The floating circuit party cruises marketed to gay men are not everyone’s cup of tea. The good news is, there are alternatives.
Cruising is the Vegemite of the travel world… loved by most who’ve tried it, dismissed by many who haven’t. That’s according to Teresa Machan of the UK’s Telegraph. It’s also the fastestgrowing sector in the holiday business.
The Island Fruits Tropical Cruise South Pacific Adventure departs Sydney on April 6th, 2023, for 13 nights and 14 days of luxury travelling through the South Pacific onboard the Celebrity Eclipse. Ports of call include Noumea (New Caledonia), Suva and Lautoka (Fiji), Nuku’ Alofa (Tonga), and Mystery Island, Vanuatu.
The South Pacific was well protected during covid, making it a very safe destination now. They also rely on tourism and are excited to welcome guests back. Covid prompted the cruise industry to up its game. Many older ships were retired and new, more innovative ships built. The industry is working to attract passengers back with increased cleaning protocols, mandated mask wearing, improved air filtration and good common sense.
Island Fruits is presented by gay-owned Points Of Difference Travel And Events who have partnered with Celebrity Cruises, known for their luxury, service, and award-winning cuisine and a range of staterooms to cater for every taste.
The cruise will be a small, hosted, gay group with the addition of a fabulous “gay layer” over the standard activities, says Points Of Difference’ Adam Bold .
“Our Cruise Director is the fabulously fury Frock Hudson who will guide guest experiences and ensure guests have an amazing time,” says Bold. The gay layer will also include a pre-departure gathering in Sydney, welcomeaboard cocktail party, group dining, specialty dining experiences, exclusive shore excursions, the famous Pop-Up Pirate Bar, all meals and on-board entertainment and more.
Island Fruits is designed to pamper, to ensure everyone relaxes and enjoys the Tropics by day and, by night, are treated to the best dining afloat (also a wonderful excuse to glam up).
A second cruise, The Island Fruits New Zealand Exploration is planned for March 2024 onboard the Celebrity Edge, the first of a new chapter in luxury cruising with awardwinning design that has turned the design of luxury cruise ships on their head.
This 11-night, 12-day cruise will travel around New Zealand and explore the coastline and port towns and cities including Picton, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and the sounds of Dusky, Doubtful and Milford.
Celebrity Edge features a Magic Carpet that reaches 13 stories above sea level, 29 unique food and beverage experiences crafted by a Michelin-starred chef, and luxurious accommodations with the widest range of staterooms in the Celebrity fleet.
MORE: For further information contact Adam Bold at Points Of Difference on 1300 990 390 or pointsofdifference. com/island-fruits-gay-group-cruises
Island Fruits is designed to pamper by day and serve the best dining afloat by night.
Are you looking for the best views of the Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks? Would you like to party in a safe space with like-minded people and be wined and dined all night long? Since 2009, Celebration NYE has welcomed thousands of LGBTQIA+ people, from across the globe, to experience the Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks, make new friends and reconnect with older ones.
This year marks the 12th sparkling LGBTQIA+ fireworks event at Circular Quay, on the stunning rooftop Sculpture Terrace at the Museum Of Contemporary Art Australia.
Celebration NYE22/23 is an all-inclusive, exclusive, private party for all the LGBTQIA+ family, hosted by Points Of Difference Travel And Events in their usual exuberant style. With a strictly limited capacity of 300 tickets, don’t miss the most glamorous LGBTQIA+ New Year’s Eve party in Sydney.
Enjoy a delicious six-hour food and beverage package with French champagne on arrival. Groove to tunes from DJs Mark Alsop and Rob Davis, who will combine for an amazing tête-à-tête set that will put a smile on your face! There will also be a live feed of the official soundtrack to both the 9pm and midnight fireworks, so you get to enjoy the full audio and visual experience!
The incomparable Frock Hudson will MC, belting out a few choice tunes during the evening, and keep you up to date on the evening’s festivities and happenings on the harbour and the buffet.
Join the cool crowd in your best white outfit, party like its 1999 and kiss 2022 goodbye!
Iarrived in Havana on an early flight from Mexico, where I’d spent the previous two weeks knocking out photoshoots. My ride from the airport was arranged through my Airbnb and was an eager, welcoming man in an old Soviet Lada taxi. With the windows down and the warm morning breeze on my face, we made our way through the suburbs and into the streets of Havana.
Soon the familiar smell of diesel exhaust as the loud, old cars rumbled by like tanks, belching black smoke.
I was here seven years before, when Fidel Castro was still in power and a few months before Obama’s historic visit. A lot can happen in seven years – even here where it seems time stands still. The trade embargo and government policies aside, I was more curious what toll covid had taken on the island and what life was now like for the Cuban people.
As a photographer, I’m drawn to countries that are restricted, overly conservative or off the beaten path.
My first few days were spent walking around with my camera, reacquainting with the city and focusing on street photography. The crumbling old buildings of Havana seemed more dilapidated than before, but the beauty in the urban decay was still there. The kids still laughed and played in the streets as they’ve always done and, in the evening, crowds still gather on El Malecón, the seawall boardwalk, to socialise, listen to music and drink cheap rum. But the mood was different.
There were long queues outside markets where people hoped to buy basic goods, and during my visit there was a bottled water shortage, which made water more expensive than beer. Cuba is once again open for tourists. You do see them, sunburnt in visors and eagerly buying up cigars, but they are few.
I was a little nervous, at the beginning of the trip, that I may have a run-in with the police – again. During my last visit, I met a local guy who was a friend of a friend back in the States. He showed me around and we’d go out
drinking and partying. One night, walking back from El Malecón, we were stopped by police who interrogated my friend, asking about the nature of our relationship and what we were doing. Essentially, they were asking if he was a prostitute or if I had hired him, which he wasn’t and I hadn’t.
A fellow photographer had spent a lot of time in Cuba over the years and done photoshoots there but was detained by the police on his last visit some years ago. He was held for several hours on bogus charges before being released.
I’m happy to report that all my shoots and non-shoot encounters went off without a hitch. Aside from being kicked out of a dilapidated sports stadium and the model unnecessarily arguing with the security guard, I was in the clear.
After spending all day outside in the sweltering heat, by the end I was exhausted and more than happy to come back to my sanctuary to relax in the cool air to edit photos and listen to music. Where before I’d go out at night and socialise, now I wanted to avoid unnecessary crowds in this post(ish)-covid world. Though cases seemed to be low in Cuba, I didn’t want to tempt fate and test positive, especially since I wasn’t heading home after Cuba, but to another country.
Aside from my fascination for exploring and photographing the cities I visit, I’m equally (or more so) interested in seeking out local guys to photograph. Since becoming a photographer, I’ve been drawn to countries that are either restricted, overly conservative or off the beaten path, and the little Communist island of Cuba checks at least one of those boxes.
On my first trip here, I only had a couple photoshoots and I wasn’t satisfied with the results. It was difficult to find willing guys to model. Internet access was limited so I didn’t have my usual search options available. Having to rely on scouting randoms on the street is about as much fun as – well, not fun at all for me because it gives me anxiety.
On this trip, things were different. Internet is still limited but more people are gaining access and the popular apps have caught on. While traveling, my best tools for scouting guys to photograph are Instagram and Grindr. In some countries Grindr is banned, such as in Cuba, so apps like Hornet, Blued or, in this case, Romeo are where you’ll find the locals. In the end, I met a couple of guys from Romeo and the rest through Instagram and a local modelling agency, so I had more guys than I needed, which is always a welcome problem.
The first time I left Cuba, even though I had experienced so much, I couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied. There were more and better photos to take and more people to meet. I was determined to return as soon as I could, and though it took longer than I had hoped, seven years later, I did.
This trip was cut short due to flight cancellations, but I still left Cuba on a high.
Besides the successful photoshoots I’d fallen in love with from days exploring, I met some great, new people who
I look forward to staying in touch with and seeing again in the future; a future that will hopefully bring much needed growth and change for the Cuban people.