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Cruising in style

By Matthew Fox

All aboard! Sail away on one of these gay-friendly luxury liners.

Ahoy, matey! If you love to cruise, make Vancouver (one of Canada's top gay-friendly destinations) your point of departure. Up and down the B.C. coast, gay cruises make waves with some of the world’s most luxurious ships. Olivia Cruises and Resorts offers a women-only vacation, complete with a three-story glass atrium and deluxe staterooms (September 8–25, 2006), while Atlantis Events (June 4–11, 2006) calls one and all aboard the swish Celebrity Infinity, voted "World's Best Large-Ship Cruise Line" in Condé Nast Traveler. Feeling lucky? Try your hand at the casino or make new friends in one of the seven bars and lounges. To double your pleasure, check out Cruising with Pride's seven-day package (July 22–29, 2006), which returns to Vancouver just in time for the city's Pride celebration. Full steam ahead!

Getting here

Olivia Cruises and Resorts, 1-800-631-6277, www.olivia.com
Atlantis Events, 1-800-628-5268, www.atlantisevents.com
Cruising with Pride, 1-800-627-8726, www.cruisingwithpride.com
Vancouver Pride, 604-687-0955
British Columbia Tourism, 1-800 HELLO BC, HelloBC.com

Photo credit: Olivia Cruises and Resorts