Fridae

The first all-gay Asia cruise will set sail this weekend across the South China Sea from Hong Kong with port calls in Hue, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Ko Samui, before arriving in Singapore.

The 10-night cruise on the 684-passenger Azamara Quest is organised by Atlantis Events, an US-based travel company that charters entire cruise ships and resorts for gay and lesbian travellers. It marks the company's first voyage in Asia.

Organisers say the cruise was organised due to demand by its repeat guests known as 'Atlantis alumni' and is sold out with North Americans making up an estimated 80 to 90 percent of guests. Although the company declined to reveal the ratio of gay men to lesbian guests on the upcoming cruise, it says it expects to have a "percentage of women that's consistent with their other cruises." According to the web site, women typically represent between five and 10 percent of all guests. (Olivia Travel specialises in women-only cruises and vacations.)

Spokesman Stephen Roth told Fridae: "Atlantis has a very loyal core customer base, and when we release a new cruise on a highly anticipated new itinerary, it tends to get booked mostly by 'Atlantis alumni.' And our frequent alumni tend to be mostly Americans, although this is changing in recent years as Atlantis attracts an increasingly international customer base."

When asked if the weak economy has lowered demand, Oscar Yuan, Atlantis' Vice President of Sales and Marketing credits its "very loyal customer base" for its sell out or very near capacity cruises this year.

"We've introduced back-to-back Asia cruises and the first ever gay cruise to sail from Auckland to Sydney for Mardi Gras - all in an effort to make sure that our brand continues to be cutting edge and exciting for our guests," Yuan said. "At the same time, mindful of the current economic circumstances, we're rolling out even more cost competitive cruises and increasing capacity in our lowest priced markets - Mexico and the Caribbean."

Although it has not been announced on its web site, Atlantis told Fridae that the two back-to-back Asian cruises scheduled in 2010 will be on the Azamara Quest. The Shanghai to Hong Kong voyage will depart on Mar 20, 2010 making calls at Busan (South Korea); Hiroshima, Kyoto and Kagoshima (Japan); and Taipei (Taiwan) before returning Hong Kong on Mar 30. The Quest will then depart Hong Kong on Mar 30 and sail along the Indo-Chinese coast (as per the 2009 itinerary) before arriving in Singapore on Apr 9.

The Auckland to Sydney cruise in 2010 will be the first ever all-gay cruise in the Asia-Pacific region on the 1,400-passenger Volendam sailing from Auckland on Feb 17 and arriving in Sydney on Feb 27, the same day as the Mardi Gras Parade and Party. Most room categories are sold out, with waitlists for several categories.

Fares for the Shanghai to Hong Kong voyage (2010) start at US$1,999; and Hong Kong to Singapore cruise (2010) from US$1,899. All fares are based on double occupancy and do not include port taxes, gratuities and airfare. Bookings are currently only open to Atlantis alumni and will be open to the general public at a later date.