The 12 Muses – Cruise Travel for Gays and Lesbians
The company has joined forces with the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders in New England and the Seattle-based Pride Foundation. Lecturers are authors, poets, historians, and archeologists, among others. Airfare isn’t included in the cost of the programs. It is recommended that you buy trip insurance.
The Cruise Program includes first-class accommodations aboard the 34-guest yacht, Callisto. All meals aboard ship include all three – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Complete pre-departure materials including destination information, travel portfolio, and name tag are part of the package. Gratuities to guides and drivers are included among other amenities.
Land Program inclusions are made up of superior hotel accommodations with daily breakfast, welcome and farewell dinners, transfers and baggage handling abroad the program, and gratuities to porters, guides, and drivers, among other benefits.
Muses are part of the big picture – experts in various fields who guide the tours based on their own expertise and experience. One of the Muses is Lee Swislow, executive director for GLAD, New England’s leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and expression.
“AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) has always affected a diverse population and it has a devastating impact,” said Swislow. “It’s a significant piece of my life’s work.” It is estimated the gays and lesbians spend $65 billion in travel annually. Don Church, one of the authors of the Gay and Lesbian Cruise Guide, said the popularity of gay and lesbian cruises continues to grow.
“It seems more and more companies like these are coming on board to add to this lucrative market,” he said. Twelve Muses is based in New York, NY. For more information, go to 12muses.com.
