The Ultimate Guide to Atlantis Gay Cruises

Intro

I was about to start an 11 day journey, one of the craziest trips of my life, and just 2 days after my Montreal Birthday Trip. From the cold and snowy Canada, I was set to travel to Fort Lauderdale and Miami to get into a bucket list item for me, an Atlantis gay cruise into the Caribbean. Yes, it was going to be a very busy next few days, but hopefully I would manage lol.

But what is an Atlantis Cruise? Well, An Atlantis cruise is a vacation experience provided by Atlantis Events, the world’s largest gay-owned travel company, offering all-gay cruise and resort vacations since 1991, designed to be carefree, fun, and inclusive. 

The main event of the year, called “The Big One” is the 7-night Caribbean cruise, usually in one of the big Royal Caribbean cruises, and happens around the beginning of February every year.

Focus: Atlantis Events primarily caters to gay men, offering a unique travel experience with a focus on community, entertainment, and relaxation. 

History: The company began in 1991 with a small all-gay resort event and has grown into a major player in the LGBT+ travel industry. 

Vacation Types: They offer both cruises and resort vacations, with cruises being a popular choice, often featuring large ships and extensive entertainment. 

Destinations: Atlantis Events travels to various destinations worldwide, including the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and other exotic locations. 

Activities & Entertainment: Atlantis cruises are known for their lively atmosphere, featuring parties, shows, and other events designed to engage their guests. 

Community: Atlantis Events fosters a strong sense of community among its travelers, with many returning guests and a focus on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. 

Inclusions: Atlantis vacations often include a wide range of amenities, such as meals, entertainment, and activities. 

For now, it was time to head to the south of Florida, and start this experience, a first one for me.

Fort Lauderdale and Miami

Decided to fly into Fort Lauderdale, and then go to Miami, where the cruise was being boarded on. In Fort Lauderdale I was expecting to have more of a relaxing time compared to Miami, and that I did. I literally just stayed in my room relaxing. I stayed close to the beach in the Tropirock Hotel.

The next day I went to explore more of the beach, and walked all the way to the Starbucks to get my fix of cold brew with a splash of almond milk and 2 pumps of Mocha. I was so happy to be back in the warm weather. Canada was beautiful but my skin was so dry from the cold.

The cruise started the next day, so I Ubered to Miami, where on the way there I saw many cruises on the port: Royal Caribbean’s Symphony Of The Seas, Norwegian Encore, Virgin’s Scarlet Lady and Carnival Magic.

I stayed at the Hôtel Gaythering where many guests of the cruise were also staying. It was fun staying again here, and being so close to the Lincoln Road and all the stores and restaurants available here. I bought the Citi Bike Pass and biked around like crazy. Loved this app.

Day 01: Boarding the Atlantis Cruise

Two days after my arrival, it was time to board the Atlantis Cruise. This year, was on the Allure of the Seas, which I had seen a couple of times during my Disney Cruise adventures. Completely different type of cruise lol. This ship was set to get a full revamp jus days after our cruise, since it had been a few years without one and I found a lot of complaints online on this particular ship. However, spoiler alert, despite the ship being very old and yes, needing a remodel, I found it pleasant and better than for example Serenade of the Seas, the last Royal Caribbean cruise and where we did the Ultimate World Cruise, or at least the last leg.

I spent one hour trying to get into the terminal. Wow. So much traffic. I do not think I had been in an Uber stuck in traffic for so long. Regardless, we made it on time, and now it was time to get in line. The line was longggg. It went around the Royal Caribbean terminal and it was not moving. Atlantis was not really handling things properly, or was it Royal? With these private charter cruises you never know who to blame. Anyways, the line suddenly started moving fast, and we were inside in no time.

They checked all the paperwork, and after doing more lines inside, we were in the Royal Promenade on the cruise. Wow. I was already loving Allure of the Seas.

Day 01: Room and exploring the cruise

I went straight to get some food, since I had skipped breakfast, and then went to the room since it was already ready (it was late!). I had booked the Stateroom #9308 on deck 9, which was a Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony.

It was definitely huge!!! I loved having a balcony. I had skipped this feature in all of my last Disney and Royal Caribbean cruises, to save some money, but this time I had to go all in. It was 7 days and it was an overwhelming experience, so I had to give myself some space to breath. Again, despite many complaints for this particular ship, I found it cute, and clean, and useful. Yes, it did not have to many outlets, or USBs, and it had an Ipod charger, but at least it was going to be refurbished.

Some information regarding Allure of the Seas’s Refurbishment:

• Renovation Timeline: The refurbishment work, which included a $100 million plus overhaul, started in late February 2025 and was planned to conclude by the end of March 2025. 
• Re-entry into Service: The Allure of the Seas is scheduled to return to service and begin its next voyage on April 11, 2025, a four-day roundtrip from Barcelona. 
• Refurbishment Details: The renovation includes new restaurants, bars, and other amenities, as well as a reimagining of the Caribbean pool decks and the adults-only Solarium. 
• Post-Renovation Plans: After the summer 2025 season in Europe, the ship will return to Fort Lauderdale, offering six- to eight-night voyages to the Eastern Caribbean and the Bahamas. 

The view from my balcony was amazing!

This trip was going to be so much fun.

The rest of the day time on Day 01 was to eat and explore around. Getting myself familiar for the ship and the Atlantis very busy schedule for the next days. One thing we all had to do, was to get what they called Drink Coupons. This is their description from Atlantis:

Day 01: OceanAria and Welcome Party

After eating some light food at the Windjammer, I went to see the OceanAria show on the AquaTheater, an original production that transports guests to an ancient underwater civilization with aerialists, acrobats, and high divers, set to a mesmerizing soundtrack. 

It was sexy and cool. It has many ways for it to go really wrong, so it keeps you focus on the show the entire time.

After that, and even later that night it was the Welcome Party on the Royal Promenade. There was no theme, so everyone was just wearing anything (or almost nothing lol). I had never seen such a crowd, except for maybe Provincetown, but this was still pretty big.

Day 02: Think Pink T-Dance Party

It was the second day of this experience, and I was able to sleep after a long first day. I think the worst of the days were coming ahead haha (in terms of sleeping). It was a Day at Sea and my room host was great, and after getting ready I went for coffee using my drink coupons, and some light breakfast, and she made the room in no time. the official postcards for the upcoming parties were on the bed. So apparently the Dog Tag T Dance is the first one, but Atlantis screwed up and could not get the tags on time, so they switched the 2 parties and the first one was going to be Think Pink. For me, I really did not care, but a lot of people were furious about this change.

The party was held by the Aqua Theatre on the back of the ship and it was something lol. Yes, definitely a little bit overwhelming at least for me, but I liked some of the music. It was nice seeing this sea of pink though. This is the description from Atlantis:

Pink is in! You cannot escape it so let’s throw it into the silliest t-dance Atlantis has ever created. From Barbie butch to fluffy fantastic, get out your favorite interpretation for a hot afternoon of frivolous dolled up fun.

The party lasted until after the sunset, so now I got to go change for the specialty dining I had booked for the day.

Day 02: Samba Grill

I had been in Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table and Izumi before, so even though this was a completely different ship, I wanted to try a different restaurant. Sabor, Samba Grill and 150 Central Park were the other available options, but I was really craving some Brazilian churrasqueria. Samba Grill it was! I was given some starters including some empanadas, and the option to get some salad and other things that I declined to eat. My focus was in the meat.

And that I ate, and a lot. They gave a disk that you would flip when you wanted the server to come give you a piece of the many types of meat they were offering. I loved every cut, and would definitely come back here sometime in a future cruise.

Since I did not drink alcohol (at least tried not to), I used my drink coupons for water, soda and for example this mocktail that was basically orange and pineapple juice.

Day 02: Mamma Mia!

Day 02 was definitely one of the most packed days in terms of activities. And one of the ones offered by Royal Caribbean, and not Atlantis, was the stage show of Mamma Mia! Onboard the Allure of the Seas, you can experience the full, two-and-a-half-hour theatrical version of the hit Broadway musical “Mamma Mia!,” featuring ABBA classics like “Dancing Queen” and “Super Trouper,” in the Royal Theater.

I was longggg and it took a big chunk of the night, but it was very fun! I only went because Matt from Royal Caribbean Blog recommends to go see it, so I did!

After that I went to see Central Park which surprisingly I still hadn’t seen. I was shock on how beautiful it is, and there are nature sounds emanating from the trees and bushes. It was pretty cool.

Day 02: Enchanted Forest party

The first of the night parties was Enchanted Forest party on the Solarium. This is the description from Atlantis:

We all need a little magic these days, so enter the mystical realm of our Enchanted Forest, where fairies, witches, and magical creatures come to life. Get lost in our whimsical wonderland filled with glowing lights, hidden treasures, and a legend or two. Come as your favorite enchanted character, woodland royalty, mischievous sprite, lost child, or mystical being.  Mortals welcome, but beware of spells being cast upon you!

The costumes were surprisingly very well thought out. People really have good imagination and inspiration for these parties. I literally wore the first thing that showed up on TEMU, after doing some ChatGPT research lol. This second night was still very chill, and was able to sleep in on the Day 03.

Day 03: Another Day at Sea

It was another Day at Sea on this Eastern Caribbean cruise. We would reach land on Day 04, so for now I was just exploring the cruise, and see what was going on around. So for example, while at Windjammer I would see the Zip Line for the first time.

It looked kind of scary, not gonna lie lol.

The day became a little chilli on the way to St Marteen, and the waters were a little rough.

Day 03: Future-Ish Party

The second of the night parties was Future-Ish Party. It was held at the Solarium which was good because outside was super cold. Atlantis did an ok job decorating each venue depending on the party. This is their description:

Enter our alternate reality of tomorrow where a fabulous, futuristic fantasy awaits. We’re turning the clock forward as far as you can dream for a night of absurd and zany possibilities that’s out of this world. Dress for the future in whatever seems to be the next next next thing. Of course you could just ask AI to shop for you.  Our future is up to you so show it off in style!  Or come as you are – or might be soon.

Day 04: St. Marteen

Day 04 and we were already on the middle of this cruise. And this is 1 of 3 entries, how is this possible? haha. That is because all of the fun mostly happened at the end of the cruise, and you’ll see that, but for now we were arriving in St. Marteen.

St. Maarten, a vibrant Caribbean island, is unique for being shared by two nations: the Dutch side (Sint Maarten) and the French side (Saint-Martin), offering a blend of European and Caribbean cultures, stunning beaches, and a lively atmosphere. 

• Shared Island, Two Cultures: St. Maarten is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two countries, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and France. 
• Sint Maarten (Dutch Side): This side is known for its more developed infrastructure, including the airport and cruise port, and the capital, Phillipsburg. The official language is Dutch, but English and a local Creole are also widely spoken. 
• Saint-Martin (French Side): The French side is known for its relaxed atmosphere, French bistros, and a more “Caribbean vibe”. 

Allure of the Seas arrived in Phillipsburg, on the Dutch side. We were right next to Symphony of the Seas, the upcoming Atlantis cruise host in 2026!

I had been to both the Dutch and French sides in the past, and planning this stop was very stressful because I wanted to do something maybe anyone on the cruise was thinking on doing: visiting Anguilla!

Day 04: On the way to Anguilla

I know, it sounds crazy, but I could not miss the chance to add a new country to my list! I only had 10 hours aboard, but I had to make them worthy. I took a taxi on the cruise terminal, on the way to Marigot on the French side.

The next ferry was leaving in a few minutes, so I was basically dropped off on the ferry port, and ran to the terminal, where they checked my passport and I was able to buy the ticket. The ferry had been delayed, so I was good to board right away! It was a race definitely. The ferry ride was 20-25 minutes and it was not as bumpy as I expected it to be.

Finally made it to Anguilla, and it was my country #81. My country #82 was also coming on this trip, but you will find that one out in the next blog post.

Day 04: Shoal Bay Beach in Anguilla

Anguilla, a small, flat, and low-lying island in the Caribbean, is known for its beautiful beaches, luxury tourism, and its status as a British Overseas Territory, with a name derived from its eel-like shape.

As I had predicted, I did not see anyone from any of the cruises. I was the only one adventuring into a whole new country during a cruise stop lol. On the ferry terminal I got a taxi. They charged a round trip that included the pick up at a later time, and I chose Shoal Bay Beach to be dropped off and then picked up later.

Shoal Bay in Anguilla is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, featuring soft white sand, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and a peaceful, almost secluded atmosphere, often ranked among the world’s top beaches. And it was definitely one of the best beaches I have been to. Third maybe after the one in Guadeloupe I had visited years ago, and Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

At the beach, I went to Elodias Beach Bar, where I finally got the first alcoholic drink of this trip, although I asked them to go easy on the alcohol: a piña colada. Love this drink whenever I am by the sea. I could not believe just a few days earlier I was freezing in Quebec City in Canada lol.

The food at the cruise had been just ok, but I was missing the fish, so that I got here! It was excellent. Very recommend this place if you are ever in Anguilla. A little bit expensive though, as the whole island is.

While I was waiting for my driver to come back, I explored the beach a little bit more.

Even got to go in some of the resorts around.

And got myself the local beer: a Carib premium lager, second drink of this trip lol.

The driver picked me up on time, and fortunately the alcohol did not have any effect on me. Waited for my ferry to get me back into St Martin before it was too late. The drive from Marigot to Phillipsburg was what worried me, since I was told earlier it could be difficult with the traffic (there is only one road!).

I lasted a total of 3 hours in Anguilla. That is definitely a record in terms of new countries visited, but gave me some time to not be too stressed about the return into the cruise.

Day 04: Marigot, Saint Martin

Back in Marigot, I was now exploring a little bit more of the French side, for example I was able to see the Fort St. Louis which I had visited years ago. The view from up there is amazing.

But also, could not be on a French department, and not get a French pastry. I think it is mandatory. I did a very long line in Chez Fernand la French Bakery, but got a coffee and a nice pain au chocolat. It was delicious.

Day 04: From Marigot to Phillipsburg

All aboard time was coming pretty fast, but I found some people from the cruise walking around, so we all went to the taxi terminal in Marigot, and got us a taxi. The driver was a very old but nice French lady, and we spoke during the whole time on the way back to Phillipsburg about how she moved from France to this island in search for a more tranquil life. I also was able to practice my French a little bit hehe. Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas and Celebrity Ascent were visible from the road.

We made it on time, and after buying some water, I walked back to the cruise.

Definitely the longest port stop on this cruise. As mentioned before, Symphony of the Seas was next to Allure, and look how huge it looks compared to the Allure.

Day 04: Blue Planet show

There was no planned party for tonight (thank GOD), but I took advantage of this and went to see the Blue Planet show, the last of the entertainment offerings of Royal Caribbean.

The “Blue Planet” show on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas is a Cirque du Soleil-style production that transports audiences on a journey from mountain peaks to the depths of the ocean, featuring powerful music, soaring vocals, energetic dance, and aerial acrobatics.

The show was very meh, I literally almost leave in the middle of it, but I stayed out of respect for the crew. After that, and right before bed, I grabbed a Chocolate Milkshake from Johnny Rockets. It was so good! But there are 2 more entries for this trip. Do not miss our arrival to a new country, and more surprises!