BEARS AT SEA

Rick Karlin

Don’t be like that lone Polar bear out on an ice floe, join with others for a party at sea. Two bear cruises are heading out from South Florida, giving you plenty of opportunities to find the bear, cub, or otter (or any other animal adopted by the gay community to describe itself) of your dreams.

BEARCRUISE’S 10TH ANNUAL PRETHANKSGIVING 7-NIGHT EASTERN CARIBBEAN

CRUISE will sail on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, from Nov. 12-19, 2023, departing from Port Canaveral. Cabins with ocean views, views of Central Park, or the ship’s Boardwalk are still available, as are interior cabins. Balconies start at $1,111 double occupancy, and interiors are $999 double occupancy. Prices include taxes and port charges.

The itinerary includes Coco Cay, Bahamas, St. Thomas, and the gorgeous Virgin Islands – St. Thomas, USVI, and St. Maarten, as well as three days at sea to explore and enjoy the ship! The trip also features BearCruise parties, meet-ups, and group dining, an onboard host, BearCruise Cruise Director, and optional exclusive BearCruise shore excursions. The featured guest entertainer is Alison Arngrim, a.k.a. Nellie Oleson from TV’s “Little House on the Prairie” performing her comedy show, “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch” and judging a Nellie Oleson Look-Alike Contest. For more details, visit the website bearcruise.com, or call 513-541-2187.

VIRGIN HALLOWEEN CARIBBEAN GAY & BEARS CRUISE, Oct. 27-Nov 1, 2023, will find bears, gay guys, cubs, chubs, chasers, and their friends on the fabulous, groundbreaking, gay cruise ship, the Virgin Voyages adults-only, Scarlet Lady, for a Caribbean Halloween cruise! Departing from Miami for the snow-white shores of the Dominican Republic, by way of Bimini. Activities include meet-and-greet cocktail parties, Bear group activities, your Gay Group host Cap’n Dave, onboard credits (based on cabin type), free Wi-Fi, gratuities, basic beverages, group fitness classes, and pop-up events. Tickets start at $1,025 and include options for single travelers at reduced prices. For information email Happy@ HappyGayTravel.com.

Of course, if you are willing to trek farther for your bears, you can also find them sailing away in such far-flung ports as Greece and Iceland.

BEAR VOYAGES’ GREEK ISLAND CRUISE Aug. 27 through Sept. 3, with tickets starting at $1,440. It sets sail from Athens with stops in Santorini, Rhodes, Mykonos (overnight stay), and Bodrum, Turkey. The cruise will be on Virgin’s Resilient Lady, which features more than 20 specialty eateries (including Michelin-starred chefs Brad Farmerie and Sohui Kim), superyacht-inspired cabins with free Wi-Fi, a pool, three hot tubs (public, adults-only, and exclusive), spa, tattoo studio, casino, arcade, game room, jogging track, and fitness center. Bear Voyages has arranged a lineup of guests including Ben Zook and Joe Dietl from “Where the Bears Are,” and Blake Evan Sherman from “Bear City” will entertain passengers with a night of music and comedy. For more information, contact Happy@ HappyGayTravel.com.

On BEARCRUISE’S 10-DAY ICELAND & NORWAY TO LONDON CRUISE, June 15-25, you’ll first enjoy a land adventure, with a scenic drive from Akureyri to Husavik, then go on a whale-watching tour. Then return to Reykjavik, Iceland, for a trip with stops in Ålesund, Olden, and Bergen, Norway, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Brussels, and Bruges in Belgium before reaching your destination port of Southampton and departing from London. Interior cabins start at $1,917, exterior cabins and suites range from $2,495 to $8,350 a person. For more information, go to bearcruise.com/icelandnorway-cruise

If you prefer to hunt on the land, check out some of these events. BEARS SITGES WEEK, Sept. 1-10 in Sitges, Spain. With more than 8,000 bears from all over the world attending, this is the largest bear event with the greatest international diversity. The incomparable setting, facing the sea, finds the bears filling the beaches all day, while famous theme nights pack the Bear-Village. For more information, go to bearssitges. org BEAR WEEK IN PROVINCETOWN, July 8-15, is among the largest bear weeks in the United States, attracting LGBT+ travelers from all around the country as well as other world cities. Bring your dance party gear for the Bear Boat Sunset Cruise, socialize at all-day pool parties like Otter Pop, and carry on at the Boatslip Tea Dance. Other typical events over the week include Bears on Bikes, nature walks, and parties like the singlet tea dance. If you prefer to hunt in colder weather hold out for SPOOKY BEAR AND HIBEARNATION PROVINCETOWN. The bear event of the fall (Oct. 27-29,) is filled with costume parties and a haunted house. For this and other Bear events in Ptown, contact tourism@provincetown-ma.gov. If you want to stay close to home, don’t forget about BEARSURRECTION FORT LAUDERDALE, April 6-9. The official bear weekend of Fort Lauderdale features events running from Friday to Sunday, including themed parties such as “Fashion Bear” at the Hunters Nightclub and an amazing pool party at the Ed Lugo Resort and “Bunker” at the Eagle. For more information, go to bearsurrection. com

Rick Karlin is SFGN’s travel and food editor. Have a tavel tip to share? Email Rick at RickKarlinFL@gmail.com. The views Rick expresses are his own and do not represent the opinion of SFGN.