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Olivia Cruise: Caribbean Equality and Leadership Cruise

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Port Call: Feb 7 – 8 2014 – Half Moon Cay

Our last and final port call was at Half Moon Cay.  Where is Half Moon Cay?  You ask … well, it is in the middle of beautiful no where!  I have never heard of Half Moon Cay before the cruise, and now I can’t wait to go back.  The island was so remote that all Olivia Traveling Ladies had to be boated to and from the ship.  Talk about paradise.  Half Moon Cay was saved for last for a reason.  The water was crystal clear, the sand was as smooth as silk and the air smelled of peaches and mangos on a hot summer day.  It was and absolute little slice of heaven with a helping of “I wish I could stay here forever!”  In fact, that is what the sign said as we walked up to the board walk.  Even though I am sure every Olivia Lady took a picture under that sign, we just had to get a photo as well.

As we walked up to the beach, I recall throwing my stuff down and making a b-line for the water, head first.  It was a bit chilly, but once I got use to it the water felt like “Life” all around me.  At one point a school of tropical fish swam right through my legs.  At first I figured it was seaweed, then when I looked to brush what I thought was seaweed off of my leg, I saw several eyes looking up at me.  It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen before.  The coral reef was vibrant and the ocean floor was smooth.  Olivia Travel provided a BBQ lunch for all of us to enjoy together on the boardwalk.  There, I saw several huge roosters with their babies.  I tried to get a picture, but they were too fast for me to keep up with. The next day, was the trip back home.  This cruise with all of the memories, photos and new friends made Olivia Travel delivered all that was promised our Honeymoon Cruise would be, and so much more.  Thank you Olivia Travel, we look forward to our next travels together.

For more information go to Olivia Travel

 

 

Half Moon CayHalf Moon Cay

Olivia Cruise: Caribbean Equality and Leadership Cruise

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Port Call: Feb 6 2014 – at Sea

The on ship activities were just as much fun as the port calls. Olivia Travel makes sure that all of your needs are met. On our way to the next port call, the Equality Cruise ensured to stimulate our minds with enthusiastic discussion forums, educational documentaries and cultural events. While at sea, there was a screening of “Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement” which brought everyone to tears. It is a true story of love, laughter and inspiration. After the showing there was a question and answer forum from Edie Windsor herself. Talk about an inspirational person, Edie Windsor is a social justice pioneer and it was an honor to hear her story.

Later on that night, there was a comedy show with Gina Yashere. She was hilarious. Gina Yashere is from London via Nigeria, and funny as all get out. We had a chance to meet and chat with her for a few minutes. Her accent was beautiful, as she is inside and out. At sea promised to be a good time, and a good time it was. Even at sea, Olivia Travel makes sure that all of your needs are met.

For more information go to Olivia Travel

Gina Yashere, Comic (Middle)

Gina Yashere, Comic (Middle)

Jenice & DJ Rockaway

Jenice & DJ Rockaway

Ship Writings on the Wall

Ship Writings on the Wall

Ship Violinist

Ship Violinist

MS. Westerdam Cake

MS. Westerdam Cake

Olivia Travel Staff

Olivia Travel Staff

Olivia Travel Sign

Olivia Travel Sign

Olivia Cruise: Caribbean Equality and Leadership Cruise

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Port Call: Feb 5 2014 – Virgin Islands

Today’s port call was for the Virgin Islands. This place was simply magical, the air, the food, and the people – everything was perfect. After porting, we found the cutest shop that had exquisite and duty-free clothing. After some light shopping, we ran into some our your “YouTube” Friends Christin and Ashley. These fabulous ladies are not only down right gorgeous, friendly and super sweet, but they also are business owners as well. This cruise was full of magnificent professional women. We all chatted for a bit and then went off to do some island exploring.

My wife and I caught a tourist trolley and went on an island adventure. The tour guide took us through the heartbeat of V.I. and showed us some of the history of the island. The views were stunning and mountainous. Once our tour was finished, we returned to the port dock. As we were walking up to the ship, my wife nudged me and asked me “Do you know who that is?” As I turned around I was shocked and honored to see Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, first Lesbian officer and author of the book “Serving in Silence.” I just about passed out. We asked for a photo and then struck up a long conversation with us. We spoke about women rights in the military, the overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and other political items. What an incredible opportunity it was to meet and speak with her, one-on-one. I will never, ever forget that moment. The Virgin Islands proved to be one of the most “honorable” port calls of the cruise for us.

For more information go to Olivia Travel

Check out Christin and Ashley Luna Bella Make Up

Virgin Island Port Call

Virgin Island Port Call

Christin (left), Jenice and Ashley (right) of Luna Bella Make Up

Christin (left), Jenice and Ashley (right) of Luna Bella Make Up

Historical Slave Building

Historical Slave Building

 

Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands

 

 

 

 

Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, first Lesbian officer and author of the book "Serving in Silence.” (Middle)

Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, first Lesbian officer and author of the book “Serving in Silence.” (Middle)

Olivia Cruise: Caribbean Equality and Leadership Cruise

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PORT CALL: Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos

Day 3

We finally made it to our first port, Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos on day 3 of our Olivia Travel cruise.  Talk about a phenomenal place, the water was indigo blue, the people were friendly and the weather was perfect.  We arrived at 8am and stayed in port until 3:30pm.  My wife and I started off with some excellent breakfast from the Lido Deck.  The food ranged from light breakfast items like fruit, muffins and yogurt parfaits to flap jacks and crispy bacon.  We went back to our cabin to grab our passports and beachwear.  Getting off the ship was a little confusing, but we had some awesome ladies from the Olivia staff to assist us.

After enjoying the beach and some light shopping, we went back to the ship and decided to grab a bit to eat.  We went to try a different grill when I ran into C.C. Carter.  C.C. Carter is a renowned poet who’s words embrace the spirit of women empowerment.  She grabbed me and said  “I need you to be one of my powerful curvy girls.”  I had no idea what she was talking about, but I agreed.  Who says no to C. C. Carter?  What C.C. wants she gets!  Before I knew it I found myself in the middle of a full figured women empowerment movement.  C.C. Carter preformed, while she preformed she wanted her “full figured” women to support her by strutting our stuff on a walk way by the stage she was on.  Talk about a once in a lifetime event.  In all this port call was fantastic.

This day was especially wonderful because the theme of this cruise was “Equality and Leadership” and in light of the theme there was a celebration with the guest of honor Edie Windsor.  Also, a massive Commitment Ceremony was held board the ship at 5pm.  Then later that night the internationally known Indigo Girls preformed at 6:30pm and 8:30pm.

Olivia Staff Feedback:  The staff was great with assisting us all get on and off the ship in an fast and orderly fashion.  The port call could have been a few hours longer, but other than that – great job with this port call.

For more information go to Olivia Travel

Olivia Cruise: At Sea: Feb 2 2014 – Feedback and Review

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Olivia Cruise:  Caribbean Equality and Leadership Cruise

The excitement and fun continued through the night and on until day 2 of our equality and leadership cruise.  The theme for day 2 was: Show Your Roots.  We all wore shirts or outfits that displayed where we were from.  I wore a “California” shirt and my wife wore a “Louisville University” shirt.  The theme was an “opportunity to represent your hometown, to get to know other Olivia ladies in your community.”  This themed day allowed for many interesting conversations to be had.  The highlights of the day included:

Activism in Action:  The Importance of Creating Your own Future Through Political Participation.  This was an extraordinary summit that allowed for an open dialogue with a panel of “heavy hitters” such as Representative Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, the Democratic National Committee Chair; Aditi Hardikar, Director of the LGBT Leadership Council at the Democratic National Committee; and Claire Lucas, Senior Advisor for Public-Private Partnerships, USAID.  The discussion was enlightening and invigorating.

The entertainment of the evening was the hilarious Vicki Shaw.  Vicki Shaw is not only super funny, but also super down to earth.  I had the opportunity to meet her while in the elevator going to dinner that night.  Then while at dinner, we sat right next to Meredith Baxter, the mom from Family Ties and her wife.  Both of these beautiful women of the LGBT community graced me with a photo, can you say amazing!.  The music group, Antigone Rising preformed in the on ship’s night club, Crow’s Nest.  Antigone Rising was outstanding and amazing to listen to.  There were events for “solos” and a “Sisters at Sea” mixer.  Not to mention, all of the other hour-by-hour events.  There was always something to do, people to meet and excellent food to eat.

Feedback:

Olivia Travel is all about exclusivity, which being said you are paying for customized entertainment, a charted ship or entire resort full of women and the ability to “Feel Free.”  But, there are some items that you may want to bring with you.  During our travels with Olivia, we knew that we would want to bring many items that we normally used on a daily basis.  Olivia Travel provides a list of other items you may want to bring with you and I highly recommend you bring the following items with you:  Air Born (Supplement Drink) packages, anti-bacterial gel, cold medicine, headache Meds, a case of water or water filter bottles, Lysol wipes/spray and/or allergy medication.

The Olivia Staff Feedback: The staff was great and informative.  Many times if I “Looked” lost they would help or assist my wife and I with finding and figuring out where things were or where we were going.  We met many of the staff members and ALL of the staff were beautiful and sweeties to my wife and I.  Love the “Artist” staff and had a blast when staff members invited me to “dance” in the front of the stage before many shows.  One staff member, a beautiful black woman with short hair put my wife and I in FRONT row seats for one of the shows.

For more information go to Olivia Travel

 Jenice

Jenice Armstead with Vicki Shaw, Comic

Jenice Armstead with Vicki Shaw, Comic

Meredith Baxter

Jenice Armstead with Meredith Baxter, Actress

Welcome Aboard: Feb 1 2014 – Review and Feedback

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Olivia Cruise: Caribbean Equality and Leadership Cruise

The fun started on Feb 1, 2014 with welcome remarks and conversation aboard the Ms. Westerndam, Holland America Line. The cruise left out of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Being excited and overwhelmed at the same time, my wife and got to the port early to ensure we had enough time to get our luggage checked in and on the ship. The check-in line was a similar experience to boarding a plane. You have your security check and carry-on luggage inspected. Once past the security point, we were greeted by an Olivia Travel staff member who knew right away we were “First Timers.” She was “bright eyed and bushy tailed” and gave us the best and biggest smile. “You get a Olivia bracelet and you get a bracelet” the Olivia staff greeter said as she placed a bright pink bracelet on my wife and I. She informed us that it was a visual aid for others to help us around during our cruise. We finally made it to the counter and had our photos taken and information verified. You need a credit card for a hold and use on your room key. (SIDE NOTE: Your room key is used as a credit card, be sure to not use a debit.) We were now all checked in and it was off to the ship.

When we “checked aboard” there were women everywhere! It was like we stepped into a Lesbian Vortex! They were smiling, we were smiling and everyone seemed to be instantly changed. We went to the elevator and met another couple that were from our same city and chatted for a bit. Once we got to our room, we check it out and the there was a knock on the door a few minutes later. It was our “Care Giver” Tobi. He informed us that he would be taking care of us for duration of the cruise. If we needed blankets, fresh fruit, information, what ever we needed he was there to make sure we had it for the entire cruise. He informed us of our “mail box” which had some mail in it. Each day, a daily itinerary of the day events would be provided as well as different pieces of lesbian information and magazines.

The Feb 1, itinerary outlined “Today’s Highlights” which included:

Welcome Aboard Party with Vicki Shaw (Comic)
Sail Away Party with DJ Rockaway
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Maya Angelou with (two different show times)

There was also a list of the music, events, lounges and dining options on the ship. The list of all of the dining options included 5 different restaurants and an hour-by-hour outline of other events happening all though the day and night.

Once unpacked, there was another knock at the door and Tobi had a “Happy Honeymoon” cake surprise for us.  You can have surprises pre-arranged to be delivered to your room.  We changed into some more “vacationie” clothes and decided to explore the ship and lounges. We found a piano bar that was simply beautiful. There was a Baby Grand piano and as soon as we sat down we began to chat with other couples and people. After having a few glasses of wine, we decided to do some more exploring and found the shore excursion-booking desk. The staff was helpful and informative.
Later on that night we joined the “Sail Away Party” with the beautiful DJ Rockaway and had a blast. The ship started to sail away and our vacation was finally underway. The first day was a great experience and a smooth transition into the start of our 8-day honeymoon vacation.

Feedback: Olivia Travel has a functional process for new travelers and give many payment options for those that want to plan a Olivia trip. Make sure to ask the staff if there are any specials or discounts on staterooms.

For more information go to Olivia Travel

Jenice Armstead

Dee and Jaye Honeymoon

Olivia Cruise: Caribbean Equality and Leadership Cruise

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Olivia Travel is one of the most exquisite cruises you may ever go on, if you are an open and proud lesbian that is. For those of you that have never heard of Olivia Travel, this is where lesbians go to vacation for all exclusive reasons. Olivia is where lesbians can just be a lesbians with no strings attached (No punt intended). The Olivia Travel charters a ship or entire resort to cater to ALL lesbian women. When I realized this my head nearly popped right off of my shoulders!

My wife and I recently got married and wanted to do something really special to celebrate our new life together. We had been putting off an Olivia Travel cruise for sometime, and wanted to make sure that we were able to enjoy ourselves entirely, financially speaking. When some of our lesbian friends heard we were going on an Olivia Travel cruise we got some “hairy eyeballs” and the “Look of disgust.” To be frank, Olivia Travel Cruises and Resorts are not cheap. In fact, they are double if not triple the cost of your average cruise. But, that is just the point. Olivia Travel is NOT your average cruise you would normally book. There is good reason for the extensive cost.

With an Olivia Travel cruise or resort you are quite literally paying for exclusivity and the able to “Feel Free” as the Olivia Travel phrase states on all of their “first time” travelers pink bracelets. The entertainment is lesbian derived and all port calls are gay-friendly. No need to “fake the funk” with this crowd. Just to be clear, I do NOT work for Olivia Travel nor any affiliated companies. These are merely my opinions from my experiences of my Olivia Travel Cruise. That being said, I figured why not write a short blog about my experiences. Then I thought, one blog wouldn’t be enough. To really get the full effect of the experiences I would have to blog about each and everyday of the cruise.

So, on behalf of all of the women that have never experienced an Olivia Travel trip, I will do a “Day by Day” feedback and review of my experiences on the last Olivia Travel cruise: Feb 1 – 8, Caribbean Equality and Leadership Cruise. I hope you enjoy my feedback and reviews. Stay tuned for Day 1: Feb 1 Feedback and Review.

For more information go to: Olivia Cruises and Resorts 

All the Best,
Jenice Armstead

Olivia Travel

Olivia Travel