I’ve recently returned from my first cruise. There were eight of us in total who joined thousands of gay men from around the world for the Atlantis seven day cruise through the Western Caribbean.
Perhaps you’re curious to see what one of these cruises is like. It’s impossible to capture everything – there is too much to see and do, but here is a quick 5 minute video of my take on the 2012 Atlantis Caribbean Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.
As I’ve mentioned previously, I was away on an Atlantis cruise through the Western Caribbean this past week. This was the first time I’d ever been on a cruise and the Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas is one of the largest and nicest cruise ships available. The ship can hold more than 5,000 passengers and has more than 2,000 crew. 
Below Left: Cabin & Balcony / Below Right: Bathroom
Overall, I enjoyed the vacation. Aside from the parties Atlantis hosted which resemble giant Pride events, I loved taking midnight dips in the jacuzzi on the 15th deck, taking naps in my room while listening to the crash of the waves, and traveling with the large group of friends who joined me and my partner.
During our trip I was able to see some hilariously funny and well put together shows (thanks to Atlantis Events). I’ll talk more about the entertainment in another post but suffice it to say – there was a bit of something for everyone.
While I had no desire to sign up for one of Atlantis many upcoming cruises (notably New Zealand and Australia in 2013), I’d consider going on another in the future, depending on the destination and the friends planning the trip.
On Friday I flew down to Fort Lauderdale, and today a group of nine of us will join 5,100+ other men on the Atlantis Allure Caribbean Cruise.
I’ve never been on a cruise before and wonder what I’ll make of the experience. I’m fairly certain it will be a memorable, and after I return, I’ll be sure to blog about it and share some photos.
In the days that follow, I won’t have access to the internet so I’m scheduling posts from some of my most liked / and commented upon posts over the past few years to fill the void while I’m “cruising” the Caribbean.
Back in September I wrote my first How to survive a Boston winter blog post. In that post, I encouraged people who live in colder climates to book a flight to a warm destination because airfares are (usually) cheaper if you make the reservation ahead of time.
Today I’m in Florida. Sergio and I flew down yesterday, Friday, and we will be boarding a cruise that starts out of Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. Having this trip to look forward to has made the month of January fly by, and when we return although I’ll probably hate the cold, I’ll be in a much better frame of mind.
If you are living in a colder climate – I hope you too have a trip to look forward to break up the winter months. I’ll be sure to tell you all about this trip.
This morning Sergio and I are flying to Fort Lauderdale to start our vacation. We’ll relax poolside for the next two days at the W Hotel and be joined by a half dozen friends who arrive today and tomorrow before we all board the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise on the Allure.
I’ve scheduled blog posts that will publish while I’m away, but once we depart on the cruise I won’t be able to approve your comments until I return so please be patient, and as always thank you for visiting my little corner of the internet.
One month from today, on January 27th I will board a Jet Blue flight to Fort Lauderdale (FTL), Florida to celebrate my partner’s birthday. We will be joined by seven other friends who will be flying in to go on the Atlantis Cruise that leaves FTL on January 29th. The respite from New England’s cold winter will be the perfect pick-me-up for all of us fighting the post-holiday blues.
I wanted to fly to FTL a couple days prior to the cruise’s departure for practical and personal reasons. Should a last minute snow storm hit New England I wanted to make certain we had plenty of time to get out of Boston and not miss the cruise. I also assume the W Hotel FTL will host many attending the cruise, creating a suitable party atmosphere for my partner’s birthday. 
You may not want to think about it, but winter in Boston will be here before you realize it and when it comes to surviving this frigid season, those who plan ahead are best prepared for what will come.
Thanks to Jet Blue which offers more non-stop destinations from Boston than any other airline you can pick from a large number of warm locations to break up the winter doldrums. I’m partial to Puerto Rico and have been making visits there off and on for the past few years. The photo above is of your’s truly standing in front of an infinity pool on the beach at La Concha Hotel this past February.
Although the weather is still beautiful here in Boston there is no doubt that summer is over and autumn is in full swing. I find the best way to make it through Boston’s brutal winters is to plan a quick respite for a few nights some place warm. Cheap seats abound for flights in January, February and March if you have some flexibility (hint: airfares on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are cheaper than end of week and weekends). So book your flights now while cheap seats remain and before the holiday season has you spending more money than you intended.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston, Boston Guy, Travel
I’m in Dallas this week. I actually arrived on Monday for a week of training mandated by my firm. Although I was not looking forward to the business trip, now that I’m here its not a big deal. On paper it sounded awful – 800 of my co-workers and peers stranded at one of the Dallas airport hotels, but the accommodations are comfortable and its really nice to see many people I work with remotely on projects through out the year.
My blogging may be pretty spotty this week as I juggle training, travel and additional work responsibilities. Hang in there and I’ll be back to my usual self next week when I am back home. In the meantime, let me know where this cowboy may hang out. I see a lot of people here wearing cowboy boots but most of them are a bit overweight (being polite by saying “a bit”) and do not resemble this guy in the least.
Photo from Great Looking Guys blog
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Travel
The Strand Hotel has a trendy vibe, which only makes sense since its nestled in the heart of New York City’s Fashion District; located between 5th and 6th Ave on 37th Street.
The tiny lobby exudes a sense of style that carries through to the hotel room and it’s furnishings. Although the rooms are tight, they are well appointed and suited my needs just fine.
Aside from the location, the thing I enjoyed the most about staying at The Strand NYC was its roof deck terrace and bar. (That’s me and my buddy Paul enjoying a cold beer on the roof deck bar.)
Drinks cost a small fortune, but when you factor in the amazing view and the beautiful weather which made it so pleasant to sit outside – I couldn’t get enough of the place.
I’ve included a picture of my tiny room and bathroom. You can click on the photo to enlarge. More pictures appear on my hotel review on TripAdvisor.com.
For more information about this hotel you can visit: www.thestrandnyc.com
I arrived in NYC on Friday with my buddy Paul for a fun weekend in the city. We took the Acela from Amtrak down to the city and arrived in plenty of time to enjoy Boxers, crazy happy hour festivities.
Bars are not allowed to have happy hour promotions in Massachusetts so true to form we drank more than intended and left pleasantly buzzed with plans to head out to Hell’s Kitchen after a quick pit stop back at the hotel to freshen up and a quick bite to eat.
We’d both been to Hell’s Kitchen but it had been several years (at least for me since my previous visit). One of the things I really like about the neighborhood is how easy it is to bar hop. We started by checking out Industry. It was one of the busier bars we visited and the music was great, but neither Paul nor I were feeling it so we walked across the street to Therapy. However, Therapy was fairly dead by comparison so we opted to head over to Ritz.
Entering Ritz would make just about anyone feel claustrophobic but of all the places, this had the most energy and the by far – the best people watching. We worked our way to the back room and danced up along the walls.
Paul and I spent most of the evening watching a young couple “get familiar” with each other, some A-List wannabes with killer bodies shake their groove thing and chatting with people to our left and right – there always seemed to be a constant ebb and flow that brought a new someone every 5-10 minutes.
There are plenty of other bars all close by and when visiting its so easy to bar hop its enough to make my head spin. What bars in HK do you like and why? Leave a comment to share because I’m hoping I can head back soon.
On Friday morning I’ll be joined by my good friend, Paul, and we will hop on Acela to head into NYC for a couple nights of fun. We don’t really have any plans other than arrival and departure times and where we’ll be crashing.
Past preferences have led me to book hotel rooms in the West Village, Tribeca and SoHo. I’m simply not a fan of the crush of tourists and inhuman scale of Midtown; not to mention its where I have to stay for work. For this visit I booked a stay at the Strand Hotel. Located in the “heart of the fashion district” (that bit I stole from their website), the hotel is pretty convenient at 33 West 37th Street between the Avenue of the Americas and 5th Avenue.
The hotel has a roofdeck lounge that also looks very appealing called appropriately enough “Top of the Strand”. I’m looking forward to some early evening cocktails there before heading out. We’ll see what this little adventure brings us. Neither Paul nor I are all that NYC-savvy and on past trips we’ve ended up mostly walking around aimlessly. Should you have any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
– Mark Twain
I love to travel, and I’ve been very fortunate to visit many places. One of my favorite countries to visit is Brazil. Its an amazing country both exotic and familiar for American travelers. The country has the can-do, entrepreneurial spirit many Americans identify with and like the U.S. – Brazil is a giant melting pot of people, races and religions. However, its history is more closely aligned with Portugal and the Latin speaking nations of Europe providing a uniquely exotic personality that thoroughly romances you. The picture above is a breathtaking image of Rio de Janeiro; one of the most beautiful places I’ve had the advantage to visit.
What are some of your favorite destinations, and where do you dream of traveling some day?
Rio de Janeiro is one of my favorite cities in the entire world; it is easily one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited. It is also an intensely sexual city since most men and women seem to walk everywhere in the tiniest bathing suits I’ve ever seen.
Gay life in Brazil and especially in Rio is alive and thriving. To welcome gay tourists Riotur joined with Rio de Janeiro City Hall and made this video to show why the city is a favorite destination for lesbian and gay tourists. If you are planning to visit Rio or have any questions about this magnificent city (or Brazil in general) please feel free to send me a question and I’ll try my best to answer you.
Interesting Information about Rio
– First discovered in 1502 and founded in 1565
– 7,000,000 people live in Rio de Janeiro
– In 2014 Rio will host World Cup
– In 2016 Rio will host the Summer Olympics
– This is one of BosGuy’s favorite places in the entire world
I record many of my travel experiences (flights, hotel stays, etc) on my blog as well as a few travel sites, which I use when planning personal trips in the United States and abroad. I’ve come to rely on these tools, by identifying travelers with similar likes and interests, and I follow their reviews when I’m looking to visit a new destination.
Earlier this month I was in San Francisco. After returning home, I posted a review of my stay at the Fairmont San Francisco, on my blog and a couple of travel sites. I then promoted my review on twitter and facebook to let people know my thoughts. If you travel frequently, you may want to consider doing the same. In part, your active profile will tip off savvy properties that someone with a potentially large audience is coming for a stay and they may go the extra mile as the Fairmont did for me.
Tagged BosGuy, Boston Guy, Travel
How does a guy from Boston (a town best known for perpetuating preppy) end up looking like a porn extra? Its easy, just spend an afternoon in the Haight in San Francisco with Sean and David (pictured below)… I look like a cross between Captain Stubing and a Solid Gold Dancer… sorry for the early 80s reference, but its the best I can come up with…
Curious who dressed me? This handsome couple, Sean & David… You may recall I met these guys last summer and participated in their wedding as they eloped to Provincetown to get married because their home (California) is too small minded to be able to conceive of two men living happily ever after. I shouldn’t come down too hard on California. If those state residents hadn’t been so small minded with their vote on Prop 8, we would have never met and they’ve been such a wonderful couple to get to know (despite their fashion sense).
BosGuy 