My First Time Cruising with Olivia, a Journal

Olivia Travel set out to Mexico with a Thanksgiving cruise this November and it was life-changing for this first time cruiser. 

Day 1 of Olivia’s Thanksgiving Cruise

What a huge day! We (my dear friend and traveling companion Ruth and I)arrived in Florida on a red-eye from San Diego at 6:30 a.m., and we immediately ran into women at the airport who were also from the West Coast and there for the cruise. We had breakfast with them and then proceeded to the cruise ship terminal to board. Everyone at the terminal was so excited about the trip, the atmosphere electric, warm, and welcoming. … From the minute I hit the terminal, the Olivia staff made me feel special, welcomed, even loved, and I wasn’t even on the boat yet.

We arrived at our room, which was lovely and comfortable, and featured the promenade deck right outside our window. We met a beautiful couple, Jen and Kim, at the terminal and made new friends with Jenny and Rebecca at the lifeboat drill. Next up, we took a nap and a shower and were off to the singles mixer, where I met “D” and Victoria.

That night we watched the Bonnie Raitt concert and then had dinner with our new friends (an eclectic group of eight). Bonnie Raitt was incredible, as was dinner.

The grand finale for our first day was the “Embarkation” party.  The music, the dancing, and the women were overwhelming in the best way. While taking it all in I had an “aha” moment . On that warm autumn night, on the deck of a ship full of women who love women, heading out to the beautiful Caribbean Sea, I thought, Does life get any better? I am in heaven!

Day 2

I finally got some much-needed sleep, had breakfast with new friends, and then I was off and running! Under a crisp, blue sunny sky I participated in the pool games and had a blast. Our team “lost,” but I didn’t care ... we had the best “eye candy” on our team (in my opinion), which makes us all winners. Ruth attended the Ready for Hillary and Nepal Youth Foundation meetings while I sunbathed on the deck. Later I checked out Poppy Champlin’s comedy show. Our new group of eight laughed our asses off at Poppy’s show before we set off for another night of dinner and dancing. The DJ’s were amazing getting the music pumping, while women were dancing, mingling, laughing, and enjoying one another.

I couldn’t get over the feeling of sisterhood (is it kinship, love, friendship, or just wonderful female energy?) on the ship. It was surreal. Everyone we ran into on board was warm, happy, and embracing. If this was a dream, I didn’t want to wake up.

Day 3

On our third day we pulled into Costa Maya, Mexico. Ruth went scuba diving and I hung out at Senor Frog’s with new friends Jenny and Rebecca. DJ Citizen Jane was there and we had fun clowning around with her and her girl poolside. The weather was beautiful and warm, so we ordered drinks from the pool and relaxed and enjoyed the day.

That night we watched Nedra Johnson perform (another fantastic show) and ate dinner at the Cannaletto restaurant with our new friends. As we were sitting at dinner, drinking champagne, it occurred to me that it was only day 3, but the eight wonderful women that I have been hanging with already feel like old friends. I couldn’t describe the closeness, camaraderie, and bonding that had happened in such a short amount of time. I raised my glass to propose a simple toast — “To new friends that feel like old friends,” I said. Everyone heartily agreed. Maybe this was something intangible about the Olivia Cruise experience, and I wondered how many others across this ship were experiencing the same thing?

Day 4

We pulled into Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala, in the rain. The weather was still warm, but wet for sure! Despite the rain we boarded a small boat to head to our excursion at Amatique, where there would be a barbecue, pool, and waterslides. It was an adventure getting there in the stormy weather, but we had a blast once we were there. The rain stopped long enough for our meal, some pool volleyball, and a little impromptu hike where we found the ruins of an old church and got to see the jungle up close.

The evening show was “Oldywed/Newlywed” hosted by Suzanne Westenhoefer.  Hadn’t laughed so hard in … well, I would say years, but it seems I’d been laughing and smiling since I boarded the ship. The show was a scream and we all enjoyed it very much. Then it was off to dinner and dancing again with my wonderful “new” friends while very much enjoying DJ Citizen Jane at the Crow’s Nest.

Day 5

Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras, was the port for today. The weather was rainy and windy again, and the snorkeling excursion was canceled due to mucky water from the storm. Ruth went on her zip-lining excursion, though, and had a blast! I went into town for some shopping and really enjoyed the local artisans’ area. I sampled and bought some coffee-flavored Honduran rum (yummy!) and couldn’t wait to toast with friends when I got home.

I played in a poker tournament and friends gambled at the casino. We enjoyed a “mixology” class, and I may have found my new favorite martini (unfortunately, I  had more than one and could not remember the name).

I had completely forgotten until dinner that it was actually Thanksgiving. It was also “formal night” aboard ship, and Jenny booked us reservations at the Pinnacle Grill for “Le Cirque.” I haven’t ever experienced such a meal before. Each course was more delicious than the last, and I tried escargot for the first time. The service was incredible, with a maître d’ attending to our every wish. The wine and the champagne were exquisite, and the chef even came out to meet us.

Singer-songwriter Chris Williamson performed for us in the evening, and though she’s been around awhile, her music was new to me. I loved her soulful music and the beauty in her lyrics.

Again, we danced until the wee hours and then I climbed into my bed exhausted and exuberated at the same time. I was truly living the dream and considered myself to be a very lucky woman to be experiencing the wonderful moment in time that was my Olivia Cruise!

Day 6

Docking in Cozumel was canceled because of bad weather, but thanks were in order to the captain for keeping us safe! Although the seas were rough, I didn’t mind because it gave me extra time to bond with the girls. I worked out in the morning with “D,” and Kim, Jen, Ruth, Victoria. And Poppy Champlin joined us.

It was a little too cold and windy for me to sunbathe (although many women still did). Instead, I played cards (learned a new game called Pitch) with Jen, Ruth, D, and Victoria. Our little group of eight had become so bonded, enjoying every dinner and every show together, that I couldn’t believe I’d known each of them less than a week. I thought about the next day being our last full day, and there was some sadness. But I knew that we will keep in touch, and there’s already been talk of a reunion around Memorial Day!

That evening’s comedy show starred the wickedly funny Sandra Valls. Only on an Olivia Cruise could you have a lesbian comedian performing to a packed house full of lesbians and landing every joke. The uproarious laughter of the women in the concert hall was music to my ears. I thought about how I really did not want the week to end.

I capped the night off with the White Party.  It was fun seeing all the women in all white — some femme, some butch, some in between. The entire dance floor was flooded with white with women swaying in unison on rough seas.

As I drifted off to sleep to the swaying of the boat, I was filled with gratitude, joy, acceptance, and peace. Never in my life had I felt so “normal,” so understood … I suppose much of that is the female energy, and because every one of those women had struggled in one way or another to fit in a male-dominated, heteronormative society like I had. But there we were the norm, there we fit, there we were not judged, for we were all alike in our differences.

Day 7

It was our last day, a day at sea. The weather was nice enough for some sunbathing after room service for breakfast and our last workout together. I spent most of the day with the girls, playing cards and sunning. Later, I attended an art auction. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy an auction, but ended up loving it and buying my first piece — a picture of two women playing cards in a garden. In it, they look happy, peaceful, well cared for … It reminded me of my best friend and me playing cards, enjoying each other’s company. It will remind me to set my intentions every day, to achieve ... It’s hard to explain, but it spoke to me deeply.

The final show starred Suzanne Westenhoefer, and just when I thought I couldn’t laugh any more she brought down the house!

The last dinner was a very special one, with baked Alaska to top it all off. I enjoyed our last meal with my wonderful group of  friends (now we call ourselves our “Olivia family”). We went to the aft deck after dinner to send our message in a bottle and say our “see you laters” because they were not goodbyes. I had come to love our eclectic little group and felt sadness as I was thinking that it will soon be over.

Day 8

I had to wake up and pack like crazy. Disembarkation was easy and uneventful. I had my artwork mailed home. I was so happy I would have a reminder of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I stayed that night with D, Victoria, and Ruth before heading home back west. We barely gone from the ship before we began a group text with the eight, keeping in touch and planning a reunion.

What a trip it was … a life changing experience for sure. I wish every lesbian could experience this thing called “Olivia” ... it’s (words can’t describe it) MAGIC! My best friend told me that it would be the best week of my life — and it was — until my next Olivia Cruise! I’m hooked!