Sweet Sets Sail With The Largest Lesbian Cruise Ever

When the Norwegian Spirit sails from New Orleans on Nov. 8 for a seven-day Western Caribbean cruise, it will be the culmination of months of work and planning by Sweet, the lesbian travel company founded in January 2008. When SheWired spoke with Sweet co-founders Shannon Wentworth and Jen Rainin last year, the cruise was more than a year away. Despite the economy tanking since then, Sweet still is on target to host the largest lesbian cruise ever, with nearly 2,000 women embarking on the ecofriendly, voluntourism vacation, packed with activities and events.

 “I am probably more positive and upbeat about the future than I've ever been in my whole entire life,” Wentworth says. “The energy is flowing through me about this project now that more people know about it and we have honed the concept and developed really wonderful relationships …”

Wentworth knows the economy has had an impact on Sweet. “No one is going to say I was a genius on choosing when to start this company and at the same time we have had an incredibly successful year at list building and reaching out to people ... We are definitely going to grow slower than I predicted… the good news is that we have the ability to do that and we're also able to negotiate really, really great contracts with the different travel providers.”

Wentworth says that while cruise vacationers tend to be a little older, Sweet has developed several programs to attract younger travelers and to help people afford to travel, including all- in-one pricing, a three-some special and no interest, no fee financing:

·      All-in-one pricing includes accommodations, all you can eat (casual or dressy freestyle dining), entertainment, on-board activities, all port taxes and gratuities. You’ll pay for alcoholic beverages, soda and bottled water and guided tours. 

·       The threesome offer lets guests add a third and fourth passenger for free in select cabins (until June 30). “Not everyone wants to travel in that tight of quarters,” Wentworth explains, “but I know that when I was in college, I could have afforded that. It's less than $100 a day, you get all your food and your hotel moves from port to port...”

·       Payments can be spread over 12 months with no interested and no fees if you book by June 30.

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