In most U.S. cities, gay pride is celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots that sparked the modern gay pride movement. But in Europe, the dates vary widely over the summer, from June through mid-August. So if you want to keep the party going – or if you just want to travel to Europe…
Miss Conception is the celebrated female delusionist who headlines many Brand g cruises and performs encores in crew quarters. Canada’s chanteuse extraordinaire, she entertains around the globe, including a residency each winter in Puerto Vallarta. As befits the whirlwind life of a superstar, we got together with the sequined siren at a popular local motel.…
Khmer Cool: The Astounding Temples of Angkor Wat & Cambodia Anyone who considers Cambodia nothing more than a great Asian country to fly over is missing some of the most incredible sightseeing – and shopping – in the world. The city of Angkor, with its 154 square miles of temples and monuments is like a 12th…
Americans generally think of Machu Picchu as one of two things. Either: A crazy Incan Disneyland with barefoot costume characters dressed as monks Or A sacred site that rewards the people who endure the nosebleed altitude with mystical enlightenment and Bewitched-like powers Regardless of your spiritual or secular view of the place, it really is…
River Cruising – Put Your Worries and Your Wallet Away, by Eric Poole These days, it seems like everything on an ocean cruise is an additional charge. Drinks. Shore excursions. Dining. Lifeboats. So when my husband and I recently took our first river cruise, from Provence to Burgundy, France, with Brand g Vacations, it was pretty welcome…
Chances are, you’d have to be living in a bomb shelter with Kimmy Schmidt not to know Amy & Freddy, the smash hit duo who headline in NYC, LA, Chicago, Palm Springs, P-Town, Puerto Vallarta and just about anywhere else a gay person has uttered the word fabulous. And they’re headlining – alongside the hilarious…
Check Out Our New Piece in Passport Magazine: MEKONG RIVER CRUISE: CULTURE SHOCK & AWE Are you ready to cruise the Mekong River? Southeast Asia is a place of incredible contradictions. Urban megalopolises like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, with their stunning French architecture and millions of motorcycles exist in a sort of awkward…
Asian Invasion: Celebrity Chef Michael Bao Huynh Helms the Cuisine for Brand g’s Jewels of Vietnam and Cambodia Cruises Michelin Awards. Iron Chef. Nearly a dozen restaurants in New York, California and Vietnam. Michael Bao Huynh is Vietnam’s gastronomic ambassador and one of the premier Asian celebrity chefs. And – hold onto your culinary panties –…
Let’s face it – we’re gay. There’s a reason we like Downton Abbey. I mean, who hasn’t dreamed of dining like that, on sumptuous meals fit for royalty? And that’s one of the reasons we love river cruising. You can enjoy wonderful, multi-course meals served by uniformed wait staff, without having to own a drafty…
If you’ve ever done a gay ocean cruise, you probably have a certain image of that experience: Thousands of people Dance parties that can turn into public sexy time The need for a steamer trunk of costumes Having to drag yourself out of bed after a late night party to go sightseeing (since that’s sort…
In past years, with oil at $100+/barrel, airfares for high season travel to places around the globe were akin to a prostate exam: it felt like someone was violating you, and under highly unflattering lighting. But with the drop in oil prices over the past year (now hovering around a delightful $50/barrel), airfares have dropped…
Neil Grungras, ORAM – There are countless affluent places to see in the world, many of them exotic and luxurious. Why travel to an impoverished, struggling country – particularly one where LGBT rights are not recognized? For one thing, our visit can be crucially empowering for the people and places we see. For another, our…
If you’re interested in Brand g, you’re probably somebody who values unique travel experiences and learning about other cultures – am I right? But you’re probably also someone who would like to LEAVE that culture behind at night and come back to a 5-star river cruise ship or land resort. I mean, come on! Seeing…
Don’t panic when you compare prices. River cruises are actually only a bit more, because river cruise fares include many of the things that are extras on ocean cruises. And these days, almost everything is extra on an ocean cruise, unless you’re traveling on one of the super-luxury lines. Still, they are a bit more,…
Want to learn how to score free airfare and hotel nights using premium credit card rewards and signup bonuses? Read on! Travelers have always loved premium credit cards like the American Express Platinum card for their snob appeal, but I for one wasn’t about to pay $450 just to look cool dropping a Platinum Card…
What’s Included in a Brand g River Cruise? ALMOST EVERYTHING. Most Brand g programs offer the following inclusions: Pre-cruise hotel stay. Arrival and departure transfers. Wine and beer at lunch and dinner. Daily shore excursions and touring. You get the idea. A lot of the things that are usually add-on costs are included in the…
Wanna hear all the inside scoop on river cruises right from the horse’s mouth? (Hmmm, bad metaphor. Or maybe not.) Brand g’s Brian Van Wey talks all things River Cruise on the latest episode of the River Cruise Radio podcast! Listen here: or download from iTunes. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/river-cruise-radio/id1157582589?mt=2
By now, pretty much every seasoned traveler knows the advantages of TSA Pre-Check: You don’t have to take off your shoes (or walk barefoot on those delightfully sticky, vomit-flecked airport floors) You don’t have to pull out your laptop or liquids (always a plus if you’re carrying liquids of a, shall we say, “personal” nature)…
What kind of entertainment can you expect on a Brand g cruise? In a word: Divas and DJ’s! While the entertainment naturally varies based on the specific cruise, we always bring on our own special guests beyond what the ship provides. Divas like the bawdy queen of cabaret, Amy Armstrong and her pianist prince,…
Many of you have been on gay ocean cruises. But if you haven’t joined us on a Brand g vacation, you might be wondering what a gay RIVER cruise is like. In July, my husband and I took our first Brand g cruise, and we became immediate converts to the river cruise way of traveling.…
by Cristina Costea – Monday July 6th, 2016 The 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting was one of the most heinous crimes ever committed against the LGBT community. Just as the world seemed to be more open-minded and accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, the Orlando shooting reminded everyone that for the LGBT community things are…
Cruising has gained tremendous popularity over the past few decades and as a result the cruising options have grown. On the “Wow, that’s huge” extreme, the newest luxury cruise mega-ship to hit the scene in 2016 can hold 6,780 passengers and 2,100 crew members. On the opposite end of the cruising spectrum, small ship cruises…
Few European cities have such a rich history as the Austrian capital of Vienna. As the former home of the Habsburg court and its various empires, the city still has the look and feel of the imperial capital of its day. Artists and composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss, and Gustav Klimt found inspiration…
We’re off to southern California later this month where we’re throwing a few parties to thank our alumni and meet new friends who have an interest in lgbt travel. With a bit of a lull in our trip schedule it’ll be good to get out from behind our computers to reconnect with our guests in…