February 23, 2012
Concierge Travel Announces First All-Gay Seven-Night Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 3 MIN.
HOUSTON, TX - Concierge Travel, the largest gay-owned and operated travel agency and tour operator in the state of Texas, announced details on its first all-gay Europe cruise. The full ship charter cruise will sail on the Star Clipper to the Greek Isles and Turkey for seven nights from August 25, 2012 to September 1, 2012.
Founded in Houston in 1997, Concierge Travel entered the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) market in 2000. In 2011, the company offered its first all-gay luxury sailing ship cruise to Costa Rica and Panama aboard the Star Flyer. Today, Concierge Travel has grown its customized vacation offerings to include cruises to the Caribbean and Amazon, as well as land excursions to South Africa and Peru and now its very first gay and lesbian cruise in Europe.
"We're very excited to offer our very first all gay and lesbian Europe cruise," said Kim Gustavsson, vice president of sales and marketing at Concierge Travel. "We take great pride in offering our guests an experience focused on camaraderie and new friendships, and I'm thrilled to be able to introduce guests to a part of the world as unique and exquisite as the Greek Isles and Turkey."
The ship departs from Athens and heads to the beautiful island of Mykonos, part of the Cyclades. Guests will spend the night in Mykonos, enabling them to enjoy the great gay nightlife that the island is famous for. The next day they will visit Patmos before they are off to Kusadasi, Turkey, near the ancient ruins of Ephesus.
Travelers will have a day at sea before visiting Hellenic wonders in famous Greek destinations including Monemvasia and Santorini. Guests will return to Athens for the last leg of the trip.
Concierge Travel's first all-gay Europe cruise will sail on the Star Clipper, a modern, luxurious sailing ship 360 feet long that can comfortably accommodate 170 guests.
The ship offers spacious accommodations and expansive teak decks with two swimming pools. The d�cor of Star Clipper is reminiscent of the grand age of sailing, with antique prints and paintings and teak and gleaming mahogany rails.
Staterooms start at $ 1,195 per person based on double occupancy. Airfares, transfers, gratuities, and port fees are additional.
Concierge Travel is also offering all-inclusive pre- and post-cruise packages that, depending on the package, include a 4-course roof top dinner, walking tour of Athens, beach party and airport, ship and hotel transfers, as well as hotel. The host hotel will be the Electra Palace Hotel Athens, a beautiful 5-star property.
"To visit Mykonos, Santorini and the other jewels of the Aegean, we believe that 'smaller is better'," said Gustavsson. "That's why we chose the Star Clipper for a unique, all-gay sailing ship experience. I'm excited to be able to offer our very first gay and lesbian Europe cruise and am looking forward to providing an experience of a lifetime for new or seasoned travelers."
Concierge Travel was named Houston's "Gayest & Greatest Travel Agency" by OutSmart Magazine in 2011, an honor it has received each year since 2002. It was also named "Best LGBT Cruise or Tour Company" in 2010 and 2011.
OutSmart Magazine is an award-winning LGBT magazine in Houston, Texas. The magazine surveys its 60,000 monthly readers and its online readers about the best in gay venues, restaurants, travel and other products and services throughout Texas.
Reservations for any Concierge Travel vacation can be made by contacting Concierge Travel directly at 877.775.9616.
For more detailed information, visit the newly redesigned website at www.conciergetravel.cc
Founded in 1997, Concierge Travel is a boutique, gay-owned travel agency and tour operator that creates intimate, customized experiences for its LGBT guests on its own exclusive small-ship cruises and land tours. Concierge Travel also provides a range of services and enhancements on the vacations that it books for its guests with other travel providers.
Voted Houston's "Gayest & Greatest Travel Agency" by OutSmart Magazine every year since 2002 and "Best LGBT Cruise or Tour Company" in 2010 and 2011, Concierge Travel also believes strongly in supporting the gay and lesbian community, and donates 20 percent of its total net travel revenue annually to important LGBT organizations.
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
