Same–sex couples can now have a symbolic marriage ceremony, officially register as domestic partners, and honeymoon en masse on upcoming gay wedding group cruises offered by My Cruise Club.com and gay-marriage officiator “Minister Deb”.

An 11-day group-wedding cruise through the Mediterranean aboard the all-suite mega-yacht the Seaborn Legend is scheduled for April 7, 2004. The cost of this cruise is $4890 and includes round trip air to and from Lisbon Portugal, all cruise costs, wedding ceremony, open bar, gratuities, shore excursions, port fees and taxes. The ports visited on this exotic luxury cruise are Lisbon, Portugal; Lanzarote, Canary Islands; Casablanca, Morocco; Seville, Spain; and Portimao, Portugal.

For those same-sex couples who need a shorter and less expensive cruise to celebrate their union, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Monarch of the Seas, will depart on Friday April 9th, 2004 from the Los Angeles area port of San Pedro. The cruise will visit Ensenada, Mexico on April 10th, and return to Los Angeles on the following Monday, April 12. The date for this cruise was chosen because Friday April 9th is Good Friday, so potential cruisers may have that day off work, and as the cruise returns the following morning, it is possible that they will be able to be back at work by Monday afternoon – and thus miss as little time at work as possible.

The price per person for this cruise, including all port charges and taxes, ranges from $500 for an inside cabin, up to $1550 for an owners suite –one of the largest and most luxurious accommodations on Royal Caribbeans’ cruise ships. Although this is the only cost for friends and family of the same-sex couple, there is an additional group wedding participation fee of $150 per couple, which includes the group ceremony with ordained same-sex marriage officiator “Minister Deb”, a personalized certificate of marriage, all Domestic Partner registration paperwork and notarization required by the state of California, a private no-host party at Papa’s and Beer in Ensenada, a group photo and champagne and chocolates in each cabin. Private wedding ceremonies performed in one of the Monarch’s Royal Suites will be available for a fee of $250 per couple.

Although marriage between same-sex couples is not recognized by the state of California, on September 19, 2003 Gray Davis signed a bill giving gay and lesbian domestic partners a host of new rights formerly restricted to opposite-sex married couples. The law gives state-registered domestic partners all of the same rights, protections, benefits, obligations and duties as married spouses regarding property, children and arrangements after death. It gives a partner the right to financial support and child custody if the partnership is dissolved, and it gives a survivor the right to collect his or her partner's state and municipal benefits. The law also will make partners responsible for one another's debt.
Minister Deb performs gay weddings and commitment ceremonies in Southern California and the Maryland and Washington D.C. area and is the only wedding officiator in the nation catering exclusively to the gay and lesbian community. Minister Deb offers same-sex couples a wide range of ceremonies and vows to choose from or helping them design the event with their unique and personal specifications.
Minister Deb is a graduate of the Candler School of Theology of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her Master's of Theological Studies with an emphasis in Sociology and Ethics. Minister Deb is an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church.
While there have been other travel agencies that cater exclusively to the gay market, the gay-only cruises and tours offered have been geared primarily towards the gay single market. The gay-wedding cruises organized by My Cruise Club will be the first gay-cruises ever offered that are themed around gay couples and that allow their non-gay family and friends to join them in a mixed lifestyle cruise environment. My Cruise Club.com is a cruise-only travel agency located in Marina del Rey, California and has been the largest affiliate agency of Cruise.com since 2002. Owners Mitchell Bank and Hope Ingersoll say their inspiration and determination to focus their business on organizing gay-wedding group cruise came from their desire to provide their own friends and family – some of whom are gay couples - the same benefits and celebrations designed for opposite-sex partners.
My Cruise Club plans to offer at least several gay-wedding group cruises per year on different ships with differing prices and destinations in order to accommodate a wide-variety of budgets and interests. Even if couples are not able to cruise on the dates determined thus far, they are encouraged to call and get on a contact list so they will be informed on future cruise dates and given first option to reserve those cruises.