r family vacations :: Cruising Comes Ashore

Already the premier LGBT family vacation company thanks to their well known (and well loved) cruises, R Family Vacations recently announced that they'd be expanding their repertoire, and for the first time will offer a land based vacation option. Of course their cruises will keep on, well, cruising, while this addition gives those who haven't quite gotten their sea legs an opportunity to share in the fun that r family vacations is known for.

Having hosted nine cruises in the past six years, r family knows what they're doing, and they do it well. Now, they're doing it Club Med style. Yep; this summer, r family Vacations will "take over" the entire Club Med Ixtapa Pacific Resort in Ixtapa, Mexico. Si papi!

Club Med Ixtapa Pacific, Mexico

From July 10th through the 17th, Club Med Ixtapa Pacific will be home to r family vacations, and their friends, families and guests. With all of the "normal" Club Med activities avaialable (trapeze, rock wall climbing, tennis, art and crafts, water sports - not that kind - and more), you'd be hard pressed to be bored. That said, if you'd like to simply sit by the pool - or listen to the lapping of the ocean - you're free to do that too.

Catering to both families (of all makeups) and singles, guests will get the company's signature style of entertainment, plus special programming through the Family Equality Council, including educational workshops and political discussions.

Entertainment in Extapa will include Grammy and four time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (ABC's Private Practice), Alec Mapa (fresh from Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty) and NY-based comedian Jessica Kirson, among others.

"We are excited to continue to offer new destinations and different types of vacation options to the entire LGBT community while including their friends and families. Our guests have been asking for land-based programs and cruises to Europe and Hawaii and this year we have them all!" says Gregg Kaminsky, co-founder of R Family Vacations.

Still cruising...

Of course they haven't forgotten their core business - their cruises - or the people who love them. In fact, this summer will mark another first for the company: a cruise to Europe.

They say "ask and ye shall receive," and apparently it's true. Along with signature cruises to Hawaii and the Caribbean, r family will also be "going continental."

Of course sometimes the good comes with the slightly-not-as-great. In this case, it's the fact that rather than chartering an entire ships as they've done in the past, this year's cruises will be on "mixed" ships. The cruises will still be on Norwegian Cruise Line ships and r family guests will enjoy private dining and entertainment, but NCL will also be booking rooms, for non-r family affiliated guests.

One highlight of these next cruises is the chance to be among the first to experience the brand new Norwegian Epic, as well as her entertainment, which in this case, features Blue Man Group, Cirque Dreams and Nickelodeon- perfect for r family.