Since Antarctic expeditions began in 1820 with explorers Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Mikhail Lazarev, and John Davis (who was the first person to step foot on Antarctica in 1821), never before has an all-LGBT+ expedition sailing taken place… until now. Leading nearly 200 LGBT+ explorers, VACAYA boarded PONANT’s Le Boreal on December 7, 2022 in Ushuaia, Argentina and began the 2.5-day crossing of the Drake Passage, where the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans converge, creating the most treacherous waters on earth. At 5:12pm on December 10, 2022, The Vacayans (those who travel with VACAYA are known as “Vacayans”) stepped foot on “The Ice” in Neko Harbor, Antarctica – making history with the first successful all-LGBT+ expedition cruise to Antarctica.
VACAYA Co-founder Randle Roper exclaimed, “It’s taken over 200 years of Antarctic exploration to get here, but with VACAYA, the LGBT+ community has now officially left their mark on the 7th continent! The incredible work of the VACAYA team, our Expedition Leaders, and our fearless Captain made this journey possible.”
In the world of gay ship captains, the total number can almost be counted on one hand. Out and proud Le Boreal Captain Florian Richard adds, “I thank VACAYA for such an open minded and fun sailing. I’m proud to be a part of this history-making expedition.”
In addition to being the first all-LGBT+ expedition cruise to Antarctica, VACAYA also released the very first kaboodle of drag queens onto the continent: Sister Helen Holy (Paul J. Williams), The Liquor Mini (Danny Cabrera), Pissi Myles (Joseph D’Angio), Mini More (Stephen Harms), and Dixie Longate (Kris Andersson) planted the pride flag onto the continent to mark the occasion.
For more information, visit www.myvacaya.com
Photo Credit: VACAYA