olivia travel 2022

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Olivia Revolutionized Travel for Lesbians: Here's How

• How the Women of Olivia Changed The World of Travel

In 1990, when Olivia — then a venerable lesbian music company — chartered its very first ocean voyage, only one cruise line would lease a ship to a bunch of queer women. “On so many levels we were seen as scary,” Olivia’s founder Judy Dlugacz recalls. “First homophobia, then not believing women could charter a ship, and they were also afraid about what the religious community would think of their companies chartering to gay people. Also, the crew had to be totally in the closet or be afraid of losing their jobs.”

Since then, “we have changed the travel industry and impacted women all over the world!” Dlugacz says. And indeed, examples abound of how the pioneering company made history and changed the world of travel. In 1993,  Olivia  visited the Greek island of Lesbos, in what Dlugacz has called, “probably the largest lesbian pilgrimage in a few millennia.”

Six years later, when docking in Turkey , an Olivia cruise was met by protestors who objected to the queer passengers. Over a thousand women disembarked anyway and infused so much cash into the local economy that by the next port they were greeted with signs proclaiming “Welcome, Ladies of Olivia!” and Turkish newspapers heralded the “wonderful women” who helped revive the tourist industry post-Kosovo War.

“We are amazing ambassadors wherever we go,” Dlugacz notes (pictured). “Meeting people who never saw so many women much less lesbians and LGBTQ + women having so much fun together. It is contagious and we have helped to change the way the world sees this very invisible population.”

Olivia founder Judy Dlugacz

Over the decades, Olivia cruises have hosted author summits and film festivals, leadership trips with icons like Billie Jean King, and tennis clinics with Martina Navratilova. The former recording label continued its musical legacy by booking stars like the Indigo Girls, Heart, k.d. lang, and Melissa Etheridge.

Today, Olivia Travel is the most influential queer women’s travel company in the world. “Our team and our guests represent an amazing cross-section of our community,” boasts Dlugacz, who says Olivia’s guests range from their 30s to 70s and reflect numerous ethnicities, racial identities, and international connections.

Alyson Palmer of the band BETTY performs onboard

“Since we started Olivia Travel, we have taken well over 350,000 women on vacations around the world,” Dlugacz says. “So many women never traveled outside of the U.S. before Olivia because of how insecure it was to travel as two women. Now we go everywhere with brand new travelers and well-seasoned adventurers. For lesbians and LGBTQ+ women in particular [cruising] is a great way to see the world with a community of friends,” Dlugacz says. “It is also a very secure way for women to travel.”

Solo group on an Olivia Cruise

LGBTQ+ travelers face more than taunts or outright discrimination when they travel — violence is always a possibility, especially for women, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming folks. Singles, couples, and small groups are at more risk than a ship full of queer women. There is safety in numbers and in the way Olivia vets every port and excursion operator before partnering with them. That kind of power and security can be intoxicating and it’s one of the reasons that Olivia cruises can feel so life changing.

There really is something special about being on a boat where women outnumber men 100 to one and the majority of passengers and crew are queer. (“It’s like taking off a tight shoe,” Dlugacz jokes.) It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Until it isn’t. After going on one Olivia cruise many guests return, again and again. (I’ve been on eight myself.)

“The LGBTQ+ women who come with us have an extraordinary experience, unlike any other,” Dlugacz adds. “I always welcome our guests at the gangway and say, ‘Welcome to the way the world should be!’ [There’s a] comfort and freedom knowing we are the majority and thus the norm. When you step on an Olivia cruise or resort or any of our trips, you can feel that sense of excitement and delight and for whatever number of days you are with us, there is a fresh sense of empowerment for all.”

The cruise industry has grown enormously in the past three decades. “When Olivia started cruising, the largest ships were 1,250 passengers,” Dlugacz muses. “Now they are over 5,000. But the good news is there is a lot of diversity in terms of size of ships, types of ships, and where we can go.”

Olivia charters cruise ships that can carry up to 2,200 passengers, riverboats (up to 180) in Europe and the U.S., and adventure cruises (up to 100) in the Galapagos, Antarctica, and the Sea of Cortez. The company also does resort buyouts in Mexico and the Caribbean and land-based adventures in Patagonia and Machu Picchu .

In the coming year, Olivia is planning 33 trips — mostly riverboats. But the itinerary also includes Windstar sail trips in Tahiti, resorts in Turks and Caicos and Nuevo Vallarta, and small luxury cruises to Iceland, Greece , Cyprus, and Israel.

As the world learns to live with the pandemic, travel has rebounded. In fact, business is booming. Dlugacz says, “We are seeing a huge increase in new guests on all of our vacations. We have yet to do a large cruise [since the pandemic started] and the first will be our 50th Celebrations to the Caribbean. Everything we are doing is selling out.”

In 2023 Olivia is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a company, and Dlugacz says it’s planning “blowout experiences,” including two cruises to the Caribbean and a buyout of a five-star resort in Cabo San Lucas. She says, “Next year promises to be Olivia’s biggest year in her history.”

Dlugacz says of her crew, “We get better at everything we do every time we travel.” Those who’ve been on previous cruises will still find something new to experience on Olivia. “More and more new talent, some wonderful new ships and itineraries you’ve never done before…[and] an even more diverse group of passengers!”

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Dates june 27, 2024 - july 5, 2024, venue star legend.

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Dates september 5, 2024 - september 12, 2024, venue star breeze.

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Dates september 21, 2024 - september 28, 2024, venue ms eurodam.

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Dates october 19, 2024 - october 26, 2024, venue azamara pursuit.

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Dates january 4, 2025 - january 11, 2025, venue msy wind star.

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Dates march 29, 2025 - april 5, 2025, venue ms nieuw statendam.

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Dates july 2, 2025 - july 10, 2025, venue wind surf.

2025 Iceland Luxury Cruise

Dates august 18, 2025 - august 25, 2025, venue star pride.

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Dates october 18, 2025 - october 25, 2025, venue azamara onward.

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Dates october 27, 2024 - november 3, 2024, venue hard rock hotel vallarta.

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Dates november 30, 2024 - december 7, 2024, venue club med turks and caicos.

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2024 A Taste of France: Burgundy and Provence Riverboat Cruise

Dates august 27, 2024 - september 3, 2024, venue ms avalon poetry ii.

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Dates april 12, 2025 - april 19, 2025, venue ms avalon vista.

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Dates may 14, 2025 - may 21, 2025, venue ms avalon alegria.

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Dates october 21, 2025 - november 4, 2025, venue amadara.

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Dates january 6, 2025 - january 16, 2025, venue coral adventurer.

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Dates january 31, 2025 - february 5, 2025, venue national geographic seabird.

2025 Maldives Scuba & Spa Adventure Cruise

Dates march 1, 2025 - march 8, 2025, venue scubaspa yin.

2025 Maldives Scuba & Spa Adventure Cruise II

Dates march 8, 2025 - march 15, 2025.

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Dates april 25, 2025 - may 8, 2025, venue access holidays & events.

2025 Magical Morocco Adventure II

Dates may 9, 2025 - may 22, 2025.

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Dates august 16, 2025 - august 21, 2025.

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Dates september 13, 2025 - september 21, 2025, venue machu picchu.

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7 TOUR Companies that are Proud to specialize IN LGBTQ+ TRAVEL

Affinity Travel , Online Exclusives

THESE TOUR companies are designed TO provide support for and celebrate LGBTQ+ friendly TRAVEL AND are ready to help you see the world the way you want.

For travelers in the LGBTQ+ community one key aspect of a successful trip is an atmosphere of acceptance. The tour operators listed below specialize in lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender travel and will work with you and your group to assemble vacations to the best LGBT-friendly locations. Each of these companies pay close attention to the up-and-coming locations for LGBTQ+ travel as well as keeping an ear out for the safest destinations for anyone in the community. Feeling comfortable to be who you are while traveling is the top priority at each of these companies and they all have something unique to offer in the business of vacationing within your community.

OLIVIA TRAVEL

Leading lesbian tour operator, Olivia Travel, began as a record label in 1973 before transforming into an international tour outlet in 1990. Today the company, has planned trips for over 350,000 women and has a program designed for every kind of woman. There are programs for women over 40 and under 40, women of color, and even women in uniform. Whether you prefer to bring all your best gals on a trip or find adventure solo, there is a trip by Olivia that is a perfect fit for you. Their travel coordinators will work with you, or your entire group, to plan your next fantastic vacation.

Olivia Travel goes all out to deliver world-class travel experiences to women, their vacations span from full cruise trips to renting out hotels for a vacation full of girl power. The company even offers safari trips full of gorgeous landscapes and rare animal experiences. No matter which route you chose, all adventures through Olivia Travel are created to foster authenticity, a welcoming community of LGBTQ+ women, and a space that allows you to come exactly as you are. Groups, or solo travelers, may book online, visit the San Francisco office or call Olivia’s travel consultants. ( olivia.com )

OWLs: We celebrate our elders by creating special events so that you can connect, share stories, and forge new friendships. (photo courtesy of https://olivia.com/our-programs)

ZOOM VACATIONS

Based in Chicago, this prestigious travel planner won the 2016 Travvy Award’s gold prize for Best Escorted Tour Operator in the LGBT category and the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Awards, among many other accolades. From their start Zoom has been all about diversity, inclusion, and comradery. All their destinations have been vetted as being gay-friendly and welcoming to people in all walks of life.

Zoom Vacations believes that successful gay travel, and travel in general, relies on the close attention to detail. Travel coordinators at Zoom strive to personalize the trip to the traveler, getting to know you, your preferences, and the vision you have for your vacation. The company provides two ways to travel, with their pre-planned vacation itineraries or by helping you plan your own private trip catered to your ideas.

Zoom’s unique tours can take you anywhere from Morocco or Egypt, and even to the Maldives. Their planned get aways offered each year include luxury hotel stays, tour guides throughout all the trip’s outings, as well as incredible cuisine both at your hotel and at hand-picked locations around your destination. If you want to go the independent travel route, a travel expert will work with you throughout each step of the planning process. They will consider the destination you have in mind along with your budget and hand craft a vacation specific to you. Pricing for solo trips and the schedule for upcoming tours, as well as testimonial from several previous Zoom travelers can be found on their website ( zoomvacations.com ).

Based in Salt Lake City, Utah to serve as a beacon of hope to the large population of young LGBTQ+ individuals, HE Travel is one of the leading companies in inclusive travel. They have received the Editor’s Choice from Out & About, the popular gay travel newsletter, and was named Gay Tour Operator of the Year by OutTraveler Magazine.

HE Travel specializes in active outdoor travel with trips that feature hiking, rafting, and biking. While all their trips have a varying levels of outdoor activity, they do not all center around these activities. There are also trips that feature island hopping, safaris and even cultural tours.

If outdoor adventure amongst a welcoming and inclusive community sounds like the right kind of trip for you, you can visit HE Travel’s website to see their full calendar of trips. ( tototours.com )

OUT ADVENTURES

Based in Canada, Out Adventures takes LGBTQ+ groups interests into consideration when planning a variety of trips around the world. Since 2009 Out Adventures has been prioritizing the celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in their travel itineraries. Their crew has explored over a hundred countries, making them well versed about customs and feelings towards the community. This allows them to plan trip for you centered around places that you will feel safe and welcomed. Out Adventures are not only curated to make you feel welcomed wherever your travels may take you, but also to support the LGBTQ+ community in the countries their tours visit. Tours are organized on their site according to themes such as active, cruise, culture, and flex, making it easy to find a trip that feels right for your interests.

Out Adventures guided trips and tours lean more towards the small size hosting sixteen travelers for land excursions and not more than forty on a cruise. This allows you and your fellow vacationers to build a sense of comradery and foster an even greater community feel on your trip. If one of their tours does not stick out to you, they always have agents that are happy to help you plan something that is more your style or speed. ( outadventures.com )

(Photo courtesy of https://www.outadventures.com/)

(Photo courtesy of https://www.outadventures.com/ )

DETOURS GAY TRAVEL

Founded in 2012, Detours home base is also located in Canada. The company is run by a group of family and friends that pride themselves on putting together relaxing and unhurried vacations. Their travel initiative is to allow guests on their trips to be travelers, not tourists, immersing them in a locations culture rather than only seeing bug ticket attractions. Detours travel concept revolves around you the traveler, steering away from “cookie cutter” itineraries and following a plan as we go mindset. If you would rather lay on the beach while the rest of the group goes zip lining or want to try out a weaving class instead of snorkeling, Detours encourages you to choose your own adventure along the way.

They have a calendar full of trips that can take you and your friends to Europe, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and Africa. Whatever you’re looking for, Detours can help book your group on a pre-scheduled trip or customize one based on your interests. ( detourstravel.com )

Pink VIbgyor

This travel agency in Sydney, Australia specializes in tailor made LGBTQ+ vacations with a heart for providing you with the most immersive and relaxing stays. While Pink Vibgyor also offers specific preplanned gay tours, their shining aspect is their attention to your preferences when helping you plan your dream vacation. They heavily research all their package trips as well as any trip they may be assisting you with, to bring you closer to the LGBTQ+ culture and lifestyle around your location.

One of their features that set them apart from other LGBTQ+ travel companies is their section on culinary tours. These special tours feature meals with local families, getting a front row seat to their coking styles and recipes, and experiencing the best traditional cuisine your destination has to offer.

You can see all their exciting featured planned tours or fill out a form to begin crafting your personal tailor-made tour with a staff member on their website. ( pinkvibgyor.com/ ).

Oscar Wilde Tours

Gay Pride is more and more important in the world today—and Oscar Wilde Tours lets you explore it more deeply than ever. As heirs to a tradition that is central to civilization, LGBTQ+ people can truly take pride in their forebears, who count among their number such greats as Sappho and Socrates, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky and Virginia Woolf, the genius dancer Nijinsky, the literary revolutionary Thomas Mann, and of course, the sublime Oscar Wilde himself.

Oscar Wilde Tours offers guided tours to destinations such as Europe and the United States, focusing on the cultural and historical significance of LGBTQ+ communities in each location. ( oscarwildetours.com/ )

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Olivia Timeline: From Grassroots to World’s Largest Lesbian Travel Company

1975: Meg Christian records the first album under the Olivia label, Meg Christian: I Know You Know . That same year, Cris Williamson’s recording The Changer and the Changed launches her to prominence as a female recording artist. The album is among the best-selling independent albums of all time.

1977: Olivia produces a groundbreaking album called Lesbian Concentrate in response to Anita Bryant’s anti-homosexual campaign in Florida. It is the first anthology of music by lesbian recording artists.

1982 : For Olivia’s 10th anniversary, Williamson and Christian perform two sold-out shows for 5,600 women at Carnegie Hall. At the time, the concert is the largest single-grossing event since the hall’s creation in 1891.

1983: Successful Olivia recording artist Meg Christian retires from women’s music. She does not play another public concert until August 2002, aboard an Olivia cruise.

1983: Judy Dlugacz evolves as the sole remaining partner of Olivia as she celebrates her 30th birthday.

1990: With the dream of producing concerts on the water, Judy Dlugacz puts down a $50,000 deposit to charter a cruise ship. She writes to Olivia fans announcing the trip, and more than 600 women sign up. Because the cruise sold out in just a few weeks, organizers added a second sailing to meet demand. Olivia Cruises & Resorts is born.

2000: Olivia Cruises & Resorts celebrates its 10-year anniversary with more trips and entertainers than ever, and adds Australia as a destination.

2000: All four major newspapers in Istanbul celebrate the arrival of the women of Olivia with front-page articles. The newspapers report that lesbians on an Olivia Cruise rescued the lagging Turkish economy by spending more than half a million dollars in three ports of call in just three days.

2000: Olivia President Judy Dlugacz calls for the government of the Bahamas to make official statements condemning a group of anti-gay protesters who meet an Olivia Cruise in Nassau. The next day, the government holds a press conference asking Olivia and other gay and lesbian travelers to return to the island nation. The Bahamas’ Minister of Tourism comes aboard the ship to offer an official apology for the protesters’ actions.

2001: Olivia receives a groundswell of support following the events of September 11. Olivia’s 30th anniversary cruise sells out within two months, and the company announces a second 1,250-person cruise to celebrate Olivia’s anniversary in January 2003. Anniversary trips are also scheduled for Scandinavia and Cancun.

2002: For the first time since the Carnegie Hall concert, Meg Christian and Cris Williamson reunite on Olivia’s Scandinavia Cruise (August 14–22, 2002). More than 800 travelers are aboard to share in the magic.

2003: A group of 1,250 lesbians help Olivia celebrate three decades of providing the best in women’s travel, entertainment and music with a 30th Anniversary Cancun Resort Celebration and a 30th Anniversary Eastern Caribbean Cruise Celebration.

2003: Olivia announces a kids and family trip at Floridian Club Med Resort, becoming the industry’s first to offer a family vacation for lesbian and gay families.

2004: Olivia’s new logo, brand identity and website are unveiled.

2004 : Olivia partners with Showtime to feature a special pre-premiere screening of the new series The L-Word . The show’s creator and members of the cast join Olivia guests aboard a Mexican Riviera cruise.

2004: Olivia hosts a landmark wedding and honeymoon cruise with optional legal wedding ceremony in Boston. k.d. lang performs two special concerts.

2005: Olivia brands its newest offering of niche upscale, off-the-beaten-path trips catering to smaller-scale guest capacities (47 to 600 guests) as Olivia’s Ultimate Escapes. Olivia now offers three diverse types of trips: cruises, resort vacations and ultimate escapes. Ultimate Escapes are 5–7 star cruises, land and adventure vacations to once-in-a-lifetime destinations like Africa, the Galapagos, Scandinavia & Russia and Tahiti.

2005: Two-time Grammy winner Melissa Etheridge performs onboard Olivia’s Eastern Caribbean Cruise. Five-time Grammy winner Mary Chapin Carpenter performs onboard Olivia’s Alaska Discovery Cruise.

2006: The 1,800 passengers on Olivia’s Grand Caribbean Cruise enjoy onboard entertainment by Whoopi Goldberg and tennis instruction from athletic great Martina Navratilova.

2006: Olivia announces record annual revenues of $20 million and debuts an Olivia Visa rewards credit card. Founder Judy Dlugacz receives the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

2007: The LGBT television network Logo films and airs Cruising the Caribbean with Olivia , a one-hour variety special.

2007: Renowned celebrity chefs Elizabeth Falkner, Josie Smith-Malave and Tiffani Faison join Olivia’s Greek Isles Culinary Cruise in May.

2008: Olivia’s 35th anniversary year kicks off with two Caribbean cruises, a Russian riverboat adventure and resort vacations in Cancun, Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera and Australia.

2008: An onboard auction of items donated by celebrities, including Melissa Etheridge, Wynonna Judd, Indigo Girls, Billie Jean King and k.d. lang, raises funds for breast cancer, women’s health and research funding.

2009: Olivia announces that recording artist Meg Christian and L-Word actor Leisha Hailey will help celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Olivia Travel by making guest appearances aboard the 2010 Western Caribbean cruise.

2010: Guests on the 2010 Caribbean Sun and Mexican Riviera cruises enjoy private performances by newly out singer-songwriter Chely Wright and popular comedian Wanda Sykes, respectively.

2010: Olivia partners with gay travel companies Atlantis Events and RSVP Cruises to form the American Red Cross LGBT Haiti Relief Fund. The LGBT community donates more than $250,000 through the fund to aid the earthquake-stricken Haitians.

2011: Olivia’s 2011 Mexican Riviera cruise celebrates the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by bestowing the Olivia Ovation Award (lifetime achievement) on Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer.

2011: Judy Dlugacz is featured in Curve Magazine ’s October “Powerful Women” issue.

2012: Olivia announces a 2013 Southern Caribbean cruise to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary. The trip, which is Olivia’s largest to date at 2,100 passengers, sells out quickly and a second celebratory cruise is added. The company also announces two Punta Cana resort trips in honor of the 40th anniversary, each accommodating 1,100 and representing Olivia’s biggest Music & Comedy Festivals to date.

2012: Judy Dlugacz receives the prestigious Mautner Project Chair’s Award in acknowledgement of her contributions to lesbian and bisexual women’s health.

2012: Olivia sponsors 63-year-old distance swimmer Diana Nyad’s impressive attempted swim from Cuba to Florida.

2012: Judy Dlugacz is appointed to President Obama’s LGBT Leadership Council for his re-election campaign.

2013: Olivia celebrates its 40th anniversary with back-to-back cruises, featuring a reunion concert from Meg Christian and Cris Williamson, sports icon, Billie Jean King, and performances from over 20 lesbian musicians and comediennes.

2013: Guests enjoy a discussion from best-selling author and talk show host, Suze Orman, on the Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro Cruise.

2013: Olivia continues its 40th anniversary celebration with back-to-back music and comedy festivals at Club Med’s Punta Cana Resort. Guests enjoy performances by Wanda Sykes, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Vicci Martinez, and Toshi Reagon.

2013: Olivia closes 2013 with a special 40th anniversary Virgin Isles New Year’s Eve Cruise, celebrating five “sheroes” of our lifetime—Billie Jean King, Edie Windsor, Col. Grethe Cammermeyer, Cris Williamson, and Tammy Smith.

2014: Olivia holds its first-ever Women’s Leadership Summit on board the Caribbean Equality & Leadership Cruise. Special guests include Edie Windsor, Col. Grethe Cammermeyer, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Meredith Baxter, Kate Kendell, Elizabeth Birch, Kris Perry & Sandy Stier, Karen Williams, and C.C. Carter. Guests enjoy a special performance from Indigo Girls.

2014: Maya Angelou is the keynote speaker at the Women’s Leadership Summit, just four months before her death.

2014: Olivia partners with the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF), and raises over $150,000 to help save young Nepalese girls from the practice of Kamlari, the enslaving of young girls. An ongoing partnership is established.

2014: Guests enjoy a special in-port performance from Bonnie Raitt on the Thanksgiving Caribbean Cruise.

2015: Olivia celebrates its 25th anniversary as a travel company with 1,900 lesbians on its first-ever 12 day/11-night cruise to Australia and New Zealand. Olivia Newton-John kicks off the cruise with an in-port concert, and guests enjoy entertainment from Australian country music singer, Beccy Cole; New Zealand national treasures, The Topp Twins; and DJ Ruby Rose.

2015: Judy Dlugacz is awarded the Hanns Ebensten Hall of Fame Award from the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA).

2015: Judy Dlugacz wins the popular vote for 2015 San Francisco Pride Grand Marshal.

2016: Olivia’s Pacific Coast Cruise aboard Holland America ms Zaandam makes first ever port of call visit to San Francisco.

© 2016, ↑ San Francisco Bay Times

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Olivia Travel

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434 Brannan St

San Francisco, CA 94107

Ritch St & Zoe St

Mission Bay

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I used to LOVE Olivia! When the going gets tough, the TRUTH comes out. After 6 trips with them, I'm finished! Never again. This is a GREEDY Company that takes advantage of its loyal Customers. They won't work with me even though my original trip was CANCELED! They lied to all of us. No refunds! Forced to rebook or lose the money then that trip was "postponed ". Save your money and don't book with Olivia!

I've been traveling with Olivia for many, many years. 100% FUN!! They really know how to pack a great time with music, comedy, dancing, adventures, and discovery. I was lucky to have shared the great times openly with my partner on both the cruises and at the resorts. I can't wait for the next one!

I see the 1 star reviews and I get the frustration of cancellations during the pandemic but let me clarify. The Olivia Team is amazing, commutative, and worked very hard and sacrificed during the pandemic like most of us had to. It is not actually expense when you experience the value for your money...the curation of vendors who celebrate us queer Olivians, the entertainment day and night, the celebration of cultures and protection of lands visited...and then there's the community and sense of belonging I was 1 of 600 lesbians who descended upon the Dreams Tulum Resort in Mexico last week and I'll never be the same It was like a parallel universe where I felt so accepted, safe, and carefree all day everyday. #oliviatravel #beautifultogether

Olivians enjoying dinner under the stars together

Have travel with Olivia Cruise/Travel over 6 times and love the inclusive in environment they provide. This is a women's only travel platform that caters to women. I have found that they work with you, are compassionate, kind and caring. During COVID-19 the company took a major hit with having to cancel trips for the obvious reasons. Other countries were not allowing travel. They ask members that had scheduled trips to work with them to reschedule their trips instead of canceling. Well most people supported the company but then there are other people that wanted a refund and that was all they wanted. I get that...but you don't want to put the only company that supports women only travel to go belly up because you are not flexible. That is what I see when reading some of the other reviews that are name calling and bad mouthing Olivia. Other travel cruise companies Royal Caribbean, Oceana, Celebrity, Holland American and so on also asked you to rebook instead of money back. I know each person has the right to leave feedback, but when you slam a company it definitely hurts the company and does not do any good. So that is why I am writing this review for others to see about how good over all Olivia is to women, and to say thousands of women have supported this company and will continue to do so in the future. For what it is worth.

I was booked for an Olivia cruise that was supposed to depart on April 23, 2020 (the Pacific Coastal). I've never been treated so terribly by a company. When it first became clear that coronavirus might prevent the trip from happening, email communications were very sparse and Olivia refused to transfer trips or provide refunds. Eventually, transfers were offered but refunds were still denied. We received a few emails from Judy that were rambling, didn't address our concerns, and offered no solutions. When the trip was eventually "postponed," I was never even notified. They then told us to "be patient" and allow 4-6 weeks to hear back from a customer service representative, who eventually sent the same email to all of us saying that they would not be issuing refunds. I could not believe how unprofessional the entire experience was. It is now August 2020, and they still refuse to refund us for a trip that is obviously not going to take place, no matter how long it is "postponed" for. The ship we were supposed to travel on is being decommissioned next year. They deleted the Facebook page for the trip, so we have no way of knowing what's going on and have no way of staying in touch with the other women we had hoped to meet on the trip. We are completely in the dark. I have heard many glowing things about Olivia cruises, which is why I booked the trip in the first place. But treating your customers so unprofessionally and so...to be honest, cruelly, isn't something I can support. Unless the management of this company drastically changes, I would urge folks to steer clear of Olivia.

Don't trust Olivia with your money. When Covid hit, they didn't handle canceled trips in an upfront way--there was little communication, and at the end of it they are keeping our money (thousands of dollars), saying that our trip is "postponed" even though it is clearly canceled. I have little hope of getting back any of our money. They gave us a credit, but there is nothing for us to use that credit on that is in any way similar to the trip we hoped to go on. They've avoided communicating with us on the issue. I will never trust them again, and if I do manage to use my credits I will spend that trip telling everyone I can talk to how unethical they are.

Great destinations, amazing entertainment, the charter the entire boat so there is no "mingling" with non-Olivia travelers. I have been on over twenty of their vacations/cruises/adventures (that's how much I love them) and have never had anything other than a 5-star experience.

Truly the best!! Extraordinary customer service, one-of-a-kind vacation experience CANNOT be replicated else where. It's like one big family. Yes, their vacations are pricey, but TRUST ME...it's for a good reason. You absolutely get your monies worth, every cent.

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