Grey Hair on the Deep Blue: A Golden Girls Cruise of the Caribbean Is Coming!
The Golden Girls hasn’t aired a new episode since May 9, 1992, but the sitcom’s legacy is very much alive and well via the fans who just can’t get enough of these four elderly ladies. But now, for devotees who aren’t content simply watching reruns on the couch, a Golden Girls Cruise will tour the Caribbean in February 2020, and you’re invited!
Disembarking from the city of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia — Miami, Florida — the Golden Girls Cruise, dubbed “Golden Girls at Sea: A Golden Girls Fan Cruise,” will leave Miami on Feb. 24, head to Key West, Florida, and Cozumel, Mexico, then return to Miami on Feb. 29.
A cabin on the cruise will run you about $1,000 per person.
More than simply a get-together for fans of the show, the Golden Girls Cruise has a ton of programming you surely won’t find on any other cruise ship — events like “The Rusty Anchor Karaoke Party,” a Golden Girls costume contest and dinner, and the “One Night in St. Olaf Dance Party.”
Hornet sat down with Chad Kampe, who with his husband runs Flip Phone Events, the premier gay party promoters for all of Minneapolis. Flip Phone is also producing the upcoming Golden Girls Cruise.
HORNET: Where in the world did the idea for a Golden Girls Cruise come from?
CHAD KAMPE: We are avid cruisers and die-hard Golden Girls fans. As a child, I used to watch The Golden Girls with my grandmother, who lived outside of Miami. After two successful Golden Girls Bar Crawls in Minneapolis — where we had over 1,100 people each time — I knew I wanted to create a new and unique experience for Golden Girls fans.
What kind of person are you expecting to really enjoy the cruise?
Honestly, the Golden Girls fandom is large and diverse. I believe everyone can relate to the show’s message of love, acceptance and cheesecake. We expect guests to be from all over the world and all ages. The Golden Girls Bar Crawl audience was a wonderful mix of gay and straight fans. I already have a lot of interest from folks who want to bring their parents, as they watched the show together.
What do you think it is about The Golden Girls that resonates with so many people, especially gay men?
The show was and is still groundbreaking. They tackled issues like HIV/AIDS, sexuality and aging with such grace and humor. We all have had that conversation with friends about which Golden Girls character they are within their friend group. The show still resonates to this day. Sophia’s one-liners always land, and it feels fresh and different. I also think gay men can relate to the fact that it’s a group of four women who are living their final act of life together, as many gay men imagine this could be their future.
Tell me a bit about what kind of activities you have planned for the cruise.
What don’t we have planned?! We are going to begin with a Caftan + Cheesecake sail away party. While in port in Key West, we will have a Golden Girls Bar Crawl. During days at sea we will have Golden Girls Trivia (the questions will stump the smartest fan), Sophia’s craft corner, Golden Girls Bingo, Rusty Anchor Karaoke, the One Night in St. Olaf Dance Party (including a game of Rose’s Ugel + Flugel, a St Olaf game of tag), and much, much more!
We will also host a costume contest and a costumed dinner. You really haven’t lived until you’ve seen 200-300 people dress up as the Golden Girls, eating a formal dinner at sea.
For more info about the February 2020 Golden Girls Cruise and to book your stay, head here.
Featured image created by Danny Addice
