That man  overboard, from the Atlantis Cruise, has now been identified as 30-year-old Kenneth John
Gemmell, a native of Bailieborough, Co Cavan, Ireland. Gemmell was a
flight attendant with UAE airlines stationed in Dubai.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean indicated that Gemmell was seen going overboard at 7:10 am local time and that fact was confirmed by surveillance cameras aboard the ship.

Edward Owen at The Examiner reports that the family is seeking information to bring some closure to their situation:

They are issuing an appeal to anyone on
board the ship who might have met Kenneth during the cruise, to touch
base with them.  And they particularly would like to hear from the
person who witnessed him going overboard.  The family has said they want
nothing more than to understand what drove their son, who had just
turned 30 last Tuesday, to this.

The family says that some
information has already come their way.  One party told them that
Kenneth may have been arguing with a ship’s crew member (perhaps a
bartender) in one of the bars late Thursday night or early Friday
morning.  They were also told that the crew member, a man they
understood was sharing a room with a Canadian citizen, left the ship in
Cozumel.

Because of the lack of information, a
family spokesman told examiner.com that some members of the family are
finding it hard to accept that Kenneth actually went overboard.

Anyone
who has information on this tragedy is asked to email Michael at 
michael-at-mhynes.com.  The family says they just want to know what
happened to their son.

The Bay Area Reporter obtained a copy of the letter from a longtime Olivia traveler. The woman declined to be identified or interviewed for this article.

The letter, which was signed by Judy Dlugacz, owner and co-founder, outlined ways in which members could “take action” by becoming a “charter member,” planning an Olivia vacation, throwing a house party for Olivia, or donating directly to the company. – WHAT?!

Since when did Olivia become a non-profit?? Olivia’s unusual campaign sparked suspicion about the company’s financial stability. I am pretty sure Olivia is the only LGBT vacation company that is currently offering charter memberships. Atlantis Events Inc., which bought rival RSVP Vacations in 2007 and operates both companies, doesn’t have a charter membership program, according to Oscar Yuan, vice president of sales and marketing. R Family Vacations also doesn’t have such a program, according to Gregg Kaminsky, who co-founded the company with Kelli O’Donnell, the partner of lesbian entertainer Rosie O’Donnell.

Kaminsky said that R Family Vacations does offer some benefits, such as cocktail receptions, jackets, and other gifts to loyal customers of the six-year-old company, but people “don’t have to buy a special membership.”

Dluugacz says they are having “cash flow issues”  with the resorts and cruises they work with. And  she says that everyone in the business is in the same boat. Hmmmm, Atlantis, RSVP, and R Family Vacations aren’t experiencing cash flow issues with the cruise lines and resorts they work with, according to Yuan and Kaminsky……



You know I am having some “cash flow issues” as well!
If anyone wants to make a donation or have a benefit party, please let me know!


READ THE FULL OLIVIA ARTICLE at Bay Area Reporter.

Reichen Lehmkuhl, actor, model, author, and proud veteran of the United States Air Force – for his First Annual Fan Cruiseon a 4-night weekend getaway to Cabo San Lucas roundtrip from San Diego, California. February 28 – March 3, 2008

A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy – class of 1996 – Reichen Lehmkuhl was honorably discharged as a Captain in 2001. He went on to win the million-dollar grand prize on CBS’ The Amazing Race 4 and has since successfully launched an acting career. He also produced and hosted The Reichen Show on Q Television Network. And he will co-star in the new season of the gothic and gay soap opera DANTE’S COVE. Bad as the show is, there is always a lot of nice eye candy running around half-naked!

Whether you’re a cruising veteran or virgin, Reichen’s four-night weekend getaway to Cabo San Lucas will provide you with non-stop entertainment, good food, and plenty of R&R. True to its name, you’ll feel your spirits soar as soon as you board the “Fun Ship” Elation. Relax in the sun on the teak-planked decks, or plunge into any of the three refreshing swimming pools. Or, roll up your sleeves and try your luck in the casino before turning your attention to the exciting nightlife.

10% of all Fly Naked Purchases go to Servicemembers Legal
Defense Network (SLDN) to end the ban on the open service of
U.S. LGBT Military Members.
Reichen currently lives in Beverly Hills, the land of the pretty!

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Big news in the Gay Travel industry today; Atlantis Events, Inc., announced today that it will acquire RSVP Vacations from PlanetOut Inc.. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close on or about October 24, 2007.

According to PlanetOut, The sale will not affect RSVP’s scheduled itinerary, nor will it affect current passenger bookings.

RSVP will keep its office in Minneapolis, the longtime home of RSVP Vacations. The company will continue to market its vacations through a network of more than 7,500 of travel agencies worldwide, as well as through direct sales.

Atlantis charters entire cruise ships and all-inclusive resorts for the exclusive use of its gay and lesbian guests. In 2007, Atlantis has hosted approximately 20,000 guests on 11 different events. Established in 1985, RSVP Vacations was the originator of the gay and lesbian cruise concept. Destinations in 2007 have included the Caribbean, Barbados, the Mediterranean, Central Europe, and an historic trans-Atlantis crossing on the Queen Mary 2.

“We’re thrilled to bring Atlantis and RSVP together into the same family for the first time,” said Rich Campbell, chief executive officer of Atlantis. “The two companies are stronger together than they are apart, and taken together demonstrate the strength and vitality of the gay travel market.”

“This move is a great step forward for guests of both RSVP and Atlantis, who will now benefit from the largest and most diverse collection of all-gay vacations in the world,” Campbell said.

The company plans to grow and build RSVP, while maintaining it as a separate and distinct brand from Atlantis. RSVP will stay true to its heritage of providing high quality gay vacations that emphasize community, personal growth, learning and cultural experiences.

“We are extremely pleased that RSVP will become part of the Atlantis family,” said Karen Magee, chief executive officer, PlanetOut Inc. “Preserving RSVP’s distinct brand will enable Atlantis to expand the audience it serves by taking advantage of RSVP’s unique positioning within the LGBT community. We believe this combination will be a real positive for RSVP’s customers and business partners. It really is a perfect match and we’re looking forward to expanding and extending our marketing relationship with Atlantis.”

“From a corporate perspective, we believe this transaction demonstrates to our shareholders that we are continuing to deliver on our commitment to leverage our strengths by simplifying our business model and emphasizing our core competencies,” added Magee. “We are focused on ensuring that we are in the best position to realize our full potential as the leading media and entertainment company exclusively serving the LGBT market, while also strengthening our balance sheet.”

RSVP will operate all of its scheduled programs in 2008 — including its Exotic Caribbean cruise in February, its Barbados Bliss cruise in March, and its Tahitian Treasure cruise in November. The company also plans to announce new vacations and destinations in the very near future.