Rainbow Readers Cruise 2025

Ahoy! So glad that you stopped by! I just wanted to share about my amazing experience at this year's Rainbow Readers Cruise, an MM Romance event at sea. This was my second year attending as an author for the Rainbow Readers Cruise, and I just can't say enough good things about the incredible people that I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with at this event. But what does this event entail, you may ask? Well, let's break it down for you! The Rainbow Readers Cruise is a four-night cruise out of Ft Lauderdale on the beautiful Celebrity Reflection vessel (a mid-size luxury cruise ship). Once we boarded on Monday, we were treated to a welcome party at the ship's top-floor bar as we watched the city get smaller and smaller. Our host for the event (the FABULOUS audiobook narrator, Joel Leslie) greeted all of the readers (about 200 in all) and creators (both authors and narrators), and our expectations were set for what our week would look like. Panels and signings were interspersed between ship excursions at our port days, and each night we'd take over the center of the main dining hall in various themed costume nights. This year's selections included Rainbow Regalia, Pirates and Petticoats, and the obligatory White Party nights! Each evening aboard the ship, we'd also be treated to events put on by our hosts, including a Match-Gayme (think a blend of Match Game 75 and Snatch Game but with authors), a Mad-Lib reading with the onboard Narrators (I'll never look at Yoda the same way again), and the grand finale--a Drag show featuring attending authors and narrators to raise money for the Ali Forney Center, which provides resources and shelter for LGBTQIA+ youth in NYC. During the Queens of the Sea event, the Drag Queens lipsynced to a variety of songs and the top two performers were selected to battle head-to-head for the title (spoiler alert, I may have won). Between all the shenanigans and truly hilarious events, I had the honor of mingling with readers, narrators, and my fellow authors. I was able to reconnect with friends I'd made during the event last year, and put faces to names of those I'd only communicated with online. All-in-all, it was an absolutely fantastic time, and I can't recommend it enough for those who are looking for inclusive events. If you'd like more information about next year's sailing, you can check out www.rainbowreaderscruise.com, and Rich will take care of any and all questions you may have. I could go on and on, but as it's said, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll leave you with a snapshot of my alter-ego Claire Bouyant, alongside our incredible host, Joel Leslie, after being crowned Queen of the Seas! Till next time,

-Alexander