Pride Cruise

Seven nights on the “Bunte Horizonte” Pride Cruise: little sleep, lots of partying, two PiepShow nights and that good feeling of simply being able to be a gay couple without giving it a second thought. DISPLAY sailed with TUI Cruises on the “Mein Schiff 5”.

When we went ashore in Heraklion on the last morning – sun-kissed, exhausted, happy and with ringing ears – my husband and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. Seven nights. And still the feeling that we had only just arrived.

TUI Cruises had invited us on the themed voyage “Bunte Horizonte 2026 – Die Pride Cruise”. From 12 to 19 June, we sailed from Crete via Kefalonia, Athens, Mykonos and Bodrum and back to Crete. For us, though, the real destination was something else: a week of queer life at sea.

The gaydar was on holiday

The first evening set the tone: dinner, champagne as we cast off and then Katy Bähm on the pool deck. By then at the latest, it was clear that the morning sports programme would probably be going ahead without us.

Anyone who travels as a gay couple knows that inner radar: can we hold hands here? Kiss? Do we stand out? On “Bunte Horizonte”, it was out of a job. Couples kissed, men held hands, people flirted and strolled across the deck in sometimes astonishingly little fabric. Nobody looked twice. Perhaps that was the greatest luxury of this trip.

During the day, the attractions included a Rainbow morning pint, shows, workshops and a visit to the bridge. More often than not, we opted for a lie-in. The best moments happened spontaneously anyway: a drink that went on a little longer, new acquaintances and nights that somehow never wanted to end.

Kinky on the high seas

After sunset, the Mein Schiff 5 turned it up. Wanda Kay, Patrizia Moresco, Eloy de Jong and Katy Bähm provided the entertainment – but things got really wild at the PiepShow. The party label, known from Berlin’s KitKatClub, brought a hefty dose of Berlin nightlife to the Mediterranean: harnesses, mesh, leather, bare torsos and some fairly revealing looks included.

It was sexy and wonderfully uninhibited. And because the PiepShow went down so well, there were two of them during the voyage. That is exactly what made “Bunte Horizonte” special for us. Queer life doesn’t have to be only colourful and political, after all. It is allowed to be flirty and sexy, too.

From Lake Melissani to Mykonos

The route was impressive as well. On Kefalonia, we headed to the spectacular Lake Melissani; in Athens, up to the Acropolis and through the Plaka.

Our highlight was Mykonos. For decades, the island has been one of the best-known queer destinations in the Mediterranean. Between white houses, Little Venice and the famous windmills, we simply let ourselves drift. Back on board, as Mykonos slowly grew smaller in the evening light, my husband said: “Here, nobody has to explain themselves.” Really, the perfect sentence for this whole trip. Bodrum added a detour to Turkey before the Mein Schiff 5 set course for Crete once more.

All-inclusive really means inclusive here

Beyond community and parties, “Bunte Horizonte” is of course also a Mein Schiff cruise. And the premium all-inclusive concept makes a noticeable difference. Many restaurants, more than 100 branded drinks, coffee, cocktails and wine are already included in the fare. On top of that come entertainment, sauna, gym and gratuities. So you don’t think about what every aperitif costs. You simply order it. And sometimes the second one, too.

What stays with us

We came home with far too little sleep and pretty flat batteries. Above all, though, with the feeling of having spent seven days not thinking about how we were perceived as a gay couple. For us, that is precisely the difference from a “normal” cruise: queer life here isn’t a special programme. It is the norm. And yes: we would sail again.

Report: Daniel Strässle · Photos: TUI Cruises / Marius Rohde, Dragan Dokmanovic