RSVP Cruise Diverted From Morocco

Company officials at the all-gay RSVP Vacations claim that they had to divert their ship from its planned stop in Morocco yesterday after they were refused the right to dock.

The cruise would reportedly have been the first of its kind to visit Morocco, where homosexuality is illegal. 2,100 gay holidaymakers aboard the cruise liner MS Nieuw Amsterdam were told the stop in western Morocco had unexpectedly been cancelled. Holland America Line and RSVP Vacations diverted the ship from the west African port on 1 July. According to Reuters, passengers on the ship received a letter saying: “Our port agent in Casablanca has advised us that authorities in Morocco have – despite previous confirmations – now denied our scheduled visit.”

Morocco's tourism minister denied the cruise company's claim, saying, "We don’t ban cruise ships here and we never ask our visitors about their sexual preferences."

PlanetOut Unloads RSVP Cruises

Continuing to shed lackluster properties, PlanetOut has sold their RSVP cruise business to main rival Atlantis Events for an undisclosed amount. The sale will not affect RSVP's scheduled itinerary or passengers already booked. According to reports, Atlantis plans on maintaining the RSVP brand.

In June this year, PlanetOut sold SpecPub, their adult magazine division. CEO Karen Magee says the latest move is a continuation of the company's new focus on advertising-driven revenues. Fresh from a Corp-O-Speak conference, Magee said, "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."