Despite the fact that Rosie O’Donnell’s R Family Cruise had the backing of Premier of Bermuda Ewart Brown after protests against it from religious groups there, the charter cruise will not have the wealthy British island territory on its itinerary.
R Family Vacations is run by Gregg Kaminsky and Kelli O’Donnell, Rosie’s partner. In a statement, the company, which caters to gay and lesbian families, said, “[We are] not 100% confident that some protestors would not meet us upon our arrival. While those groups may be the minority voice, we feel that our cruise would be more enjoyable with an alternate itinerary to ports where we know we are welcome by everyone. Please note that we feel that Bermuda is welcoming to gay and lesbian tourists. However, there is a minority of vocal churches who do not welcome us. Most residents of Bermuda and the government have been extremely respectful to our group, and we do not want our change of plans to be interpreted, as anything, but a response to a few local (but vocal) church groups.”
