Travels With Shannon: The New Face of Voluntourism

After you have a conversation with Shannon Wentworth, the CEO of Sweet, it’s hard to come up with a single reason why a lesbian wouldn’t be going on the upcoming Caribbean Cruise (from November 8-15, 2009). Don’t have the money? There’s a 12-month, no fees, no interest, payment plan. Having relationship or career troubles? Sweet Sparks might just connect you with someone who can help. Think cruises are just for lazy people? Take part in one of the many opportunities available in the port cities to volunteer your time and efforts to make a difference. Now, combine all that with entertainment like Suzanne Westenhoefer and parties hosted by the legendary Club Skirts and it really does become clear that this is one unique experience that cannot be missed. But don’t take our word for it – see what the new expert of the lesbian travel world has to say about her exciting new company.

Cherry Grrl (CG): So, we first spoke to you back in September and you gave us an overview of Sweet and the upcoming cruise.  Now that some time has passed and your company has received so much attention, where are you in terms of occupancy – has the bad economy affected sales at all?
Shannon Wentworth (SW): Well, in order to make it easier for folks to be able to gage whether or not they can afford a vacation like this, in these strange economic times, we created a 12-month payment plan – so you can continue paying after the cruise. Also, our cancellation policy is such that you don’t lose any money if you cancel 90 days ahead of time. Basically, we move your $250 deposit to another sweet vacation and you get all the money that you paid, back. So we are trying to really make it an easier decision – because it’s in times like these that people most need a vacation. But we are filling up… we will go out with a full cruise.

CG: We’ve actually spoken to several lesbians who have told us that they’ve never even considered a cruise vacation until hearing about Sweet, and now plan to be on board.   Why do you think that is?
SW: I think people are excited to have this really new opportunity. Our average age is 37 right now and we’ve made it really affordable with our threesome and foursome packages – and I think that people are really excited and inspired by what we are doing. You know, it’s more than just a vacation, it’s four DJ’s and amazing parties hosted by promoters people know. We’ve got amazing talent on board and lots more surprises to come. I think that people are going to have a really, really good time. And I think that it’s definitely a very new and exciting opportunity in lesbian travel. And you also have the opportunity to make a difference. Just by going on this cruise – you don’t have to do anything – you’re offsetting the carbon created by this vacation. And there are people on board who are going to be doing some really amazing projects – like scuba divers are going to have the opportunity to clean up a reef, we’re building a library for a school in Belize, we’re going to work with bringing different materials and school supplies out to kids in Mexico. It’s just something that everyone can feel good about – whether you go and participate or not – you can feel really good knowing that good is being done… while you’re sitting by the pool having a margarita.

CG: And are these projects open to all travelers on board?
SW: Well it works just like an excursion – so each one will have a set number of people who can participate and they will be sold before the cruise departs, and if there are still spots they will be sold until those spots are full. So if you do one project you aren’t signing up to do all of the projects. And all of the projects are a mixture of fun and doing something that you feel good about. I mean, we’re painting cartoon characters on a really dismal children’s hospital ward in Belize City and afterwards we’re all going out to lunch and having a big party and we will really bring the energy and read some stories to the kids and bring out some of our entertainers to keep folks company and keep spirits high while people are painting – it’s always really a mixture. And each of our excursions are just four or five hours of your time – so you still have time to enjoy the port, go shopping. And the one that I love the most is this really amazing beach break in Costa Maya, Mexico.  There is all this trash that has accumulated, that has washed up – 85 percent of the trash on Mexico’s beaches are from other countries – and so what we are going to do is have this huge party at this amazing resort and send out crews of 25 people for about a half an hour to an hour each and just go out and bag up the trash. And then we have a partner in port who is going to go by and pick it up and take it to the appropriate recyclers and the whole time our DJ’s are going to be spinning – it’s an all you can drink resort, all your drinks are included while you are doing this project – so it’s a complete win-win. It’s going to be so much fun and we’re also going to see a huge difference in being able to pick up all this waste, that would go right back into the ocean when the tide comes in. And you can make a difference in a really short period of time and have a blast doing it and that’s really the whole thing behind this. You know, it’s not classic voluntourism – in that sense. We’re really trying to make this a really special bonding experience that you are going to remember for a long time.

CG: We also discussed with you back in September some of the entertainment that you had booked for the trip like Suzanne Westenhoefer and Erin Foley – what else is now planned as far as performances go?
SW: We added a comedy showcase with some emerging new artists so we’re going to have Gloria Bigelow, Sandra Valls, and Kate McKinnon, from The Big Gay Sketch Show. And there are some special guests, like Cathy DeBuono and Jill Bennett from We Have to Stop Now. And then we have two Club Skirts parties and a bunch of theme parties. And also Jen Foster and Edie Carey, who I absolutely love.

CG: We have read that part of your mission with Sweet is to empower women.  How will this be reflected in the trip itinerary for the upcoming cruise?
SW: Well, first we have celebrity trainer Shawnee Harkins who is going to be doing a Boot Camp for our guests who want to participate – it’s an additional fee but it’s awesome. It’s in the mornings and it includes two cooking demonstrations so that you can learn some easy tips and tricks for making really yummy, healthy meals. And it also includes an awards ceremony and consultation and it’s just going to be a ton of fun and a great way to stay in shape on your vacation – and/or really try to get in shape and start some good habits that you can take with you.

And we also have Sweet Sparks, which is kind of an empowerment series that is really meant to spark your interest in something. They are basically 20-minute talks followed by break out sessions for people that are interested and they are very short because people are on vacation – they’re not going to school – but the idea is to kind of plant the seed. If you’ve been waiting to learn more about how to get a better job or how to have more energy, things like that – the idea is that we are bringing on experts who will give quick 20-minute talks, provide a hand out, and help you find more information if you want to. And you can go ask more questions if you want to, of that person. So it’s really just meant to start conversations about topics of interest to people – mostly health and overall life coaching topics, so a broad range: health, relationships, and improving your overall life experience. It’s one of the many options for our guests.

CG: You are someone who truly loves to travel and obviously knows a lot about this cruise – so what stops are you most looking forward to or impressed by and why?
SW: I actually just took this cruise – I left The Dinah early and took the red-eye to New Orleans – and I was blown away by the whole thing. We met some of the most amazing people in New Orleans, in our port cities, and it’s all just so beautiful. Cozumel is amazingly gorgeous. Costa Maya is stunning, it’s really stunning and it’s really quiet. The cruise industry is really the main source of commerce there so when we’re there, there may not be another ship there. It’s just going to be kind of all us, in this sleepy little town. And Belize City… is incredible, mostly for the impact. I mean it’s a really beautiful little city but the impact that we can make there is so great – it was so inspiring. We were literally just crying at how profound a difference we can make in Belize City for such little effort. We are building a library at a children’s school there and painting a hospital ward. And I spoke to the principal at the school and she said the kids are often frustrated because they have to share a pencil – I mean a pencil costs 10 cents. You can totally change a kid’s entire school experience in Belize City for 10 cents and that is an amazing impact. It really struck me how important this can be – like it was really, really a profound experience. Our hearts were just in our throats as we left. And we were just feeling so energized and so moved by this idea – of traveling around the world, having fun, and leaving it a better place. And each of these projects that we are doing are designed to really just make a lasting impact in a short period of time. I feel so passionately about this piece of it because it’s going to be so profound – even if you don’t participate, and not everyone can participate. But you are going to feel so proud to have been a part of this.

For more about Sweet visit http://discoversweet.com and check back with Cherry Grrl for ongoing coverage of the cruise.