As Southampton proudly marked ten years of Southampton Pride, onboard Arcadia, our LGBTQ+ crew members and allies came together to celebrate equality, diversity, acceptance and, most importantly, being proud of who they are.
There was a vibrant Pride march through M1 with excitement quickly spreading throughout the ship as crew members gathered along the hallways to show their support. The corridors were filled with cheers, smiles, applause and an incredible display of colourful and vibrant costumes.
Leading the celebration were HRM Sandra Thompson and Welfare Officer Arian, together with participating officers and crew who proudly joined the march. Their presence helped create an atmosphere of unity and support, reminding everyone that Pride is not only a celebration but also an opportunity to stand together for inclusion, respect and equality.
A celebration of creativity: Best dressed competition
This year, the competition focused strongly on environmentally friendly creativity, challenging participants to create their costumes using materials available on board while avoiding unnecessary waste. The judging criteria included creativity, originality, environmental awareness and overall wow factor.
The result was an amazing showcase of talent with the best dressed winner being Dawn Arriola from the Housekeeping Team. Dawn impressed the judges with an incredibly creative costume made using laundry bags and cleaning cloths.
Following the Pride March and Best Dressed Competition, the celebrations continued with a lively Pride Disco, which was very well attended by crew. The dance floor was filled with laughter, music, dancing and plenty of positive energy as crew members came together to enjoy the evening.
A huge thank you goes to everyone who participated, supported, cheered from the hallways, helped with the preparations and brought their creativity and positive energy to the event.
Our Southampton Pride celebration was truly a reflection of what makes our crew special — different backgrounds, different departments and different stories, but one crew united together.