Lesbian Exclusive Exchange

On the Sweet Caribbean Cruise Nov. 8-15, philanthropy is a leisure activity ."Being serenaded while you paint a children's ward in a hospital in Belize hardly feels like work," says Sweet CEO and founder Shannon Wentworth, when talking about one of the many volunteer opportunities aboard the inaugural Sweet Caribbean Cruise.Travelers can also choose to participate in a reef cleanup dive, dedicate a Sweet children's library at an underprivileged school, preserve a sea turtle habitat or rebeautify a community park with the local rotary club."You don't have to join the Peace Corps to make a difference," Wentworth said. "I think a lot of people are looking for vacations that are a little more meaningful than sitting on the beach for seven days. With us you can take a catamaran party cruise one day, abuild a children's library the next, then sit on the beach with a cool drink the day after that. "Each of the projects is about three to four hours long and is followed by something fun, like an open-bar party at a nearby beach club after picking up trash on the beach in Costa Maya, Mexico. "It's going to be so much more than a vacation. We have found a way to make all these projects fun and meaningful in small amounts of time," Wentworth said. "It's the fast food equivalent of volunteering, except it's good for you."As an added bonus, there is a pre-cruise excursion in New Orleans Nov. 5-8 that includes a four-hour wetlands restoration project with Bayou Rebirth to help protect New Orleans from future flooding. The rest of the time in the Big Easy will be spent enjoying a Creole cooking demonstration, a gay and lesbian tour of the French Quarter and an exclusive Sweet send-off party the night before the cruise sets sail. And if you don't feel like volunteering at all? "You don't have to," said Wentworth. "You can feel good knowing that good is being done, and that you're a part of something bigger just because you're there. It's a guilt-free experience."