One keen traveler has shed light on what it’s really like to go on a naked cruise – one of the main benefits is having less luggage to pack.
Writing anonymously on Reddit, the man, 67, invited other users to “ask me anything” about the experience.
He booked a cruise through Texas-based travel company Bare Necessities, which has operated clothing-optional charter flights since 1990.
The unnamed man said he was on a 2,000-passenger Carnival cruise ship with his 61-year-old wife for a seven-day round trip from Tampa, Florida, with stops in Mexico and Honduras along the way.
He reiterated to other Reddit users that the trip (his first nudist cruise) was “not a swingers’ cruise or a sex-positive environment” and that “it was a very experienced nudist crowd.”
A keen traveler has shed light on what it’s really like to cruise naked – having less luggage to pack is one of the main advantages (file image)
Explaining the ins and outs of nude cruises, he revealed that the captain “usually makes an announcement after leaving a port when you can remove your clothes” and “it’s usually about thirty minutes.”
Then the same thing happens in reverse, as the ship begins to approach its next port of call.
She added that people “usually take advantage of the opportunity to be naked, since that is the goal of the cruise.”
As for staff, he said all the cruise workers were dressed up “except for a male and female duo” who performed in the theater.
He said that, to his knowledge, no cruise line employee is “forced” to work on nude charters if they don’t feel comfortable.
Many commentators were intrigued by what the crowd on the naked cruise was like, and the man gave his honest verdict.
He wrote: ‘Without a doubt, there were relatively few young couples (and) it definitely skewed towards older people.
‘Certainly the majority were between 50 and 70 years old. Many gay men. There aren’t many gay women that I know of, but I think they would be comfortable. It’s a crowd that accepts it.
Writing anonymously about the naked cruise experience via Reddit, the 67-year-old invited other users to “ask me anything.” He made the reservation through the travel company Bare Necessities.
Some people also asked him about the attractiveness on board the ship, and the man replied: “Cruises seem to be for people who like to eat and relax, that’s why there were a lot of big people.”
Overall, he said: “20 percent attractive, 20 percent average, 60 percent unattractive.”
As for nationalities, most of the cruise passengers were Americans, he said, although there were also “some Europeans and Australians.”
Many Reddit users were concerned about people taking “sneaky” photos and videos of people in the buff, but the man put these concerns to rest by stating that everyone was “very respectful.”
He explained: ‘Everyone knows that you can’t take photographs of other people. I was much less worried here than on the nude beaches. Almost no one carried phones outside their cabin.
‘There were many signs posted. There were many staff from the rental company whose job it was to enforce good naturist etiquette.
“And I’ve spent time online researching nudism and have never seen a single photograph online from the cruise, except for the group photos that people voluntarily pose for. For those reasons, I wasn’t worried.
Bare Necessities has been operating clothing optional boat rentals since 1990.
Hygiene was another concern among readers, but the man revealed that every passenger on the cruise brought a towel to sit on and that there were clean towels “all over the ship.”
While most of the cruise was naked, the man explained that clothing was worn at certain times.
For example, “clothing was required in the main dining room and specialty restaurants.”
In fact, he observed that “many people generally (also) dressed for the evening, after spending the day naked in the sun.
“So after 6 p.m., there was a strange mix of naked women, dressed normally, and dressed in sexy clothes, like see-through blouses.”
The man said the combination of some naked and some clothed people in bars was “strange” but “as far as I was concerned, it added to the charm.”
As for footwear, “shoes were required to walk around the ship, although some people went barefoot anyway” and during dinner “everyone was in flip-flops or sandals.”
They had to wear clothes when the ship arrived in port, but when they visited nudist beaches for excursions they could undress again.
Summing up his first nude cruise experience, the man concluded: “It was amazing. Great weather and the opportunity to do a lot of fun things naked (beaches, resorts, dancing, hanging out in bars, etc.).
“My partner enjoyed it a lot.”
Despite enjoying it, the man says he probably won’t go again because “there are so many great places in the world.”
Offering some pearls of wisdom to new nudists, he says: ‘Have you ever gone skinny dipping? It’s great to be naked to go swimming, dancing, walking on the beach, etc. For me, that’s the main thing.
‘It’s the same reason why men don’t wear shirts to go swimming or to the beach. It’s a great feeling. I’m sure some people feel an exhibitionist thrill, but I don’t.
‘Yes, (being naked on a cruise) sometimes seemed a little silly to me, but you only live once… And yes, packing is easier.’