I went on a 2000 person NUDE cruise – that’s really what it was like on board the ship
An avid traveler has shed light on what it’s really like to go on a nude cruise – with less luggage to pack being one of the main benefits.
Writing anonymously on Reddit, the 67-year-old man 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 ship charters since 1990.
The unnamed man said he was with his 61-year-old wife on a 2,000-passenger Carnival cruise ship 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-ever nudist cruise – was “not a swingers cruise or a sex-positive environment” and “this was a crowd with a lot of nudist experience.”
An avid traveler has shed light on what it’s really like to go on a nude cruise – with less luggage to pack being one of the main benefits (stock image)
Explaining the ins and outs of nudist cruises, he revealed that “after leaving a port, the captain usually makes an announcement when clothing can be removed” and “it usually takes about thirty minutes.”
The same then happens in reverse as the ship begins to approach its next port of call.
He added that people “usually take advantage of the opportunity to be naked as that is the purpose of the cruise.”
As for the staff, he said all the cruise workers were dressed “except for one male/female duo” who performed in the theater.
He said that in his opinion, no cruise line employee is “obligated” to work on nude charters if they don’t feel comfortable.
Many commenters were intrigued by what the crowd was like during the nude cruise, and the man gave his honest assessment.
He wrote: ‘There were undoubtedly relatively few younger couples [and] it has definitely aged.
‘Most were certainly between fifty and seventy years old. Lots of gay men. I couldn’t tell many gay women, but I would think they would be comfortable. It’s an accepting crowd.”
The man, 67 years old, wrote anonymously about the nude cruise experience via Reddit and invited other users to “ask me anything.” He booked through the travel organization Bare Necessities
Some people also questioned the man about the attractiveness aboard the ship, and the man responded that “cruises seem to be for people who like to eat and lie down, so there were a lot of big people.”
Overall, he said, “20 percent attractive, 20 percent average, 60 percent unattractive.”
In terms of nationalities, most cruise-goers were American, he said, while there were also “some Europeans and Australians.”
Many Reddit users were concerned about people “secretly” taking photos and videos of people in the buff, but the man addressed these concerns by saying everyone was “very respectful.”
He explained, “Everyone knows you can’t take pictures of other people. I was much less worried here than on nudist beaches. Almost no one carried phones outside their cabins.
‘There were a lot of signs. There were many charter company staff, whose job it was to enforce good naturist etiquette.
“And I’ve spent time online researching nudism and I’ve never seen a single online photo from the cruise, other than the group photos that people voluntarily pose for. For those reasons I wasn’t worried.’
Bare Necessities has been operating clothing-optional ship charters since 1990
Another concern among readers was hygiene, but the man revealed that all cruise-goers brought a towel to sit on and that there were clean towels ‘all over the ship’.
Although most of the cruise was nude, the man explained that clothes were worn at certain times.
For example, ‘clothing was required in the main dining room and in the specialty restaurants.’
He even noted that “many people generally dressed at night [too]after a day spent naked in the sun.
“So after 6 p.m. there was a strange mix of nude, normally dressed, and women dressed in sexy clothes, like sheer blouses.”
The man said the combination of some people naked and some people clothed at the bars was “weird,” but “it added to the charm as far as I’m concerned.”
In terms of shoes, “shoes were required to walk around the boat, although some people still went barefoot,” and at dinner “everyone had flip-flops or sandals on.”
Clothes had to be worn when the ship arrived in port, but when they visited nudist beaches for excursions they could undress again.
Summarizing his first nude cruise experience, the man concluded, “It was amazing. Beautiful weather and the opportunity to do a lot of fun things naked (beaches, resorts, dancing, being in bars, etc.).
‘My partner really enjoyed it.’
Despite enjoying it, the man says he probably won’t go again because “there are a lot of great places in the world.”
He offers some pearls of wisdom to aspiring nudists, saying, “Have you ever gone skinny-dipping? It’s great to be naked for swimming, dancing, walking along the beach, etc. For me, that’s the most important thing.
‘It’s the same reason why men don’t wear shirts when they go swimming or on the beach. It’s a great feeling. I’m sure some people have an exhibitionist thrill, but not me.
‘Yes, [being naked on a cruise] seemed a bit crazy at times, but you only live once… And yes, packing is easier.’