When you set sail on a cruise, you expect to leave your cares and concerns behind, but passengers onboard the Carnival Freedom left a lot more than that on shore last Saturday. Approximately 3,000 passengers left the port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and took to the open waters in the world’s largest nude cruise.
Bare Necessities Tour & Travel has been offering clothing optional vacations since 1990, and though last Saturday’s naked cruise isn’t the first of its kind, it certainly is the largest.
The company’s mission is to “provide relaxing, entertaining, and health conscious vacation opportunities that offer non-threatening, natural environments where the appreciation, wonder and compatibility of nature and the unadorned human form can occur,” and thousands of travellers couldn’t be happier with it.
If you’re wondering who exactly jumps on these kinds of trips, Bare Necessities says its clientele are a little older and more affluent than the average traveller. They’re a little friendlier, and 10% are also Canadian.
Nudists need not be concerned that they’ve missed their chance as future cruises include the Best of the Baltic, Gauguin’s Polynesia, Tere Moana, Holland America, and Fiji. And if it’s your first time, here are a few tips that will have you covered.
Tips for nude cruises
Bring extra sunscreen. You’ll be getting rays in places where the sun don’t shine, so use a higher SPF than you normally would and lather up.
Carry towels. It’s basic nudist etiquette to sit on towels whatever the surface and whether you’re in public or private. These cover-ups are also handy in case something unexpected pops up.
Hold small amounts of cash. You don’t want to be worrying about where to store those bills and coins, so try to pay with exact change or credit cards.
Bring appropriate dress. Though it may seem ironic to worry about what to wear among nudists, you’ll need clothes for when you’re sightseeing on land or eating in the formal dining room. Make sure to check the rules regarding what is suitable attire. For example, Bare Necessities writes, “Lingerie is not considered appropriate dining room attire and fetish wear, including excessive genital jewelry, is not appropriate at any time.”
Those who’ve been on these types of trips claim that when the clothes go, the egos do as well. You’re free to be yourself, with all your perfections and imperfections on display, but if that’s not enough to sway you, you’ll certainly create memories that will last a lifetime.
