Unique opportunities to go nude

Besides the normal fare open to naturists like clothing-optional beaches and resorts, a less well known recreational option is found in cruises. Combining these two words creates a most intriguing phrase, “nude cruise.” The concept while certainly curiosity piquing also invites lots of questions. Are there really cruises one can take wearing nothing more than SPF-30 sunscreen? Yes actually there are, thanks mostly to the efforts of a visionary couple from Austin, Texas, Tom and Nancy Tiemann, who in 1990 formed a travel agency, Bare Necessities, which charters entire ships for those who desire a cruise experience in the buff.

The Tiemann’s, after an “accidental” visit to a nude beach, began looking for upscale nude recreation activities. Finding none, they decided to open Bare Necessities Travel Agency and began searching out cruise lines interested in hosting nude cruises. It took almost two years before they were able to contract for the first cruise, but the idea took off from there and the rest is history. 53 cruises and 20 years later, in March 2010, they will be celebrating their twentieth year anniversary of producing nude cruises with a 16 day, luxury cruise to Hawaii aboard the Celebrity Constellation.

As a veteran of the more common clothed variety of cruising, I can easily imagine the benefits of not having to calculate what outfits to take based on formal nights and freedom from having to use the somewhat expensive laundry service on board ships. It is certainly appealing to imagine packing everything for a two week vacation in one small suitcase. But are people really nude the entire time on a nude cruise? Actually, the answer is no, but for the most part, passengers can choose to be nude anywhere and any time onboard ship: in the pool, in the casino, in the night clubs and the fitness center. Swimming and sunbathing au naturel is of course a given. The only exceptions are that passengers must be dressed to dine in the formal dining room, where clothes are required and must be covered when the ship is entering or leaving port. Even in the formal dining room, clothing can consist of as little as a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops which is quite a departure from the normal rules when cruising.

According to Bare Necessities, the demographics of those they have booked for their nude cruises ranges from bus drivers and soccer moms to doctors and Fortune 500 CEOs. They even claim at least one Canadian Supreme Court justice among their past customers. The average age of nude cruise guests generally ranges between 45 and 55, with almost all being couples, either married or otherwise attached.

One question that is certain to occur to many is whether the ship’s crew is naked and the answer is no. In fact representatives of Bare Necessities typically meet with the crews in advance of sailings to address questions and concerns. Understandably, many crewmembers are initially a bit shocked by the idea and aren’t sure how they are expected to interact with nude passengers.

If you have ever been on a cruise, I’m sure you recall how frequently you found yourself in the sights of a ship’s photographer and how aggressively the cruise lines market photographs and cruise videos to passengers. Many passengers can be found making their daily pilgrimage to the photo display area to review the “catch of the day.” Here again is a departure from the norm when it comes to nude cruises. Due to obvious privacy concerns, no one need worry that they will show up nude in photographs or in the cruise video. The restriction on photography alone is to me almost reason enough to eschew the normal cruises for a nude cruise.

Many might assume that nude cruises are simply a hedonistic swinger cruise and one big sex orgy on the high seas. Not so say the Tiemanns. The rule is, “Don't do anything outside your cabin that you wouldn’t do outside your home.” In keeping with the traditionally accepted naturist etiquette on conduct and behavior, overt sexual activity is verboten.

I can imagine that the idea of a nude cruise might appeal to some who would never consider visiting a nudist resort or clothing-optional beach and it does in fact appear to be a pretty non-threatening way to dip your toe into social nudity. Be forewarned however that you can expect to pay considerably more for a nude cruise than if you were taking a more generic clothed variety cruise to the same locale. Prices for the eight day, Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Miracle, October 27 – November 4, 2009, advertised on the Bare Necessities web site, average at about $1500 - $1700 for least desirable cabin selections. The Carnival Cruise web site advertises the regular eight day, Caribbean cruises, sailing on comparable ships, traveling to comparable ports of call during the same time period for an average of $500 - $800 per persons and with better cabin selections. In fact on the regular cruises, one can actually get a suite for the same price as they can expect to pay for an interior cabin on a less desirable deck on the nude cruise.

I admit to feeling a fair amount of sticker shock when I first investigated the prices for a nude cruise but admittedly I am a pretty frugal person. At first blush I wasn’t at all sure I could be convinced to part with that kind of cash for a nude sailing. Certainly I’m not knocking the concept. It’s just that $1700 would likely buy me a lifetime membership to one of the local, albeit less luxurious nudist resorts in my area. Part of the extra cost is of course due to the fact that it is a private sailing, with the entire ship booked for nude travelers and of course I allow that one should expect to pay a bit more for something that is still a novelty of sorts. Admittedly, it does seem Bare Necessities has no trouble finding customers willing and able to bear the prices offered as all of the nude cruises advertised on their site for 2009 – 2010 are close to selling out. Now that I think about, the savings from paying for the professional photography alone might just justify the higher fare. I suspect that the Tiemanns may have had difficulty selling the idea of nude cruises to the cruise lines in the beginning, but I rather imagine that the lines “stand in line” to compete for their business these days.

Do you have any interest in setting sail on a nude cruise? If so, for more information on Bare Necessities cruises check out their web site.