The 7 Golden Rules of Nudist Cruises – Including What To Do If ‘Excitement’ Occurs…

Ever wondered what happens on a nude cruise? Even if you’ve no interest in trying one yourself, most of us are at least curious as to what they involve.

According to one nudism cruise guest, there are actually several rules that must be followed to make sure that everyone onboard has a safe and happy experience.

Here’s a look at the rules for nude cruises – how many of these surprise you?

1. No Taking Photos Of Others (But Phones Are Allowed)

Nudism is not the same as exhibitionism, and many people on a nude cruise aren’t trying to show off – instead they are just enjoying the feeling of being free, and not having to wear clothes when they don’t want to.

This means that you have to be very respectful, and make sure you don’t take photos of anyone else without their knowledge or permission – not just as the main subject, but in the background of your photos as well.

You’re fine to have your phone with you (though most people tend to leave their phone in their cabin). You just can’t be snapping pics of other nude passengers.

2. Towels On Every Surface

Hygiene is very important on a nudism cruise, and pretty much everyone onboard respects these rules. After all, health and safety is crucial when you don’t have the protective layers of clothing to stop you from spreading germs.

So, according to the passenger on the recent nudism cruise, most people have very high standards of hygiene and there aren’t any ‘smells’ to worry about.

But more importantly, everyone always abides by the rule that towels have to be placed on any surface where you’re going to sit. Nobody on a nudism cruise wants to sit on an unprotected chair or sun lounger, and so there is an abundance of towels around every public area.

Everyone is bought in, too. It’s not like guests have to be asked to follow the rules – they are all willing, not just to prevent them from leaving any germs behind but also to stop germs on the surfaces from being picked up too.

3. Shoes Around The Ship

While nudism cruises are clothing-optional, one item of clothing that must be worn at almost any time are shoes or sandals. You can’t wander around the ship bare-foot at all.

This is another safety requirement. There could be broken glass on the floors if someone has accidentally dropped a drink, or there might be some other rough materials which could damage your feet.

And if you’ve ever tried to walk on the sun deck of a cruise ship barefoot on a hot day, you’ll appreciate just how necessary shoes are to protect your feet from the heat of the floor!

You’re welcome to take your shoes or sandals off while sitting down or lounging in the pool, but just as with a regular cruise, as soon as you move, you need to put them back on.

4. Clothing Required In Restaurants

Nudism cruises are not complete free-for-alls and there are certain parts of the ship where you’ll be asked to wear clothes, including most of the sit-down restaurants.

For that reason, nude cruises tend to be more nude during the day, and then at night there’s more of a mix of people who are fully clothed, partially clothed, or nude.

There are plenty of evening venues where clothing is still optional, including the buffet restaurants and the bars and nightclubs.

But if you want to enjoy a more formal dining experience, you’ll need to get dressed, even if you then remove your clothing again as soon as the meal is over.

5. No Nudity In Port

While a nude cruise is all about being free to enjoy yourself without wearing clothing, that only applies when you’re out at sea – you can’t board the ship or step off at port while naked.

That wouldn’t be fair for the people working at the port, for reasons of decency – you don’t know who will be there and whether they are OK with seeing people undressed.

So, you’ll board the cruise fully dressed and then once you reach a safe distance from the shore – typically around 30 minutes after you’ve set sail – you’ll hear an announcement from the captain asking you to get dressed. And it’ll be the same when sailing into port as well.

The good news is that, when you’re on an organised nude cruise, you will be able to enjoy some nudist shore excursions as well. But you’ll need to be dressed when disembarking and while you take your coach to reach the resort or nudist beach where the excursion is taking place.

Suggested read: The Best Nude Beaches in Cozumel

6. Nudity Not Required

A nudism cruise is all about allowing guests to be naked if they want to be – but there’s no rule that says you have to be. If you don’t feel comfortable at any time, you’re perfectly welcome to get dressed and enjoy every aspect of the cruise.

It’s not super-common, because nude cruises aren’t cheap. They are specially chartered sailings, and so the fares are higher than a regular cruise. The only reason to book one is if you want to enjoy the nudist side of cruising.

Still, be aware that people are allowed to wear clothes if they want to.

7. Hiding Excitement

Not so much a rule, but good advice for anyone who’s considering a nude cruise.

Nudism cruises are not sex cruises, which are completely different. As such, it would be frowned upon for anyone to get visibly ‘excited’ while on a nudism cruise – speaking about the men in particular.

You would be expected to make efforts to hide anything like that, just like you would if you were clothed. Nudism is not about looking at other people, but about feeling comfortable in your own skin.

The nudist passenger did say that this isn’t something nudists think about a lot. It doesn’t come up very often, shall I say! But it is one of the more common questions non-nudists ask.

Final Word

A nudism cruise is all about people who want to try the nudist lifestyle and be comfortable among others – so having a set of clear rules is important to make sure that everyone is respectful of each other, and understands the boundaries that are expected.

Check out this list of the best nude cruises if you’re interested to learn more.

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