Today, there are almost as many travel experiences as there are special interests and lifestyle preferences. The cruise industry, for example, offers packages for singles, LGBT, families, photographers, adventure travelers, foodies and seniors, to name a few. There are even cruises that offer clothing optional vacations for nudists, or naturists, as they often prefer to be called.
Clothing Optional Tour Companies
In many cases, clothing optional tours take place on vessels from big name cruise lines like Carnival, Celebrity and Holland America, but these companies do not run the speciality trips themselves. Instead, tour companies specializing in clothing optional vacations charter these large vessels to sell tours on them to interested individuals.
Bare Necessities
Bare Necessities has the distinction of being the first and largest cruise company where people can cruise in the nude. Bare Necessities first set sail in 1991 with 36 passengers. Today, they charter the Carnival Victory, affectionately called the Big Nude Boat, which holds up to 3,000 passengers. The company offers cruises to the Mediterranean, the South Pacific , Italy, Croatia and Slovenia.
- The Three Seas cruise will set sail in June 2018. The tour departs from Rome and sails along the western coast of Italy to Sicily and, then onto Croatia and Slovenia. The Royal Clipper, a five masted tall ship, will carry 227 guests on the Tyrhenian, Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Check their website for other tour dates.
- The South Pacific Escape is a two-week cruise on the Paul Gauguin, an ocean cruise liner that can host up to 300 guests. This cruise sets sail in May 2019 and includes the following ports of call: Papeete, Tahiti; Aitutaki, Cook Islands; Rarotonga, Cook Islands; Bora Bora, Society Islands; Taha'a, Society Islands; Nuku Hiva, Marquesas; Ua Pou, Marquesas; Rangiroa, Tuamotus; and Moorea, Society Islands.
- The Carnival Victory hosts the "Big Nude Boat" that can accommodate up to 2,800 guests on its thirteen decks. There are a variety of accommodations offered from simple to stately balcony suites. The cruise sets sail from Miami and heads to Half Moon Cay, your private nude beach for the day in the Bahamas. Amber Cove on the Dominican Republic's North Coast is the next port of call, followed by the ABC islands of Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba. This cruise departs on February 2, 2018.
Bare Necessities requires that passengers are dressed for dinner in the dining room, at the Captain's cocktail party, and when ship is in port. Passengers are also asked not to sit nude on the furniture, towels are handed out for this purpose. Fetish wear and genital jewelry are not appropriate at any time.
Castaways Travel
In business for 33 years, Castaways Travel's Bliss Cruises offer a variety of options for open-minded adults to cruise the Caribbean nude on Celebrity Cruise or Royal Caribbean cruise ships. All passengers have to be 21 years old or older, so there is no need to be concerned about underage guests.
- The Independence of the Seas, a popular Freedom class ship, sets sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Montego Bay, Jamaica and then on to Cozumel, Mexico from November 11 to 17, 2018. Clothing is optional during at the day at cruise ship pools. A highlight of this ship is the 500-foot-long royal promenade.
- In April 2019, the Celebrity Infinity will cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Belize and Costa Maya, Mexico. This is a full ship optional clothing cruise. Areas where you can bare all include exterior decks, sun decks, pools, hot tubs, Jacuzzis, and exterior relaxation areas. They will also be offering clothing optional tours at ports of call.
There are several rules and guidelines to keep in mind when traveling with Castaways. Public sex is not condoned on these cruises and failure to observe the rules can result in being escorted off the ship at the next port of call. Clothing is worn in the main areas of the ship, in the casino and in the discos. Clothing is also required for all meals.
Ladies can be topless in the nightclubs and clothing optional parties are held at night on the sun deck, depending on cruise. You may also find clothing optional excursions available.
Desire
Desire offers a classic tour from romantic Barcelona to the eternal city of Rome in April 2018. Desire offers intimate and exclusive clothing optional areas to the passengers. This is an adult only cruise.
- There are eight decks on this ship that offer staterooms and suites, six dining options, two specialty restaurants, bars and gathering spots, spa, fitness center, onboard shopping and playrooms.
- Ports of call include Sete, France; Marseilles, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Portofino, Italy; and Florence, Italy.
- Clothing optional areas include private playrooms, adult entertainment, a Jacuzzi lounge and more.
- Highlights include provocative daytime and evening entertainment.
Source Events
Established in 2001 by an attorney from San Francisco, Source Events is well known in the LGBT community for offering luxury tours on smaller vessels, including wooden schooners that have twenty-nine cabins.
In August 2017, they will be listing a new clothing optional tour for the gay community on a rustic Windjammer schooner called the Mandalay. This Caribbean cruise will set sail sometime in 2018. Check their website for the latest updates
Charter Cruises for Small Groups
A growing number of companies specialize in smaller cruises for people that want to experience social nudity in a more intimate setting. Most of these tour operators are located in Florida.
Travel Buff
Since 2004, Florida travel company Travel Buff has curated a list of clothing optional cruises, as well as clothing optional accommodations.
Choose between a variety of vessels, including a 60-foot ocean schooner, 50-foot classic Chris Craft Commander Coastal Cruiser, 13-meter wooden racer-cruiser, Bahia 46 and a 75-foot custom ketch. Vessels accommodate six to eight guests and the length of the cruise varies, but most are one to two days. Current cruise destinations include Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Tampa/Gulf of Mexico, St. Martin and Croatia Islands.
Windsong Sailing
If you find yourself in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and want to do some nude sailing, fishing and sunbathing in the Gulf of Mexico, Windsong Sailing offers clothing optional sailing charters.These charters are for up to six people with no strangers allowed.
In accordance with Florida State Law, passengers must wear clothes at the dock and in all maritime marked channels. The channels are three miles long and take about thirty minutes to navigate. If you visit islands, you must be clothed and law requires that you are clothed when anchored 200 feet from an island. Feel free to swim naked in the Gulf of Mexico and sunbathe nude on the deck.
Half and full day nude cruises are available starting at $275. Pricing is for the entire boat.
Florida Keys Nude Boat Charters
Boat charters in Key West are getting more popular as two or more charter companies in the area are now offering nude boating trips. If you don't feel comfortable baring all in front of up to 3,000 other passengers, you can opt to charter your own clothes-free cruise.
- Dream Boat Charters has been sailing the Florida Keys since 1992 and now offers nude boat charters for six like-minded friends. They are a top rated charter boat company according to Tripadvisor. Their specialty is fishing, snorkeling and birding trips, and now they offer clothes free trips too. Rates start at $425 for two people.
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Wild Dolphin Adventures specializes in tours to see wild dolphins and now, you can do that naked because they have added clothing optional charters for up to six friends. Book a private charter in advance to enjoy nude swimming and snorkeling. Don't forget to look for dolphins too! Each charter is four hours long with morning and afternoon departures. Book the afternoon sail for a sunset in the raw. Rates are $500 for four hours. Full day tours are available by reservation.
Clothing Optional Etiquette
It is important that cruises with a clothing optional policy provide a comfortable and judgement-free atmosphere. There are basic etiquette rules to follow when sailing on such a voyage.
- Take time to get acclimated to your surroundings. Clothing optional sailings give you the opportunity to stay partially covered until you are comfortable to bare it all.
- Don't stare. Remember what your mother taught you: gawking isn't polite.
- Don't photograph other passengers without their consent.
- Keep a towel on hand. You will need it to place over any furniture you sit on.
- All passengers must be dressed when the ship is in port.
- Lingerie, fetish wear and excessive genital jewelry is not appropriate.
- Sexual activity or solicitation is prohibited.
- When dancing, remember that body contact is not allowed on the dance floor on many cruises.
- It is fun to travel with like-minded people as long as there is mutual respect.
- Observe cruise rules. Some clothing optional sailings have specially designated areas and times when clothing is required. You need to comply with these rules.
- Have a backup plan formulated to leave the cruise when docked at the first port if you find you cannot tolerate the clothing optional scene. Having a backup plan also helps calm nerves for first-time clothes-free cruisers.
Bare All Cruising
Some people may see social nudity as an adventure, maybe even a challenge to get out of their comfort zone. According to the American Association for Nude Recreation, nude recreation is about experiencing life in the most natural way possible. Many say that a clothing-free vacation is liberating and increases confidence and acceptance of imperfections. The most important thing is to have fun and to respect yourself and others, regardless of what you have on (or don't have on).
