Nudist cruises already existed in the last century
The best known provider and pioneer is Bare Necessities from Texas, USA, which has been offering naturist cruises since 1991.
From Germany and Europe come at best a few smaller providers who offer smaller boat tours or sailing trips with catamarans around the Balearic Islands or Canary Islands in Croatia, Greece or Spain.
Logo Bare NecessitiesWhy don't we have Bare Necessities in the program?
There's a simple reason: they don't pay commission!
We do not want to punish you or other customers from Europe with higher prices, when the nudist cruise is obviously bookable directly with the operator much cheaper.
If the booking processes were cumbersome or elaborate, a price premium might still be justified, but they are not,
quite the opposite. We recently had contact with Christie Meyer of Bare Necessities again and again she told us,
"The process of booking a cabin with us on the website is simple and straightforward.
The number of cabins are limited and because we are very successful at selling, we don't require agents."
And where she is right, she is right.
When asked, we are very happy to refer to Bare Necessities, simply because they do a good job. Taking more money from our customers or working for free, we don't do that.
Conclusion: If you want to take part in a nudist cruise, go directly to the Bare Necessities site and book your cabin there.
What can you expect on board a nudist cruise?
Nudist cruises are not really nudist cruises, as you might think. Sure, you are allowed to be nude on board, but clothing is mandatory in the public areas, hallways, restaurants, spa, etc. When the ship approaches a port, the captain will ask to be clothed. The same applies on the balconies of the cabins.
Otherwise, you have the freedom to be nude, sunbathe and swim on the ship's outdoor areas. Especially the places around the pool are very popular.
Of course, nudist cruises on the route also have appropriate destinations where nudist beaches are visited.
Also, the shipping companies have their own islands where you can spend a whole day naked.
The cruises are enriched with dance, entertainment, games, events, costume parties, workshops, massages and photography to meditation and the rules of the nudist community apply.
As mentioned earlier, passengers must always be dressed when the ship is in port or when the captain announces that clothing is required.
Clothes must also be worn at meals in the main dining room and in all specialty restaurants, and it is no different when attending the captain's dinner.
Bathrobes are not allowed in the dining rooms, casino or showrooms.
That you use a towel or other piece of textile when sitting down naked is international standard and part of naturist etiquette.
Sexual activities, fetish clothing and intimate jewelry are undesirable!
Overt sexual activity is prohibited in public and any solicitation for such activity is strictly prohibited and will result in expulsion from the ship.
Also not desired are lingerie and fetish clothing as well as intimate jewelry.
There are clear rules of conduct to which everyone must adhere. Whoever disregards the rules runs the risk of being expelled from the ship.
As usual, in this case a refund of the travel money is excluded.
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No persons under the age of 18 are allowed to participate in a nudist cruise. Singles participating in a nudist cruise must pay for the price of a cabin, unless they share the cabin with another single.
Can you still be clothed?
On a nudist cruise it doesn't make much sense to be clothed, even if some situations require it. Nevertheless, everyone will be granted the right to be clothed as well.
For example, some newcomers want to get used to being naked first and from there it is not a problem at all to wear clothes.
As I said, there are situations like costume parties, events in the restaurants and the hallways and elevators where nudism is prohibited and clothing must be worn, even if only light clothing.
Which leads us to the question of what to actually take on a nudist cruise.
I pack my suitcase for a nudist cruise
Clearly, pack as little clothing as possible, but remember, you will need some when you board, go on shore excursions and stay in the public areas. Shoes, including bathing shoes, good footwear for shore excursions and also swimwear in case there is no nudist beach on site and you still want to use the beach offered. There are towels on board, but it makes sense to bring your own. A pareo is also a good way to cover up or to sit on. Think of sufficient sun protection, sunglasses and sun hat, because it usually goes towards the sun.
Where are you going? What are the destinations?
Anywhere around the globe. The routes are no different from conventional cruises. Certainly, the charter company will make sure that good nudist options are available on the route.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Some of the shipping companies have their own islands that are popular for day trips and are available to nudist lovers.
Meanwhile, other shipping companies have recognized that people like to go nudist and offer an area on their ships that is intended only for nudists, especially AIDA.
Be aware: American operators do not offer guarantees under the European Package Travel Directive. Changes in payment and cancellation fees occur.
Also, these providers are "unaware" of European laws, not to say indifferent to them. Therefore, when booking, pay attention to the terms and conditions of the providers.
American providers generally advertise prices that do not include fees, these are always added at the end.
The Corona Pandemic has shown that it can sometimes come to bizarre situations. (Entry ban of the U.S., mandatory vaccination, etc.) here you are dependent as a customer of the goodwill of the charter providers, or the travel company, where the trip was booked.
A cruise, not only at Corona times, should always be covered by travel insurance. Even if costs of 5 - 10 % of the travel price arise, you should not shy away from it.
In summary, if we are talking about nudist cruises, we are talking about Bare Necessities from Texas, USA. Here, the very large ships are used with up to 3000 people on board, but also cozy luxury liners with just under 150 cabins.
Smaller providers from Europe are on the road with much smaller ships with cabins between 10 and 100. The offers vary, it is worth a comparison.
Small sailboats and the problems that could arise during a nudist sailing trip
Problems with small sailboats or catamarans can be caused by the guests themselves or the captain (skipper).
On small boats there is no privacy at all and not getting out of the way is not possible. If the people on board are not "green" with each other, the sailing trip can quickly become a torment.
It makes sense to know who is coming on board before booking. Unfortunately, this is not considered or offered by many providers.
And exactly for these reasons we have stopped these offers at the beginning of our business after a short "trial period". There were too many customer complaints.
Most have romantic images of a sailing trip in mind, like anchoring at lonely bays with crystal clear water far and wide no one with the freedom to do anything you want.
Underestimate, however, that you share your time with strangers, possibly 7 days or longer to get along, in the tightest space no place to retreat.
The Skipper
This is also just one of the problems that could arise. The skipper often has a mammoth task to fulfill, which he takes on with every trip. Not only that he is responsible for the safety on board for all guests, so he is often cook in addition to captain,
psychologist, entertainer, arbitrator and much more in one person. Not all skippers are up to the task.
Our advice for a nudist sailing trip:
If you want to make a nudist sailing trip, you should also consider the issue of "singles and couples". Are singles and couples on board or only singles and only couples (which often works better), are children present (children always bring a certain restlessness),
what is the catering like, is the owner insured and much more. We must not be misunderstood here, the exclusivity of a small ship and to sail to places that are still free of mass tourism,
definitely have something of adventure and freedom. If you want to take part in such a trip, we recommend that you get good advice beforehand and look for a reputable provider who has a lot of experience with sailing trips.
Maybe you do a small tour with 3 or 5 nights first. With luck everything will fit together and you will experience some exciting days and nights without clothes on board. We wish you a lot of fun.
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