Looking for a holiday guaranteed to give you goose bumps? Travel companies are
reporting a surge in nudist cruises, including a trip to the freezing climes
of Glacier Bay, Alaska.
While the typical image of a holiday for a British naturist involves caravans,
curled sandwiches and windswept beaches, the movement is going upmarket.
Travel companies report that the number of holidaymakers going on naturist
cruises has doubled in the past five years.
Those wishing to slip off their clothes while on holiday can choose a 15-day
cruise along the dramatic Croatian coast, which has a choice of nudist
beaches.
Alternatively, they can head to the Far East on the Star Flyer or to the
Caribbean aboard the Carnival Legend.
As the brochure for Bare Necessities, one of the nudist travel companies,
says: “Sun-bathe, without fear of tan lines, by one of three fabulous pools.
Whether you choose to gamble in the casino or catch a show, it can be done
sans clothing.”
The more hardy nudist veterans can book a cruise to Alaska in July, with the
chance to “hike through the massive Juneau icefield”.
Alternatively, you can just sit on deck and watch your body go blue. Perhaps
not surprisingly there still appear to be spaces on the trip.
Jim Bailey, who runs Castaway Travel, an American company that sold 3,000
berths on nude cruise ships last year, said the cruises were popular with
British naturists: “Lots of my customers are British and sales to them have
gone up by about 50% from 2001 to 2006.”
Among the British nudist converts to cruises is John Stockdale, 51, from
Liverpool, who was invited with his wife on a nude cruise by some friends.
He has been a naturist for 25 years and said he loved the relaxed atmosphere
of a nude cruise: “We thought it was fantastic. All kinds of people go —
there are lots of retired teachers, doctors and professional people.
“After a while you don’t realise that people aren’t wearing clothes because
everyone looks the same. In fact it is people wearing clothes that attract
more attention.”
Stockdale said the cruises were not places for wife swapping as some people
might suspect, but did reveal that five people who were on his cruise were
asked to leave for inappropriate behaviour.
Another keen participant is Peter Englert, 71, from Romford, Essex, who is
retired. He has been on a number of naturalist cruises and said that,
without clothes, national stereotypes tended to fall away.
“Interestingly, you cannot spot what country people are likely to be from by
the way they look or act naked,” he said.
“Once people are not wearing clothes, they act in pretty much the same way in
terms of how relaxed they feel. There is no hiding behind the sun lounger.”
Andrew Welch, from British Naturism, said the cruises were likely to attract
people seeking new experiences: “Just as people go bungee jumping in New
Zealand, they feel able to go on a naturist holiday.”
Prices on the cruises are broadly similar to a conventional cruise, starting
at £510 for a basic cabin in a small sailing ship to £22,959 for a couple to
go on a luxury trip around the British Virgin Islands. Clients are typically
aged between 45 and 55.
Those new to the idea are given advice on how to act — and reminded not to
gawp. “Remember to look people in the eyes,” said Sherry Stafford Loibl, who
runs Internaturally, a US company that arranges smaller nude cruises.
“Once you feel comfortable, you can look them up and down to see what they
look like, just as you would if they were wearing clothes. It usually takes
a day before someone is relaxed.” Stafford Loibl said that about 10% of her
customers were from Britain.
Clothes are worn when passengers disembark at any of the ports visited and
during formal evening meals. All the ship’s crew wear clothes.
Cameras and mobile phones are often banned from large cruise ships to stop
unauthorised photography, although on many smaller ships photography is
allowed as long as guests ask permission.
What about that guy squeezing up behind you on the roulette table?
Eugene, Heidelberg, germany
Mr Bailey is remembered for his Miami nude flights, naturism is a growing holiday business and no longer to be just sniggered or laughed at.
Steve, Sidcup, Kent