Cruises once had reputation as a stuffy, class-ridden way to holiday, but in the 21st century the cruising market is moving away from formal dining and balls to embrace more relaxed pursuits such as buffets and even passengers in the buff!
At the World Travel Market - a major global event for the worldwide travel industry held every November at London's ExCel Centre - delegates heard how naked cruising could sweep the travel and tourism industry in 2010.
Naturist Holidays on the Rise
It appears that, in these more relaxed times, naturist holidays are growing in popularity and there are already a number of well-established tour operators offering a range of holidays for people to enjoy in the buff, so naked cruises are a logical extension of this trend.
Stephen Park General Manager of Norwegian Cruise Line told a cruise industry panel debate at WTM 2009 that naked cruising is poised to take off (no pun intended!) as cruise companies continue to diversify and look for niche markets in the light of increasing competition.
"Niche cruising is something we will be seeing a lot of in the future," he said. "Whether you're a music lover, a nature lover or a naturist, there will be a cruise for you."MSC Cruises UK and Ireland Chairman Pete Pate agreed niche theme cruises would continue to grow, particularly in the UK as cruise companies set about attracting the 80% of the UK market which has not been on a cruise holiday.
"Given the rate at which we are growing and the range of cruises offered it's an idea which can not be ruled out," Pate said. "However, MSC Cruises has no plan to launch a nudist cruise at present."
Texan Pioneers of Nude Cruises
Nude cruising is nothing new. The clothing-optional cruise has been a fact of life since 1991 in the USA, when nude cruise pioneers Texas-based Bare Necessities first chartered a Costa Cruises vessel to take 2,200 naked passengers around the States.
The concept has been a resounding success: owners Tom and Nancy Tiemann now have three vessels and have just finished their 38th cruise, carrying more than 40,000 naked passengers to date. Cruises travel to Hawaii, French Caribbean islands such as Martinique and Guadeloupe, and Mediterranean destinations such as Greece where nudity was all the rage in classical times.
So how does it all work on board?
Apparently passengers can choose to be naked anywhere on the ship - be that in the pool or at the blackjack table - but must get dressed if formal dining is on the menu, although shorts, t-shirts and flip flops are perfectly acceptable. Bare Necessities stresses that these cruises are absolutely not about sex, the rule is not to do anything outside your cabin that you wouldn't do at home.
The crew tend to keep their clothes on to maintain a sense of decorum when carrying out their duties with passengers, who tend to be around the 45 and 55 year old age group, are mostly married or couples with professions ranging from company CEOs to Priests.
World Travel Market Chairman Fiona Jeffery summed up the new trend: "The cruise industry is growing so fast that it needs a variety of themes to attract new holidaymakers to the sector. Nudist beaches are popular all over the world, so why not naked cruising?"
So thumbs up for nude cruises to the balmy climes of the Caribbean or Hawaii, but trips to the Antarctic may prove to be a step too far for even the most seasoned naturist!
Michael Pedley - I have been a full-time travel writer for the last 13 years, working since 1996 for Holiday Which? until 2008 when I left behind the cosy ...
