A woman who worked on a large nude cruise with 2,000 passengers has shared how she handled the awkward moment when someone on board found themselves getting aroused. She explained that questions about this situation came up more often than people might expect, especially since most travelers had never been on a nude cruise before.Earlier this year, nude cruises became a big topic of conversation, with many passengers speaking out about what it was really like to be surrounded by thousands of people who were completely naked. A lot of the curiosity came from wondering what the rules were and how these trips managed to stay non-sexual.
The idea behind the cruises is that nothing should be sexual or NSFW. They are meant to be relaxed and body-positive environments. But the obvious question still comes up for many people: what happens if someone gets a little too excited anyway?
You might assume that the only way to understand what actually goes on during one of these cruises is to take part in one yourself. Still, many people who have worked on them have been very open online about their experiences and have shared what life is like behind the scenes.One traveler who “disembarked from a 2,000 person nude cruise” last year posted on Reddit to give a detailed look at what they saw on board. Their story gave people a better sense of what the rules were and how the travelers interacted.
Kat Whitmire, a cruise organizer for the nudist cruise company Bare Necessities, has also spoken about her time working on these trips and has explained a lot of what actually happens from the staff side.
Kat Whitmire has revealed what nude cruises are really likeGetty Stock Photo
While speaking with Business Insider, Whitmire explained that there is a clear rule on the ship: “men can’t be overly excited.” This means that the cruises are designed to avoid any sexual activity, and the staff have guidelines for dealing with situations where someone might be heading in that direction.She also described the advice she gives to men if they start feeling themselves getting aroused. The guidance is simple and meant to help people stay comfortable and respectful in the shared nude environment.
Whitmire said: “We say that if they start to feel things around moving down there, jump in cold water, or think about baseball.”
The organizer’s advice lines up with what one male passenger said online when a Reddit user asked if accidental erections were “frowned upon.” His response helped explain the social expectations on the ship and offered a firsthand account of what typically happens.The man said that arousal “almost never happen[s]” on board and that most men learn how to stay relaxed and avoid embarrassment. He explained his point by saying: “This cruise is very non-sexual, so a man would want to hide it somehow. Non-nudists think about this a lot more than nudists do.”
It raises the funny question of whether “baseball” has become the naked cruise version of the Roman Empire, something people think of when they need a quick distraction.
Nude cruises are certainly uniqueGetty Stock Photo
It turns out that the anti-arousal rule is only one part of a long list of expectations that Bare Necessities sets for passengers. Another important one is that people must always ask for permission before taking any photo that includes someone else.There is also a rule about the one space where everyone must wear clothes: the formal dining room. Staff are carrying trays filled with hot food, and the organizers want to avoid any mishaps involving bare skin and boiling dishes.
Whitmire said that the dress code in the dining room follows a simple guideline: “no nips, no bits and no butts.” The rule exists to keep staff safe and to prevent an uncomfortable or dangerous situation for both workers and guests.
