When the Carnival Freedom sets sail from
Florida next February for an eight-day cruise to
Panama, it will offer the same amenities as any
other Carnival cruise: three pools, a jogging
track, a 1970s dance club and a cigar bar.
But there is one stark difference. Passengers on
the white behemoth of a ship, which can carry
2,974 passengers, will enjoy those facilities
naked.
The ship’s expected nude sailing — the trip is
70 per cent booked — underscores the vitality
of the US nude tourism industry, which the
American Association for Nude Recreation says
brings in around $440 million a year, up about
10 per cent in the last decade.
“I think when we vacation, we would rather
travel with like-minded people, whether nudists
or jazz music lovers,” said Nancy Tiemann,
owner of the nude tourism company Bare
Necessities, which is arranging the cruise. “It’s
not just about getting on a cruise ship and
taking your clothes off.”
Nude tourism isn’t a new concept: Tiemann
started booking cruises two decades ago with a
ship of 600 people and the American
Association for Nude Recreation celebrated its
80th anniversary last year.
But the industry has evolved, with resorts
becoming more upscale, cruises getting larger,
and judging from the turnout of vendors at the
first nudist expo last week in Las Vegas, no
shortage of tourism companies aiming to cater
to those who would rather travel in the buff.
Smaller nude cruises have visited the Greek
Islands, Croatia and the Italian and French
Rivieras in addition to more conservative locales
such as Egypt — though travellers were clothed
when they toured the pyramids.
Nudists, who say they are not about forcing
nudism on others, emphasise the nudist
lifestyle is simply about enjoying oneself
without the social or physical burden of clothing
in a non-sexual, family-friendly environment of
like-minded people.
—Reuters
Florida next February for an eight-day cruise to
Panama, it will offer the same amenities as any
other Carnival cruise: three pools, a jogging
track, a 1970s dance club and a cigar bar.
But there is one stark difference. Passengers on
the white behemoth of a ship, which can carry
2,974 passengers, will enjoy those facilities
naked.
The ship’s expected nude sailing — the trip is
70 per cent booked — underscores the vitality
of the US nude tourism industry, which the
American Association for Nude Recreation says
brings in around $440 million a year, up about
10 per cent in the last decade.
“I think when we vacation, we would rather
travel with like-minded people, whether nudists
or jazz music lovers,” said Nancy Tiemann,
owner of the nude tourism company Bare
Necessities, which is arranging the cruise. “It’s
not just about getting on a cruise ship and
taking your clothes off.”
Nude tourism isn’t a new concept: Tiemann
started booking cruises two decades ago with a
ship of 600 people and the American
Association for Nude Recreation celebrated its
80th anniversary last year.
But the industry has evolved, with resorts
becoming more upscale, cruises getting larger,
and judging from the turnout of vendors at the
first nudist expo last week in Las Vegas, no
shortage of tourism companies aiming to cater
to those who would rather travel in the buff.
Smaller nude cruises have visited the Greek
Islands, Croatia and the Italian and French
Rivieras in addition to more conservative locales
such as Egypt — though travellers were clothed
when they toured the pyramids.
Nudists, who say they are not about forcing
nudism on others, emphasise the nudist
lifestyle is simply about enjoying oneself
without the social or physical burden of clothing
in a non-sexual, family-friendly environment of
like-minded people.
—Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment