A staff member on a nude cruise carrying more than 2,000 guests has explained how she responds when passengers get aroused, even though she insists the atmosphere is mostly “non-sexual”.
Most people have heard of nude beaches, which exist in many countries where social nudity is accepted.
Bare Necessities extends that idea to the ocean, running clothing-optional cruises that began back in 1991.
For many travelers, the appeal is the chance to experience nudism in a shared, community setting—only this time, it’s onboard a ship rather than on the sand.
Still, when you put thousands of unclothed people together in one place, uncomfortable situations can occasionally arise.
And while some reactions are easier to conceal than others, certain moments are more obvious—particularly for men.
Kat Whitmire, who helps organize trips for Bare Necessities, says it’s something the team is familiar with.
Whitmire is part of the group that coordinates two voyages each year: a larger February sailing that brings roughly 2,100 passengers aboard the so-called “Big Nude Boat,” plus a smaller summer trip.
In an interview with Business Insider, she said there’s an explicit expectation onboard related to arousal, explaining that ‘men can’t be overly excited’.
She also described what she tells guests to do if they feel like they’re heading into an awkward moment.
“We say that if they start to feel things around moving down there, jump in cold water, or think about baseball.”
Her comments line up with what one male cruiser previously told Reddit after someone asked whether unplanned erections were considered taboo.
According to him, it’s extremely uncommon, adding: “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.”
So perhaps “baseball” has become the go-to mental distraction at sea.
The arousal guideline is just one of several onboard rules Bare Necessities sets for guests. Another policy: you’re expected to get consent before taking photos that include other passengers.
There’s also a notable exception to the otherwise clothing-optional environment—the formal dining room.
Whitmire has said the dining area follows a standard summed up as ‘no nips, no bits and no butts’, a safety-minded approach given that servers are often carrying hot plates and trays.
Before she joined the company as an organizer, Whitmire and her husband first sailed with Bare Necessities as models after being invited by a friend who worked as a photographer.
They later returned in other roles as general staff, and Whitmire eventually moved into a sales associate position in 2010—becoming a full-time employee from there.