Redditor Takes an All-Nude Cruise: ‘No Bare Butts on Any Surface Ever’

A Redditor who went on a nude cruise shared details from the trip – especially how strict the hygiene rules are.

In a post on Reddit’s “AMA” subreddit — where commenters are encouraged to “ask me anything” about a particular experience — wisecommenter2, who says he’s been a nudist for years, shared details about his trip on the Bare Necessities cruise.

As they pointed out, “This was a nudist cruise, not a ‘lifestyle’ cruise. Accordingly, there was no public sex or erection that I saw. An erection would be considered bad form in this environment.”

They also shared the rule that nudists adhere to: “No bare buttocks on any surface in any public space. Ever. It’s not a difficult concept,” they wrote.

Image of a towel on a cruise ship lounger.

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“Nudists care about hygiene just as much if not more than the next guy.”

This was confirmed in a later comment when someone asked, “Does it smell weird when everyone is naked or are people usually really clean?”

“No smell. People are clean. A man cannot put his bare ass on any surface; a towel is a must,” wisecommenter2 said.

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PEOPLE reached out to Norwegian Cruise Line, which operates the Bare Necessities cruise, and was directed to their guide, which states: “Failure to follow any of the etiquette and behavior rules described in this section will be grounds for dismissal from the cruise. ”

And as Dr. Bruce Hirsch, an infectious disease physician at Northwell Health, tells PEOPLE, following these guidelines ensures that there will be no increased health risks if you’re naked on a cruise.

A picture of a woman on a boat.

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“Being packed in a tight space and being naked is basically the same as being packed in a tight space and being clothed,” he said.

In fact, “the only difference is that there is some skin infection,” which “presents a greater risk to other individuals if the wound is exposed.”

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“But the advantage of an all-naked cruise is that you can see what you’re going to get,” added Dr. Hirsch.

And when it comes to infectious diseases like the highly contagious gastrointestinal illness norovirus, which is notoriously fast-spreading on cruise ships, Dr. Hirsh tells PEOPLE that just making out with a naked person with the virus isn’t a problem.

“Sweat itself does not contain the pathogen,” he said. “If a person is sick, if they’re spraying diarrhea all over deck four, that’s not a good thing. But that’s not a common circumstance, and if it is, you’ll see sooner if they’re naked than if they’re dirtying their clothes on a cruise.”

The way norovirus spreads, Dr. Hirsch explains, is “it gets on surfaces, and then we touch those surfaces and that’s how we pick up norovirus. It will not happen differently if the person is naked or if they are clothed.”

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In fact, he says, as long as people follow Covid-era recommendations to wash their hands and avoid touching their faces, they should be able to avoid illness just as effectively as if they were clothed.

However, there is an inherent health risk to being naked on a cruise, as both Dr. Hirsch and wisecommenter2 have pointed out.

A person applies sunscreen.

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“It is certain that men’s genital skin is thinner and may be more susceptible to severe sunburn,” Dr. Hirsch tells PEOPLE. “Avoiding prolonged direct sun exposure to the genitals, I think that would be reasonable consent.”

And as wisecommenter2 said, when it comes to sunscreen, apply “The same amount you normally need, then a little more.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education