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Nude Cruising

Not to be Confused with Bare Boating

A Popular Clothes-Free Vacation Alternative To Traditional Resort Getaways

The Bare Necessities Tour & Travel annual winter cruise is offering a change of direction and vessel with their California Dreamin' Tour cruise from Los Angeles to La Paz, Mazatlan, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  The ship is preparing to set sail February 28th - March 10, 2003.  This year's cruise is nearly sold out with more than 80 percent occupancy filled on a 2,050-passenger cruise ship, a 25% increase from last year. 
 
For the first time this annual cruise will be embarking from Los Angles and touring destinations in western Mexico.  Traditionally the tour has departed from Florida and toured the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean. The 10-day cruise aboard one of Carnival Cruise Lines' most luxurious ships has all the comforts of a first-class resort featuring everything from a lively casino, to bars and lounges, to a full service spa and salon, jogging track, three swimming pools, Las Vegas style floorshows, Ship's Orchestra
and a state-of-the-art dance club.  Though the California Dreamin' Tour is nearly sold out, members of the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) have the opportunity to still book a reservation at a discount of more than four times their annual membership dues.  Non-members can get an instant membership by visiting the website or by calling AANR's toll free number, 1-800-TRY-NUDE.

The nude cruise industry has experienced significant growth over the past decade, even in 2001 and 2002 when the entire hospitality industry was experiencing a recession.  Since Bare Necessities first introduced its annual winter nude cruise 13 years ago, on a 470 passenger cruise ship, their business has consistently grown year over year.  This year's cruise is the largest they have booked requiring them to use a larger sized cruise ship to meet the needs of more than 2,000 passengers.

The annual tour has developed a loyal following.  A group that consists of not only nudists, but avid cruisers who welcome the opportunity to vacation in the buff.  Bare Necessities' proprietors Tom and Nancy Tiemann first discovered nude cruising when they wanted to take a snorkeling trip, but their schedules would only allow for one that happened to be organized by a nudist group.  After taking that trip, they enjoyed the experience so much they decided to turn it into a successful tour and travel business.  Bare Necessities has additional cruises planned in 2003 to Tahiti in late May and the Greek Isles in July, both of which are nearly sold out. 

"With our winter cruise more than 80 percent sold out and the two tours planned for the spring and summer selling at that rate, we are pleased our business is holding strong despite challenges the industry has faced during the past year," said Nancy Tiemann, Bare Necessities Tour & Travel.  "We are excited to give many of our customers west of the Mason Dixon Line and Western Canada, the opportunity to embark on our annual cruise a bit closer to home and to be able to tour the beautiful destinations in Mexico that we have not visited on our winter tour before."  

"We have seen clothing-optional cruising rapidly grow into a highly recognizable niche travel segment," said Erich Schuttauf, executive director, American Association for Nude Recreation.  "We are ecstatic that this year's cruise is nearly sold out and that AANR members are enjoying the many benefits, including substantial savings, on their nude travel vacations.  We hope that more people will discover the freedom found in clothing-optional travel."

Bare Necessities Tour & Travel is the largest agency of its kind providing travelers with fun-filled, clothes-free cruises and vacation packages. Entering its 13th season of clothing-optional travel, the company currently books more than 4,500 clothing-optional vacationers on cruises and land-based vacations a year, and serves more than 30,000 clients throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Celebrating its 72nd anniversary this year, the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) is the oldest and largest organization promoting nude recreation in North America with 50,000 individual members and more than 250 affiliated clubs across the U.S. and Canada that provide clothes-free recreation.  Membership in this organization is a passport to fun and can be purchased for less than the price of a bathing suit.  For more information, call AANR at (800) TRY-NUDE, or visit them on the web at www.aanr.com

Edited by Dave Shultz

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