Nudist Cruise: How do cruise staff react to nudists? Positively!

Today, nudist traveler Mike reflects on the positive responses to nudists by clothed entertainers and staff members aboard the M/S Holland America Maasdam’s special nude Caribbean cruise.

First time here? Be sure to read Mike's previous nude cruise reports: February 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI / Aboard The M/S Holland America Maasdam (February 10, 2007) -- It's not just us.

We're not the only ones who think nudists are a fun, fun bunch of people to be with. It seems that everyone who steps onto the stage of the M/S Maasdam offers that opinion as well, from our Cruise Director David Martin to each of the featured guest performers who have come aboard to entertain us in the Rembrandt Theater stage.

Last night, we had two outstanding guest entertainers. The first was Joel Mason, who did a hilarious and musically great Elton John tribute show, and got 90% naked on stage himself with a great break- away Elton-esque white suit costume, and then high-fived many in the audience as he ran around the seating area in his boxers. "I love you people, and I love this philosophy!" he said more than once, and everyone could tell he was really enjoying performing for our fun- loving and appreciative group...all the more so since he did it all with a mild case of bronchitis.

Next up, for the "Adults Only" late-night comedy show at 11:15 was Julie Barr, who totally killed for nearly an hour. She jousted with the audience like the best of the pros do, evoking comparisons to Paula Poundstone and Robin Williams and their superlative improv styles. But the biggest among many huge laughs were for her "blue material," jokes she can't use with other audiences but which were very much appropriate for we open-minded and hard-to-offend nudists (none of which can I repeat here for this G-rated blog posting). Suffice it to say, Julie had a blast working for us, and said as much several times during her show. She even said, "If this is the last show I ever work for Holland America, it's worth it." Wow.

All of which brings to mind the idea that we nudists have found something special. We have discovered a way of life, a way of relaxing, a way of making new friends, a way of having fun that sadly too few others will ever find or try. We are regular people in every other way, except for this one very special part of our lives, which we love so much and want to share with as many others as we can...yet doing so is impossible for most of us because of the misplaced societal taboos and small-minded prudery that has so far kept nudism as a tiny niche lifestyle.

In fact, during Julie's set last night, she posed a question to the standing-room-only crowd in the Rembrandt Theater: "How many of you are on this cruise without your family knowing about it?" There was a loud round of applause...and she immediately followed up with, "How many are on this cruise without your family knowing about it--and you just don't care?" -- which was answered by an even stronger response.

On Thursday, we both had massages in the ship's spa. Spontaneously and without being asked, both of our young massage therapists offered their opinion that without any question, our group has been by far the most fun, the most friendly, the smartest (!) and the most easy-going charter they have ever had aboard. None of that surprises me except the comment about smartness...all certainly reasonable as we have found nudists to be a thoughtful, well-traveled and well-educated group on the whole...but it's still nice to hear comments like that from folks who are having their first-ever exposure to social nudism thrust upon them during our cruise.

Today we are looking forward to a clothing-optional afternoon catamaran sail-and-snorkel trip here in St. Thomas. Our boat captain will have to take extra measures to serve our special needs of privacy so as not to offend any other boaters or swimmers along our route or at our destination, but we plan to make it worth his while to do so. Tomorrow's report will be a recap of how that excursion went, and what our day at Half Moon Cay, the "private island" owned by Holland America's parent company Carnival, is like.

Just three more days of naked fun left...it has gone by so quickly!

Thanks Mike. I wonder who was entertained more, the entertainers or the audience?