Thelife- Some "sexually adventurous" couples are taking swingers' cruises with clothing-optional pools.
- Guests can play in "Fifty Shades of Grey"-style rooms with spanking benches.
Cruising can mean different things to different people, and it seems there really is something for everyone on the high seas these days.
Some "sexually adventurous" couples wanting more than just sun loungers and bingo are taking cruises for "swingers" that offer "Fifty Shades of Grey"-style fetish playrooms.
Guests can choose to take a dip in a clothing-optional swimming pool or let loose at theme parties while voyaging across the ocean.
Insider spoke to three couples during a cruise from Miami to Jamaica in April about their experience and why they decided to go. The couples chose to use their first names only to protect their privacy, but their identities are known to Insider.
Jay and Clara have been on more than 10 cruises with the travel agency The Swinger Cruise, or TSC, which specializes in adult-lifestyle trips. A cruise in the Caribbean with TSC costs about $4,000 a week per person.
Jay, aged 80, and Clara, in her late 70s, like swingers' cruises because of how open people are, the friendships they've made, and the ability to explore their sexual desires in a safe environment.
"Women can express their sexual freedom without worries," Jay said. He believes in the "vanilla world" that people aren't as open.
The couple are self-described "full swap," meaning they can choose to swap partners as part of their swinger lifestyle, but they've also been on trips where they haven't done so.
Clara said she believes this lifestyle has helped her become more sexually liberated and that it's changed the way she talks about sex.
"You feel more freedom and are not afraid of what people are going to say," she said. "Some people don't even like to hear the word 'sex,' they feel embarrassed or uncomfortable, but here you can talk about everything and share stories."
The travel agency said that about 90% of its passengers are couples, with most being between about 40 and 60. One question potential customers often ask is whether they'll get groped or "thrown in an orgy pile," but all guests must sign a conduct policy before a cruise. Consent is paramount and guests can only engage in sexual activity in designated areas such as their cabins or the playroom.
Sharon, 53, and Clarence, 63, have been on several cruises with TSC and said the trips have improved their sex life.
"We've been married for 39 years, and our sex is better now than it's ever been because it's a sexual environment and it makes you feel sexy," Sharon said. "You're given encouragement and that makes my relationship with him even better."
More than anything, Sharon and Clarence said they like the connections they make on the cruises. "It's not about the sexual piece of it as much as relationships — we have lots of friends we met traveling with TSC all over the world," Clarence said. "It's been a lot of fun for us, and we look forward to these vacations more than traditional ones."
Guests can take part in theme nights where they can dress up and let loose. On this "Bliss" cruise, passengers can wear BDSM-style clothing to its "Freaky Fetish" night to show off their "kinky side" and explore "freaky fantasies."
There are spanking benches in the fetish playroom as well as a Saint Andrew's Cross where guests can choose to be tied up. There are also dominatrixes to help guests fulfil their BDSM fantasies.
Sharon said watching what happens in the fetish playroom has been "educational." One of the dominatrixes explained what was going on and the sensations that some of the activities could produce.
"We went down to the fetish room and watched for a bit and thought 'Well that looks interesting,'" she said. "For us, a lot of it is foreplay. We see something and say we need to talk about that or go down and watch again. It's about being open and willing to be engaged and curious and work it out between the two of us. It's been really nice and fun to watch."
Phoebe and Mark, both aged 61, have never been on an adult-lifestyle cruise before this and found it "freeing" to dress however they like. They also said they enjoyed themed parties such as the "medieval" night.
"You can come on and be yourself," Phoebe said. "There's no pressure to participate in anything you don't want to."