Topless Cruising? Louisiana Cruisers Your Answer is Revealed

When you board a cruise ship in Louisiana chances are you are looking for a way to escape. Not that life in Bunkie, Leesville, Washington, and Ville Platte aren't exotic in their own way, it's just that for a vacation you really need a change of scenery. You could stay at home and clean out the garage. But nah, vacation is better.

And I would imagine a scene that doesn't unfold that often in quiet communities in rural Louisiana such as the ones we have mentioned is the appearance of a female woman lady person strolling about the town's main street sans a shirt. Our societal guidelines say "Nay" to that kind of fashion sense.

However, on a cruise ship fashion sense and common sense are seldom found on board. I guess it is the "escape" of being on vacation that allows normal well-balanced individuals to begin drinking at breakfast, sit in the sun, and listen to a singer from the Philippines attempt to cover a Merle Haggard song, and otherwise expose body parts to the elements that haven't seen the light of day in years.

And that's just around the main pool deck that you'll see men in Speedos who shouldn't be wearing Speedos. There are also ladies in thongs that appear to be nothing more than dental floss. I do hope the suit was brown when you bought it, ma'am. You see, as a rule, cruise ships don't enforce a poolside dress code at all.

However, they will blow the whistle on you if you happen to be a female and want to toss your top to the side. Men with larger breasts covered with hair, you're good. Ladies no matter your cup size or your propensity to grow fur, you've got to remain covered. Or, do you?

Once upon a time, almost every cruise ship offered topless cruising on their "sun decks". The sun deck is usually the highest deck on the vessel and access to that deck was restricted by age. That begs the question, "Can you still tan topless on a cruise ship"? 

The short answer for most cruise lines is no. Carnival Cruise Lines used to have a topless policy about twenty years ago but passenger sensibilities have been the catalyst for Carnival, Norwegian, Disney, and Royal Caribbean to curtail nude and partial nude sunbathing on their vessels.

Virgin Cruise Lines does offer a deck for tanning topless. They have sailings from the Gulf Coast and out of Florida as well. So, if that's your idea of a great time on a cruise ship. You might consider sailing with Virgin. The cruise line does cater to a younger demo than most of the other traditional cruise lines do.

Now, if you do want an "au naturel" experience while you're on vacation many cruise lines do stop at ports of call that offer topless and nude bathing beaches. It's been my experience that these beaches aren't really that private but if privacy is a concern for you then you might just want to keep your shirt and suit on.