Well we're off again these trips really are quite addictive and this is our third nude cruise and our second to the Caribbean. One of the things learned from a number of work trips across the pond is that arriving a few days early lets you adjust to the new time zone. In our case it also let us spend a bit of time at Caliente a place that is arguably the premier nudist destination in the US if not the world with a warm tropical climate and balmy 7 degree temperatures. What! Yep we arrived during an "unseasonable" cold snap. Thankfully this only lasted a day or two longer so it was back to warm temperatures by Friday and some serious pool time catching up with our friends from previous cruises and those fellow travellers we'd meet on-line.

Caliente is like any other resort in that it has all of the facilities you'd expect such as a number of pools, restaurants, bars with a drinks service for those who don't want to leave their spot by the pool, gym, gift shop, health Spa and the only thing resembling a dress code is a requirement to be nude by the pool. The other benefit of staying here was that as the cruise is a major draw for nudists the resort ran bus services to the pier on the day of departure so no messing around with shuttles or hire cars to get to the Carnival Legend, which was to be our home for the next week.

Leaving Tampa on a ship of this size, massive at 86,000 tons, is a bit of a slow process as she makes her way down the narrow channel and out into Tampa Bay towards the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Passing under this bridge as the sun sinks below the horizon holds an interest for all on board as the ship clears it by a mere 1.5 meters, which in itself is impressive to see, more importantly though as soon as it is passed the harbor pilot leaves the ship taking with him the requirement for clothing and the serious business of nude cruising can begin. Read more