Cruise passengers are stripping off too much. Show some respect

July 14, 2026 — 5:00am

Sometimes you don’t know where to look. You’re on a ship with 2000 strangers, and you’ve found a lounge chair by the pool.

But every time you look up from your book, there’s an oil-slicked derriere or a hairy groin in your sights. Mankinis. Monokinis. Micro bikinis.

Less is more when it comes to swimwear these days.

“Bottom pride is taking over Australian beaches and swimming pools, with thongs of the G-string, rather than the foot variety, surging in popularity,” wrote Damien Woolnough, fashion editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age over our past summer.

In June, I was relaxing in the shade on a European beach and marvelled at the number of women, of all ages and sizes, trying to expose as many centimetres of flesh as possible to the blazing rays of the sun.

We do it in Australia, to our peril, but we usually stop sensibly short of achieving the deep mahogany brown shade of skin so beloved by Europeans.

The Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini is back, but the bikini of the catchy 1950s song was a burka compared to some of the swimwear being worn today.

Peruse Amazon, and you’ll find a number of “extreme slingshot G-string micro bikinis” for sale. You can even buy a gold one for $12.12. That seems reasonable, as they consist of no more material than a handkerchief cut into three pieces.

The bikinis should be sold with a litre of SPF 50 sunblock.

Maybe skimpy swimwear never entirely went away, but influential celebs like Kylie Jenner, who has been photographed romping about in the Caribbean in little more than three tiny triangles connected by strings, are having a shrinking effect on what is considered suitable poolside coverage.

I’ve noticed there are always people who do and wear what they want, regardless of anyone’s feelings or sensitivities.

It must be the economy because people certainly aren’t spending their money on swimwear fabric.

And this is concerning some cruise companies.

It’s not so much that they’re conservative. They rarely dictate what passengers can wear onboard, although Norwegian Cruise Lines has started to ban shorts and thongs (the footwear kind) in its top-tier restaurants because of slovenly passengers.

It’s what happens on shore that matters.

Cruise passengers flocking to beaches in revealing swimwear can breach the cultural codes of the places they visit, and it’s causing friction between the destinations and the cruise lines.

Carnival Cruises, like many cruise lines, publishes guidelines for passengers. One of them specifically asks guests “to respect the local culture and rules in the ports we visit”.

But that hasn’t stopped its passengers from flaunting their bodies in places where such beachwear is offensive to the locals.

Although South Sea idylls like the Tahitian islands have a reputation for being casual towards nudity, many Pacific islands are religiously conservative, owing to the influence of Christian missionaries and their descendants.

One such destination is Lifou, the largest of the Loyalty Islands in New Caledonia. Known for its excellent snorkelling, it also has a strong Kanak culture and conservative religious traditions.

Local leaders request that visitors wear one-piece or full-coverage swimsuits and avoid revealing clothing when in public.

It seems Carnival’s passengers were ignoring the directive. In frustration, the captain of Carnival Splendor sent out a letter notifying passengers of strict swimwear restrictions before a scheduled port stop in Lifou in June.

It banned G-strings, monokinis, mankinis and topless sunbathing. Guests were to wear modest attire in all public places. If they didn’t comply, they were to be sent back to the ship.

Carnival feared port calls would be jeopardised if passengers let it all hang out.

I’m not sure what the reaction was from passengers. But I bet a few took umbrage with the new rule.

I’ve noticed there are always people who do and wear what they want, regardless of anyone’s feelings or sensitivities, like the woman I once travelled with who wore a micro-mini skirt in the UAE, despite being told it might be offensive.

Mosques require women not only to cover their heads but their legs and arms too. Catholic churches prefer that knees and arms are covered.

I never found this problematic. I always travel with a shawl or sarong expressly for this purpose.

Perhaps Carnival might subtly direct the exhibitionists who wear mankinis and G-strings to a Mediterranean or Brazilian beach where they might blend in with the crowd?

For the people of Lifou – and many fellow passengers – that would be a relief.