Expert reveals what the secret meaning of pink flamingos are on cruise ships
Cody Candee, CEO of travel luggage firm Bounce.com, says the popular holiday floaty is used by swingers on some liners to make it clear that there might be a midnight buffet of a different kind on offer.
Candee says that major cruise brands, including Norwegian, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and - avert your eyes now Mickey - Disney, often unwittingly host couples looking to play away while they're on holiday.
The pink flamingo comes in the wake of another visual symbol apparently used by swingers at sea.
He explained: 'Many people are already aware of the upside-down pineapple as a well-known sign for swinging or "wife swapping" when displayed on a cabin door or an item of clothing.
'However, as the symbol becomes more widely recognised, many cruise lines are cracking down on the use of this symbol on cabin doors.
'Other discreet symbols, such as pink flamingos, are gaining popularity as an alternative code for the same lifestyle.'
Adults-only sex cruises specifically designed for the swinging scene have long been a thing.
X-rated jaunts, run by brands such as Temptation Cruises, feature everything from educational workshops to racy stage shows, with secret rooms also on offer.
The latter sees cameras and photos are banned, and staff are stationed at the doors to protect the privacy of those inside.
Discussing a Temptation Cruise in an interview with MailOnline last year, Intimacy coach and hypnotherapist Kate Shelor, who runs racy seminars at sea, lifted the lid on what really goes down on board.
She explained: 'The Temptation Cruises aren't explicitly swingers cruises, but I would say that it's probably 60 to 70 per cent people who are in that lifestyle.'
'The other 30 per cent are not, but they want a fun, sexy, adult atmosphere.'
The age range of attendees generally ranges from mid-twenties to mid-fifties, with the majority being couples, although there's plenty of singles on board too.
'I would say there's people that are there to swing for sure, then there are couples who don't interact with other couples,' Kate said.
'They don't play, they don't swing, but they may want to do something a little wild. Like, there are areas on board where you can be topless and go dancing,' she continued.
'There's a lot of people who may just want to push some personal boundaries and feel a little bit, you know, dangerous and exciting. And then there's also areas where you can be completely nude, but that is in the indoor pool area only and the rules are very strict.'
Kate also shared one of the jaw-dropping sexual experiences she hosts inside the ship's secret playroom - or 'red room' as it's become known as - where she guides up to 60 couples to orgasm together.
'I do a hypnotic sex seminar. It's couples only, but they can bring a third,' she said.
Once inside, the couples (and throuples) find a mattress to sit on together, before being blindfolded.
'Part of the experience is getting in touch with your senses, and it also means that not everybody's being watched by each other,' Kate said.
The professional sexpert said that her seminars sell out 'every time' and that they're now so successful that she's had to add more to her schedule to meet the demand.
'They're asking me to do three instead of two on the next cruise because they're so popular!' she said.
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