The Cruiser's Code Day 01 Pt. 01

Author's Notes: I have no idea if such a code, as written here, exists in real life. I did try and do some Google searching but came up empty. If there is one, let me know in comments, I'd love to read about it. Also, always practice safe sex. I'll try and always make mention of it, but if I don't, assume the sex is safe.

*****

Day 01: Embarkation

The day was perfect as Jim arrived at the terminal. He parked his car in the garage and pulled his suitcase out and breathed in a deep breath of sea air. It had been years since he's been to the coast, although he only lived a few hours away.

As he exited the parking garage amid a mixed group of people, he looked up at the clear blue sky above him and thought about how different it was then the stormy year he's had. Major work related projects created an enormous amount of stress and helped contribute to the end of his decade old marriage.

Married at 25, single again at 35, he wasn't sure what he was going to as far as dating went. The year since he and Trish separated has been a stark reminder at how bad he was at the whole dating game. The first few months, he didn't do any dating. Then he tried going to bars, then to singles events, eventually getting into a slight depression over the whole thing.

Not that he was bad looking. He stood at just under six feet. Nice build since he spent many an early morning at the gym working out his stress that allowed him to maintain his soccer physique. If there was anything, his constant work life and week-old beard gave him more of a rugged man look.

But the lack of a dating life was beginning to show. One day, a couple of months ago, a co-worker recommended that he take a cruise. Jim scoffed the idea. What's a single guy going to do on a cruise ship filled will couples and families?

It took a night of drinking at the bar for his friend to finally convince him. "Trust me," his friend told him. A couple of years ago he sailed single and met his current girlfriend on board. Just past midnight, with the help of his co-worker, Jim was booked on a cruise. The next day he'd stomach some regret that he let his friend, or was it the alcohol, to pay more for the balcony room. Either way, it'd take him a few weeks to start warming up to the idea of just getting away.

It took about an hour to make his way through security and to get onboard. A couple of wrong turns on the boat and he finally found his way to his stateroom. The room itself was nicely sized with a small couch, a queen sized bed and two deck chairs on the veranda. He stepped out and took in the view from the veranda. Luckily, the terminal was on the opposite side, so he had a nice view of the city and ocean beyond. He watched the traffic for a few minutes on the causeway across the bay before quickly unloading his luggage and stowing it under the bed.

Finally, he was ready to explore the ship.

-=-=-

Professional cruiser's know to get to the ship early and reserve a spot on the deck as soon as they can. The upper levels of the ship will be packed a few hours before the ship disembarks. As Jim walked around, discreetly checking out the slim tanned bodies all around him, already oiled up and glistening in the sun.

Just then, Jim knew he was going to enjoy the cruise, if only for the views.

After a few laps around the a couple of the decks, Jim eventually find himself sitting at one of the outside bars. The boat would leave for another hour, so he decided to get the libations started and to start getting relaxed.

Seated next to him was an older guy who introduced himself as Rick.

"Where you from, Rick?" Jim asked.

"Wife and I are from south Ohio. A little town called Waverly. Probably never heard of it."

"Nope, never have. Never been to Ohio."

"Yeah, ain't famous for anything of importance, but it's a nice area. Who you cruising with?"

"Just myself." He paused for a moment, not knowing how much he wanted to reveal. But then, he said, "Got divorced earlier this year and decided to just getaway."

"Divorces are ugly things. How many cruises have you done?"

"This is my first one."

"I remember my first once to this day, at least 7 years ago. Cruised at least once every year since then."

"How many total?"

"This would be the eleventh. Wife and I really love doing these types of vacation."

"Wow. Any suggestions for a single guy on board?"

"Oh, there's plenty to do. They run special things for single folks to meet and mingle and all of that kind of stuff."

"I've tried those back home, never any luck."

"These will be different, you'll see. My first couple of cruises were solo before I met my 2nd wife."

Jim motioned to the bartender to get Rick another drink.

"Thank you." He took a final gulp of his first one before leaning over and saying, "You are aware of the Cruiser's Code, right?"

Jim looked at him.

-=-=-

In the 20s and 30s when it was nearly impossible to be openly gay, a handkerchief code developed where gay men wore colored pocket handkerchiefs to let other gay men know they were there and what they were into.

Back then, it was mostly limited to "looking," "top" or "bottom." But over the years the code evolved and expanded to include things like color and which pocket you wore it in. White was vanilla sex for example and the left pocket may mean the guy is a top. Or bottom, the definitions changed place to place, etc.

Rick explained this to Jim as they walked around the deck so as not to be overheard too much.

From that, Rick told him, a code for singles on cruise also developed, but not necessarily only for gay guys. it grew to include everyone from singles to married people looking to hookup with other cruiser's.

"Let me give you an example." Rick pulled the room towel he had around his neck. "Notice anything particular about this towel?"

"Not really, except it's red on one side and blue on the other."

"Right." He turns the towel back and forth to show both sides. "Red, straight. Blue, gay."

Jim looks at him quizzically.

"Let's look for an example of what I'm talking about." Rick smiles and motions for Jim to follow him. They walk a little bit as Rick looks around. "I'm trying to find...Ah!" He motions them over to one of the bars and motions Jim to sit on a stool and orders two more drinks for them.

As he waits for the drinks, Rick leans over to Jim, "Okay, now I want you to carefully look across the other side of the deck from where we are." Jim rotates in his chair, Rick still faces the bar and hands his card to the bartender.

"See that guy in the lounge chair with the dark hair, sunglasses and the red towel on his right leg?"

Jim slowly looks around, not finding the guy Rick's talking about. Rick takes the two drinks and swivels around handing Jim one of them. "Second row back, about five in from the stairs."

"Ah, yes," Jim says taking a drink. The guy Jim was looking at looked about his age with an average build. He was wearing swim shorts but no shirt and hand sunglasses on. The towel covered his right leg with the red side up.

"He's looking for a straight single hookup. Some people get started early."

"But how do you know he's looking and not just, I don't know, laying out?"

"See his shoes?"

Jim looked and saw the guys shoes at the end, under the lounge chair and nodded.

"Two things about that. First, a vast majority of people don't put their shoes at the end like that, they'll put them mid-way up the chair on the open side because that's where they sit up at. Second, see how they're arranged?"

The shoes were arranged as an "L" with the toe of one shoe pointing towards the guy.

Rick smiled, "Pretty obvious once you know what you're looking for."

"Indeed."

"In the code, almost everything has a meaning. If the toe of the shoe points towards the person, it means their room is good, away, not their room."

"Not their room?"

"The person could be married and the spouse doesn't know. Or maybe their traveling with friends, or...oh, wait, I think he's got a bite..."

Rick had noticed a female in her forties walk by the guy and look. The watched her walk away.

"Which one?"

"Older lady, just walked past him. In the two-piece, blue suit."

Jim saw her as she stopped several chairs away from the guy they were talking about. She seemed to be doing something on her phone. Jim guessed she was at least mid-forties, but had a nice body for her age. Her breasts were large and a slightly wide bottom, but still draws looks from guys both younger and older.

"So, the actual hooking up part is a small process. She looks like she's using her phone, but really, she's checking him out. He's also checking her out. If he's interested, he'll fold down part of his towel to indicate to her. Truth is, she may not be checking him out, but if she is..."

Jim slowly worked his drink as he watched the scene unfold. When the lady walked by, the guy slowly turned his head to follow her, but with his sunglasses on, you couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not. After what seemed forever to Jim, the guy took the top third of the towel and folded it down.

Rick smiled, "Ha! Here we go. Just like in the 20s, a lot of this is to make it look like anything but what's actually happening. This code allows you to talk to each other so when you do meet, you can make it look like you've known each other for years. This isn't about bragging about your conquests like a dumb high school jock."

The lady slowly walked back and sat down on the lounge chair next to the guy, she leaned over they kissed each other on each cheek.

"Final approval for each other." Rick was narrating the hookup. "They'll probably do some small talk and get the cabin where to meet."

"You still do this stuff?" Jim asked casually without looking over at Rick.

"Oh yeah."

"Wife know?" Jim asked before realizing what he asked and quickly adding, "If you don't mind me asking."

"Yeah, she knows. There's codes for group play and all of that."

Jim looked over at him.

Rick laughed, "There's codes for almost anything you want to do these days."

By the time Jim looked back, the lady was walking away and he could see a smile on her face as she played with her phone. The guy on the lounge was folding up his towel and putting on his shoes.

"Lucky bastard," Rick snorted. "She looks like a hot little fuck and even before we leave port. Do you know the number one selling item in the stores are?"

"No."

"Condoms."

"Really?"

"No, I just made that up." He nudged Jim with his elbow, laughing.

A moment passed before Jim asked, "So how do you find out about this code?"

"Like anything else, on the internet."

"There's a website about it?"

"Yeah, but only so much to maintain the latest version of the file that lays out the code."

"Wow. I'd never have even thought of that."

"Tell you what, as a thanks for the drink you got me, I've got a copy of it in my luggage. I don't really need it, but I'll let you have it." Rick got up as if to go.

"No, that's okay, I don't want to bother."

"Not a bother at all, let me go get it and I'll be back in 15."

Before Jim could object, he was gone.

While he was waiting, Jim finished off his drink and promptly got a third. He started checking out people on the deck to see if he could find anyone else using the code. He thought maybe one or two people, but without getting up to see if their shoes were there, he would know for sure.

It wasn't too long before Rick returned with a folded up group of papers. He handed them to Jim, who took a quick glance at them. "Thanks, but you sure?"

"Oh yeah, I know most of it by heart. Besides, I have an electronic copy of it on my phone if I really needed to know something."

"You think the crew knows about this?"

"Of course, why do you think some people get better service." Rick winked with a smile. "Listen, it was great talking with you but I have to go help the wife get our luggage unpacked. I'm sure we'll run into each other."

"Yeah, and thanks for this."

Rick left the way he came and Jim sat for a few more minutes. He felt a strong urge to flip open the papers and start reading right there but could only fight that urge so long before he had to rush back to his cabin before anyone started noticing the tenting in his shorts.

-=-=-

Jim was barely in his cabin with the metal door slamming behind him that he hand his shorts undone and dropping to the floor. Another step and his underwear hit the floor. He fell onto the bed, stiff cock in hand, aching to be stroked.

Average in size, his cock was just over six inches long and cut. Every girl who's seen it has told him it was perfect looking. It's purple head perched above a nicely thick shaft. He clinched his eyes shut, envisioning what was happening between that guy and lady, the code still in his other hand.

He stroked his cock strong and quick. The past year of single has gotten him far too much practice masturbating, he was ready to return to the major leagues.

Ever since high school, Jim's always had a bit of taboo sexual side. Some of his girlfriends have let him explore only a small portion of that, but very light stuff. His then wife was, unfortunately for Jim, very conservative sexually. She also didn't have nearly the sex drive he did.

For years, Jim tried to open her up more and explore more things sexually, but every time he pushed her a little to far, she seemed to close down even more. Eventually, the frequency of sex got less and less. Jim turned to working more and the gym to vent out his frustrations. It helped in both places as his well defined chest and arms would attest to. On the work front, he steadily moved up making even more money.

Enough money, that is, to help with a good lawyer when neither of them could stand being married anymore. His lawyer helped the divorce become equitable with no monthly alimony payments either way. She got to keep the house and other more valuable possessions, but Jim was just happy to end what was increasingly an unhappy point in his life.

All of these memories flashed through his mind, as if having an out of body, death experience. He could feel this dick throb in his hand, pushing his thoughts to the present.

He used to love it when he'd get a peak of the neighbors getting frisky. Often times, he'd swear they purposely left their window shades open just right for him to see. At least once, he'd was sure his neighbor's wife saw him watching.

His stroking slowed a bit, he didn't want to end too quickly as he felt the tingling building in his balls.

He would have loved to be in that cabin watching those two horny cruisers going at it. Would they go at it rough and quick or slow and steady? Would he fuck her missionary or bend her over and take her from behind? Would she have pushed him against the door, stripped his swimsuit down and blown him right there. Or just pull one leg up and fuck him standing there.

He fantasized about her older pussy and what it would be like to fuck her. Did she have protruding pussy lips that were easier to lick and suck on. Or were they tightly folded in, waiting for a warm tongue to entice them to come out. How would she like to have her clit sucked on. Lightly and firmly.

And the guy, who was about his age. Jim's thoughts turned to him, what was he like beneath those shorts. Guys always seem to want to compare themselves to others. Certainly he was very confident, using this mystic code and everything. Did he have the package to back it up with?

Jim had a nice six inch cock, that felt great in his hand. How big was this guy who so easily picked up strange women. Was he a 7 or 8 incher or even larger? Was he cut or uncut. Jim had never been with a guy before, but he couldn't help imagining what it'd be like to have an uncut cock. Once, he and his wife talked about it, but she had a boyfriend who was uncut and she found it horrible.

He didn't think the same as she. He was curious to experience it and see how it felt. Jim wasn't a religious person anymore, but religion is why he's cut now. What was he missing besides his foreskin?

These thoughts and more flooded Jim's mind as he breathed heavier and soon felt a strong, powerful orgasm release itself within him. He felt the warm, sticky liquid land on his chest in various parts, some even reaching his chin. He stroked a few more times, coaxing out the last of his ejaculate onto his pelvis and laid there. His breathing was heavy, his eyes still closed. His other hand gripping the folded paper tight.

After a few minutes of cooling down, letting his breathing get back to normal, Jim looked down at the pools of cum that covered his chest. He looked over and saw that some of it also got on the paper as well, which he wiped off with his fingers.

"Lucky I don't have to give this back," he laughed to himself before noticing other, older yellow stains on the paper. He laid his head back and laughed. Who knows how many guys this code has been passed to.

Jim moved to the shower and took a long warm, relaxing shower to wash off his cum before getting dressed in swim trunks. The ship would be departing in about an hour and he wanted to be on deck for the party, but he really wanted to read about the code first.

-=-=-

Laying back on the bed, relaxed from the shower, Jim grabbed the stack of papers. He unfolded them and looked at the first page. The document was laid out like a user manual, there were rules at the top, then a breakdown of the different cruise lines and how to handle the towel code.

Jim glanced down to the ship he was on and found exactly what Rick had told him, red side of the provided towels meant straight, blue side meant gay. Other cruise lines had different style of towels. The guidance for striped toweled was to keep the strips vertical (parallel to the body) for straight, horizontal (perpendicular to the body) for gay. White towels were handled the same way.

Just like Jim had seen on deck, when the top third of the towel was folded down, the person was signaling to someone they were interested, but it also told others who may be looking that they are potentially taken.

The shoes were always placed in an "L" when facing the owner of the shoes. If the back of the L has the toe pointed at the owner, then they would host, otherwise they were looking for a host. They should be placed at the end of the lounge chair, or to the side of a regular chair.

Jim couldn't believe all the different ways to signal people for straight, gay, group or swap situations, but here in his hands, he held the instruction manual for getting laid on a cruise ship.