A couple who regularly travel on 'spicy cruises' have revealed the biggest red flags they look out for before hooking up with other couples.
Married swingers Bella and Jase have been in a non-monogamous relationship for the last 10 years after they first started dating at high school.
The pair regularly head off on swinging cruises, where they meet, make connections and have sexual experiences with other couples.
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The cruises are often aimed at couples looking for a unique experience, with ships equipped with 'playrooms' and 'clothing-optional' areas on board.
There are also themed nights - where everyone heads out in fancy dress - and 'intimate and exciting' workshops from expert sexologists.
When it comes to having experiences with other couples onboard, Bella and Jase - who document their swinging lifestyle on TikTok - explained they are 'social butterflies'.
Speaking to LADbible, they revealed that while they'll sometimes meet up with new couples, other times they see the same people every time.
"Sometimes it will be with the same people, sometimes we’ll add more couples in, sometimes it will be with new people, sometimes it’s nothing," they explained.
But while they like to be sociable on the Temptation and Bliss cruises, they do have some 'red flags' they look out for before hooking up with others.
According to the pair, when they first start talking to other swingers, there are usually a few different conversations that take place before it's decided if they want to take things a little further.
During these conversations, important topics such as consent, rules, and boundaries are often discussed.
But sometimes, there are a few tell-tale signs that they might not be so compatible.
Poor communication
Jase explained that it's often a big red flag when a couple clearly can't communicate effectively.
"One of the biggest red flags is when you can tell a couple aren’t on the same page," he said.
"Me and Bella have always talked about everything, so when a couple seem like they haven’t communicated or they don’t communicate well, it can lead to things going how they’re not supposed to."
No rules or boundaries
Another big no-no is when a couple say they don't have any rules or boundaries at all.
"One that makes me feel off is when we’re discussing rules and boundaries and a couple say, ‘We don’t have any rules, we just go with the flow'," says Bella.
"It’s not necessarily a bad thing but I do find it a bit odd not to have any rules."
For Bella and Jase, their rules include: using protection; being in the same room as each other (in other words, they 'don't play separately'); no taking photos or videos during sexual experiences, and no cuddling with the opposite partner afterwards.
No protection
Bella and Jase explain that within the swinging lifestyle, sexual health is taken very seriously.
In fact, the couple explain they've never heard of any STI outbreaks on board the ships they've travelled on and that's it's a huge misconception that swingers 'are f**king everybody and doing it unsafely'.
"People in this lifestyle take their sexual health very seriously, it’s normal to get tested regularly," said Jase.
"Almost every single person uses protection and if they don’t, it’s couples who have discussed it."
Having said that, if a couple say they don't ever use protection, it's a big red flag for Bella and Jase.
"If someone is like, 'we don’t ever use protection', I’d be like 'sorry, no'. That’s never happened," explained Jase.
"I’ve never had a person say that but if they did it would be a no for me."
For more information on the cruises, you can visit Bella and Jase's website here.
Topics: Cruise Ship, Lifestyle, Sex and Relationships
Lucy Devine