What is gay cruising? Straight cruising is a vacay on a boat. Gay cruising is the art of hooking up in public. Cruising is almost always anonymous, and can be one-on-one, in groups, or with others watching. It’s done by using non-verbal cues to show you’re both interested – think of it like a secret, horny code. Some people will have sex right there, while some may take their partner.