TAMPA, Fla. — Cruises: they’re not just relaxing. They could also have some great health perks.
Researchers with the University of China found that taking a cruise taps into travelers' well-being in three different ways: the emotional experience of a getaway, what it’s like to meet new people and the experience seeing new places.
The study said that the all-around experience of being on a cruise ship gives people a more stimulating experience than trips where people just go to one place. When people travel to multiple places, they use the part of their brain that processes the experience of visiting new places, according to the study.
Researchers said the positive effects of a cruise can be felt for six months. The study found even when people got off the cruise and were back in their day-to-day routines, the long-term effects of their vacation stayed with them. In the short term, meeting new people and relaxing made cruise goers happy.
The study’s lead author called travel a meaningful activity where people recognize self-worth and are able to find inspiration.
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