31 Reasons why cruising is good for you

As amazing as travelling is, don’t leave it to your later years to really explore the world, do it now while you can. Cruising is not only fun, full of new experiences, adventures, and memories that last a lifetime, there are also a variety of personal benefits. Research shows travel offers health benefits for your mind, body, and soul. It may lower stress, help work productivity, lead to better relationships, boost brain health, and reduce the risk of depression and heart attacks.

Mark Twain, who sailed around the coast of the Mediterranean in 1869, wrote a travelogue, Innocents Abroad. This leaves you with the powerful message that ‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.’ Are you open to Twain’s message or does it fall on deaf ears? As the saying goes, ‘The world is a book; those who do not travel read only a page’, which one do you choose? Will you read the whole book or just stay on that one page?

The strongest piece of advice I give people is to experience more joy in life through cruising and travel. It is not just about short weekend trips or organised tours. Take an extended, meaningful journey to somewhere you’ve never gone before, out of your comfort zone and with an open schedule. Open your heart and mind to what the universe has in store for you. Take time to wait and listen for the opportunities that await you. A sense of wanderlust, a longing for more destinations, food, cultures to experience, and people to meet.

When you read articles about the advantages of travel, you see commentators come up with lists of Top 5 or Top 15 benefits to travel. There are some core themes, but in reality, the benefits of cruising are immeasurable. I want to inspire you to cruise and holiday more, so I have created my own list of the 31 benefits of cruising and travel

Let me demonstrate the wonderful benefits that I see that cruising has done for me.

Cruising improves heart health. I feel that cruising has kept me pretty healthy and I am hoping it increases my life expectancy. I hope it decreases my risk of heart attack, depression and cognitive loss. I want to live for a long time having fun.
Cruising keeps me fit. I know that cruising has made me fitter. I lost 5kg in 3 months without trying. I was just walking more and using stairs while exploring the world. Walking on different terrains such as uneven surfaces or a beach, makes your muscles work twice as hard.
Cruising can reduce the risk of cognitive deterioration. I am hoping that by using my brain continually, to plan and go on cruising, will slow down or reduce my risk of developing dementia. By engaging with people and being stimulated I hope I can stave off cognitive deterioration. When facing new and challenging situations I have learnt to be flexible and adapt. Cruising has made me become more culturally aware, by connecting and engaging with new people, cultures, situations, and experiences.
Cruising improves relaxation. For me, cruising recharges my energy levels and I feel happier and relaxed when I get home. I am invigorated, rejuvenated and experience improved moods. Cruising helps me deal with the general stresses of everyday life.
Cruising boosts mental health. Though stress is normal, too much can be detrimental to your health. It is unrealistic to think you can have a stress-free life. I know I feel less stressed almost instantly when I start to cruise. The change of environment signals something in my body and brain. Since I started cruising over 15 years ago, I would say I have fewer periods of low mood or depression. Other than moments of extreme events in my life, I feel more optimistic and generally more satisfied in my day to day life.
Cruising enhances creativity. Since I have been cruising I have made over 15 coffee table photo books, started a YouTube channel and written a book. I want to share my experiences to inspire others to have a great time.
Cruising enhances friendships. I have been privileged to meet people from around the world while travelling, stay in touch and even visit them later. By staying with people and engaging with other cultures it has humbled and inspired me. I always try to stay away from tourist areas and aim to stay where I can have an authentic local experience. I immerse myself in culture and adapt and adopt some local traditions. By spending time with locals you get to hear their philosophies and perspectives which broadens my frames of reference.
Cruising increases knowledge and cultural awareness. The more I cruise the more knowledgeable and culturally aware I become. I have had opportunities to form lifelong memories by sharing experiences, exploring new cultures and food with strangers who have become good friends.
Cruising keeps you learning. I have learnt more about the world through cruising than I ever could have from formal education. I have spoken to people who have lived through some of modern history’s critical events, such as wars and natural disasters. I have learnt more from those conversations than any textbook or news broadcast.
Cruising creates a lifetime of memories. Through cruising, I have connected with so many people all over the world. Many of those connections have continued to flourish for years after the cruise ended. Creating photo books allows me to relive the experience as well as share it with others. New friends with unique personalities bring new perspectives into my life. I have built meaningful relationships with my philosophy of Open Heart, Open Mind. I am choosing to live while I can, and cruise as much of this amazing planet as I can.
Cruising can build self-confidence. Cruising has allowed me to accomplish so much, I have learnt to adapt to changing situations and in doing so built my confidence. I have pushed myself physically and psychologically out of my comfort zone to explore new countries and cultures. I have visited the Costa Rican jungle, ancient Petra and Olympia, Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and more. I set goals for myself and push myself to achieve them, for example getting fitter to revisit Jordan after a cruise visit.
Cruising makes you more trusting and increases your faith in humanity. I believe that all people of the world want peace and a good life with their family. The more people I meet from different nations, the more commonalities and similar needs I see between us. My perspectives have changed over the years as I have become close friends with people from different backgrounds and cultures. As I cruise the wider world I am more aware of where I fit into it, and not just a narrow perspective of my own culture. By cruising I break out of my cultural bubble and explore other nations. If you allow it, cruising opens your mind to other ways of thinking and feeling. Cruising and exploring other cultures can also make you appreciate your own world.
Cruising the world has made me realise how little I know about the world and in reality that my home is the whole world. When I cruise I realise that my home is really the whole world. I see the importance of living in harmony with other people and the planet. To be a true citizen of the world you can’t stay in your own town, state or country. Cruising has taught me the world is not as dangerous as the mass media presence. Every new cultural cruise experience is another piece in the tapestry of my life. Every person I meet has the potential to become a friend.
Cruising has made me a better problem solver. From planning a cruise, to the execution, and eventually returning home, has all allowed me to get to know myself better. I developed versatile problem-solving skills and my mind is more open to alternate solutions when I am confronted with a problem or new situation. I am less reactionary and more resourceful when faced with a problem, and I have built my creativity and problem-solving ideas by getting out of my comfort zone. Cruising and travel have given me the tools to overcome obstacles and better cope with life, opening me up to embrace change with little resistance.
Cruising has improved my social and communication skills. Continually being away from my normal environment, I have had to develop advanced communication skills to achieve the simplest of activities. From finding a bathroom or restaurant to checking directions, I have learnt some valuable skills to communicate when there is a language difference, and I know I need to be clear in my message to be understood correctly. Language barriers give me an opportunity to explore new languages, while I work on other forms of communication such as hand signals.
Cruising has made me healthier. Cruising gets me out and about in nature and the fresh air, something I don’t normally do when I am at home. Walking on deck or out on excursions gives me a boost of Vitamin D. It helps me with my mood, my mental health and I hope it is helping with my blood pressure and reducing risks of other health conditions such as heart disease.
Travel can boost your immunity. By going to my travel doctor every year I religiously maintain my standard immunisation schedule such as MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella), TDaP (Tetanus, Diphtheria & Pertussis) and Hep A. Cruising has exposed me to different environments, including different air quality, food and water supplies, which has created stronger antibodies and naturally boosted my immune system. Notwithstanding, you should never forgo normal hygiene practices to boost your immunity while cruising, so you should still wash your hands or use a little hand sanitiser occasionally. Remember that nothing is more important than drinking clean water, so please don’t test out your immunity by drinking anything that is suspect.
Cruising has made me humble. The world is full of amazing natural and man-made wonders and I often find myself in awe of such things. I was in a Norwegian Fjord once with a group of Americans, where one guy voiced less than positive sentiments of the vista. I asked, ‘What would you prefer? A Disney reproduction or seeing the forces of a million years of nature?’ Point taken. I feel I have a duty to respect the culture of the places and people you visit. Some have very traditional customs and beliefs, where others are more modern. Experiencing different cultures can be an enlightening, humbling and educational experience. As I cruise the world and visit developing nations I have learned to appreciate the luxuries we have such as running water and electricity.
Cruising has expanded my horizons and given me a new perspective. Cruising has given me the opportunity to shape and change my personality, especially with my mantra of Open Heart, Open Mind. I have learnt that I need to be self-reliant and I need to be able to follow through and complete tasks without relying on anyone. I have become more open to new experiences, developed better skills to get along with people, and my social network has expanded exponentially. My values and perspectives have changed by continually putting myself into personally challenging situations. Through observations and talking to people, my views have broadened as I challenge my assumptions, and explore alternative ways of thinking.
Cruising has helped me reinvent myself. We all search for meaning and purpose, and cruising has allowed me to look at my life from a distance. By taking stock of what I see, I have more clarity and a sense of purpose, especially as I transition to being an empty nester and regain my independence.
Cruising has increased my connections to others and myself. By cruising I have met people from all over the world that I might never have had an opportunity to meet. From those chance encounters, I have established amazing deep friendships. I would like to think that my mental and physical health has also improved by meeting all those wonderful people.
Cruising can boost your relationships and can bring back the romance! As a solo cruiser, I cannot reflect on the potential benefits to rekindling the romance between couples, although I can see how it could happen, being relaxed, maybe communicating more and creating new memories. I know that cruising has brought some wonderful people into my life and that I am very happy with the relationships that have been formed.
Cruising makes it really easy to make friends. I have a saying, ‘I collect people, not souvenirs.’ There is a magic when you can be yourself and people accept you as you are. I find it easy to be my authentic self when cruising and start conversations with strangers who become fast friends. At times I think it is easier to make friends when travelling than at home as people are more open and willing to talk, have a relaxed mindset and are there to meet people too.
Cruising makes you fearless because when you are on holidays you do things that are out of your comfort zones. When you travel, you do not care what you do at all and you can just break free and have fun from the norm, regardless of age. Be warned, this fearlessness gets stronger the more you travel.
Cruising makes you happier. I always feel happy planning a cruise, as it is part of the whole experience. Exploring the world is fun, even a small break like a short cruise is a break from my normal routine which makes me feel good. In reality, any time you nourish your soul will inadvertently experience some positive feelings. To me, any cruise adventure will create new, happy memories that will last a lifetime.
Cruising makes you better in the workplace. I know I feel better about work when I am about to go on a cruise or have just returned from one. The feel-good hormones released make me feel more productive, upbeat and energetic. Being relaxed after my cruise extends to the weeks following my return home.
Cruising makes you more patient and tolerant. When you cruise you have absolutely no power to influence some situations. Accepting things are out of your control won’t kill you, and the earth will still turn, so embrace the experience as character building gifts from the universe. Dealing with missing flights, delays, booking on the wrong dates and cultural differences during my years of cruising has made me a more tolerant, patient and understanding person.
Cruising can help you get over a loss. When you experience a great change in your life, taking charge of your choices and going on a cruise can help find yourself. When I am cruising I find it to be a character building experience. As I disconnect from my normal life I can take the time to focus and fully recharge myself.
Taking a cruise can give you an opportunity to find a new purpose. Cruising is an investment in yourself. I find it gives me purpose and direction in my life. As I travel and experience more of the world, I am filled with gratitude and appreciation from all the experiences. So I say, cruise now while you have your health. Life is a wonderful gift. Don’t wait for the regret of saying, ‘I wish I had’. I live for today and say, ‘I’m glad I did’.
Cruising is invigorating. Cruising can reduce stress, tension and restore balance and happiness to your life. You can travel to a location that has extra healing potential, such as the natural hot springs of Turkey, the Dead Sea, Iceland or Costa Rica. Bathing in mineral-rich waters can improve your stress, your pain levels and your skin. There are some famous energy vortexes over the world including Stonehenge, Sedona, Arizona, and Mount Desert Island, Maine.
It’s never been this cheap to cruise. With the internet and all the new technology, you can plan your ideal trip. From your budget, the duration of the trip and what you want to do, you can find a trip that exactly suits you. Read the blog and get inspired. There will never be a better time to book.