It’s official – a cruise can make you healthier, and in more ways than one

It has been said that, given the limitless quantities of food you’ll find on a cruise ship, the average weight gain is around half a stone per person per fortnight onboard. Of course, this depends on your chosen level of indulgence, but there’s little doubt that cruising can be seriously bad for your waistline. It’s not all bad news, though. As a new report from Cunard points out, a cruise isn’t necessarily bad for your health – there can be some unexpected benefits, too.

The neuroscience bit

With the help of Walnut (a “human understanding” agency that specialises in neuroscience), Cunard analysed the responses of 40 passengers who took a transatlantic voyage (that is, five straight sea days) on its flagship Queen Mary 2 and the changes that took place between day one and day five. They used a neurofeedback device that reads the brain’s electrical activity and galvanic skin response measurements to gauge the passengers’ ability to relax on demand, as well as their emotional response to imagery, and their performance in tasks involving memory, attention, logical and spatial reasoning and creativity.

The findings were extremely positive. Stress levels reduced by 35 per cent according to the physiological results – though the passengers themselves said they felt more relaxed by some 158 per cent. Cognitive abilities rose on average by 26 per cent – memory and attention both improved, but the most spectacular change was in problem solving, where complex tasks were completed with a 125 per cent improvement.

The natural environment

The obvious question is, of course: why? Being on holiday is, hopefully, a generally relaxing experience, but these results prove that the benefits of cruising go far beyond that.

Could the answer be as simple as the sea itself? It has long been known that being in nature is good for alleviating stress and enhancing mental well-being, and the sounds and rhythms of the sea are known to have a relaxing effect. I recall the pure pleasure of motion, wind and water on a Star Clipper ship in full sail and moving at a cracking 16 knots. All this movement helps with sleep, too – many an insomniac has found at least a temporary cure, being rocked to sleep on the bosom of the ocean. And all that fresh sea air clears the mind – as well as polluted city lungs.

Taking steps

With so much more time on your hands, there are also many things you can do onboard to enhance your health that you might not get around to at home. All of Fred Olsen’s ships have a “Walk a Mile” programme, which takes place at 8am every day, with passengers following the brisk pace of a fitness trainer for the appropriate number of circuits around the deck (you can also opt for a more relaxed DIY version at a more sociable hour, if you prefer).

Most cruise ships have a gym and offer classes such as yoga – some of them, weather permitting, on deck, so your vitamin D levels get a boost too, especially useful in winter. And trying to do a tree pose on a moving ship will do wonders for your core strength.

Onboard spas are, of course, another excellent relaxation aid. Many Viking ships offer a Snow Grotto, as a tribute to Nordic wellness, alongside indulgent massages. They also have pools with retractable roofs, so you can enjoy a swim whatever the weather – a form of exercise known to work a vast range of muscles, but also (especially when done in the sea) thought to delay dementia. Just being by the ocean is known to increase your endorphins – or “happy hormones” – and, speaking from personal experience, I find watching the ocean and its marine life a remarkably soothing (in)activity.

It’s not just relaxation, however, that will improve your mood and well-being. You need stimulation, too. Most cruise lines have an extensive programme of activities. There are lectures and quizzes, on-deck games and, on the biggest ships, everything from golf coaching to ice skating, not to mention all those films and shows.

You can try new things, too – learn to play bridge, maybe, or take up water colours. In my time, I’ve tried everything from singing in a choir (something I hadn’t done since school) to English country dancing (very Jane Austen) to playing a ukulele and learning conversational Arabic. There’s nothing like a cruise for expanding the mind – and helping to keep it sharp.

So, it’s true – cruises really can be good for you. I’d just make one suggestion – some steely self-control can only be a good thing when it comes to all those dining options and, above all, steer clear of the midnight buffet…