Study on a Cunard Crossing Reveals Surprising Benefits of ‘Slow Travel’ at Sea – On Your Brain!

Want to improve your memory, problem-solving skills and ability to focus? A recent study aboard a Transatlantic Crossing on the Queen Mary 2 found that even a few days at sea gives cruise travelers measurable and surprising cognitive benefits – in addition to relaxation.

For over 180 years, British luxury cruise line Cunard has been sailing the fabled, week-long Crossing between New York and Southampton, UK. That cruise experience defines what’s now being dubbed ‘slow travel.’

‘Slow Travel’ Sea Days

The iconic version of the trip involves no ports of call, giving you the luxury of time: no pressure to be anywhere at a specific time, the pleasure of being immersed in the company of your fellow travelers, filling your days with walks on the promenade deck while gazing at the endless horizon, swimming in indoor pools or luxuriating in the water-based treatments of the spa, dining at your leisure, catching up on your reading and attending enrichment activities.

And now scientific evidence shows that’s not only deeply restorative – but also good for your brain!

In a first-of-its-kind study conducted aboard one Transatlantic Crossing, researchers used biometric tools to measure cognitive and physiological changes in a group of 40 international guests before and after five days at sea.

It turns out, that just that handful of ‘slow travel’ sea days with enriching experiences, delivered surprising benefits!

This is your Brain on Cruising

The results revealed an average 26% increase in cognitive abilities, with study participants becoming more alert, focused, and resilient in possibly unexpected ways.

Memory: A 29% improvement in word recall, indicating enhanced short-term memory performance
Problem-Solving: 125% improvement in complex logical and spatial reasoning tasks
Attention: 14% improvement in focus during visual tasks

Less surprisingly, and perhaps the key to it all, was the participants’ levels of stress release.

Relaxation: Self-reported relaxation rose by 158%, while overall physiological stress levels decreased by 35% during the course of the voyage.

One neuroscientist noted that the relaxing benefits of ocean travel—along with brain-stimulating activities onboard—likely contributed to the cognitive benefits the guests demonstrated.

“The passengers’ time on the ship clearly reduced their stress levels based on subjective and objective measures. The main stress hormone, cortisol, is well-known in the science research literature to interfere with various cognitive processes.

“So, the boost in memory and logical reasoning capacity identified in this study is likely to be attributed to the stress-relieving impact of ocean travel.”