“Are You Too Sexy For Your Cruise?” Cruise Vacations Heat Up Romantic Urges

Today is Valentine’s Day and for many of us it’s a day to celebrate romance. There’s no doubt that some couples who’ve set sail on a cruise are looking for love or looking forward to making love and a recent survey* conducted by Royal Caribbean confirms that notion.

For couples looking to rekindle the spark in their romance, the sea is calling with a million ways to fall in love again. According to Royal Caribbean's survey, most Americans (90%) astoundingly ranked sex as the top activity on their cruise itinerary. Respondents also consider cruises to be the most romantic type of vacation while offering a better value for their dollar (84%). More than four out of five respondents also say that a cruise with their partner is more romantic than a land-based vacation, with a whopping 98% opting for an exotic cruise–to Bermuda or Europe, perhaps–as a special way to celebrate a special moment or occasion, such as Valentine’s Day or an anniversary.

Royal Caribbean proudly offers an endless array of options for keeping the passion alive. With 22 ships, calling on more than 270 destinations in 72 countries across six continents, they say there is something for every couple–whether they envision a romantic epicurean experience with their significant other, exploring a port of call, or simply sharing an intimate moment in the privacy of their stateroom. Based on the survey results, other reasons why couples should consider a cruise vacation with Royal Caribbean include:

Love Liner: The vast majority of survey respondents say they left their last cruise feeling more “connected” with their partner (80%), being more in love with their partner (67%) and feeling more attracted to their partner (65%). Royal Caribbean can supply the ship, all you need is your mate.

Relationship Rx: Is it possible to cruise your way to a better relationship? Perhaps. Nearly three-quarters of respondents say that spending time with their significant other on their most recent cruise improved their relationship.

Port of Love: Respondents indicated that they are more likely to enjoy a number of romantic activities on a cruise than on a land-based vacation, including watching the sunset (72%), strolling in the moonlight (58%), stargazing (56%) and sharing a romantic dinner à deux (55%).

The Motion of the Ocean: Half of the respondents say they are more likely to be intimate on a cruise than on a land-based vacation. And not only is sex more frequent on a cruise vacation, but many (62%) report that the sex on their last cruise was better than normal. Perhaps not surprisingly, night time is the right time, or most popular time of day to be amorous on a cruise (31%), while 28% prefer any time of day–morning, noon or night.

Nautical Naughtiness: 24% cite their balcony as the place onboard where they would most like to be intimate, other than their stateroom, of course, and 58% are more likely to pack lingerie or sexy underwear for a cruise than a land-based vacation. For an astounding 90%, sex ranks as the top activity on their cruise itinerary, ahead of sitting by the pool (84%), enjoying nightlife options (83%) and shopping (70%).

We certainly agree that romance is in the sea air, but caution warring couples to not put too much faith in Relationship Rx. Some pairs have just grown too far apart to be brought back together on a cruise, particularly if they are cooped up in a too-compact stateroom.

* Survey Methodology: This survey was conducted online between Jan. 27th and Feb. 1st, 2012, among a national probability sample of 1,000 adults 18 years of age or older who live in the continental United States. Half the sample was respondents who have previously taken a cruise, and the other half was respondents who have not taken a cruise but are interested in taking a future cruise. All respondents indicated that they are currently in a relationship (either married or dating).