Survey Finds That While on Vacation Women Prefer to Cozy Up with a Good Book While Men Would Rather Cozy Up with Them

Princess Cruises' Fourth Annual Report Reveals Americans' Relaxation Styles

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Aug 15, 2013, 08:30 ET

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Aug. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Princess Cruises today released results from its fourth annual Relaxation Report, conducted in celebration of National Relaxation Day on Aug. 15. The national survey revealed that men and women have different notions of what makes a vacation truly relaxing. In fact, maybe there is validity to the idea that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, because almost one in four women would rather read more, whereas 34 percent of men would rather have more sex on vacation than at home.

The survey also revealed that men might know how to better relax than women. In fact, 45 percent of men feel relaxed when they return home from vacation as opposed to 43 percent of women who feel tired and need a vacation from their vacation.

"It's definitely interesting, although not all too surprising, to see a distinction between how men and women like to relax while on vacation," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. "The good news is, male or female, whatever the preferred method of relaxation, Princess Cruises offers a wide variety of restful and relaxing options for any traveler looking to unplug and escape."

Princess Cruises, which annually helps more than 1.7 million passengers "escape completely" aboard its worldwide fleet of ships and exotic destinations, commissioned the annual report in an effort to uncover consumer attitudes towards vacation and relaxation habits and behaviors to better ensure their customers have a fully relaxing trip.

Go Big or Go Home!
The majority of Americans aged 35 and older report that it typically takes them two or more days to settle into their vacation, perhaps needing extra time to unplug from the office. In fact, nearly two out of three Americans surveyed prefer at least a full week away on vacation, as opposed to a day off here and there, to completely check out and feel relaxed.

Celebrity Vacation Date
Men and women also seem to be at odds when asked which female celebrity they'd like to relax with – 40 percent of women would rather laugh with comedian Ellen DeGeneres, whereas 42 percent of men lean toward girl-next-door Taylor Swift and on-screen siren Scarlett Johansson. When asked which male celebrity Americans would want to vacation alongside, men and women came together and agreed collectively (22 percent) that leading hunk Hugh Jackman is their man of choice.

When it comes to a musical companion, Justin Timberlake wins hands down in a showdown with Rihanna, with 18 percent of men and women preferring to get their sexy back versus 13 percent who would rather shine bright like a diamond.

In analyzing generational preferences, Millenials (approximately 18-31 years of age) tend to prefer younger celebrity companions with almost one quarter choosing Scarlett Johansson (22 percent) and nearly one third choosing Ashton Kutcher (31 percent), while Boomers would rather spend a vacation relaxing with folks closer to their own age, Ellen DeGeneres (25 percent) and Anderson Cooper (22 percent).

No Wake Up Calls, Please!
Nothing says relaxation like burying yourself in white, crisp clean sheets with no alarm clock set. Millennials agree, with one in four choosing sleep as the activity they most enjoy doing more of on a relaxing vacation than when they are at home. On the other hand, only 14 percent of Americans 65 and older are eager to sleep on vacation.

Not surprising, while it may be challenging to achieve with children along for the ride, nearly one in four parents prefer sleeping more on vacation than non-parents. In fact, for parents, getting more sleep on vacation is more of a priority than having sex (23 percent and 20 percent respectively).

About the 2013 Survey
The Princess Cruises Vacation Relaxation survey was conducted by ORC International among 1,008 American adults, ages 18 and older, between Aug. 1 and Aug. 4, 2013, using the CARAVAN landline-cell phone combined sample methodology.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.

About Princess Cruises:
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is a global cruise and tour company operating a fleet of 17 modern ships renowned for their innovative design and wide array of choices in dining, entertainment and amenities, all provided in an environment of exceptional customer service. A recognized leader in worldwide cruising, Princess carries 1.7 million passengers each year to destinations around the globe ranging in length from three to 107 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).

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Additional media information is available at princess.com/news

SOURCE Princess Cruises