The Floating Library: Why Slow Travel Still Exists on the High Seas

You know that feeling when you get home from a trip, and you’re somehow more tired than before you left? You booked your flights, saw the sights, took the photos, ticked things off your itinerary list, and yet the trip still felt like effort, not relaxation.

Slow travel is the perfect way to get the opposite effect. And it always works best on a long cruise. After all, it’s basically impossible to rush on a cruise ship (even if you tried).

What Is a “Floating Library” at Sea?

A floating library isn’t a physical space, although some cruise ships do have excellent libraries. Instead, it’s a mindset that you choose when you plan a holiday with unstructured time and nowhere to be besides where you are.

When the ship itself becomes your vacation “destination”, things start to change. Now, you won’t be eagerly waiting for port days. They’ll be part of the trip, but not the focus. The whole point of your holiday is to have the space to actually sit back and think (or not!) for the first time in months.

Remember, before budget airlines made travel more accessible and everything was just a two-hour flight away, getting somewhere was part of the vacation experience. People actually paid attention to the travelling aspect, and didn’t care as much about fitting too many things into their itineraries.

Why Slow Travel Thrives on the Ocean

When you’re at sea, you have to slow down. You can’t rush the ship. It moves at a set speed, and if you can let go for long enough, you may find that you actually start to enjoy it.

When you spend five days on the water between ports, you also stop skimming your TBR list. Rather, you have the time to actually read and finish the book. You may also have a longer conversation with your loved ones that you’d normally cut short.

The psychology of slowing down at sea

Without the pressure of constantly needing to see and do everything during every hour of your holiday, your nervous system starts to settle down.

According to Harvard Health, natural environments (including the open water) actively lower cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for stress. And when it drops, you start to feel like yourself again.

Life Onboard

When you’re slow-travelling on a cruise ship, every day is yours to do with what you choose. That gives you a great opportunity to enjoy your own company or rediscover who you are.

Because there are so many days between ports, there are plenty of sea days to soak up. Sea days are those with no excursions and no pressure. And, when your phone is constantly getting a patchy signal, it’s a great excuse to unplug and just relax.

Of course, most modern cruise ships offer Wifi onboard. But if you’re heading on a cruise with the intention of being less dependent on electronics to keep you entertained, then you can choose to stay disconnected. It’s the whole point of the trip.

So, rather than walking around the ship looking for a stronger signal, maybe pick up the book you’ve been ignoring for months, or engage in some activity on board.

How to Make This Kind of Travel Intentional

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of just boarding a cruise and automatically enjoying slow travel. But that’s not exactly how it works.

You have to be intentional with how you plan your trip. When you’re browsing for potential cruises, look for itineraries with more sea days than port days. And don’t forget to leave any other distractions at home when you’re packing. Leave the iPad and the Kindle at home, and bring a physical book to keep you busy.

There will probably be plenty of like-minded people on board, too. On ships with fewer port days, you’re likely to find older, more mature passengers. It’s not about the age demographic. These are people who want a real break rather than an extended content shoot.

You’ll usually find them cruising from Tampa, crossing the Atlantic or choosing a long Pacific route over a city-hopping itinerary.