A well-chosen vacation, according to experts, offers significant benefits and opportunities, including:

• Relaxation,shifting gears and change of scenery are good for one’s health – physical, mental and spiritual
• There is no better time or setting for reconnecting with family and friends and renewing relationships
• A vacation is an opportunity to discover or rediscover oneself
• There’s no better time to recharge and re-energize and to look forward with confidence and enthusiasm

What makes a cruise the perfect vacation therapy? There’s the ease of planning and the convenience of having a “home away from home” for the length of the trip, plus all-inclusive pricing that delivers excellent value. The diversity of cruise experiences means that there is a vacation for every taste, interest and budget. With more than 30 domestic ports of embarkation, millions of Americans are within driving distance of a cruise. And CLIA member lines are doing everything they can to create irresistible incentives. So take a cruise; it’s good for you!

That is the key message of the summer-long “You Deserve a Cruise” promotion just announced by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and its member lines.

Families, singles, seniors, first-time cruisers, honeymooners and groups of all descriptions will discover the important therapeutic benefits of vacationing as they take advantage of unprecedented cruise values, the latest savings and special cruise incentives.

Many cruise lines and thousands of CLIA-member travel agents are participating to tell consumers across the country that it is okay to travel – that the travel industry is vital to the economy, and they deserve to put daily worries on hold and take a break.

In fact, research, surveys of consumer attitudes and trends, and health professionals increasingly point to the beneficial effects of vacationing. Combined, these realities provide good cause to encourage consumers to take the break they deserve.

Now more than ever, a vacation is what people really need – a break from everyday stresses to get in touch with themselves, their families and what’s important, to reflect on the next steps which could be life-changing, and to renew physically and emotionally.

We are living in challenging times; we deserve the opportunity to reward ourselves while at the same time making a small contribution to the country’s well-being as well.

And, with the incredible, never-seen-before, and likely never to be seen again, values offered by CLIA member lines today, what better time could there be to get some ‘cruise therapy?