From bedside to poolside: Marella Cruises launches the world’s first PJKini for guilt-free relaxation
It’s official – we are a nation wracked with guilt, with eight in ten (80%) Brits admitting they feel bad for everyday things they really shouldn’t.
The launch comes as new research, conducted by Marella Cruises, reveals the average Brit experiences feelings of guilt eight times a month, with four in 10 (39%) admitting they feel bad simply for having some ‘me’ time.
Calling in sick to work, even when genuinely ill (29%), leaving the bed unmade (28%), eating chips (27%) and throwing away a small amount of food (27%) are also everyday guilt triggers, alongside staying in PJs past 10am (25%) and not calling parents often enough (25%).
With all this guilt, it's no surprise that 69% admit they struggle to properly switch off, spending just 67 minutes a week relaxing. Meanwhile, 86% say they regularly feel guilty about sitting down to relax when there are other things they could be doing.
The nation's collective guilt and stress don’t end there though – almost two thirds (61%) admit they struggle to fully relax on holiday, even when sunbathing on a lounger.
Getting to the airport on time (51%), the fear of getting lost (34%), packing the right clothes (33%), organising transfers (29%) and finding nice places to eat (27%) all leave Brits feeling anxious.
It’s no wonder that, on average, it takes Brits three days of a week-long break to fully unwind.
To encourage guilt-free relaxation on holiday, Marella Cruises has designed the ultimate one-stop outfit solution. The world’s first PJkini removes decision fatigue and encourages guests to fully switch off - without a hint of guilt.
Styled by Denise van Outen, who returns this year as Marella Cruises’ Chief Chill-Out Officer, this lazy hack champions a more relaxed approach to holidays and encourages Brits to ditch the guilt and embrace doing absolutely nothing during a well-deserved break.
With Marella Cruises, every aspect of your holiday is taken care of. Offering all-inclusive cruise holidays with full end-to-end service – including flights, cabins, entertainment, food and drinks, trips, and transfers – Marella Cruises also provides regional flying from over 20 UK airports, alongside a range of cruise-and-stay options, making switching off effortless from start to finish.
The study also found that more than a third (35%) think that as a nation, Brits need to “chill out”, while eight in ten (80%) believe feeling guilty is a uniquely British trait, earning the phenomenon the title of “Very British Guilt”.
- Enjoying some ‘me time’ - 39%
- Cancelling on your friends - 31%
- Crossing the road to avoid ‘chit chat’ with a neighbour - 31%
- Not texting your friends back for a few days - 30%
- Calling in sick to work, even when you’re genuinely ill - 29%
- Leaving your bed unmade - 28%
- Eating chips - 27%
- Throwing away a small amount of food - 27%
- Staying in your PJs past 10am - 25%
- Being hungover - 25%
- Not calling your parents - 25%
- Lying in past 9.30am on a Saturday - 25%
- Saying ‘yes’ to a slice of cake - 23%
- Having two biscuits instead of one - 22%
- Ordering a Friday night takeaway when you could have cooked - 20%
- Not taking the bins out - 19%
- Staying in the shower for too long - 19%
- Going out for dinner, when you have food at home - 17%
- Reading your book when you could be doing chores - 16%
- Bingeing a TV show in one sitting - 15%
- Putting the heating on in May - 14%
- Skipping the gym - 14%
- Spending Sunday in your PJs - 13%
- Taking the lift to the first floor - 12%
- Only taking your dog for a short walk - 12%
- Cancelling a date - 11%
- Watching TV in the summer - 11%
- Taking an Uber when you could have got the bus - 10%
- Running a deep bath - 9%
- Arranging a food delivery rather than going to the shops - 9%
This research of 2,000 Brits was commissioned by Marella Cruises and conducted by Perspectus Global in May 2026.
Additional Stats:
- A third (31%) suffer a pang of guilt when they cancel on friends or take too long to text them back (30%), while a further 31% admit to feeling awkward when they cross the road to avoid ‘chit chat’ with a neighbour.
- Food appears to be a constant source of guilt with 23% feeling it after saying ‘yes’ to a slice of cake, 22% after eating two biscuits instead of one, and 20% after ordering a Friday night takeaway when they could have cooked.
- Even though the weather may be improving, one in six (14%) still feel guilty about sneaking the heating on, while one in ten (11%) feel bad when they watch TV in the summer.
- To avoid the guilt that comes with feeling ‘lazy’, four in ten (40%) feel like they are always on the go, while a further 22% worry they are close to burning out.
- When it comes to how deeply ingrained the nation's productivity culture has become, four in ten (41%) think that social media has put pressure on people to constantly stay active and busy.
- So strong is this pressure that 40% of Brits confess to hiding their lazy downtime on social media to appear more productive, while 42% admit they’ve felt pressured to do things - like going to a party (38%), the park (34%), the gym (30%), tourist hotspots on holiday (28%) and even cooking healthy food (27%) - when they don’t actually want to, simply so they can share it on social media.
Marella Cruises:
Marella Cruises is part of TUI Group. It is the third largest cruise line in the UK. As of 1 June 2023, there are five ships in the Marella Cruises fleet, Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2 and the newest ship to the fleet, Marella Voyager. Marella Cruises offers its customers all-inclusive as standard with all tips and service charges included, customers enjoy an unrivalled level of service and award-winning entertainment. Marella Cruises has also received accolades in Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended for onboard service since 2019.