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How does your spouse feel about solo cruises?


spleenstomper
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I have an empty nest this year. DH is a workaholic who has declared that 5 day cruises are the best lol.

 

You know what I am thinking. I have so many bucket list cruises— Alaska, Panama Canal, British isles, etc etc etc.

 

What is the longest you have cruised without your spouse?

 

What does your spouse think of it?

 

Thanks!

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I’ve done 2 solo cruises - a 3 day and a 7 day. Hubs is perfectly fine with it. I like to cruise more than he does (he’s content with a 7-day cruise a year, or maybe 2 short cruises). He’s 100% supportive - especially since he gets to stay home and play video games until the wee hours while I’m away. :') But he was definitely ready for me to come home about halfway through my 7-day cruise last year.

 

So clearly the 7 day was my longest solo cruise - but I’ve already been eyeballing longer cruises in 2019 or 2020. I just retired from the military, and so am looking forward to knocking out those longer cruises that he’s not so keen on. (Although in all fairness, he’s gamely agreed to go on a 24-night TA as my retirement extravaganza next spring.)

 

Have you broached the topic with your spouse yet, or are you just starting to investigate? :)

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I do most of my cruises solo - hubby enjoys cruising but not nearly as much as I do, and weirdly thinks a 3 day cruise would be idea. I think a 3 day cruise is not worth the time spent packing! My longest solo has been 11 nights, with 2-3 nights before the cruise on land. Coming up at the end of this year I'm doing a 10-night itinerary again.

 

We're not "first" spouses - we met and married later in life. Honestly, if he had any issues with my travel, he wouldn't be my spouse. I traveled independently before I met him and that wasn't going to change. He's not as interested in travel as I am, and I'm not going to change that about him either.....nor do I want to, as I enjoy my solo trips!

 

Sue/WDW1972

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We're not "first" spouses - we met and married later in life. Honestly, if he had any issues with my travel, he wouldn't be my spouse. I traveled independently before I met him and that wasn't going to change.

 

Same. I was married before as well - former husband wouldn’t ‘let’ me cruise solo, and couldn’t understand why I would ever want to travel without him. :rolleyes: Current hubs and I married in our very late 30’s, and he understands my need to solo it every now and again. I think I’ll keep him. :D

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Excussssssssssssssssse ME ?!? :eek: If. you think for ONE teny,tiny millisecond, MY wife would even consider letting ME go on a cruise without her coming along to share that heavenly bliss, called a cruise, IT ain't gonna happen !

 

We went to London, back in '95, for our honeymoon and five years later, while we flying back from Los Wages I mentioned I still had 2 weeks of vacation left and MIGHT take flight back too London for ten days;p I was kidding (sorta) and wasn't looking AT her just too see what her reaction was. I glanced over to my right, and saw 'THE glare' that most married men have seen from their wives. She said quietly BUT firmly, 'YOU, are NOT going back to London, WITHOUT me'. I let the matter drop.. I would get the SAME reaction, again, IF, I even hinted about any type of a solo 'cruise'. Case closed.:evilsmile:

 

Mac

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Now deceased husband and I cruised at least two times a year. It turned me into a cruiseaholic. Now, I have a wonderful significant other. He tolerates cruising if we go some place he hasn’t been. I enjoy the Caribbean. I go solo because his stance is “been there, done that.” .He is perfectly happy, home alone, with his Kindle and his computer.

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Excussssssssssssssssse ME ?!? :eek: If. you think for ONE teny,tiny millisecond, MY wife would even consider letting ME go on a cruise without her coming along to share that heavenly bliss, called a cruise, IT ain't gonna happen !

 

We went to London, back in '95, for our honeymoon and five years later, while we flying back from Los Wages I mentioned I still had 2 weeks of vacation left and MIGHT take flight back too London for ten days;p I was kidding (sorta) and wasn't looking AT her just too see what her reaction was. I glanced over to my right, and saw 'THE glare' that most married men have seen from their wives. She said quietly BUT firmly, 'YOU, are NOT going back to London, WITHOUT me'. I let the matter drop.. I would get the SAME reaction, again, IF, I even hinted about any type of a solo 'cruise'. Case closed.:evilsmile:

 

Mac

 

You have my sympathy.

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Now deceased husband and I cruised at least two times a year. It turned me into a cruiseaholic. Now, I have a wonderful significant other. He tolerates cruising if we go some place he hasn’t been. I enjoy the Caribbean. I go solo because his stance is “been there, done that.” .He is perfectly happy, home alone, with his Kindle and his computer.

 

My wife's also an great lover of casino (sooo the LOVE of cruising fits nicely in with that) and she will, from time to time take a 4-5 day trip to Mobile/Gulfshore too fulfill her shore 'fix' (sans me) I get bored in casinos PLUS I have the nasty habit of doing NOTHING but losing !:eek: So, I let her go on shore AND cruise casinos ALONE. She, on the other hand has the uncanny 'Luck o' the Irish' and has been known too win BIG! Or, at least break even. She does know WHEN too quit while the quitens the call. On our cruises after dinner she'll say she's going to visit her 'other love' on board and I know where she's headed !;p And usually about 2-3 a.m. she'll quietly slip back in. And that's fine with me, as long as she's having fun.:p

 

Mac

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SmoothFlying, it sounds like a suggestion that you want to go to Paris without her will result is a hospital just from her looks?

 

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLL !! Morgue, would be better suited because as the old saying goes, 'If looks COULD kill'.:D

 

Mac

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I've done a number of solo cruises over the years, the most recent the Carnival Horizon TA in May and then stayed on the next day for the inaugural cruise to Bermuda. So approximately 3 weeks. Hubby didn't seem to care, he always said go and have fun - he goes fishing with his buds in Arkansas which I want no part of. ha Then we would do a couples vacation.

 

Not sure if this has anything to do with the solo cruises, but right before I left for the TA I found out he was cheating and now we're in the middle of a messy divorce - he basically ran out on me and I'm left holding the bag for the house, our 2 dogs, all the yard work and 100% of the expenses. I'm just looking forward to getting this all behind me and booking my next cruise.:p

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So sorry for your troubles.

They say time heals all wounds and wounds all heels. I don't know if it is accurate but I like the sound of it.

I hope all is corrected soon and you get back to cruising.

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I am a college professor with more time off than my DH, so about every third year I take a solo cruise. I try not to be away for more than about two weeks total, but I have taken two 14-day cruises with a day or two extra on either end. This year's was 12 days with an extra day to fly in at the start and three days in London at the end.

 

I enjoy traveling by myself, and I also enjoy reminding my DH that there's no laundry fairy.

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I’ve done 2 solo cruises - a 3 day and a 7 day. Hubs is perfectly fine with it. I like to cruise more than he does (he’s content with a 7-day cruise a year, or maybe 2 short cruises). He’s 100% supportive - especially since he gets to stay home and play video games until the wee hours while I’m away. :') But he was definitely ready for me to come home about halfway through my 7-day cruise last year.

 

So clearly the 7 day was my longest solo cruise - but I’ve already been eyeballing longer cruises in 2019 or 2020. I just retired from the military, and so am looking forward to knocking out those longer cruises that he’s not so keen on. (Although in all fairness, he’s gamely agreed to go on a 24-night TA as my retirement extravaganza next spring.)

 

Have you broached the topic with your spouse yet, or are you just starting to investigate? :)

 

 

I forgot it started this thread!!! 😂😂😂 I will sign up for notifications.

 

I’m just starting to think about it and haven’t broached it with him yet. I like to travel more than he does and he only likes to take off 4 days at a time.

 

I don’t necessarily think he will mind; he will be concerned for my safety.

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I do most of my cruises solo - hubby enjoys cruising but not nearly as much as I do, and weirdly thinks a 3 day cruise would be idea. I think a 3 day cruise is not worth the time spent packing! My longest solo has been 11 nights, with 2-3 nights before the cruise on land. Coming up at the end of this year I'm doing a 10-night itinerary again.

 

We're not "first" spouses - we met and married later in life. Honestly, if he had any issues with my travel, he wouldn't be my spouse. I traveled independently before I met him and that wasn't going to change. He's not as interested in travel as I am, and I'm not going to change that about him either.....nor do I want to, as I enjoy my solo trips!

 

Sue/WDW1972

 

 

Right. DH declared to friends that 4 and 5 day cruises are best and I just rolled my eyes lol. Here I am thinking I want to venture into 9-10 day and beyond.

 

He probably would be so miserable on a longer cruise, so at least he is being honest.

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I go at least once a year. Wife doesn't mind a bit. She won't go on the mass market lines, so we do one luxury a year, and I do one solo mass market. Works for us.

 

I’m thinking the opposite. DH doesn’t mind mass market, but I want to try Seabourn eventually.

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Thanks so much for the replies. I think I would eventually find something like a last minute trans Atlantic (something he wouldn’t be interested in) and try that out

 

@samiam

@earl

@smoothflying

@straughn

@cusintigger

 

Thanks so much for your input. I enjoy traveling alone, although at some point I usually meet up with old friends where they live.

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My husband is fine with me doing solo trips. He's more of a home body and doesn't enjoy travel as much as I do. But he doesn't want to hold me back from what I enjoy so he encourages me to go.

 

When I worked, I did business trips for or more weeks a year from the time our youngest was 3 so he's quite able to fend for himself now.

 

He will travel with me if I'm going to some place he hasn't been that interests him or to one of a few places he wants to go back to.

 

To celebrate retirement, I wanted to do an ocean crossing. There was one on Windstar at the right time crossing from Yokohama, Japan to Seward, Alaska. That was followed by their first Alaska cruise in decades and I wanted to do both.

 

He was supportive of me going, but has zero interest in doing any ocean crossing and also wasn't interested in going back to Alaska; we went last August.

 

So I went on my own - 27 days cruising - just over a month given some days on land before and one night in Vancouver.

 

It was a great trip. I did activities in Alaska like hikes and kayaking that he and the couple we traveled with last year weren't interested in.

 

Sent from my Pixel using Forums mobile app

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@new cruise, 27days would be my dream!!!

 

I brought it up tonight and DH is cool with it!! He was concerned about the dogs (2 very needy English bulldogs who are super attached to me), but probably in 1-2 years my kids will be moving from dorms to apartments, so one of them could probably watch the dogs. Plus, dog sitter etc.

 

I’ve identified a few itineraries I’d like to try first:

 

A) Boston or Ny to Bermuda (he has no desire to go to Bermuda and it has been a dream of mine since I was a child).

 

B) Boston to New England and Canada

 

C) transatlantic (he would rather die lol)

 

D) last minute alaska or something or other

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I did a 17 day cruise through the Panama Canal without my wife. She hates the humidity and this has been a bucket list cruise for me. She was fine with me going, but I was worried that my stuff would be on the driveway when I got home. I missed her birthday and Thanksgiving but she seemed to be fine with it.

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A number of years ago I got an offer I could not turn down. Volcanic activity in Europe caused massive cancellations on a Quebec to NYC 13 day voyage a few days into the future. It was priced at around $300 per person, so I booked it expecting that my wife would not have the same flexibility I had to go on this cruise. It turned out to be a great experience, meeting others and having a lot of time to decompress. I had to pay the cruise fare for 2 people, but only the taxes/port charges for myself. My inside guarantee stateroom was upgraded to a balcony cabin. The ship was way underbooked.

 

That much said, we go on most cruises together.

 

If you are asking whether you can have a good time on your own, the answer is rather personal. You have the opportunity to read and relax, but if you are lonely or not comfortable meeting new people, you may not want to try this on a longer trip.

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