Married People Who Cruise Solo

[lactmom4sons]

I cruise solo since my husband is still working full time and will not fly.  so i go on some cruises solo that he is not interested in the destination or that it requires flying (unless he had enough vacation time to drive to departure port).  

[doctork]

Since his stroke, my husband doesn't care much for travel (even though he has completely recovered from the stroke), unless it is to visit family members via trips on land or air.  He never was big on cruising, while I love cruising and all other kids of travel.  We have a large dog and two cats.

 

This is perfect - he stays home and cares for the pets, while I travel when and where I want.  No boarding or pet-sitting expenses!  Often my cruises are theme cruises, so never a problem finding other cruisers with similar interests.

[coastcat]

19 hours ago, doctork said:

This is perfect - he stays home and cares for the pets, while I travel when and where I want.  No boarding or pet-sitting expenses!  Often my cruises are theme cruises, so never a problem finding other cruisers with similar interests.

 

My husband takes care of the furballs when I'm traveling and vice versa. With six cats, boarding is so expensive that it'd be cheaper to book a connecting cabin and bring them along!

[jimdee3636]

On 6/22/2021 at 4:31 PM, fyree39 said:

I have been seriously considering a solo cruise. He doesn't retire for 2 years, so now's my chance. I just wonder how he'll take it when I bring the idea up for the first time.

Cindy:

One way to start is by stressing that a "solo" cruise is not the same thing as a "singles" cruise.

Jim

[geoherb]

I took three solo cruises in 2019 and one with DH. He decided on that cruise, though, that he did not like being away from his elderly mother. (She turns 95 this year.) He's an only child, so there's no one else to share the burden. I have a brother who lives in my city--and he and I would make sure that we weren't gone at the same time when our mother was alive. 

 

Now that cruises are starting back up, I'm starting to look again. So far, I haven't found any great buys. I'm not crazy about paying double. I was lucky to find bargains on the three solo trips I took in 2019. 

 

He doesn't mind staying at home since it's his choice. 

[brontravel]

On 7/13/2021 at 11:34 PM, geoherb said:

I took three solo cruises in 2019 and one with DH. He decided on that cruise, though, that he did not like being away from his elderly mother. (She turns 95 this year.) He's an only child, so there's no one else to share the burden. I have a brother who lives in my city--and he and I would make sure that we weren't gone at the same time when our mother was alive. 

 

Now that cruises are starting back up, I'm starting to look again. So far, I haven't found any great buys. I'm not crazy about paying double. I was lucky to find bargains on the three solo trips I took in 2019. 

 

He doesn't mind staying at home since it's his choice. 

Celebrity has some great solo deals for September in Caribbean. 

[rsail203]

On 7/19/2021 at 8:52 PM, brontravel said:

Celebrity has some great solo deals for September in Caribbean. 

Also August.

 

[LadyGordon]

I take at least one Solo vacation every year, as does my husband. We love each other dearly, but we each have different travel interests and encourage each other to pursue them. We have found this really allows us to relax and pursue our own interests and come home and share our trip stories. He's focusing on riding his motorcycle across the US and visiting as many states as possible. As I only ride with him on short day trips, that doesn't interest me at all.

I have traveled to Canada, Scotland and England on my own, places he's not currently interested in. Now I'm taking my first solo cruise on Celebrity Edge in October to the Caribbean. I feel this is the best way to relax after a very long year in Medical IT of not going anywhere and working from home. I'm looking to book a solo cruise to Alaska for 2022. My husband is happy for me that I'm going without him and not trying to drag him to places he's not interested in, it would just make him miserable and then me as well......and we both agree that negates the point of a vacation!

 

[wifenocruise]

I have my 12th and 13th solo cruises booked as my wife is just not interested in cruising. P+O Iona in 2 weeks time and a 19 night cruise on Diamond Princess from Singapore to Tokyo February 2023.

[johnt83]

I am going on my first solo cruise this week and got 3 more booked in the next 2 months for a total of 4! Wife is totally okay with it 🙂 can't wait!

[NuisanceLuke]

My husband and I have been married 40+ years--one reason I think our marriage has lasted so long is because we respect each other's need for "alone time."  He goes on solo motorcycle trips, and I go on solo cruises.  We take both cruises and motorcycle trips together, too, and have a lot of fun together, but for our personal "sanity" sometimes we just need to get away from each other.

 

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by NuisanceLuke
ETA a word or two

[Teemcdee]

I have my first solo cruise booked next month on the Carnival Dream. I am the planner in my family and I a very hard time relaxing on family vacations because I am always wanting to make sure my wife and daughter are happy and being entertained.  I am also a much earlier riser than they are so I had a hard time trying to move around the cabin quietly in the mornings, and then had no where to sit as the couch was made into my daughter’s bed. 
 

Hopefully I will be able to relax on my own time and focus on my mental health during the cruise.  Not worrying about if anyone else is hungry, or turning off the lights because I want to sleep and they don’t (or leaving them on because I want to read late into the night).  
 

This is my first solo cruise, but it may not be my last.

[geoherb]

One of the great things about being solo in a cabin is not having to worry about disturbing someone else. I'm leaving in the morning for my third solo cruise vacation. That is, if I feel DH is well enough to leave. His diverticulitis started acting up this morning. He was able to get a doctor to call in prescriptions for antibiotics. Last summer, he ended up in the hospital for a few nights with a flareup. Four years ago he was in the hospital for nearly two weeks and had part of his intestine removed. 

[mchelle77]

My husband and I both have cruised solo - we have different travel styles and while a cruise definitely allows us to travel together and do the things we like, we also don't always have the same time off. Why should either of us miss out on fully living our life because the other can't go or isn't interested? I'm glad we think alike in that aspect.

 

He's more the "relax" type" (spa, sun at the pool, etc) and I'm the "do everything" type (trivia, shows, get off the ship and see as much as I can)

 

My last solo was to DR and T&C, and now I just booked one for December going to GC (that will be a revisit) and Jamaica.

[cynt]

I introduced my DH to cruising 4 yrs ago while we were dating. He likes it but is not addicted to it. I mentioned this Independence ots 9 night cruise to I'm from Galveston with 4 sea days. He was meh about it. He was more hyped for his guys trip to Vegas the weekend we get back. So he was cool with me going solo. I am ECSTATIC to be cruising solo again. Love the hubs but we're both loners so this extended alone time is going to be great. 

[coastcat]

10 hours ago, cynt said:

Love the hubs but we're both loners so this extended alone time is going to be great. 

 

Same here. We've both been working from home, not going out much... a little breathing room is welcome. Starting tomorrow he gets another week of Domino's pizza & loud movies while I get a week of ocean sunrises & uninterrupted reading.

[Travelicious]

I'm retiring at the end of this month, and will go on my first solo cruise in November.  The wife has 2 1/2 years to go before retirement, and will be a bit jealous that I am able to go without her, but is okay with it.  I can't wait!

[SummerBeee]

I had a few 2021 & early 2022 cruises booked. Some solo and some with a cruise friend. Hubs works a lot and I consider myself retired now that our only child is deep into her college studies.

 

I’ve always been good with being alone but need some form of interaction with others. Cruising meets that need for me. We both agreed that becoming Pinnacle with RCL would be advantageous so I booked a whole bunch of solo cruises for next fall with the points promo. 
 

Quite often I meet other happily married individuals cruising solo. It’s nice having these cruise friends to reacquaint with if our schedules line up.

 

If anyone is on Serenade next October/November shoot me a message. My TA snagged the same cabin for my 30+ days on board 🙂

[Silent Penguin]

On 4/20/2021 at 4:36 PM, jimdee3636 said:

I'm wondering if I'm the only married person who does solo cruises. I always talk to a lot of people on ships, and I've never met a married person who was not with his or her spouse (other than, say, two or three married women who are traveling together, which isn't the same thing). Maybe no one else is interested in traveling without their spouse, or maybe some are interested but are reluctant to broach the subject with their spouse.

 

Any insights and experiences would be appreciated. Thanks.

I am happily married (31 years) woman about to go on her first solo cruise.  I have wanted to go on a solo cruise for a while but was reluctant, just as you said,  to bring it up to my husband for a few reasons.  First of all, we discovered cruising together and I felt weird about doing "our" thing without him.  We don't always want to to do or see the same things, but we always have a great time and we travel well together.  Also,  since he works full-time and I make my own hours, I felt guilty going off to vacation while he worked. Finally, I couldn't imagine spending several hundred dollars on myself for an indulgance.  Then Covid vaccinations for cruising became a requirement, and that changed everything: I'm vaccinated, and dh refuses to get vaccinated.   Faced with an indefinite length of time before we could cruise together,  I decided it was time to have that conversation. 

 

I can't say I was surprised that my husband was supportive of my going solo.  Even with his blessing,  I was hesitant to spend our money on me, but  a couple weeks ago, I was goofing around on the Carnival website, just seeing if it was even possible to go on a cruise vacation for under 800.00 (including cruise and accompanying expenses), when I found a 7-day cruise leaving from a port an hour from my house for $100.00 a person.  The total cost was $327.00, too good to pass up. 

 

Even though I've wanted to take a solo cruise for a while, if it wasn't for the fact that dh can't go until he's vaccinated, I don't believe I would have taken that step.  

[jimdee3636]

@Silent Penguin

I congratulate you on your courage and your conviction. Like you, I understand the need to be frugal when you cruise solo, but I also think you need to feel OK with indulging yourself once you're onboard. So you have my permission to drink more than you do at home, eat at specialty restaurants, and indulge yourself in any other way you want.

 

By the way, I'm not a Carnival cruiser, but $327 for a 7 night cruise is unbelievable!

 

Jim

[Silent Penguin]

Just now, jimdee3636 said:

@Silent Penguin

I congratulate you on your courage and your conviction. Like you, I understand the need to be frugal when you cruise solo, but I also think you need to feel OK with indulging yourself once you're onboard. So you have my permission to drink more than you do at home, eat at specialty restaurants, and indulge yourself in any other way you want.

 

By the way, I'm not a Carnival cruiser, but $327 for a 7 night cruise is unbelievable!

 

Jim

Thanks, Jim!  I think the spa will be my splurge.  Yes, $327 is amazing. The drink package cost more than that for the week! 

[jimdee3636]

34 minutes ago, Silent Penguin said:

Thanks, Jim!  I think the spa will be my splurge.  Yes, $327 is amazing. The drink package cost more than that for the week! 

I'm envious! Have a great and guilt-free time!

 

Jim

[Ilovesailaway]

I just booked my first solo cruise. I have cruised with friends and family without DW but this will be my first solo. We have a lot of fun when we travel together but the truth is I am obsessed with cruising and she isn't. We have separate interests and sometimes take separate vacations.

Well I just given was a great offer from Carnival so I looked at air and hotel just to see how it would line up. Turns out my miles covered the flight and I found a cyber sale on the hotel. I have always wanted to try a solo cruise and I am very lucky that my DW is cool with me giving it a try. Because this trip is going to be low cost and only 5 days I think its a perfect opportunity to try my first solo.

[rtrtx2]

another married "solo" cruiser here, first time this past Sept,, since then have a total of 4 solos completed and  booked a biggie 16 day transatlantic upcoming Sept 2022. I knew if there was a vacation i would be comfortable taking solo it would be a cruise. But I found I am really enjoying going solo.....freedom to do what I want, whenever I want. Also a little more spending freedom for tours, drinks etc. as only paying for one. Don't get me wrong, I love going with my DH, but he is more then content not to go and I am getting to meet people and socialize more ( he is more of a loner)

[shadow 123]

I cruise solo to get   away from my husband. The last thing I wanna do is hook up with another man! This is all about me time