Cruising without your spouse

[bonniemari]

My friends and i take an annual girls cruise every year. Depending on who can go there have been as few as 3 and as many as 12 of us that go. I will admit to missing my DH (and my dogs) but I have never felt guilty about cruising without him. We take several vacations together every year so leaving him home once or twice a year doesn't bother me.

[rhcpchika1]

I am truly stuck on my answer. I LOVE spending time with DH, but if my DD was old enough I could see us doing a girls vacation. . . SO I guess I would tell him to suck it up! He does a boys fishing weekend thing sometimes; same type of deal :)

[blindbandit]

Ditto

[jagsfan]

The first time I cruised without DH, he had left to hike the Appalachian Trail and a friend

got an offer for a Princess Alaska cruise we couldn't pass up. After we paid our nonrefundable fare, he came home with a messed up knee. I felt so bad about cruising without him I went on another one with him the same summer. He wasn't that thrilled with Alaska, which boggled my mind, but at least he went.

Since then, I'll cruise once with DD or friends, and then once with him. He'd rather stay

home than cruise or travel, but is happy for me to go. He's happy to see me come home,

too, so it works out well. Our last cruise was his idea, which is a first. I'll go with him every

time he's willing to go, so maybe he'll get more into it as he gets older.

[GreytRacer]

DH and I have taken 22 cruises together and I couldn't imagine going on one without him, but when my best friend from high school asked if I would like to go on a trip with her to celebrate our 50th bdays, I said Yes! She's single and didn't want to feel like a 3rd wheel on her own birthday vacation, so my DH wasn't invited. I talked to him about it, and even though he wished he could go with us, he understood that it was something my life-long friend and I wanted to do together.

 

I think leading up to the trip it was harder on me than DH because I felt a bit guilty, plus I was trying to figure out the logistics of traveling without him (schlepping heavy luggage, etc). We texted about a million times the night before the cruise up until we sailed out of cell range, me feeling guilty the entire time. Once we were out of cell range and I knew we couldn't contact each other, the guilt just went away. My friend and I had an awesome time, laughing like a couple of idiots the entire time, and DH was happy when I got home and had a ship's model and shot glass for him. :D

 

It also helped that he and I went on a cruise together about 6 weeks later. ;)

Edited December 10, 2011 by GreytRacer

[joepeka]

Not exactly answering your question as written here, but I just came back from a Destiny cruise that was just myself and my DD. Mrs. S2M had to stay home and work due to a job change. No guilt here, is that bad?

Looks like our next cruise will be the same: Mrs. Joe is staying home so it's just me and our youngest DD (24). We wish she would go but wants to stay home to babysit our new granddaughter and she also says she's tired of the Mexico/Caribbean itin's - but she really perks up when talk of Alaska or Europe occurs. I guess that's a hint. :confused:

[keiann]

I've been on 3 girls' only cruises and have a fourth one booked in January 2012. I love cruising with my DH, but I also love getting away with just the girls. By "girls", I mean women 50's to 70's.

 

With the girls, you can act silly, dance and have fun without the DH's rolling their eyes and thinking you have lost your mind!

 

 

Where's the Like button?

[Robwerks]

Several years ago when my daughter graduated high school DW suggested that I take DD on a cruise... a little father / daughter bonding time. Sounded great! So we went. We got on the ship and DD made some friends really fast (naturally). So she spent nearly all of her time with them. I saw her at dinner and our excursions. I being the dutiful father did not wish to stop her from having fun and insist that she spend time with me. And her so being wrapped up in having the time of her life did not think about dear old Dad - as kids are wont to do.

To get to the point... I never felt so alone among 2000+ people in my life. You can only spend so much time in the casino or reading a book! When we got back home I told DW that will never happen again! When DS graduated we BOTH took him on a cruise. :cool:

[joydisney]

I went on my first cruise without DH in October. It was a girls' "red hatters" trip with several friends. DH decided to take a motorcycle trip to Florida with several friends the same week, so it worked out very good. We have taken separate small trips before. I had a great time with my friends and it was lots of fun. I did miss him, but I knew he was having fun also. My roomate's husband will not cruise at all.

[ferfoodle]

I would never cruise with anyone other than DH. Simply put, he is the only soul on this planet who can put up with my snoring.

[nutley chick]

Uh-oh. I didnt think about my snoring.... Hope my GF doesn't mind. My husband complains all the time so if she says something, she too will be left home next time.

 

 

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[Snorkel2Much]

Several years ago when my daughter graduated high school DW suggested that I take DD on a cruise... a little father / daughter bonding time. Sounded great! So we went. We got on the ship and DD made some friends really fast (naturally). So she spent nearly all of her time with them. I saw her at dinner and our excursions. I being the dutiful father did not wish to stop her from having fun and insist that she spend time with me. And her so being wrapped up in having the time of her life did not think about dear old Dad - as kids are wont to do.

To get to the point... I never felt so alone among 2000+ people in my life. You can only spend so much time in the casino or reading a book! When we got back home I told DW that will never happen again! When DS graduated we BOTH took him on a cruise. :cool:

I was worried that scenario would happen to me, but we met up with several great folks from the RollCall and did a lot of activities together as a group.

[cooncat_mom]

My first cruise experience was on the Imagination and it was a mother/daughter cruise. We were hooked! This was before ATD, and our table was just mothers and daughters; all had a great time. Actually, I usually cruise without DH. We have done two together, and he thinks he enjoys it more than he actually does. He tends to be a homebody and I like to get away, so I vacation once a year or so without him. Afterwards, I tell him all about it and he gets to look at all my pictures. :cool: We've been married almost 40 years now, and we figure if we occasionally do things apart, it just gives us more to talk about when we're back together. DD and I have very similar vacation styles, so it works out very well when we travel together and DH is happy that he can relax at home and gets the whole bed to himself - as long as it isn't TOO long a trip! ;)

[Cjlovestocruise]

I have gone on a cruise with my mom only. Another one with my DD and am currently planning one for my DD and DS and I -

 

I love to cruise with my hubby but to have some time away with one of the kids (or two) is also great.

He has never complained and has gone on other trips without me and I have never felt bad about it.

 

Go on the trip and have a great time.

[adschmad]

In my case, my husband travels with his job. He has meetings all over the United States and gets to stay in high-end hotels almost monthly. We have 2 daughters and I plan on taking them on a cruise on a yearly basis during Deer-Widow's Weekend in November. No guilt will be felt from this wife! :)

[okwriter]

I've been on four cruises. Only ONE was with DH.

 

Two were "girls cruises" with my best buds.

One was with my sisters.

 

I love DH, but there is nothing more FUN than a bunch of giggly women!

[UpstateCruizer]

Hi,

This will be the third cruise I've taken. The last two my husband and I went on. This next one will be with my daughters and their friend. I guess I really want to enjoy cruising with my daughters (just the girls)

I guess I'm feeling a little guilty. How many of you girls would or have taken a cruise without your spouse?

How many of you guys would mind your spouses taking one "solo" with friends or family?

T. Umphess

 

My dh is my best friend and I wouldn't enjoy a cruise without him. I'd miss him terribly and that alone would take alot of the fun out of the cruise. I know several people who cruise without their spouses because the spouse doesn't enjoy cruising. If that was the case I'd have no problem cruising without him.

[momof3cruisers]

I have lots of sisters and we try to cruise together very year or so. I LOVE every minute of it and dare I say I don't miss him at all. But my sisters all live about 2000 miles away from me so those trips are the only time we see each other. If they we're local....nah, I'd still go on my sister trips!

 

However, I would not cruise with anyone else instead of my husband. WDW, yes. We have done that. Even considering driving out to CA with my kid's this spring, but not a cruise or anywhere else really vacationy. (he was there the first part of the WDW but had to come home early.)

[BoooBooKitEFk]

I too cruise without DH. He's been on only one cruise and didn't get bitten by the bug I guess. We've done lots of land based tropical vacations together, and he prefers being set in one place and having several days to explore. I on the other hand, love the fact that I can visit "X" number of places in 5-7 days, decide where I want to visit later, then plan the land based vacay with DH.

 

Did take each of my 2 DD's on cruises last year. Only one was bitten, and she got married 2 weeks ago, so she wont be tagging along with me anytime soon. ;)

 

Have my 2nd solo this February, and my 3rd in October. I think you can have fun no matter if you're with someone or not... it's all about your state of mind!

 

If you both can agree and not have hard/hurt feelings about one or the other taking a vacay without the other person, then I say go for it! Either way, enjoy your cruise!

[tassycatt]

I cruised with DH last April, next month just DD (12) and I. Cant wait!

[terryinal]

I cruise 2 times a yr without my wife. She is always asked and welcome to go,but don't care to.

[smrn]

I take one or two girls' cruises per year and the hubby stays home and babysits! Am I guilty? No..... :)

[nodogkisses]

Go and enjoy your daughters and their friend on your upcoming cruise. It makes for wonderful memories. I have gone on two cruises with my DD and her friend without DH and had a great time each cruise. I don't think I'd do longer than 5 days though. And, just last month, my neighbor and I went on a 5 day for our shared birthday. No DH then, either. But, we did cruise together in June. He never seemed to mind when it was DD, but when I went with my friend, he was a little jelly. Oh, well!

[TabFox]

I've been on 4 cruises, 5th one planned for May....all without DH. He has NO interest in traveling, however since I've bugged him so much he has agreed to go in 2013. I do miss him when I'm gone, but I love to cruise and he wants me to have a good time. This has been a VERY stressful year and a few months ago he said "honey, you've done so much for us this year, I want you to go on a cruise and I'll pay for it".....15 minutes later, I was on the phone with my girlfriends and my mom and trip was booked! Ain't gotta tell me twice!!!!

[path145]

Technically I'm not married but I live with my boyfriend and we've been together over 5 years...

 

We've cruised twice together and will be cruising again next month, but last January it was a girls' cruise. There were 11 of us, my 3 adult daughters & their friend plus my friends from work. My boyfriend said there is NO way he would go near that cruise!! Sure, he wished he could cruise with me but he was perfectly ok to let me go with my friends/daughters. I was able to do things that he and I don't normally do... he doesn't like to go to shows and we have never gone down the waterslide, but I did both of those on that cruise!

 

I would definitely do it again!