Hell, YES, you should!!! Cruising with other people seemingly has more pros than cons. The main thing to keep in mind, when vacationing with other people, is to have discussions BEFORE you decide to do it to see if you’re all on the same page. These tips apply to all types of vacation travel, not just cruising.
We have been on several cruises on our own, and there are definitely positive aspects of cruising with only your significant other. The most obvious being that life gets in the way. You’re tired and have settled into a routine. But sometimes you NEED to get away with just each other, so that you can focus on your relationship. I don’t care if you’ve been together a year or 40 years, it’s a necessity! So go away with your better half, if not for a long vacation, at least a weekend every once in a while!!
As I mentioned before, cruising has allowed us to meet some pretty terrific people. Some we keep in touch with through social media. Others we have actually planned and been on other cruises together! We have also connected with old friends who we found love cruising just as much as we do. This has been spectacular! What you need to do is have conversations…..not just expectations. Your expectation of what you think it would be like to vacation with other people may be very different from reality. You learn a lot about people when you vacation together. Their daily way of life becomes much more apparent. I truly believe if you go into any vacation with friends/family in the right state of mind, it will be a success!
We pretty much only have ONE RULE when it comes to traveling with others, and we have made this clear to those we have traveled with…….whatever you are doing, it is YOUR vacation. If the people you are traveling with want to do different activities than you, and vice versa, that’s perfectly fine! Actually, it’s the way it should be! No one should take offense if you want to do something different. Again, this is where expectations come in, and why conversations are needed. If you are expecting to travel with other people and spend 24/7 together (unless this is your actual goal), then you are deluding yourself. I believe if you give in to doing activities you don’t really want to do or even choose a certain itinerary that doesn’t totally interest you, you ultimately become frustrated or bitter. You may actually sabotage your own trip and your relationship with the other parties. So make this rule clear before booking anything, and believe in it!
Before we cruise with other people, we discuss dinner times, dinner options, and possible shore excursions. We generally will work it out so we are going in port together, but if you have been to one port of call, for instance, and the other parties have not, they may want to see something different than you. Let them! And they should be okay with going on their own, too! You can actually be helpful to them in advising them on the good and bad of a particular port of call you have been to. Encourage them to explore on their own, if that’s what they want to do, and advise them on safety issues, transportation pros and cons etc.
No cruise or other vacation where you are traveling with others should make you feel ‘confined’. If you are getting tired of the other parties, then chances are you are spending too much time together. Is it possible to travel with someone else, only to find that in the end you are not compatible? Yes, it is. But you’ll never know unless you try it!
We have been so fortunate to find great travel companions. We have been on separate trips, as well. No one takes offense. Everyone has the right to go where they want, and do what they want, on their vacation. If you go in with this frame of mind, your vacation together will be successful! Next thing you know, you will be planning the next one together!
Until then….cruise on!!
Just Cruisin' 