Cruising alone can give you time to rejuvenate and refresh. Photo: Randall Shirley

Dale and I have taken a few “separate vacations” over our 30 years as a couple, sometimes completely alone, and have found there are silver linings.

Here are a few benefits of taking a cruise and making it all about you.

Deciding on where you want to go as a couple or as a group can be quite a frustrating dilemma at times. In many cases with friends, the end decision wasn’t everyone’s first choice. However, when you travel alone it is only your decision as to where you want to visit, and, as such, it is a great benefit.

Money is certainly a deciding factor when it comes to travel – it will affect your accommodation choice and even what you eat. When you cruise alone, it is your choice on how you spend your money. You can splurge out on a speciality restaurant, get pampered at the spa or have a simple meal in your cabin without having to talk it over with your companion or friends.

When the sun sets and it’s time to kick back and relax, not everyone has the same idea about what’s fun! For some people the best entertainment is the flashy nightly shows in the theater; for others, it is listening to a pianist in the martini bar while striking up conversations with new friends. For others it’s flirting with a new friend. Traveling alone means you can choose the form of entertainment every time.

On many ships, food is one of the best parts of the trip. When you travel with a others there are always going to be debates as to where and when to eat especially with all of the onboard dining options. One of the benefits of traveling alone means you get to choose when and what you want to eat. And you can choose to sit alone and be with your thoughts, or ask the dining room host to seat you at a table full of strangers…and meeting new people can always add interest in travel.

When you are traveling with more than one person, the itinerary is usually planned well in advance with everyone sharing what they want to do. As such, everyone has to agree on what the day’s activity will be. Some people will end up doing what they didn’t really want to do. When you travel alone there is no need to get anyone else’s take on what to do – you can simply plan your own thing whenever you want.

Cruising can be a wonderful travel experience and with more and more cruise lines recognizing the solo traveler, it might be time to give it a try.