Wife Decides to Take 14-Day Cruise Without Husband: "Life Can Be Short"

Photo byUta SchollonUnsplash

A woman's husband didn't share the same bucket-list destination, and according to a news outlet, she decided to take the trip by herself.

At 61, New Zealand resident, Sue Keats found herself at a crossroads. After a decade with the same company, she faced an unexpected job change.

With the extra time off between jobs, the allure of a European cruise was just too tempting to resist. After all, she had been dreaming of a cruise like this for years.

Sue wasn't new to travel. In her younger days, she had explored extensively, even living in London for a year.

However, recent years had been marked by a focus on work, family, and the ever-present restrictions of the pandemic. Her trips had become shorter, closer to home, often solo or with her husband.

This time, Sue felt the time was right for a grand adventure. With eight weeks carved out on her calendar, she began planning a comprehensive European itinerary.

Her husband, self-employed and passionate about surfing, wasn't able to take such an extended leave.

However, he fully supported Sue's desire to explore destinations that didn't pique his own interests.

"We were realizing that life can be short," Sue says, reflecting on their shared perspective. "You have to take opportunities when you have them."

Cruise from Amsterdam to Iceland

Iceland, with its captivating landscapes, had always been a dream destination for Sue.

During her research, she stumbled upon a perfect itinerary - a 14-day cruise from Amsterdam to Iceland, with stops in Norway, the Shetland Islands, and Scotland.

The cruise perfectly aligned with her travel dates, and Sue booked it without hesitation. She planned to arrive in Amsterdam a few days early and depart from London eight weeks later, revisiting a city she had wanted to see since her twenties.

"What on earth had I done?" she doubted at first.

But the excitement of it all soon washed away any doubts in her head. Planning the remaining six weeks filled all her spare time.

She then planned a trip to see a friend who was going to be in Italy during the same timeframe, allowing them to catch up.

For the time after the cruise, Sue decided to improvise the rest of her itinerary. She booked a flight to Copenhagen after the last day of the voyage. Days at sea would be spent studying destinations. Flights and train tickets were booked.

In Berlin, she took a ferry trip to Italy, followed by time in Florence, Chianti, and Milan. A train ride to London with a stopover in Zurich capped off her itinerary.

Leaving New Zealand in the heart of winter, Sue admits to feeling more nervous than excited.

"The apprehension didn't last long," Sue recalled. After reaching Amsterdam, she hailed an Uber to her hotel and started exploring, walking 15 kilometers on foot on her very first day.

The cruise offered a relaxing introduction to solo travel. With everything taken care of, Sue could unwind and enjoy the sights.

The itinerary included destinations that might have been logistically challenging to reach independently. However, the cruise experience wasn't entirely convincing for Sue.

"I'm on the fence about whether I'd do another one soon," she admits.

An encounter with a fellow passenger, a sprightly 82-year-old woman, left Sue questioning her own age on a cruise ship.

She stated that traveling by herself was liberating.

"You can be a bit selfish and do what you want, when you want," she explains. "It's something most of us aren't used to, and it took me a while to adjust."

Despite cruising solo, Sue never felt alone. She said kept in touch with loved ones back home and struck up conversations with fellow travelers whenever she could.

Sue's solo adventure to Europe was a transformative experience. Not only did she fulfill a lifelong dream, but she also discovered a newfound independence and confidence.

Her husband missed out on the grand trip, but at least Sue had plenty of memories to share with him after she got back.