After I got stood up, I took a luxury cruise in Europe by myself. I learned 3 surprising things along the way.

26.09.2023 - 18:57 / insider.com

I planned a trip on a luxury river cruise with a potential suitor I met through friends in Barcelona. He was from a municipality in Spain called Valladolid, and his eagerness to travel together was evident from the first time we met.

I was nervous about inviting him on a trip. I explained that we would be sharing a suite cabin on a seven-night cruise, starting from Vienna, Austria, and ending in Budapest, Hungary. He jumped at the idea, and I felt a nervous but excited knot forming in my stomach.  

After receiving trip confirmations from both Riverside Luxury Cruises and my airline, I got a message from him saying he wouldn't be able to make it. Although he'd known the dates for quite some time, he said he couldn't take time off from work. 

I had to decide whether I should cancel the entire trip or go alone.

Traveling by myself on a small luxury cruise wasn't ideal, but something inside me told me to do it (and possibly learn something new about myself in the process).

Upon arrival, I was amazed at how opulent the boat was. I opened the door to my cabin and was impressed by all the fixtures and decorations that evoked a sense of modern luxury. My room had two water-level sliding doors that allowed me to see the Danube River as though it was right next to me. 

Next to the sliding doors, I noticed a bottle of white wine and two champagne flutes on a small corner desk. A rush of sadness poured over me, and all I could think about was how much I wished I had someone to enjoy a drink with. 

Roaming the ship, I found a jazzy piano bar, a cozy coffee shop-like bistro, a fancy dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows, and many other Instagram-worthy spots. As the night progressed, I went to the Waterside restaurant for dinner. 

I sat at a table set for two next to a window facing Vienna. Sitting alone didn't bother me, but I began to feel odd when the waiter removed the set of unused utensils.

As the food came out, I noticed that I could fully taste each dish when I didn't have any distractions. Eating alone allowed me to focus on all of the flavors, from the wine to the dessert. I put my phone down and enjoyed the view. 

As we sailed on the Danube River towards the Central European cities of Dürnstein, Linz, Bratislava, Esztergom, and Budapest, I participated in a few excursions to pass the time.

The thought of going on excursions alone was a little stressful, as I knew people would wonder why I was by myself. 

As I began participating in the activities, I started to feel more liberated. The loneliness I initially felt faded, and I felt like I had total control over what I wanted to do and when. 

I started chatting with other folks on the trip. When I met couples from Australia, Mexico, and the United