Debbie Smith sat down next to a stranger on a transfer bus because it was the only seat left.
Three years later, that stranger is one of her closest friends, they’ve cruised from the Caribbean to Sri Lanka together, and neither of them can quite believe how it started.
Smith, 59, from Birmingham, was recovering from a breakup when she booked a solo Marella cruise in 2022.
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Cath Munro, 66, from Aberdeenshire, was rebuilding her life after losing her husband and son.
Donna Burford, 58, from Hastings, needed something to fill the gap after her adult children moved out.
None of them knew each other. All three boarded alone.
They haven’t travelled apart since.
The blind leading the blind
Smith and Munro found each other first, on the bus to the ship.
“The bus was full and there were only two seats,” Munro said.
“Debbie sat next to me and that was it. Our friendship was made.”
Smith admitted she nearly didn’t go at all.
“From the moment I booked the cruise to the moment I stepped on the ship, I was on edge,” she said.
“I was so nervous, even just for travelling from A to B on my own. But I pulled my big girl pants on and did it.”
She’d been told she would meet people. She didn’t believe it until it happened.
“Neither of us knew what we were doing,” she said.
“It was the blind leading the blind, but we were so relieved when we met each other.”
Burford completed the trio at reception.
She overheard Smith asking about the solo travellers’ meet-up and shouted across the lobby: “I’m here on my own too.”
“From that point onwards, we just stuck together like glue,” Burford said.
“We’ve got the same sense of humour. We call ourselves the Witches of Eastwick because we’re always cackling.”
Dancing in front of a Gary Barlow impersonator
The three spent their first trip doing everything the ship offered.
Art classes, bingo, live shows, dining with other solo travellers. And dancing. Quite a lot of dancing.
“We were up dancing in front of a Gary Barlow impersonator, and we probably got a bit of a reputation for having some fun,” Smith said.
Munro said the structure of a cruise made connecting with people feel effortless.
“You keep bumping into people at dinner, at shows, on deck. It happens naturally,” she said.
“It makes it so easy to connect and you feel safe.”
Two weeks after returning home, the three had swapped numbers and booked a second trip together.
They’ve travelled every year since.
“We can go months without speaking but then we’ll get on the phone and an hour later we’re still laughing,” Burford said.
“We pick up exactly where we left off.”
Then Donna met Alan
Burford wasn’t looking for a relationship. She found one anyway.
On a cruise around Turkey last year, she met Alan, 61, another solo traveller.
“I wasn’t looking for anything but I met someone and we just clicked,” she said.
“Cath and Debbie approve.”
The couple have already been on two cruises together.
Alan will be joining the group on their next trip in June 2026.
The Witches of Eastwick are apparently happy to expand the coven.
The numbers back it up
Research from Marella Cruises, released as the cruise line marks its 30th anniversary, suggests these stories aren’t unusual.
Fifteen per cent of holidaymakers say they’re still in touch with someone they met on a trip.
Fourteen per cent formed long-term friendships. Seven per cent met the love of their life.
Marella, TUI’s all-inclusive cruise line, offers fly-cruise packages covering flights, transfers, accommodation, food, drinks and entertainment.
The all-inclusive format removes much of the logistical stress that puts solo travellers off booking in the first place.
Why it matters
Solo travel content is one of the fastest-growing niches across social media, particularly among women over 40.
Stories like this one resonate because they address a fear that keeps people from booking: the worry that travelling alone means being alone.
For creators in the travel space, the solo cruise audience is engaged, growing and largely underserved by mainstream travel content that still skews younger and couples-focused.
The cruise industry has noticed. Solo cabins, dedicated meet-ups and structured social events are now standard on most major lines.
The market exists because the demand does.
All three women say the same thing when asked what they’d tell someone considering a solo trip.
“Just book it,” Munro said. “Life’s for living.”
Smith put it more bluntly. “If I hadn’t gone, I don’t think I ever would have rebooked and I wouldn’t have these friendships now.”
Burford’s version: “Face your fears. They make you stronger.”
Also, apparently, they introduce you to your boyfriend.
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