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Woman Ends Her 2-Year Relationship When Boyfriend Plans A Cruise For Her Birthday
United States passport with boarding passes on a laptop representing travel plans for a cruise trip

Woman Ends Her 2-Year Relationship When Boyfriend Plans A Cruise For Her Birthday

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One constant in every successful relationship is good, honest and open communication. It’s the building block of everything. However, communication is just the path to a lasting relationship, one still has to actually go down it. In other words, it doesn’t matter if your partner listens to your preferences if they still choose to ignore them.

A woman shared how she decided that her relationship was probably over, after discovering that her boyfriend had got them cruise tickets for her birthday. As it turns out, she doesn’t like cruises and that he booked the tickets during an event she was already planning to go to. Netizens decided to share their thoughts and some advice in the comments section.

RELATED:

    Birthday gifts can be quite tricky to get right

    US passport and airline boarding passes on a white surface, representing travel plans and cruise vacation ideas.

    Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)

    The guy in this story really missed the mark on his girlfriend’s birthday gift. To the point that she was willing to break up with him

    Woman ends her 2-year relationship after discovering boyfriend planned a cruise for her birthday as a gift.

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    Text post showing a woman revealing she ended her 2-year relationship over a planned cruise birthday gift.

    Woman ends her 2-year relationship after boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday she does not want.

    Women dressed in Renaissance costumes participating in a crowded outdoor festival, symbolizing relationship and birthday events.


    Image credits: midiman (not the actual photo)

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    Text message explaining frustration over boyfriend booking an expensive cruise conflicting with festival plans.

    Text showing a woman expressing annoyance in her 2-year relationship after her boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday.

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    Text about a woman ending her 2-year relationship after her boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday.

    Woman having a tense conversation with boyfriend indoors, related to ending relationship over cruise plans for birthday

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    Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)

    Text about woman ending 2-year relationship after boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday.

    Alt text: Text about a woman feeling sad over her boyfriend’s birthday cruise plan, ending their 2-year relationship.

    Text excerpt from a woman explaining her reaction to her boyfriend’s birthday cruise plan, highlighting relationship feelings.

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    Text excerpt showing a woman expressing indifference before ending her 2-year relationship over a planned birthday cruise.

    Image source: Helpful-Minimum8496

    Woman ends relationship after boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday despite her sea sickness and festival plans.

    Woman ends her 2-year relationship after boyfriend plans an expensive cruise for her birthday showing lack of care.

    Text showing frustration as woman ends her 2-year relationship over boyfriend planning a cruise for her birthday.

    Text excerpt discussing a woman ending her 2-year relationship when her boyfriend planned a cruise for her birthday.

    Text showing a woman describes feeling numb and avoiding a 2-hour argument with her boyfriend who wanted to talk.

    Woman ends her 2-year relationship after boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday, choosing to split amicably.

    Text excerpt from a woman ending her 2-year relationship over her boyfriend planning a birthday cruise.

    Woman writing in a notebook beside laptop, symbolizing woman ending her 2-year relationship after birthday cruise plans.


    Image credits: Sonyachny (not the actual photo)

    Text excerpt from woman who ends relationship after boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday, explaining her feelings.

    Text message showing a woman ending her 2-year relationship after boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday.

    Text about dealing with ending a relationship and finding a new place to live after birthday plans change.

    Image source: Helpful-Minimum8496

    Listening is the cornerstone of any healthy relationship

    Couple having a serious conversation at a table, woman showing signs of ending her 2-year relationship.

    Image credits: Edmond Dantès (not the actual photo)

    This sad situation is another confirmation of how important it is to listen to your partner. In everyday interactions, noting the details of their preferences and their exciting inner life, as well as the more serious conversations about the future of your relationship. The woman noted that she has raised her concerns a few times over the years and even then her partner didn’t hear her, which is an awful situation to be put in.

    If you wish to be a better listener, a good place to start is by trying out a mirroring technique. In it, when you’re talking about your feelings and emotions, you listen to what your partner says and then repeat it back to them how you understood it. This gives your partner a chance to clarify any misunderstandings and misconstructions.

    Knowing how to present your feelings is also very important

    Young man discussing relationship troubles with woman, highlighting plans involving a birthday cruise trip

    Image credits: fauxels (not the actual photo)

    When trying to sort out issues with your partner, it is important not to start the conversation with animosity. Many of us like to jump straight to the issue and start accusing and blaming as if our partner is doing everything wrong. This is understandable as we are trying to vent our frustrations and jump to generalizations, but it’s not a good move.

    Instead, you have to try to keep your cool. When talking about feelings, you have to keep in mind that what you’re feeling is your perspective and there are other factors at play you might not be aware of. So, starting with statements like “I feel,” “I think,” is the best way to manage a tricky situation. For example, if you also feel like your desires are being ignored, you could say “I feel unvalued and unloved when you dismiss my wishes in preference to yours.” That’s, of course, not the whole conversation but a good start.

    Either way, if you see a behavior that upsets you, bring it up. Then, if it doesn’t change and becomes a pattern, don’t be afraid to walk away, just like the woman in this story did. You deserve better.

    The author got overwhelming support from commentators

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing relationship issues related to a planned cruise birthday gift.

    Comment on a social platform discussing relationship red flags when boyfriend plans a surprise cruise for birthday.

    Screenshot of a comment discussing feelings about a relationship ending when boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday.

    ALT text: Man plans expensive birthday cruise for girlfriend who rejects it, highlighting relationship issues and lack of appreciation.

    Text post discussing a woman ending her 2-year relationship over a boyfriend’s birthday cruise plans.

    Comment about woman ending her relationship when boyfriend plans a cruise for her birthday, discussing priorities.

    Comment discussing a woman ending her 2-year relationship over a boyfriend’s planned birthday cruise gift.

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment about reevaluating friendships and family support in the context of a woman ending her 2-year relationship.

    Text conversation about a woman ending her 2-year relationship after birthday cruise plans by her boyfriend.

    Comment about woman ending her relationship over boyfriend planning a cruise for her birthday despite her seasickness.

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    Greta Jaruševičiūtė

    Greta Jaruševičiūtė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

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    Greta is a Photo Editor-in-Chief at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication.In 2016, she graduated from Digital Advertising courses where she had an opportunity to meet and learn from industry professionals. In the same year, she started working at Bored Panda as a photo editor.Greta is a coffeeholic and cannot survive a day without 5 cups of coffee... and her cute, big-eared dog.Her biggest open secret: she is a gamer with a giant gaming backlog.

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    Greta Jaruševičiūtė

    Greta Jaruševičiūtė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Greta is a Photo Editor-in-Chief at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication.In 2016, she graduated from Digital Advertising courses where she had an opportunity to meet and learn from industry professionals. In the same year, she started working at Bored Panda as a photo editor.Greta is a coffeeholic and cannot survive a day without 5 cups of coffee... and her cute, big-eared dog.Her biggest open secret: she is a gamer with a giant gaming backlog.

    Justin Sandberg

    Justin Sandberg

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I am a writer at Bored Panda. Despite being born in the US, I ended up spending most of my life in Europe, from Latvia, Austria, and Georgia to finally settling in Lithuania. At Bored Panda, you’ll find me covering topics ranging from the cat meme of the day to red flags in the workplace and really anything else. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, beating other people at board games, cooking, good books, and bad films.

    Read less »

    Justin Sandberg

    Justin Sandberg

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    I am a writer at Bored Panda. Despite being born in the US, I ended up spending most of my life in Europe, from Latvia, Austria, and Georgia to finally settling in Lithuania. At Bored Panda, you’ll find me covering topics ranging from the cat meme of the day to red flags in the workplace and really anything else. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, beating other people at board games, cooking, good books, and bad films.

    What do you think ?
    KatSaidWhat
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, but seeing "sucking mooseballs" was still funny.

    Load More Replies...
    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Imagine getting a cruise in 2025 (having watched what COVID did). Actually a floating petri dish that can be denied port by the whole world if anything breaks out. We need a zombie cruise ship movie.

    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When did birthdays turn into extravaganzas? I get that OP didn’t get what she wanted and BF was insensitive, but hells bells W*F.

    marcelo D.
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think you need better reading comprehension, this isn't about a birthday being an extravangaza in the least. It's about people not caring about someone else's wishes, no matter how small they are (going to a renfair is not in any way extravagant). It's about basic caring about a person, "I want to do X, even though it will make you sick, you should suck it up" shows you don't care about the person but "I want to do X eventhough it will make you sick, and it's your birthday" literally says "you don't matter to me in the least"

    Load More Replies...
    KatSaidWhat
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, but seeing "sucking mooseballs" was still funny.

    Load More Replies...
    WubiDubi
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Imagine getting a cruise in 2025 (having watched what COVID did). Actually a floating petri dish that can be denied port by the whole world if anything breaks out. We need a zombie cruise ship movie.

    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When did birthdays turn into extravaganzas? I get that OP didn’t get what she wanted and BF was insensitive, but hells bells W*F.

    marcelo D.
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think you need better reading comprehension, this isn't about a birthday being an extravangaza in the least. It's about people not caring about someone else's wishes, no matter how small they are (going to a renfair is not in any way extravagant). It's about basic caring about a person, "I want to do X, even though it will make you sick, you should suck it up" shows you don't care about the person but "I want to do X eventhough it will make you sick, and it's your birthday" literally says "you don't matter to me in the least"

    Load More Replies...
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