While it is very possible to avoid the crowds on board, it is a little more difficult to avoid them in the different cruise ports. On Carnival in particular, where the company owns a port all of the ships' passengers are funneled into one store. With almost no other options to get into the port, this is an extremely stressful situation. However, once you have made it out of the store, you have options. One of the best choices you can make is to explore a nearby town (rather than the main cruise port) where you can still shop, eat and sightsee without dealing with the thousands of cruise passengers. Usually it will be pretty easy to get a taxi just outside of the cruise port area, so all you have to do is ask the driver where the best spots are. They also may be able to take you to some not-so busy beaches where you can swim and lounge solo. One of my favorites is the Las Palmas resort area in Mahogany Bay, Roatan. It costs a few dollars to enter (plus optional lunch), but was so worth it! My family were the only people on the entire beach for most of our trip, until one other group of two or three showed up not long before we left.
Second tip is to book a private shore excursion. You can do this either through your cruise line or through an outside company. One company that I recommend is ShoreExcursioneer (they are very reliable and offer a refund if your ship misses the port). A good excursion to try is a Your Day Your Way van rental. Excursions like these are similar to a guided tour; your driver is your guide, but they will take you wherever you want to go and to do whatever you want to do. It's also great to do if you don't know what to do in a port. Your guide can take you to spots that you might be interested in, and will change course once you decide what you want to see or do. They can be pretty pricey, but are definitely worth it for privacy.
Above are a couple of tips that we have developed during our cruises. Following them makes cruising a lot more stress-free for us; it is so much easier (and more fun) when the crowds can be avoided!
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