Several of us are introverts; we like privacy and our personal space. Some may think that this is impossible when cruising, but it's not true! There are some easy workarounds for crowded events and times.
Skip a Port
One of the best ways to feel like you have the ship to yourself is to stay onboard while the ship is in port. Most people will get off, leaving you and a few other people to explore the ship with minimal crowds. My last cruise we stayed onboard at all of the ports and were able to explore, do the SkyRide and SkyCourse and spend some stress-free family time on the upper decks. Not to mention, the lines at the Lido restaurants are much shorter on port days, especially if there are restaurants in the main shopping area of the port.
Cabin Selection
Second tip is to book a balcony cabin at the end of a hallway. Booking a balcony cabin gives you your own outdoor space onboard, while keeping you away from the hustle and bustle. Booking a balcony at the end of a hallway may also lower the noise and traffic outside of your stateroom, which also lets you feel secluded on a ship holding thousands of people.
Choosing Dining
When dining in the main assigned time dining room, crowds can develop as people try to arrive early. If you book assigned dining, try to arrive 15-30 minutes after the doors open, as the lines move pretty fast. To avoid crowds, book anytime dining when possible. When doing anytime dining, try to arrive between main dining times, as there will be little to no line.
Choosing anytime dining when possible allows you and your family to dine whenever it is most convenient for you. This also gives you the freedom to go to the dining room at non-peak hours, hence lessening your forced interaction with crowds. Also, request a private table. Unless requested otherwise, cruise lines will try and seat you with other parties at dinner (on Carnival, this also happens during lunch at the specialty restaurants). If you would rather have privacy during your cruise, these are definitely must-dos.
Avoid the Main Event
One of the biggest and easiest tips is to avoid the main nighttime event. On Carnival, these would be the parties on the Lido deck, the White Party, and the shows. There are other events that go on during these times that will be less crowded, but, let's not skip over the ability to explore the ship while the chaos goes on upstairs. The lower decks will be less packed (this is especially true after the first night) while the upper decks host the event. There are other things going on during these, so you will not miss out on all the fun!
Choose Your Cruise Carefully
Always check that the dates of your cruise do not coincide with school vacations or other onboard events such as cruises with the customer service representatives of the cruise line or other promo events. Events like these tend to draw more cruisers so vacationing outside of these windows should lower the amount of passengers.
Lastly,
Get up Early
If you want to be able to explore the ship without having to interact with others, getting up and going out before 6-7 AM should give you full run of the ship. During this window, the pools are closed and there are no events planned, so most other guests are in bed.
These tips are what my family has developed over our cruises, and following them definitely makes for a less stressful cruise.
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