How To Find Quiet Spaces Even On The Busiest Cruise Ships

I know that a concern of many travellers is that if they book a cruise, they will be stuck with thousands of people. There will be busy pools, packed buffets, no seats in the bars – and it will be exhausting – not relaxing!

I rarely get stuck in crowds. I find that most people just follow the same patterns and do the same things at the same time – having dinner at 8 pm each evening, then going to the theatre is very typical.

If you do things slightly differently, the ship can feel surprisingly quiet.

Go Where Things Aren’t Happening

If something is busy, I don’t hang around – I go elsewhere.

There’s almost always a quieter version of a similar space somewhere else onboard.

The buffet on embarkation day is a perfect example. It is where everyone heads when they first get onboard, while waiting for the cabins to be ready. It is usually really busy.

I would always check which other venues are open and head to the main dining room, a pool bar, or another free food venue onboard. I can check out the buffet another time.

Take Your Drink Somewhere Quiet

Bars get busy, but the seating areas don’t have to be.

I might get a drink from an open bar, then walk it somewhere quieter.

Closed bars, empty lounges, outdoor seating areas – take it where you like. I often find the big Observation Lounges found at the top/front of many ships are great places to hang out during the day.

The bar isn’t open, but there is plenty of seating – and wonderful views out.

On larger cruise ships, there are loads of spaces that sit empty simply because nothing is being actively hosted there.

Use Spaces When They’re Empty

A bar with no music or staff is completely peaceful.

A lounge between events is likely to be empty and calm.

Your timing matters more than the space itself. Check the daily schedule or the app to avoid trivia and game shows, because that is where people will flock (particularly if the guests are British or American!)

I was very surprised when I sailed on an American cruiseline in Asia by how the local guests chose to spend their time. Trivia wasn’t popular – but Karaoke certainly was!

It would seem that different nationalities have very different cruise routines. That makes perfect sense, but it is not something I had ever considered before that cruise.

Have a look at that unusual trip here:

Your Balcony Is Your Best Quiet Spot

If you have a balcony, you can use it a lot – weather permitting.

Early mornings, sailaways, evenings- it’s your private escape from everything else onboard.

It’s one of the easiest ways to get quiet time without going anywhere at all.

Room Service = Instant Escape

Instead of heading to busy dining venues, you could order room service and have the food delivered to you.

Breakfast on your balcony or in your cabin can be one of the calmest and loveliest moments of the day.

Sometimes there is a charge for room service. It could be that only breakfast room service is free. On other lines, room service is completely free, all of the time – It depends on who you are sailing with.

Have a look at the amazing room service food available to you around the clock if you sail with Azamara cruises below:

Azamara Free Room Service – What’s Available and When – Real Photos of Food & Menus.

Walk The Decks In The Evening

During the day, pool decks can be very busy, particularly if the sun is out.

At night, they’re often nearly empty. The same goes for Promenade decks – they are normally empty in the evenings.

It’s the same space, but it feels completely different. Quieter, cooler – and way more relaxing.

Avoid The “Default” Times

Most people eat, swim, and attend things at the same time.

I always like to eat early – five or six in the evening. Most people are eating at 7.30/8 pm. The restaurant is usually quite empty when I arrive, and it’s starting to get busy as I am about to leave.

I then go to the earlier show in the theatre, when most people are at dinner. The theatre will be far emptier, and I rarely have trouble getting a seat.

Move your schedule slightly earlier or later, and everything feels quieter. Even 30–60 minutes makes a big difference.

Use Busy Events To Your Advantage

When a big show is on, large parts of the ship empty out.

If there is fixed dining, most people seem to choose late dining (on the American cruise lines), so the rest of the ship is relatively quiet then.

That’s a good time to use hot tubs, pools, or lounges, or to walk the decks in peace.

Again, check the daily schedule for the pool opening times, they are often open in the evenings.

Others love getting up early and enjoying having the ship to themselves before other guests are around. I am not a “morning” person, so you certainly won’t find me out for my morning walk at 6 am!

You Don’t Have To Follow The Crowd

You are on a cruise, you don’t have to be on a set schedule, unless you want to be!

The ship only feels busy if you are doing the same as everyone else at the same time.

Book a More Expensive Cruise Line To Avoid Crowds

The more budget the cruiseline, the busier it will be, seems to be the general rule.

Mega ships that hold 6,000 plus people can be very busy, particularly during the school holidays.

Big ships can offer cruises more cheaply because they benefit from economies of scale.

A ship uses fuel and pays its crew – whether it’s carrying 2,000 guests or 6,000. When you spread the costs of the overheads across more people, each person’s cruise fare gets cheaper.

For example, the fuel required to move a cruise ship depends mainly on its size and speed, not on how full the ship is.

This means that adding more passengers will increase revenue, but not make much difference to the fuel costs.

Crew wages, port fees, maintenance, and insurance work the same way. Operating two ships, each with a capacity of 3,000 people, would cost far more than one huge ship carrying 6,000.

When I sailed with the ocean cruise line Viking, I was so surprised by how empty all the public spaces were. There is far more space per passenger on a luxury cruise line.

See what I mean in the video below:

Even if you can’t afford a luxury cruiseline, there are plenty of things you can do to avoid crowds when you cruise – even if you are sailing on a very large cruise ship.

Have a look at the really cheap out-of-season cruise I took onboard the mega-ship, Costa Smeralda. Crowds weren’t an issue – Costa is an Italian cruiseline, and Italians eat late and party late into the night!

I ate early and went to bed relatively early, so I rarely saw any crowds!

Before You Go

You might wonder whether cruise ships ever run out of food, with so many guests onboard that need catering for. Find out here:

With THOUSANDS Onboard, Do Cruise Ships Ever Run Out Of Food?

Ships are always busiest in the school holidays. There are plenty of ways to avoid booking a cruise with lots of children onboard, without choosing an adult-only cruise ship. Find out more here:

How To Avoid Booking a Cruise With Lots of Kids Onboard (Without Booking An Adults-Only Cruise)