I’m not really the person you’d expect to be passionate about cruising. I’m an introvert. I’m shy. I’m reserved. I like low-key activities like reading. I’m a highly sensitive person, which means loud noises and lots of people overwhelm me.
And yet… there is no better way to vacation than a cruise, in my very humble opinion. There is nothing that makes me happier or more excited or more fulfilled than being on a cruise ship.
But I’ll also be honest: it’s not easy to cruise when you have high sensitivity. These ships and the activities on board aren’t made for people like me. They’re made for those who enjoy a loud party atmosphere and meeting new people and being outside.
But the truth is, you can be a Highly Sensitive Person and take a cruise without feeling overwhelmed at all times. It takes a little work and a lot of patience, but you can make it work. Here’s how I do it:
1) Your cabin is your safe space.
I spend a lot of time in my cabin when I’m on a cruise. I know some people don’t pay much attention to their cabin because “you’re only there to sleep!” but that is not true for us introverted HSPs who crave sanctuary and alone time. I really pay attention to the cabin, and this time around, my mom and I opted to spend a little extra to have a balcony and it was well worth the money. It was nice to be able to step outside and enjoy the fresh air and views without contending with people.
As an HSP, it’s hard for me to nap anywhere but in my room. (My mom has no problem falling asleep around a busy deck, but it’s not possible for me.) I like to spend the late afternoon hours napping in my cabin. Plus, hello, a bed is way more comfortable than a deck chair when it comes to napping. I enjoy being out and about and exploring the ship, but I also like to spend a good amount of time in my quiet cabin. It becomes my safe space where I can get away from all the busyness on the ship.
2) Opt for Your Time Dining.
On our first few cruises, my mom and I always did the seated dining option, where we were forced to be in the dining room at a specific time and always put at a huge table with strangers. Usually, there were 6-10 strangers that we would have to make small talk with for the entire dinner, and that just wasn’t fun for me. I started to realize that I got super grumpy right before dinnertime – solely because I knew it would take a lot out of me. I just wanted to enjoy my dinner, not have to talk to other people!
And then my mom and I got smart and decided to do Your Time dining. With this option, you can show up in the dining room at whatever time you want between 5:45PM-9:30PM and you can get seated at your own table. It gave us the freedom to choose when we wanted to eat and also allowed us to just enjoy dinner with the two of us. Since we’re both introverts and fairly shy, it suits our personalities the best.
3) Yes, the lido deck is very overwhelming.
Here’s the truth: I hate the lido deck. Just walking through it on my way to something else makes me grumpy and overwhelmed. There is always so much going on between all of the people and the loud music, and it’s just not my scene. It means I don’t participate in the deck parties or even stick around to watch some of the events, like the hairy chest competition. Nope. Not for me. It gets too loud and chaotic.
The lido deck is where it’s at when it comes to cruising, but I had to recognize that my nervous system is too sensitive to handle being there when it’s the most crowded. Thankfully, I cruise with my mom and she’s also not keen on the lido deck. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to cruise with a partner or a group of friends who would want to spend the majority of their time on the lido deck. (It probably wouldn’t be a very satisfying cruise for me!)
And sure, I feel like a Debbie downer sometimes because of how much I hate the lido deck, but I’ve come to realize that my needs are way more important than trying to enjoy something that I don’t like for the sake of appearances. I know that the lido deck is too much for me, which is why I love places like the Serenity Deck that allow me to enjoy being out on the decks, but in a quieter space.
4) Choose your excursions wisely.
For me, 1-2 active excursions are my limit, but I really try to go all out on those excursions, trying new things and doing activities that I wouldn’t do in my normal, day-to-day life. On this last cruise, which was seven days and included four back-to-back stops, we did two active excursions (horseback riding and zip-lining). The other days in port were spent at an all-inclusive resort (and we were both ready to go after 4-5 hours) and just walking around.
It can be very tempting to schedule fun, exciting excursions in every port, but HSPs have to be mindful of their nervous systems. Trying new things can be overstimulating for us and being on the go with little downtime can be exhausting. I really recommend taking a good look at all the different excursions offered in each port and finding the ones that excite you the most. The rest of the time, just keep it low-key. You may not even get off the ship in one of the ports, and that’s totally fine, too!
5) Don’t be afraid to be boring.
One of the things I often tell people who are interested in cruising is that there’s really something for everyone. It’s a great vacation for extroverts who want to meet new people and stay busy, and it’s a great vacation for introverted HSPs like me who just want a low-key, relaxing time. And this is why I want to tell my fellow HSPs that it’s totally okay to be boring.
Don’t feel like checking out the nightly entertainment? You do you – play a game in the library or go back to your cabin to read.
Overwhelmed by the busyness of the lido deck? Take a seat on one of the inside benches, where you can enjoy the view of the water without the pumping music to distract you.
Too tired to deal with the thought of getting ready for dinner? Order yourself some room service and delight in being purely lazy and purely you.
You get to choose how this vacation works for you. For me, I’m not very interested in the lido deck activities or many of the onboard shows, but I love playing bingo, watching the Love & Marriage show, and seeing the PG comedy. Those are usually the only activities I make it to. Everything else… not for me. You can find me playing cards with my mom in our cabin by 9pm.
I feel like I didn’t know about Your Time Dining because Jerry and I did assigned times on both of our cruises. I think we may do Your Time on our next cruise, because we’re both shy as well.
Yeahhhh, Lido Deck is too much for me, too. Like you, I hate noise and being around too many people (also HSP).
We’ve just starting planning a tentative family cruise for late next year. I hope we can make it happen!
Ooh, I cannot wait to hear all about your plans for a family cruise next year! I hope you can make it happen. <3
I’ve never been on a cruise, but I love that you can still have a great time even if you are an introvert and HSP (me too!!) I think I’d enjoy some of the excursions and activities, but I’d want time to just rest too – big fan of reading and naps. They make me happy. 🙂
-Lauren
Reading and naps are a big part of my cruises! I can’t live without them!
I appreciate you taking the time to explain why you love cruising despite or in spite of being an introvert. I’d have expected a cruise ship to be VERY overwhelming with all the people on board, but I guess you can make it work.
Yes, you can totally make it work! Especially if someone like me – someone who hates crowds with a passion – loves being on cruise ships. 🙂 It’s most definitely possible to find ways to enjoy your time and cater to your introverted desires while on a ship filled with people.
I also would have expected the cruise ship to be super overwhelming so it’s good that there are ways to make it work for an HSP. I’m not quite an HSP, but I do not like crowd, especially rowdy ones! So I would also seek out ways to make my cruise experience more low key if I ever went on one!
I am the same way about crowds – not my thing! So I just make sure to stay away from the lido deck as much as possible, haha. That’s where all the craziness occurs. But there are quieter areas of the ship that are less crowded and more suitable for our introverted ways!
These are all great tips! I really, really loved having a balcony on the cruises I went on because it was just so damn nice to have an outdoor space that was just mine. It was special and quiet and very much worth the money.
It’s so worth the money! I’ve always balked at the price because it seems a little unnecessary, but after this cruise, I know I’m going to need one on every cruise I go on now.
I’ve never been on a cruise before, I am so nervous about getting sea sick as I get super car sick and also have gotten sea sick on ferries before. I definitely find as we’re getting older I crave more low key vacations! I think our big trip to Iceland and London last year will be our last vacation where we ever do a lot of traveling around and moving place to place. It was an amazing experience but also exhausted us so much.
I know you probably won’t read this because you wrote this post a while ago … BUT I honestly have been avoiding taking another cruise due to fear that I would have to be engaged in so many activities and surrounded by people ALL of the time. You gave some great tips on how to prioritize your needs even on a ship with thousands of loud people. I think I will take the risk and book a cruise. Do you think you’d ever cruise by yourself?
I’m an introvert who has done several cruises, so here’s my advice to anyone who needs it.
1. Most cruises have an adults only pool area with very few people. So you don’t have to be overwhelmed by the Lido deck! Just walk to the Aft or the Front and you’ll either find that area, or an area that’s quiet.
2. Almost every cruise has a Library, I rarely see more than three people there, it’s usually empty.
3. With shore excursions, the weirder you go, the less people you deal with. For example, I took Discover Diving, there were only 8 people there. On the other hand, going to a Spice Farm with 100 people in 3 buses wasn’t much fun, and yet I sat on the front of the bus so I had the best view.
4. If you love getting massages and other spa services, they tend to be a lot cheaper on port days. So if you don’t want to do a shore excursion, you don’t have to.
5. If you are a solo traveller, you can join the solo group if they have one. Most ships have at least one daily meeting for solo passengers. This is better than meeting people on your own.
6. The deck with the emergency boats is usually empty.
7. Cruising is like nothing else on earth. So you should give it a chance, each boat has something for everyone, and you can always go back to your cabin and watch a movie if you feel over stimulated. You can even order room service. Even crowded areas like the buffet aren’t crowded if you go during the off hours. You’ll still find food, but there won’t be a line.
Hi Stephany,
Thanks for this blog post! I’m going on my very first cruise this fall and as an Introverted HSP I’ve been having some reservations. This post was encouraging and helpful : ) I’m super excited for a relaxing, and fun trip.
Hey Stephanie! Thanks for sharing about your experience cruising as an HSP!
My BIGGEST concern is the motion sickness. I say that because, as time has gone on I have become A LOT more sensitive to motion sickness in general. Example: I can not longer enjoy swinging on a swing in a playground. It makes me dizzy and nauseas.
Have you had run-ins with this? Have you found anything that helps?
I have not cruised yet and this is my biggest challenge to overcome, as of now I am too scared to even try! I do not want to be miserable and stuck somewhere for days on end!