Are there crowds and lines?

If you are comfortable shopping at a Macy's, you won't have a problem on any cruise ship. If you strongly dislike lines, try these tips....

• Small, high-end cruises. Like a high-end boutique, the luxury players (Seabourn, Silversea, etc.) rarely have lines. And you pay accordingly.
• Be aware of "kid season." Cruise ships are designed to operate at full capacity. For most of the year that means two people in one cabin. However, when kids are on vacation cabins often have two parents plus one or even two children. That can translate to longer lines. Kid season is generally the Summer plus Spring Break in March and April.
• In the buffet, look for another station. Especially in the Lido (the casual, buffet-style dining area), people tend to all get in one big line at the front, too often ignoring completely empty food stations toward the back. If you get to the Lido and find a big line, take a stroll around - often the same food is available in another area.
• Pick a medium-sized ship. Ships built for 2,000 or fewer guests rarely have significant congestion problems.
• Pick a well-designed big ship. Things generally run smoothly even on larger ships. However, especially in "kid season" there can be occasional crowds. However, the best-designed ships never have this problem. This group includes Royal Caribbean's Voyager and Freedom class ships, which rate highly for crowd-management.
• Opt for a scheduled dining time. Most cruise ships provide guests with a set dinner reservation in the main dining room (there are typically between two and four "seatings" usually scheduled between 5:30 and 8:30). Knowing when people are coming, and serving courses in an orderly fashion, makes for a very smooth and efficient operation.
• Online check-in. Almost all cruise lines allow you to do online check-in, which saves a lot of time at the pier.
• Book shore excursions / spa treatments in advance. Some of the biggest lines on a ship are 100% avoidable by booking in advance. Most cruise lines will let you book shore excursions online as soon as you've bought your cruise, and many will now allow you to book spa treatments as well. Even if you wait until you get on the ship, you can often book over the interactive television or simply pick up an order form and drop it off rather than waiting to book in person.