Attention introverts, I have a question!

[Professor_Cookie]

As an introvert, I don’t mind being around people, I just don’t want to talk to them, and if I do, I don’t want to talk to them too long.

 

[msmama]

Just wondering what cruises you've been on? I think that may make a difference. I've only been on the Magic and the only time people were really a problem for me was last Thanksgiving (which was SUPER FULL).

Maybe try one of the smaller ships and a longer itinerary (or not a beachy itinerary). Most of the complaints I've seen on the dis boards are from Caribbean/Bahamas cruises which seem to be busier. We went North to Canada (from NY) on our first cruise and often times I was the only one out and about on the deck (rather when we went south, all the deck chairs around the pool were full).

I personally wouldn't be bothered by concierge, but it wouldn't sell me on a trip either.

 

[cedricandsophie]

My husband and I don’t mind crowds, love talking to new people etc. But if we did I can’t inagine that a Disney cruise would be a comfortable vacation choice. And a very expensive choice to not enjoy every second Why not just leave him home and enjoy the cruise as you like it. Or choose a small cruise line that caters to adults. We love crystal cruise. Wonderful areas just to sit alone. A great library with papers, books and movies to check out. A card room if so inclined. Tables for two. Great itineraries. Two specialty restaurants with great food. Decent entertainment. A casino which is actually a good place to feel alone while amongst people. I can play blackjack for an hour and never speak to anyone but the dealer. We did a pent house suite on our last crystal. About the cost of a Disney Cruise but included all drinks, a private butler with appetizers serv d every night, wonderful balcony with comfortable lounge chairs, a paddle court, great workout area, lots of room around pool to just hang out alone or meet people, and terrific dinner companions, although tables for two were readily available. We did a trip from Bali to Singapore. Remarkable sites and memories

 

[Spiffy MacSpiff]

Sailed DCL four times, the last cruise this past summer in Concierge on the Dream. Here's my two cents: my family likes meeting new people and we aren't crowd-phobic, but we value the opportunity to have some time to concentrate on each other and we find vacations more pleasant when we're not spending a lot of time waiting in lines or elbow-to-elbow with lots of people. We tend to do things when other people don't... you will never find us on the pool deck on a sea day. In our book, why try to swim in kid soup or wait forever to ride the AquaDuck on a sea day, when it's so much less crowded in the evening or on a Castaway Cay morning? That said, DCL is pretty good at crowd control and with few exceptions it's not hard to find ways to take things quietly and without forced interaction with many strangers if that stresses you out. Sailing Concierge, though, made private time a lot easier for us. The check-in area in the terminal is less hectic, concierge lunch = a really relaxing way to start the cruise, private table at dinner unless you ask for tablemates, a good chance at a CC cabana (we were able to get one and in our book it was totally worth it, YMMV), the sun deck was always very quiet with easy access to food/drink in the lounge or on the pool deck, and even the hallway -- at least on deck 12 -- had minimal traffic. We're not a high-maintenance family and I was worried that concierge staff would be in-your-face attentive, but it was fine; they were there when we sought them out but no more. Would we do concierge again? Absolutely, if we had the cash, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker. Hope this helps.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

Thanks, once again, for all of the information!

 

[katmigordon]

My family loves Andy but I can see how his intensity could annoy some people after awhile.

Andy? We Looooved Andy, the wife and I still walk around saying "Don't worry, Andy will take care of it!" to each other..... he's someone we will remember with joy for the rest of our lives.
oops sorry about the Necro - I just got so excited to see Andy's name, we had been wondering what had happened with him.

 

[jtntx34]

Introverts recharge their batteries by getting some quality alone time. So, for someone who is very introverted, just being in a crowded restaurant for a while can be exhausting.

Extroverts recharge their batteries by being around other people. For them, the energy of other people does not overwhelm them but energizes them.

It really depends on the level of introversion. If a person is extremely introverted, I could see how just the idea of being on a ship surrounded by strangers would be a terrible idea for a vacation.

If your husband has said cruising Disney isn’t for him, I doubt changing to concierge level would change his mind. The enticements most people cite about loving Disney Cruises are things like the dining experiences and the shows would be the very thing an extreme introvert could hate. I think just talk to your husband. Maybe it’s not cruising, but cruising with Disney, he opposes. Maybe you could find a solution together.

 

[FigmentSpark]

But did he love just enjoying the balcony? Maybe that's exactly what he wants in a vacation? If you decide to go concierge, do at least a one bedroom, so you can have your dinners and even Palo in your room. You will get to enjoy the ship and he'll get to relax. I don't imagine the concierge hosts will bother him if you ask for minimal contact.

My DH isn't an introvert, but he doesn't like crowds. He'll happily go to the shows and do the movies and MDRs, but he refuses to even come up for the fireworks. He has no interest in the parties or meet and greets or even just sitting up on deck. He loves the verandah and will sit out there fish watching (he actually saw one once). It makes him happy. I, however, flit around the ship so much that if it were just me, I wouldn't even need the verandah (although it is nice). Everyone cruises differently.

That said, if your DH feels pressure to share time with you or if you feel lonely if he's not with you, then this might not be for you both. You have to be able to happily experience things on your own and not feel bad about the other person's choices.

 

[MomOTwins]

Zombie thread -- this is from last fall

 

[DC to Poly]

I'm very much an introvert. But what that really means is how you recharge. Do you find social interaction draining or recharging?

Setting that aside, I've never had an issue on any of the ships, including sailing the Dream in concierge. A good concierge team - which they have -- learn your likes and dislikes. Want small talk? They know it. Want to sit quietly in the lounge undisturbed? they know that too. and what your preferred drink it. The lounge is usually pretty quiet during the day.

It is interaction on your own terms. Also, they handle everything so you don't need to interact with anyone else. Dinner at Palo .. they handle it. Guest services .. they handle it. So there's actually less interaction, I found, with the rest of the crew members.

But if its crowds in general, that's not introversion/extroversion, but something else.

 

[pixiedustedme]

I'm an introvert and have no issue with crowds. You don't have to socialize with other people in a crowd. The ship isn't truly crowded, anyway, not the way a theme park is crowded. There are plenty of people aboard, but you only feel actual crowds during deck parties or right when exiting a theatre. I would have more of an issue having to share a table with strangers at dinner, which is why I always request a private table.

 

[EmilyS92003]

Honestly the room you are in isn’t going to help. If you ever leave the room you will see people.