We love the cove cafe on the newer ships. In many cruises, it has never been crowded at all; it is a great place to relax, enjoy the view of the adult pool area (which is also relatively calm), catch up on news if we sit near the TV at one end, read their magazines, and enjoy their drinks (coffee and non-coffee drinks). When we've gone there and not ordered drinks the staff have been warm and welcoming…never the slightest hint of an expectation that we would order coffee. A great conversation retreat or a reading retreat.
We have spent some time talking with the servers there (baristas), they all seem to have wonderful stories about where they came from, their life away from Disney, insights into the ships life, etc. What a pleasure. Ask them about the difference between American and other country coffee drinking habits, now that's an education!