Many people feel nervous about taking a cruise because they picture being packed in with up to 6,000 passengers. Fortunately, even on the biggest-capacity ships, it's rare to feel crowded on a day-to-day basis: dining times are spaced out in the formal dining rooms, shows are staggered at different times, and cruisers are usually occupied with lots of activities. The only times that you might feel a little pressed for space are during embarkation and debarkation (getting on and off) and deck parties.