What can we do when traveling to “overcrowded” destinations?

When visiting a place for just one day, or part of a day, on a cruise stop there's really not that much you can do. You're limited by your time there. The only thing I can suggest is to not use the ship's tours whenever possible. You can put more of your money into the local economy by using local tours or taxis and going on your own, maybe see some less visited sights, and patronize a local restaurant instead of going back to the ship for meals.

If you are looking for places that have the highest probability of greeting you with open arms, I would say to take a Danube River Cruise .... either direction Budapest up or Budapest down. It doesn’t stop at any of the cities that are getting a reputation for not wanting tourists. Not sure if the reputations are warranted .... sometimes 5% of a population can make enough noise to screw it up for everyone .... but sometimes its legitimate. No way to know, so I fall back on these are all democratic nations. I assume that the people of those locations have been and are exercising their democratic rights and have placed the limitations on tourism that they think most appropriate when weighing all the social, economic and cultural factors. In other words, relax and enjoy.

We've only done cruises in the Caribbean so far. I know this is not for everyone, especially if you are un-churched. But we have had the most welcoming experiences when we've joined local church services rather than souvenir shopping and going to party bars. And I don't mean interrupting them to look at the artwork. The locals who work in the tourist support business are not representative of the mainstream,

I am a senior citizen with health issues who travels alone. And on a strict budget. For me, cruises are the most preferable way to travel.

I travel Norwegian because they are solo passenger friendly and I am now platinum so I plan to stay with Norwegian.

I always travel out of season. it is usually less crowded but sometimes still crowded depending where you go. My experience is that Bermuda loves tourists and treats alll tourists, including Americans, very well. If you go to Alaska the end of the season, it might be cold and rainy but it will not be crowded.

Do you have. a personal cruise consultant or travel agent. If so, talk to them. Tell them that you want to go to destinations that are not over touristed and where they welcome tourists. And maybe even need tourists.

Go on smaller ships. Go on the more expensive cruise lines if it is in your budget such as Viking, Windstar, Virgin, Regents, and Seaborne. I believe the ships may be more environmentally friendly and "green". They do have smaller ships, sometimes very small especially when compared to the large ocean liners.

But most importantly get. a travel agent or personal cruise consultant and ask for help in planning. a cruise going places that are not overly touristed.

Travel out of season and if possible off season but I do not know if there are cruises off season. Maybe a transatlantic or transpacific.

Look at smaller ships especially on the more expensive cruise lines.

stan, excellent idea. I know another RS member that does that often. I've done it a few times, went to a small local church on my last out of town trip, and I would be better if I did it more often. Might I suggest that denomination does not matter and in many cities you would learn a lot about the people and culture by attending Synagogue.

On a cruise, whether or not I take a ship tour, I try really hard to add to the local economy. It's sad to me, when the ship is in port, to see the hordes of people get off the boat, walk through the shops, and walk out empty handed. Close to the ship the things to buy may not be to my liking, so we try to head away from town center, and either sit to eat some local food and watch the world go by, or find something with local flavor to take home.

Years ago I recall having lunch in Castries, St. Lucia, on a day when a big cruise ship was in port. We ate at a takeout window that had a few small tables on the sidewalk. The menu was short - your choice of chicken or beef with all the local trimmings - and the food was great! As we sat and ate a family from the ship walked by looking for lunch; they were surprised to see American-looking people eating food that was clearly not endorsed by the cruise line! We tried to persuade them to join us but they wouldn’t.

Part of the argument against cruises is that they dump thousands of people in one place, and those people don’t help the local economy. They go on excursions offered by the cruise ships, so the money (or the majority of it) stays with the cruise line. They don’t support the local shops. They don’t support the local restaurants because they’ve already paid for meals on the ship, and they often have to be back onboard before dinner anyway. I recall this being quite a heated issue in Venice, and eventually the port was moved hours from the city.

To support the local communities, I would recommend hiring a local guide instead of taking excursions provided by the cruise line. Buy things from the local shops. Skip breakfast on the ship and eat in town instead. Venture off the beaten path a bit in the ports.

Part of the argument against cruises is that they dump thousands of
people in one place, and those people don’t help the local economy.

Which is why the citizens of those cities have closed all the cruise ports.

I assume the ships pay a decent fee to dock so people on cruises would be putting money into the local economy. Also cruise passengers won't be having any impact on the much discussed short term rental issues.