Of cabbages and kings?

I don't really understand what the world loves about cruising, we just got back from a trip to Alaska's inside passage and it was beautiful, but having to share the experience with 3000 other people was a little crazy!  But then I'm something of an antisocial introvert so maybe my ideas are of fun are vastly different from those of the general public.  I love Alaska but can live without cruising, especially when your meal choices are either an insane buffet with the ambiance of a Chucky-Cheese or an upscale restaurant where snails are always on the menu.  Isn't there something in-between?  How about a nice family style sit-down restaurant that is neither circus nor gourmet?  Yes, it was fun to dress up and pretend to be fancy for one night, but night after night when you don't order the lobster or the $400 bottle of wine, it gets very old.  But besides for the cruise, it was a great trip!