Pick the right ship and you can be as antisocial as you like.

MYTH: I'LL BE FORCED TO PLAY WITH OTHERS

If you subscribe to Sartre's view that hell is other people, avoid the Mediterranean in August. And consider these options:

CROSS THE ATLANTIC Think big skies and empty horizons, and you are ensconced on deck on a chaise longue. The ultimate booking? The Sandringham and Balmoral duplexes on Cunard's flagship, the Queen Mary 2. Each has a deluxe condo vibe and a private aft-facing balcony. Or book all four interconnecting Royal Suites, named after queens Elizabeth, Mary, Anne, and Victoria, to create one space for up to 16. (This has been done. The crew still talks about a party from the Middle East who barely left their quarters except to shop at the ship's jeweler.)