Sorry you had such bad luck. You should try again no one can have that much bad luck as to have it happen twice.
The only thing I would say you did "wrong" is to not have at least some of the provisions with you in the TT.
I too carry a tent though I have only used it with the TT a few times.
I had one of my sisters , my adult daughter, wife and I on a 6 weeks trip last summer. The late sleeping up late daughter was in the bunk room with a door to shut. Sister early riser fairly early to bed was in the main cabin, wife and I on the big bed.
We were joined at the Grand Canyon by friends and one of there grand daughters. Grand daughter sleep in one of the bunks and the couple used the table/bed area. It did not seem to be crowded even after a week. We did use it later at Sequoia when the sister in law and her wife joined us. We gave them the bed room and used the table/bed but the next night we used the tent as it just seemed very crowded. Fewer people then before but somehow they seemed to take up a lot more room.