I would think once you reach the point of capsizing, even a very tight, stable ship would roll over just as quickly.

Cruise ships are engineering compromises. So are commercial aircraft and passenger cars and our iPhones and houses, etc. I wouldn't go so far as calling them death traps.

Unlike ships engineered to traverse the open ocean like the ocean liner Queen Mary 2 or even the Titanic, your typical cruise ship is intended to stay in calmer waters. That's not a design flaw, that's simply its intended environment. Ferries may sometimes encounter rough water beyond its intended limits, too, but that doesn't make them intentionally dangerous either.

Cruise ships could be designed to be more stable, sure. But would they be as popular when most of the cabins are in the interior of the hull and have no windows or balconies? If prices were much higher because there are fewer paying customers per ship? If there were fewer amenities, such as topside pools? If the risk of sea sickness were higher because a more stable ship rolls much more quickly back and forth with the waves? It's all a compromise. I wish my car were as safe and as robust as the Presidential limo, but it's too expensive, too big, too fuel inefficient, etc. so I would never pay for a car like that.