A different perspective on reviews if you are new here

[Lesinindy]

While I was working hard at work today I decided to look at the reviews that I could find online for the various cruise lines. Talk about a real eye opener, looking at some of them you wonder how these lines even stay in business, bad service, smelly ships, worn carpet, food that you could never hope to eat and ships that are falling apart. I makes you wonder if you are sane to even think about spending hard earned money on a cruise.

So just for fun I looked up some of the cruises I had been on to see what was said about them.

Bottom line = I must have been on some heavy duty drugs! I don't know what a good meal is, I must be used to living in a hog barn and you wonder how we made it back alive.

The sad thing I also saw was that there must have been some other folks on the same ships that drank the same cool-aid. We thought the very same ship was fine, the food was great and the ship was well maintained.

Hot tip:
Taking what you read with a grain of salt is a very good idea.

[dan1618]

While I was working hard at work today I decided to look at the reviews that I could find online for the various cruise lines. Talk about a real eye opener, looking at some of them you wonder how these lines even stay in business, bad service, smelly ships, worn carpet, food that you could never hope to eat and ships that are falling apart. I makes you wonder if you are sane to even think about spending hard earned money on a cruise.

So just for fun I looked up some of the cruises I had been on to see what was said about them.

Bottom line = I must have been on some heavy duty drugs! I don't know what a good meal is, I must be used to living in a hog barn and you wonder how we made it back alive.

The sad thing I also saw was that there must have been some other folks on the same ships that drank the same cool-aid. We thought the very same ship was fine, the food was great and the ship was well maintained.

Hot tip:
Taking what you read with a grain of salt is a very good idea.

I will definitely take what you say with a grain of salt.

I have read the reviews here, too. It is obvious from them that the cruises lines intentionally overcharge people for onboard expenditures, that the service is horrible and the maintenance is worse, and that 95% of your fellow passengers are complete boors. And yet for some reason, 95% of the same people who gripe and complain are multiple-cruisers and plan on going back again. I wonder what was in that kool-aid? :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

I will definitely take what you say with a grain of salt.

I have read the reviews here, too. It is obvious from them that the cruises lines intentionally overcharge people for onboard expenditures, that the service is horrible and the maintenance is worse, and that 95% of your fellow passengers are complete boors. And yet for some reason, 95% of the same people who gripe and complain are multiple-cruisers and plan on going back again. I wonder what was in that kool-aid? :D

grey goose vodka? :D

[SwissMyst]

.......
Bottom line = I must have been on some heavy duty drugs! I don't know what a good meal is, I must be used to living in a hog barn and you wonder how we made it back alive.

The sad thing I also saw was that there must have been some other folks on the same ships that drank the same cool-aid. We thought the very same ship was fine, the food was great and the ship was well maintained.

Hot tip:
Taking what you read with a grain of salt is a very good idea.

I think missed all this because you were asphyxiated due the poor ventilation systems, or had drown already due to the perpetually overflowing toilets.

(Not to make light of this when, not if, this happens, but ships can have some perpetually cranky systems. Not the best way of saying this, but sometimes we just have to go with the flow. :rolleyes: And demand lots of compensatory chocolates when, not if, it happens.)

[Boytjie]

grey goose vodka? :D

What a waste of good vodka. :eek:

[Taxguy77]

I will definitely take what you say with a grain of salt.

I have read the reviews here, too. It is obvious from them that the cruises lines intentionally overcharge people for onboard expenditures, that the service is horrible and the maintenance is worse, and that 95% of your fellow passengers are complete boors. And yet for some reason, 95% of the same people who gripe and complain are multiple-cruisers and plan on going back again. I wonder what was in that kool-aid? :D

They won't tell you, but charge a lot. ;):D

[BumperII]

For me, it is very simple. I've never been on a perfect cruise, however we have been on a whole bunch of very good cruises. We have met many interesting and wonderful cruise mates, and we had a lot of fun.

I have developed a unique method for dealing with the occasional unhappy camper. I ignor them. :D

[Cruizer Bill]

I have been on cruises before that I enjoyed and wrote a glowing review. Then, another person comes up who was on the same exact cruise and gave a terrible review. I've seen it happen and in one case I know what the difference was. I was expecting a five star cruise. I paid less than $150 per night for a verandah cabin on sale. The other person was staying in a suite and paying more than twice what I was paying. They were experienced travellers that usually went on six star cruise lines or very expensive hotels. Their expectations were for very personalized service and fine dining. Their expectations were much higher than mine.

As I said, I paid only $150 or less per night and that is an incredible bargain. For that I got good food, good lodging, entertainment and transportation and I was very pleased. It is all about experience and expectations!!!

[Tarey]

It's also quite possible that one person's cruise experience can be quite different than another person's - on the same cruise. One person could have a poor steward and indifferent waiters (as I did), and another can have an excellent steward and terrific waiters. So the person that had the bad experiences will write a factual review, as will the person who had excellent experiences. Both reviews are legitimate. So no one should discount the bad reviews as from someone who has been drinking kool-aid.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Perhaps those who have had a bad experience are more likely to write reviews than those who have had a good experience. I myself have not written a review on the Review Section of CC but have written about one experience on a HAL ship on the HAl boards which was good. A cruise is what we each make it. We've been on over 40 cruises and have not had a terrible one yet - maybe a couple with a few hiccups but always try to find the good.

Barbara

[SwissMyst]

Discard the high praise reviews and discard the low praise reviews and muddle with what is left in the middle.

[goodroe]

Discard the high praise reviews and discard the low praise reviews and muddle with what is left in the middle.
Well put. Good advice!

[dan1618]

It's also quite possible that one person's cruise experience can be quite different than another person's - on the same cruise. One person could have a poor steward and indifferent waiters (as I did), and another can have an excellent steward and terrific waiters. So the person that had the bad experiences will write a factual review, as will the person who had excellent experiences. Both reviews are legitimate. So no one should discount the bad reviews as from someone who has been drinking kool-aid.

Absolutely right. One of the things I have done in my research on cruises in my short time here (just since December 2010) is to look at all a sampling of a person's previous posts. If they are ALL negative, about multiple cruises or shore excursions or whatever -- or if they find nothing good in any situation -- EVERYTHING on a particular cruise was bad -- they are likely a negative person that will find a problem with anything. On the other hand, if they are usually pleasant and post something negative, that suggests a valid issue. I neither discount all the bad reviews as coming from folks who didn't drink the cruise line kool-aid, nor accept them all as valid. I try to weigh the other things I see from the person and decide accordingly. If I didn't, I never would have booked a cruise. :D

[sun~]

When I read reviews I always look at things that seem to come up consistantly.

I ignore certain things "the food is the best ever" and "the food is unfit for human consumption". I discovered after having horrendous food on the Zaandam, to having better food on the Maasdam, same basic menus etc. Different head chef. How the department is run seems to have the most bearing on that score.

Complaints about cabin stewards and waiters don't sway me at all. I have had ok cabin stewards to fantastic ones. It is individual. I find it hilarious things crew will tell me about passengers, most folks who think they are wonderful people aren't, and don't treat the crew with respect. I bet dollars to donuts that those are the folks complaining about the crew.

When I was on the Caribbean Princess I noticed the main theater is extremely small for the number of passengers (not to mention it looks like a university lecture hall) and people were sitting on the stairs. After I really read through reviews this seemed to be a common complaint.

If I keep reading that a ship is in disrepair or has other consistant issues, then there must be some truth to the matter.

Some folks completely forget that all mainstream cruise lines (carnival, costa, msc, holland america, celebrity, ncl, princess, rci etc) are all large floating hotels that are used 365 days a year. It is amazing that they are kept in such good condition and are able to serve thousands of passengers each week.

I don't think some reviewers appreciate what goes into the running of such large operations. Folks who focus on sillly things like cold coffee or running out of things in the buffet line have to learn to see the big picture.

[m steve]

It's just people who like to find things to complain about. I have taken a lot of cruises and most problems have been minor and it would not change my future cruising. I only abandon a company if they change their policies that affect us negatively. But there are others that I can choose from.

[Silver sailor]

NO CRUISE IS A BAD CRUISE
Like anything else it is what you make it
While certain aspects may not be up to your expectations would not let one minor thing ruin the whole cruise

Even passengers on the Splendor had a reasonably good time when it died it the water last year

Certain people have a tendcy to accentuate the negative rather than the positive