Do CC'ers reviews have any impact on your upcoming cruises?

I for one try to read a lot of, if not all reviews in the RCCL section of CC. Sometimes, people's opinions on minor things totally sway me. Am I the only one? Have you taken someone's review and treated it as gospel? Do you ignore every review posted and make your own minds? I expect there to be a wide spectrum of responses here, and was just curious as to what people think :)

People's reviews have no impact on what cruise we wish to take.

I read them -- but don't treat them as gospel.

AHOY SHIPMATES,

WHEN READING A REVIEW KEEP IN MIND THAT IT IS JUST ONE PERSON'S opinion and that it can be formed by a single incident.

Many look forward to a cruise for many months then something may occur when boarding (which can happen easily) that kinda makes their judgement rather negative for the entire trip. Also some are chronic complainers and others live in that little world where EVERYTHING is '' wine and roses.'' KEEP an open mind and try to read between the lines.

I have found that most reviews contain SOME good info, but vary in their connection to REALITY.

ENJOY YOUR CRUISE

SEA YA

I read reviews but definitely wouldn't let them sway our choice of cruise destination or cruise line.

The ones I get a kick out of are the ones who give the cruise a bad review because of the weather or anything else that no one has any control over.

In a word no. I really stopped reading most reviews after I was reading a review about a particular ship that I had just been on... in fact we may have been on the same cruise. They went on and on about the poor condition of the ship none of which I saw. I could only attribute their assessment to just of the normal findings of wear and tear of 3000 or so passengers every week. Certainly not poor repair. One of the items they referenced and came down hard on was the jogging track surface was in poor condition. I knew the exact area they were referring to... there was a small portion of the applied surface that had lifted from the deck creating an air pocket, it was not noticeable visually or a tripping hazard, just felt different if you happened to step on it. A huge deficiency to the reviewer.

Their opinion and that is fine, not really helpful to me. I just think too many times there is a bent to be critical as a way of showing attention to detail. While no doubt many find the reviews helpful, as for me I am OK going in with a blank slate.

I like to read them but mainly just for interest and some good tips. It doesn't change my descison which cruise. There would have to be a really lot of very bad reviews all saying the same thing for me to be worried.

I find reviews useful for several things: identifying some of the better/not-so-good cabin locations (due to noise, location, etc.); getting ideas of what to do on shore (including private tours); and finding out things about the ship that make take you a few days to discover on your own.

I don't generally let reviews influence my decision of whether or not to take that particular cruise -- but there have been a couple of exceptions. Because I cruise mainly for itinerary and have been on some ships that are not widely discussed on the forums, there have been times when reviews (on this site or others) have caused me to second-guess my decision. For example, when recent reviews indicated that the ship was not in good shape, or that a particular port on the itinerary was usually skipped with no good explanation.

I never take a review as gospel. As others have said, there are people who are never satisfied and then there are some who refuse to state only positive things.

I enjoy reviews that provide detail versus broad statements. Stating that service was awful tells me nothing. Stating that your room service breakfast was an hour late provides much more useful information.

I also like to look for general themes. If several reviewers on recent voyages are noting problems, then it's a fair expectation that there is a problem on the ship.

But, I also accept that a ship is large and different cruisers on the same voyage will have a very different experience. It is sometimes simply the luck of the draw that you have a wonderful cabin steward that looks after your every need or that every meal is served impeccably and at the right temperature.

We have also learned that, for us anyway, certain cruise lines excel in certain areas and are weak in others. Finding each cruise line's area of expertise can make the difference between a wonderful voyage and a very disappointing voyage.

I have to disagree to a point. I read a review of the New England itinerary and became really interested in the itinerary. The reviewer had included so many wonderful pictures that I decided that would be our next cruise. We did sail to New England and it was as beautiful as I had hoped.

I generally take very negative reviews with a grain of salt. Too much negativity just isn't realistic. We usually sail on RC so know what to expect. I recognize that some will have a bad experience but I believe that most cruisers really do have a wonderful trip. I like to be positive when I can.

I never take a review as gospel. As others have said, there are people who are never satisfied and then there are some who refuse to state only positive things.

Hi there. I'm curious about your wording here, particularly the last bit, "refuse to state only positive things". Are you saying that reviews should only contain positive things? My apologies if I'm misunderstanding, but if not I disagree. A *trend* of bad reviews about a specific issue on a specific ship can be very helpful.

While the reviews don't change my mine on taking a cruise, I do enjoy reading them.

Sometimes, there are some helpful "tid-bits" of information. :)

LuLu

I do read certain reviews but mostly those that pertain to a ship that I am already booked on. I have gotten so many good tips and tricks from reading of others experiences. Do I ever select or decide against a cruise based on reviews - no. I know what I like and where to find it - and that is the product that I book. :D

Many of the reviews are unintentionally funny. Some people seem to always be looking for an angle to get their money back or get some other form of compensation for some problem or slight real or imagined. Some people seem to hate traveling. If it is not like home, then they don't like it one bit so everything about the cruise is awful. Some people hate any food that is new to them. Then there are the nice reviews which explain both the good and bad points of their cruise. Really, the reviews are a lot of fun to read. Once in a while I pick up a good tip - like the family who were mistakenly blamed for a chip in their marble vanity - they were about to be forced to sign a paper they would never cruise with that line again when they realized they had taken a photo of their cabin upon boarding which was date and time stamped. They were able to show that the damage was there when they boarded to the ship's officers and the problem was resolved with many apologies. A good lesson for all of us!

But, no, I don't decide not to cruise on a ship based on reviews. I know that my husband and I prefer newer ships, especially if we will be in a balcony cabin as opposed to a suite.

Also in a word, no. I used to read the reviews for upcoming ships I would be on, but some of the comments really bothered me. I found I was worrying about stuff... even if I had no control over it or I knew it was "silly", I found it would nag at me in the back of my mind. I have since stopped reading proper reviews in the reviews section, although I may glance at members' trip reports on the individual boards after they come back to see if they liked a ship as much as we did, or what they thought.

In short, I would never give anyone that much power to make or break my cruise. Vacations and time spent with loved ones are precious. We try not to sweat the small stuff, and are thankful and blessed that we can cruise at all. :)

.

For one cruise I was thinking about booking, I read a lot of reviews about the ship. Lots and lots of reviews, not just on CC. There was an overwhelming theme to the reviews, and that did influence us to not book the cruise.

Hi there. I'm curious about your wording here, particularly the last bit, "refuse to state only positive things". Are you saying that reviews should only contain positive things? My apologies if I'm misunderstanding, but if not I disagree. A *trend* of bad reviews about a specific issue on a specific ship can be very helpful.

No, I am not saying that reviews should only contain positive things. I have read many responses to reviews that simply stated that passengers should have a more positive outlook and that they do not let bad things impact their cruises. So even when things are poor, these cruisers will respond that they had a great time. For me, this is of little value.

I have even read comments in which the response was that it was the passenger's own fault that they didn't have a great cruise as they obviously didn't do their own research first. The argument is that had they done their research first, they would have learned that there were problems with the ship and would have known what to expect. Of course, they don't refer to the issues as problems, but part of the charm of sailing on a particular ship. This is usually when the cheerleaders lose all credibility.

No, I am not saying that reviews should only contain positive things. I have read many responses to reviews that simply stated that passengers should have a more positive outlook and that they do not let bad things impact their cruises. So even when things are poor, these cruisers will respond that they had a great time. For me, this is of little value.

 

 

 

I have even read comments in which the response was that it was the passenger's own fault that they didn't have a great cruise as they obviously didn't do their own research first. The argument is that had they done their research first, they would have learned that there were problems with the ship and would have known what to expect. Of course, they don't refer to the issues as problems, but part of the charm of sailing on a particular ship. This is usually when the cheerleaders lose all credibility.

Ok, I think we're on precisely the same page and I just got tripped up on wording.

When I first begin planning a trip, I will look at posts about the ship I'm going on. Yes, there's sometimes useful info like "Don't miss the aqua show". I take the reviews with a grain of salt. My happy place is on a ship, I'm on vacation, you're really not going to change my mind. I choose my vacations by when I can actually get the time off work, and hope there's a new itinerary out there for me. Read up on your ship, try to memorize your deck plans. No matter what ship you choose, you will have a blast.

"I'd rather be on a ship with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with a ship on the rocks"

I love reading the reviews but I never let them make my decisions on anything. I took my first cruise in August and a lot of reviews I read for the cruise I was taking were bad but I had an amazing experience.

Cruise reviews not so much. Hotel reviews I take very seriously especially if they are all bad. I ignored the majority once to my great peril.

If I do see a pattern, where a # of posters are complaining about the same thing over the course of several weeks I may take that into consideration.

I will often cherry pick helpful hints out of reviews.

The only reviews that make a difference to me are the ones which include real detail to them.

I don't care that you did or didn't like something, unless you tell me WHY.

If the 'why' is included then I can make a more informed decision on how the review will impact my potential choices.

I have a list of items I cover when I do a hotel review, and I'm slowly working on a similar list for a cruise review. Of course I'll have to continue to cruise until I get that list perfected. ;)

I definitely read reviews, but do not take any one to be gospel. I look for patterns if there is something concerning, but overall like to read them mostly to get pointers on the ship itself.

I did read one review of a cruise we were actually on. The reviewer had such a different perspective on the cruise it made me realize that we each have different taste, experiences, needs etc that no review can every match what our experience is/was. Of course some can come close, again watch for the patterns. Same for hotels, restaurants, etc. Never take one as gospel.

I for one try to read a lot of, if not all reviews in the RCCL section of CC. Sometimes, people's opinions on minor things totally sway me. Am I the only one? Have you taken someone's review and treated it as gospel? Do you ignore every review posted and make your own minds? I expect there to be a wide spectrum of responses here, and was just curious as to what people think :)

You really have to read CC reviews (or facebook) with your reading comprehension skills set to high. I find it helpful when people do a little "about us" paragraph. This helps you figure out what is important to them and helps understand their preferences and biases. While not 100%, negative reviews by people with just a few posts frequently means they joined up just to complain. Conversely high post counts can mean "cheer leader" Personally I try to keep everyone in mind when I right mind. I also found the same cruise can vary from week to week. Someone might get really bad service one week and it might be great the next week.

I don't usually read them, because so many of them are long, drawn-out, and IMO tedious. I might read one if it comes up on a search I do on a particular ship, itinerary, or port, but I wouldn't let one influence my cruising decisions.

I am at the point where I just look for and read the lowest rated reviews. Be it for hotels, cruise, airline, camera gear or widgets. Just seeing how far over the top the angry negative reviews get these days can be entertaining when I am bored. ;)