FAQ

Search FAQ
About Cruise Critic
General Information


Cruise Critic's Cruise boards, as well as the information you read in our Member's Cruise Review area, and our Cruiser's Choice Awards are designed to help cruisers obtain cruise-related information and discuss ways to make cruising more enjoyable, and perhaps even offer you a money-saving tip or two!

On our Cruise Boards, this information may sometimes provided by our volunteer Community Hosts and more often by other contributors, the majority of whom use anonymous user names and are people we've never met. You have no idea who they are, what they do, or what their agenda could possibly be -- and neither do we. The only requirement for membership is a valid e-mail address.

We recognize that while we have tons of great stuff in this forum, people sometimes post messages on the boards that could be misleading, deceptive, or downright wrong. They may do this unintentionally or, sad to say, intentionally. Additionally, there are many different groups who participate, such as travel agents, public relations employees, members of the media, affinity groups, fan groups, other cruise websites etc. whose agenda may not be apparent since we are operating in an anonymous environment.

Treat the cruisers here the same way you'd treat anyone you'd met for the first time. This is important because anyone is welcome to participate in our community. You shouldn't make a cruise decision just because some stranger (or even an online friend) talks it up. Basically, you shouldn't treat cyberspace any differently than you would real life.

The fundamental concept is that you should NOT totally rely upon the information or opinions you read. Rather, you should use what you read here as starting points for doing independent research on cruise lines, ships, hotels, shore excursions and bargain-hunting techniques. Then judge for yourself the merits of the material that has been shared in our forum.

We do not guarantee the completeness of any information provided on our cruise boards. We cannot read through the thousands of messages we receive each day, but do make an effort to check out all the hyperlinked web sites. We cannot research each one for accuracy. That isn't why we're here. Staff members and our volunteers are here to provide you with an environment that is free from advertising and soliciting, free from harassment, vulgarity and disparaging statements, as well as providing you with a safe haven brought together by those sharing a mutual interest: cruising!

We encourage you to utilize the reporting system built into the board system; you'll find a Report a Post icon located in the upper right hand corner of the posting. Use it! We will review the report and take appropriate action.

On the other hand, we work very hard to ensure that all published reviews are coming from real people. We review every review submitted for publication to make sure that they meet our criteria and pass all of our fraud testing. Cruise Critic takes accusations of review fraud very seriously and remain vigilant in preventing fraudulent reviews from appearing on our site.

If you are concerned with the authenticity of a particular published cruise review, e-mail us at [email protected] We'll research it and take appropriate action. Tell us the date, title of the review, and any other information that may help us with the particulars of your situation. We value your help and appreciate it when you alert us to a potentially fraudulent situation.

In the end, you are responsible for your own cruising decisions. Cruise Critic will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by a reader's reliance on information obtained on our forums or in any of our published member content, or in a hyperlinked area.

As cyberspace continues to evolve, the freedom and openness from which we all profit can make us the target of touts, shysters, and frauds. These people could infect our forum, just as they infect other parts of the world. Please proceed with caution, do your homework, and be wary of those who post hyperlinks to strange web sites.

These rules are not all-inclusive and obviously cannot encompass every situation that can possibly arise within a community of this size. Cruise Critic reserves the right to change, alter, adjust and modify these guidelines at any time. Decisions regarding how these guidelines shall be administered are the sole responsibility of Cruise Critic.
Forum Registration Agreement

When you registered on our forums, we asked you to agree to the following information. This is the entire unedited text of that agreement:

Community Rules of Participation

Important: Do Not Use Your REAL NAME as your USER NAME

Important: Please disable your email verification software so that you receive our activation e-mail. Please add @cruisecritic.com to your email safelist.

Please respect that this is a MODERATED community for people who absolutely LOVE cruise travel or want to learn about cruise travel.

Registration to Cruise Critic's Cruise Community is free! We require that you use a valid e-mail address. You will receive an e-mail asking you to verify your e-mail address before you are allowed to login and post on the boards. Please disable your email verification software so that you receive our activation e-mail. Also, as a member of Cruise Critic you will receive copies of our weekly newsletter plus our "Cruise Sails" and "Member Offer" mailings. Should you not want to continue to receive these e-mailings, simply unsubscribe by following the directions in your first newsletter. By agreeing to become a member, you are agreeing to receipt of our newsletters.

Additionally, we do insist that you abide by the rules and policies detailed at this link: Community Rules of Participation.

These Rules of Participation apply to all user-content contributed to Cruise Critic: our forums, member reviews and photos, as well as commenting on articles & news stories.

This is a moderated Community. If you do not agree with the terms and conditions of our Rules of Participation and do not wish to be bound by them, please do not use this Web site or continue the registration process. Cruise Critic reserves the right to remove any content in its sole discretion. Additionally, if you violate our Community Rules of Participation you may lose your posting privileges -- permanently -- without warning. If you agree to the terms, please check the 'I agree' checkbox and press the 'Register' button below. If you would like to cancel the registration, click here to return to the forums index.

These are moderated message boards. Please read and follow our Rules of Participation. It means that you cannot say whatever you'd like on the forums. If you are looking for an "anything goes" setting, Cruise Critic might not be the place for you. Understand, too, that our community is comprised of folks who LOVE to cruise. It therefore stands to reason that they will have a favorite cruise line or port of call -- in other words, they are "fans" and will sometimes take offense when a brand new member has arrived on the scene to bash a cruise line.

Keep in mind that we do not pre-screen content so there may be a period of time when an inappropriate post is visible. Please use the Report A Post icon located in the UPPER right hand corner of each posting if you wish to report a violation of our Community Rules of Participation. All messages express the views of the author, and neither the owners of Cruise Critic Message Community, nor Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. (developers of this forum platform) will be held responsible for the content of any message.

By agreeing to these rules, you warrant that you will not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-orientated, hateful, threatening, are in violation of our Community Rules of Participation or otherwise violate any laws. Cruise Critic reserves to right to remove, edit, move or close any thread (discussion) for any reason from the forums , or on any page that contains user commenting, without warning or notification to the Community. Additionally, we also reserve the right to deny posting privileges to any member at our sole discretion.

You hereby grant Cruise Critic the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display any message posted in our message board community (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed.

Our mission is to provide a haven on the Internet free of harassment and advertising for our community members' enjoyment. Any company or person(s) that interfere with that mission risks losing their posting privileges.

If you have any questions about how our community is moderated, please address them to our Community Manager via e-mail at [email protected] Please do not post on the boards.

Thank you,

LauraS
Senior Manager, Community
Inaccuracies
Other than enforcing our Community Rules of Participation, the management and staff does not attempt to validate any information provided by participants. As such, Cruise Critic is not responsible for any inaccuracies that may result in financial loss, personal injury or damages of any kind.
Disruption of our Community

The harassment of our members is not allowed.

Cruise Critic is committed to providing an online environment that is free from these types of harassing postings. Please, don't attack another poster or group of posters. Do not harass, threaten, embarrass, or do anything else to another member that is unwanted. This means: don't say bad things about them, don't keep sending them unwanted Instant Message notes, don't attack their race, heritage, or their sexual orientation, etc. If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person. Postings of this nature will be removed from the boards.

Do not post details or private information about any other person. Do not attempt to impersonate another person, either real or virtual.

Postings that have been placed on the boards to disrupt the flow of conversation or otherwise disrupt Cruise Critic members' enjoyment of the Community will be removed and you run the risk of losing your posting privileges. This would include, but is not limited to, the posting of essentially the same message over and over in response to different threads on the forums or utilizing the features of our Community to transmit messages of a personal nature.

Also disrupting to the Community is Thread hijacking which is the act of trying to steer a forum discussion thread off topic by discussing a subject entirely unrelated to the original topic. This would also include making references to the original poster, or even to OTHER posters, that have nothing to do with the subject at hand.

Creating a disturbance during a "Live from......" Thread is also not allowed. We're grateful for members who take the time to post on their vacation, plus spending $$ to do so, to share with us stuck at home. If you disrupt a "Live From...." thread you will find your posting privileges suspended.

We realize that in some instances, topic drift happens naturally. However, it does appear to be intentional by certain members. Please be considerate of your fellow members; posting off topic within a discussion -- 'hijacking' -- is boring and only wastes everyone's time. Think twice and, for some of you, even three times before posting off topic in an existing discussion: not "thinking" may result in loss of your posting privileges on Cruise Critic.

Please note that the determination of what constitutes "disruption" will be the sole determination of the Community Manager.
Harassment

Harassment of our members is not allowed. Cruise Critic will remove posts of this nature without notice. Repeat offenders may have their posting privileges suspended, in the sole discretion of Cruise Critic.
Inappropriate Content

The use of profanity, foul or vulgar language, inappropriate graphic images and any other content not "family friendly" is not acceptable. Keep in mind that members come in all ages and all have access to our Community. Using asterisks to blank out several letters of a word is *still* considered a violation if the vulgarity is discernible, as are acronyms for a series of vulgar words. There are far more powerful ways to get a point across.

Discussions of any nature that staff feels inappropriate anywhere on the site will be removed without notice to the original poster and you run the risk of losing your posting privileges.

The above applies to all user-generated content throughout the site, including user names.
Advertising Is Not Allowed

Cruise Critic has strict guidelines prohibiting blatant advertising, commercial sales and solicitation posts on all of our message boards.

Our Cruise Community is meant to be an exchange of advice and tips where cruisers can talk about their travels -- not a marketplace for advertising and selling services. There are thousands of cruise professionals online and if we didn't insist on a non-solicitation policy the cruise boards would be very quickly overrun with nothing but ads.

Cruise Critic defines advertising as an individual or company's attempt to generate business or other commercial enterprise, either directly or indirectly, by using our Cruise Board. Solicitation includes, but is not limited to, requests to be E-mailed, the posting of phone numbers for your business, constantly mentioning that you are in the travel business, and the referring to or posting of one's own Web site address.

There shall be no third-party recommendation (whether positive or negative in tone) of travel agencies on any forums within Cruise Critic. General discussions regarding the TYPE of AGENCY to be used to purchase a cruise will be allowed, as long as no recommendations for any source of purchase are posted.

Touting of your personal cruise agent or cruise line "personal cruise consultant" (or any other venue by which you purchase a cruise) is not allowed on our message boards. Postings that contain "tell them John sent you" will be removed without notice.

This means you should not ask about someone's travel agent, nor should you respond in kind. Offering to email someone your travel agent's name or info is also not allowed, nor is asking members to email you for the information.

It also means you cannot post links to travel agencies, no matter what the specific reason.

Cruise Critic will remove violations of the "third-party recommendation" rule without warning. Additional posts will result in permanent suspension of your posting privileges.

Other Cruise & Travel Sites

Cruise Critic reserves the right to approve or deny links which lead directly to or link to cruise-related material or message boards that are not located within Cruise Critic. Additionally, we respectfully request that you do not use our forums to promote or advertise other cruise-related websites.

The bottom line is: an ad is an ad. So, please no posting of "looking for roommate" type posts, tour shares (except in ROLL CALL threads), giveaways, ebay links, coupon books, coffee cards, etc. etc.
Illegal Activities

Cruise Critic prohibits the discussion of illegal activities including (but not limited to) the posting of pyramid scheme/chain letter/make money fast-type information, as well as any activity that is considered against the law, such as illegal drugs and underage drinking.
Writing a Cruise Review for Publication to Cruise Critic
We encourage all of our members to Write a Review for publication to Cruise Critic

Here are some great tips to help you write a review on Cruise Critic. Remember, your experiences help other travelers, so we look to publish reviews that cover a majority of this criteria:

" Info about you!
" Hotel information (if any)
" Ship information
" Activities
" Service
" Port & shore excursions
" Cabin
" Dining
" Children's clubs
" Entertainment
" Disembarkation
" Summary

In addition to above tips and criteria we look for publishing your review, Cruise Critic will not publish reviews that contain the following:

" Profanity or threats
" Personal insults
" Reports of violent or criminal activity
" Commercial web addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers for promotional purposes
" Full names of ship-based staff members
" Text entirely in ALL CAPS
" Content not relevant to tourists
" Letters to Cruise Lines
" Submissions about a single subject or incident on board (this is not a review, please use our forums for this)
" HTML
" Content that violates our Community Rules of Participation listed on our site

You will receive an email with specific information if your review does not meet our publication criteria.
Use of Content

By submitting content to our site (www.cruisecritic.com & boards.cruisecritic.com), you hereby grant Cruise Critic the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display any message posted in Cruise Critic's message boards or in our published member or port reviews (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed.
Copyright Infringement

The posting of blocks of text obtained from anywhere on the Internet, online newspapers, web sites, Facebook and other social media sites, magazines, etc., defeats the purpose of our Cruise Boards. All of this information is available to everyone online, and doesn't add to the idea of sharing firsthand experiences and cruise advice. Also, the majority of information out there is protected by an author's individual copyright. Therefore, we will remove such information from the message boards. However, linking via url to the information is allowed.

The one exception to this would be Cruise Line press releases. You may post these word for word on the boards, if you clearly indicate the source.
Copyright Complaint Policy
Infringement Notification:

If you believe in good faith that materials hosted by us infringe your copyright, please provide the written information requested below. The procedure outlined below is exclusively for notifying TripAdvisor that your copyrighted material has been infringed. Please provide the following information in the following format (including Section Numbers):

1. A clear identification of the copyrighted work you claim was infringed.
2. A clear identification of the material you claim is infringing the copyrighted work, and information that will allow us to locate that material on the Website, such as a link to the infringing material.
3. Your contact information so that we can reply to your complaint, preferably including an email address and telephone number.
4. Include the following statement: "I have a good faith belief that the material that is claimed as copyright infringement is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."
5. Include the following statement: "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and I am the copyright owner, or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner, of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."
6. he notice must be signed by the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Notices of claims of copyright infringement on this website should be emailed or mailed to:

- TripAdvisor LLC., Attn: Legal Department, 400 1st Avenue, Needham, MA 02494
- [email protected]
- Phone Number: 781-800-8658

We suggest that you consult your legal advisor before filing a notice or counter-notice. Also, please note that you may be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys fees) if you make a false claim of copyright infringement.
We will review and address all notices that comply with the requirements above.

REPEAT INFRINGER POLICY

In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") and other applicable law, TripAdvisor has adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances and at TripAdvisor's sole discretion, subscribers or account holders who are deemed to be repeat infringers. TripAdvisor may also at its sole discretion limit access to the Site and/or terminate the accounts of any users who infringe any intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement.
Participation of Cruise Lines
Cruise Line executives, PR Teams, Social Media Gurus and other staff members are encouraged to participate on Cruise Critic forums. After registering, please contact our Community Manager at [email protected] to validate your account as "official".
Media, Law Firms, Marketing & Other Companies

Members of the media, employees of law firms, and other companies who desire to obtain information from our members *must* obtain permission from the Community Manager ([email protected]) before posting on any of the forums within Cruise Critic. There are no exceptions to this policy. Posting/inquiries not approved by the Community Manager are removed without notice.
Participation of Travel Agents

Travel agents (and their associates, employees or designated representative) are encouraged to participate in the discussions on the Cruise Board and establish themselves as experts on a particular topic by responding to members' inquiries with useful answers. You are welcome to sign your name and note your professional business as long as you comply with the following:

- You may not use your business name as your Cruise Critic user name.
- You may sign your posts with your first name only.
- You may include your company name in your signature.
- You may not list your phone number, business location (city or state), web site address, contact info or e-mail address.
- You may not include your location and/or website address in your Cruise Critic profile.
- Responding to member's inquiries on the boards with an ad for your services is not allowed.
- Only items of a general nature may be discussed on the forums by any travel agent.

Cruise Critic considers requests to be E-mailed for additional information as soliciting and will return those postings to any travel agent trying to sell or promote themselves on Cruise Critic. Additionally, attempts to circumvent our rules may result in your company name being censored from our forums. The above guidelines are not all inclusive, and Cruise Critic reserves the right to remove any image, logo, byline, user name, posting, avatar, or picture that, in the sole opinion of Cruise Critic is too promotional in tone.

Cruise Critic reserves the right to remove any material from our message boards without notification.
Travel Agent Recommendations

There shall be no third-party recommendation (whether positive or negative in content) of travel agencies on any forums within Cruise Critic. General discussions regarding the TYPE of AGENCY to be used to purchase a cruise will be allowed, as long as no recommendations for any source of purchase are posted.

Touting of your personal cruise agent or cruise line "personal cruise consultant" (or any other venue by which you purchase a cruise) is not allowed on our message boards. Postings that contain "tell them John sent you" will be removed without notice.

This means you should not ask about someone's travel agent, nor should you respond in kind. Offering to email someone your travel agent's name or info is also not allowed, nor is asking members to email you for the information.

Cruise Critic will remove violations of the "third-party recommendation" guideline without warning. Additional posts may result in permanent suspension of your posting privileges.
Participation of Tour Guides/Drivers, Tourism Website Owners, Property & Business Owners
Tourism website owners, official representatives from port operations and residential property owners (and their associates, employees or designated representative) are encouraged to participate in the discussions on the Cruise Board and establish themselves as experts on a particular topic by responding to members' inquiries with useful answers. They may not, however, list or refer members to their Web sites. Tourism websites may include their business name in their signatures, and may include their website link in their profile only. No promotional material or conducting business will be allowed, nor may you recommend specific businesses in ports of call. This includes scheduling times of tours, confirmation of events/deposits/e-mail receipt, etc (and any other discussion determined to be of a customer service nature in the sole discretion of Cruise Critic). Only items of a general nature may be posted on the forums.

Tour Operators, Tour Guides, Drivers, Business Owners, Transportation, Taxi, Limo Drivers: Our Ports of Call forums are meant to be a place for cruisers to exchange information with other cruisers. Therefore, the participation is not allowed.

Businesses in ports of call who wish to respond to a posting online should contact the Community Manager first at: [email protected] Posts not cleared w/ the Community Manager will be removed from the forums. There shall be no exceptions to this policy.
Participation of Local Experts in Ports of Call

Locals living in ports of call are encouraged to contribute, as long as their recommendations are general in nature. Those living in ports of call who recommend individual businesses or tour operators will find that their posts have been removed and their posting privileges may be suspended.
Tour Guide Recommendations

We welcome the legitimate review or recommendation of tour operators, guides, property & business owners in ports of call.

Cruise Critic considers requests to be E-mailed for additional information as soliciting and will delete those postings by anyone trying to sell or promote themselves on Cruise Critic. Please, abide by our Community Guidelines so that legitimate recommendations by our members regarding guides and tour operators may remain on the forums!

From time to time, Cruise Critic management is contacted by Tour Operators/Guides/Business who request removal of negative posts about their company. You should know that Cruise Critic will never remove negative posts from the boards at the request of any tour company, cruise line, store, shop, taxi company, driver, guide, etc.

One-Post Wonders
This phenomenon essentially amounts to single or multiple posts created by a brand-new member which tout tour operators/businesses in ports of call. Posts of this nature will be removed from the boards without notification to the author. Cruise Critic considers these types of postings an attempt to circumvent our rules and may result in that company's name being censored from our forums without notice.

Cruise Critic reserves the right to remove any material from our message boards without notification to members, the author or the company being recommended.
Roll Calls
Cruise Critic's ROLL CALLS are one of the most popular features within our community. In an effort to keep them fair and as safe as possible, the following is in effect:

- Roll Calls belong to everyone; there is no designated leader or owner. It doesn't matter who started the thread.
- On the other hand, if you are new to a Roll Call take the time to read the thread. Learn who is doing what, who made plans for an event, etc. before jumping in and making different plans
- If you plan an event, be sure to invite everyone!
- Please adhere to cruise line requests regarding setting up Meet & Greets on board. In other words, if they say contact us three (or two or whatever) weeks prior to sailing, don't contact them months in advance.
- ROLL CALLS are for people to get to know one another before their cruise; therefore, there will be all kinds of discussion!

SHORE EXCURSIONS
- Sharing shore excursions is fun and can help you save money.
- Get to know the other members in a Roll Call before attempting to get them to tour with you.
- Shore excursions should be arranged so that payment is made directly to the tour operator, do not be the collector of funds for a shore excursion.
- Do not arrange any shore excursions/tours if you are not going to be taking them yourself. In other words NO THIRD-PARTY arrangement of shore excursions are allowed. This includes people who are not participating on the Cruise Critic ROLL CALL *for whatever reason*.
- Travel agents may not arrange shore excursions on ROLL CALLS.
- Anyone attempting to "fill a bus" or making money from the sharing of shore excursions on our forums runs the risk of losing their membership.
- Do not post your email address so that someone can email you information about a shore excursion. If they have important info, they should be willing and able to post this information on the forum. We will remove posts, at our discretion, that are nothing more than requests for emails OR posts providing email addresses.
- Do NOT arrange to collect funds for shore excursion shares at any Meet & Mingle or Meet & Greet so graciously provided by the cruise lines. In the case of Princess Cruises, they have stated you cannot solicit other passengers for any reason once you have booked your cruise. If they observe you arranging tours on board, you run the risk of being asked to debark your cruise at the next port (verified via Princess Cruises March 2013)

FTC Disclosures for Bloggers and Brands
In 2009 the FTC created a set of rules and guidelines regarding disclosure of free products in exchange for writing reviews about those products. If you would like to read more about this, you can go here: FTC Endorsement Guides

However, much easier to read and understand is their FAQ: FTC Endorsement Guideline FAQ

As you spend time reading about the rules, it would appear very simple at first glance: disclosure is now required by the FTC rules — at least if you are not a “professional.” Continue reading and you will see it isn’t that simple!

You’ll also see it is not clear how the FTC will enforce these guidelines. The manpower doesn’t exist since the FTC is also responsible for policing telemarketers, business frauds everywhere, and spammers, to name just a few.

For purposes of our “cruiser to cruiser community”, since our environment is anonymous and we do not verify the information posted here based on the FTC rulings it is the responsibility of the vendor, advertiser or provider of the free product to counsel any poster or blogger regarding disclosure when they post information on the internet.

To clarify, please see the scenarios below about the various areas within Cruise Critic where user-generated content is collected.

Forum Postings
If a poster reviews a cruise they bought, of course disclosure is not necessary. If they review a free cruise acquired via a contest disclosure is necessary. If a cruise company sends the poster on a free cruise and the poster does a review on the forum in any format – freestanding or in response to info requests -, both the cruise line and the poster are responsible for disclosure.  If a tour operator offers someone a discount on a future tour if they mention their company, disclosure would be required.  

Since it is impossible for aggregate review websites to know exactly how someone acquired their cruise, tour or product, therefore it is unrealistic for us to be able to moderate for FTC rules.  The onus is on the cruise line, advertising agency, or tour operator/guide and the poster of the review(s) to comply with FTC rules for disclosure.

Submitting a Review for Publication to Cruise Critic
Cruise Critic requires everyone who submits a review for publication to our website (www.cruisecritic.com) to agree to the following:

“I certify that this review is my genuine opinion of this cruise and all tour operators/guides/businesses in ports of call. I have no personal or business affiliation with any establishment, and have not been offered any incentive or payment originating from any of these businesses to write this review”.
Charitable Organizations in Ports of Call
We've always been so proud of our Cruise Critic members who unselfishly pack goodies, supplies and yes...even send money...to organizations located in various ports of call around the world. We applaud your efforts and hope you continue to do so on an individual basis.

However, judging by the number of e-mails we have received over the years, as well as a few heartbreaking incidents that have diminished our trust in some of these organizations, it is clear that many of you are also concerned regarding the validity of some of these projects. We are aware that many are now posting on the forums in order to obtain donations. Additionally, there is an undercurrent of competitiveness with regard to these agencies, which many of you are displeased with.

Therefore, since Cruise Critic has no control over the validity of the information, we do not allow organizations to "ask" our members for donations through the forums. Additionally, posts from members offering to "collect" items or money to bring with them on the cruise will be removed from the forums.

All posts/discussions soliciting donations or the bringing/passing out of supplies/donations are not allowed and will be removed from the boards, thus allowing our members to continuing discussing visiting these ports, and finding interesting and fun shore excursion information. Repeated violations will result in suspension of posting privileges.

As always, thank you for exhibiting the kindness and generosity toward those less fortunate than us in ports of call.

The above applies to all forums on Cruise Critic, including our ROLL CALLS.
Guideline Reminders

From time to time we may sent you a Guideline Reminder which is specific to an issue we have had with one of your postings. This reminder is for you to review the board guidelines that you agreed to when you became a member. A Guideline Reminder is a permanent part of your member profile that only you can see. Repeated board violations and Guideline Reminders may permanently restrict your access to the message board.

When you’re issued a Guideline Reminder, an e mail is sent to the email address you used when you registered here at Cruise Critic. It is your responsibility to make sure your email address is current. If you don’t know whether you received a Guideline Reminder, you can check your User Profile or spam folder. Be sure and add [email protected] to your email application as an address that you will accept emails from.

If you have a question about a Guideline Reminder that you’ve received, please write to [email protected]
Posting & You!
We Cannot Fix Mistakes
Please review your post carefully for typos, incorrect dates and spelling errors.

Browse Before You Post
Browse a topic first to see if your question has already been asked or answered by someone else. Also, many of the major cruise lines forums have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) topic that has been created by our members. Give that a try first. Browsing is your #1 best resource! Please post your messages in an appropriate topic so that you'll receive the best possible response. It is very time consuming to move misplaced messages that are in the wrong topics.

Posts Appear Immediately
We do not review messages before they are posted and you cannot delete your own messages once they are posted. As much as we'd like to, our volunteer staff is too busy to delete messages for you, extend spell-check services or rescue you from a momentary lapse in good judgment! ;) If you don't see your message after posting it, close your browser or click your "refresh" to see your posting. You'll see it -- and so will everyone else!

Answer Posts on the Boards, Not Via Email!
Please try to answer message board posts on the boards instead of E-mail when appropriate. There is a lot of great information that we're all missing because it is passing through private E-mail. There are of course times when private E-mail is more appropriate but if you have information that would be helpful to many people, please try to come back to the boards and post it rather than replying to a posting through E-mail.

ALL CAPS
Typing in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is considering shouting by many, so please double check your caps lock key before posting.

Rich Text & Graphic Images
The use of these features on our message boards can greatly enhance your online Cruise Board experiences. However, postings that are difficult to read, too BIG or too small, too light in color, etc., may be returned to you so that you may repost.

Signatures
Cruise Critic has the following suggestions for keeping your online signatures manageable:
- Keep your images to around three (approx) -- which would include a picture, clipart, photo or your countdown.
- Try not to have any one image that is TOO large, which then takes additional time for your fellow members to download,
- If you have a LONG LIST of prior cruises, think about chopping off some, OR rearrange them horizontally rather than vertically;
- From time to time, browse through your signature and eliminate any extra blank lines, or old countdown codes, etc.

Remember, not everyone is speeding along on DSL or cable modems, super-fast processors etc. so keeping your signature to a reasonable length will help speed all of us along! Cruise Critic reserves the right to remove/delete portions of your online signature and will let you know that we've had to resize your online signature.

Bumping
Please do not manipulate postings on the boards by "bumping" topics to the top of the forum. Members will assume something of value has been posted, only to find that the newest posting is nothing more than a "bump post". This only wastes everyone's time.
Removal of Posts

Posts may be removed from our forums at the sole discretion of Cruise Critic without notification to the author or discussion participants. We may also MOVE a post to our Floataway Lounge that has veered off the original topic. All decisions regarding post removals are final.
User Names & Signatures

You are allowed one Cruise Critic user name per person.

Although we are often amused and awed by the creativity of our members when in comes to the selection of a USER NAME for use in the community, Cruise Critic reserves the right to change and/or delete any USER NAME in our sole discretion. Please do not create names that are vulgar, inflammatory or are intended to be promotional in nature.

If you would like to change your user name, please send four or five choices for a new name along with the reason for the change to: [email protected]

In addition, we may, at our discretion, change or remove inappropriate graphics or text from online signatures and profiles without notice. This may include vulgarity, nudity, political statements, and or any other content we feel inappropriate for our cruise community.
Use of Cruise Critic Logo

All inquiries regarding usage of the Cruise Critic logo and name should be directed to: [email protected]
Creation of T-shirts & Logo Items

We think it is wonderful that people sailing together create logowear for their cruise, often creating a snappy name and offering it for purchase to those sailing on their cruise. For usage of the Cruise Critic logo in this endeavor, please contact: [email protected]

We ask that the person creating these shirts actually be sailing on that specific cruise; and that any additional "fees" collected by the creator are used only for shipping/handling of the t-shirts. It is our belief that no one should be making a profit from "selling" anything to our members; but do believe they shouldn't have to front anyone the price of a shirt or shipping costs. We appreciate everyone's compliance with this directive.
Fake Posts and Ratings Manipulation

The creation of additional user names by members with the intention to deceive our members, or to inflate their opinions by manipulating a discussion will not be allowed. These users will be banned from posting on the boards and submitting user reviews, will have their user names blocked as well as any IP addresses associated with those user names.

From time to time, in the sole discretion of Cruise Critic, we may censor the company name of a travel provider if we believe ratings for that company have been manipulated in any way.
Verification Of Content

The majority of the information found in our forums is provided by our members. Cruise Critic accepts no liability for the completenes or correctness of the information posted by our members. The information appears immediately, is not pre-screened, and is the sole opinion of the original poster. Therefore, we do not guarantee the completeness of any information provided on our cruise boards. We cannot read through the thousands of messages we receive each day. We do not research each one for accuracy. That isn't why we're here. Staff members and our volunteers are here to provide you with an environment that is free from advertising and soliciting, free from harassment and vulgarity, as well as providing you with a safe haven brought together by those sharing a mutual interest: cruising!
Posts in Foreign Languages

Our forums are accessible from around the world. We welcome the participation of everyone. All we ask is that if you POST in your native language, that you simultaneously post your questions/comments in English in the same post. These are moderated message boards, and posts are read by volunteer moderators. They must be able to understand your posting to allow it to remain. If you post in English you're more likely to get an answer as that's the primary language spoken within the community.
Spelling & Grammar Errors

It is important to remember that everyone makes mistakes at one time or another, and that there are many users who use English as a second language, especially on our Cruise Boards. There are also a number of people may have learning disabilities and who have difficulty noticing their spelling mistakes. Do not make comments on the spelling and grammar of other users. It is simply not a productive expenditure of energies.
Guard Your Personal Information Carefully

It is best not to post your real name, address or phone number publicly on the boards. Also, keeping as much information about yourself private should be your first priority. Think carefully before posting too much other personal data on any public message board forum, such as your stateroom number or your real name, city, state and dates of cruising!

If we come across a posting that contains too much personal information, we will remove it automatically. It is, however, *your* responsibility to keep your personal information safe. If you see too much information on the boards, please use the Report a Post feature, or write to [email protected] with a LINK to the specific posting/thread.
Management of this Community
Discussion of our management policies and procedures -- including post deletions-- is considered off-topic discussion for our cruise boards and will be removed without notice. All decisions regarding any action taken by management shall remain final.

Cruise Critic has the right to exercise and apply our guidelines at any level we determine, at our sole discretion, at any time.

If you have comments or concerns regarding the management of this community, please address them to: [email protected]
Responses to Violations and Suspensions
Cruise Critic has the right to take action if you disregard our Community Rules of Participatoin; you run the risk having your account suspended for a period of time, or even permanently. We try send out guideline reminders for serious infractions as a general rule, however, due to the sheer volume of participants on our site, it's unlikely that warnings can be given to all violators in advance.

At times, we may place an account under temporary suspension, or institute a special set of guidelines for a particular forum. If your account has been temporary suspended by Cruise Critic, under no circumstances should you try to create a new account, login using another person's account or try and circumvent the suspension process in any way. You should respect the hard work, tried and true practices and policies of our management staff, which are designed to err on the side of caution. When we institute special guidelines for a forum, we expect that all members will adhere to those guidelines. Attempting to circumvent a timeout, or a directive for a specific forum, note that your actions could result in losing permanent rights of membership, without notice.

It is fine if you disagree with any of our decisions or actions, but the correct way to share your grievance is to directly contact us at [email protected] Please do not challenge, defy, debate or ignore the directive in any of the public forums.

If your account has been suspended permanently, you will lose all rights to create an account or participate in community features. Any attempt to circumvent this ban will guarantee that your membership status can never be reconsidered.

Members should never discuss the status of another member's account, including their own, anywhere on Cruise Critic. Posts of this nature will be removed without notice to the author. Continual posting may result in suspension of your account.

Please don't ever participate in "calls to arms" type discussions on the behalf of someone whose account has been suspended or they have been asked to leave Cruise Critic. If you do feel as though you should comment, do so via email at [email protected]

If you are unsure of the exact meaning of any of these terms simply seek clarification from [email protected] before risking an abuse.



Out of respect for our members' privacy, Cruise Critic will never discuss a member's account with other members of the Community.
Back to TopTop