Opinions on writing reviews?

Some reviews I read, they start out going on about the trip to the airport and the flight and the hotel stay. That is part of the trip but not the cruise itself. So, how many people care to read about the pre-cruise trip, and how many would just like to find out about what the ship is like, what happened in port etc? What information do you want in a review?

I like for people to write what is important to them.

Its pretty easy to scroll past the stuff that some might not want to read, but impossible to find the information that they didnt share, that might have been of use to the reader.

I think whatever information might be useful to other cruisers can be included. If someone says they got in the night before and stayed at a certain hotel, and that hotel provided free parking and transportation to the port, that is definitely useful to other people who will be sailing from that port and trying to figure out where to stay.

It gives them a chance to re-live the trip, plus, alot of them are interesting and fun to read. If not interesting to me I just skip on down, just like I do some books I read.

I love the full-cooked review! I love when people share what they did pre-cruise, where they stayed, shopped, ate, etc. It's like a review with extra credit!

I rarely skip parts, but I am also the kind of person who reads travel guides like they are novels!

My personal opinion...I like reading the before, during and after cruise reviews. And the more pictures, the better.

But, I'll take whatever the reviewer gives me. They're the ones taking the time to write it. Although I typically don't read reviews until I see quite a few responses (indicating the writer is near completion) I hate it when I start to read one where the writer takes so long to finish it (or ever).:eek:

I usually skip the pre-cruise stuff. All I want to know about is the ship, I will often skip shore excursion stuff as well.

The port I sail from is 20 minutes away so I'm not really interested in hearing about if people stay in Baltimore or DC and which hotel they stay in etc. But I do like to hear how they liked/disliked the port and how embarkation went for them. I think I most like to hear about their shipboard experiences, what did they like about their cabin, where did they eat, which pool is the best, are the extra price restaurants worth it, things of that nature. I also love to hear what people have to say about the ports they visit and which excursions they took. Maybe not so much the docking and tendering; those things are what they are. All four of my cruises have been to Bermuda but the next will be Grand Turk, HMC, and Freeport. So I really want to know the best things to do, the best of the three stops to do an excursion (we can budget for only one excursion as this needs to be an on the cheap trip), and I'd like to know how people spend sea days that will be too chilly to spend on deck.

That's not asking a lot, is it?

BTW...if you like to read reviews you should share your own experiences and give your own cruise review!

I don't mind the pre cruise and post cruise, what irkes me is 50 people butt in saying great review in the middle of their review. Let them finish then comment. You have to read 10 pages to get a 2 page review.

The cruise starts earlier for some of us, I love the planning during the months leading up to the actual embarkation. I'm sure some of the information people write about is useful to someone, maybe for air fares or hotel rooms. We're lucky to live where we do and not have those pre cruise adventures but I still like to read them.

I like to get the full detail review including pre-cruise stay. Pictures are a must for a good review.

The only negative that I have is the review that takes more days to post than the actual number of days spent on the cruise! :eek:

I don't mind the pre cruise and post cruise, what irkes me is 50 people butt in saying great review in the middle of their review. Let them finish then comment. You have to read 10 pages to get a 2 page review.

Many who write reviews like to know that people are enjoying it. Often when they dont hear any intial feedback, they wonder if anyone is really enjoying it. Again, its pretty easy to hit scroll.

I guess for me, I remember what it was like pre internet, when we just didnt have the chance to read reviews of any kind. The fact that every week, I can read 100's of reviews it worth the time to scroll.

I don't mind the pre cruise and post cruise, what irkes me is 50 people butt in saying great review in the middle of their review. Let them finish then comment. You have to read 10 pages to get a 2 page review.

If you don't like the interruptions, stick to reading the cruise review part of CC not the reviews on the cruise line boards.

As others have said, it's your review ,write what you want. Readers can skip ahead if they wish.

Good ship or port pictures are always welcome, I want to see some text too. Don't mind the pre-cruise post-cruise stuff as long as it's travel related.

Don't want to know their personal stories. Don't like too many people picture. Like my friend would say, I want to see the ship, darn it! :D

Hubby and I said this yesterday, we just want to know what happens once you get to the terminal

So we just scroll away!

I agree. It frustrates me when the review starts off with a bang and is very interesting and then it takes forever to finish it if they even finish it. That is soooooo frustrating. I think if you are not going to finish it or take two months, then please don't start it........:eek::confused::(

I like to get the full detail review including pre-cruise stay. Pictures are a must for a good review.

 

The only negative that I have is the review that takes more days to post than the actual number of days spent on the cruise! :eek:

I don't mind the pre cruise and post cruise, what irkes me is 50 people butt in saying great review in the middle of their review. Let them finish then comment. You have to read 10 pages to get a 2 page review.

I SO AGREE, but I'm sure it's meant as words of encouragement so that the reviewer actually FINISHES the review. Nothing worse than reviews that are started and never finished. My pet-peeve is when the reviewer posts a bunch of pictures in one posting screen (love that), and then whomever wants to comment on the pictures uses the "quote" feature and then all the pictures are posted yet again, and again, and again!! It's not necessary! Just simply say.. nice pictures :rolleyes:

I agree. It frustrates me when the review starts off with a bang and is very interesting and then it takes forever to finish it if they even finish it. That is soooooo frustrating. I think if you are not going to finish it or take two months, then please don't start it........:eek::confused::(

Sometimes people have the best of intentions and life gets in the way. There are so many reviews out there about just about every ship and destination, that I wouldnt get that frustrated over a single review being delay or not completed.

I like picture reviews the most. If I know the port, I skip the intro stuff, but if it is a new port, I like knowing something about the hotel stays and the time it took to get onboard, etc. So, the more info, the better, because you can always skip the irrelevant.

I do read reviews on the member reviews page, but far prefer for them to be written here on the boards where you can ask questions.

Keep those pictures and detailed (preferably glass-half-full) reviews coming!:D

I actually like the pre cruise info. I like learning about people's experience with hotels before the cruise. I understand that some are near a cruiseport so dont need hotels, but for me and many others who drive or fly to the city that the cruise leaves from, the hotel info if of great value. Now personally I never drive to the cruise port, therefore, dont need info on parking at hotels or cruise port, so I just quickly scan that and move on.

I love the cruise reviews with photos. Many kind CC folks here have told me how to put my photos up, but it has not worked for me. But I do love other peoples photos.

I also prefer the reviews that are balanced. Those that are 100pc everything was perfect are very nice, but in all reality there is usually one or two things that may irritate or irk a person. Doesnt ruin a cruise of course, but including said info in a review might enlighten someone who is going on that ship/itinerary so they can avoid whatever issue that maybe. I have posted reviews on the regular review section of CC, and I admit that my reviews have been 98pc positive, and maybe once or twice I have said that there was something that bothered me. That is because I am a positive person. I have never been to a place I didnt like. Some I liked better than others, but I have never been anywhere that was totally horrible, and that includes cruises, hotels, destinations.

Last but not least, I love the photo reviews on here that include "food porn":D I happen to be one who always finds something that I really like in the MDR, some things not so great, but have learned what to avoid. I just love to see other folks photos. I admit to being too "shy" to photograph my food, therefore I really am grateful to those who do.

Most of all, I have to say to reviewers, with respect to what you write; please please write in paragraphs. If all is jumbled up in one big block with no paragraphs, or even indentations, it is very hard to read.

Thats all. Thanks OP for asking.

:)

I like all of the details. Like others have said, I tend to skip over details that are not relevant to me. Sometimes, people give an interesting narrative and I get "sucked in" until the end. Pictures are definitely a must.

I love the full-cooked review! I love when people share what they did pre-cruise, where they stayed, shopped, ate, etc. It's like a review with extra credit!

 

I rarely skip parts, but I am also the kind of person who reads travel guides like they are novels!

Ditto. And photos! I hate when you have to link to em because they are hidden behind words and you have to link in.

I like reading about people's cruise adventures, whether they begin the story with their pre-cruise stuff or once they're onboard. If it's engaging, even the details you may already know (or don't need to know) are fun to take in. Pictures and humor make a review engaging, but I have to say, I am a real fan of paragraphs. I have been known to click out of a review if it's too hard to follow.

Overall, the reviews on these boards have been wonderful. I've learned a lot and really enjoyed many of the great personalities here on CC. Thanks to all who have shared their cruise reviews.

I like all of the details.

I agree. It frustrates me when the review starts off with a bang and is very interesting and then it takes forever to finish it if they even finish it. That is soooooo frustrating. I think if you are not going to finish it or take two months, then please don't start it........:eek::confused::(

Carnival Pride Review 5-9-10 with pics

I got hooked ! Great writing and pictures BUT it went on and on and on.

My Pride cruise came and went and he never finished it. The rat.:p