The LAFFNVEGAS "Live" From the Mariner of the Seas

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Someone mentioned about me being critical about the Christmas Tree, well maybe I am just one of those people that likes to see the tree looking it's best. I am going to attach a picture I tool, the picture does not show much but you can see in the center where there is a dark spot where there should be an ornement. In person it was far more noticiable. There is one section where the long ornement had like four all clumped together. I am sorry that this offends some of you this was only a statement but I had hoped they would fixed this. Christmas Trees are to be put up with pride. It still was very pretty from a distance but I am sure there are some out there like me that would notice this ;) Hey my College Degree was to be a Fashion Deocorator so things like this bother me :D

[boaterette]

You obviously have me confused with another poster because first off I have never been on the Spirit :confused: And I have never ever once commented on the photographers. First off photographers are crew just trying to do their job and make a living. I think if you go and look at any of my Live from threads I never ever make negative comments about the hard working crew of any ship.

 

Lisa,

 

I was commenting on harryfat1 post if you go back and look at it. It wasn't geared towards you. I was defending you. I think people here have been rather rude in their posts to you.

 

Happy cruising.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lisa,

 

I was commenting on harryfat1 post if you go back and look at it. It wasn't geared towards you. I was defending you. I think people here have been rather rude in their posts to you.

 

Happy cruising.

OK I am so very sorry I did not realize that :o Thanks :)

[harryfat1]

Thank you for posting your live reports. I enjoyed reading it. I happen to think that opinions are just that, opinions. For others to argue that they are wrong is just ridiculous. I have sailed numerous times on RCI and have never found the food to be great. But then again I don't have a love of food so it doesn't bother me. My kids have a love of climbing big rocks so there you have it. We cruise RCI for the activities. When it is just us older cruisers we sail a different line. But with 19 cruises under my belt I love cruising.

 

Is this really any different than calling the ships photographers ****'s? Like you did in your spirit review?

 

Lisa,

 

I was commenting on harryfat1 post if you go back and look at it. It wasn't geared towards you. I was defending you. I think people here have been rather rude in their posts to you.

 

Happy cruising.

 

First of all, you must have a lot of time on your hands to wade through my long winded 25 plus page rambling from 2 years ago on a Carnival ship while you are reading the RCI forum to pull out one quote. As I stated in the second to last paragraph, I think whoever had enough patience to wade through that tome needs a vacation more than me.

 

As for my comments, I did not like the heavy handed policy of photo restrictions at the photo area by Carnival – I have not seen that policy on either HAL or Celebrity. And in my opinion, the workers were rude in how they were enforcing that policy. They were less polite in telling the people the rules. You may disagree, that’s fine.

 

I disagree that my comments there are the same as OP’s. On post #60, she made the comparison of the menu to nursing home just based on the reading of it. That’s like judging a book by its cover. If she had eaten any part of it and made comments that it’s too dry/too bland/too mushy/too whatever, I would not question her comment as food is subjective as I said in my Spirit review and other places. I certainly do not have any stakes on what her view of the food may be.

 

But in my opinion, she has no basis to make that judgment without even seeing or tasting the food, so I thought that was harsh and unnecessary. But she is certainly welcome to stick by hers guns with her opinion that is what reminds her of her grandma’s food at the nursing home. We don’t have to agree. As a reader/reviewer of the reviewer (in this case, OP), I would have liked someone to at least try the food before posting a negative comment so I posted my opinion countering to her opinion.

 

Someone from our roll call posted the menu from their cruise back in May, so I assume this was close to what was being served on the Mariner last week on OP’s day 7. In my opinion from my reading, it’s not nursing home food. But it apparently must be to OP. I disagree and I made my point know. I am leaving it at that. If you feel the need to disagree with my opinion and feel the need to defend OP, so be it. You are also entitled to your opinion, but it does not change mine.

 

 

 

 

Day 7

 

Starters:

 

Fire Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Shrimp Cocktail

Spinach Dip

Roasted Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Onion Soup

Chilled Forest Berries and Buttermilk Soup

Caesar Salad

 

Entrees:

 

Grey Goose Vodka and Smoked Salmon Cream Pasta

Roasted Turkey

Grilled NY Strip steak

Indian Vegetable Curry

Mahi Mahi Tempura

 

Alternative selections:

 

Traditional Caesar Salad

Fettucine w/ Marinara Sauce

Broiled Fillet of Norwegian Salmon

Grilled Chicken Breast

Grilled Black Angus Top Sirloin Steak

Chops Fillet for $14.95

 

Desserts:

 

Brownie Madness

Key Lime Pie

Banana and Crunchy Nut Parfait

Low-fat Strawberry Shortcake

Sugar-free Key Lime Pie

Cheese Tray

Various Ice creams and Sherbets

 

 

This leads to the next issue of opinion writing on these forums. It’s agreed that people can have differing opinions on ship/food/entertainment and whatever else. So why is it when a reviewer comments on some negative aspect of the cruise, that’s ok as being “honest and straight”, but when someone challenges that opinion with a counter opinion/comment, then it’s consider to be “homer/fan boy cheering”? Why should the original review have a free pass to make any comment without being questioned and challenged? Why can’t others challenge one person’s opinion with a countering point?

 

As I stated in my various posts in this thread, I am no RCI home boy as I am a “transient cruiser” in that I go from cruise line to cruise line every year. Few months from now, I will be on another cruise line's boards as I go from cruise line to cruise line. Not a RCI homer by any means.

 

I own stocks in both Carnival and RCI, so even there I have no specific financial interest, so as long as people don’t cruise on Disney or NCL, I am all good. Don’t like RCI, no problem, go over to Celebrity. Don’t like Carnival, no problem, go over o to HAL or Cunard. I care not, at the end of the day- just cruise on both cruise ship families to keep the revenue coming is all I care.

 

Any other issues from my Spirit review you like to discuss?

[Langley Cruisers]

So why is it when a reviewer comments on some negative aspect of the cruise, that’s ok as being “honest and straight”, but when someone challenges that opinion with a counter opinion/comment, then it’s consider to be “homer/fan boy cheering”? Why should the original review have a free pass to make any comment without being questioned and challenged? Why can’t others challenge one person’s opinion with a countering point?

 

*insert wild applause* ^ This.

[Mary09]

I think it's fine when counter opinions are offered. But when the info is offered up such as "You obviously expect too much, I found the food terrific" or "good riddance to you" and other derogatory statements about the person who posted, not the cruise line, it's offensive and a bit juvenile.

[harryfat1]

I think it's fine when counter opinions are offered. But when the info is offered up such as "You obviously expect too much, I found the food terrific" or "good riddance to you" and other derogatory statements about the person who posted, not the cruise line, it's offensive and a bit juvenile.

 

Mary,

 

I can’t speak on behalf of all the counter point people. Some people have different behavior method of operation and I let them speak for themselves.

 

At the risk of sounding “juvenile” – it’s like a school food fight, the question is always “Who started first on being negative?”

 

From a purely selfish perspective, in my opinion, the OP started being negative first in her earlier reviews. Go back to posts 46, 50 and 56. Three other people commented on that as well. Not just me. In post #55, I tired to defend OP by saying give her a chance to sound more positive when she gets back with her final analysis.

 

But then I switched sides after I read post #60 by posting my reply on 72. And on and on with more and more people in this free for all food fight. Now with people digging up my two year old cruise review of 25 plus pages to question one quote so she can “defend” OP in challenging my counter opinion. Whatever. That's the high road we are all taking?

 

OP started somewhat negative and then really took a strong turn on that road on post #60 and that brought along there equally strong rebuttal and now it’s become the free for all food fight.

 

But in the bigger scheme of life, what does it really matter on what was said here on these boards? You and I are on the same cruise in 4 days. I may or may not meet you on our M&M roll call ( I will be there). I plan to have a good time regardless of what was reviewed here as my opinion of things is not the same as hers.

I will be there at the MDR on day 7 eating my nursery home food and maybe even like it.

 

I hope you have a great cruise on your end with your son and your dad. I have to go and do more packing before we leave on Saturday…

[Mary09]

Sorry, I'm not taking any issue with you harryfat1, I don't even know your stance on this. I just in general think counter opinions on cruise matters are terrific. Insulting things about other posters isn't what I like to read. I'm not making a case or looking up who dissed who in the thread, it doesn't matter. I just thought it was a good distinction to bring up. I love it when internet forum posters can debate the topic til the cows come home yet keep it civil, y'know? :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

First, Lisa, I want to thank you for this review and the time you take to go into so much detail about every cruise you take. What stands out in your reviews is your ability to compare different cruise lines so that those of us reading can better relate to what you're telling us particularly if we haven't sailed the line you're on. I've had to be away for awhile so just read all this tonight so I'm late thanking you.

 

I've never felt any particular allegiance or loyalty to any one cruise line and most of the lines we've cruised along the way are now gone. We seem to have a wonderful time on almost any cruise, but of course some rise far above the rest ... for us it happens to be Celebrity right now.

 

Of course every review is subjective and personal ... that's what a review is! All anyone can do is speak from the heart about the things they care about, what they look for, and the reader should take it all in with that in mind.

 

The positively hateful remarks on this thread are inexcusable. No one needs to agree with Lisa's observations, but it's her review ... no one else's. Such nasty posts aren't exclusive to this board; I've seen the same "good riddance" remarks on others but it's no less unforgiveable.

 

If I want to read all good stuff about my favorite cruise line I'll go directly to the line's website. But if I want to know how someone really feels about their cruise I'll take reviews like Lisa's above all the others anytime.

[Green Recruit]

The positively hateful remarks on this thread are inexcusable. No one needs to agree with Lisa's observations, but it's her review ... no one else's. Such nasty posts aren't exclusive to this board; I've seen the same "good riddance" remarks on others but it's no less unforgiveable.

 

I would respectfully suggest you read all the postings in this thread and, as I did, you will find only 1 that comes near your characterization as described above.

 

I take responsibility for my characterizing the OPs comment on the Christmas decorations as 'mean spirited and petty'. IMHO, the OP did not justify her case by posting a picture of the Promenade and the Christmas Tree, to which her negative comment on the decorations is very difficult for an fair minded reviewer to notice.

 

Dion

[pspercy]

Thanks Lisa.

 

RCI must regard Mariner highly if they're redeploying her to compete with Carnival's brand new "super ship" to be based out of Galveston next year.

[The Big Booper]

 

Day 7

 

Starters:

 

Fire Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Shrimp Cocktail

Spinach Dip

Roasted Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Onion Soup

Chilled Forest Berries and Buttermilk Soup

Caesar Salad

 

Entrees:

 

Grey Goose Vodka and Smoked Salmon Cream Pasta

Roasted Turkey

Grilled NY Strip steak

Indian Vegetable Curry

Mahi Mahi Tempura

 

Alternative selections:

 

Traditional Caesar Salad

Fettucine w/ Marinara Sauce

Broiled Fillet of Norwegian Salmon

Grilled Chicken Breast

Grilled Black Angus Top Sirloin Steak

Chops Fillet for $14.95

 

Desserts:

 

Brownie Madness

Key Lime Pie

Banana and Crunchy Nut Parfait

Low-fat Strawberry Shortcake

Sugar-free Key Lime Pie

Cheese Tray

Various Ice creams and Sherbets

 

 

 

I am like Lisa's husband Tom and my food tastes are similar to his, based on a conversation we had on CC on the Solstice trip she took this summer.

 

I see quite a few things here that are good based on my sailings on RCI, including the shrimp cocktail, the pumpkin soup or forest berry soup, the turkey, the steak and the KEY LIME pie. My wife of 40 years can sit down for dinner, scan the menu and predict what I will order or even list the possible multiple choices.

 

When the key lime and lo-cal key lime are on the menu together, we always order both and split them for a little taste test.

 

There is a big hole in the Mariner's tree facing the camera, wonder why someone in the crew didn't spot that. I looked in my Explorer album of last year and found the tree photo taken from the same spot. The ornaments appear to be strands rather then single ornaments so there will always be non-covered spots.

 

[HeatherInFlorida]

I would respectfully suggest you read all the postings in this thread and, as I did, you will find only 1 that comes near your characterization as described above.

 

I take responsibility for my characterizing the OPs comment on the Christmas decorations as 'mean spirited and petty'. IMHO, the OP did not justify her case by posting a picture of the Promenade and the Christmas Tree, to which her negative comment on the decorations is very difficult for an fair minded reviewer to notice.

 

Dion

 

I did read the entire thread ... all the way through. And I was first impressed that everyone was so good natured about the fact that Lisa was obviously less than thrilled. I even thought that everyone was considerably nicer than anyone ever is on the HAL board.

 

But suddenly it turned and I'm sorry I can't agree there is only one comment that fits my characterization. While that was one of the worst, there were more than several.

 

That being said, I certainly wasn't referring to everyone's post because most recognized that all these opinions are subjective and personal. But unfortunately, hateful posts tend to stand out and I wanted to comment on those.

[Langley Cruisers]

You know what, you guys, it really doesn't matter. I suggest we drop the subject. We're not getting anywhere, not that anyone needs to go anywhere. OP posted a "live" thread and now it's over. Whadya say? :D

[Captain Canuck]

cold and snowy..need to follow a cruise..thanks for posting

[Nimbus]

Lisa - I very much enjoyed reading your review. Thank you for posting it!

 

We'll be on the Mariner in March and it will be interesting to see if our opinions match yours. :)