A review of reviews

[Towel Critter]

This thread is just another intelligence insulting attempt to explain away the poor reviews of MSC.

 

Give the members of cruise critic a little more credit, painting reviewers in such broad strokes smells of trying to assuage your well placed concern of booking with MSC.

 

Plenty of posters on here have posted good and bad reviews, and are the majority of reviewers.

 

Again, an insult to the intelligence of the reviewers.

Oops! I seem to have overlooked this post. Sorry Z.

 

It is not my intention to insult anyone's intelligence. That said, intelligent people can be just as subjective as those with less brain power. We are all, blessed and unblessed, imperfect.

 

I'm sorry I smell of assuaging - or anything else :-) But no, I don't have any fears concerning my upcoming cruise. I have zero experience with MSC, but I fully expect an enjoyable cruise aboard a typical budget cruise ship. If indeed it turns out that I have signed on to two weeks in hell, fear not, I will come clean upon my return. But my expectations are realistic, and my ability to dismiss small issues is great, so I don't anticipate torment.

 

If most posters here write fair reviews, good. That hasn't been my experience, but... well, we've already covered the concept of subjectivity, so I won't beat a dead horse.

 

Again, it wasn't my intention to insult anyone. I'm looking at reviews in a general way and wasn't thinking of any individual when I started this thread.

 

Thanks for your opinion! The more the merrier - and the better equiped we are to arrive at the truth. Happy cruising.

[Towel Critter]

@Zambini:

 

I left something out. You said perhaps the reviewer in my sample review has higher standards than I. Well, perhaps so, but do - after having read the review, with it's poor organization, grammar issues, and appearance of having been thrown together in a hurry - honestly believe this? I don't.

[Towel Critter]

@no one in particular:

 

Curious. I've seen more than one comment suggesting that negative Poesia reviews outweigh positive ones. I took that at face value at first. But curiosity got the better of me, so I looked at the ratings for the entire body of Poesia reviews. Here is what I found:

 

5+stars - 8

5 stars - 36

4 stars - 25

3 stars - 35

2 stars- 30

1 stars - 15

0 stars - 4 (two of which were identical reviews by the same poster with a different review title)

 

Toss out the eight 5+ ratings, and the "4" zero ratings and what is left is a body of work that one might call "all over the place." What do I make of that? Hmm... not sure. But it does seem to support my position that reviews are highly subjective and not as meaningful as we would like for them to be. That said, there is a lot of useful hard data in some of these reviews. By hard data, I mean dining times, venues, bars and lounges available, entertainment options, etc... I suppose that makes the reading of them of some value.

 

I've never taken the time to write a review, figuring that my subjective opinion is of no more value than the next cruiser's. But I intend to do that, finally, after my cruise of 1/30/2011. I will try my darndest to be fair and honest. Maybe I'll fail; maybe I'll succeed. Time will tell. But it should be fun!

[AndrewK]

... it does seem to support my position that reviews are highly subjective and not as meaningful as we would like for them to be.

 

My perception is that the majority of "negative" reviews tend toward objective and factual ... relating experiences.

The majority of "positive" reviews seem to lean toward subjective and emotional ... relating opinions and feelings.

A similar situation seems to exist with forum posts.

 

To get a handle on the overall rating for individual ships, try:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberpoll_all.cfm?rating=Overall

 

... and here for individual aspects such as dining, service etc.:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberpoll_index.cfm

 

The important information is how Poesia/MSC relates to the entire market ... not how Poesia relates to itself.

[Zambini]

@no one in particular:

 

Curious. I've seen more than one comment suggesting that negative Poesia reviews outweigh positive ones. I took that at face value at first. But curiosity got the better of me, so I looked at the ratings for the entire body of Poesia reviews. Here is what I found:

 

5+stars - 8

5 stars - 36

4 stars - 25

3 stars - 35

2 stars- 30

1 stars - 15

0 stars - 4 (two of which were identical reviews by the same poster with a different review title)

 

Toss out the eight 5+ ratings, and the "4" zero ratings and what is left is a body of work that one might call "all over the place." What do I make of that? Hmm... not sure. But it does seem to support my position that reviews are highly subjective and not as meaningful as we would like for them to be. That said, there is a lot of useful hard data in some of these reviews. By hard data, I mean dining times, venues, bars and lounges available, entertainment options, etc... I suppose that makes the reading of them of some value.

 

I've never taken the time to write a review, figuring that my subjective opinion is of no more value than the next cruiser's. But I intend to do that, finally, after my cruise of 1/30/2011. I will try my darndest to be fair and honest. Maybe I'll fail; maybe I'll succeed. Time will tell. But it should be fun!

 

MSC Poesia 3.3 Stars

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberpoll_all.cfm?rating=Overall

[Zambini]

Oops! I seem to have overlooked this post. Sorry Z.

 

It is not my intention to insult anyone's intelligence. That said, intelligent people can be just as subjective as those with less brain power. We are all, blessed and unblessed, imperfect.

 

I'm sorry I smell of assuaging - or anything else :-) But no, I don't have any fears concerning my upcoming cruise. I have zero experience with MSC, but I fully expect an enjoyable cruise aboard a typical budget cruise ship. If indeed it turns out that I have signed on to two weeks in hell, fear not, I will come clean upon my return. But my expectations are realistic, and my ability to dismiss small issues is great, so I don't anticipate torment.

 

If most posters here write fair reviews, good. That hasn't been my experience, but... well, we've already covered the concept of subjectivity, so I won't beat a dead horse.

 

Again, it wasn't my intention to insult anyone. I'm looking at reviews in a general way and wasn't thinking of any individual when I started this thread.

 

Thanks for your opinion! The more the merrier - and the better equiped we are to arrive at the truth. Happy cruising.

 

You nailed it, YOUR opinion of "fair".

 

I have found that the overall ratings by the members of cruise critic mirror almost exactly my own experiences and ratings.

 

I don't think anyone in his right mind would consider Poesia a 5 or 5+ star cruise, but as you noted, many do rate their experiences that way.

 

I won't tell them they are wrong or not "fair" or otherwise discount their opinion as you do, I think you are showing us just how little tolerance you have for opinions other than your own, if a review isn't written "just so" to please your standard, then you have a "category" to assign it.

 

Think about it:)

[Zambini]

@Zambini:

 

I left something out. You said perhaps the reviewer in my sample review has higher standards than I. Well, perhaps so, but do - after having read the review, with it's poor organization, grammar issues, and appearance of having been thrown together in a hurry - honestly believe this? I don't.

 

Higher standards for writing a review or the experiences on the cruise?

 

:D

[Towel Critter]

Higher standards for writing a review or the experiences on the cruise?

 

:D

In general.:eek:

[Deckhandoug]

Greeting Zambini,

 

Nice to meet you! You are correct; two different weekends on the same boat can yield different experiences. But what has changed? Not the "boat," but the one perceiving the boat. We all have moods and different outlooks at times. And those attitudes color our perception, which is why amateur reviews are so untrustworthy.

 

I'm certain that some have higher standards than I, just as some, undoubtedly, have lower standards. Therein lies yet another problem with reviews. If every reviewer would state upfront, "I cruise mostly on highend cruiselines and am comparing this particular cruiseline with Cunard, or state that I cruise mostly on budget cruiselines and am comparing this cruiseline with Carnival, that would go a long way toward making reviews more meaningful. I've read a few reviews where this was done, more or less, but it's a rarity.

 

As for the racism thing, I believe Andrew and I cleared that up in earlier posts.

 

Yes, I have spent a lot of time reading reviews of late, as I have a cruise coming up with a cruiseline I'm unfamiliar with. I've read many because that is necessary to discern the truth. One review, when not in the context of other reviews is meaningless - for reasons I've stated over and over on this thread.

 

Finally, you may be correct that my opinion of reviews is wrong. Such is the nature of opinion. I believe my opinion to be correct, but does that mean it is??? Not neccesarily. I'm human too; my moods, attitudes, experiences, etc.. colors my perception as well.

 

Thanks for joining in!

 

If I may jump in here, the "boat", collectively, can certainly change from week to week, the Splendor lost power for days, the passengers that week certainly had a different experience than the previous, powered week and I'm certain the reviews would reflect that.

 

The quality of the fresh food, weather, attitude of the passengers & crew and yes the physical condition of the ship itself are all certainly variables that can change from week to week and effect the quality of the cruise experience.

 

My two cents

[Towel Critter]

You nailed it, YOUR opinion of "fair".

 

I have found that the overall ratings by the members of cruise critic mirror almost exactly my own experiences and ratings.

 

I don't think anyone in his right mind would consider Poesia a 5 or 5+ star cruise, but as you noted, many do rate their experiences that way.

 

I won't tell them they are wrong or not "fair" or otherwise discount their opinion as you do, I think you are showing us just how little tolerance you have for opinions other than your own, if a review isn't written "just so" to please your standard, then you have a "category" to assign it.

 

Think about it:)

 

"You nailed it, YOUR opinion of "fair". I'm not understanding this comment. Could you restate it?

 

"I have found that the overall ratings by the members of cruise critic mirror almost exactly my own experiences and ratings." So... how does it feel to be among the average? :D(joke) Seriously, good for you...I guess.

 

"I don't think anyone in his right mind would consider Poesia a 5 or 5+ star cruise, but as you noted, many do rate their experiences that way." I can't really respond to that, having never sailed MSC. But I don't expect a 5 star ship and staff. After all, I'm not paying 5 star money.

 

"I won't tell them they are wrong or not "fair" or otherwise discount their opinion as you do..." No, but you didn't mind suggesting they were out of their minds in the prior paragraph.:D

 

"I think you are showing us just how little tolerance you have for opinions other than your own, if a review isn't written "just so" to please your standard, then you have a "category" to assign it." Really??? So it's okay, even encouraged, to express an opinion of a ship in a ship review, but narrow minded to express an opinion of a review in a review review?:(

 

I doubt seriously that I value my opinion any more than you value yours. Don't we all value our own opinion a little more than we probably should? That's the fuel that powers internet forums. But I suspect you think this thread, and the opinion I've expressed in it, is more important to me than it actually is. I was new to the board, didn't know anyone, and no one knew me, so I started a conversation. I could have said, "so, how's the weather?" I wonder where that would have gotten me...

[Towel Critter]

If I may jump in here, the "boat", collectively, can certainly change from week to week, the Splendor lost power for days, the passengers that week certainly had a different experience than the previous, powered week and I'm certain the reviews would reflect that.

 

The quality of the fresh food, weather, attitude of the passengers & crew and yes the physical condition of the ship itself are all certainly variables that can change from week to week and effect the quality of the cruise experience.

 

My two cents

Good observations, and worth a lot more than two cents! I agree. And the different circumstances that you have described so well, are one more reason to take individual reviews with a grain of salt - unless of course, the reviewer goes to the trouble to explain why their experience might have been different to others. How many do that?

 

BTW, it's nice meeting you. Thanks for jumping into this mess I've created. lol.

[Zambini]

"You nailed it, YOUR opinion of "fair". I'm not understanding this comment. Could you restate it?

 

You wrote: "If most reviewers write fair reviews", Yet why do you think the sole power to judge what is "fair" is yours? Isn't your definition of fair just like the review itself, subject to your opinions and prejudices?

 

"I have found that the overall ratings by the members of cruise critic mirror almost exactly my own experiences and ratings." So... how does it feel to be among the average? :D(joke) Seriously, good for you...I guess.

 

It means I do ascribe a value to the ratings of fellow CC members, which you have tried to discredit with this thread.

 

"I don't think anyone in his right mind would consider Poesia a 5 or 5+ star cruise, but as you noted, many do rate their experiences that way." I can't really respond to that, having never sailed MSC. But I don't expect a 5 star ship and staff. After all, I'm not paying 5 star money.

 

"I won't tell them they are wrong or not "fair" or otherwise discount their opinion as you do..." No, but you didn't mind suggesting they were out of their minds in the prior paragraph.:D

 

Yes, my personal opinion, however I don't subject everyone else's review to mine and suggest if It doesn't match my criteria to discount it as you do. They are all relevant in the rating system.

 

"I think you are showing us just how little tolerance you have for opinions other than your own, if a review isn't written "just so" to please your standard, then you have a "category" to assign it." Really??? So it's okay, even encouraged, to express an opinion of a ship in a ship review, but narrow minded to express an opinion of a review in a review review?:(

 

In my opinion, Yes, to start a thread telling everyone that doesn't write a review that contains what you feel are the important qualities of a cruise or is not "organized" to your liking is wrong and insults the reviewers.

 

I doubt seriously that I value my opinion any more than you value yours. Don't we all value our own opinion a little more than we probably should? That's the fuel that powers internet forums. But I suspect you think this thread, and the opinion I've expressed in it, is more important to me than it actually is. I was new to the board, didn't know anyone, and no one knew me, so I started a conversation. I could have said, "so, how's the weather?" I wonder where that would have gotten me...

 

I've enjoyed it, nice meeting you too!:)

[AmoMondo]

" Don't we all value our own opinion a little more than we probably should? That's the fuel that powers internet forums. But I suspect you think this thread, and the opinion I've expressed in it, is more important to me than it actually is. I was new to the board, didn't know anyone, and no one knew me, so I started a conversation. I could have said, "so, how's the weather?" I wonder where that would have gotten me...

 

Yes, I think you have it the nail on the head with that observation. As for discussing the weather - please no, anything but That - I'm trying desperately hard to ignore that (and the cabin fever that is setting in with being cut off by snow for more than a week)! I have however found your thread highly entertaining, so please keep posting your views.

[dhdozier]

@no one in particular:

 

Curious. I've seen more than one comment suggesting that negative Poesia reviews outweigh positive ones. I took that at face value at first. But curiosity got the better of me, so I looked at the ratings for the entire body of Poesia reviews. Here is what I found:

 

5+stars - 8

5 stars - 36

4 stars - 25

3 stars - 35

2 stars- 30

1 stars - 15

0 stars - 4 (two of which were identical reviews by the same poster with a different review title)

 

Toss out the eight 5+ ratings, and the "4" zero ratings and what is left is a body of work that one might call "all over the place." What do I make of that? Hmm... not sure. But it does seem to support my position that reviews are highly subjective and not as meaningful as we would like for them to be. That said, there is a lot of useful hard data in some of these reviews. By hard data, I mean dining times, venues, bars and lounges available, entertainment options, etc... I suppose that makes the reading of them of some value.

 

I've never taken the time to write a review, figuring that my subjective opinion is of no more value than the next cruiser's. But I intend to do that, finally, after my cruise of 1/30/2011. I will try my darndest to be fair and honest. Maybe I'll fail; maybe I'll succeed. Time will tell. But it should be fun!

 

Alright, I'm game to join the conversation. I read & thought about these posts on being subjective and read some of the other posters who also had some really great points. So, I want to add on to the whole subjective train of thought with my personal experience...I sailed on the Poesia during Thanksgiving week and had a VERY pleasant experience. My dinner mates, 2 couples around 80 yrs old, sailed it for 2 weeks - the week before we arrived in addition to Thanksgiving week with us (FYI Hubby and I are late 30s with 2 kids). Their review of the week previous to our arrival was a total contrast to the week we were on it. They complained that the week before the food was bad, the entertainment staff not social enough with passengers, etc.etc. Yet what I observed as their complaints for that week was, well...everything our week seemed completely different to me. I saw plenty of social interatcion, here's an ex - the entertainment ladies and gents dancing with passengers and some fun joking back and forth. And to make an even stronger case against their dispute - about 30 minutes later I found one of the couples playing cards alone in the wine bar. Huh? You have to be in a social situation to expect interaction right? When I stopped to talk to them they said they did this every night after dinner. And the food criticism - some of the dishes they said were not so hot, yet they ordered them again and then said they were great this time. I have been to restaurants and had this happen, but with these couples for every complaint with the food they seemed to contradict themself when presented it anew in our presence. If they wrote a review on here I would be willing to bet that they would totally trash the ship even though they seemed to enjoy themselves the week we were on - I say this because they said they would never sail on Poesia again. So I guess what I am saying is that I agree that all reviews are very subjective and that you have to read up, do your homework, read for common postives and negatives, and still try to have the best attitude to make your holiday a great time in spite of what you may encounter.

[Capricruiser]

I've only had one cruise on the Poesia - in June 2010 on her cruise from Kiel to Iceland - and based on my experiences on the ship I'm surprised there are so many negative reviews and postings on the Caribbean cruises. Of the 2010 Caribbean reviews around 45% rated their experience at 3 stars or less. On my cruise instead, I found the food to be good, the interaction with the staff good, along with the entertainment, cabin, service, cleanliness, etc. - all good to very good if not excellent. My only real issue was with the organization of the excursions and overwhelming some of the small ports we visited with our passenger load. I find it hard to believe that things can go so bad for many CC members when the Poesia is in the Caribbean.

Not having much else to do these days I've been reading the CC reviews and forums for some of the other cruise lines and surprisingly find much of the same back and forth, pros and cons, friendliness and nastiness, that we have on the MSC forum. Before I was concerned; now I see it's all in ones expectations and personal opinions. Not to worry. When I cruise I'll enjoy myself and not sweat the small stuff...

[AndrewK]

... now I see it's all in ones expectations and personal opinions ...

 

I disagree. Some possibly, but definately not "all".

 

I disagree with the suggestion that MSC's low rankings are due to the attitude of passengers ... but even it that were the case, why would passenger attitude toward an MSC cruise be any different to attitude toward any other cruise on any other line?

 

The way in which MSC passengers rate and review their experiences is no different to the way in which passengers on other ships and lines rate and review. There's no particular reviewing style or system which is peculiar to MSC.

 

... I found the food to be good ...

 

As do some others ... and while some may disagree, nobody is going to argue with your opinion. Because you enjoyed the food doen't mean that everyone will ... a fact illustrated by the consistently low ratings in the tabulated results. As I've tried to explain, people don't apply some sort of unique system in reviewing the food on MSC.

[MTL=CRUISEFAMILY]

Ummm ... isn't that rather the whole point of Cruise Critic? ... to explain to other members how things compare between various offerings in the cruise market. I think it would be very difficult to review a cruise experience without comparing it to some sort of baseline.

 

Sorry disagree, I initially came to cruisecritic to be prepared as to what to expect...if you are a newbie most info will be of value , if you are an experienced cruiser you may have preferences as to offerings, but I do not compare...for example if I were to purchase a tv I would look at reviews and look for features that interest me.

 

Do I need all the bells and whistles of a particular brand?

Is the value equal to the cost? etc

 

So in comparing a cruise, or cruiseline I would initially look at the itinerary, price and then all the offerings.

[AndrewK]

... but I do not compare ...

 

OK, you don't compare.

Then how would you know, for example, whether the TV you purchased offered value for money ... whether a different brand might offer the same or better features ... perhaps at a better price ... or with a better implementation of the features you want?

You simply can't rate anything in isolation.

 

... So in comparing a cruise, or cruiseline I would initially look at ...

 

OK, you do compare.

So you therefore accept the need to have some sort of standard on which to base your judgment?

You simply can't rate anything in isolation.

[Towel Critter]

Alright, I'm game to join the conversation. I read & thought about these posts on being subjective and read some of the other posters who also had some really great points. So, I want to add on to the whole subjective train of thought with my personal experience...I sailed on the Poesia during Thanksgiving week and had a VERY pleasant experience. My dinner mates, 2 couples around 80 yrs old, sailed it for 2 weeks - the week before we arrived in addition to Thanksgiving week with us (FYI Hubby and I are late 30s with 2 kids). Their review of the week previous to our arrival was a total contrast to the week we were on it. They complained that the week before the food was bad, the entertainment staff not social enough with passengers, etc.etc. Yet what I observed as their complaints for that week was, well...everything our week seemed completely different to me. I saw plenty of social interatcion, here's an ex - the entertainment ladies and gents dancing with passengers and some fun joking back and forth. And to make an even stronger case against their dispute - about 30 minutes later I found one of the couples playing cards alone in the wine bar. Huh? You have to be in a social situation to expect interaction right? When I stopped to talk to them they said they did this every night after dinner. And the food criticism - some of the dishes they said were not so hot, yet they ordered them again and then said they were great this time. I have been to restaurants and had this happen, but with these couples for every complaint with the food they seemed to contradict themself when presented it anew in our presence. If they wrote a review on here I would be willing to bet that they would totally trash the ship even though they seemed to enjoy themselves the week we were on - I say this because they said they would never sail on Poesia again. So I guess what I am saying is that I agree that all reviews are very subjective and that you have to read up, do your homework, read for common postives and negatives, and still try to have the best attitude to make your holiday a great time in spite of what you may encounter.

 

Greetings, DHdozier! Welcome to the thread, and pleased to meet you. You seem to have captured the essence of my many attempts to explain my opinion on reviews, and supported it with a real life experience. Like you, I'm not completely discounting reviews (as a body). The heart of what I've been trying to say, and probably not doing a good job of expressing, is simply that a single review, out of the context of other reviews, is meaningless. I'm not using the word "meaningless" as a put down, nor an insult. But at the moment I'm failing to come up with a better word. Perhaps an analogy: a single piece of a jigsaw puzzle, sitting on a table, could be said to have no meaning; but sitting in it's correct position in a completed puzzle it does. Of course if the single piece is badly scarred, or otherwise defaced, it has little purpose in either setting. In my opinion, SOME reviews are like the defaced puzzle piece, ruined, because of the inability of their maker to see beyond their own prejudices, and highly demanding temprements. Anyway, here I go getting all complex again. You said it more succinctly and better.

 

Thanks for joining in!

[Towel Critter]

Yes, I think you have it the nail on the head with that observation. As for discussing the weather - please no, anything but That - I'm trying desperately hard to ignore that (and the cabin fever that is setting in with being cut off by snow for more than a week)! I have however found your thread highly entertaining, so please keep posting your views.

Thank you kindly. And pleased to meet you. I'm glad to hear that my musings, and those of others, have at least some value. I was starting to wonder if this little exercise was a mistake. Thanks for joining us, and happy cruising!

[Zambini]

Greetings, DHdozier! Welcome to the thread, and pleased to meet you. You seem to have captured the essence of my many attempts to explain my opinion on reviews, and supported it with a real life experience. Like you, I'm not completely discounting reviews (as a body). The heart of what I've been trying to say, and probably not doing a good job of expressing, is simply that a single review, out of the context of other reviews, is meaningless. I'm not using the word "meaningless" as a put down, nor an insult. But at the moment I'm failing to come up with a better word. Perhaps an analogy: a single piece of a jigsaw puzzle, sitting on a table, could be said to have no meaning; but sitting in it's correct position in a completed puzzle it does. Of course if the single piece is badly scarred, or otherwise defaced, it has little purpose in either setting. In my opinion, SOME reviews are like the defaced puzzle piece, ruined, because of the inability of their maker to see beyond their own prejudices, and highly demanding temprements. Anyway, here I go getting all complex again. You said it more succinctly and better.

 

Thanks for joining in!

 

And so, you have come full circle and answered your own question, the review average does have credence, MSC Poesia is 3.3 stars, the puzzle is complete, the piece on the table is joined by its mates revealing the picture, made clearer with each additional piece.

 

Seems like I mentioned that a few posts back....;)

[Towel Critter]

I've only had one cruise on the Poesia - in June 2010 on her cruise from Kiel to Iceland - and based on my experiences on the ship I'm surprised there are so many negative reviews and postings on the Caribbean cruises. Of the 2010 Caribbean reviews around 45% rated their experience at 3 stars or less. On my cruise instead, I found the food to be good, the interaction with the staff good, along with the entertainment, cabin, service, cleanliness, etc. - all good to very good if not excellent. My only real issue was with the organization of the excursions and overwhelming some of the small ports we visited with our passenger load. I find it hard to believe that things can go so bad for many CC members when the Poesia is in the Caribbean.

Not having much else to do these days I've been reading the CC reviews and forums for some of the other cruise lines and surprisingly find much of the same back and forth, pros and cons, friendliness and nastiness, that we have on the MSC forum. Before I was concerned; now I see it's all in ones expectations and personal opinions. Not to worry. When I cruise I'll enjoy myself and not sweat the small stuff...

 

Yes. I've spent much more time on the forums at the Carnival site, and see the same thing.

[Towel Critter]

And so, you have come full circle and answered your own question, the review average does have credence, MSC Poesia is 3.3 stars, the puzzle is complete, the piece on the table is joined by its mates revealing the picture, made clearer with each additional piece.

 

Seems like I mentioned that a few posts back....;)

To be honest, this thread has grown so much, gone in so many subtle but different directions, and occupied so much of my time that I'm not even sure anymore what my question was. LOL. Maybe you are correct and I have answered my own question in a way, or perhaps it has evolved into a new question. Who knows.:) But I still think a lot of individual reviews are flawed by "personality." And those reviews do influence the overall rating, for better or worse. So I'm still not sure how useful that average is.

 

Nice catch, by the way, on my having completed the circle. Very astute of you! This little exercise was, perhaps, me thinking out loud as much as anything, that and a way to meet some of you "locals" in an entertaining way. I think it has been fairly successful in those regards, though some may have come to think of me in a less than affectionate manner.;) If my original intent was to influence or change the opinion of others, I suppose I have fallen flat on my face. It's been fun though.

[AndrewK]

... The heart of what I've been trying to say, and probably not doing a good job of expressing, is simply that a single review, out of the context of other reviews, is meaningless ...

 

Exactly what I'm trying to explain to MTL=CRUISEFAMILY above when I say "You simply can't rate anything in isolation".

 

What I'm also trying to explore is the consistently low ranking, over an extended period, with the same issues being raised over and over again.

 

Whatever flaws might exist in the reviewing process, the process applies equally across all ships and lines and as such (and as Zambini correctly observes) the accumulated rankings must therefore be given credence. The rankings are entirely in the context of all other reviews.

 

... I still think a lot of individual reviews are flawed by "personality." And those reviews do influence the overall rating, for better or worse ...

 

Possibly true ... but again irrelevant because "personality" would influence other reviews of other ships and other lines to the same extent. The comparative rankings are fair and meaninful.

[Towel Critter]

I've enjoyed it, nice meeting you too!:)

Me too! As for the bowl of spaghetti this particular exchange has become, forgive me, but I don't have the stamina to sort through it and respond. Instead, I'll just run up the proverbial white flag - for now - and say, I surrender. Please put me in a clean cell, at least, and treat me with measured kindness. (I'll get you next time though!:D) Until later, Z, Critter.