How much are you influenced by reviews?

[Sargent_Schultz]

My thoughts as well. Sarge, did you do a Baltic cruise? I thought you had, but I can't find anything on it. I'm trying to figure out shore excursions.

 

We have. On Carnival Splendor - it was a b2b2b from Genoa to St Petersburg and back to Dover. It's in here from July 10-25, 2008

 

http://www.zydecocruiser.net/splendor/splendor.htm

 

It was great. We would have signed up for a Carnival legend Baltic cruise had they not offered a British Isles one. I think a lot of my captions are still lacking on that one, but I'm trying to catch up. Some day. :confused:

 

I guess that's a good reason to do inaugurals - you don't have to think about what others say.

[deborahjo]

My wife and I and our son and his family are planning to book the Dream for next August, but after reading some recent reviews I am reluctant to book it. Many of the recent reviews are terrible and have made me have second thoughts. I realize these reviews can vary among passengers on the same cruise and it is not uncommon to have one review very negative and another very positive for the same week. It could be that the change in their itinerary caused by hurricane Ernesto affected some more than others. What is disturbing is that many of the negative comments were about food, over crowded pools, lack of enforcement of rules in the dining room and serenity area, and mediocre service. These negative comments cannot be attributed to weather. Do you take these reviews seriously or ignore them?

 

We cruise for ourselves. Read reviews but we make our own decisions.

[DGP1111]

Go when it isn't crowded and there are no crowds.

 

Although one of your least prophetic suggestions, I happen to actually love it. :D :D

 

.

[wranglerguy]

i don't even look at them. a cruise is what you make of it. i could have a great time on a tug boat. all i need is relaxation and a bucket of beer.

 

the following are different for everyone

food

entertainment

staff

ship condition

 

some things you have no control over

crowded pool really the ship is only so big

crowded buffet, during peak hours yes they are on all ships

kids, hello it's a family orientated cruise line now

 

our favorite ship is the Legend out of Tampa, it is a spirit class ship and IMO has the best ship size to people ratio in the fleet.

 

i have heard that the dream has a smell and carnival knows about it and plans to fix it next dry dock. something about the vacuum waste disposal not working correctly. Dream Dry Dock: Sept. 8-22, 2012

[Sargent_Schultz]

Although one of your least prophetic suggestions, I happen to actually love it. :D :D

 

.

 

I tried to type it with a Yogi Berra-ish accent :D

[abbygail]

Going on the "Dream" in Dec and I'm gonna love it!

[Lady N Red]

I have been on the Dream 4 times, smelled the smell ... once.

[mss22859]

I have read numerous reviews of our 3 previous ships, as well as our upcoming one. While none have been competely perfect, I figure that nothing in life is perfect, either! Enjoy, you are on VACATION!!!!!:)

[Andoria]

My needs are few and reviews matter to me. If people are complaining over and over again about the things that are important to me, I pay attention. I like to do as much research as possible before I give up my money.

 

If reviews aren't important and posters don't care what others think about their cruise experience, why is everyone on CC?

[jetsfan]

I read reviews of ships I am going on. If they mention a particular hotel they stayed at pre-cruise, or an excursion they did, that definitely helps me in my planning.

 

I read for entertainment mostly. I expect some kids to be unsupervised. I know someone will talk loud in the hallway. I know that there will be long lines at the Lido between 11-1:00. So no big surprises there.

 

I like the human side of the reviews. Who is going? Have they cruised before? Were they celebrating a big event? Did some outrageous thing happen while they were having dinner?

 

If the reviewer starts to talk about worn doorknobs and cracks in the grout on the bathroom floor, I usually bail. I have these things in my house, and my friends who come over to have a good time, don't seem to mind.

 

I respect their points of view, but I would never let a negative review stop me from cruising on a ship. If I did, we would never have sailed the Dream, which I absolutely loved.

[nybumpkin]

We have. On Carnival Splendor - it was a b2b2b from Genoa to St Petersburg and back to Dover. It's in here from July 10-25, 2008

 

http://www.zydecocruiser.net/splendor/splendor.htm

 

It was great. We would have signed up for a Carnival legend Baltic cruise had they not offered a British Isles one. I think a lot of my captions are still lacking on that one, but I'm trying to catch up. Some day. :confused:

 

I guess that's a good reason to do inaugurals - you don't have to think about what others say.

Thanks for the link - I've bookmarked it. We would have loved the British Isles itinerary but they're only offering it in September - and when you're married to a college professor, September cruises aren't happening.:(

[Mara Suung]

I read reviews of ships I am going on. If they mention a particular hotel they stayed at pre-cruise, or an excursion they did, that definitely helps me in my planning.

 

I read for entertainment mostly. I expect some kids to be unsupervised. I know someone will talk loud in the hallway. I know that there will be long lines at the Lido between 11-1:00. So no big surprises there.

 

I like the human side of the reviews. Who is going? Have they cruised before? Were they celebrating a big event? Did some outrageous thing happen while they were having dinner?

 

:)

[SE NC]

I totally ignore them as far as picking a cruise. Come on.. most Carnival cruises are cookie cutter sameness .. .. seems silly to me to think one ship is that much different in terms of food and service or that decorating means that much.

 

I read someone else's opinion on Magic yesterday telling a poster that the newness should be ignored, that he didnt really think Magic was that great. I loved Magic and think it is gorgeous and much more beautiful than the prior ships decorating.

 

People can be 180 degrees opposite on the same ship.. even on the same cruise.

 

I think you are putting too much into reviews.. and at most should throw out the highs and lows and keep the middle ones (such as any beginning course in stats will explain to you how to do).

 

I sometimes what to yell at people who post .. please help me pick out a cruise.. and think. This is something no one should do for you. No one knows your personal budget and so many factors.. who would leave such a decision to a message board of faceless people?

 

Agree 100% !

[WAHMto5]

I enjoy readig the reviews, though not influenced at all by them!

 

We love the Dream and can't wait to be back on her in a few weeks;)

[jpg1747]

Not in the least, but they're fun to read and I appreciate the time and effort put in to them by the writers.

[RWolver672]

The only crowds I notice are when people try to all show up to eat at the same time. Go when it isn't crowded and there are no crowds. ;)

 

I don't know if you've ever been on the Dream or not but there is no place on her where there isn't a crowd. Just trying to get to the comedy club, people were standing in groups all along the promenade making it impossible to pass them. Trying to get to the ship's stores, they had the tables set outside the store where people were lined up looking at the stuff. On the lobby deck they had entertainers doing something. People were lined up on the deck where the stores are, looking over the railing. Again, you couldn't get through. No matter what time you go to look at the photos it's a nightmare.

 

The Dream does have some nice qualities; great friendly staff, good food, good entertainment, etc. but the crowds are enough to keep us from ever going on that size ship again.

[wranglerguy]

people who had a bad experience are more likely to write a review then someone who had a good time. look at the total number or reviews written, the dream cruises with around 3646 people on it every week and it has been sailing since 2008. 52 weeks in a year. so 3646 X 52=189592 reviews a year if everyone wrote one.

 

read them but take it with a grain of salt because there are thousands of people who didn't write a review who had a great time but the same can be said for the people who had a bad time that didn't want to be bothered writing one.

 

then there are trolls who write negative reviews because they work for a competitor. people who never been on a cruise and don't like it and feel like they should tell everyone. my sister hates cruising and tells everyone she does.

we have a friend of the family that bashes us for cruising, so i asked her one day have you ever been on a cruise? she said no, then i was like then how do you know you wont like it? in order to have a opinion you have to have some knowledge.

on our first Legend cruise all the reviews were bad ones and i was nervous about it. come to find out the reviews were wrong and now the Legend is our favorite ship.

anyway read them, take it in, forget it.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Thanks for the link - I've bookmarked it. We would have loved the British Isles itinerary but they're only offering it in September - and when you're married to a college professor, September cruises aren't happening.:(

 

You're welcome and oh well, stay tuned for my pictures. ;)

[Sargent_Schultz]

I don't know if you've ever been on the Dream or not but there is no place on her where there isn't a crowd. Just trying to get to the comedy club, people were standing in groups all along the promenade making it impossible to pass them. Trying to get to the ship's stores, they had the tables set outside the store where people were lined up looking at the stuff. On the lobby deck they had entertainers doing something. People were lined up on the deck where the stores are, looking over the railing. Again, you couldn't get through. No matter what time you go to look at the photos it's a nightmare.

 

The Dream does have some nice qualities; great friendly staff, good food, good entertainment, etc. but the crowds are enough to keep us from ever going on that size ship again.

 

28 consecutive days on Carnival Dream and had a great time. Would do it all again in a heartbeat. Shop when others aren't - no problem.

[ib4cruzn]

I tried to type it with a Yogi Berra-ish accent :D

 

Nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded. ;-)

[twentyknots]

Many thanks to all who responded to my question.

 

Perhaps I should have told you that the booking of the Dream for next August would be in place of the Oasis that we have booked for next June. The idea to cancel the Oasis and book the Dream was in response to our desire to take 2 vacations next summer: a cruise and a week at the beach. The Oasis is so expensive that continuing with those plans would preclude a week at the beach too. I should tell you too that my wife and I have cruised 15 times on Holland America, Royal Carribean, Celebrity, and Carnival. My son has cruised only once on the Fascination. When I asked him if he was concerned about Dream's negative reviews he responded that he was not; that he had a wonderful time on the Fascination and expected the same or better on the Dream. Many of you feel the same way. Some responded that there is no such thing as a bad cruise. That reviews are not to be taken seriously.

 

I don't believe everything I read, good or bad. But when I hear recurring complaints about over crowding, kids in the Serenity area, no room in the pools, and rowdy guests, it does cause me to take notice and wonder if maybe we should keep our plans to sail the Oasis. I know the Oasis will be crowded too, but based on all accounts the experience is simply outstanding. It's hard to find a negative review. Of course the Oasis and Dream are not comparable cruises. One should not expect the same cruising experience on the Dream as the Oasis. After all, the Oasis will cost us twice as much as the Dream. The thing is my wife and I never cruise when we know lots of kids will be onboard. We're doing this one in the summer because of our desire to be with our son and his family. There's no way to avoid some of the problems associated with lots of kids running around, but I think maybe the Oasis will make it easier to tolerate the crowds.

 

Having cruised many times on different ships I know that all cruises are not equal. I believe generally you get what you pay for. My vote is for the Oasis. My son will vote for the Dream. If the reviews had been better I would have voted for the Dream too.

[Foxinspace]

I love reading BAD reviews. They are the only ones I ever read. All of the 2 stars and less!! Why? Simple... I read the worst and decide what I can and can't live with.

 

State room wasn't cleaned enough. Okay, I can live with that. We're self

sufficient that way.

 

Bad MDR service. Hmmm... Well we could always do the buffet, if we had a couple of bad nights, or with Any Time aim to get a table with different servers.

 

Food Bland. Rare is the buffet, I can't find something to enjoy! So it might mean I have to forage a little more carefully, at least I didn't have to cook it!

 

I never read the good reviews. I figure if it's good I won't learn anything. I also take into account that many reviewers also have bad experiences in port, or in the departure cities that have influenced their cruise review, but which aren't in the cruise line's control at all. Lastly a reviewer who gives a bad review because they missed a port, or had horrible weather... Well that's a whole other thing... Would I be upset? Yup absolutely. However, after the emotional part of me got over it, the rational would take over and say: Let's be frank, the cruise line can't control the weather and if the safety of their passengers would be jeopardized I would rather skip a port, than risk my life, or those of my loved ones.

 

In the end how much influence do they have? I have booked one line over another because of them. When there are 20 or more bad reviews for a ship, and only 6 or 7 for another over the same time. Well that will tell me lots.

 

Also... Last thought. I read reviews on multiple websites. I never rely on the opinions of just one group of people. And yes, I read A LOT of reviews before I select where my money gets spent.

[nlktx49]

I love to read cruise reviews, they are my favorite things on CC. Finding out about the people who are cruising, what they did, their excursions, all interest me. However, the reviews that are so relentlessly negative I consider to be by a person who has a negative outlook on life in general!

 

We cruised on the Magic for the first time in February, and I was worried because of reviews talking about how crowded it was, poor service in the MDR, bad food, etc. Well, it turned out to be my best cruise to date! I loved the ship, we had fantastic service in the MDR, our cabin steward was great, I enjoyed everything I ate, and I never felt crowded on the ship. Have another cruise booked on her for Feb. 2013. I did write a review!

 

So I say go on the Dream, go with an open mind and I bet you'll have a wonderful time - plus getting that second vacation!

[larkz]

Many people will never write a review if they're happy -- they only write if they want to rant. I also assume that a small portion of reviewers are working for or against the company that they're writing about. And some are, well, mentally unstable.

 

I look for 1) balance and 2) issues that matter to me.

 

Three screaming paragraphs about a room steward who didn't say "hi" often enough, or a steak that wasn't cooked properly, or "not enough free toiletries," and the reviewer has lost me.

 

If the issue is "not enough ashtrays," I don't smoke. If the issue is "bad internet connection," I'm interested because I like to use my laptop.

 

Some reviews can provide loads of useful tips and information. Others aren't worth the electrons required to display them on a monitor.