How accurate is this review?

[COMBOY]

We have never cruised before although by husband has wanted to for many years and I have resisted. We have finally taken the plunge (I hope not literally!) and booked the Spanish Med cruise on Independence next June. I have been researching on the forums and getting quite excited about it until I read this review. Can anyone please put this into context as to accuracy or is it a case of someone who just likes to moan. Being an avid Trip Advisor user I know this is the case with some people.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=219591

 

Cruise reviews are subjective and there is NO way to verify the OP nor how legit this review is. Anyone can come of Cruisecritic and post a review. Now, I'm saying this is my any means a phony review, but when I see a head lines like..."first and last cruise" or "sample cruise"...and then negative after negative comments I give very little weight on a review like this. Having sailed on RCI many times my experience has been quite positive. RCI ships are some of the most beautiful ships afloat. The are like floating palaces. How anyone could possibility go on a cruise and have a bad time is beyond my comprehension, but that's just me.

 

Many first time cruisers come on board with UNREALISTIC expectations. This OP wanted a deluxe luxurious cruise like Oceania, Crystal, Seaborne but got a mid priced mass market "sample cruise" and they were very disappointed. Of course they would have had to pay a lot more for a more for the upscale cruise line. IMO they clearly didn't booked the right ship for themselves. Many people sail on RCI and are very happy because they understand the product, do their homework and have realistic expectations. Only you can determine if a cruise line or ship is right for you given your budget and the type of cruise experience you want. You should go, keep an open mind and keep your expectation real. You might be quite happy or maybe very disappointed. Please come back and you write a detailed review for us. Thanks!

[voyager70]

Half term in the UK is the last week in May and the long six week summer break starts around 20 July. I don't know about the half term in Scotland and Ireland but the summer break starts at the end of June. I would say you would be safe around the middle of June.

 

Thank You!

[nb125]

Thank You!

 

Just to be sure maybe you could ask on the UK board. I would hate you to be caught as we have not knowling about Scotland being different. Of course, you cannot plan for the parents who take their children out of school in term time.

[nb125]

Cruise reviews are subjective and there is NO way to verify the OP nor how legit this review is. Anyone can come of Cruisecritic and post a review. Now, I'm saying this is my any means a phony review, but when I see a head lines like..."first and last cruise" or "sample cruise"...and then negative after negative comments I give very little weight on a review like this. Having sailed on RCI many times my experience has been quite positive. RCI ships are some of the most beautiful ships afloat. The are like floating palaces. How anyone could possibility go on a cruise and have a bad time is beyond my comprehension, but that's just me.

 

Many first time cruisers come on board with UNREALISTIC expectations. This OP wanted a deluxe luxurious cruise like Oceania, Crystal, Seaborne but got a mid priced mass market "sample cruise" and they were very disappointed. Of course they would have had to pay a lot more for a more for the upscale cruise line. IMO they clearly didn't booked the right ship for themselves. Many people sail on RCI and are very happy because they understand the product, do their homework and have realistic expectations. Only you can determine if a cruise line or ship is right for you given your budget and the type of cruise experience you want. You should go, keep an open mind and keep your expectation real. You might be quite happy or maybe very disappointed. Please come back and you write a detailed review for us. Thanks!

 

Thanks for that, unfortunately this thread has completely moved away from the original bad review and we are now more concerned about

 

My wife and I are just off the IOS having spent the last 2 weeks on the West med 14 night cruise from Southampton.

This is my 5th RCI cruise and I have cruised many times with other cruise lines.

This is my first cruise from Southampton during school holiday time, and will be my last from Southampton during holiday time!

 

 

Generally, our cruise was enjoyable, but not in the same league as our previous cruises. I would say, slightly disappointing in comparison

First of all the IOS is a beautiful ship and our first on the "Freedom" class.

Everything else being positive, I will deal with the negative points we experienced. I must say, all staff were fantastic and we had absolutely no complaints about the level of service. BUT..

Windjammer Cafe - busy anytime we visited there. Complete cattle market and too small for the size of ship. 90% of the time we could not get a table and had to sit at the single seat benches. We used the Windjammer once for an evening meal and saw numerous tables taken up by groups of young kids, one lot of 4 unsupervised with their colouring books and pens, having been sent there by their parents, no doubt occupying themselves elsewhere on the ship.

 

 

Food quality at the WJ was good, but not so if you generally ate chicken or fish of which there seemed to be a lack of these options at most lunch times.

MDR - food was ok, but presentation generally not good, ie spilt gravy on plates, dry food indicating some time under heat lamps, no time taken to present food tidily on plate. Again, service was excellent, but as I say, we did notice a decline in the quality and presentation.

Sundecks - another cattle market, particularly at sea days. Mass reserving of sunbeds and did not once see deck patrol removing any towels. One chair even had a 'marked territory' scarf attached to it for 2 consecutive days.

 

 

Our 6th floor midships stateroom was spotlessly clean and a lovely room, well serviced by our excellent steward. However, there is an obvious design flaw in the balcony door (or the seals were non existent), which meant that catching the wind, the noise from the gaps in the doors sounded like bein next to a tumble dryer.. Also due to the presence of chain smokers on the balcony next to us, everytime they lit a cigarette (daytime or through the night), the smell of smoke seeped into our room. I reported that to Guest Services but due to the fact ther ship was at capacity, a change of stateroom was not possible. Our room was the noisiest we had ever been on, compounded by the fact that it appeared to be above some storeroom servicing the Promenade Cafe, which meant that we had to endure the constant sound of metal cupboards and doors being dragged and pulled shut, all through the night. Also, there was some night time maintenance of the areas around the lifeboats which were underneath our beds which also caused noise, particularly during the first 3 and last 2 nights aboard.

A smell of sewage in the corridor (as referred to in previous threads) was very much apparent beside the elevators on port side, but was not detectable in our room.

 

 

 

My main concern (for us anyway) was the groups of unsupervised children which were left to roam the ship, the top age of some groups being only 9/10 years. Playing in lifts, throwing water in the disabled toilets, running around the ship, particularly running races through the corridors during the early hours of the morning, to name but a few problems. I spoke to one couple who delighted in telling us that their 9 year old girl was allowed to roam unsupervised and would even come into the room after 2am, long after their parents had retired to bed. That was by no means a lone incident.

 

 

I know kids will be kids, but I thought RCI policy meant that they had to be supervised at all times in public areas.

 

 

As for some of the adults, I don`t know if the premium alcohol packages had anything to do with it, but its the first time I have seen rowdy behaviour late at night and fists fights involving adults in the Royal Promenade (outside Sorrentos to be precise - you know who you are !). Also I have never seen the large industrial carpet cleaner put to so much use cleaning carpets and floors of sick, particularly later at night on Level 5 (and that was on nights when there was no ship movement!).

 

 

We also witnessed frequent loud domestic disputes in public areas, and several cruisers lying drunk on the floor ( one in the Chapmagne Bar to be precise), and an aggressive altercation between 2 males at guest services which required one to be restrained by several Security officers. Also older people, who should know better trying to hold each other up whilst staggering about drunk in the Royal Promenade. Sometimes it felt like a city centre street during a the early hours of a weekend (but with children), rather than a cruise ship feature such as a Royal Promenade.

 

All in all a fairly enjoyable cruise, but not for us, at least not from Southampton during the school holidays. I would cruise on the IOS again but not on level 6 above the Royal Promenade either.

[rafinmd]

Never been on the Independence, and I probably wouldn't like it. I think it would be much too big for me. That said, this review seems to be one of a dime a dozen category that isn't worth the electrons it uses.

 

You must be a Cruise Critic member to post a review. While the reviewer must be a member that doesn't mean you need to be an active member, just that you have to go through a simple registration process.

 

The author of this review claims to have a number of cruises under his/her belt, but has never before posted a review, and apparently has never made a single post on cruise critic. It's really hard to judge the value of the review and reviewer that way.

 

If you've done your research and go with an open mind you should have a wonderful cruise.

 

Roy

[IwannaGo Now]

My opinion??......

 

You may, or may not have a great cruise...a horrible cruise, or anywhere in between. Some have guaranteed you'll have a great time, others assured you if you have the right attitude, or "open mind" you'll enjoy it. I can't tell you that.

 

In my opinion, I have found the cruise product has been deteriorating over the years, as the price point tries to stay affordable....some things have to suffer. But it is still a great vacation for the cost.

Does that mean you won't enjoy? Not at all. The ships certainly are beautiful....."floating palaces"....but a gorgeous ship can't guarantee a fantastic cruise. Many factors come into the experience. Crew, entertainment, service, food, all contribute to your enjoyment level.

 

I have seen people who have been inebriated for most of a cruise....they certainly seemed to have had a great time....and probably reported they did.

 

Many things factor into the enjoyment scale. You may have the best cabin steward, best waiter, best cruise director, best weather, etc.....or you may have all the worst of those. More than likely you'll get a mixture.

The bottom line? It depends on what makes you happy.

 

I've been on 400 passenger ships, and 4000 passenger ships.

I love sitting on the balcony with a pot of room service coffee in the morning.....I enjoy the entertainment. I just enjoy being on a ship. But that's me, what I like. I've had good cruises, and not so good....but I have always enjoyed parts, if not most of every cruise.

 

Be aware that every state, country, city have different school schedules....It's always school vacation somewhere.... I've been on cruises with tons of kids, and few kids. Cruises where the kids were extremely well behaved.....I've also experienced the opposite....and the in between.

 

Don't go with the mindset that everything will be excellent.........because it probably won't be. Go with the attitude that it'll be fine.... and it probably will be. Form your own opinions. You'll find both good, and not so good things. Things you'll like, maybe love, and some you'll not like, or even hate.

 

In either case a cruise is something you'll always remember.

A big plus is that it's your first cruise....and the first is usually the best!!!!

It was for me!

 

Have fun, and enjoy!

[celebrity]

Well it's just as someone else said when you have people that go on the cruise and absolutely everything sucked, then it becomes unbelievable! IMHO I find it hard to believe that "EVERYTHING" was bad the entire week! I'm not going to label them as moaners but I am going to label their review as "UNBELIEVABLE"!

 

I totally agree! If I had written a review of my first RCCL cruise, I would have been bashed as a Debbie Downer. It was on Voyager and my 7th cruise so clearly I love cruising. My cabin steward was downright surly and my waiter had zero personality. It did leave a lasting impression on me BUT my sons loved it! I decided to give RCCL another chance for their benefit and I am now Diamond status. Sometimes, things don't work out as you hope but you move on. Was everything awful? No, but they really left a bad taste and if not for my boys, RCCL would have been a one time deal. Please don't dwell on one negative post, I am certain you will have an amazing cruise. Happy Sails!

[sotonjoe]

It was`nt a complete nightmare, just the negative things that I have highlighted.

 

In fact, I think it is something unique to cruising from the UK during the school holidays in particular.....British holiday camp at sea! (Butlins or Benidorm - take your pick (UK readers will understand this).

 

All good except that the holidays haven't started for most schools yet. Don't let the facts ruin your review though.

[cruzsnooze]

We have never cruised before although by husband has wanted to for many years and I have resisted. We have finally taken the plunge (I hope not literally!) and booked the Spanish Med cruise on Independence next June. I have been researching on the forums and getting quite excited about it until I read this review. Can anyone please put this into context as to accuracy or is it a case of someone who just likes to moan. Being an avid Trip Advisor user I know this is the case with some people.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=219591

It is 100% accurate to the person who posted it. How on earth does anyone know if this person is logical or a whiner. It is an opinion and you can't quantify an opinion.