Cruise Reviews

[arpie05]

Have you ever read a cruise review and wished Cruise Critic had a thumbs down, or Unhelpful button. OR even a critic button? I really get frustrated with reading reviews by members who have just joined and it's their first post!

How about a join period before you can post a review? I'm not saying a person would had to post but it just seems so suspect when someone joined in 2016 and makes their first post a review.

 

I was reading a review of the Breeze by BrooksClan418. She gives the cruise a 1/5 -Hated it. Yet, she says the ports were good.

What the problem was is she was sailing with 1 other adult, a 5 year old and 1.5 year old. Ok... are you guessing her complaint?

They provided a crib. (I've met people on cruises who have brought traveling toddler beds) But the crib was uncomfortable so the baby didn't sleep AND the room was crowded.

Are you kidding me?!? She hated it because the room was too small. If she had ever sailed on a NCL interior - she would think small - you can't even stand between the beds - you have to be facing the beds to have room to stand.

Any hotel room is going to seem small if you add a 3rd bed.

And when my son was little he never slept well in a hotel room - it's not quiet, there are distractions, its out of their routine. How can a crib be uncomfortable? I've never noticed a difference in cribs mattresses.

And if space was an issue - I've got three real quick ideas - 1) Do an exterior room for more space 2) book connecting interiors and last one is the free solution 3) push the two singles to one wall, put baby and one adult on lower beds and other adult sleeps on upper bunk. I've seen many a post that parents have posted they have done this.

 

:)MY Whole point is the posters comments are not helpful except she thinks the room is small. Sure for 3 beds but compared to other cruise lines - they aren't. And if a newbie is just scrolling through and sees - "Hated It" and 1 star - I might be scared to go on the ship and it brings the ships average down.

[GradUT]

Some very valid points, which is why I tend to ignore reviews--good or bad-- either here on CC or on Trip Advisor by anyone with only 1 review. And you really have to read the review, as you did, to see what precipitated the poor review. Often it's piddling stuff like "My room wasn't made up during the 20 minutes I went to get a bagel for breakfast at the Lido." or unrealistic stuff like, "It was hard for me, my husband, and two teen daughters to get ready for Elegant Night with only 1 bathroom." But too many people just look at the numbers and not the reasons behind them.

 

Having said that, there's a first review for everyone so I wouldn't require previous postings on the forum as a requirement to post a review. But I wouldn't mind a "Dislike" button along with the "Like" and the space for a short comment why.

[LostPuppy]

Have you ever read a cruise review and wished Cruise Critic had a thumbs down, or Unhelpful button. OR even a critic button? NO, I have never thought that. I am happy for any feedback a person may have about their cruise experience. I really get frustrated with reading reviews by members who have just joined and it's their first post!

 

How about a join period before you can post a review? NO, this group would become more elitist about post counts. I'm not saying a person would had to post but it just seems so suspect when someone joined in 2016 and makes their first post a review.....

 

In summary I see nothing wrong with people posting their cruise experience regardless of their status in this group.

[Redcat]

I take all reviews with a grain of salt as they are someones opinion not fact a cruise is often reviewed by different people 1 loves and 1 may hate it but I personally have never had a bad cruise just some a little off. Cruise well my friends I know I will in 9 days:D:D

[Taylor D]

I don't care if you have taken 1 cruise or 30 your opinion may matter to someone and to think you should be prohibited from giving a review after just 1 cruise is wrong and I would not be here if that was the case.

 

I read a lot of reviews as I was researching our cruise to Europe this past summer and some were helpful and some I just chocked up to a bad experience but I'm glad everyone that takes the time to write about their experience has the chance to give their opinion.

[easyboy]

No matter how many cruises a poster has done, I still find the review subjective as we all have different likes and dislike.

So I treat it merely as a guidance and not allow it influence whatever decision I have to make.

[ray98]

You have to take reviews for what they are worth. Many of the complaints some seem to obsess over really wouldn't be a blip on the radar for me.

[Bases5]

I understand what the OP is saying.

First Post not First Cruise. I also find it interesting when someone's first (post) is a bad review.

Why bother, You never took the time to post and learn what you were getting into.

 

It's been that way in forums since the beginning and I hope new readers have enough common since to read between the lines.

[Florings]

Reviews are so subjective. For her, that one thing made her miserable and she chose to focus on that. I can't believe that in all her vacation days, there weren't many things that were enjoyable and fun - she just chooses to point out the one bad thing.

 

Other low/poor reviews, if you sift through, you can pick out the one thing that made the reviewer unhappy with the cruise. When that happens, that is their main focus and none of the good stuff seems to matter when they are writing their reviews.

 

I used to think "oh no, what have I done" when I read the reviews for my upcoming cruises - but on every single cruise, I had the best of times. I still read the reviews, but know that they won't effect my good time.

Edited September 10, 2016 by Florings

[evandbob]

A public forum need not be elitist. All views are welcome and anyone is free to express their opinions.

 

I personally don't like the postings that insist their opinion is fact and the right one, while also denigrating others opinions, but hey, it's a small price to pay for the freedom to publically post.

 

Once restrictions are put in, then a public forum is on it's way to becoming cliquish and simple one track minded. Diverse opinions make this world go round.

[trivimp]

This is the same complaint that many have about Yelp, or TripAdvisor, or any kind of crowd-sourced review site. If the general consensus is running around four stars, and then there's a review that says "Hated it, one star" with some minor complaint, most people have the sense to dismiss it as an outlier. Just read the next review. If there's several reviews all mentioning the same thing, well, that's a different problem.

[maldenmusic]

I read a few reviews but always keep in mind that I dont' know the person who wrote it and their likes and dislikes

[Donh44]

Have you ever read a cruise review and wished Cruise Critic had a thumbs down, or Unhelpful button. OR even a critic button? I really get frustrated with reading reviews by members who have just joined and it's their first post!

How about a join period before you can post a review? I'm not saying a person would had to post but it just seems so suspect when someone joined in 2016 and makes their first post a review.

 

I was reading a review of the Breeze by BrooksClan418. She gives the cruise a 1/5 -Hated it. Yet, she says the ports were good.

What the problem was is she was sailing with 1 other adult, a 5 year old and 1.5 year old. Ok... are you guessing her complaint?

They provided a crib. (I've met people on cruises who have brought traveling toddler beds) But the crib was uncomfortable so the baby didn't sleep AND the room was crowded.

Are you kidding me?!? She hated it because the room was too small. If she had ever sailed on a NCL interior - she would think small - you can't even stand between the beds - you have to be facing the beds to have room to stand.

Any hotel room is going to seem small if you add a 3rd bed.

And when my son was little he never slept well in a hotel room - it's not quiet, there are distractions, its out of their routine. How can a crib be uncomfortable? I've never noticed a difference in cribs mattresses.

And if space was an issue - I've got three real quick ideas - 1) Do an exterior room for more space 2) book connecting interiors and last one is the free solution 3) push the two singles to one wall, put baby and one adult on lower beds and other adult sleeps on upper bunk. I've seen many a post that parents have posted they have done this.

 

:)MY Whole point is the posters comments are not helpful except she thinks the room is small. Sure for 3 beds but compared to other cruise lines - they aren't. And if a newbie is just scrolling through and sees - "Hated It" and 1 star - I might be scared to go on the ship and it brings the ships average down.

 

 

Haven't we all met that one person who complains about anything and everything? I know I have. I used to work with a woman years ago who was not ever satisfied with anything, and I do mean anything. It got to the point where fellow coworkers would engage her in conversation just to hear what the complaint for the day was. I had never met anyone like that before and when I read these reviews that go on and on and on about everything that is wrong, I think of Genny (fondly). May she rest in peace.

[DnD_Cruisin]

Haven't we all met that one person who complains about anything and everything? I know I have. I used to work with a woman years ago who was not ever satisfied with anything, and I do mean anything. It got to the point where fellow coworkers would engage her in conversation just to hear what the complaint for the day was. I had never met anyone like that before and when I read these reviews that go on and on and on about everything that is wrong, I think of Genny (fondly). May she rest in peace.

We had one of those in our office too. If she was given $10 million in gold, we swore she'd complain ... that they didn't provide a way for her to move it!

 

I tend to take reviews good or bad with a grain of salt. Everyone is different. Adding other review rating tools really won't change that.

 

Sent from my SM-G920T using Forums mobile app

[falkcor]

i don't think the site need restrict posters regarding reviews. and in fact, that's one of the things this site is very good about - compilation of reviews on cruises - it is i am certain what drives a lot of the traffic, and in fact how i found it so many years ago just by searching 'carnival destiny reviews'. i read literally probably over a hundred reviews in the 'member review' section before i ever even came over here to the boards.

 

now on the board side, there is an option within this message board infrastructure (vbulletin) which allows for 'reputation' points. if you find a post helpful, etc. you can basically 'like it' and the poster accumulates reputation points, which often results in a customizable 'level'. it's already there actually - 'cool cruiser', 'blue ribbon cruiser', '5,000+ club' etc. that's based on post count but having read here for years i do not find post count as an entirely accurate predictor of whether the poster is helpful, accurate, or to be 'trusted'.

 

that might give an insight to a poster's credentials basically. i know there are some posters even with thousands of posts who i know to basically discount for better or worse, based on previous history (that i've read)...

 

take it all with a grain of salt and make your own generalizations while researching, but still always approach a cruise with an open mind and make your own DECISIONS. a lot of stuff that matters to a lot of people does not to me, and i could not care less about these issues as per my own personal enjoyment or experience. they're entitled to their opinions, and i'm entitled to not care about the same things that may be important to them.