Just a thought about cruise reviews....

[AnneNchris]

Okay so I am not trying to be on a soap box...but I was just thinking of some things as I was reading some reviews for NCL...

I think if you have a cruise planned and are reading the reviews....you must read them with an open mind...do not make your mind up because of a review...do not start stressing out about your vacation choice...read the review...enjoy the individuals points...and then move on...the individual writing the review is not wrong or right...just opinions...the reason I am writing this is because after I have read some reviews I have also read posts about people being concerned that they made a mistake in their choice...dont think that way...if NCL was terrible and that was the general opinion then they most likely would not be in business...

Some more thoughts about review reading if you do it with a closed mind...

~When you get a perscription from the drug store did you ever notice that if you read the pamphlet with the side effects over and over you seem to start to get those side effects????

~My favorite sandwich food is cream cheese and olive...my husband thinks it is gross...just becasue he thinks it is gross should I stop eating it??

~Think about who your favorite author is and then ask five of your friends who their favorite auther is...you may realize that they think your auther is a dreadful writer...will you stop reading books written by them

 

Okay so I could go on and on with examples...however, my personal point is...read reviews, but read them with an open mind...keep a positive attitude...and realize that some people like sunny side up eggs and others like scrammbled....(I know another analogy):D

~

[garycarla]

agree with the poster... which I why I read MANY reviews to get a feel. You usually can tell if the writer is full of "sour grapes" or it they are just trying to present the facts.

 

Same goes for individual postings in reply to questions. You get the opinion of those that take the time to reply, and only of those that are currently surfing the boards. Nobody answers questions that were asked last month.

 

Hence, if you really want a good answer, a search will often give many more answers - or should I say opinions.

[dmm]

Okay so I am not trying to be on a soap box...but I was just thinking of some things as I was reading some reviews for NCL...

I think if you have a cruise planned and are reading the reviews....you must read them with an open mind...do not make your mind up because of a review...do not start stressing out about your vacation choice...read the review...enjoy the individuals points...and then move on...the individual writing the review is not wrong or right...just opinions...the reason I am writing this is because after I have read some reviews I have also read posts about people being concerned that they made a mistake in their choice...dont think that way...if NCL was terrible and that was the general opinion then they most likely would not be in business...

Some more thoughts about review reading if you do it with a closed mind...

~When you get a perscription from the drug store did you ever notice that if you read the pamphlet with the side effects over and over you seem to start to get those side effects????

~My favorite sandwich food is cream cheese and olive...my husband thinks it is gross...just becasue he thinks it is gross should I stop eating it??

~Think about who your favorite author is and then ask five of your friends who their favorite auther is...you may realize that they think your auther is a dreadful writer...will you stop reading books written by them

 

Okay so I could go on and on with examples...however, my personal point is...read reviews, but read them with an open mind...keep a positive attitude...and realize that some people like sunny side up eggs and others like scrammbled....(I know another analogy):D

~

 

VERY good analysis...Some people like escargot...AND...some like cream chesse w/olives! :D

[Deb in Cali]

I agree with OP. I guess that I am not real fussy about my food. Well after being in the military you learn not to be fussy. :eek:

 

 

I told one of the buffet staff on my last cruise that if I don't have to shop, prepare, cook and then clean up, I am :p . IMHO I think that women appreciate cruises more, because we know how much work it is to keep everyone feed, and everything neat and tidy.

[ImpulsivePuppy]

~My favorite sandwich food is cream cheese and olive...my husband thinks it is gross...just becasue he thinks it is gross should I stop eating it??~

 

Depends, Is that green olives or black olives?

[jimc_usa]

VERY good analysis...Some people like escargot...AND...some like cream chesse w/olives! :D

 

 

I hate chesse!

PS What is it? he he

[Zeno]

cream cheese with olives - yummy!

for those with "different" tastes - try cream cheese with anchovies! - I love it - the mere mention of it makes my husband ill.

[DebbieS732]

agree with the poster... which I why I read MANY reviews to get a feel. You usually can tell if the writer is full of "sour grapes" or it they are just trying to present the facts.

 

Same goes for individual postings in reply to questions. You get the opinion of those that take the time to reply, and only of those that are currently surfing the boards. Nobody answers questions that were asked last month.

 

Hence, if you really want a good answer, a search will often give many more answers - or should I say opinions.

 

Amen to that! Anytime we take a major trip I read many reviews and travel forums before making a decision. I also try to read across several travel forums just so I get a better cross-section of travelers.

 

I think successful trip planning is knowing what is important to you and then finding the hotel/cruise/destination that best meets your needs and budget. Realize that other people may have priorities,agendas and expectations that are very different from yours.

 

I also use an '80/20 rule' when reading reviews. If a place I am seriously thinking about staying at has about 80% good reviews then I ignore the other 20%. Also, know that some people will complain about everything in their life (their job, their kid's school, their neighbors, the dinner at the local diner, etc) and there is no way for us to know if a reviewer is one of those people or not. Frequently you will read a bad review and then immediately read good reviews from other people on the exact same sailing or staying in a hotel or resort at the exact same time. Only goes to show that it's all a matter of perception!

[dmm]

I hate chesse!

PS What is it? he he

 

Good Catch! ...that's funny! chesse guess stuff happens when you let your fingers do all the talking...:p shall I spell it correctly? Or can we just assume that I know how? :rolleyes:

[johnql]

AnneNchris, very well said. I completely agree with you.

[newmexicoNita]

VERY good analysis...Some people like escargot...AND...some like cream chesse w/olives! :D

I like both: DH would rather starve than eat anything with olives and the only way to get him to eat escargot is to get him drunk first. That won't even work with olives!!! His favorite after dinner snack: a glass of wine and cookies!!!!

 

Views are exactly that: our thoughts!!!

[Barb Nahoumi]

Creamcheese/chives. YUMMY

[packercruising]

I like both: DH would rather starve than eat anything with olives and the only way to get him to eat escargot is to get him drunk first. That won't even work with olives!!! His favorite after dinner snack: a glass of wine and cookies!!!!

 

Views are exactly that: our thoughts!!!

 

I think I like your DH. But substitute beer for wine.

 

Can you have escargot with cream cheese and black olives?:confused:

 

By the way, I did try the escargot at the behest of my DW and I may have been drunk, but it was a supreme sacrifice non the less:D

[dmm]

I like both: DH would rather starve than eat anything with olives and the only way to get him to eat escargot is to get him drunk first. That won't even work with olives!!! His favorite after dinner snack: a glass of wine and cookies!!!!

 

Views are exactly that: our thoughts!!!

 

NewmexicoNita...Wine & cookies...Hmmmmm...that there is a tummy tumbler! I'll go with the cream chesse & olives. ;) I rather admire this new spelling of your usual run of the mill "cheese" how bland...:rolleyes:

[sjbdtz]

Good Catch! ...that's funny! chesse guess stuff happens when you let your fingers do all the talking...:p shall I spell it correctly? Or can we just assume that I know how? :rolleyes:

 

It's a game played with rooks & pawns, isn't it? Don't know what you'd have against it...it's fun! ;)

[Rumncoke]

~My favorite sandwich food is cream cheese and olive...my husband thinks it is gross...just becasue he thinks it is gross should I stop eating it??

 

Okay so I could go on and on with examples...however, my personal point is...read reviews, but read them with an open mind...keep a positive attitude...and realize that some people like sunny side up eggs and others like scrammbled....(I know another analogy):D

~

 

Very good points!

 

Also, I LOVE cream cheese & olive spread (green olives). MUST HAVE WITH PUMPERNICKEL BREAD. Try it if you haven't. To die for. (So is escargot.)

[beach2sea]

Well first of all, cream cheese with just about anything has to be good.

 

Reading reviews can be confusing. Someone will give the cruise an overall high score then go on to explain and endless list of problems. ?????????

 

I'm booked in a small cabin on an old ship with mixed reviews, NCL Majesty. Less than two months to go. I can't wait to find out who's right. Either way, we'll be in Bermuda. When I get back I can share MY opinion.

[jimc_usa]

NewmexicoNita...Wine & cookies...Hmmmmm...that there is a tummy tumbler! I'll go with the cream chesse & olives. ;) I rather admire this new spelling of your usual run of the mill "cheese" how bland...:rolleyes:

 

Glad you can take a joke! I love cheese and I love the different cheese and biscuits as a dessert after dinner on the cruise!

[jimc_usa]

It's a game played with rooks & pawns, isn't it? Don't know what you'd have against it...it's fun! ;)

 

 

You should have said rooks and PRAWNS! He He

[Big Al B.]

Not discussing cheese :), but one statistic that I remember reading that I always keep in mind is that the people posting probably represent no more than 1% of all the people who cruise. Kind of helps put things in perspective.

[judyf]

OP said it very well. That's why some drive Chevys and some drive Fords.

[lswaaley]

We just went on the NCL Sun from San Francisco to Vancouver and I will write a long review in a couple of days.

 

Here is my take. . . .

 

Take the reviews and comments for what they are.

 

If enough people recommend an venue (example Le Bistro) as great, then you know that should be on your list to do.

 

Learn about things such as the anniversary package and upgrades etc.

 

However, if a majority of people complain or are not happy about something (example 3 hours in a tent in San Francisco with NCL team members arguing in front of customers then there is definitely a opportunity for improvement.)

 

On a lighter side, at the end of the cruise in Vancouver, up in the Garden Buffet (on the 11th deck) there was a new supervisor trying to get one of her employees to do something and she wasn't getting thru to her subordinate and was visibly frustrated.

 

I took her aside and told her that I could show her quickly how to overcome this. She told me that she was a new supervisor and there had been no management or supervisory training. I explained to her very basically to visually show her person what she wanted them to do and have them then show her immediately what she had taught them. She caught on right away and started using this with immediate positive results and the atmosphere and tension went way down.

[Dolphins]

I think the best way to use reviews is to take advantage of the many good suggestions that previous cruisers have made on subjects that will help make your cruise more enjoyable. Good tips on embarkation, debarkation, dining room suggestions, entertainment, outstanding crew members, good shore excursions etc. provide us with information we can all use.

They are also helpful in avoiding things that more than a few have have been criticial of.