True Believers

[cruisin from florida]

I love RCCL. It is the cruiseline we choose when we have a choice. I think they have a great product. However, they are not a perfect company, and it never ceases to amaze me that some folks will defend their actions no matter what.

 

Some examples -

 

You got incorrect info from RCCL website AND customer service? You should have known better to trust either; you should have gotten your info from a 3rd party site like cruise critic

 

Had your cruise cancelled to make way for a charter and your long awaited vacation is ruined, because you can't go a different week and the other lines are now booked or more expensive? Tough, it's no big deal, get over it.

 

Got bedbugs or wet moldy carpet in your stateroom and you notified your cabin attendant and customer service on board and nothing happened? It's your fault; you went to the wrong person, or didn't take names, or didn't follow up, or SOMETHING.

 

I have to wonder, and this is my question: what would rccl have to do to lose the loyalty of the True Believers?

 

It gets so tiresome to have people come here (to a board called CruiseCRITIC) and give a legitimate concern or (gasp) complaint, and be berated because they haven't posted here enough, or they must be lying, or they sweat the "small" stuff.

 

Like I said, I love RCCL. But if I got caught up in some of the CS mistakes they make, and they didn't make it right, they would rightfully drop down on my list of cruiselines to consider. Burned once, twice careful. And I really appreciate those who come and share the things that DO go wrong, because forewarned is forearmed.

[cruisedaze1929]

I agree with you 100 percent...These people will defend RCCL to the bitter end no matter how bad of an experience you have...

 

this line isnt on the level of silversea,crystal or seabourn...RCCL is your run of the mill mass product. it has its good points along with its bad points just like any other mass product.

[mkk]

Amen!

[Azhure]

"Burned once, twice careful. And I really appreciate those who come and share the things that DO go wrong, because forewarned is forearmed.

I appreciate hearing about these problems too. It is aslo good to see how they were solved (if they were), or to get others ideas of how the problem may have been avoided or fixed.

That, along with all the good advice and answers experienced cruisers provide is the reason I come here. I do enjoy alot of the good natured humour too! :D

[Ottawa_cruise_man]

Never cruised before, but will be cruising on an RCCL ship (Jewel) next Feb. I think I might be travelling with one or more of those RCCL die-hard fans you refer to! :D

I think that any cruise line can have these disaters happen. I own a business, and sometimes our guys screw up. The true test of the character of the business is how they take care of the situation.

 

I hope our cruise doesn't have any bad surprises.

 

Cheers!

[Cruising89143]

No cruise line is perfect or that has been my experience thus far. A lot has to do with how a person presents their complaints on the boards. First of all when a person comes here and 100% of their cruise was negative then I for one feel that they are a person that would never be able to be satisified as we can all find something good along the way. They are also usually one post wonders so that tends to brings the folks out to comment.

 

Right now RCI is my cruise line of choice. One day that might change. I cruised Carnival for many years and now have no desire to cruise with this line again since trying RCI. I think that folks move on to different lines for different reasons. So far I have not had any major issues with RCI to make me want to look elsewhere. As a matter of fact they are doing most things right. Again not perfect but I am still coming back from my cruises satisfied and feel that my expectations have been met or exceeded.

[Catnip]

I love RCCL. It is the cruiseline we choose when we have a choice. I think they have a great product. However, they are not a perfect company, and it never ceases to amaze me that some folks will defend their actions no matter what.

 

Some examples -

 

You got incorrect info from RCCL website AND customer service? You should have known better to trust either; you should have gotten your info from a 3rd party site like cruise critic

 

 

I have to wonder, and this is my question: what would rccl have to do to lose the loyalty of the True Believers?

 

It gets so tiresome to have people come here (to a board called CruiseCRITIC) and give a legitimate concern or (gasp) complaint, and be berated because they haven't posted here enough, or they must be lying, or they sweat the "small" stuff.

 

Your post made me laugh, because I feel the exact same way!! ;)

I have been on 18+ RCCL cruises, so I obviously like the line. But, I do not have on any rose colored glasses and I know they are not perfect. Back in the 80's, they were considered the "cadillac of cruise lines", but no longer. They are just another mass-market line.

It also annoys me when someone posts a critique of their own cruise, and then so many people respond so rudely to them & jump down their throat! If someone doesn't have a jillion posts here, some people feel that their concerns cannot possibly be for real or legitimate.

I am always happy to read both the good and the bad!

[piercetc4]

the ones of us that do not complain over much and like rci despite its faults are possibly the ones of us that know ALL lines have their faults, make mistakes, and have worked possibly for a large consumer oriented company that has delt with the mass public-

i worked for an airline- heard all types of complaints- threats to never fly so and so again because they dont have pepsi, they lost my bag, its too far a walk from the front door to the gate............etc

i have friends that work for 3 other airlines= they all heard same complaints- and made same faux paux that was going to cause joe smith to fly with another airline next time.................................

we are people- we don't always do things exactly the way that will make 100% of the population happy- but we do a decent job most of the time- hence so many coming back to fly with us again or to sail with us again-

this world is not perfect- not going to be- take the lemons and make lemonade- or something close to it- choose to be happy no matter what- don't sweat the small stuff- etc...... these cliche's were coined for a reason- being there is some truth to them! for those that need an explanation.............

[kidznp]

I have only been on 5 cruises (3 on RCCL and 2 on Celebrity) and have had mixed experiences but never "everything was horrible". I find these boards a wealth of information and experience and can honestly tell you I have taken printed information from the site on cruises with me (mostly about the port stuff) and used it! I only had one really negative experience and it involved a person not employed by the cruise line.

 

Last year in December, my DH (53) fell ill the first day of our weeklong anniversary cruise. His symptoms (fever, cough, chest pain, muscle pain) made me think he had the "flu" so I called the infirmary to ask if they had the rapid flu tests which they did. He went down there and about 45 minutes later I went to check on him. His flu test was positive and his chest xray was negative. He has no chronic health problems. The doctor on the ship was giving him antibiotics (Zithromax) and cough medication (Robitussin), neither of which are appropriate treatment for the flu (I am a nurse practitioner). I asked her if they had Tamiflu and she actually had to look on the computer and said they did. I then told her I would prefer he receive the Tamiflu and that he did not need the antibiotics or Robitussin. She left the room, came back a few minutes later, and literally threw the box of Tamiflu at me and made my husband sign a form that he was refusing the antibiotics. We left and were billed $326.00. He literally stayed in our cabin/balcony for the next 48 hours (thank goodness for the chicken noodle soup and orange juice from room service) and felt better by the last 2 days of our cruise. The day after he was seen I encountered this doctor in the Conservatory and she was on a cell phone speaking Spanish. I am fluent in Spanish and left the area after I heard some very vulgar talk from her. I did speak with the front desk about our experience and they did tell me that they had no control over the medical staff but they would forward my complaint to the company that hires the doctors. Six months later, I received a letter thanking me for my complaint and letting me know the doctor was no longer working for them. I do not hold this against the cruise line BUT I do think it is appropriate to publish this information here to let people know what happened so that if they are faced with a rude, unprofessional doctor they should not hesitate to speak up.

[FitzLA]

No, you never get the same answer from RCI customer service. But if you think you always get the same answer from everyone on CC you are mistaken. You might KNOW you are right, but so do other people who are wrong. CC is not the most reliable source of info. It is a good place to get lots of different answers. Some right and some wrong.

[Cuizer2]

I have to wonder, and this is my question: what would rccl have to do to lose the loyalty of the True Believers?

 

The answer to your question is simple. If any of this "its no big deal" stuff happened to any of the true believers, they would be one posting "I'm diamond plus plus but I am never going to cruise RCI because ..."

[Merion_Mom]

I teach high school. That means hour after hour after hour, day after day after day, of male and female adolescents.

 

There is pretty much NOTHING that RCI can mess up that can shake me. :D

[xpcdoojk]

I always find these threads to be funny if not really accurate. :rolleyes: I defend almost all business from the scams and the world owes me something people that tend to gravitate to all of these forums. I am not a RCI loyalist, although I have cruised with them more than any other line and all things being equal prefer them. The key is all things are never equal. Any company the size of RCI or Carnival or Princess or Holland America, etc. That sells a nebulous product with constantly changes features, 3 day, 4, day, 5 day, 6 day, 7 day, 10 day, 12 day, etc. Going to places with weather and conditions that are totally beyond their control. Groups that book on all cruiselines and in ever unknown quantities and varieties. Pricing that is available from a million different marketers of the product all of which is different. Pricing that differs from sailing to sailing, each ship with a revolving crew as contracts expire and personnel shift around the ships. What the above illustrates is the complexity of the world that people who contact customer service are blissfully ignorant of. If you buy a DVD player and it doesn't work. It is relatively easy to go to Best Buy or Circuit City and demonstrate it. However, that your cabin steward failed to clean your toilet in a reasonable time is a bit of your word against his/her word. That the staff at the pursers desk was rude and unhelpful, or that your waiter dipped his finger into your soup are equally more difficult to demonstrate. I don't think that the vast majority of those that defend RCI or any cruiseline are going to flame someone who seems to have a grasp of reality. However, when someone comes and states categorically that RCI is crap without any supporting arguement (as someone did last week in the HAL forum about HAL), it is simplistic to think that people are going to let that go undefended. In other words this is a forum where we try to get to the heart of the issue. There are no doubts that RCI and many other companies can be a bit unresponsive and even cold hearted, this doesn't mean that there is not a completely legitimate reason for their decision. We rarely know all of the facts regarding any issue that arises in this forum, and therefore we really are sharing our opinions, and only someone who thinks people don't have a right to their opinions really complains about their right to express them.

 

Further, and on a bit more of a personal note, I find it laughable that someone can come on here and libel and slander RCI a big evil corporation, and yet, we can not question the reasons or motivation of the poster. This to me is a critical and unexcuseable double standard that this forum perpetuates. It is the single most frustrating thing I see repeatedly here, and the results are poofing lack of respect members have for one another because they know if you post something a bit critical of another member or of this forum that the mods will poof the whole thread. This leads to a special tyranny the tyranny of the victim or the mean. The victim can claim victim status and act hurt. The mods will rush in and poof the attacker. The mean tyrant knows that a well placed inappropriate attack means the thread will be poofed. Nobody has to worry very long about their own credibility because they know that the poof patrol will make their viciousness go away. One forum at CC has become the ground zero for this activity. The princess forum has cheerleaders that work on this level poofing every complaint about their beloved cruiseline. I think that the members of this forum and the mods are generally better, but we all have a long way to go together, and I hope we can make CC the great place it could be.

 

jc