Why

Most questions asked can be found on the website. Instead they ask here and get 10 opinions about the same topic. If people can book a cruise they know how to use a computer.!!!

Because more often than not Celebrity's web site is a waste of time and effort...

The website is hard to navigate, it freezes, it's full of broken links, and there are factual errors on it. Often Cruise Critic cruisers have better, more accurate information than the miserable website has.

I do both. I seek out what the company says on the website, then I seek out the "wisdom of the crowds":

A large group's aggregated answers to questions involving quantity estimation, general world knowledge, and spatial reasoning has generally been found to be as good as, and often better than, the answer given by any of the individuals within the group. An explanation for this phenomenon is that there is idiosyncratic noise associated with each individual judgment, and taking the average over a large number of responses will go some way toward canceling the effect of this noise.[1] This process, while not new to the Information Age, has been pushed into the mainstream spotlight by social information sites such as Wikipedia, Yahoo! Answers, Quora, and other web resources that rely on human opinion.[2]

From Wikipedia

Reading people's opinions about a company or service can lead to insights that go far beyond the FAQ on the company's website. People will give all sides of an issue, where a company will provide just their side. Sites like Cruise Critic provide that important "wisdom of the crowd" perspective.

Because generally, people know how to title a thread that means others don't waste their time clicking it if it's stupid!

On Celebrity's new website the information is often wrong, frozen or simply unavailable. Because of the website the Captain's Club often has hold times, and at least in my case, has been unable to solve my problems since May.:(

I do both. I seek out what the company says on the website, then I seek out the "wisdom of the crowds":

I have learned a lot of valuable tips from Cruise Critic thanks to the experience of others and their willingness to share.

Most questions asked can be found on the website. Instead they ask here and get 10 opinions about the same topic. If people can book a cruise they know how to use a computer.!!!

Agreed. People post just to post. How else can you accumulate 10,000 posts on a cruise message board?

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On Celebrity's new website the information is often wrong, frozen or simply unavailable. Because of the website the Captain's Club often has hold times, and at least in my case, has been unable to solve my problems since May.:(

I called Captains Club yesterday, got right through, and they helped with what I needed.

Most questions asked can be found on the website. Instead they ask here and get 10 opinions about the same topic. If people can book a cruise they know how to use a computer.!!!

If you are lucky you get accurate FACTS from a website.

Using CC gives you additional (often very well balanced) insights and opinions re rooms, dining, itineraries.....

As long as you remember that an opinion is not a fact and look for a variety of opinions before making any choices then as fshagan eloquently says you do get 'the wisdom of the crowds'...

Plus, it is good fun too! Can't say that about the website!

I think while some info on this site is valuable some people just like to see their posts online. The OP is right most of the questions posed are available with very little research. I like to get other peoples thoughts on some topics.

J.

The website :'):'):')

Agree that some people just want to post. Once a question has been answered people will still respond with the same answer multiple times. Agree the website sucks but this is on all boards. Questions about ports and other info not on the web site makes sense, but how many times do the same (package) question needs to be answered.

Guindalf, or wasting time to respond

Most questions asked can be found on the website. Instead they ask here and get 10 opinions about the same topic. If people can book a cruise they know how to use a computer.!!!

Not really sure why it bothers you? It's a message board and for some a hobby. Don't read the 10 opinions if it is annoying.

I would have tended to agree with the original premise before the website was upgraded. The previous version had "settled" a bit with most incorrect or inconsistent info having been corrected. The new one is riddled with errors and untruths (many of them that had been corrected on the old website already) or it's impossible to find the info that you need.

However, the search on CC is not the best, and it can be a lot faster and easier to just ask your question than to scroll through pages of threads hoping to come across the right one for you.

I am always suspicious of the threads that only have one answer so it's nice to see at least one other person confirming or correcting. This is because, early on, I asked a question and was given an answer about something that turned out to be 100% untrue. The one poster who answered has over 80K posts. I've since noticed how that particular poster is very often more wrong than right.

I personally hate the "I'm thinking about this cruise line so tell me EVERYTHING I need to know!" threads more.

Why do people put a useless title on a new thread?

Because generally, people know how to title a thread that means others don't waste their time clicking it if it's stupid!

I called Captains Club yesterday, got right through, and they helped with what I needed.

Congratulations!!! Actually, the same thing has even happened to me...when it works life is great!

Why? Why not? I am one who believes CC does serve a purpose, but not if it is at the expense of just being cantankerous...It is all about choices.

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A forum such as Cruise Critic, Trip Advisor, Flyertalk and so on generally gives you a users view in some cases (particularly Flyertalk) an expert users view. Going to the company's website you get just what they want to tell you to sell you their product. They have no interest in telling you what it is really like. It often makes sense to ask users for an answer rather than relying on the company's website.

It may have been said but the thing that causes most of the confusion, is how often things have changed with X in the last few years, I'm sure that increases the questions. The new dining options, the suite changes over time, the bev packages and all their changes, the list goes on and on. That's also why there is so much incorrect info out there, what may have been true a few months ago is not longer true. One of the latest is the hamburger changes in the pool area, just on what, two ships, that now got changed back. With X changing things, that really creates a ton of these same questions over and over. (I' not sayings X shouldn't make changes, just that that generates a lot of questions, and sometimes incorrect answers.)

I called Captains Club yesterday, got right through, and they helped with what I needed.

But you had to pay for the call.

I would add - how many times have we had people come on CC to ask questions that could much easier and more more quickly in Google or Google Maps. such as "what will the weather be like in Bermuda in January" or "how far is it from point A to point B".

DON

For just one example...if you go to the website to find out debarkation time all you will see is, for example, "final" day 7, arrive Miami 6am.

If you have never cruised before (and I had someone in self disembarkation line in San Juan that did JUST this), you would think that 6am was the time you can get off ship (just like a flight).

There are many reasons why people post instead of calling...I don't discourage people searching for information.

Now I do have a question about tipping....Do you...well I will just start a new thread....

Why do people put a useless title on a new thread?

So the most appropriate answer to this thread must be: "WHY NOT"