Great article on Unrealistic Expectations

[bepsf]

This is from another cruising website - I hope it doesn't get pulled from here because the writer hits the nail on the head as far as many folks simply expecting too much from their cruises:

 

http://www.cruisemates.com/blog/201009141709/justified-expecting-cruise-luxury-vacation/

 

What do you think?

[ANSalberg]

We watch a lot of HGTV -and the same thing happens with buying homes -"I WANT more than I can afford -BUT I am not willing to pay for it" "Its TOOOOO small; It doesn't have stainless steel appliances"........

Those same people go on cruises and "forget" to say "Thank you" and then are unhappy with the staff. They debate tipping [ and forget that that CAN be saying "thank you" in our {USA} culture] They don't ask for an extra shrimp cocktail- they DEMAND two dinners and eat selectively and let the rest go to waste [ we've seen that] and then NOT tip ...or the casual "Thanks"

You get what you pay for on most cruises.......but a simple PLEASE or Thank You puts you in the WELCOME BACK track.......

[room010]

You are right, it does pretty much hit the nail on the head. People expect a 5-Star "experience" for a 2-Star price. It doesn't work like that in the Real World but for some reason they expect it to apply in Cruise World. A lot of the advertising does pander to people's romantic expectations of what a cruise should be. I also think the whole cruise industry has moved on from the former "glory days" when cruising really was a luxury that only the wealthy elite could afford and people's perception of what they will get haven't caught up with the basic economics that apply these days.

[Linda&Vern]

Thank you for posting Brian. I think I'll make copies and tack to the forehead of anyone complaining on my next cruise! :D

[SwissMyst]

Good article and simply stated. HAL remains good value for the money. It is hard to get $400 plus per day more value with the higher end large ship cruising. Though boutique enrichment cruising on smaller ships with highly unique itineraries we found is worth the extra premium for our own travel preferences from time to time. But for mainline cruising that gets you there and back in comfort, quality and price it will always be HAL.

[shandryl]

I loved the article! Thank you :)

 

I have seen people while on the cruise ship carry on about the service/food /entertainment...........bla bla bla all very negitive :mad:

 

There always seems to be these kind of complainers on every cruise :rolleyes:

 

Just saying

[Susie51]

Thank you for posting this article. It helps put things in perspective.

[maxout]

So true Brian thx. Grand Cru taste on a Boone's Farm budget just don't cut it!

[sail7seas]

Good article. One thing that isn't considered in the article though, is that on the same ship for the same cruise, there are people who have paid $59 per day for their cruise along with those who have paid $750+ per day depending upon the category cabin they have selected. Therein could be a hint of a problem.

 

Thanks for posting the article, Brian.

[SwissMyst]

So true Brian thx. Grand Cru taste on a Boone's Farm budget just don't cut it!

 

And getting just the opposite is even worse .......:(

[maxout]

And getting just the opposite is even worse .......:(

 

As you have so eloquently pointed out in past posts :(

[tcook052]

Good article and simply stated. HAL remains good value for the money.

 

Agree. I recently thought I was very lucky to find a hotel on a week stay in NYC near the Empire State Building for $150/night taxes included and divided my upcoming Eurodam Caribbean cruise out by 7 nights and found it was around $160/night including meals, activities and entertainment on a premium cruise line! Yes, very good value IMHO.

 

I could identify with the linked article as there is a disconnect of what some folks pay and what they expect, sadly.

[Tamaracboy]

Brian,

What thinks this be made part of the "Know before you go" page ? ;)

Or better still part of the cruise doc's registration process ?? :rolleyes:

And, while we're at it, let's change the name of this board from Cruise "Critic" to Cruise "Share" or "Info" to discourage some of the more vitriolic posters ??? :cool:

Thanks for the great article plus some of the follow on links as well.

r.

[uppitycats]

A very good article; thanks for posting. I do agree with it entirely -- people for some reason "buy into" the hype of cruising, where they wouldn't do that in almost any other venue. And then when the slightest thing doesn't meet their expectations, complain to high heaven. It's not till someone does the math for them, showing how much per day they're actually paying, that they start to understand.

[HappyInVan]

I would agree that one needs to be realistic relative to the price that one pays. You can't get Michelin-quality cuisine on $100 per night.

 

 

It is also true that guests pay wildly different tariffs. Those traveling in the lower decks pay a pittance compared to the deluxe verandah staterooms, but enjoy the same cuisine and entertainment.

 

 

I was speaking to a woman on the Ryndam cruise. She had paid $10k for her cruisetour. She can't have been too impressed by a budget hotel like Westmark ANC.

 

 

So, information is the key. Customers need to have a clear idea of what they are getting for their money. Honest feedback should be encouraged. Cheerleading only leads to frustration for new customers.

 

 

Moreover, it has been said that it is the customer's duty to complain. Every business has to balance its mix of customers and products. Honest feedback helps an organization evaluate the consequences of its strategies/policies.

 

 

This is a quote from jhannah's thread …

 

 

“One thing I offered was that I hoped Holland America would not continue to dumb down their product in an effort to attract discount store cruisers. I said that I personally didn't want to pay Silversea prices for their sort of experience, but neither was I looking for a $300-a-week cruise experience. I asked them to continue a high-quality product and price it as needed to maintain it.

 

 

I also gave my impression that service levels overall have deteriorated over the last 10 years or so. Cees responded by saying that HAL is offering passengers much more these days: Canaletto, Pinnacle Grill, anytime dining, etc., and that it's all being done with the same staffing levels. I said, "Yes. And it shows."

 

 

Would I sail Maasdam again? Certainly. She's an elegant ship, and her size is in the "just right" category. (I did miss the mid-ship elevators, though.)”

[LMB01]

Brian,

And, while we're at it, let's change the name of this board from Cruise "Critic" to Cruise "Share" or "Info" to discourage some of the more vitriolic posters ???

.

 

I disagree as I think sometimes some of the "more over the top" with nothing but positive comments can result in some new cruisers expecting more than they will get. Many, many posters here call HAL a 5 star experience and talk about being pampered and spoiled. Now pampering and spoiling vary greatly by individual. I have never felf pampered or spoiled on a cruise and I sail in suites. Everyone has a different level of expectations and by folks sharing the good and bad from their point of view, I think people can better calibrate their expectations against what they are buying.

[DFD1]

Good article. Hits the nail on the head. The other links on that page are also good articles to read. Thanks for posting it.

[jhannah]

I think sometimes some of the "more over the top" with nothing but positive comments can result in some new cruisers expecting more than they will get. <snip> Everyone has a different level of expectations and by folks sharing the good and bad from their point of view, I think people can better calibrate their expectations against what they are buying.

Indeed. I like your use of 'calibrate their expectations.' A cruise review is simply one person's interpretation of their experience. It should be taken with a grain of salt ... just like movie or restaurant reviews. You mileage may vary.

 

It isn't that the reviewer is being misleading. Their desires and expectations were such that they felt their experience was in the stars ... or in the tank. I may go to a movie or restaurant that reviewers have lauded and find that my experience was only mediocre. That's where the calibration comes in. Use the review simply as input for consideration, and leave your mind open as you experience the cruise/movie/dinner.

[soldham]

This is not a 'cruise' thing IMO. People seems to want more than what they pay for in almost every sphere. Another poster mentioned homes, but this applies to cars, land vacations, services, etc.

 

AND - people seem quite comfortable whipping up a storm if they don't get what they perceived to be what they deserve. No matter how far from reality that may be.....

[Mosaic]

I certainly agree too...and would add the following points.

1. The cruise industry as a whole offers themselves up as luxury trips (not Carnival).

2. There has been a history of quality adoard cruise ships that is diminishing due to price drops.

3. Because many cruises are of long duration, far distances, etc, there will be things that go wrong and deserve complaint.

4. Places like CC offer so much inside information that the cruise lines now have to give perks away, hidden gems away, to many many more passengers because they know about them and expect them.

5. Yes, you get what you pay for and people do not make that connection. The airline industry is an example of that.

...too better cruising for all!

[Mary Ellen]

Thanks, Brian. Interesting read.

 

I also believe that internet forums have lead to unrealistic expectations - and the reverse, someone's 'disaster' experience frightening others anxiously awaiting their vacation.

 

On the Disney forums (not going to use a CC example), I've seen posters say that at the Animal Kingdom Lodge they were upgraded from a standard (read: parking lot) view to a savannah view. How fantastic the view was and how much they 'saved'. Then down the line come others quite disappointed that when they checked in, they received the std. view room they paid for.

 

I too think that 'calibrate their expectations' is a good mindset.

[iancal]

Part of th expectation gap is caused by the cruise lines themselves by way of their advertising and marketing campaigns. It has taken years for people to change their expectation of the airline industry vis a vis what onboard services will be offered and how they be treated. My fear is that the cruise lines will follow the path of the airline industry...an industry where notwithstanding what people say, they always gravitate to the lowest possible fare.

[SwissMyst]

Everyone is exceptionally thin, expensively dressed and elegantly coiffed with black-tied men looking adoringly at their bejeweled spouses while standing at sunset in a 40 mph gale......... in the ads.

[grenouille]

Part of th expectation gap is caused by the cruise lines themselves by way of their advertising and marketing campaigns.

 

Exactly. Simply take a look at HAL's webpage, and you are immediately bombarded with tag lines such as "Signature of Excellence", "Delivering a Premium Cruise Experience", "five-star dining" and "sophisticated ambiance", amongst many others.

 

Is it surprising that many people have these often unrealistic expectations? No, not at all. And I think the cruiselines have a part to play in that. They can't have their cake and eat it too- hype up the cruising experience, and then be surprised when customers complain and aren't satisfied. As in any industry, there are bound to be unhappy customers.

 

Thankfully, many of us have learned how to calibrate our expectations.

[sail7seas]

Should expectation only be geared to price paid?

 

What of those who pay a very low price? They should get lesser choices in the dining room but those who pay more get better?

 

That's a bad place to go. Sounds very much like 'Cunard's classes'.