Is anyone else upset by bad reviews for the EPIC?

[Davechipp74]

I booked my EPIC cruise aborad the GEM In Feb. 2010 ever since i have spent many hours each week,looking for reviews,pics,videos,press releases,ect. and have been reading and watching everything i can.i cant wait till nov.13th:D,im gonna have a GREAT time no matter what. i wanna put myself and others at ease(as i cant be alone in this)being from n.y.,in nov its gonna be cold :eek:,i will be on a brand new cruise ship is the southern gulf :) having a blast.now ive been reading great reviews from people who had the best time.thats because it what you make of it people,but some reviews as you know have been indignant,these people are so unfortunate.i was just wondering if anyone else felt the same

[david_sobe]

Upset? Heck no. I would NEVER allow someone else's opinion or judgment influence me. I booked Epic in January and I dont sail until December. I love reading all the reviews good and bad. It is an objective forum. I have paid dearly financially for this cruise and would never allow negative reviews ruin my time.

 

I actually like the amount of negative reviews. I do because it shows how unconventional Epic is. Epic is NOT like any other cruise ship at sea. That excites me. Yes it appears Epic put style over function in some instances. That can win points with me in some areas.

If I wanted to sail another ship like the Jewel or Pearl, I would sail the Jewel or Pearl.

 

No NCL ship gets beat up more in the CC reviews than the Sky. And I LOVED my Sky cruise. It is the best priced ship at sea.

 

So the long answer is no, I am not upset with bad reviews of the Epic. It just makes me more excited to go.

 

Having said that, come back and read my review of Epic the day after Christmas ;)

[Davechipp74]

thanx ive not seen it that way yet,perhaps i'll look at things a bit different now

[cruising ag]

No not at all!! I believe some of the negative reviews are just foolish for instance the one where everything is horrible .. that is no way possible to my opinion. Some people are just miserable and complain about everything. Other peoples bad review would have no reflection on my decision.

 

Looking forward to your reviews in the near future :)

[Mr. Luckytoo]

I booked my EPIC cruise aborad the GEM In Feb. 2010 ever since i have spent many hours each week,looking for reviews,pics,videos,press releases,ect. and have been reading and watching everything i can.i cant wait till nov.13th:D,im gonna have a GREAT time no matter what. i wanna put myself and others at ease(as i cant be alone in this)being from n.y.,in nov its gonna be cold :eek:,i will be on a brand new cruise ship is the southern gulf :) having a blast.now ive been reading great reviews from people who had the best time.thats because it what you make of it people,but some reviews as you know have been indignant,these people are so unfortunate.i was just wondering if anyone else felt the same

 

DaveChipp,

 

What reviews are you reading that have been indignant?

 

As someone who travelled on the inaugual TA I can tell you that the ship was not completely finished when it left France STX. Anytime you sell people a NEW product and deliver it slightly flawed wouldn't you expect some indignation; especially when those people were paying a premium for their experiences?

 

As more and more sailings have progressed I think you're seeing less complaints about things not working properly and the general run of the mill NCL complaints vs. the other mainstream cruiselines.

 

Since you've been on an NCL cruise and you've enjoyed it I'm sure you'll enjoy the EPIC as well. Heck to be honest I'll bet that since you've read so many indignant reviews it will lower your expectations and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

The problem, in my particular instance, is when NCL over-hyped a product and underdelivered I'm not "allowed" to be disappointed?

[bahamaman]

here is my take: sailed epic eastern caribbean in july with my wife. had such a great time we are booked for april 2011 epic western caribbean. the only difference besides the itinerary is that we went from a regular balcony cabin to an aft balcony. bottom line: had a great time and thats why we rebooked. you can find faults in any cruise, resort, hotel, flight or whatever. maybe some people just have unreal expectations, maybe not. do i believe we got what we paid for? the answer is yes. :cool:

[CanadianTwosome]

I never let negative reviews of anything bother me. I like what I like because I like it, not because other people do or don't. I appreciate all informative reviews, because whether the individual liked or disliked something, as long as they explain it I can consider whether or not it's important to me.

[sinclaj]

My take on it is that I've been on 6 NCL cruises on 4 different ships. I have read things about each ship that someone on some board or other has written about the horrible time they have had.

 

We have had amazing, wonderful holidays on all six cruises. Some have maybe been better than others, but they have all been worthy of great memories. And some of the things that I have read about the ships ahead of time have really helped when we're on board so that we know a few pitfalls to avoid or some great things to take advantage of.

 

So I can hardly wait until our Epic adventure next summer. I do read what others write about but many of the complaints are not things that I think would upset me.

 

Epic - it just can't come soon enough

Judy

[coffeebean]

Upset? Heck no. I would NEVER allow someone else's opinion or judgment influence me. I booked Epic in January and I dont sail until December. I love reading all the reviews good and bad. It is an objective forum. I have paid dearly financially for this cruise and would never allow negative reviews ruin my time.

 

I actually like the amount of negative reviews. I do because it shows how unconventional Epic is. Epic is NOT like any other cruise ship at sea. That excites me. Yes it appears Epic put style over function in some instances. That can win points with me in some areas.

If I wanted to sail another ship like the Jewel or Pearl, I would sail the Jewel or Pearl.

 

No NCL ship gets beat up more in the CC reviews than the Sky. And I LOVED my Sky cruise. It is the best priced ship at sea.

 

So the long answer is no, I am not upset with bad reviews of the Epic. It just makes me more excited to go.

 

Having said that, come back and read my review of Epic the day after Christmas ;)

You hit the nail on the head with this statement. You put into words exactly how I feel. I'm excited for the innovative design and whole concept of Epic. Can't wait to board her.

 

Now, if only the kids would stay out of Spice H20, life will be really good on board Epic.

[MissRabbit]

i appreciate all informative reviews, because whether the individual liked or disliked something, as long as they explain it i can consider whether or not it's important to me.

 

bingo!

[david_sobe]

I also would not classify many of the reviews as "negative". Just because someone writes something was not up to their expectations or had a bad experience one day does not immediately classify the whole cruise as negative.

Some are way overly sensitive both ways either taking offense to those kinds of reviews.

I remember reading some reviews of the TransAtlantic and the intense outrage by some that were attacking those who just wrote something that happened to them or a negative experience. They would not have any of it and that kind of personal "I know better" is pretty childish.

[Adkmom]

I gave a horrible review of my SKY trip but I have a great time overall. The SKY just has many issues I felt could have been handled better or dealt with , so when giving a review is appeared to bad. Reviews just prepare you for some problems that may arise of issues you need to be prepared for. The overall experience is what you make it. I like the reviews because then I do not have so many surprises.

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

I view the bad reviews as opportunities for NCL to make the product better.

 

As with many newly introduced products, the real test of success is the reaction of the consumer. It's expected that there will be a "settling in" period where the product is observed, tested, and tweaked.

 

The important thing is that NCL takes the feedback and works to make the EPIC an even better product by the time I sail on her next year! :D

 

In any event, I always seem to learn a lot more from the positive reviews than the negative ones anyway, so those are the ones I read the closest.

[johnql]

To the OP: no, bad reviews (about any ship) do not upset me. I take most of the negative remarks with a huge grain of salt. Then, I go on the cruise with an open mind and come to my own conclusions.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

these are some really good responsrd. I'd like to reiterate that just because one person writes a "bad review" i doesn't mean it was an awful time.

 

I would think that most companies WANT to get the honest feedback that CC members provide as it gives them [cruiselines] a chance to see things from a customers perspective and to improve their product(s)

[schoolmarm4]

I find it interesting that a person might state their cruise experience was "terrible" and then someone else that was on the same cruise states it was "fabulous". Just shows that different people experience things differently. I expect to have a wonderful time. I do not expect to find every little thing perfect.

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

I would wait and make my own opinion if I were you. My favorite 2 cruises ever were on the Jewel and then the Star topped that. My least favorite cruise ever was on the Sun. I've read bad reviews about ships I loved and great reviews about a ship that I disliked. To each there own. Hope you have a great cruise! Keep an upbeat attitude and everything will turn out fine. :)

[coka]

The reviews do not upset me but they do evoke a feeling within me. I find myself reading between the lines, analyzing the writing style, the content and context of their words, and how they tell about their trip. The pen is powerful and words are all we have here. A negative review without anything positive leaves me concluding the writer did not have a good time onboard (right or wrong that is just human nature). Some readers disbelieve the 100% perfect nothing-went-wrong reviews as well. Most appreciate "the why." Think of all the papers we had to write in high school. Do not just write XXX was horrible or YYY was fantastic. Back the opinion up with something, support the statements, and give examples.

 

coka

[akupupule]

I take the 1st time 5 star reviews and the 3 post bad reviews with a huge grain of salt. I give much more credence to long time cruisers with multiple posts. And I will try to be objective and unprejudiced in my review of the Epic but will be comparing her to previous cruises....but having said that, we are all individuals with different tastes, interests, and point of views. What I might enjoy in a cruise may not be another cruisers cup of tea. But by reading these forums, hopefully, we can glean the positives and negatives of a particular ship and make a more informed choice for our next cruise. Good or bad, positive and negative, I appreciate everyone that has taken the time to post their reviews.

[poppadaddycruiser]

No.

 

I give 'bad reviews' ZERO attention... usually get gets down to on specific problem/discomfort they had on 1 ship and decide to ridicule the entire line/ship..

 

I get more out of the 'good reviews' at least you find out what people do like on a particular vessel.

[newmexicoNita]

I booked my EPIC cruise aborad the GEM In Feb. 2010 ever since i have spent many hours each week,looking for reviews,pics,videos,press releases,ect. and have been reading and watching everything i can.i cant wait till nov.13th:D,im gonna have a GREAT time no matter what. i wanna put myself and others at ease(as i cant be alone in this)being from n.y.,in nov its gonna be cold :eek:,i will be on a brand new cruise ship is the southern gulf :) having a blast.now ive been reading great reviews from people who had the best time.thats because it what you make of it people,but some reviews as you know have been indignant,these people are so unfortunate.i was just wondering if anyone else felt the same

 

they have not all been bad. Read the review section here on CC if you haven't. There have been many 4 and 5 star reviews. Remember there are several aspects of the ship that are new. This was the case when "freestyle" was introduced. NCL has always been the pioneer of cruising. I can think of so many things they started: private islands, freestyle, alternative dining, broadway shows on board, for starters. It takes us awhile to get used to change.

 

Nita

[fender0308]

I just came from Epic yesturday, havent wrote a review yet, havent even finished unpacking (still feel like im swaying lol), but dont let the reviews get to you. Its an awesome ship! I miss it!!!! The staff is amazing, met some great people. Its all what you make of it - the golden rule around here........ and if you asked some of my travel companions (who didnt take advantage of the night life, or just simply didnt enjoy their surroundings) they might tell you different. You meet people from all over the world and your on vacation! The setups in the room were fine ( and i was really worried!) I'll write my review later!

[AussieKathy]

No Way! I'm pumped and ready to sail on Saturday:D

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Can you imagine complaining about a sink?

 

When things don't function like they are intended to and you don't "complain" I think that's pretty dumb. When people overlook an obvious problem that's just silly.

[newmexicoNita]

When things don't function like they are intended to and you don't "complain" I think that's pretty dumb. When people overlook an obvious problem that's just silly.

 

That totally depends on what you are calling complaining. Of course no one should keep their mouths shut when things go really wrong, but too many seem to think every little inconvenience to them needs to be reported. I think the food issue is a perfect one: Most of us know not every meal is going to be perfect, we usually have one or two things that are either not to our liking or plain bad. I remember the days of Lamb kabobs (some of you probably do as well) awful, but this didn't mean all the food on the ship was enidible as some would report. This goes with excursions, cabin stewards, etc.

 

Things like a cabin not being designed exactly the way one might like shoould not be something to affect the overall cruise experience. Notice the word "overall"?

 

We all need to take everything in stride and stop being so demanding. You do not have to agree, but that is my opinion.

 

And yes, I have complained, I did to the hotel manager on the Spirit and I have written a couple of letters to the President, but overall I still feel our cruises have been far more positive than negative. The worst cruise we had certainly wasn't bad. (it wasn't NCL I will mention)

 

Nita