Epic reviews are looking very positive

[coffeebean]

Wow...the last few reviews of Epic are quite positive. I'm so happy to see folks are enjoying themselves on this ship and are not finding so much fault with her. My turn is in two weeks. I hope to give my unbiased opinions of Epic when I return.

 

Take a look at the latest reviews...

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=481

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Wow...the last few reviews of Epic are quite positive. I'm so happy to see folks are enjoying themselves on this ship and are not finding so much fault with her. My turn is in two weeks. I hope to give my unbiased opinions of Epic when I return.

 

Take a look at the latest reviews...

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=481

 

Let's take this 5+ star review from Collie6570 shall we:

 

 

"BEST cruise ever on the EPIC!I am so tired of people going out of their way and take their time to be negative. Most of the negative replies here on Cruise Critic are ridiculous. You all take the time to bitch, complain and moan about stupid trivial things. I just read some reviews of the NCL EPIC and you people could not have been on the same cruise as I was. Or you just love to be negative and go out of your way to find fault with everything. I read some of these reviews before going on the EPIC and I too was affected by the reviews in a negative way. However, I try and find the positive in everything in life and I waited for my cruise to find out for myself. PLEASE read my review and I hope in some way I can debunk some of the stupid reviews about the EPIC left by others.

I will start out by saying I have never once left a review about any of my dozen cruises, but felt it was warranted after reading negative reviews about the EPIC.

The EPIC is a great ship. Sure, I am not happy with the smoke in the casino, but I don’t gamble. Some reviewers said they hated walking through the casino to get to the other side of the ship. Well, don’t walk through it. We went on other decks to get from one side of the ship to the other.

People are bitching about the sinks and how the water gets everywhere. Well, we just turned down the water stream and like magic no water got on the floor, just down the drain.

Some are saying the rooms are too small. I suggest you lose weight or splurge for a Garden Villa and you will not have this problem.

One lady said on her review that the cabin lighting was “terrible”. WHAT? You have got to be kidding… The lighting was great. You put your key card in the slot next to the door to control the lights. If it is not in the lights will go off in about 30 seconds. This is a great way to conserve the ships energy from people leaving their lights on when they are not in the room. The lighting was awesome and had many choices. There were lights above the bed, near the bed, ambient lighting all over. I suggest someone get new glasses. Oh yeah, and this reviewer also complained about no free lobster on board. Seriously, get a life. With all the food choices, who needs lobster? It is an insect anyway.

The bottom line is this fellow cruiser’s.

Read these reviews with a grain of salt and make up your own mind when you cruise. We can all find fault with everything when we look for it. The best thing to do is to realize that you are not at work, you are on vacation and “YOU” make your cruise what it is. If you are looking for things to be negative about, then you will surely find it. Consider that you are able to pay for a cruise, be away from the grind of everyday life and if fortunate enough, have your health. Life is way too short to be nit-picking at every little thing on a cruise ship. I too could write a bunch of negative things about the EPIC. However, this was the best cruise we have ever taken. It was a blast and the staff was great.

I have one final very important comment and story to share. We got on board in nearly 10 minutes. The embarkation was flawless. We got on around 12:00am and could not go to our rooms until 2:00am. We were chatting with this really nice staff member and this guy from nowhere interrupted us and said the following words.

“This is F****g a great way to start a cruise. There are no tables empty in the Garden Café and we have nowhere to sit. What are you going to F****g do about it?

OH MY GOD! Can you believe this idiot? How rude. This is what the staff on cruise ships deal with all the time. They make little money to send back to their families and take this abuse with a smile.

There were 3700 passengers on board that could not go to their rooms yet. Naturally, it would be busy in the buffet which was the only eating place open at the time. Haven’t we all been to our local restaurants where we said “table for 4” and were told it would be a 20 minute wait and were given a lighted beeper when our table was ready? What is wrong with you people? How can you be so rude to another human being and be so unreasonable? Please be kind to the staff when you cruise. They are always surprised when we are so nice all the time. It takes more energy to be rude then to be nice."

 

 

Pretty unbiased to me right? In fact from that 'review' it's my understanding that if you don't like something, just get over it. The reviewer admits to not liking the smoker but what the heck, walk on another deck. What FACTS did this person have in their review, except that they had a great time? I guess if you're a skinny person the Epic rooms must be HUGE? Hey I can go to a baseball game or a football game and have a great time. I can simply take a 5 minute drive to my local beach and have a great time too!

 

I highlighted in RED something important that the reviewer described - a passenger being, in my opinion, rude to the staff. In my opinion this is never acceptable. However look at the question the reviewer asked, How can you be so unreasonable?

 

Maybe, just maybe this person read all the 5+ star reviews where every had a GREAT TIME and enjoyed themselves so much that they neglected to mention that at certain times on the ship the Garden Cafe gets crowded? Maybe if that rude, grumpy person had read an unbiased review they would have known what to expect and maybe, just maybe not been so rude?

 

Nah - just have another drink and enjoy the cruise..

 

Oh and coffeebean I'll bet your review is something like this, "I had a blast on the Epic, it was the time of my life!..."

 

I'll bet that you DO enjoy your cruise, just remember:

 

...turn the water on slowly in the cabin sinks

...go to O'Shehanns for breakfast

...make your reservations for Cirque BEFORE you get on the ship

...know the layout to avoid the smoke from the casino

...

 

Happy cruising. :cool:

[kjquilts]

Coffeebean, hope you enjoy your Epic cruise as much as we did ours. Glad to see more happy cruisers are taking the time to post their reviews. We cruised Aug 28th and my review is now on page 2.

[luv4cruisin]

Have another drink and enjoy the cruise? What a CRAZY idea to enjoy your vacation. As opposed to standing around with your thumb up your *** complaining?

 

How can some one be so upset about a review for a ship they have never been on?

 

And btw, I had a GREAT TIME!!!!!!!

[cherylroslyn]

Let's take this 5+ star review from Collie6570 shall we:

 

 

"BEST cruise ever on the EPIC!I am so tired of people going out of their way and take their time to be negative. Most of the negative replies here on Cruise Critic are ridiculous. You all take the time to bitch, complain and moan about stupid trivial things. I just read some reviews of the NCL EPIC and you people could not have been on the same cruise as I was. Or you just love to be negative and go out of your way to find fault with everything. I read some of these reviews before going on the EPIC and I too was affected by the reviews in a negative way. However, I try and find the positive in everything in life and I waited for my cruise to find out for myself. PLEASE read my review and I hope in some way I can debunk some of the stupid reviews about the EPIC left by others.

I will start out by saying I have never once left a review about any of my dozen cruises, but felt it was warranted after reading negative reviews about the EPIC.

The EPIC is a great ship. Sure, I am not happy with the smoke in the casino, but I don’t gamble. Some reviewers said they hated walking through the casino to get to the other side of the ship. Well, don’t walk through it. We went on other decks to get from one side of the ship to the other.

People are bitching about the sinks and how the water gets everywhere. Well, we just turned down the water stream and like magic no water got on the floor, just down the drain.

Some are saying the rooms are too small. I suggest you lose weight or splurge for a Garden Villa and you will not have this problem.

One lady said on her review that the cabin lighting was “terrible”. WHAT? You have got to be kidding… The lighting was great. You put your key card in the slot next to the door to control the lights. If it is not in the lights will go off in about 30 seconds. This is a great way to conserve the ships energy from people leaving their lights on when they are not in the room. The lighting was awesome and had many choices. There were lights above the bed, near the bed, ambient lighting all over. I suggest someone get new glasses. Oh yeah, and this reviewer also complained about no free lobster on board. Seriously, get a life. With all the food choices, who needs lobster? It is an insect anyway.

The bottom line is this fellow cruiser’s.

Read these reviews with a grain of salt and make up your own mind when you cruise. We can all find fault with everything when we look for it. The best thing to do is to realize that you are not at work, you are on vacation and “YOU” make your cruise what it is. If you are looking for things to be negative about, then you will surely find it. Consider that you are able to pay for a cruise, be away from the grind of everyday life and if fortunate enough, have your health. Life is way too short to be nit-picking at every little thing on a cruise ship. I too could write a bunch of negative things about the EPIC. However, this was the best cruise we have ever taken. It was a blast and the staff was great.

I have one final very important comment and story to share. We got on board in nearly 10 minutes. The embarkation was flawless. We got on around 12:00am and could not go to our rooms until 2:00am. We were chatting with this really nice staff member and this guy from nowhere interrupted us and said the following words.

“This is F****g a great way to start a cruise. There are no tables empty in the Garden Café and we have nowhere to sit. What are you going to F****g do about it?

OH MY GOD! Can you believe this idiot? How rude. This is what the staff on cruise ships deal with all the time. They make little money to send back to their families and take this abuse with a smile.

There were 3700 passengers on board that could not go to their rooms yet. Naturally, it would be busy in the buffet which was the only eating place open at the time. Haven’t we all been to our local restaurants where we said “table for 4” and were told it would be a 20 minute wait and were given a lighted beeper when our table was ready? What is wrong with you people? How can you be so rude to another human being and be so unreasonable? Please be kind to the staff when you cruise. They are always surprised when we are so nice all the time. It takes more energy to be rude then to be nice."

 

 

Pretty unbiased to me right? In fact from that 'review' it's my understanding that if you don't like something, just get over it. The reviewer admits to not liking the smoker but what the heck, walk on another deck. What FACTS did this person have in their review, except that they had a great time? I guess if you're a skinny person the Epic rooms must be HUGE? Hey I can go to a baseball game or a football game and have a great time. I can simply take a 5 minute drive to my local beach and have a great time too!

 

I highlighted in RED something important that the reviewer described - a passenger being, in my opinion, rude to the staff. In my opinion this is never acceptable. However look at the question the reviewer asked, How can you be so unreasonable?

 

Maybe, just maybe this person read all the 5+ star reviews where every had a GREAT TIME and enjoyed themselves so much that they neglected to mention that at certain times on the ship the Garden Cafe gets crowded? Maybe if that rude, grumpy person had read an unbiased review they would have known what to expect and maybe, just maybe not been so rude?

 

Nah - just have another drink and enjoy the cruise..

 

Oh and coffeebean I'll bet your review is something like this, "I had a blast on the Epic, it was the time of my life!..."

 

I'll bet that you DO enjoy your cruise, just remember:

 

...turn the water on slowly in the cabin sinks

...go to O'Shehanns for breakfast

...make your reservations for Cirque BEFORE you get on the ship

...know the layout to avoid the smoke from the casino

...

 

Happy cruising. :cool:

I appreciate your post and your point Mr. Lucky...but in all honesty I don't see how you can challenge that review as "biased" and think that something "unbiased" would stop a rude idiot from acting like a rude idiot.

 

The man described in that review at the garden cafe is a rude idiot...no amount of positive, negative or indifferent reviews will change that fact.

 

About 99% of the people who are on cruise critic have at least one cruise under their belt. We all know the buffet at sail away...which is basicall the only restaurant open at that time is going to be crowded....because it is the only time during the entire cruise where EVERY SINGLE PASSENGER OF THE 4700 ABOARD ARE LOOKING TO DO THE SAME THING.........EAT!!!!!!!!

 

I'm guessing all the pools and hot tubs are filled at that time too......again because every single passenger is on the deck for sailaway. Should the hot tub or pool have a capacity of 4700 because during one two hour period during the cruise every single soul will be up on the pool deck wishing they could go in the pool and swim laps??? No people should learn to be a little more patient.....

 

 

Walk down the stairs to La Cuccina for more room to eat...go sit in a lounger and eat....walk up to deck 19 (freestyle deck) and eat topless......

 

What do you want me to tell you....they don't have 4700 chairs in Garden Cafe.......

 

 

You can go to Taste(early), O'Sheehan's, and they even serve some stuff over at H2O. That is a huge improvement over most ships....on every line that ONLY OFFER THE BUFFET FOR SAILAWAY.

 

I have been on every major line and none of them have an open dining room at sailaway.....

 

People need to learn to read their "Daily" upon arrival and figure out what options there are.....

 

 

As for smoke...I hate it and I will do everything to avoid it...so I walk around a deck...big deal exercise is good for the heart!!!!

 

You seem to assume those of us with go with the flow attitudes are doing a disservice to the rest of the cruisers who read the reviews..... I disagree.

 

Its not my job to get everyone on this board all fired up to hate a ship just becasue there was no salt shaker on my table or I had to ask for an extra napkin......

 

I do volunteer work with special needs children. The children I work with have no mechanism for self soothing, problem solving or any variation from the stated plan.

 

To tell one of these children "hey.... change of plans we are not eating in garden cafe for lunch" or "there is no chocolate pudding...only vanilla... deal with it" would cause a meltdown on par with catostrophic event or a riot....

 

For adults or children with severe disabilities and special needs I understand the difficulties assiciated with even a minor change in plans....but for the rest of the adult polulation that is not suffering from any sort of disability or psychological disorder we all need to leaarn to roll with the punches a little better......

 

and to hear a passenger have a meltdown like that over a dinning table, and to insult and abuse a staff member, there simply is reaon for that type of behavior on a ship or on land....

 

Its a cruiseship...its not the answer to all your problems....it is simply a vacation from the everyday......

[sdmike]

Mr lucky -

I read that different from you. To me that review says "don't sweat the small stuff". No cruise, or vacation, is perfect. If you get your panties twisted by everything you think could be improved you're going to waste your time fretting and not enjoying all that's positive and fun. Some might think I'm an Epic cheerleader, but anyone who reads my posts will find plenty of things I think could have been better. I just chose to move past them and enjoy myself.

 

Don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff. :)

[nezume]

Let's take this 5+ star review from Collie6570 shall we:

 

 

"BEST cruise ever on the EPIC!I am so tired of people going out of their way and take their time to be negative. Most of the negative replies here on Cruise Critic are ridiculous. You all take the time to bitch, complain and moan about stupid trivial things. I just read some reviews of the NCL EPIC and you people could not have been on the same cruise as I was. Or you just love to be negative and go out of your way to find fault with everything. I read some of these reviews before going on the EPIC and I too was affected by the reviews in a negative way. However, I try and find the positive in everything in life and I waited for my cruise to find out for myself. PLEASE read my review and I hope in some way I can debunk some of the stupid reviews about the EPIC left by others.

I will start out by saying I have never once left a review about any of my dozen cruises, but felt it was warranted after reading negative reviews about the EPIC.

The EPIC is a great ship. Sure, I am not happy with the smoke in the casino, but I don’t gamble. Some reviewers said they hated walking through the casino to get to the other side of the ship. Well, don’t walk through it. We went on other decks to get from one side of the ship to the other.

People are bitching about the sinks and how the water gets everywhere. Well, we just turned down the water stream and like magic no water got on the floor, just down the drain.

Some are saying the rooms are too small. I suggest you lose weight or splurge for a Garden Villa and you will not have this problem.

One lady said on her review that the cabin lighting was “terrible”. WHAT? You have got to be kidding… The lighting was great. You put your key card in the slot next to the door to control the lights. If it is not in the lights will go off in about 30 seconds. This is a great way to conserve the ships energy from people leaving their lights on when they are not in the room. The lighting was awesome and had many choices. There were lights above the bed, near the bed, ambient lighting all over. I suggest someone get new glasses. Oh yeah, and this reviewer also complained about no free lobster on board. Seriously, get a life. With all the food choices, who needs lobster? It is an insect anyway.

The bottom line is this fellow cruiser’s.

Read these reviews with a grain of salt and make up your own mind when you cruise. We can all find fault with everything when we look for it. The best thing to do is to realize that you are not at work, you are on vacation and “YOU” make your cruise what it is. If you are looking for things to be negative about, then you will surely find it. Consider that you are able to pay for a cruise, be away from the grind of everyday life and if fortunate enough, have your health. Life is way too short to be nit-picking at every little thing on a cruise ship. I too could write a bunch of negative things about the EPIC. However, this was the best cruise we have ever taken. It was a blast and the staff was great.

I have one final very important comment and story to share. We got on board in nearly 10 minutes. The embarkation was flawless. We got on around 12:00am and could not go to our rooms until 2:00am. We were chatting with this really nice staff member and this guy from nowhere interrupted us and said the following words.

 

“This is F****g a great way to start a cruise. There are no tables empty in the Garden Café and we have nowhere to sit. What are you going to F****g do about it?

OH MY GOD! Can you believe this idiot? How rude. This is what the staff on cruise ships deal with all the time. They make little money to send back to their families and take this abuse with a smile.

There were 3700 passengers on board that could not go to their rooms yet. Naturally, it would be busy in the buffet which was the only eating place open at the time. Haven’t we all been to our local restaurants where we said “table for 4” and were told it would be a 20 minute wait and were given a lighted beeper when our table was ready? What is wrong with you people? How can you be so rude to another human being and be so unreasonable? Please be kind to the staff when you cruise. They are always surprised when we are so nice all the time. It takes more energy to be rude then to be nice."

 

 

Pretty unbiased to me right? In fact from that 'review' it's my understanding that if you don't like something, just get over it. The reviewer admits to not liking the smoker but what the heck, walk on another deck. What FACTS did this person have in their review, except that they had a great time? I guess if you're a skinny person the Epic rooms must be HUGE? Hey I can go to a baseball game or a football game and have a great time. I can simply take a 5 minute drive to my local beach and have a great time too!

 

I highlighted in RED something important that the reviewer described - a passenger being, in my opinion, rude to the staff. In my opinion this is never acceptable. However look at the question the reviewer asked, How can you be so unreasonable?

 

Maybe, just maybe this person read all the 5+ star reviews where every had a GREAT TIME and enjoyed themselves so much that they neglected to mention that at certain times on the ship the Garden Cafe gets crowded? Maybe if that rude, grumpy person had read an unbiased review they would have known what to expect and maybe, just maybe not been so rude?

 

Nah - just have another drink and enjoy the cruise..

 

Oh and coffeebean I'll bet your review is something like this, "I had a blast on the Epic, it was the time of my life!..."

 

I'll bet that you DO enjoy your cruise, just remember:

 

...turn the water on slowly in the cabin sinks

...go to O'Shehanns for breakfast

...make your reservations for Cirque BEFORE you get on the ship

...know the layout to avoid the smoke from the casino

...

 

Happy cruising. :cool:

 

 

I think you completely missed the point of this review...

[lusitanica]

Cruise ship reviews.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Have another drink and enjoy the cruise? What a CRAZY idea to enjoy your vacation. As opposed to standing around with your thumb up your *** complaining?

 

How can some one be so upset about a review for a ship they have never been on?

 

And btw, I had a GREAT TIME!!!!!!!

 

Unfortunately one must educate the masses as to what a REVIEW is -

 

A consumer review refers to a review written by the owner of a product or the user of a service who has sufficient experience to comment on reliability and whether or not the product or service delivers on its promises

 

A similar type of review that may be biased is the so-called "puff piece", a review of a product, film, or event that is written by a sympathetic reviewer or by an individual who has a connection to the product or event in question, either in terms of an employment relationship or other links. For example, a major media conglomerate that owns both print media and record companies may instruct one of its employees in one of its newspapers to do a review of an album which is being released by the conglomerate's record company. Although some journalists may assert their professional independence and integrity, and insist on producing an unbiased review, in other cases, writers may succumb to the pressure and pen a biased "puff piece" which praises the product or event while omitting any discussion of any shortcomings. In some cases, "puff pieces" purport to provide a review of the product or event, but instead merely provide "peacock words" ("An amazing recording"); "weasel words" ("probably one of the most important ships sailing") and tabloid-style filler which is peripheral or irrelevant to assessing the qualities of the product or event.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Review

 

I have NO DOUBT that most people who sail the Epic have a wonderful time - it's NOT a bad ship! What bothers me is when people write 'puff pieces' as gospel and if you mention any of the shortcomings you get jumped and labeled with derogatory names. The OP get's all excited because people post 5+ stars when in fact there are some shortcomings.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

I think you completely missed the point of this review...

 

Actually I didn't. I disliked the snarky comments about the rooms and people needing to go on a diet - that is not a review but their trip experience something unique to them and something I will not disagree with.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

I appreciate your post and your point Mr. Lucky...but in all honesty I don't see how you can challenge that review as "biased" and think that something "unbiased" would stop a rude idiot from acting like a rude idiot.

 

The man described in that review at the garden cafe is a rude idiot...no amount of positive, negative or indifferent reviews will change that fact.

 

Cheryl - I agree with you as well.

 

I hope you have a great time and enjoy the ship, I'm sure with your positive attitude you will! :D

[nezume]

Mr lucky -

I read that different from you. To me that review says "don't sweat the small stuff". No cruise, or vacation, is perfect. If you get your panties twisted by everything you think could be improved you're going to waste your time fretting and not enjoying all that's positive and fun. Some might think I'm an Epic cheerleader, but anyone who reads my posts will find plenty of things I think could have been better. I just chose to move past them and enjoy myself.

 

Don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff. :)

 

 

Perfect! Not every view has to be a minute by minute blow of their every move onboard

[cherylroslyn]

Cheryl - I agree with you as well.

 

I hope you have a great time and enjoy the ship, I'm sure with your positive attitude you will! :D

Thank you...I will definitely have a great time...or die trying!!!!!!

 

I also hope you have a great time on your upcoming cruise!!! I love the Mille and after the new refubishments I think she will be even more enjoyable......

[Quincella]

I cannot imagine myself not having a good time on this ship. I loved every single minute. Seriously. And no, I'm not a cheer leader...this was just my honest experience.

 

I don't like to cruise the same ship twice because I love the newness of a new-to-me ship, but I'm seriously considering re-booking EPIC. I didn't get anywhere close to doing everything she had to offer.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[bahamaman]

I cannot imagine myself not having a good time on this ship. I loved every single minute. Seriously. And no, I'm not a cheer leader...this was just my honest experience.

 

I don't like to cruise the same ship twice because I love the newness of a new-to-me ship, but I'm seriously considering re-booking EPIC. I didn't get anywhere close to doing everything she had to offer.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Amen to that. After having been on the Epic for an Eastern Carib cruise in July, we are headed back on the Epic for a western carib cruise in April 2011!:D

[coffeebean]

 

The OP get's all excited because people post 5+ stars when in fact there are some shortcomings.

Yes, I'm excited to see some positive feedback about Epic. My goodness, there has been so much derogatory discussion about this ship, it has undoubtedly caused some folks not to consider cruising on her.

 

I'm aware that Epic has some issues and I will do the best I can to be objective when I report back about the ship. I'll try not to be a cheerleader as I have been in the past about NCL's Freestyle concept. I really do love it, you know.

 

Two more weeks to go...can't wait.

[Anumi]

I enjoyed reading that review.....I took two things from it that have been burning in my mind after reading a few threads on these boards. Short and sweet and right to the point. Get over it...and get a life. For God's sake its a vacation. Quit bickering over every little detail. I for one look forward to kicking back in my balcony cabin and making the most out of my well deserved and well planned for vacation.

[westonsteve]

I agree that a review can and should include both the good and the bad. The part that really frustrates me as I read reviews tends to be the overall rating given. I see several reviews on this site and others where someone talks about a few negative issues - and then gives the ship a 1-star or 2-star rating. I find it incredible that people feel that any modern cruise ship would deserve a rating so low.

[joyy7403]

I have 35 more days & I will be relaxing on the Epic. Over the years I have grown very tolerant & patient (my family thought that time would never come!). The problems that the OP mentioned would not upset me at all, I'd just smile & deal with it accordingly. The only thing I could not tolerate is the passenger cursing at one of the crew. Our vacation has just started, they've been at this non-stop for weeks or months. I have never met a rude crew member during any cruise. I would definitely have said something to this "gentleman" about his conduct. They all work very hard & deserve our respect and thanks. I will be filling out more cards for the crew, now that I have read how important they are IN 35 DAYS!!!!!:D

[salty dingo]

Wow...the last few reviews of Epic are quite positive. I'm so happy to see folks are enjoying themselves on this ship and are not finding so much fault with her.

Yes, it is only the last few reviews that matter. Obviously the service has been completely overhauled and the ship now is a different, and lovely place to be.:rolleyes:

[coka]

Hey! Has anybody booked the Epic due to all the controversy here as opposed to not booking the Epic because of it? Am I the only oddball fascinated in a twisted sort of way by the love/hate human dynamics taking place on the boards regarding this ship? Do you think it is true that negative publicity is better than no publicity? Like a movie star, does it really matter what is being said, as long as they are talking about her? Could the negative posts and negative videos actually be helping more to know about her and lead to more bookings? Just some random thoughts at the stroke of midnight here in the northeast...

 

coka

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Could the negative posts and negative videos actually be helping more to know about her and lead to more bookings? Just some random thoughts at the stroke of midnight here in the northeast...

 

coka

Negative Posts???? No one posts negatively ?????

 

Didn't you hear coka - they just changed the faucets on the ship so now everything is PERFECT! :p

[mistyPA]

I truly don't get it Mr Lucky...for someone who had such an awful time on the ship you sure do spend an awful lot of time on this board negating anyone who seems to be able to just go on vacation and focus on the enjoyable aspects as opposed to the concentrating on the negative. I cannot imagine going on a vacation I already having a preconceived notion that it would be miserable before even going on the ship only to report a negative experience and then continue to comment on how negative it was. My question is why not just be done with it and move on? Why is it so important to debunk anyone else who may have stated it was a positive and enjoyable experience, someone who may realize they were on vacation and when comparing the vacation to everyday life found the trip to be enjoyable? Yes, I understand the definition of a review, but some may choose to not scrutinize a ship for negative points because it is just not that important to them. Thankfully, most people get past things like the faucet overflowing and the fact that they may have trouble finding a seat in the buffet occasionally. On every cruise I have been on I have had a hard time finding a seat at the buffet especially at breakfast and on a nice day at sea unless I was out early I have found it difficult to find the "right" place to sit by the pool...but, to me it is a given not a negative, it is expected that on a ship that is full of passengers I may have a difficult time getting everything I want.

 

IMHO a person takes a vacation and will offer up a review of their experience on the ship. Speaking for myself...and I haven't been on the ship yet, but after having been on 9 (4 different lines) other cruises I think I can speak to smoke on a ship. I don't like it, I have asthma and it really sets my asthma off, but people ARE allowed to smoke in the casinos that's the way it is. I have asthma so I avoid the casino. Now, that may be a huge issue for me if I liked to gamble but because I don't it's not a big deal. I may mention in the review that the casino was smokey (which casino isn't), but I am not going to focus on it. As I have stated before the sink ran over on the Oasis and on the Princess ships I have been on if I let the flow come out too fast, so I just turned it down a little and guess what it didn't overflow. For me to focus on the water overflowing is just ridiculous. The ship is a 4700 passenger ship, it WILL be crowded at times in certain places...if anyone expects a ship with 4700 passengers to not be crowded is also ridiculous. I have been on ships with a lesser capacity and on a really nice day at sea have found the pool(s) to be crowded.

 

My point, you are on a cruise ship...a clearly defined space...at time things are not going to be perfect. We have all got to pick and choose our battles. Commenting on the noise on the decks surrounding the casino is a valid point, having to wait in a line for a reservation is an important point (though on any other ship I have been on...if I wanted a good seat I had to get to the theater 30 minutes early). The layout is important, the service and quality of the food is important. Though, most ships are offering alternative dining options which require payment, it's the way cruising is going and personally speaking I like the option. The cost of a cruise really hasn't increased all that much over the past ten years, the cruise industry has to make money some way, so if the overall cost of the cruise stays down...I like it. I like having the choice of spending an additional $20 for a finer dining experience. I get to make the choice it is not imposed on me. After all, there are plenty of food options included in the cost of the cruise if I don't want to spend the money, thereby making it a more affordable vacation if I choose to make it more affordable.

[sottovoce]

I truly don't get it Mr Lucky...for someone who had such an awful time on the ship you sure do spend an awful lot of time on this board negating anyone who seems to be able to just go on vacation and focus on the enjoyable aspects as opposed to the concentrating on the negative. I cannot imagine going on a vacation I already having a preconceived notion that it would be miserable before even going on the ship only to report a negative experience and then continue to comment on how negative it was. My question is why not just be done with it and move on? Why is it so important to debunk anyone else who may have stated it was a positive and enjoyable experience, someone who may realize they were on vacation and when comparing the vacation to everyday life found the trip to be enjoyable? Yes, I understand the definition of a review, but some may choose to not scrutinize a ship for negative points because it is just not that important to them. Thankfully, most people get past things like the faucet overflowing and the fact that they may have trouble finding a seat in the buffet occasionally. On every cruise I have been on I have had a hard time finding a seat at the buffet especially at breakfast and on a nice day at sea unless I was out early I have found it difficult to find the "right" place to sit by the pool...but, to me it is a given not a negative, it is expected that on a ship that is full of passengers I may have a difficult time getting everything I want.

 

IMHO a person takes a vacation and will offer up a review of their experience on the ship. Speaking for myself...and I haven't been on the ship yet, but after having been on 9 (4 different lines) other cruises I think I can speak to smoke on a ship. I don't like it, I have asthma and it really sets my asthma off, but people ARE allowed to smoke in the casinos that's the way it is. I have asthma so I avoid the casino. Now, that may be a huge issue for me if I liked to gamble but because I don't it's not a big deal. I may mention in the review that the casino was smokey (which casino isn't), but I am not going to focus on it. As I have stated before the sink ran over on the Oasis and on the Princess ships I have been on if I let the flow come out too fast, so I just turned it down a little and guess what it didn't overflow. For me to focus on the water overflowing is just ridiculous. The ship is a 4700 passenger ship, it WILL be crowded at times in certain places...if anyone expects a ship with 4700 passengers to not be crowded is also ridiculous. I have been on ships with a lesser capacity and on a really nice day at sea have found the pool(s) to be crowded.

 

My point, you are on a cruise ship...a clearly defined space...at time things are not going to be perfect. We have all got to pick and choose our battles. Commenting on the noise on the decks surrounding the casino is a valid point, having to wait in a line for a reservation is an important point (though on any other ship I have been on...if I wanted a good seat I had to get to the theater 30 minutes early). The layout is important, the service and quality of the food is important. Though, most ships are offering alternative dining options which require payment, it's the way cruising is going and personally speaking I like the option. The cost of a cruise really hasn't increased all that much over the past ten years, the cruise industry has to make money some way, so if the overall cost of the cruise stays down...I like it. I like having the choice of spending an additional $20 for a finer dining experience. I get to make the choice it is not imposed on me. After all, there are plenty of food options included in the cost of the cruise if I don't want to spend the money, thereby making it a more affordable vacation if I choose to make it more affordable.

This is the most thoughtful posting on this board in months. But I expect it will whoosh right over MrLuckyToo's head because he is too busy obsessing over faucets and sinks.

 

It just boggles the mind that someone goes on a cruise vacation and even pays the slightest attention to the sink and faucet layout. How ridiculous is that? Do you cruise to inspect sinks? If the casino is smoky--and the only one I've seen that hasn't been was on smoke-free Renaissance--just walk on the public deck that doesn't have the casino. Telling me the casino was smoky is like telling me the ocean was wet.

 

I'm with you, mistyPA, on the specialty restaurants. If you don't want to patronize them just go to the main dining rooms and other free venues that are just like what was offered before the coming of specialty restaurants. To be able to have the incredible choice of cuisines that NCL offers, to me, is very much worth the modest charges they ask. When someone complains that there were more surcharged restaurants than free ones, my eyes just roll. Why in the world would anyone think it's better to have two main dining rooms and no or one or two specialty restaurants than to have six or seven specialty restaurants? If you don't want to go to one or two, seems to me there should be no issue in not going to six or seven.

 

To some people, apparently it's a matter of pride to find faults. Makes them feel superior, in some strange way, to report a 'gotcha.' These people must cruise, as misty PA so incisively wrote above, to "scrutinize a ship for negative points." MrLuckyToo clearly belongs in this camp. What sets him apart is that he clings to these negatives long after any rational human being would have let them go.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

I truly don't get it Mr Lucky...for someone who had such an awful time on the ship you sure do spend an awful lot of time on this board negating anyone who seems to be able to just go on vacation and focus on the enjoyable aspects as opposed to the concentrating on the negative.

 

Dear MistyPA - you are right, you don't get it. Please provide a quote from me that stated I had an awful time on the Epic. You won't find one because you ASSUME things about others. Did you read my review in the review section? How many stars did I give the Epic? Maybe once you understand the entire picture you might 'get it'.

 

I cannot imagine going on a vacation I already having a preconceived notion that it would be miserable before even going on the ship only to report a negative experience and then continue to comment on how negative it was. My question is why not just be done with it and move on?

 

I agree with you, why go somewhere or do something you believe will not be enjoyable? Please show me where I had written anything remotely negative about the Epic prior to my cruise - I'll save you the time; I didn't.

 

Why is it so important to debunk anyone else who may have stated it was a positive and enjoyable experience, someone who may realize they were on vacation and when comparing the vacation to everyday life found the trip to be enjoyable? Yes, I understand the definition of a review, but some may choose to not scrutinize a ship for negative points because it is just not that important to them.

 

So you admit that some people choose to ignore facets of a ship that they find bothersome. That's fine but it's not a review and it certainly does nothing to help someone in the future who may be bothered by the same issue(s).

 

Thankfully, most people get past things like the faucet overflowing and the fact that they may have trouble finding a seat in the buffet occasionally. On every cruise I have been on I have had a hard time finding a seat at the buffet especially at breakfast and on a nice day at sea unless I was out early I have found it difficult to find the "right" place to sit by the pool...but, to me it is a given not a negative, it is expected that on a ship that is full of passengers I may have a difficult time getting everything I want.

 

Obviously the fauct issue was important enough that NCL felt the need to spend thousands of dollars replacing them? :confused: I guess you understanding of an issue isn't up to the level of the company? As for a crowded buffet area I never had an issue. Please find a written quote where I complained about an overcrowded buffet? I don't do buffet's. In fact I RECOMMENDED eating breakfast at O'Sheehans. Had you read my review you would have known that.

 

Speaking for myself...and I haven't been on the ship yet, but after having been on 9 (4 different lines) other cruises I think I can speak to smoke on a ship. I don't like it, I have asthma and it really sets my asthma off, but people ARE allowed to smoke in the casinos that's the way it is. I have asthma so I avoid the casino. Now, that may be a huge issue for me if I liked to gamble but because I don't it's not a big deal. I may mention in the review that the casino was smokey (which casino isn't), [ANY CASINO ON CELEBRITY WHERE THERE IS NO A SMOKING POLICY]but I am not going to focus on it.

 

My point, you are on a cruise ship...a clearly defined space...at time things are not going to be perfect. We have all got to pick and choose our battles. Commenting on the noise on the decks surrounding the casino is a valid point, having to wait in a line for a reservation is an important point (though on any other ship I have been on...if I wanted a good seat I had to get to the theater 30 minutes early). The layout is important, the service and quality of the food is important. Though, most ships are offering alternative dining options which require payment, it's the way cruising is going and personally speaking I like the option. The cost of a cruise really hasn't increased all that much over the past ten years, the cruise industry has to make money some way, so if the overall cost of the cruise stays down...I like it. I like having the choice of spending an additional $20 for a finer dining experience. I get to make the choice it is not imposed on me. After all, there are plenty of food options included in the cost of the cruise if I don't want to spend the money, thereby making it a more affordable vacation if I choose to make it more affordable.

 

Had you actually read any of my review you would have noticed that I had covered most of those issues. With this thread I choose a 5+ review from a CC member, Collie 6570, as an example. The issues that you stated were important, 'Commenting on the noise on the decks surrounding the casino is a valid point, having to wait in a line for a reservation is an important point (though on any other ship I have been on...if I wanted a good seat I had to get to the theater 30 minutes early). The layout is important, the service and quality of the food is important' really weren't addressed were they? That reviewer noted that they didn't like the smoke in the casino so, just walk around it...Some are saying the rooms are too small. I suggest you lose weight or splurge for a Garden Villa and you will not have this problem.

What I did was to simply state that the reviewer didn't post a proper review but merely a combination of snarky replies to obvious problems with the ship such as poor ventilation in the smoky casinos and industry non-standard small rooms.

 

Can these issues be 'overcome'? Most certainly - I know I did. Does having to put up with these flaws decrease a person's ability to enjoy their cruising experience? Or properly stated, should people who pay thousands of dollars be willing to 'settle' for sub optimal conditions? Only each individual person can answer that for themselves as it appears that people have different standards. But then again ...

I truly don't get it Mr Lucky

That's why we're here :cool: