What I don't LIke. Nothing wrong with being Critical!

[teegeezfun]

It seems like every time someone posts an honest critical opinion of their experience on a cruise that may contain less than glowing details of the ship they get attacked as being negative. Guess what folks, not every moment of every cruise is perfect, and I for one appreciated those that came before me telling me that, for example, the lobster tails would not be as good as the new england lobster i was used to, or that cirque was a waste of money. I appreciated your critical opinion of shore excursions. It helped me select those that would suit us best...

 

I liked to hear the details that were good, but if that is all I need to know in selecting a cruise ship or line, i can just visit their website and read the advertising copy there...

 

If you take personal offense at those that are "Cruise Critics", i recommend you start your own message board called "Cruise Groupies..."

[tbelian]

Recently, we have heard 'tell' of 'horrible conditions on the Century', and 'Mercury in a state of disrepair...'

.. only to find that, the MAJORITY of actual cruisers coming back from trips on these 'horrific' vessels, have found little if none of the conditions described in the negatvie posts.

 

So, these folks with all the negative remarks, what exactly IS their agenda? Honest criticism, or ??

 

It does leave it open for debate... and thats 'what we do' here.

 

NEGATIVE publicity (read advertising copy), is just as much 'advertising' for the competition.

 

No, there is nothing wrong with being critical, but when everyone else who reports on the same cruise, same ship has nothing but postive remarks, doesn't it cause you to wonder?

[FreesiaE]

I agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion abou their personal cruise experience. I actually appreciate when a review has specific, detailed critiques or praises. I would rather read a phrase that said "The bathroom contained traces of mold in the shower and the curtain" than "The bathroom was gross"--end discussion.

[FLACRUISER99]

It seems like every time someone posts an honest critical opinion of their experience on a cruise that may contain less than glowing details of the ship they get attacked as being negative. Guess what folks, not every moment of every cruise is perfect, and I for one appreciated those that came before me telling me that, for example, the lobster tails would not be as good as the new england lobster i was used to, or that cirque was a waste of money. I appreciated your critical opinion of shore excursions. It helped me select those that would suit us best...

 

I liked to hear the details that were good, but if that is all I need to know in selecting a cruise ship or line, i can just visit their website and read the advertising copy there...

 

If you take personal offense at those that are "Cruise Critics", i recommend you start your own message board called "Cruise Groupies..."

The only problem is that you don't know if the critic is posting a honest opinion. I think Caribbean Lobster is better then New England. I haven't been to the cirque but I am sure some people enjoyed it and thought it was worth the money.All the ships I have been on have had negative reviews. Many people book a cruise then read a negative review and think they made a mistake - the only way to tell if you like something is to try it, not listen to someone who may or may no know what they are talking about.:rolleyes:I don't take it personal but many people badmouth NCL' but I have always had a wonderful time on this line.

[The Admiral]

The only problem is that you don't know if the critic is posting a honest opinion. I

 

It goes both ways, you have no way to tell if those who bash critics or take offense if anything negative is said about X have a hidden agenda or are being honest either...

[geoherb]

The best reviews talk about the good points and the bad. I've enjoyed every cruise I've been on. Sometimes it's hard to believe that people were on the same cruise when one review is glowing and the other nothing but negatives. Most people, fortunately, don't let one bad incident turn their whole cruise bad.

 

One of the funniest things to me was eating lunch with a trio of negative people on a Princess ship. Nothing was as good as it had been on Carnival. When the soup was served, the wife found a reason to complain about it--the matzoh balls were too small. I thought the soup was delicious and said so. She agreed, but wouldn't let up about the size of the matzoh balls. Later on, the ribs in a spicy barbecue sauce turned out to be spicy and they complained about that as well.

[benjamins]

Improvement often comes about through constructive criticism. I try to aim my criticisms towards Celebrity in attempt to have Celebrity be the best Celebrity they can be. But, is my version of what Celebrity accurate to what the company was or is or wants to be in the future? As Celebrity changes how should it change? Are there core aspects of the line that absolutely must remain going forward? How diverse are Celebrity pax and when does Celebrity expand so much that they no longer are geared towards the diverse Celebrity pax? How much of a role should profits and shareholders play in the future of the content of the product even though some of these, perhaps most of these people, don't use the product?

 

We have to be practical. Ships 7 years in service can not have as little wear as ships 2 years in service. But, there's a point where ships can look ratty and criticisms are valid. Noticeable service cuts are valid, it is Celebrity compared to Celebrity. Noticeable weaknesses, such as Celebrity's communication onboard and on shore are valid. What I think is more questionable is when people try to change the character of a line to make it more like another line. And these are around specific issues, such as dress codes and open vs. assigned seating. I think these are core brand-specific issues and a real choice of why a certain brand is chosen.

[Ma Bell]

It's really too bad that someone can't post a positive thread without it being criticized as well. There is nothing wrong with being critical, but was this really necessary. I'm really amazed that anyone is that negative. How sad.

[Trixsea]

Well said Ma. There is a difference between critical and negative.

[WeBeCruisin']

One of the funniest things to me was eating lunch with a trio of negative people on a Princess ship. Nothing was as good as it had been on Carnival. When the soup was served, the wife found a reason to complain about it--the matzoh balls were too small. I thought the soup was delicious and said so. She agreed, but wouldn't let up about the size of the matzoh balls. Later on, the ribs in a spicy barbecue sauce turned out to be spicy and they complained about that as well.

 

In 1996, we were on the Splendour of the Seas on its inaugural British Isles/Paris/Amsterdam cruise. We were on an excursion in Scotland, and were at a beautiful old hotel, eating lunch. They were serving a creamed salmon which had been caught that morning in the local river, along with pate, potatoes, and other vegetables. It was absolutely delicious. Anyway, a woman at our table haughtily informed them that she did not eat "liver" or fish. They said they would bring her chicken or lamb. She didn't like chicken or lamb, either. She wanted them to make her a cheeseburger and french fries. They told her they didn't have the materials to do that. She told them that that was just too bad, they needed to go out and GET the materials and then make her a cheeseburger and french fries. She said it was HER vacation and she was not going to eat disgusting "foreign food". I hate to think what she would have done if they had served haggis. They told her that there wasn't time to go out shopping for ingredients to make cheeseburgers and french fries, and was there possibly anything else she would be willing to eat. She went into a tirade about "stupid" foreigners, and how she hadn't even wanted to go on this 12-day cruise, but her children had paid for it and had "forced" her to go and how she'd so much rather be back in Pennsylvania sitting on her front porch talking to her neighbor. She then got up and left in a huff and spent the rest of the lunch stop pouting in the tour coach.

 

I'm sure her review would have been a scorcher, and she would have pictured herself as a "victim" of horrible customer service and "stupid" foreigners. Sadly, there are people in this world who get off on complaining about everything and will never be happy unless they feel they've been victimized by all the horrible things they're forced to experience. Even more sadly, a lot of them take cruises. Sigh.

 

Allen

[tbelian]

I'm sure her review would have been a scorcher' date=' and she would have pictured herself as a "victim" of horrible customer service and "stupid" foreigners.[/quote']

 

The only thing you left out of the story was her inevitable demand for compensation, an upgrade, or a free cruise!! LOL! ...

[cruising with marti]

All of my cruises have been negative, I have been miserable on every single one.

 

All of the ships have been in poor condition, the food has been bad, the passengers rude and obnoxious, chair hogs galore, and people under dressed and smoking every where. the seas were rough, the entertainment sucked, and the staff were rude and uncareing.

 

The ports of calls were filthty, and I felt unsafe. Embarkation and debarcation were nightmares.

 

oh well, I have three more cruises booked just in case my previous cruises were isolated incidents.

 

 

Phil

[Longboysfan]

All of my cruises have been negative, I have been miserable on every single one.

 

All of the ships have been in poor condition, the food has been bad, the passengers rude and obnoxious, chair hogs galore, and people under dressed and smoking every where. the seas were rough, the entertainment sucked, and the staff were rude and uncareing.

 

The ports of calls were filthty, and I felt unsafe. Embarkation and debarcation were nightmares.

 

oh well, I have three more cruises booked just in case my previous cruises were isolated incidents.

 

 

Phil

 

I always cruise with Marti. ;)

I smoke. But only the cheap cigars.

I hog chairs - they're a bit slow to get to the open ones.

I pray to god every night on the cruise for rough seas.

I hassled the entertainment.

I paid their servers extra to not pay attention.

I litter excessivly when in every port.

I found their luggage and on embarkation took off the room tags.

I got to the luggage area first on disembarkation and moverd their luggage to another color.

I'm booked on all three of the upcoming cruises.

 

But can someone loan me some money.

He's killin me with the cost of all this.

 

I take good direction from Newt. :)

[cruising with marti]

longboy

 

 

so thats the reason marti is missing weeks at a time.;)

 

 

 

Phil

[AFT_LOVER]

and just about everything from bedding to pillows were not delivered to Dover to get Connie ready for the 9th deck CC catefory. Bed was horrible, nothing luxurious about it right down to the so called duvet that was 2 sheets sewn together on the sides with this huge scratchy piano blanket type item sticking out of the top & bottom by a foot each.

 

We asked about the bedding, with the bed coming apart in the middle, and was told it was KING! No padding, no duvet as I have at home, no pillows on sofa or bed other than the cement blocks they have there.

 

But then the folks aboard from the Captain to the clerks at the atrium counters, made the cruise wonderful since I was treated like family. The other CC'ers joked about the list of goodies & what we didn't have. But with numerous bottles of champagne & 5# boxes of choclates from Cova delivered, who cared!

 

Food was fabulous, chef was fun to watch show off, Sudi & his martini magic was another great show, and the lecturers who were entertaining as well as teaching us new things.

 

A fast 2 weeks!!!! Ready to do it again in 2006 but they don't release Sept 2006 til July to see the itinerary wince we do not want to repeat the cruise to the same ports (all 4 of them)

 

The best reviews talk about the good points and the bad. I've enjoyed every cruise I've been on. Sometimes it's hard to believe that people were on the same cruise when one review is glowing and the other nothing but negatives. Most people, fortunately, don't let one bad incident turn their whole cruise bad.

 

One of the funniest things to me was eating lunch with a trio of negative people on a Princess ship. Nothing was as good as it had been on Carnival. When the soup was served, the wife found a reason to complain about it--the matzoh balls were too small. I thought the soup was delicious and said so. She agreed, but wouldn't let up about the size of the matzoh balls. Later on, the ribs in a spicy barbecue sauce turned out to be spicy and they complained about that as well.

[canderson]

I haven't been to the cirque but I am sure some people enjoyed it and thought it was worth the money.

Since no one has, to my knowledge, ever actually been charged for the ball (none of the other nights were ever intended to incur a cost), I'm still trying to understand the OP's original comment in this regard. Would seem to suggest a non-attender.

 

Actually, that's a bit of a lead-in to my one observation to add to this thread -- I am amazed at some of the opinions that are formed and held fast to on some very subjective subjects even before the poster has seen or heard something about the topic first hand. Cirque certainly has been one of these, especially given its changing nature over the last months.

 

One thing that some of us have noticed, although it's rare, is a post decrying the condition of one ship or another, and in reading the post, you realize that one or more features of the ship being critiqued don't even exist as they are being described, belonging instead to another X ship or even a ship from another line.

[tbelian]

Actually, that's a bit of a lead-in to my one observation to add to this thread -- I am amazed at some of the opinions that are formed and held fast to on some very subjective subjects even before the poster has seen or heard something about the topic first hand.

 

Off the top of my head I don't know if we usually agree, or disagree, but on this one I SURE do agree with you. As i've said 'its just words on a message board' (in this case words that represent opinions formed and held fast before first hand experience).

 

Unless I've been there myself, I take half (or less) of what I read here, and throw the rest away.

 

Good point.

[teegeezfun]

Since no one has, to my knowledge, ever actually been charged for the ball (none of the other nights were ever intended to incur a cost), I'm still trying to understand the OP's original comment in this regard. Would seem to suggest a non-attender.

.

 

I was on Connie January 15, the 3rd cruise that circque was offered on. note that by that time they were no longer charging the 30.00 cover charge but the "suggested" purchase of a plastic mask for 20.00 or more a pop certainly constitutes a payment in anticipation of attendance.

 

Actually folks, i guess it's just the type of family i come from. I was raised to ask questions and to speak up if needed. perhaps you came from a family that never critiqued anything and never spoke up. you are not "positive" because you refuse to share your experience with the less than appealing aspects of your cruises . You are not positive, you are in mild denial.

 

Positive people acknowledge and mention the bad but don't focus on it.

 

Heck, iIt's the only thing that keeps me here wading through all of the personal messages senior members pass around to each other. Actual information please.

 

Finally, i will not be made to feel bad on this board because i do choose to speak up and critique as I go. I starting this thread because a previous thread attacked ME by insinuating that i am "negative" because i prefer to call em like a sees em!!! This thread is just my RESPONSE.

[mmp13]

I for one really enjoy reading a good review. I like knowing the positives and the negatives about a ship before I sail. I think for the most part the reviews I read on these boards are quite enlightening. I do plan my cruise activities around what I read on these boards. Lately however, I have noticed that some of us seem to be extremely negative. While I agree with some of the negative comments and understand the posters' frustrations I find it tiresome that thread after thread is devoted to beating the same dead horse. I realize it is the posters' perogative to keep these issues alive, I also wonder if it is not self defeating. I know that after I read the same complaints from the same posters over and over again I start to take it a little less seriously. I sincerely hope everyone enjoys their cruises . I hope everyone's issues are addressed. I would just like it better if the problem was presented once with updates as to how the problem is handled. We're all different so we all have different expactations. If Celebrity is not meeting yours maybe it is time to take your business elsewhere. I think that is surely one way to make your point. In the meantime I have stopped reading certain thread because I feel like I know what they say before I even read them. it does save time:D

[ILUVCRUIZN]

I myself like to focus on the great parts of life including vacations. What is the point in always focusing on the negatives.

 

 

Everyone who posts on this board runs a pretty good chance that someone will not like something that they have posted. If 5 people read something most likely each one of them will interpert it differently. So when someone writes something that you are not very fond of, suck it up and move on. I do not think that anyone is trying to make you feel bad they are just giving there opinion which is what we are all here to do..... It sounds to me that you just do not like when someone does not like what you have to say.....

 

 

If we did have some problems on our cruise and chose not the share them is because they were insignificant issues. Not because we are in denial, we realize that life is not perfect and most vacations are not either. Some people can just let things roll off their shoulders without making a big deal out of them, some people cannot.....

[BB5953]

I am one that gets fed up with all the negative posts. However I don't think people expressing their opinion on a topic as negative even if they don't like it. IMO negative posters are the few who will always take the opinion of the minority or just the OP just for the sake of causing an argument. I don't know what the context for which you were called negative but unless you were obviously posting to "stir the pot" I don't think criticism is negative. Keep on giving us feedback that is why these boards exist.

[sammiedawg]

I posted negative comments on this board after a December sailing of the Century. We love cruising, we generally fall in love with the ship and have never even submitted a negative cruise survey before this trip.We didnt receive a penny in refund and didnt expect to. My observations were 100% true and just because other people had different experiences or different cabins does not undermine the veracity of what I had to say. We are the only cruisers that saw our dirty cabin carpet upholstery and bathroom fixtures. I'm sure many people never even visited the poolside areas or the open decks that we complained about. Truth be told, I didnt do my homework before booking this cruise, the price was ridiculously cheap through an Internet TA. We later learned the reason behind the price was slow sales for a ship that needed an overhaul. When we returned from our cruise, I read previous posts and reviews of this ship going back about 6 months, everything we complained about had been reported previously by other people. While we were on board there was active construction going on ( they had just flunked an inspection). They tore out and completely rebuilt the 2 poolside eateries while we were on board. There was also big construction in the kitchen, not sure what. It is quite possible the ship has been overhauled in the last 4 months. But what we experienced that week and reported on should not be criticized and demeaned by others. What is the value of these message boards if people cannot be honest about their observations? The last few days we were onboard the indoctrination by Celebrity started, the CD Alan king, the captain, our waiters all started talking about the excellence of Celebrity and we were repeatedly asked to mark our surveys " excellent". It was anything but excellent, and sometimes the truth hurts.

[joie de vivre]

I can only say I am so gun shy to say anything these days, I got completely flamed on the Cirque Du Suk thread. But it relates to this because it's like someone said it sucked but only because they didn't like it. I believe everything has it's good qualities and the bad ones are only there if you chose to dwell on them. When I sailed on Princess I thought the food could have been better, but I didn't dwell on that because I totally enjoyed the martini bar. :) I'm now sailing on Celebrity because I hear the food is good and the martini's are even better. ;)

[catmand]

I agree, there is nothing wrong with being critical. However so many people are not critical, they are just plain negative. Just as there may be some things that are not perfect on a cruise there also may be/should be some things that were positive. I like to read a well balanced review, not one that rants about things like "the bathroom shower had "dirt" in it four three days". How is it that a cabin attendent is supposed to clean/straighten up twice a day missed this? And why didn't someone SAY SOMETHING?

There is a post on a different board that eventually blames the cruiseline for something that was not it's fault and announces "I will never cruise this line again and will tell everyone that will listen how awful it is." Several people pointed out this was not the lines fault but the posters. Then they were pointed out and quoted as being "unsympathetic".

As long as the guidelines are not exceeded people should not only write what they feel but we should also be able to question them as well.

[Ma Bell]

The problem I have with this thread is that it was obviously in response to libramitch's "What I Like" thread. I think it's great that everyone posts their thoughts both good and bad, I just think this was a very cynical response to what was a harmless thread. There are all the other threads to post your criticisms. I think this was just completely unnecessary and obnoxious.