Really sad reviews

[cathykb]

JiffyMom - kudos to a "glass half full" perspective. The complaining does get tiresome, and who would miss the snarky comments?

[Grannycb]

I don't mind reading about complaints. I chuckle over the silly ones and take note of the more serious complaints if they might affect our cruise enjoyment. What I really appreciate are the people who write specific cabin reviews and reviews of shore excursions. They are very helpful.

[floatel_lvr]

We went on Jewel of the Seas last week (southern caribbean) and had a blast. No complaints at all! Looking to book an alaska cruise next.

 

We were on that sailing and agree it was a blast! Great ship, great crew, enjoyed all the ports.

[Ocean Boy]

And this statement invalidates the whole point of Cruise Critic, well done on posting it.

The OP is looking for positive and helpful reviews to help plan his/her holiday, I don't think the OP is looking for a completed itinerary from a total stranger. She is not interested in the same old rubbish that people come out with about wait time and food temps etc.

 

 

Sent from my D6503 using Forums mobile app

 

So negative reviews are not just as helpful in planning a holiday? Do people want honest opinions or are they just looking for validation of their own preconceived notions? And if she is not interested in things such as wait time and food temps then she has three options... ignore them, don't read them, or come here and complain about it. She, obviously, chose option number three.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Ocean Boy

[trev71]

I for one also like reading the postive and negeative points of peoples cruises, I always take them all with a grain of salt. But sometimes it is a bit easier knowing ok I am going on the Oasis there might be a time where I have to wait 5-10 mins for a table in the windjammer. I am on vacation and I am not in a rush. and I dont book early morning flights either so I dont have to worry about missing my flight

[negc]

If posters only offer positive reviews, you are bound to be disappointed when you go on your cruise and encounter some of the glitches that can occur. Life is not perfect and neither are most cruise experiences. A balanced, objective review of the good AND bad points that someone experienced will prove far more helpful than either a glowing review that claims everything was wonderful or a whiny review that dwells only on problems. If you are tired of reading about complaints, including legitimate ones, perhaps, as others have said, you need to find other reading material.

[flpab]

One person said the coffee was so bad he had to add water. That was his complaint but with me I want it strong so I am like hurray! I bring instant packs to fix weak coffee. I bought the water/coffee package so will be ok anyway. We booked chops and I eat meat dead and grey so will be eating seafood. Years of looking at animal flesh under a microscope will make you that way.. I am just looking forward to room service for breakfast and not having to get up and fix the dogs their breakfast at 7 am. We are easy and the MDR does not even appeal to us so will eat at the Park café and buffet and enjoy the water, sunsets and people watching. It is better than what I would be cooking any day! I do love to see the room pics.

[BND]

I find both extremes of reviews funny. Nothing can ever be as fabulous or as horrible as some posters state. Most of us understand that somewhere in the middle is the reality. But, it is funny to see what people get their panties in a twist over. Some expectations from a mainstream cruiseline is hysterical. If you want truly luxury service, charter a yacht and you'll have very personal service and can go wherever you want.:D:rolleyes:

[sapphiregem]

I get the point, however, as a first time cruiser the double edged sword is very beneficial for me. When you have never cruised and all you hear is how this line or that line poos ice creams and rainbows and then get on the trip to find things aren't what you "expected" because no one bothered to give you the dirty details, then I would feel betrayed, lied to and frankly might not even give it a chance. This is great reality checking for people like me who are naive.

 

It does seem like there are more issues being spoken about, but i think thats human nature, we all need to vent or find a way to get an answer. When life is all peaches and ice cream no one flaunts about it day to day, they just go on enjoying it. I think the same can be said on this forum.

 

Everyone comes here for different reasons...

[Cindy]

If I'm seriously researching something, what I really want to read are good, balanced reviews that explain the good and the bad. I tend to put less stock in the reviews where everything was perfect or everything was horrible.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of people only post reviews when they want to rant or slam a cruise line. Sometimes those are good for comic relief, but they don't really help anyone.

[TC1957]

First...not everyone on the ship can afford balcony (or better) cabins so that "pleasure" is not available to them.

 

Let me get this straight...Someone is stuck at a resort (face it, that is what RCI is sailing...floating resorts) and the coffee is almost always cold or taste like (in their opinion) recycled motor oil, it takes 10 minutes of sitting at the table before anyone acknowledges they exist, the food that is eventually put in front of them is (in their opinion) almost flavorless and warm at best you think they should be jumping up and down with excitement. Does that pretty much sum up your post?

 

Everyone puts different levels of importance on things. What is meaningless to you may very well be one of the three most important factors in their vacation enjoyment. I hate to break it to you but you do not get to decide what others deem important.

 

I suggest you stop reading those reviews as soon as you see they are negative. After all, you probably are in control of the piece of electronics you are using to read this board.

[mark290]

I think the reaction the OP got has been very different than what they

were expecting. I am glad. I am in favor of a review that tells me the good

and bad since I learn from both. Tell me about a bad cabin, bad meal, bad show, bad anything and I will take it under consideration and MAYBE I will make a different choice.

[JasonV1]

This is the Internet; it was made for complaining. On the bright side I give this board (any my fellow posters) credit for having very few political arguments.

 

Everyone has expectations, some reasonable, some not. The fewer you have, the easier it is to enjoy your vacation (in my opinion). I'm not doing to bust my rear end so I can afford to go on vacation, only to complain when on vacation. What a waste of my precious vacation time.

 

Just don't hog deck chairs in the Solarium ok? That's all I really ask.

[WinstonsMom]

I get the point, however, as a first time cruiser the double edged sword is very beneficial for me. When you have never cruised and all you hear is how this line or that line poos ice creams and rainbows and then get on the trip to find things aren't what you "expected" because no one bothered to give you the dirty details, then I would feel betrayed, lied to and frankly might not even give it a chance. This is great reality checking for people like me who are naive.

 

I agree that it's important to consider both positive and negative reviews. Prior to my first cruise, a friend simply gushed about her cruise, convincing me that I would just LOVE a cruise. Needless to say, my expectations were too high and I was disappointed. I only tried a second cruise because I was excited to visit Mayan ruins and figured a cruise was the only way I'd see them since my DBF hates to fly. Cruise number two was, as you can see below, the BEST CRUISE EVER! Now cruising is my go-to vacation.

 

I appreciate the bad reviews as well as the good; I'm not a big coffee drinker, so the fact that some people hate the coffee is no big deal. In fact, because I am picky about my coffee, knowing that some people don't like it means I won't bother to try it. Now when the ice tea sucks, that's a different story. LOL. :) The point is, a thorough and honest review gives me the chance to weigh the relative importance TO ME of the aspects of the cruise that the reviewer liked or didn't care for.

[m*u*g*]

Can I complain about this thread?

[Mach1]

I have been on a few cruises and never have done a reveiw, but I really enjoy reading other peoples reviews, the good and bad.

 

I've learned where to go and how to get there the best way, I've also learned where NOT to go or how to get there because someone already went throught it and posted it here. I can take all the good, the bad and I keep that in mind when I am planning and packing.

 

There are some new places I will be visiting and I like to know a little before I go, I like the port pages (just wish people would go there a little more and post reviews or answer questions)

 

I am not a big coffee drinker so I skip over that, but I do enjoy adult beverages and like to read about peoples pro's and con's on the drink packages and how they have changed, that is important to me.

 

With all that said - Thank You - to everyone who has posted a review for us to read!

 

~:)~

[mickev99]

Everyone can look forward to an Allure of the Seas review from me after our 10/19 sailing!!! I will tell it all :)

 

Not sure that I'll ever be able to afford Allure, but I look forward to your review, I love reading reviews on here!! :)

[BND]

Not sure that I'll ever be able to afford Allure, but I look forward to your review, I love reading reviews on here!! :)

 

With Quantum and the renovated Oasis and the Oasis 3 coming out, expect to see cruises on Allure drop in cost at least until the next drydock.

[tpadul]

We went on Jewel of the Seas last week (southern caribbean) and had a blast. No complaints at all! Looking to book an alaska cruise next.

 

That's great to hear!! We are sailing on the Jewel of the Seas on Nov 8th out of San Juan and are very excited!!! It will be my Fiance's first ever cruise and my third one but have not cruised in the past 25 years so it's practically like new for me as well. We are not picky people when it comes to food, we love good food, but are the type that can always find something good in a buffet and don't care about real fancy accomodations either so we are more concerned with how we are going to enjoy exlporing the sights in the ports.

[Straughn]

Perhaps the most interesting part of reading reviews is how two people on the same cruise can have totally opposite reactions to something. One loved the buffet, raved about the omlets, the other one hated the buffet and thought the selections were limited. One loved the food in the MDR, the next one thought the MDR food was bland and ate the remaining six nights in the speciality restaurants. You made this judgement based on one meal in the MDR and I am supposed to take your word for it? I really only form an opinion when the comments are consistent such as the coffee issue on RCI (which thank god, I don't drink). Reviews are always based on expectations and one person's expectations are not the same as another. Where I find the most information is when someone asks a specific question- such as tell me your experiences with the drink package or what tours did you take in a certain port. With those kinds of questions, you get the specific pros and cons on the topic, not just an overall review which might be colored by one or two positive or negative events that the writer experienced on a specific cruise. I find those types of questions give you more fair and balanced information.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Straughn

[ewenix]

Hi Jiffy, One thing I do is stop reading the reviews in the review section. They are all written by people who do not post here in the forums. I much prefer the photo reviews done by regular contributors. I go on a cruise to have a good time, not complain because my coffee is cold.....:D

 

I agree, but for a different reason.

I prefer a review HERE because there can be a conversation. Questions and answers. Clarification. Amplification. Discussion. Trading of experiences. Suggestions. :)

 

If I may add to both of these excellent points.

The conversation aspect of a review is incredibly important. I can find value in a review even if it is 100% positive or 100% negative, IF there is sufficient detail. Without the detail the review is as useful as a travel brochure.

 

Example A: On the ship X, the MDR food was terrible.

Example B: On the ship X, we didn't care for the MDR. The food was slow to arrive each night, and was often quite bland and tasteless.

 

Example C: I loved nightly shows!

Example D: The nightly shows were very good. I really enjoyed the variety.

There was a comedian on the 2nd night, a Beatles band on the 4th night, and the vegas style shows the other nights were great!

 

Example E: Our excursion to Tiny Bikini Beach was awesome!

Example F: We didn't like Tiny Bikini Beach. The closest bathroom was a 1/4 mile walk, and there was no place to rent a cabana or a paddle board.

 

The detail is what helps me to determine how your preferences line up to mine.

If someone complains but adds commentary on why they didn't like it, it may be

something I prefer which turns into a positive for me. It may also be something

that doesn't bother me or I'll never encounter on the ship so I know I can safely ignore that aspect.

 

Note in example F that you can likely glean that the beach isn't crowded, which might be exactly what you're looking for a in a beach day. Sometimes in a 100% bad review what *isn't* complained about is important. If you tell me how bad you hated the size of the cabin or your showers water pressure but say nothing else about the cabin; I will assume everything else about the cabin was satisfactory or better.

 

One final example of preference, and please don't flame me if you think I'm coming across as a jerk.

(I use this to demonstrate a difference between someone who has cruised more than say 10 times versus a first or second timer.)

The vegas style and broadway style shows that I've seen on the ships are generally very good.

By that I mean the actors/dancers/singers are talented folks who are working hard and succeeding

at entertaining the audience. At the end of a show I rarely feel that it has risen to the level of deserving a standing ovation. However, if you look around there are plenty of folks in the audience EVERY time who disagree and are giving the standing O.

While we all enjoyed the show there are differences in how much we each enjoyed it,

and how we weigh that performance against previously experienced entertainment.

Edited October 10, 2014 by ewenix

[MichaelCMTX]

This is not cruisecheerleading.com . This forum is called cruisecritic.com.

If you can not live with that, please chose another cruise forum or ignore all reviews here.

Nor is is cruisecomplaining.com. I accept that not everything may go right, but some of these reviews make it sound as though being on a prison ship hijacked by Somali pirates would have been not only cheaper but better.

 

If I'm seriously researching something, what I really want to read are good, balanced reviews that explain the good and the bad. I tend to put less stock in the reviews where everything was perfect or everything was horrible.

 

Yes, what she said.

[ewenix]

Can I complain about this thread?

 

Yes, but a moderator may move this to the irony section of the site.

[Ladysilver]

Very interesting thread. :)

[PCWalton1]

Yes PC you got it. Yes not is all good but there must be more good than bad or why go.

I do look forward to your reviews espevially shore excursions

 

Sorry I was just pulling your chain a bit there, couldn't pass it up. :o

 

For me I read all of them, even when they complain. To be honest much of the negative parts are in the subjective topics and I just look at them from that perspective. For example, I did a live review on Jewel early last year and I posted somewhat negative comments about the crew members we came in contact with. I received a few responses back in my blog defending the ship and so be it, I just reported what I observed, maybe it was a bad week, who knows. Won't stop us from going back to Jewel, in fact we have three cruise on there next year. :p