What constitutes a good "Live From"

[ckfajf]

I enjoy reading the "Live From" threads but they appear to vary markedly in what people report on. Would love to try this one day but a little worried that it might be boring!:(

[timetravler]

I also enjoy some of the live from posts. What I do not like is when someone copies the Princess patter and then posts that. I would rather hear personal opinions instead. Like how the food was and if they enjoyed the entertainment. I also love stories about things some people do such as chair hogs, people pushing, crabby people, etc.

[san diego sue]

Lives are the cruisers experience.

Each one is different.

There is no right or wrong how it is done.

Love sharing the voyages with them and their willingness to do it.

Their personalities come through. One person right now loves his photography. There is another one that always does lives who is a real foody. All very interesting.

Edited September 12, 2015 by san diego sue

[2BeOnaBoat]

Lives are the cruisers experience.

Each one is different.

There is no right or wrong how it is done.

Love sharing the voyages with them and their willingness to do it.

Their personalities come through. One person right now loves his photography. There is another one that always does lives who is a real foody. All very interesting.

 

I agree. You should report "your" experience. Some will like it and some won't. It offers the chance of a different point of view.

[traveling1969]

Just ask yourself what you would like to know before your cruise then share those things with others. You can't go wrong. Things we like to know about include embarking and disembarking, favorite shows, favorite dinner offerings, port transportation and info (shuttle buses, tender procedures, taxis, walk-on tours, interesting sights), stand-out crew members, and any interesting travel anecdotes. Future cruisers will thank you for the info and past cruisers will enjoy reliving their cruise.

 

Harry

[OCruisers]

Paragraphs! :)

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

Post your own views and thoughts, if you do not like some thing they say so,

 

so longs as your post is honest folks will enjoy your live from.

 

yours Shogun

[soccergang]

I've learned so much over the years reading the perspective of other cruisers. Everyone is different -- Pia, Bimmer, PescadoAmarillo, TracieABD, etc. I enjoy reading what excursions they went on, and what they liked or didn't like about the ship. Of course it is all personal opinions, but I enjoy feeling like I am along for the ride. I always learn so much from everyone that takes the time/minutes to post. I appreciate all their input, and never bored. Just waiting for our next cruise in December. Yippee!

[Steelers0854]

I personally like to do a mix, I post the patters because it answers a lot of questions on the crew, entertainment etc as well as the dinner menus so people can see everything offered not just what we had. Then I write up a little each day on what we did and our dining experience. If there is a good picture to post I'll throw that in there as well.

[fishywood]

I really appreciate everyone who starts a 'live-from' thread. No matter their personal style most all give valuable information. But I do end up giving up on many of them: not due to what the OP writes but due to the incessant peppering by other members with questions of minuscule importance to anyone but themselves--along with the expectation that the OP will take time out of their vacation to do "research" for them! And unfortunately when the questions roll in the style of response posts changes as if Cruise Critic were a "chat room" rather than a "message board" community. When a 'live-from' becomes more conversational than informational, I'm out.

 

I'm not trying to play board policeman, just giving my opinion of 'live-from's' as the thread title asks. And that opinion is, I would love to see the nice people who do those threads start by making two requests: (1) hold all questions until the end; and (2) please no hijacking with your own tangential anecdotes--I respectfully ask all others following this thread to place any hijackers on 'ignore' for at least the remaining life of this live-from.

[TracieABD]

I've learned so much over the years reading the perspective of other cruisers. Everyone is different -- Pia, Bimmer, PescadoAmarillo, TracieABD, etc. I enjoy reading what excursions they went on, and what they liked or didn't like about the ship. Of course it is all personal opinions, but I enjoy feeling like I am along for the ride. I always learn so much from everyone that takes the time/minutes to post. I appreciate all their input, and never bored. Just waiting for our next cruise in December. Yippee!

 

Thank you for your kind words and the "shout out".

I almost always write a live from when I cruise. I used to think that I did it for two reasons: 1) to maintain a chronology of my travels; and 2) to metaphorically thank others who write blogs and live froms.

 

I recently realized the real purpose (though I would have never imagined this in my wildest dreams)... I wrote those live froms so I could read and re-read them to my beautiful mommy while she was in Hospice. As she entered the process to leave her physical body, I was able to send her on with stories and anecdotes of our world-wide travels. She died very peacefully, in my arms, hopefully with amazing memories close to her heart.

 

And now there is a fourth purpose... In the evenings, when I am sad and missing my mom, I read and re-read my live froms, and in a sense, relive our wonderful adventures. My live-froms have been grief therapy for me. Anyone who knows me (loosely speaking) knows how attached my mom and I were.

 

As an aside, my mom died with only two items on her bucket list: to spend Christmas in the Panama Canal, and to see Egypt. We have already booked and paid for the Panama Canal for this year. We will be taking a bit of my mom with

us. I am hoping to write a live from, but I am not sure I will have the heart to do so. I guess I will just have to figure that out when I get there. I do know that mom would want me too-- she always donated her Platinum internet minutes to me so I would continue to post.

 

I guess this went on a bit, and the moral of the story is sometimes you do something and you don't really know why. The answer is revealed at a later date.

 

To the OP, if you are considering writing a live from, I highly suggest doing it. You never know how it may impact you in the future.

[shredie]

But I do end up giving up on many of them: not due to what the OP writes but due to the incessant peppering by other members with questions of minuscule importance to anyone but themselves--along with the expectation that the OP will take time out of their vacation to do "research" for them!

 

This. Seems pretty presumptuous to me. That said, I really love the photos. If I've also been on that cruise, it takes me back.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Lives are the cruisers experience.

Each one is different.

There is no right or wrong how it is done.

Love sharing the voyages with them and their willingness to do it.

Their personalities come through. One person right now loves his photography. There is another one that always does lives who is a real foody. All very interesting.

 

So in agreement. Someone is taking the time during the vacation to post about the ship. After paying for the Internet package on our last cruise and trying to check email, etc., with the speed of dial up, I can especially appreciate when someone has a live from thread. That person has the right to determine the content of their posts...and if someone doesn't like it, they can simply stop reading and move on, right?

 

Paragraphs! :)

 

:)

[Mom33]

I follow live threads wishing a bon voyage as they go and a final comment when the cruise is complete. I try not to interject through the rest of the thread. I generally scroll over comments to the OP's posts.

 

I keep a private family blog when cruising. I know where all my information is and make a review when we get home. I write the review, insert my pics and post all at the same time. This way, I am ready willing and able to answer any questions and those that don't want to read the discussions in the thread, don't have to. I prefer to read other reviews that are posted similarly. Reviews that take weeks and months to finish posting are ones I stop reading.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Tracie, what lovely thoughts. I'm sure your mother will be on that cruise with you if only in your heart.

[Pam in CA]

I really appreciate everyone who starts a 'live-from' thread. No matter their personal style most all give valuable information. But I do end up giving up on many of them: not due to what the OP writes but due to the incessant peppering by other members with questions of minuscule importance to anyone but themselves--along with the expectation that the OP will take time out of their vacation to do "research" for them!

I agree. I start to read them but then it becomes too many posts parroting what others have already said or asking the poster to check something out. I've done a few "live froms" but find it takes a lot of my time plus I don't see the point if it's a standard cruise that's done weekly or even monthly. If it's an unusual cruise/itinerary or a new ship, I'll either chime in or post my observations.

 

This. Seems pretty presumptuous to me.

It's not. :) I've had people ask me all kinds of questions and for information and usually, I have to say I either don't go to the shows or do a lot of the things they ask me to check out.

 

I tend to text or email daily updates to family and friends and/or post on FB.

Edited September 12, 2015 by Pam in CA

[TracieABD]

Tracie' date=' what lovely thoughts. I'm sure your mother will be on that cruise with you if only in your heart.[/quote']

 

Thank you. :)

[ckfajf]

Tracie your "Live From's" were/are simply wonderful. I hope perhaps your Mom will accompany you in spirit on your next cruise and provide love and inspiration for you to continue writing.

[seamwoman]

Tracie, I hope your mother's spirit will move you to continue to post lives. Yours have been so entertaining! I also really appreciate the time and minutes they take and enjoy each one I read. Thankyou, Karen

[Colo Cruiser]

Lives are the cruisers experience.

Each one is different.

There is no right or wrong how it is done.

Love sharing the voyages with them and their willingness to do it.

Their personalities come through. One person right now loves his photography. There is another one that always does lives who is a real foody. All very interesting.

 

 

I agree.

[Thrak]

Styles and "likes" are so very different. I enjoy "Live From" threads from Pia but also from Vickie_Bernie and they seem to have quite different likes, dislikes, etc. There are others who I like as well but I can't possibly think of all of them. Pescado_Amarillo is good and SailorJack is in a realm all his own. (He totally cracks me up.) :)

 

There are so many different personalities out there and there's no way to say that one is "better" than the other. If you want to do a "Live From" then go for it. Just don't let yourself be bogged down by too many requests for info. Remember, it's your cruise and you need to enjoy it. If you can do that and still do a "Live From" thread then by all means have at it. :cool:

[ar1950]

Styles and "likes" are so very different. I enjoy "Live From" threads from Pia but also from Vickie_Bernie and they seem to have quite different likes, dislikes, etc. There are others who I like as well but I can't possibly think of all of them. Pescado_Amarillo is good and SailorJack is in a realm all his own. (He totally cracks me up.) :)

 

There are so many different personalities out there and there's no way to say that one is "better" than the other. If you want to do a "Live From" then go for it. Just don't let yourself be bogged down by too many requests for info. Remember, it's your cruise and you need to enjoy it. If you can do that and still do a "Live From" thread then by all means have at it. :cool:

 

Could not have said it any better. Any "live from" is better than none. I have enjoyed them all. And, a BIG thanks to all who have done them.

[riclop]

I enjoy reading the "Live From" threads but they appear to vary markedly in what people report on. Would love to try this one day but a little worried that it might be boring!:(

 

Read Gambee's reviews, they are great but a lot of work.

[Steelers0854]

Remember, it's your cruise and you need to enjoy it. If you can do that and still do a "Live From" thread then by all means have at it. :cool:

 

 

To me doing a live from is part of the fun (now that I get free internet, otherwise it would be a review cause I'm kinda cheap like that). I like sitting at the end of my day and recapping it. Plus when people get excited about my vacation and enjoy reading about it, it only serves to enhance my vacation in the end.

[san diego sue]

And what most of our Princess cruisers aren't aware of is that other cruise lines read these Live from posts.

Pia, who can't travel very far from home these days, has tried some other cruise lines , to keep up her travels. She was really surprised

on another cruise line that those important people knew who she was

and had read her Lives. (Hotel manager,Cruise Director etc.).They read these threads so they know what Princess is doing.

I know we miss Pia's Lives (and her on going quest to find Diet Pepsi in ports).She could make Nothing sound unbelievably exciting.And that is the beauty of reading Live threads. You are right there with them.