Do you believe all the negative reviews?

[Velvetwater]

 

Also, those of that don't live in the states lose deposit money by cancelling so even if some had read bad reviews they would still soldier on and hope they spent their money wisely.

 

I had to cancel a cruise due to a family change of date wedding once. I had to lose £300 as I couldn't find a cruise to swap my deposit to. I would have had to pay £50 to swap it.

 

Love cruises but love my family more.

[Hlitner]

On ‎3‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 7:22 AM, Aplmac said:

.

Like you (and many others!) I have given up on reading reviews

and on writing them, too.

 

Like "art" reviews tend to be subjective. They may be interesting

but not to be taken to heart, neither the Good, the Bad or the Ugly!

We also stopped writing reviews, but our primary reason is to avoid any kind of censorship.   Writing what we might really think would likely get our review rejected or censored by the Board Editors.  We respect the right of CC to impose their own standards/policies so think its best to limit ourselves to mini-reviews and comments in the various forums.  We also prefer the forums because you get feedback, other opinions, and folks have an opportunity to ask questions.

 

But I will ask a question to the OP regarding their topic.  Why only ask about negative reviews?   Why not also ask,  "Do you believe all the Positive reviews.?  These boards have its share of "cheerleaders" who promote their favorite cruise line....no matter what.  Some of these folks would probably put a positive spin on their favorite line/ship as the this ship was going down.  Kind of like the Titanic passenger who when asked about their crossing said, "I thought the chorus of "Nearer my God to Thee" was well done! 🙂

 

Hank

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We also stopped writing reviews, but our primary reason is to avoid any kind of censorship.   Writing what we might really think would likely get our review rejected or censored by the Board Editors.  We respect the right of CC to impose their own standards/policies so think its best to limit ourselves to mini-reviews and comments in the various forums.  We also prefer the forums because you get feedback, other opinions, and folks have an opportunity to ask questions.

 

But I will ask a question to the OP regarding their topic.  Why only ask about negative reviews?   Why not also ask,  "Do you believe all the Positive reviews.?  These boards have its share of "cheerleaders" who promote their favorite cruise line....no matter what.  Some of these folks would probably put a positive spin on their favorite line/ship as the this ship was going down.  Kind of like the Titanic passenger who when asked about their crossing said, "I thought the chorus of "Nearer my God to Thee" was well done! 🙂

 

Hank

Because there are generally so few to comment on.

[JMorris271]

negative a reviews is good therapy

[Warm Breezes]

TBH I don't normally read the reviews of the ship we are sailing on until after I book it....and then it is usually only current reviews done on that lines Cruise Critic forum.  I'm not reading the reviews to see if I want to sail on that ship, I already know I am.  I am looking tips, hints, secrets, what not to miss, etc.  I keep in mind that all reviews are subjective and if there is an issue we are only seeing one side of it.  For that reason I take any negative reviews with a grain of salt.  If their is something that is consistently negative in the reviews, I look for ways to avoid having that issue when we are on board. If I see something that is consistently positive in the reviews, then I try not to miss it.   I sometimes ask the reviewer questions on things I want to know about the ship for our upcoming cruise. I rarely waste my time reading reviews for ships that I am not currently booked on. 

 

On the flip side, I do try to write reviews on the cruise line's CC forum after I have sailed as my way of helping other cruisers who will be sailing on that ship.  Of course, like the reviews I read, my review is subjective based on my experience and my likes/dislikes.  I try to be fair and honest about my experience and the things we enjoyed and the the things we did not enjoy and try to answer any questions that come up.  To me that is what these forums are for and I thank all of you who have given me insight over the years for our upcoming cruises.  I have learned a lot of useful information over the years from reading these boards.

Edited March 26, 2019 by Warm Breezes

[h_blond2]

I take all the reviews with a grain of salt. They only time I really focus on the negative reviews is when we are booking an excursion outside of the cruise line.

[iancal]

A few years ago I read numerous negative post about a particular ship.  They were all similar....no A/C, plumbing issues, floods in parts of the ship.

 

We started to think that these reviews were a bit over the top.  Then I happened to speak to a gentleman who had recently  been on that ship twice.  The first time he experienced exactly the issues that many posters had described.  He was a long time cruiser on that cruise line. He gave them a second chance.   Same thing all over again.  No A/C in his cabin, flooding, and this time he could not get any management personnel to respond to his issues.  He said that his steward referred to the area where his cabin was located as the 'flood zone'.  He switched cruise lines and happened to be on the same cruise as us.

 

This conversation changed our perspective a little.  His comments to me mirrored the negative comments that were posted on reviews.   He was an experienced cruiser.  His comments also made the  various 'cheerleader' comments dismissing some of those reviews look more than a little silly.

 

Edited March 26, 2019 by iancal

[dreadpirate3]

On one hand, no we don't make decisions based on reviews.

 

However, we were told by 90% of the people we talked to just how bad a particular ship we had booked was being run, so I ate the $98 cancellation fee. I would rather lose that amount than spend $1000+ and a miserable week on a ship.

 

We've enjoyed every cruise we've taken.

[iancal]

We do the same.  There are so many great cruise lines and cruise ships out there.  Why take a chance on one that has had multiple negative reviews that you believe to be true or a ship that appears to have consistent issues over time.  We prefer to lower our odds of being stuck on one so we simple move on and select another ship from our list.  Why take a chance with your money and your time?

[Mike981]

To the OP, no I rarely believe ANY review 100%. I do give certain posters more credence, as they have proven to me that they are more reliable.
Some of my favorite reviews have two or more people from the same trip comparing notes and they had opposite experiences.

[simplyrubies]

Of course, everyone's experiences can be subjective, but a negative review can be just as useful as a positive review. What I like to look for is patterns of negativity mentioned over multiple reviews. If many reviewers note that there is an issue with something, it is more likely to me that it isn't just a subjective opinion but an actual issue, or at the very least a very common complaint that people have. This has generally worked well for me so far when it comes to selecting restaurants on land or buying items off Amazon. With a cruise, which you are spending considerably more money on than a lunch or shirt online, it's even more important to do your research.

 

It's more useful if I know some context about the poster - preferences, cruising experience, etc. though many online reviews are often not as in depth as I'd hope. Take all reviews with a grain of salt, even those that are all positive - surely there must be at least one thing that you did not like or that you wish could have gone better! On the flip side, there must be at least one thing that you do like or appreciate even if your review is largely negative. 

[TNcruising02]

I like to read reviews, both good and bad.  I have never cancelled a cruise because of reviews. I would consider it if I read multiple complaints about something that would really bother me.  I'm not picky, so most things don't bother me.  It would have to be something like a constant sewer smell, bed bugs, or multiple complaints about things being filthy.  Reviews on the food and entertainment are so subjective that they don't sway me at all.  If a review is filled with only negative things and nothing positive, I ignore it completely.

I've been on quite a few cruises and there is only one ship I will probably not sail again.  One of the main reasons is that my husband and I really disliked the main theater.  I have read many complaints about it on CC, so we aren't the only ones.

There are probably bad reviews on every ship I have ever sailed.  I'm glad the reviews didn't stop me or affect my expectations.  All of my cruises have been great.  



 

Edited March 31, 2019 by TNcruising02

[NantahalaCruiser]

On 3/23/2019 at 1:02 AM, ldubs said:

 

The larger the population the smaller the sample needed.

Not true.

 

The finite population correction factor to adjust the standard error of a sample mean equals the square root of [(N - n)/(N-1)] where N = population size and n = sample size.

 

For a constant adjusted standard error, n = k + (1-k)N where k is a positive constant less than 1. As N increases, n must also increase to maintain a constant adjusted standard error.

 

If you do not believe this, then consider the fact that for a population of 100 a sample of 100 would have zero standard error; while for a population of one million, the sample size would need to be one million to have zero standard error.

 

However it is true that to maintain a constant non-zero adjusted standard error, the required sample size as a percentage of population size decreases as the population increases since n/N = k/N + (1-k)

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Not true.

 

The finite population correction factor to adjust the standard error of a sample mean equals the square root of [(N - n)/(N-1)] where N = population size and n = sample size.

 

For a constant adjusted standard error, n = k + (1-k)N where k is a positive constant less than 1. As N increases, n must also increase to maintain a constant adjusted standard error.

 

If you do not believe this, then consider the fact that for a population of 100 a sample of 100 would have zero standard error; while for a population of one million, the sample size would need to be one million to have zero standard error.

 

However it is true that to maintain a constant non-zero adjusted standard error, the required sample size as a percentage of population size decreases as the population increases since n/N = k/N + (1-k)

 

Sorry, but I will stand by my previous comment which would be about sample sizes needed to represent a given % of the actual population with a given +/- other than zero.   In a common sense discussion, no one is looking for a zero standard error.  

 

 

 

 

 

  

Edited March 31, 2019 by ldubs

[TravelinGert]

I have wished I had canceled a cruise based on poor reviews, or even better wish I'd never booked in the first place. 

[Toofarfromthesea]

13 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Sorry, but I will stand by my previous comment which would be about sample sizes needed to represent a given % of the actual population with a given +/- other than zero.   In a common sense discussion, no one is looking for a zero standard error.  

If you have to pick between common sense and math ALWAYS choose math.  Unlike common sense, math is not an oxymoron.  But sense is never common and whenever it contradicts actual math, it is wrong.

[evandbob]

On 3/22/2019 at 6:15 PM, Stoffel1982 said:

Hi there

 

What would you do if you booked a cruise and read negative reviews afterwards? People calling the ship not classy, over the top, etc.

 

I read that some people even cancel the cruise based on opinions of others? That's really sad no?

 

What is your opinion on this matter?

 

 

Another cruise critic thread is about cruise lines begging for "10"s on their surveys.  I don't believe any mass market cruise line deserves all tens or all zeroes.

 

Reviews generally follow a bell curve, with some totally negative, some more negative than positive, some balanced, some more positive than negative, and some all positive.

 

I throw out each extreme and consider the balanced reviews.  I also ignore the "Best" or "Worst" cruise ever, if written by someone with less than 5 cruises.

 

I put more value into USCG scores.

[Zach1213]

It's all about averages. I wrote a pretty bad review of my first cruise, and I stand behind that review 100%. My second cruise was significantly better. I haven't done a third cruise, but may in the future. 

 

So knowing that I wrote a negative review that was based on truth, I cannot rule out all (or even most) negative reviews. But I must keep a view of the big picture. It appears, based on other reviews around my time, that I had some bad experiences that were the exception, not the rule, so my review was averaged out of the equation. That's fine, but it was still true. The big picture is what counts, though. 

[iancal]

If we ask our TA about a ship that we are considering and she tells us that she or her co workers have had poor or mediocre feedback then we tend to look at the reviews a little more carefully.  We have had TA's very tactfully suggest that we would be 'much happier' on another ship in the same cruise line based on feedback from their clients at their location and other agency locations.  We value this feedback and we take notice of it.  Typically, after checking the reviews their comments hold up.

 

For us, it is much easier to select a different ship than it is take a chance on one that has been badmouthed by our TA's recent clients or on reviews.  So yes, we do pay attention to reviews no matter where they come from.

[jlp20]

On 3/22/2019 at 3:15 PM, Stoffel1982 said:

Hi there

 

What would you do if you booked a cruise and read negative reviews afterwards?

 

Since your research is done BEFORE you book, you should never be in this position

[MicCanberra]

26 minutes ago, jlp20 said:

Since your research is done BEFORE you book, you should never be in this position

Or just lower your expectations.

[NantahalaCruiser]

On 3/31/2019 at 12:24 AM, ldubs said:

 

Sorry, but I will stand by my previous comment which would be about sample sizes needed to represent a given % of the actual population with a given +/- other than zero.   In a common sense discussion, no one is looking for a zero standard error.  

 

 

 

 

 

  

Since your comment totally ignores the mathematics of the finite population correction factor let me give you another example.

 

To obtain the same adjusted standard error as a sample size of 5 out of a population of 100, if you increase the population to 1000 you would need to increase the sample size to 41. The mathematics do not lie!

[babs135]

Just looked up reviews on 3 ships ,  2 from the same line, for a possible cruise at the end of the year.  All 3 ships receive very mixed reviews; beginning to think no ship is immune from negative reviews.

[MicCanberra]

4 minutes ago, babs135 said:

Just looked up reviews on 3 ships ,  2 from the same line, for a possible cruise at the end of the year.  All 3 ships receive very mixed reviews; beginning to think no ship is immune from negative reviews.

Read all the negative views and then read the cruise line's promotional brochure on the ship. I am sure you will find it somewhere in between.

[JMorris271]

My feelings about the reviews. They often are  a consequence of what side of the bed someone  somewhere got up on that day;.

For example, an employees careless response to a passengers question or complaint , an engineers laps in their performance, a kitchen assistant pouring too much pepper in the pot because she is worried about getting her degree.

Any number of these kinds of events can produce a bad review including  a customer that is in a foul mood because they got into a spat with their spouse on the night before they write their review..

Edited April 1, 2019 by JMorris271