How many cruise pax monitor Cruise Critic?

[jsf]

What would you think in a percentage that cruise passengers read Cruise Critic? I have been on this site for many years and I think I heard a couple of years ago that it was about 5%

Might be why many roll calls are not very active, whats your guess.

J.

[Clarea]

My guess would be less than 5%.   Maybe only 1-2%% or so.  Which is around 60-120 people on an Oasis class ship.

[suesnake2002]

I am always amazed at the amount of people who never heard of cruise critic!! Doesn't any one research their vacations anymore??

[S.A.M.J.R.]

8 minutes ago, suesnake2002 said:

I am always amazed at the amount of people who never heard of cruise critic!! Doesn't any one research their vacations anymore??

You do know there are LOTS of ways to research cruises without knowing about CC, right? 

[HBE4]

25 minutes ago, SRF said:

23 million cruise passengers per year.

 

1% would be 230,000 members here.  I doubt even that much.

 

Yes, some people research, but that does not mean they will join here.  Many do not use forums for research, just articles.

 

I've heard both 1-2% and 5% figures tossed around. At one point - perhaps before the 2018 upgrade - CC published the number registered users and I think it was around 1.5 million which is 6.5%. Of course, that is 1.5 million after 20 years and who knows how many are still alive and active.

 

And that doesn't count the number of unregistered users that can read - but not post - on the forums as well as the wealth of ship reviews, articles, etc. I used this site for many years - forum included - before finally registering.

 

EDIT: when talking to people on a cruise and I mentions CC, maybe a third of them "heard" of it.

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by HBE4

[HBE4]

34 minutes ago, suesnake2002 said:

I am always amazed at the amount of people who never heard of cruise critic!! Doesn't any one research their vacations anymore??

 

For many, their research consist of picking their travel dates based on work/school schedule, seeing what ships are available that week and if a friend of a friend or a TA liked NCL (or whatever cruise line), they book that ship. Boom! Done! And if that works for them and they are satisfied, more power to them. Certainly less time consuming than scouring the Internet for information.

 

I, on the other hand, like to know what I'm getting myself into before committing thousands of dollars and probably spend waaayyyy too much time researching, even if its a vacation spot or ship I've been on many times.

[ZiggaZagga17]

I'd hazard to guess that even some older bolder posters have sailed away due to some of the keyboard warriors that have begun to frequent these boards the last few years!

There was once a time when people could literally post anything and soon someone would be along to 'advise' them as best they could - the 'regular' threads now sometimes have the odd 'my way or the highway' type of poster adding their 1c - proper bundles of fun!

It's almost like people have forgotten that we were all newbie cruisers once upon a time!

[vacationlover_mn]

I always recommend CC to my friends when they are new to cruising.  I know one has gone here to research stuff, but never joined.  I don’t think any of the other ones even tried to come here.  Not sure why?

[TRadle]

3 hours ago, ZiggaZagga17 said:

I'd hazard to guess that even some older bolder posters have sailed away due to some of the keyboard warriors that have begun to frequent these boards the last few years!

There was once a time when people could literally post anything and soon someone would be along to 'advise' them as best they could - the 'regular' threads now sometimes have the odd 'my way or the highway' type of poster adding their 1c - proper bundles of fun!

It's almost like people have forgotten that we were all newbie cruisers once upon a time!

I've been away from the RC board for years because we have been traveling less and were sailing on Celebrity.  The RC boards back then were filled with RC cheerleaders and bickering.  It has a much nicer tone now, which is very good thing! 

[Tulsacoker]

I'm back 

 

[schlimazel_traveler]

Message boards, overall, have become a less popular way of interacting on the internet. Several sites that used to have very active message forums have shut down over the past 5-10 years, so I imagine overall participation in Cruise Critic is likely dwindling as part of that trend. At the same time, the number of cruise passengers is increasing, so I think the estimate of 1% seems reasonable.

[Ourusualbeach]

4 hours ago, HBE4 said:

published the number registered users and I think it was around 1.5 million which is 6.5%.

That would be across all cruise lines and not just Royal so your % would be a lot lower.

[bonsai3s]

We are thankful we found out about Cruise Critic...making a lot less mistakes now. Wished we had discovered it sooner.

Thanks to Gordon B., may he rest in peace...I still remember Gordon, with his wonderful British accent, asking us: "Have you heard of Cruise Critic?"   We responded: "What is that?"

 

We often ask and mention Cruise Critic while cruising...it amazes us every time when they say "No, we've never heard of Cruise Critic. 

 

Just our guess, the number may be a small percentage.

[Sailor Taylor]

With the rise of social media traditional message boards are losing popularity.

 

i like messages boards though be cause I get more diverse and honest feedback here than from articles.  

[LilBlackDress]

for my next cruise, we have over 100 people in the Roll Call and it is over 50 pages long...
My other 2 cruises completely different story

[Iamcruzin]

 

16 hours ago, TRadle said:

I've been away from the RC board for years because we have been traveling less and were sailing on Celebrity.  The RC boards back then were filled with RC cheerleaders and bickering.  It has a much nicer tone now, which is very good thing! 

I don't see as many cheerleaders on the other boards that I follow either.  I have to say since I have only been following RC for just over a year I don't see many here either.  I hardly see anyone say they are Loyal to Royal anymore. I think the cruise industry has changed so much in such a short period of time across the board that people are just fed up. I see many on this board who I have also seen as regulars on the Princess and Celebrity boards.   I sail different lines for different reasons so any change goes unnoticed unless I read about it here.

[rimmit]

55 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

 

I don't see as many cheerleaders on the other boards that I follow either.  I have to say since I have only been following RC for just over a year I don't see many here either.  I hardly see anyone say they are Loyal to Royal anymore. I think the cruise industry has changed so much in such a short period of time across the board that people are just fed up. I see many on this board who I have also seen as regulars on the Princess and Celebrity boards.   I sail different lines for different reasons so any change goes unnoticed unless I read about it here.

I agree.  I feel the cheerleaders have toned down over the years.  I think as RCI and all other lines have changed so much in the last ten years, the die hard have toned it down.  At some point some perk or service that you enjoyed has been cut or downgraded, and as such many are much less loyal.

 

Ironically, anecdotally, I have found the most enthusiastic about being Loyal to Royal, are the friends I have that have only done 1-2 cruises with them.  The dream of them becoming diamond is enough to drive them back.  I know three families that jumped around cruise lines but after going on an RCI with us they are now “Loyal to Royal” as they saw how nice being Diamond/Diamond plus was.  On the same front, only 3 out of our last 6 vacations were with RCI.  
 

For the more seasoned cruisers, we feel slighted by the Overall cutbacks along with the loyalty cutbacks (despite the fact that imo the loyalty program is better now than before, given there didn’t used to be diamond lounges, coastal kitchen, or drink vouchers).  As the seasoned crowd peels off, we are replaced by the crowd RCI wants the most. The first time cruiser.  RCI knows exactly what they are doing.  They just need to make sure their mature layer peels at just the right pace.  They can’t afford to have all the D and above jump ship at the same time.  

Edited January 21, 2020 by rimmit

[Ourusualbeach]

16 minutes ago, rimmit said:

For the more seasoned cruisers, we feel slighted by the Overall cutbacks along with the loyalty cutbacks (despite the fact that imo the loyalty program is better now than before, given there didn’t used to be diamond lounges, coastal kitchen, or drink vouchers).  As the seasoned crowd peels off, we are replaced by the crowd RCI wants the most. The first time cruiser.  RCI knows exactly what they are doing.  They just need to make sure their mature layer peels at just the right pace.  They can’t afford to have all the D and above jump ship at the same time.  

 

What Royal has working in its favour is the fact that their overall capacity is increasing and that people in general are cruising more and more which means that their loyalty numbers will continue to increase. 

 

The numbers of C&A members at each level will keep increasing however as it does the new people will have lower expectations of the various levels and be perfectly happy with all the perks that they get at those levels as they weren’t around to have anything taken  away from them.

 

I’ll use myself as an example.  We will get D+ at the end of the year.  I knew about the CL perk but have never had it and we really won’t miss it as we only sail Oasis class ships where it hasn’t been an option for a long time anyway.  I’ll be happy and appreciative to reach D+ and get the extra perks that come with it like the beer instead of soda, the Bogo dinner, the free laundry, the extra $25 balcony discount, the amenity choice, the bridge tour and I might be missing a few.  I won’t be one of the D+ that is upset and bitter that the CL is being taken away as I never had it to begin with.  

 

I still know of no other cruise line that comes close to Royal in what they offer theIr upper tiers in the way of perks. 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[Judyrem]

20 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

 

 

I, on the other hand, like to know what I'm getting myself into before committing thousands of dollars and probably spend waaayyyy too much time researching, even if its a vacation spot or ship I've been on many times.

I think I am just like you but sometimes I border on the 😜obsessive.

Edited January 21, 2020 by Judyrem

[Iamcruzin]

2 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

the new people will have lower expectations of the various levels and be perfectly happy with all the perks that they get at those levels as they weren’t around to have anything taken  away from them

 

I still know of no other cruise line that comes close to Royal in what they offer theIr upper tiers in the way of perks. 
 

I have to laugh because every board I follow claims that particular  line has the best loyalty perks. I’m not motivated by perks so I don’t have a dog in that race.

Having only sailed Royal twice in a 20 yr span I have to say that I found the overall experience better than on the other 2 lines that I have sailed more frequently.  I don’t have any complaints about the MDR food like I read about here. Service is is better on Celebrity and Princess but Royal is not as stuffy and more relaxed. I’m disappointed that Oasis is replacing Anthem at Cape Liberty because I would have booked another 9 day cruise. We are looking into land vacations as I don’t see anything worth wild on any of the lines we enjoy. I think we are just spoiled by 9 days and being able to drive to port. 

[rimmit]

11 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

What Royal has working in its favour is the fact that their overall capacity is increasing and that people in general are cruising more and more which means that their loyalty numbers will continue to increase. 

 

The numbers of C&A members at each level will keep increasing however as it does the new people will have lower expectations of the various levels and be perfectly happy with all the perks that they get at those levels as they weren’t around to have anything taken  away from them.

 

I’ll use myself as an example.  We will get D+ at the end of the year.  I knew about the CL perk but have never had it and we really won’t miss it as we only sail Oasis class ships where it hasn’t been an option for a long time anyway.  I’ll be happy and appreciative to reach D+ and get the extra perks that come with it like the beer instead of soda, the Bogo dinner, the free laundry, the extra $25 balcony discount, the amenity choice, the bridge tour and I might be missing a few.  I won’t be one of the D+ that is upset and bitter that the CL is being taken away as I never had it to begin with.  

 

I still know of no other cruise line that comes close to Royal in what they offer theIr upper tiers in the way of perks. 

Celebrity does, albeit you could argue they are part of RCI.  Zenith level has entirely free laundry and a free beverage package once you hit their top level.

I totally agree that if you never had it you don’t miss it.  We only hit D+ just in time to go to the concierge lounge once before we got kicked out.  While it was nice,  it was not a game changer for us.

 

Everyone has a different tipping point as to when they lose their loyalty to a specific cruise line or company, and there is no right or wrong time for that to happen.  It all comes down to your personal cruising preferences.  

Over the last thirty years I have seen the elimination of the midnight buffet, severely decreased staffing ratios, elimination of free room service,  loss of chocolates on the pillows, worstening maintenance, near elimination of cocktail waiters and waitresses, cheapening of the main dining room menu, loss of the ship shape program, worsening of prizes won from games, worstening customer service, addition of specialty dining, beverage packages, and many more.
 

Only a small amount of these changes really effect me.  Some people may care about room service.  Some may have loved the midnight buffet. The point is that the longer you cruise the more changes you see, and over time those changes may cause you to look elsewhere.  A newbie has no expectations.  They are a clean slate for RCI to paint a picture of what they want them to believe cruising is today, as they will never have a comparison.  
 

As you hit D+ and cruise another 10 years, you will eventually lament about the “good ole days” when towel rentals were free, when you didn’t have to bring your own toiletries on board,  when you weren’t charged for the main dining room,  when you didn’t have to pay extra to have a turn down service, when you were allowed in the D lounge which has been renamed “pinnacle lounge”,  when you didn’t have to pay extra to have your luggage be one of the first off the ship, when the buffet was open past 8:30 at night, when the gym was free, when production shows were free,  And many more previously free experiences now incur a charge or potentially an extra “resort fee” that allows you access to things previously free.

 

I agree with you 100 percent.   Eventually you will be in this game long enough to start feeling the loss of things you used to view as standard.

 

[rimmit]

15 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I’m disappointed that Oasis is replacing Anthem at Cape Liberty because I would have booked another 9 day cruise. We are looking into land vacations as I don’t see anything worth wild on any of the lines we enjoy. I think we are just spoiled by 9 days and being able to drive to port. 

Don’t worry.  The oasis is only there for the summer.  She can’t handle cold weather.

[ZiggaZagga17]

On 1/20/2020 at 8:41 PM, TRadle said:

I've been away from the RC board for years because we have been traveling less and were sailing on Celebrity.  The RC boards back then were filled with RC cheerleaders and bickering.  It has a much nicer tone now, which is very good thing! 

Jeeeez - I guess I must have started somewhere in the middle then ha ha

[Merion_Mom]

16 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

Having only sailed Royal twice in a 20 yr span I have to say that I found the overall experience better than on the other 2 lines that I have sailed more frequently.  I don’t have any complaints about the MDR food like I read about here. Service is is better on Celebrity and Princess but Royal is not as stuffy and more relaxed. I’m disappointed that Oasis is replacing Anthem at Cape Liberty because I would have booked another 9 day cruise. We are looking into land vacations as I don’t see anything worth wild on any of the lines we enjoy. I think we are just spoiled by 9 days and being able to drive to port. 

 

Anthem is going to Europe for her 5-year drydock and will do a summer season out of Southampton.  She'll be back in the fall.  Oasis will only be in Cape Liberty from May to September.  Then she returns to Florida, where her plants won't die in the winter.  😄

 

[snaefell]

We are not likely to make it to any Loyalty programmes,not regular cruisers,now & then we find one we like,we usually need a break after though!

Possible about to break that rule as we have just booked for Quantum in March 2021,not so much loyalty to Royal but to Quantum on which we did the repo cruise from China to Singapore in October 2019,we loved Singapore & the ship so much that we booked the same cabin again,not our first 'double',we have been on P&O's Britannia twice & thought she was really nice until we tried Quantum!

The fact that the same queries keep coming up tells me that the percentage of forum users amongst cruisers isn't great,although some people seem to think that they speak for the majority!

Land holidays have very much been more our thing in the past,mainly USA road trips but we felt that we had had enough of flying,sadly we are too far away from Southampton to make cruises 'handy' so some flying is still often required.

An extensive user of Trip Advisor for years I was shocked when I first tried to get help on Cruise Critic for our first cruise some years ago,it was full of people banging on about their loyalty schemes,when I persisted I was told that CC forums were no place for asking travel questions,not too politely either,that has eased & people are more helpful these days,although many speak a language which is likely to confuse newcomers(ie:MDR,OBC,FCC,etc)!

I don't have anything to do with social media sites,for our recent cruise all the info I got was from CC forums,TA & Internet searches,not long retired I am constantly amazed by people working & wandering around with their eyes fixed on their phones,very sad IMO!

But you are right many do not do homework,just a trip to a TA & often booking whatever is recomended to them,we have met many on our travels in the past who had no idea what they were headed for.

Edited January 22, 2020 by snaefell