Do you think...

[VentureMan_2000]

Do you think... That the folks who have something to complain about before the cruise... will ever be happy on the cruise...?

 

There seems to be a common thread that if expectations are not just so... that it is the fault of the cruise line.

 

I seem to hear of mostly folks who indicate that they had expectations that far exceeded what the cruise line could deliver... and then proceed to bitch about the experience.

 

Isn't any vacation up to each indivisual to make or to breakk...?

 

What ever happened to taking responsibility for having and amking your own fun... :confused:

[lilmsonry]

You know some people would gripe about what color the envelope was to their millions and zillions lottery ticket, that is just the way they are. I understand your post, just doesn't make sense to me either. I hope the people like this stay home cuz I don't want to try to console them. We leave in 13 days and hope ports don't change, food is great, people are polite and fun. If we run into other than this, will just accept it is a deversion but it still is "my cruise" and not to be ruined is the name of the game. I look to have fun and roll with the punches instead of making the gripe be my focus. Not going to have it, would rather smile and enjoy!:D :D

[WillieBluffU]

I think alot of it has to do with wanting the "perfect" vacation. The big problem I see with that is that if one little thing goes wrong it tends to snowball. I remember finding Cruise Critics last year before my cruise and reading all the "bad" stuff. Several of the things people talked about I noticed on the ship only because I read about them before hand. The moving of the chairs on the Lido deck early in the morning jumps into my head. Yep I heard em...but I dont think I would have even noticed if I had not read about it here.

[Nliedel]

There are two kinds of travelers, and this is a BROAD generalization so please note that. There are the kind that have certain expectations about their trip and expect them met. They can be well heeled or people who rarely travel on vacation and so they want the most out of it. If you do not meet those expectations they can get very uptight and have the entire vacation ruined by hitting a breaking point regarding those expectations. Sometimes it's one indicent, sometimes a bunch of them will break them. I am not talking about vacation disasters, no one should have to go through those, but bad service etc.

 

then there are people who go with the flow. Some of them to the point that you begin to wonder if they are actually breathing.

 

It does not always fall into type A is this way etc. I am type A. I have high expectations but I also know that the people around me are not mind readers and cannot control things. I fall between the two groups and lean toward the first one.

 

My husband? Give him a place to hang out, something interesting to see and good meals and he is happy camper. I love travel he is not a fan. He goes for me but he would be just as happy at a local hotel with a really good restaurant.

 

If the carpet is worn on your ship let it go. If the service is bad SAY SOMETHING! Do not suffer for a week then come back here and complain. If you have said something (in a nice way) and no one is listening then complain. That's legitimate. If you expect your trip to be perfect you are going to be dissapointed. 100% of the time. Nothing ever is.

[4merlurker]

I agree that there are 2 kinds of people. Always Happy :D & Always Miserable:mad: But, I also think that reading a lot of CC posts can give people very unrealistic expectations about what a cruise is. Not everybody has a butler at their beck & call, not everbody has a suite or balcony, 3 or 4 entrees, their meat cut, their shrimp tails removed, there a$$e$ wiped, towel animals, Upsells, etc....you get my drift. :rolleyes:

 

As long as you go into your vacation with a smile and a good attitude you'll come home the same way! Well, maybe you wont be smiling but thats only because it's over :(

 

~C

[Nliedel]

I agree that there are 2 kinds of people. Always Happy :D & Always Miserable:mad: But, I also think that reading a lot of CC posts can give people very unrealistic expectations about what a cruise is. Not everybody has a butler at their beck & call, not everbody has a suite or balcony, 3 or 4 entrees, their meat cut, their shrimp tails removed, there a$$e$ wiped, towel animals, Upsells, etc....you get my drift. :rolleyes:

 

~C

 

You're right, you need to be Diamond for the bottom wiping :)

 

Some lines are better at doing *some* of those things but you pay much more for it.

[BobBeaSea]

Unfortunately there is such an animal as a "proffesional complainer". These folks have a goal-to recieve a product or service and then not have to pay for some or all of it. They can be relentless and sometimes it is easier to "pay them off" rather than deal with them. Then there are the "high expectation" people, these folks are not necessarily looking for compensation, they just need something to bitch and moan about - and make sure everyone within earshot knows about it too. An example of this would be the one night the assisstant waiter didn't refill a water glass in, what for them is, a timely basis.

 

God...it makes you wonder...

[DEL67]

I also think that both the complainers and those that love everything are more vocal than the rest of us who want to enjoy our vacations and understand that not everything will be perfect or to our taste.

[Trevoli]

On my second cruise, way back in the day (1991 maybe?), I was at a large table and my tablemates included 2 older married couples that were friends. The husband of one of the couples complained EVERY SINGLE NIGHT at dinner about the food.

 

This did not stop him from ordering AT LEAST 2 complete dinners every night, though.

 

T

[cruisinbuddy]

You are right. You're not home or going to work so why complain? There is no such thing as a perfect vacation, yes even cruising. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

[VentureMan_2000]

A cruise line would have to screw up pretty bad to wreck my vacation.

 

Usually, I can never find enough time to see all the shows, taste all the meals, drink all the cocktails, or get enough time to sit in the sun. There is just so much to do... how can't you be happy.

 

I sat at a table on my last cruise where a couple anounced that they don't like cruising... too boring. That went over like a ton of bricks... like attending a electronics show and telling the folks around you that electronics are boring.

 

This is a couple that normally pulls a trailer for their vacations... who would have figured...:rolleyes:

[RevSmith]

I agree to a point. I think some people expect too much from a cruise line that they pay too little for. They want all the benefits, but don't want to put up the bucks...so they are therefore disappointed.

[Jane110]

Then there are the "high expectation" people, these folks are not necessarily looking for compensation, they just need something to bitch and moan about - and make sure everyone within earshot knows about it too. An example of this would be the one night the assisstant waiter didn't refill a water glass in, what for them is, a timely basis.

 

 

I hear ya'!

 

Last February on our Oceania cruise to South America during Brazils Carnivale, we were "held captive" by the couple sitting next to us on the tender in one of the Brazillian ports. Along with complaining about things like water glass refills, they were complaining because Oceania didn't decorate the ship with a Carnivale theme the way their other cruise ship the prior year did! Everyone around them was rolling their eyes up to the ceiling in disbelief.

[carlmm]

Their are unhappy people around who complain in loud voice even on the best ship. Too sad for them and everybody around.

 

Yet, some of the post here sound like there are no legitimate complains possible at all and one needs better to shut up if unhappy. That's probably like the cruiselines like to have their customers: If a passenger is unhappy it is his/her own fault how ever lousy the service is, how bad the food is, in what terrible conditions the facilities are ... And do not dare to say a word.

 

Can this be right?

 

Certainly the attitude expressed several times, not to let your vacations be ruined by some shortcomings, is the best one. Also it is good to check before complaining, if there are valid reasons for some occurences (e.g. missing a port because of high swells) or if the expectations were wrong (e.g. rock climbing on Cunard or elegant tea time on Carnival).

Yet, if indeed the cruiselines fails, passengers have every right to tell what is bad and dissatisfying. (But please in a nice, reasonable and polite way.) If the cruiseline is really concerned about the wellbeing of their passengers this will help to improve the experience for everybody. If posted here, reports about positive and negative experiences will help other people to make informed decisions.

[VentureMan_2000]

Nothing wrong with saying you didn't like a show, or room Steward wasn't the best.

 

But to show up at 11:30 to board during peak arrival time, when a cruise line clearly states that boarding isn't to begin until 1:30 (I know, sometimes boarding starts earlier), and then complain about it...

 

Or show up for the buffet during peak eating time, and then complain about the long lines...

 

Or to see a spot of rust near the pool or a bit of poorly looking repair job on the carpet, and bring it up during a review...

 

Or if they leave an item behind in their cabin...

 

Or slipping on or down stairs during rough seas and hurting themselves...

 

We missed our Port because of a storm...

 

 

This kind of a list goes on and on.

 

There have been a lot of reviews that say their trip was 'ruined' from such items... and they blame the cruiselines and never themselves.

 

There is such a thing as positive criticism. Otherwise, it just sounds like griping.