Are you more loyal because of CruiseCritic??

[airlink diva]

I was at work yesterday talking about cruising and this website. I always tell anyone who's thinking about or booked a cruise to head over here.

Someone asked me a very valid question. Did cruisecritic make me more loyal (a.k.a cheerleader) for my favorite cruiselines? If I would never came across this website, would I have as much devotion on Holland America?

It did get me thinking. While I loved cruising prior to finding cruisecritic, I feel that the site did make me a more devoted cruiser and to my cruiseline.

Anyone else????

[kelmac]

I was at work yesterday talking about cruising and this website. I always tell anyone who's thinking about or booked a cruise to head over here.

Someone asked me a very valid question. Did cruisecritic make me more loyal (a.k.a cheerleader) for my favorite cruiselines? If I would never came across this website, would I have as much devotion on Holland America?

It did get me thinking. While I loved cruising prior to finding cruisecritic, I feel that the site did make me a more devoted cruiser and to my cruiseline.

Anyone else????

 

diva,

 

It helps having all us "enablers" stoking the fires!:rolleyes::)

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

[rochelle_s]

I loved cruising before I found out about this site. Cruisecritic has made me a more knowledgable cruiser as I have read and learned a wealth of information that I just never could have found in a brochure. I don't think being a member of cruisecritic has made me more loyal to one particular cruiseline or another, but it has helped me to learn more about the brands out there and to find the one(s) that fit my needs, budget and taste. Like a good pair of jeans....you have to try on a few until you find the perfect fit.

 

I really enjoy the different discussions on here, even those full of such controversy. I can just imagine what non cruisers would think about some of the questions asked on here and the length of discussion that some topics take. (I often scratch my head myself!) Some might even die of laughter and think we are all nuts. Persoanlly I like the community of like minded (cruise-loving) folks, no matter what there opinion is.

 

Rochelle

[Sleepladypalmdesert]

I did not find Cruise Critic until just prior to my first cruise. What did I learn from Cruise Critic? To check out the ThermoSpa, bringing as much wine on board as we wish, about a thing called the Norovirus and why those guys stand out as we board with the hand sanitizer, renting cars in Hilo, best place to park my car in San Diego, best time for me to board, getting room service, how much I should plan for extra tipping.....gosh, it just goes on and on. I have learned so much prior to cruising that I am a much more enlightened consumer. I have grown to enjoy logging on and seeing what is being said. I enjoy reading the "live from" threads. I appreciate all of the tips and suggestions from you expert cruisers.

[Seago2]

Interesting question! CC has indeed made me more loyal to HAL. This board is less snarky than others I frequently visit and I have developed friendships with other HAL people. It's just head and shoulders above all of the other boards (OK, I think I am about to get my post removed). That's another thing: posts get wiped away if they are nasty, whereas on some other boards personal attacks are either allowed or unnoticed. I like the Cunard board as well, but traffic there is much lighter and after a while... OK, we're talking about two ships over there.

 

However, if you look at my signature you'll see that I have taken two cruises since my one HAL cruise and am leaving on another NCL cruise next week! When it comes right down to it, price and port of departure are critical. I sailed the Spirit twice because it left out of NYC. That's the whole reason I even went on the Noordam to begin with. Now we're sailing on the Majesty only because I love the older, smaller ships, I have a friend who raves about the Maj, and she's about to leave the fleet. Believe me, we are looking for a HAL cruise right now and I hope we find one. Hopefully a repo next fall.

 

HAL is wonderful. I love HAL. I loved our Roll Call group- again, far better on HAL. I wish like heck I could have been on the Voyage of the Good Nuts! But there is no getting around the fact that we have eight children between the two of us, four of whom are in college and two of whom are TEN! We went on MSC Lirica for TEN DAYS, saw amazing ports- including Cartagena, which we loved- had an excellent time, and the TOTAL was $1400 bucks for an OV. So it gets to the point where it's insane to cruise to begin with at this point in our lives, incredibly hard to justify, plus the kids really, really want to cruise and the only way I can afford it with them is on NCL and without airfare, so.........

 

Yes I am loyal to HAL in large part because of CC. I show it by booking NCL :eek:. Does that answer your question?

[jhannah]

This is a great question, Tamara. I had to think about it a minute ... but yes, I believe CC has assisted my HAL focus.

 

While I am attracted to Holland America ships for all the reasons we each know, a good portion of it is because of friendships fostered here. I likely wouldn't have gone on the Eurodam prelude and inaugural cruises were it not for the anticipation of getting to meet or renew acquaintences with fellow posters. Something got me past choking on the high cost of those sailings, transportation over there and back, and attending the naming ceremony ... and it was the people I'd be cruising with for a couple of weeks.

 

I am not an exclusive HAL cruiser. I also cruise with Princess to "Escape Completely." :) I have participated in roll calls on Princess sailings, but they're different -- just like the mood/tone of the board is different. Not bad, just different.

[eh2zed]

Very good question. In addition to what other posters have said, I believe that generally us humans have a need to belong to something(s). Its great for the socialization part of our psyche. Some belong to clubs of different sorts, teams, and yes being a regular CC poster has that same sense of belonging to something. It then stands to reason that those that "belong" become more loyal and passionate about this forum.

[sapper1]

This board has certainly given me insights into aspects of cruising that have been very helpful to me both in planning cruises and understanding a lot about cruise etiquette. So many situations have been explained and disected in detail here on this board------things that would never have occured to me had I not read them here. This board has made me a better prepared cruiser, and I hope, more understanding of everyday situations aboard ship.

Now if someone only has some suggestions as to what I can do about the one thing that seems to bother so many younger cruisers with regard to their shipmates. I am getting older.:eek::eek: People think I will ruin their cruise because of it. What's a girl to do??:confused:

[bigwally]

Loyal to CC, and more loyal to cruising as a vacation choice, but no loyalty to a particular cruise line. I'll sail whomever gives me the perfect itinerary at a price I'm willing to pay.

[crusinbanjo]

Loyal to CC, and more loyal to cruising as a vacation choice, but no loyalty to a particular cruise line. I'll sail whomever gives me the perfect itinerary at a price I'm willing to pay.

 

Same here. While I enjoy this board, I frequent some of the other boards about cruise lines that I have, or might want, to cruise with. The boards are a wealth of info and I use them to help me decide on my next trip and on which cruise line.

 

For me it is about the Itinerary first, and the cruise line second. The Info available on the boards is what makes them so fun and valuable

[jhannah]

I am getting older.:eek::eek: People think I will ruin their cruise because of it. What's a girl to do??:confused:

Ignore them! If older people have "ruined" cruises for people, it isn't because they're older. It's because of their long-held personalities that have most likely aggrivated others for years!

[sapper1]

Ignore them! If older people have "ruined" cruises for people, it isn't because they're older. It's because of their long-held personalities that have most likely aggrivated others for years!

You may be on to something!!! One of the biggest surprises for me upon getting older is that I am still the same person I was in my 20's------just a little wiser, I hope.

 

Was you new picture taken since your accident? If so, you are looking great. Good to see you back and posting. Did you get the card I sent you in rehab? I hope so.

[timothy998]

We're on our first cruise next month (boy it's nice to say that) and one thing I get from the boards, as has been mentioned, is a wealth of information and helpfulness. That said, as a frequent business traveler, I know which hotels have what kind of service, and what I'm willing to pay for, and what I'm not willing to pay for. That said, the service provider is the one that will garner or lose my loyalty. I know I'm not going to get the level of service at a Fairfield Inn as I do at a JW Marriott, but I know the rooms will be clean at both properties.

[RevNeal]

Someone asked me a very valid question. Did cruisecritic make me more loyal (a.k.a cheerleader) for my favorite cruiselines? If I would never came across this website, would I have as much devotion on Holland America?

It did get me thinking. While I loved cruising prior to finding cruisecritic, I feel that the site did make me a more devoted cruiser and to my cruiseline.

Anyone else????

 

VERY interesting question; I'm not sure of my answer. I've been cruising Holland America since 1994. I have a family history -- grandfather and parents -- with the Line. I didn't join CC until 2000. I was a HAL loyalist before 2000. Hence, CC didn't make me loyal. It MAY have contributed to me remaining loyal through some of the changes ... particularly those since 2001. I'm not sure. I KNOW it probably pushed me to cruising on the Vistas, whereas my inclination would have otherwise been to stick with the S and Rs.

 

So ... did CC contribute to making me "more" loyal to the Line? Yes. However, I was already loyal before I began here, hence CC's influence can only said to be supplementary in that regard.

 

It absolutely helps me to get through the months between cruises, I have learned a great deal from many posters on these boards about cruising, and I have made many wonderful friends on these boards with whom I have cruised many times and with whom I will cruise again.

[jhannah]

Was you new picture taken since your accident? ... Did you get the card I sent you in rehab? I hope so.

Yes and yes. Thank you very much.

[LauraS]

Just when I think to myself "will I find anything new on the boards today", here we are! This really is a GREAT question and I'm subscribing so I don't miss a thing.

 

Thanks!

 

Laura

[tomc]

More loyal? Not a bit; I'm there already.

 

Learning more about the line? Definitely.

 

Feeling like part of the club? Oh, yes.

[hammybee]

I am more loyal to the HAL forum than I am to any cruise line. I like the people and the pace.

 

I choose HAL over another, given similar intinerary/cabin availability/timing.

I do enjoy sailing all other cruise lines and discovering/appreciating the differences.

[newmexicoNita]

I was at work yesterday talking about cruising and this website. I always tell anyone who's thinking about or booked a cruise to head over here.

Someone asked me a very valid question. Did cruisecritic make me more loyal (a.k.a cheerleader) for my favorite cruiselines? If I would never came across this website, would I have as much devotion on Holland America?

It did get me thinking. While I loved cruising prior to finding cruisecritic, I feel that the site did make me a more devoted cruiser and to my cruiseline.

Anyone else????

 

I never thought about it, but probably there is some truth to this. We have more chances to voice our views, both negative and positive. Yes, CC has made me more loyal to cruising and probably to my favorite line. Although some discussions bet a little to personal I think we learn from each other and yes, make friends. I have friends I met on CC, prior to sailing many years ago that are still friends and it is because of Cruise Critic plus roll call.

 

Nita

[sail7seas]

Great question and something I never thought about before.

 

I am very loyal to HAL and after having sailed enough times on enough other lines, I know I only (now) wish to sail HAL.

 

I also am very loyal to CC. Having read enough other boards and seen some come and go and that while I still read and post a little on other cruise BB's, CruiseCritic is the Board I feel a sense of community with. CC is the one I come to first thing and last thing of each day on the computer. :)

 

So, I'm very loyal to HAL and very loyal to CC and I imagine there has to be a link between the two.

 

But, I would still be loyal to each without the other if there were circumstances that made such a situation happen.

 

[mrblack]

More loyal? Not a bit; I'm there already.

 

Learning more about the line? Definitely.

 

Feeling like part of the club? Oh, yes.

 

I agree with all of this. That said at this time in my life because of work committments I'm greatly influenced by time schedules for cruises so i cruise what fits best and for what price. I do love the HAL CC board and it is the only board i read other than 'lose before you cruise'

 

Sapper1 ignore all those younger cruisers who object to age. i find it is like someone else said 'they have propbably aggravated others with their personalities forever' i was once on a cruise and had lunch with a table where one person dominated the discussion with her talk about the benefits of gated communities and the one she lived in---she was youngish--55-56. As we left my friend and i both agreed we were fortunate not to be at her dinner seating for 10 nights. I would rather cruise with someone 85 who can discuss and have opinions on a variety of topics than someone young who has a closed mind. Mel

[geoherb]

I'm not very loyal. I look at HAL, Princess and Celebrity. Our last cruise was on Celebrity, the one before that was on Princess, and our next one is on HAL. I know there will be things I miss whenever I'm sailing on one of them rather than another. Price and itinerary are the biggest factors when we book a cruise. We'll have a good vacation no matter which cruise line we sail on.

[Chrislynn55]

I had a lot of cruises under my belt before I came across Cruise Critic but I am amazed at the wealth of information I have found on the boards, even with my fairly extensive cruising experience. CC hasn't made me loyal to any one cruise line....I find that I mostly hang out on the board of whichever line my upcoming cruise is on (and on my roll call). So, having never been on a HAL ship I find that the HAL board is the one I'm spending time on now before our Veendam cruise in March. Of course, there are also things I've read about on the boards that detract a little from my excitement about my cruise....ie. Norovirus and air conditioning issues on the Veendam. Still, I keep coming back for more!

 

Kathy

[bigwally]

Price and itinerary are the biggest factors when we book a cruise. We'll have a good vacation no matter which cruise line we sail on.

 

 

I agree.

 

I've just gone back through my planning for our Baltic. I started out with 10 ships from 7 lines, on 69 different sailings. From there I narrowed it from 4 ships, 3 lines, 13 sailings, to the one we chose. It was chosen based on (in order of importance):

 

1) Itinerary

2) Price and perception of how well a line would "fit" with our needs

3) Passenger capacity of the vessel

4) Sailing date

[meterman2]

Hmm,

 

I think CC has helped me to me more knowledgeable about cruising, ports, excursions and my cruiseline of choice, Holland America. IMO, Loyalty is much too strong a word to connect to my choice of cruiselines.

 

I don't have a favorite airline, car model, hotel chain. I think I've stuck with HAL moreso because I'm naturally resistant to "change". I have favorite restaurants, but if I received bad service a couple of times or poor quality, I probably wouldn't ever return. I think the same holds true with my view towards HAL. Unless they price themselves out of my budget or have a severe drop in service, I'll probably stick with them. Because of my resistant to change, I need good reason to move on, but I wouldn't call it loyalty.

 

Loyalty is reserved for friends, family, country, etc., not for a segment of the "hospitality industry". JMHO.