Why Would You/ Why Do You Continue to Sail?

[Jana White]

And wander I love your post too!

[Soundsgreat6]

I must go down to the sea again

to the lonely sea and sky

All I ask is a sailing ship

and a star to guide her by.

by someone I can't remember right now

 

I have found the positives of crusing, in particular with HAL, to far outweigh the negatives

For your info: By John Masefield (1878-1967).

(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)

One of my favourite lines also

[DizzyDallasDi]

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

I didn't start this thread to tell anyone I didn't think they should post their complaints and dissatisfaction........

 

I posted it to try and figure out why people who more times than not only have complaints and negatives to post would continue booking.

 

There are a few folks who so often have only gripes and almost never praise. We never seem to hear from them about something they liked on their cruises or compliment the overall cruise.... they only tell us everything they think is wrong.

 

Again, entirely their right to do so. I just wonder why they book a future cruise if the last one was so unsatisfactory

 

 

I know what you're talking about and haven't seen any replies from those you are questioning. I'm glad you brought this up because it's something I've been wondering about for quite some time. If people are so unhappy with the course that HAL has taken, why do they continue to spend their money and vacation time there?

 

Actually, I think "the complainers" get satisfaction in complaining. If they encounter a change, they want to come on here and rehash it over and over and over. Do they seriously think that's going to reverse the change? Of course they don't. They simply enjoy arguing and complaining about it.

 

People are who they are. Fortunately, we can choose our friends in real life and we can choose which posts to read in online life.

 

Life is good...smile and enjoy every moment. :D

 

Diane

[jimmy2x]

In relation to your last comments, I have a major concern about the way the boards are going these days. I personally think that the potential harm by all the repeated complaints, criticisms, and such is to scare new folks away from HAL. Now That could have serious repercussions for all of us and HAL!!!

 

Just keep in mind (as has been previously noted) that complainers and whiners are found on ALL the CC boards. While that may scare away a few potential 1st timers, I suspect that most folks have learned to disregard both the "Pollyanna cheerleaders " and the perennially dissatisfied.

[Soundsgreat6]

I also love to cruise, Small ships large ships, no matter which I always have a good time. I just take those that complain with a grain of salt, not on my spinach thanks. I worked in the retail business most of my life. There are always some that complain. I once had a client who wanted a full refund on a wedding because my employee was 10 min's late in arriving at the function. Even though 75% of the guests were also late due to a major accident on the highway. After polling other guests at the wedding, the other side of the family, than the side complaining. They never even noticed plus one of the main parties involved, the Groom, didn't arrive till 30 mins after my employee, who bye that time was doing the job he was suppose to be doing. In that case I felt it was just the clients perspective and made a generous offer anyhow, but it was refused. So it just goes to show that there are lots of people who can never be satisfied no matter how hard you try. I now just smile and turn this type of client over to my competitor's, I think they deserve them. lol.

[dutch46]

I'm always fascinated with the number of hits a complaint thread gets, compared to a praise thread. Maybe people just don't find much interesting in those of us who are perfectly satisfied.

 

It's alway the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. DW and I laugh constantly at the things people find to complain about. We have been a lot more lenient towards the cruise lines since she had the Noro virus on our Hawaii cruise last year. I was amazed by how well she handled having to stay in her cabin for three days. If she can do that, then I guess the rest of the inconviencences are somewhat minor.

 

Harlan

[Travelrd]

Jana and Wander.....great posts! I agree with both of you.

There is a thread on now where the same old people are whining and commenting on the changes that have occurred on HAL. They all just agree with one another but also try to top one another's complaints. Most of them also come across as elitists and self absorbed. They just post for the sake of creating more posts. They are really a very small percentage of HAL cruisers and I agree, they should write letters to HAL because letters are a very effective way to communicate.

 

Jana, I'm booked on the Westerdam in September because my first cruise experience was with HAL on the Oosterdam and since it's the same Vista class ship, I'm hoping it will be a good experience. So far this season, everyone has been very positive about the Westerdam Alaska cruises. I even booked the same cabin on Westerdam that I had on Oosterdam.

It was my first cruise and I didn't have any expectations. I so thoroughly enjoyed it for so many reasons that I'm hooked on cruising. My budget allows me one cruise a year now and in two years, I'll be retiring. I don't know if I'll be able to cruise once a year then but I hope so. This is my holiday and I go with a positive attitude about everything especially being seated at a large table and meeting fellow cruisers.

 

Thank you for reading this.

[dutch46]

Heading for the Oosterdam Mediterranean on July 30. Not a negative thought in my mind.

 

Say Hi to amanda Tournear for us. She is part of the cruis staff and last I heard she ws working in the Library on the Noordam. The first time I saw her, she was one of the event staff on the Zaandam. If you happen to see her, tell her DW and I said Hi.

 

 

Harlan

[brucory]

"People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." — Abraham Lincoln

 

We can choose to be happy or choose to be miserable. I think people who are happy know it, and live their lives finding things to be happy about, or surprised/delighted; not so sure people who are unhappy know they are, and they seem to find things to be unhappy about.

 

I am a firm believer in what you have said... In my day to day job, I see people who choose to make it a good day or a bad day based on their outlook... The other bits come later...

 

:D:D:D

[lettienets]

........

There are people out there that would complain about the color and crispness of the million dollars you handed them. :p

That's priceless, I'll have to remember this one!:D

[suse]

I love spinach too. I think people like to complain because they like to let off steam. Take the "barf guy" for instance. That was excessive complaining. Some of it is entertaining though. Really.;) The rants, the angst, the wonder of it all.

[wander]

Jimmy2X,

 

Yes, all (or at least most, I do not read all of them) boards have their complainers. However, over the past month I have been recovering from surgery that had seriously curtailed my activities for the month. This left me more time for the boards and I have been following several of them that I usually ignore (such as X, Princess, Carnival, RCCL). In general I have NOT found posts on these boards that came anywhere near the level, intensity and number of serious complainers that I have found on the HAL boards over the same timeperiod. As someone commented above, their displeasure and level of complaint seems to escalate daily. IMHO, it really makes HAL cruises look bad. For new cruisers, they do NOT have the other side of the story to modify their take on what is written.

 

Many of us who have cruised realize this. For example I have sat a dinner tables with folks who constantly criticize the food, even the same dishes that I am enjoying as they speak. Now, if all I read was the complainers - what conclusion would I draw about the food?

Now that I am back to normal activities, my board time will be limited, probably a good idea.

[taxmantoo]

... In general I have NOT found posts on these boards that came anywhere near the level, intensity and number of serious complainers that I have found on the HAL boards over the same timeperiod. As someone commented above, their displeasure and level of complaint seems to escalate daily. IMHO, it really makes HAL cruises look bad. For new cruisers, they do NOT have the other side of the story to modify their take on what is written...

 

I could not agree more. One only has to remember the number of posts we have been subjected to over the past few months complaining about the VERY IMPORTANT life and death matters we all judge our HAL cruises on:

 

1) The Cabanas 2) The infamous step in the Lido 3) The trays (or not)

 

How could people keep booking cruises on a ship with such idiotic features that would ruin the cruise before even setting foot onboard?

[DFD1]

We found the cabanas on Eurodam a constant source of entertainment.

 

In one was a lady near 300 pounds in a string bikini, eating a pear from the near-by fruit bowl while reading a paperback and hiking her leg up so as to be comfortable....all within 4 feet of passing traffic. A crowd had gathered and she never even looked up!

 

It was the highlight of the day!

 

What's not to like?

[CowPrincess]

Since abandoning our careers and moving to "the sticks" several years ago, my expectations are different. Perhaps that is why I continue to be satisfied with HAL, though seriously I've never felt slighted if my cabin steward wasn't chatty, or if my cabin wasn't made up first thing in the morning. I don't care if a bartender makes me little "things". I actually don't miss Dutch Night (though I'd be happy if the Master Chef's Dinner disappeared, too). Of things that are in HAL's control, the reduction in the food budget is the only thing that really is on my radar.

 

After eating at restaurants where I live, I'm happy for clean table cloths and someone with skill being my server :) After staying at "Pacific Breezes" motel in Tofino, I'm thrilled to be on a HAL ship where the laundry is done in machines, not by hand in a plastic washbasin on a picnic table in the parking lot. (That statement is not a joke, BTW.)

 

Perhaps the people who are now consistently unhappy with HAL have more opportunities at enjoying the finer things every day than I do. Or perhaps they once viewed HAL as a refuge from the stress and turmoil in their daily lives, and that refuge is no longer quite as perfect as it once was.

[lovebug33]

Do people ever think that they might be responsible for some of the problems? We noticed that if we weren't out of our room before 9:00, our room didn't get made up until much later. Well, hello, stewards have things to do and if we are going to lounge around all day, they don't have time to wait on us! Maybe there were problems with people and the trays and that's why they disappeared. I have been on the Carnival and Princess boards and people don't complain nearly as much as they do here, IMHO.

[suse]

Rhymes with rainy.

[jimmy2x]

Wander,

 

Your point is well-taken, but I really would not worry too much about the potential new cruiser. In my experience, the vast majority of people aboard have never even heard of CC. They're just happy to be there.

 

This does not denigrate the value of these forums. Many 1st time cruisers would have been well served by doing a bit of research. Before our 1st cruise, I got most of this type of info from the old AOL boards, cause that was all there was.;) We knew far less than some of the 1st timers who do frequent CC. Maybe we were better off.

[Copper10-8]

..................After staying at "Pacific Breezes" motel in Tofino, I'm thrilled to be on a HAL ship where the laundry is done in machines, not by hand in a plastic washbasin on a picnic table in the parking lot. (That statement is not a joke, BTW.)....................

Tofino? Isn't that on Vancouver Island?

[CowPrincess]

Tofino? Isn't that on Vancouver Island?

 

Yes it is -- on the west side, several hours by car down a winding, twisting, scare-the-bejeepers-out-of-you road :D Wanna hear about the motel? I swear every time there's a discussion about BAD hotels and motels, when I tell the story of Pacific Breezes, people buy me drinks :D

[lka1012]

Cowprincess made a point.

 

I grew up in a small town in the middle of no-where. My family vacations were in the car, staying a inexpensive motels, eating breakfast in the room, lunch in the car and dinner at low budget resturant.

 

In my early adult years, most of my vacations were at historical re-enactments. This involved camping, cooking food over a campstove, showering using a camp shower, and the facilities were a porta-potty.

 

It doesn't take much to make me happy. A clean room and bathroom. Food I don't have to cook myself. I do not need a lot of activities during the day or evening. Just a deck chair and a book, and of course a nap!

 

As I said in my first response to this thread:

 

I must go down to the sea again

to the lonely sea and sky

All I ask is a sailing ship

and a star to guide her by.

by John Masefield

[sapper1]

Yes it is -- on the west side, several hours by car down a winding, twisting, scare-the-bejeepers-out-of-you road :D Wanna hear about the motel? I swear every time there's a discussion about BAD hotels and motels, when I tell the story of Pacific Breezes, people buy me drinks :D

Oh please tell us and I promise to buy you a drink if we ever meet on a cruise:)

[Copper10-8]

Yes it is -- on the west side, several hours by car down a winding, twisting, scare-the-bejeepers-out-of-you road :D Wanna hear about the motel? I swear every time there's a discussion about BAD hotels and motels, when I tell the story of Pacific Breezes, people buy me drinks :D

 

Does it have an elderly lady, hair in a gry bun, wearing a black dress seated in a rocking chair in a room on the 2nd floor with her back to the door?:eek:

 

 

[sapper1]

Does it have an elderly lady, hair in a gry bun, wearing a black dress seated in a rocking chair in a room on the 2nd floor with her back to the door?:eek:

 

 

Because of that lady---- to this day I cannot shower alone in a motel room.:eek::eek::eek:

[Jana White]

I have to say this has turned into a very refreshing thread. :)