Every Cruise is Different, Enjoy instead of Spending time Comparing.

Oh yes I do agree with you. I just did the NCL Bliss Panama Canal in May and found I was slightly disappointed in their so called wow factors like Observation lounge. I watched the K Carts and found them to be not something I would do. I still found things I did like though.

Throughout the cruise I met folks and we shared our experiences. As soon as I mentioned that I was going on the CCL Vista, most folks made a face and said "Oh no never Carnival they are lousy".

 

I merely told them that like NCL ships, CCL also have new ships and when I mentioned the Skybikes, some of them smiled and said "hmmmm that does sound interesting". So I made the point to them to try various lines and enjoy. One fellow said he hated Carnival but loved Princess. I nicely told him Carnival owned Princess and he was a bit shocked and had nothing to say.

 

So each ship has its good and bad just like countries. Keep on sailing

 

On our Princess sailing last year we shared a table with others who could not stand Carnival. We also had drinks at the club with another couple who couldn't wait to get back to Carnival. Same cruise and similar aged passengers, but completely different experiences and preferences.

 

It is important to have an idea of what you’re walking into so I always read reviews ahead of time. I don’t however let them or the little things that inevitably go wrong spoil my vacation. I certainly don’t take the time to compare anything while I’m looking at the ocean 😌.

 

I do think that, aside from the severely negative attitudes we see, it is important for people to be upfront about a ship/lines shortcomings. Speaking up about the more important things is the only way they will ever improve. Silence would only reward those who aren’t even trying so I’m glad people here let everyone know about the things they didn’t like. If I find that a reviewer is overly critical and it would be impossible to satisfy them I simply ignore their complaints.

 

I will compare when I get home so that I can adjust my expectations more and plan my next trip with whoever offers the most of what I want.

 

Just enjoy it as much as you can while it’s happening.

 

I try to enjoy my trips in the moment - there is often little that can be done to change a situation once there and usually something to appreciate. I am grateful for those who have given reviews so I could be better prepared (like knowing to have water shoes for Princess Cay).

 

I do try to read other's advice and opinions critically, searching for objective facts where I can. One person's complaint might be something that I view as positive, or what another loves can be something we would hate. If 80% of the reviews say that MDR service is slow though, I know to expect slower service and bring extra patience with my if I choose to dine there;)

Thank you for making this post. From said post, I would make an assumption that it translate into you bringing a positive attitude while on board. I appreciate things like that.

 

Too many people you can tell are just miserable people. If you can't enjoy vacation, then I feel sorry for you.

So very true.

So very true.

Yes.

EXACTLY and perfectly stated. To me, the variety of opinions/ideas and shared info is what CC is all about. Of course, it is someone else's opinions at times, but I have found more to value than to 'throw out', and have made some decisions based on some of the "feedback" read on CC. That is how I look at posts on CC, they are "FEEDBACK" that you can choose to listen to or disregard!! But overall, these boards are really very helpful in a multitude of ways!!

I worry, though, that that lumps together two very different kinds of posts: Expository, and bitter. I think we all can appreciate when someone relays that, for example, there can be a 45 minute wait for tenders if you don't have a cruise ship excursion. While that's not a positive comment, it helps us know what to expect so that if we encounter it we're not surprised, and we're prepared. Contrast that with a post that bashes the cruise line for making them wait 45 minutes for a tender. When the post becomes more about how upset the poster allowed themselves to get, or worse, about how evil the cruise line must be to do this "to them", then it's no longer expository and it's just plain bitter.