Reading cruise reviews

[MaiTaiMary]

What do you like to read about the most when reading cruise reviews here? :)

 

 

Specifics about the ship?

The service?

The food?

The ports of call?

Do you just scan the pictures and read if something catches your eye?

What do you like seeing pictures of the most?

 

What other misc things are fun/helpful to read?

[jolyn928]

Definitely the pictures for me:p I love living vicariously through other peoples vacations!

[Pegs222]

I love the pictures and their thoughts on their cruise. The negative ones; guess I better not go there ;)

[MaiTaiMary]

The negative ones; guess I better not go there ;)

What do you mean? You just want to read the positive parts of the cruise and not if anything went wrong?

Or just not the reviews that do nothing but complain about everything from start to finish?

[afcj1]

First of all, I take EVERY review, with a grain of salt. Food and service is so subjective, though it's fun to see another persons perspective.

 

I love the pictures and then usually pay more attention to their excursions and port visits.

[Pegs222]

What do you mean? You just want to read the positive parts of the cruise and not if anything went wrong?

Or just not the reviews that do nothing but complain about everything from start to finish?

 

The ones that do nothing but complain about everything from start to finish.

[G'ma]

What do you mean? You just want to read the positive parts of the cruise and not if anything went wrong?

Or just not the reviews that do nothing but complain about everything from start to finish?

 

I can't answer for pegs, but for me, a review that is filled with nothing but negativity is nonproductive, noninformative and something I'm not personally interested in.

 

As a cruise veteran of over 30 years, I know that sometimes things can go awry - on any vacation, nothing being perfect.

 

However, I've never been on a cruise where "everything" was so awful it ruined my vacation...or any part of it. So, when I read someones rant about how awful the food was, how grumpy, unpleasant and rude the crew was, how they were "ripped off" by shore excursions, tour operators; how uncaring and disinterested the Guest Services desk was, etc., I don't bother completing the review.

 

What I am interested in is what they did ashore and how they liked it, was the ship in good repair, the menu varied and the activities onboard of a good variety.

 

Personal opinions are fine...but, if you're going to write a review, it's important to be objective..many are not.

[oceanbums]

I like reading and seeing pictures about the ship, the public areas and cabins, and the activities. Information and pictures on the ports are interesting to me.

 

I'm not a foodie so I skip that part of a review and I also skip the process of getting to the ship. So much is subjective, I agree with the previous poster, and take everything with a grain of salt. I have only been on 3 cruises, but they have all been great.

[CapeCodCruiser]

I agree with G'ma - reviews should be objective - but many are not. I like lots of photos. If a review is all negative I tend to ignore it.

[Nunu]

I like the pictures more than anything I guess. I ignore all the comments about food as that is so subjective and In N Out Burger is my quality standard.

[FabFourLover]

I agree...pictures. When I look down the title list and see "XXX Ship review with pictures" I immediatly click on it. Sometimes, after the first few posts I stop reading and just admire the pictures. I especially enjoy the pix when it is a place I have never been so I can plan my future trips but I also enjoy pix of places I have been so I can recognize places I've seen and remember how much fun I had.

 

I also agree that reviews that are mostly negative do not interest me. I do want to know when there is something we should watch out for but someone who can not find anything good at all to say is really just a waste of time.

[travlngrl1996]

I like the pictures, but most importantly I like the review of any poster's vacations. As was mentioned earlier I take each of the reviews with a grain of salt because any day on vacation beats a day at work. I don't go on vacation looking for problems, I go to have fun. It's always interesting to see other's perspective.

[DocJohnB]

First of all when I read a cruise review good or bad, I always dip into my

 

 

and pull out a grain or two.

 

Then I sit back, read and enjoy.

 

I, like many others here love those that have pictures attached. Vicarious viewing is fun and helps fill those loooong days between cruises.

 

I also read carefully for tidbits of information I did not know before reading the review. I guarantee you, that in a lot of reviews, I am able to find something that is new (and sometimes surprising) to me.

[sharecruises]

I think they are all interesting and I appreciate the effort people put into their reviews.

So basically it is all good

 

I like the pictures...and would like to see more pictures of the ships interiors and stuff

 

Some of the posters are really good writers...Cele-Brat's reviews should be made into a book or something LOL

 

I admit I sometimes skip through the "getting to the Port" since I live in South Florida...but sometimes it reminds me how nice it is to live here...I have read reviews of people in the winter with flight problems and delays....whew....some real almost didn't make it stories

[dan40]

What do you like to read about the most when reading cruise reviews here? :)

 

 

Specifics about the ship?

The service?

The food?

The ports of call?

Do you just scan the pictures and read if something catches your eye?

What do you like seeing pictures of the most?

 

What other misc things are fun/helpful to read?

 

I do not read cruise reviews, movie reviews, restaurant reviews, book reviews. Used to, but discovered they are ALL someone else's opinion, not mine.

[oakleys]

Just the pics, dont really care what people think, as everyone has opinions whats good & bad, some will moan just cos the coffee was cold, me ill toss it, get another job done lol.

[habby]

Mostly I like facts. Where did you go? How much did it cost? How long did it take? Would you do it again (sort of subjective, but if I'm familiar with a poster's name it can make a difference.)

 

Until recently I didn't care about where the reviewer stayed before the cruise, but since we're sailing out of Galveston this year I'm interested in that. Seems there's just not too much info about convenient, not outrageously priced options.

[BC Gal Ann]

I appreciate the time and effort that goes into writing reviews.

 

I enjoy the pictures, the little tidbits they write about the ship. I also enjoy reading about their daily life onboard and when in port. I like all of the pictures that are posted - the ship, the ports and the food.

 

I do not like reveiws that are all negative, in fact I stop reading them.

 

:)

[Pegs222]

I appreciate the time and effort that goes into writing reviews.

 

I enjoy the pictures, the little tidbits they write about the ship. I also enjoy reading about their daily life onboard and when in port. I like all of the pictures that are posted - the ship, the ports and the food.

 

I do not like reveiws that are all negative, in fact I stop reading them. :)

 

You are so much a better person than I am.

 

I of course; have to open my big mouth :rolleyes:

[Cuizer2]

However' date=' I've never been on a cruise where "everything" was so awful it ruined my vacation...[/quote']

 

It would be interesting to read the reviews from the Titanic.

[Pegs222]

It would be interesting to read the reviews from the Titanic.

 

You just lost your chance, the 2 month old baby that was the last of the living pax; just died :(

[Cuizer2]

Definitely the pictures for me:p I love living vicariously through other peoples vacations!

 

Here you go, over 530 photographs from the Mariner of the Seas to the Mexican Riviera in June 2009 ...

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/573273143cjeyif

 

 

And here is another 200 of the NCL Jade going through the Panama Canal in February 2008 ...

 

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562720921fzjepy

 

Over 130 of the Voyager of the Seas in April 2009 ...

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/572171722COXidV

 

And over 200 of the Freedom of the Seas in June 2007 ...

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/568414994fBAOJU

[Cuizer2]

I've written reviews of my last ten cruises. I submit all to the review section. I have not figured out how to submit one with pictures. However, my last one did include a link to the Webshots photo album.

 

I do also post my review to the main boards, since some like them there. However, there is a limit to six photos per post and I take hundreds of pictures. On my last cruise I took over 1900 photos. Trying to reduce that to just a few pictures to include with a review (which I write while on the ship) is very difficult.

 

However, given the number of people who like the pictures, I'll see if I can plan a few representative photos to include in my main board reviews.

[jobster71]

Somone just posted their Splendor review with pictures and I loved it because it had pictures. I also like reviews that has links to the recent capers.

[chachi]

I like to read about what people did while in port. There are so many excursions to choose from. It is nice to hear what other people did, or did not, enjoy. It helps me to narrow down my choices.