When doing cruise reviews...

[Carrybradshaw]

Why do people give the cruise 4 or 5 "dolphins" of approval on this site, and then give 3 or 4 examples of disappointments or things they did not like on the trip? If half of your experience was bad, reflect that in your rating. You shouldn't give 4 or 5 dolphins unless you had a completely stellar experience with no disappointments at all. It makes me crazy to see 5 dolphins on a review, and then the person goes on and on about how they didnt like this, and that person was unhelpful, and the food was gross, etc... If the important things on the cruise (service, entertainment, and food) were bad, then the trip should be rated that way. Thanks! :confused:

[johnql]

One reason - not everyone values everything equally, let alone considers the same things as important as someone else. Something that goes wrong could be trivial to one person while extremely important to someone else. It's all weighted on an individual, personal basis. Therefore, even if several things go wrong on a cruise, they may not add up to much in one reviewer's eyes. To someone else on the exact same cruise, it might be "tragic".

[Warmer Climes]

One reason - not everyone values everything equally, let alone considers the same things as important as someone else. Something that goes wrong could be trivial to one person while extremely important to someone else. It's all weighted on an individual, personal basis. Therefore, even if several things go wrong on a cruise, they may not add up to much in one reviewer's eyes. To someone else on the exact same cruise, it might be "tragic".

 

I totally agree. NO cruise is perfect so I don't take a 4 or 5 rating to mean "absolute perfection." I rate my cruises against my own determination of what I can reasonably expect for what I have paid and my overall cruise experience. I read reviews that rate a cruise low and the only reasons they can give seem to me completely trivial (e.g., choice of breakfast cereal.) I think what they are actually rating is their overall cruise experience and maybe the cereal is an example of their perception of quality. Also, some people are more easy going and some are harder to please. For example, some people seem to obsess about every plate of food that's put before them while others say "At least I'm not cooking." Neither attitude is wrong but the different types of people mean different types of reviews.

 

I read lots of reviews and I try to be like figure skating judges: I throw out the highs and lows and pay more attention to the middle scores.

[canpass]

When considering my rating I always look at how the cruise line responded to problems, if it was a good response then I won't even make mention of the issue as it is really between me an the cruise line. This normally does not impact my overall rating of the cruise. When I read a review i am looking for what the person liked or didn't like about the cruise. Stuff I read about a hair in a plate of food or a knife that had spots on it does not impact my view of the cruise in fact if a read a review that has that sort of detail I wonder about the reviewer.

[terrymtex01]

OP.. I understand the frustration in reading different reviews and sometimes wondering what to make of them. The best advice I could give anyone reading any review is to follow your gut feeling about the review you read. I tend to not agree with those that say throw out the really negative and the extremely positive for this reason. I can understand when you read a review and it is completely negative. Those that can mention nothing good about their cruise experience always send up a red flag in my "gut feeling" about their review. Why? I just can't see how there could be nothing good about their vacation. To me, I always think of it as them being more like "well.. the cruise line didn't do (whatever it is they wanted) or the cruise line did not kiss my butt like I wanted them too so I will hurt them the only way I know how" and that is to take away as much business from them as they can.. or to wish them out of business, etc. Completely petty.

However where my disagreement with the "throw out extreme negative and extreme positive reviews " comes into play. It is with the extremely positive review. For the life of me I can't imagine what personal motivation someone would have to write a falsely positive or extreme positive review, if it wasn't their true experience. What would that person have to gain? I don't believe they would be stock holders as I believe NCL is a privately owned company. So since they would have no financial gain.. what would be the point? If someone really like cruising on NCL how would it help them to fill up NCL ships? The price of cruising on NCL would go up, the ships would be more crowded, etc etc. I am sure someone could come up with a reason.. but I sure haven't found one.. at least one that I believe.

So follow what your gut tells you about the review you read and you will do well. 8-)

[newmexicoNita]

Why do people give the cruise 4 or 5 "dolphins" of approval on this site, and then give 3 or 4 examples of disappointments or things they did not like on the trip? If half of your experience was bad, reflect that in your rating. You shouldn't give 4 or 5 dolphins unless you had a completely stellar experience with no disappointments at all. It makes me crazy to see 5 dolphins on a review, and then the person goes on and on about how they didnt like this, and that person was unhelpful, and the food was gross, etc... If the important things on the cruise (service, entertainment, and food) were bad, then the trip should be rated that way. Thanks! :confused:

 

I have wondered the same thing or visa versa, only 2 or 3 dolphins and then on all individual catagories they give the cruise more dolphins. I guess some people see things from different views than others.

 

Nita