Members writing poor HAL reviews

[sail7seas]

Okay, then......

 

I shall again start writing glowing reports from aboard. :D :D

[jtl513]

How would they know? Do people who post a "live from" thread identify themselves to crew or officers?

Sometimes posters are pretty easily identified - like when their screen name contains all or part of their real name, or their avatar is their real photo - or from details they give about themselves in their roll calls.

[sail7seas]

Years ago a Hotel Manager approached me in Crows Nest the first night and asked if I was 'Jane Doe'...... using my real name. I was surprised and answered yes. This was before there were photos in the computers of all guests and we didn't get the same scan boarding ID cards like today.

 

I asked how he knew who I was as we had never met before.

I had written on CC that I was sailing a particular date, b-to-b, in an "S" Suite. :) Didn't take a detective to get my name and cabin number. But he still didn't know what I looked like. :) Easy.... he asked the bartender if Mr/Mrs. Doe had purchased a drink and were we still present - could he point us out. :)

 

The best part of the story was I happened to be chatting with his wife who was seated at the bar. We had been talking for about 30 minutes while DH was doing whatever.. :) and she had not mentioned she was the Hotel Manager's wife. We all became very, very good friends. We are still very friendly with that Hot Man.

 

So, yes,,,,,, Officers/crew will sometimes find a CC'er if they have some reason for wanting to do so.

 

Today it is easy seeing they have the embarkation photos.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

I did get "recognized" by a fellow passenger one time.

 

I guiess I had posted on a roll call that I was visiting English relatives before a crossing, and a few other details. While I unpacked in our cabin, DH (who does not post here) chatted with our next-door neighbors, and said we sailed Cunard a lot and we had been visiting relatives before the crossing, etc. They man said "Is your wife 3rdgencunarder?" Yikes! I was outed!!

[kazu]

Years ago a Hotel Manager approached me in Crows Nest the first night and asked if I was 'Jane Doe'...... using my real name. I was surprised and answered yes. This was before there were photos in the computers of all guests and we didn't get the same scan boarding ID cards like today.

 

I asked how he knew who I was as we had never met before.

I had written on CC that I was sailing a particular date, b-to-b, in an "S" Suite. :) Didn't take a detective to get my name and cabin number. But he still didn't know what I looked like. :) Easy.... he asked the bartender if Mr/Mrs. Doe had purchased a drink and were we still present - could he point us out. :)

 

The best part of the story was I happened to be chatting with his wife who was seated at the bar. We had been talking for about 30 minutes while DH was doing whatever.. :) and she had not mentioned she was the Hotel Manager's wife. We all became very, very good friends. We are still very friendly with that Hot Man.

 

So, yes,,,,,, Officers/crew will sometimes find a CC'er if they have some reason for wanting to do so.

 

Today it is easy seeing they have the embarkation photos.

 

 

Yes, you are right on this Sail. We were on the NA, Captain Turner came up to me at our meet and greet and immediately said - kazu, right? Turned out he follows cc (he gets news faster here he said) and he was following the roll call (scary). So, while I often think no one on HAL reads the boards, it turns out that some captains at least follow roll calls & live threads. (Captain Turner knew I was doing one). Nothing was given (nor was anything wanted) because i was doing a live thread, so i don't think there is any 'special' treatment.

[CowPrincess]

People should be able to have an opinion. I'm noticing increasingly that negative/critical reviews are jumped on very quickly. This should NOT be the case.

 

So you would grant some posters the right to say anything, while censoring others who state their opinion?

[piscesgal223]

No,what I'm saying is that there are some "established" posters who jump on anyone who posts anything negative. I have seen some- dare I say it? agressive behaviour towards people who post less than positive reviews. Don't you think that people who post those reviews don't resent being called "liars" and "hoaxes"...Not saying some of the reviews aren't so..saying that the "respected/"established" posters here are too quick to think so.

[kazu]

No,what I'm saying is that there are some "established" posters who jump on anyone who posts anything negative. I have seen some- dare I say it? agressive behaviour towards people who post less than positive reviews. Don't you think that people who post those reviews don't resent being called "liars" and "hoaxes"...Not saying some of the reviews aren't so..saying that the "respected/"established" posters here are too quick to think so.

 

actually, I haven't seen that. What I have seen is questioning at times. there are trolls out there - post once, stir up the pot and leave. Unfortunately when someone posts for the first time with what would seem strange complaints, then suspicion can come into the equation.

 

there are also people who complain about little things that made made their cruise awful. (Was that to back up their letter for looking for compensation? I don't know) Granted, everyone is entitled to their own perception, but seriously, some posts I have seen about how awful their cruise is makes you wonder why they went. Everything is never perfect on any cruise line. Or any vacation. You need to roll with the punches and enjoy your time. And be grateful you can. I think a lot of these complainers (referring to the op's post, not yours) forget that they have a lot to be grateful for.

 

You either sail with you glass half full or half empty. I prefer half full full.:D

[piscesgal223]

My cup is overflowing,lol

 

 

Like I said, I don't doubt that there ARE trolls. But I have seen at least ONE person jump on a bad review in a way that was like... "woah"..These are the sort of things that scare people off of CC and from posting their reviews(good or bad) when they get home.

 

 

As far as the compensation thing goes-I commented on the other thread about people looking for compensation and using it as a way to pay for their next cruise(among other things) but I'll say it here: Glad people are finally noticing that, since it's something that's been going on for a while but I think people were afraid to say anything..glad it got brought out in the open.

[Langoustine]

The one thing I have learned from reading the posts for some time is to ignore an extremely negative (and usually amazingly long and detailed) post from a first-time poster. I assume it's a troll with too much time on their hands. A negative post from someone with several hundred posts to their credit does get my attention, however. I'm afraid I fall into the "had a great time, don't feel the need to post" camp; our recent cruise to Bermuda was largely trouble-free and we had a wonderful time. There was, however, something in the MDR that bothered me concerning a couple of the wine stewards. (FWIW, I did bring it up with the MDR manager and noted it on my comment card.) When I have time, I will post a full review with a link from here.

[FINTUCKYFARMS]

I try to always post something about my cruise, the good, the bad and the ugly (if there was any to report) because I learned soooo much from previous posts that others posted. I have been targeted regarding a few of my posts on "hot" topics but you just can't take anything personal here. I did report one guy who just crossed the line, but mostly I just live and let live here. Everybody is entittled to their opions, even if you want to be a cheerleader :D

[piscesgal223]

I don't really post full reviews either-suffice it to say I had a *great* time on the 2 HAL cruises I've been on!

[tangerinebunny]

People will say whatever they will say, but the one that drives me to howl is "Well, I sailed in that cabin back in 1922 and there were no problems at all! So the OP must be a troll."

 

No one can force everyone else to be polite, but it sure brings the tone of the board down when folks are rude.

[piscesgal223]

People will say whatever they will say, but the one that drives me to howl is "Well, I sailed in that cabin back in 1922 and there were no problems at all! So the OP must be a troll."

 

No one can force everyone else to be polite, but it sure brings the tone of the board down when folks are rude.

 

 

That's exactly what I'm talking about..and if you cruised on a HAL ship in 1922 that means you went when you were a kid, or you're stirring the pot.:D

[PatsyAnne]

Yes, you are right on this Sail. We were on the NA, Captain Turner came up to me at our meet and greet and immediately said - kazu, right? Turned out he follows cc (he gets news faster here he said) and he was following the roll call (scary). So, while I often think no one on HAL reads the boards, it turns out that some captains at least follow roll calls & live threads. (Captain Turner knew I was doing one). Nothing was given (nor was anything wanted) because i was doing a live thread, so i don't think there is any 'special' treatment.

I scheduled a meet and greet for a cruise on the Ryndam a few years ago, and the captain asked me how to perform searches on CC about his ship. He said he wanted the information to keep improving service. That was one of the best run cruises I've been on, and I'm sure the attitude of the top officers had a lot to do with it. No special treatment there, either, just the normal wonderful service.:D

[Sea42]

That's exactly what I'm talking about..and if you cruised on a HAL ship in 1922 that means you went when you were a kid, or you're stirring the pot.:D

Well, some people here were adults in 1992, not me of course ;) but maybe others!

[gelo7]

Can anyone answer this for me?

 

I have read some negative reviews on the HAL reviews board, and when I look up the "members" on the members list here, I cannot find them listed - this is particularly to do with the recent reviews of the Oosterdam. Can people write reviews without registering as Cruise Critic members, and having their profiles listed? I really wanted to check to see if these reviewers had experienced any satisfactory cruises in the past, and what their history was with Cruise Critic.

 

Help, anyone?

How does this effect you?

[cruiseapril]

Agree with others that it is good to have the reviews posted on the cruise line forums as well as in the review section. That way, a conversation can begin about a particular cruise or ship.

[3rdGenCunarder]

How does this effect you?

 

I wouldn't say that it affects me, but I think it's interesting to have a sense of the poster's general attitude when reading a review. It gives a little perspective.

 

It's kind of like reading movie and theater reviews. I always keep in mind who wrote the review. Some reviewers generally like the same things i do, and some love movies I do not enjoy. If someone who loved cruises on a do-what-you-want-wear-what-you-want-drink-all-you-want line and then hated HAL, I wouldn't take the review as seriously as if it came from someone who had cruised with more similar lines and then tried HAL.

 

Plus, some one-post complainers are trolls, lighting some embers and standing back to watch the flaming begin.

[Host Dan]

I'm pretty sure this is the scenario:

 

A person must be a member to post a review, but they don't show up on the member list and you can't see their profile until they post on one of the forums. There may be some legitimate members who don't post on the forums but do post reviews. If you click on their name you will see a list of the reviews that person has posted. IMHO, someone whose only participation on cruise critic has been to post a single review has a suspect agenda.

 

Roy

You are spot on..

 

Host Dan

[jtl513]

A person must be a member to post a review, but they don't show up on the member list and you can't see their profile until they post on one of the forums.

You are spot on..

 

Not true. My DB registered as a member but has never posted on a forum or posted a review. He is in the Member list, with a profile, as a "Junior Member". Look for yourself: alatecruiser

[pictonite]

How does this effect you?

 

I'm the original poster, and I will tell you how it affects me.

 

I have been away from Holland America for several years, sailing with various other lines. I have enjoyed all of my HAL cruises in the past and I am looking for opinions about HAL today - and I will take both good and bad .

 

I am quite a seasoned cruiser, and I have experienced ups and downs on cruises. However, when I read a review that is totally negative, full of generalizations and over the top descriptions, I begin to wonder whether this reviewer has ever experienced a good cruise, and with which line - I guess I have a lot of curiosity! So I search to see if I can find other posts or reviews by the same person. I know that you can research me and find out my involvement with CC, and my opinions on a variety of cruises and cruise lines. Invariably, with the really caustic reviews, I find that there is no past history posted for that reviewer - hence the question I posed. Hope that answers your question!

[kazu]

I'm the original poster, and I will tell you how it affects me.

 

I have been away from Holland America for several years, sailing with various other lines. I have enjoyed all of my HAL cruises in the past and I am looking for opinions about HAL today - and I will take both good and bad .

 

I am quite a seasoned cruiser, and I have experienced ups and downs on cruises. However, when I read a review that is totally negative, full of generalizations and over the top descriptions, I begin to wonder whether this reviewer has ever experienced a good cruise, and with which line - I guess I have a lot of curiosity! So I search to see if I can find other posts or reviews by the same person. I know that you can research me and find out my involvement with CC, and my opinions on a variety of cruises and cruise lines. Invariably, with the really caustic reviews, I find that there is no past history posted for that reviewer - hence the question I posed. Hope that answers your question!

 

I think you have a legitimate point. When I see an 'over the top' review, I take it with a grain of salt. Some people just like to complain. Others can't be made happy. You really have to weigh things out.

 

And there is nothing wrong with researching to see what they have said in the past. You can't believe everything you read:D

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I think every one is going to have a different view on things, I use the rule 50% Of what I read is --------.

[rafinmd]

Not true. My DB registered as a member but has never posted on a forum or posted a review. He is in the Member list, with a profile, as a "Junior Member". Look for yourself: alatecruiser

 

How did you find that. I went to "Members List" at the top of the page, then "Search members" and entered "alatecruiser". This is the response I got: "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms. "

 

FWIW, my favorite cruise line is Crystal and Host Dan moderates the Crystal forum. I have interacted with him extensively and absolutely trust his dedication, judgement, and knowledge of Cruise Critic.

 

I've gotten to the "Junior member" profile, but only by clicking on the name where it is listed as "newest member". Once a newer member comes on board I haven't been able to find the member again.

 

Roy