Whiny Reviews

[BadKitteh]

Is it just me, or is anyone else happy when they read a poor review and the person writing it decides they will likely not return to NCL? If you are upset by posted policies, deck plans or anything else that is publicized, then I do not feel one lick of pity. I am also tired of reviews where people blame nature for things like a rainy day, or no whales on a watching trip (because obviously the cruise line controls it ;)).

 

I know this has been said, but I usually like reading reviews to get me excited about an upcoming trip or to give me ideas for others and these sticks in the mud are a real drag. My only complaints on a cruise so far is listening to passengers gripe about petty things. On my cruise in January on the Epic, DH and I were in the hot tubs by the pool when a couple from Canada that were in the tub as well were complaining about how cold it was (the weather, not the tub) and they pretty much left after I pointed out that it had snowed the day prior back north so our paltry 70 degree weather surely couldn't be so terrible.

 

If I am on vacation, I kick back. :)

[sdmike]

The ones that get me are when someone is upset about things that should not have been a mystery. Room size, don't like the bathroom, no trays in the dining room, can't take booze on board, no free soda, etc. All simple things that 5 minutes on Cruise Critic would tell you, yet they don't seem to know CC exists until after they get back and find it to complain.

[BadKitteh]

It also baffles me when people have a problem with something on board, yet never bother to call the front desk/housekeeping/etc but manager to find this site, sign up and post here after they get back home. There is a phone in your room for a reason!

[bonvoyagie]

My observations are as follows:

 

Some people are just not happy unless they have something to complain about - including the weather and other things out of human control.

 

Social Media (CC) give people an easy way to complain about things and remain and remain anonymous.

Most reviews in social media are either praise or pan the cruise.

The cruise ship staff would rather have the problem solved while on the cruise than read about it after the cruise.

Hotel Directors and their staff know they have a short window to keep over 2000 guests happy - they really do try hard.

[mikeriv79]

I agree that some of the complaints on this board are petty. But on the other hand, nobody has the same skin. People are people. I don't hate anyone for having an opinion, but I also think that if you can dish it out, you better be ready to take it. So the point of my post is that the complaining will continue and there isn't a lot we can do about it except respond and move on with our lives.

[room010]

Negative reviews or (valid) complaints are sometimes necessary to counterpoint the gushing cruise company spin and also the knee jerk defensiveness of the various CC cheersquads. But some people have completely unrealistic expectations or a gross sense of entitlement so they will never be satisfied. I also don't understand why people with a complaint don't try to resolve it there and then rather than stew on it before exploding into print at CC after their cruise.

[riddle]

We live by "the worst day on a cruise is better than the best day at work"

 

LOL

 

PS - the only thing I really hate are lousy shore excursions - no fault of the cruise line as we usually go off on our own. Our own fault for not researching enough or maybe it is just a lousy day for the excursion company. Anyway, not a deal breaker by any chance.

[david_sobe]

I find extremely negative reviews very entertaining. There was one of the Jewel in 2009 that the author was very creative but very angry. The theme of the review was they were in prison instead of on a cruise. They kept refering to the food as "prison food." In one port they said they actually thought about flying home from the port so they could get something to eat. There was no edible food on the entire ship so to stay alive they would just eat bread.

 

It was one of the most entertaining reviews I ever read. I am getting ready for work so I dont have time to search for it now. Maybe later I can post a link to it.

[newmexicoNita]

Is it just me, or is anyone else happy when they read a poor review and the person writing it decides they will likely not return to NCL? If you are upset by posted policies, deck plans or anything else that is publicized, then I do not feel one lick of pity. I am also tired of reviews where people blame nature for things like a rainy day, or no whales on a watching trip (because obviously the cruise line controls it ;)).

 

I know this has been said, but I usually like reading reviews to get me excited about an upcoming trip or to give me ideas for others and these sticks in the mud are a real drag. My only complaints on a cruise so far is listening to passengers gripe about petty things. On my cruise in January on the Epic, DH and I were in the hot tubs by the pool when a couple from Canada that were in the tub as well were complaining about how cold it was (the weather, not the tub) and they pretty much left after I pointed out that it had snowed the day prior back north so our paltry 70 degree weather surely couldn't be so terrible.

 

If I am on vacation, I kick back. :)

 

objective reviews, even if they have negatives are fine and we should all accept them for what they are: the opionion of the cruiser,but when people start writing over exagerated reviews or down right not truthful, I agree. And yes, the worse thing about cruising is listening to gripers..We ran into this on our New England cruise last fall (no it wasn't NCL) Some of the remarks were understandable, like the older cuple that actually thought there were too many ports or the occassional person who remarked about the qualtiy and repetition of food and those who were super upset about the internet cafe being so slow. None of these people conplained sbout everything, just mentioned things that bothered them somewhat. But then there was the woman we kept getting placed with on the Jewel several years ago..She couldn't shut up about her disappointment in the ship and the cruise, from the food being to spicey, to yes,the missing trays and even the location of the doors in the shower. Or the same type on Princess last time, she couldn't wait to take her upcoming cruise on RCI and a decent ship. We heard stupid complaints from her. Whether it is on the ship or on CruiseCritic, be honest but understand, if your complaints are too petty, you will not be taken seriously...And for heavens sake don't compare yesterdays cruise on one line with a cruise you took 5 years ago on another line.

[Georgiagolfer]

We live by "the worst day on a cruise is better than the best day at work"

 

LOL

 

PS - the only thing I really hate are lousy shore excursions - no fault of the cruise line as we usually go off on our own. Our own fault for not researching enough or maybe it is just a lousy day for the excursion company. Anyway, not a deal breaker by any chance.

 

Yeah, I read that a lot, but if that is true, then most people must be really miserable. I'm retired, (39 1/2 years same job), and while there were some days not very good, most were enjoyable. It is estimated that 80% of people go to work at a job they don't like, how sad.:(

 

DW and I love cruising, but don't think we have ever had the attitude that "a bad day cruising is better than a good day at work."

[deladypilot]

I get a chuckle out of most of the "bad" reviews. If the person only says bad things or if their entire vacation was ruined because of something so simple like no trays in the buffet then I tend to just laugh at them. I figure there is no pleasing them any. They are just miserable people and probably live their life that way. Everyone owes them, they are royality etc.

 

I do not mind seeing a comment about a line was to long or the cruise line was unorganized at such and such as long as it is a balanced review. I always try to remember that not everyone is as laid back as I am. I do not let things get to me. Heck im on vacation and even things that are not great are an experience.

[ocean12ny]

I like to read the positive and the negative. This site is better than the facebook page. There the people attack any negative feedback. I want to know what real people think about the ship. Some I just ignore when they are nit picky about little things. Since this is my first cruise, I am eager to read positive and negative reviews. Some make me laugh but it is their perspective. There is a big difference between American reviews and Canadian review too.

[Georgiagolfer]

]I like to read the positive and the negative.[/color] This site is better than the facebook page. There the people attack any negative feedback. I want to know what real people think about the ship. Some I just ignore when they are nit picky about little things. Since this is my first cruise' date=' I am eager to read positive and negative reviews. Some make me laugh but it is their perspective. There is a big difference between American reviews and Canadian review too.[/quote']

 

Same here. In 21 cruises, not sure we have had a "perfect" cruise. We've also never had a "cruise breaker" that would keep us from sailing a particular line again. It is still a vacation, and we have to deal with people (fellow passengers and staff.)

[4774Papa]

Is it just me, or is anyone else happy when they read a poor review and the person writing it decides they will likely not return to NCL? If you are upset by posted policies, deck plans or anything else that is publicized, then I do not feel one lick of pity. I am also tired of reviews where people blame nature for things like a rainy day, or no whales on a watching trip (because obviously the cruise line controls it ;)).

 

I know this has been said, but I usually like reading reviews to get me excited about an upcoming trip or to give me ideas for others and these sticks in the mud are a real drag. My only complaints on a cruise so far is listening to passengers gripe about petty things. On my cruise in January on the Epic, DH and I were in the hot tubs by the pool when a couple from Canada that were in the tub as well were complaining about how cold it was (the weather, not the tub) and they pretty much left after I pointed out that it had snowed the day prior back north so our paltry 70 degree weather surely couldn't be so terrible.

 

If I am on vacation, I kick back. :)

Good points, but I want to read of people's dissatisfaction, since it helps me to make decisions on future cruises. I have learned to sift out the problems not caused by the cruise line.

Still, humans being different, I think some people are just harder to please than others. You can read ten member reviews about the same cruise and nine will rate it exceptional, while the tenth rated it terrible. That is just human nature.

[Guindalf]

Some people 'decide' that it's a bad cruise when something relatively minor goes wrong and spend the entire trip looking for other things to complain about. I'm sure we can all find things like that if we try, but most would not come and create a post about it!

 

We had a 'bad' cruise on Carnival in 2003. It was our second cruise ever and we got diverted due to a medical emergency (NOT CCL's fault) and things just didn't go right for us, partly because we compared everything to our first cruise a year earlier, which (to us) was close to perfect!

 

A few years later, we were on the ill-fated Majesty to Bermuda in November, when we had an engine go down, a medical emergency we had to attend to in 27' waves and various other small issues that resulted in us returning to port a day late. This meant that travel arrangements were disrupted and I missed a concert in Atlanta (The Police) because of it. However, we still had a great time!

 

It's all in the mind. If you want to find something to complain about, you will. I remember on that 'perfect' first cruise, listening to an older lady sitting in the MDR complaining how they couldn't even get her eggs right and thinking "you're on a cruise. People are waiting on you hand and foot. How can you possibly complain about anything???"

[valleyvillage]

Trevor Blake, a business writer, makes some interesting observations about complaining.

"There's a big difference between bringing your attention to something that's awry and a complaint," Blake says. "Typically, people who are complaining don't want a solution; they just want you to join in the indignity of the whole thing. You can almost hear brains clink when six people get together and start saying, 'Isn't it terrible?' This will damage your brain even if you're just passively listening. And if you try to change their behavior, you'll become the target of the complaint."

Damaging to the brain!

Here is the whole article if you are interested.

[Mysticks1]

I believe that the negative reviews can be useful. If you are researching a particular ship and run across several recent reviews complaining about the same thing then it could be a problem that you want to think about before booking.

I too laugh at those that are complaining about things that they should have known about before their cruise.

[GrandmaHofmann]

I read all reviews. Negative, positive, it hardly matters. I welcome input from anyone who has experienced something I am about to experience. If I see a trend in people's reviews, then I may steer clear of taking a particular excursion, etc. I also post positive and negative reviews in the hope of letting someone know what my own experience was like. Read all; make up your own mind.

[knitlady037]

Some people have complaining down to a sience. On my last repo cruise on the Star, I overheard a cruise "veteran" giving advice to a newbie. Her advice--"Complain alot-they'll give you some free credit for your next cruise".

I think this is so unfair to a crew that really bends over backwards to make our vacations enjoyable.:mad:

[che5904]

Is it just me, or is anyone else happy when they read a poor review and the person writing it decides they will likely not return to NCL? If you are upset by posted policies, deck plans or anything else that is publicized, then I do not feel one lick of pity. I am also tired of reviews where people blame nature for things like a rainy day, or no whales on a watching trip (because obviously the cruise line controls it ;)).

 

I know this has been said, but I usually like reading reviews to get me excited about an upcoming trip or to give me ideas for others and these sticks in the mud are a real drag. My only complaints on a cruise so far is listening to passengers gripe about petty things. On my cruise in January on the Epic, DH and I were in the hot tubs by the pool when a couple from Canada that were in the tub as well were complaining about how cold it was (the weather, not the tub) and they pretty much left after I pointed out that it had snowed the day prior back north so our paltry 70 degree weather surely couldn't be so terrible.

 

If I am on vacation, I kick back. :)

 

I make it simple, I don't read reviews until after my cruise and then wonder if those people were on the same ship as I was.

 

Maybe you misunderstood what the "Canadians" were complaining about. Our last cruise we left in a snow storm, cold and windy. Went to MR which we were hoping for at least t-shirt and jean weather, which it had been up until 2 days before we left. Unfortunately our weather for most of the trip with the exception of the far south was cold, windy and definately a heavy sweater or jacket weather. We pay a lot of money to fly to the south to get away from the cold so yes I do "whine" if the weather doesn't cooperate. So yes, we may say this, to make general conversation to someone we happen to be speaking with. And if anyone says "boy, it's cold and windy", I will respond with "it sure is", even if I am from snowy cold Canada. Because the cold and windy is not in comparison to what we left, but in comparison to perhaps the average temperature at that time of year for where we are. Do I blame anyone or anything for this weather...no. Does it dampen my vacation in anyway...no not at all. Some people can make statements that are not all rosy and still not actually be complaining about their vacation.

[NYGirl1002]

I love reading negative reviews..they are so entertaining.

 

That being said I never let a review help me decide my next cruise as everything is subjective. What's one man's treasure is another man's trash as they say.

 

Except after reading about the NCL suites I did upgrade to a PH from an oceanview! That was the only time reviews changed my mind.

 

I have had wonderful cruises and of course there are several small things that went wrong on each one but eh..what's the use of complaining. They didn't make or break my cruise.

[BurtonRiderT6]

I personally enjoy some of the nit picking negatives, gives me a chance to speak my first language......Sarcasm :D.

 

No trays in the buffet.....I suppose they missed the "ALL YOU CAN EAT" memo.

 

No laundry machines.....This cruise line is awful, how do they expect me to wear 4 different outfits on my 14 day repositioning cruise if they don't have a washer and dryer?

 

The food here is so bad it's unedible.....I'm sure you really have to choke it down, don't you?

 

We didn't see any whales on our whale watch.....Let me drive a bus full of people through your house, you better not run and hide!!!!

 

This cruise is so cold.......You didn't know? The cruise lines like to follow cold fronts to their destinations, less chair hogs that way.

 

This cruise line isn't as good as the other.....So you won't be back? Great!!

[NLH Arizona]

I love to read all reviews. When making a decision, I usually take the ones that are 100% negative and those that are 100% positive out of the mix, because no cruise is ever that awful or that perfect.

[newmexicoNita]

Good points, but I want to read of people's dissatisfaction, since it helps me to make decisions on future cruises. I have learned to sift out the problems not caused by the cruise line.

Still, humans being different, I think some people are just harder to please than others. You can read ten member reviews about the same cruise and nine will rate it exceptional, while the tenth rated it terrible. That is just human nature.

 

funny, I don't think I would ever base my future cruise plans on negative reviews. I have seen too many that were way over the top. I think the only time I would base my decision on a review might be if every single review has bad, but I have never seen that happen. I base my decisions on friends and family cause I know their personalities.

[skyfire53]

What I love is when I get back from a wonderful cruise and read the reviews from other pax...I often wonder if we were on the same ship...lol..I tell it like it is, if the weather was bad and caused the decks to be closed, it wasnt NCLs fault...they were just trying to keep us safe...if I didnt care for something in the MDR I chaulked it up to "it just wasnt MY taste" Im sure there were lots of people that liked it...I always found something I liked to eat some where on the ship..:D...people need not be wraped so tight and roll with the flow...we are on vacation to have fun, not nit pick...