Is the complaining more fun than the cruise?

[swsfrail]

It never fails to amaze me that some people need to complain about their cruises, sometimes about the silliest things - they didn't have their brand of tea; there was a spot of rust on their balcony, they knew because if they got on their hands and knees to look for it, they could see it; the cabin attendant doesn't clean their room early/late enough; they have to wait a couple of minutes for an elevator; etc. Over the last few days on this board, I have read posts from several people complaining about their recent cruise, and in some unbelievable cases, even BEFORE they board the ship? Is that what is most important about their cruise?

 

I've been on many cruises over my 80+ years, and although some have been better than others, I have never had this pressing need to complain about some aspect of any of them. Instead, I directed my attention to all the enjoyment I was having.

 

Think about it - we are on a cruise ship, probably the best vacation value for the money on the planet. We are surrounded by luxuriously decorated floating resorts, full of happy people, visiting new and exciting places, all the while being taken care of by attendants who cook, serve and clean up after us. The most difficult decision we will encounter for duration of the cruise is what to choose on the evening's menu.

 

Why, with so much positive going on around them, do people insist on focusing on what didn't work so perfectly. That we are cruising means we are luckier than the majority of the people from even our own countries, much less from all the places in the world. All cruises will have many, many good things to make each and every one of them special (not including the rare case where things go very wrong, like Costa Concordia and Carnival Triumph). If they didn't, then people would stop cruising.

 

Why can't people simply relish what is good and just ignore what isn't? Or is the complaining what they consider the fun part?

 

Thanks for reading! I needed to get that off my ample chest! :D

[CathyCruises]

GREAT thoughts! We just got off 15 days on the Silhouette, and I had nothing but praise on my comment card--I couldn't think of one thing I would change! You are exactly right about the value--for $49/day, I defy anyone to find a better vacation experience. Thanks for your words of wisdom.

[jimandtoni]

It never fails to amaze me how often people complain, sometimes about the silliest things - they didn't have their brand of tea; there was a spot of rust on their balcony, they could see it if they got on their hands and knees to look for it; the cabin attendant doesn't clean their room early/late enough; they have to wait a couple of minutes for an elevator; etc. Over the last few days on this board, I have read posts from several people complaining about their recent cruise, and in some unbelievable cases, even BEFORE the board the ship? Is that what is most important about their cruise?

 

I've been on many cruises over my 80+ years, and although some have been better than others, I have never had this pressing need to complain about some aspect of any of them. Instead, I directed my attention to all the enjoyment I was having.

 

Think about it - we are on a cruise ship, probably the best vacation value for the money on the planet. We are surrounded by luxuriously decorated floating resorts, full of happy people, visiting new and exciting places, all the while being taken care of by attendants who cook, serve and clean up after us. The most difficult decision we will encounter for duration of the cruise is what to choose on the evening's menu.

 

Why, with so much positive going on around them, do people insist on focusing on what didn't work so perfectly. That we are cruising means we are luckier than the majority of the people from our own country, much less from all the places in the world. All cruises will have many, many good things to make each and every one of them special (not including the rare case where things go very wrong, like Costa Concordia and Carnival Triumph). If they didn't, then people would stop cruising.

 

Why can't people simply relish what is good and just ignore what isn't? Or is the complaining what they consider the fun part?

 

My wife and I have been on 70+ cruises and except for ONE Carnival cruise, we have never had a bad one! I'm with you..some are better than others, but they are all good!

[NLH Arizona]

I think when people do reviews, most want to be honest and give the best information they can and some cruisers are more detailed than others. If something negative is put in a review (as long as they put the good in there as well), I don't look at it as really complaining, I look at it as they are just letting others know their experience and if their expectations were met.

[k9x8]

Fraser: What is the one thing better than an exquisite meal? An exquisite meal with one tiny flaw we can pick at all night.

 

Change "meal" to "cruise," and there you have it. One might be snubbed as a rube if she stated her cruise was perfect in every way.

[jimandtoni]

Fraser: What is the one thing better than an exquisite meal? An exquisite meal with one tiny flaw we can pick at all night.

 

Change "meal" to "cruise," and there you have it. One might be snubbed as a rube if she stated her cruise was perfect in every way.

 

I agree. There are a certain number of people who believe it is "sophisticated" to find something to complain about. We were on the Queen Mary2 for her inaugural sailing. There were people complaining about how ordinary the ship was. Ah well...

[flames9]

I think when one rights a review it should state the good and bad! Just because 1 writes the bad stuff, does not mean they are complaining, nor they had a great cruise! If all I see on a review it was awesome, I almost disregard it, especially here on CC, as their are soo many Celebrity cheerleaders. A good review should state what took place.

[ghstudio]

I guess we all could rave about how good everything is.....in fact why doesn't celebrity do away with the comment cards....who needs them. The fact is that every ship and every cruise can be improved in some way but only if problem areas are a) brought to Celebrity's attention and b) the person reading the comment cards or comments here actually wants to improve the ship/cruise.

 

Yes some cruises are better than others....but don't you think that Celebrity (and future passengers) should know why a cruise wasn't just outstanding in every way. I think there's a great deal of value in honest reporting....and very little value in "cheerleading" or "complaining about everything". I appreciate folks who post honestly about their experience....I find that personally helpful and I hope that my posts which I try to keep balanced are helpful to others. In the end, each person will decide what they want to do with the information they read...to decide if it's credible of not.....and to decide if it's something that would effect them personally.

 

You could also suggest to management of Cruise Critic that their site should be renamed to Cruise Perfect or similar and create a site rule that negative comments about any part of a cruise are not permitted.

[SevenoaksSally]

I wholeheartedly agree with the poster. Some of the 'complaints' I have read on this forum have been trivial in the extreme.

 

My recent experience on Silhouette was absolutely 120% fantastic. Could not say anything negative unless I was a saddo pessimist!

 

My ONE bad experience was when I accidentally bumped into somebody on the last day when I was in a bit of a rush. She looked absolute daggers at me, and even though I apologized over and again, she was absolutely horrible to me. :(

Some people just like to see the negative in everything:mad:

[wwcruisers]

SWSfrail -- good way to keep it all in perspective! :)

When I write my cruise reviews, I try to keep them balanced. My goal is to give credit for the good things, without sounding like an unabashed cheerleader. When it comes to the "needs improvement" talking points, I try to stay objective, and not come across as whiny. ;)

Bottom line for me is, that in 10+ years of cruising, I have encountered some strange and less-than-pleasant experiences. :eek:

But, have I ever had a bad cruise? The answer is an unequivocal "NO"! And for the record, a bad day at sea DOES beat a good day on land! :p

[Archaegeo]

Plus this is the cruise critic site, where people come for honest opinions of cruises, what went well and what did not.

 

We still cruise, still love cruising, and agree with you that it's a great value, but, if I can avoid some that I would not enjoy by reading here first (ie the small balconies on mini suite on the new NCL Breakaway) then that allows me to have an even better vacation when my turn comes.

 

Some people do take it t a extreme, but that is often due to a very bad experience and they come here and vent about it, but all in all, it is just useful information, the good and the bad.

[CruiseImage]

The only thing I complain about are "the complainers" !

It's become a sport, which I'm getting close to getting a gold medal for.

As with all the above comments, cruising can be nothing but positive.

I've read cruise reviews about a cruise I was also on at the same time - and it was though they were CLEARLY on a different ship !! :confused:

 

We also are in the habit of challenging fellow passengers who talk to the staff like dirt - this is by far worse (for me) than complaining. Knowing the crew member can saying nothing and when you see them try to meet the demands which is clearly no good enough then DW and I politely speak on their behalf and tell/advise the passenger exactly what they should be saying or HOW they should be asking for something - some people are just so rude..... aarrghhhh !!

 

surprising how many crew friends you make after that ;)

 

COMPLAINERS = please stay at home, don't waste your money on any more cruises, let the rest of us enjoy them - thank you

[Quo Vadis?]

I don't look at it as really complaining, I look at it as they are just letting others know their experience and if their expectations were met.

 

I agree. When a weatherman tells you it is a rainy rather than a sunny day, the gardener might be happy because the lawn will be greener but the golfer will be upset because his game might be rained out. Too many people equate an observation with a complaint. At the same time what makes one person happy upsets another even though both experience the same event.

[Scrapnana]

I don't think the OP was saying we have to "rave" about everything or never say anything negative. Instead she was commenting on how some people seem to go out of their way to find something wrong. Yes, indeed, a review needs to be well rounded but some people dwell more on the bad than the good.

 

I completely agree that we are lucky to be able to cruise and I hope I will be able to do so for many years to come.

[Fouremco]

Some movies I enjoy thoroughly, even though some critics pan it. Conversely, there are movies that bore me to tears in spite of some critics gushing about how wonderful it was. Reviews by their nature are very subjective, so I try to take from them information that might be of relevance to me and not pay a great deal of attention to the rest. The same applies to cruise reviews.

 

[Maligator]

I've found that there is a personality type that is simply not happy unless they're unhappy. As for those who will carry on about insignifica, I call them the "Goldilocks gallery." We've all read their trivial gripes about sheets too soft, bartender who didn't skewer their martini olive on the axis, et al. Ridiculous...

[SevenoaksSally]

My husband had a full glass of red wine knocked over him by a waiter on the last night. Did we complain? NO, of course not! It was an ACCIDENT by the loveliest and most attentive waiter. The fuss made by his bosses was phenomenal - completely over the top. I just hope he wasn't deducted pay :(

[Azulann]

"GoldilocksGallery".... love that description.:D

 

And I also want to be like swsfrail when I grow up!:)

Hope someday to meet her on a cruise

[ghstudio]

It might be useful if, instead of focusing on generalities, someone posted links to some negative reviews/comments here that were trivial. I don't recall seeing many complaining about "olives being pierced the wrong way" types of comments (I know that was a made up example, but it gets my thought across)....in fact, I'm not sure I can recall any one that I've seen recently (I'm sure there are some...but a good example or three would help the OP and others on this thread make their point)

[lucinjo]

There is a big difference between someone mentioning the good and the not-so-good in a review and someone nit-picking a cruise to death. I was enlightened to this one evening at dinner on our second cruise. It was a late port evening so the MDR had open seating. We were the second couple at a large table which looked lovely to our innocent and untutored eyes . . . Crisp white tablecloth and napkins, shiny silver and glassware. The first couple seated asked us to wait to sit down, as they were in the process of "documenting the deficiencies of the table". They then proceeded to note down the number of stains on the tablecloth, spots on glassware and silverware, improperly folded napkins, etc. All through they meal they kept their notebook by their side to note anything they deemed "below standard". Everything they ordered at dinner was a "special request" and seldom lived up to their expectations. My fav was when the wife requested a certain brand of sauce . . . "Sorry madam we don't have that available", she sighed and turned to me and said "every night I ask for it and they never have any!" Umm, on a ship in Central America, it may not be possible! They kept the table regaled with stories of how "we always find enough things wrong to get our cruises almost free". They had already met with hotel director three times (and it was only day 8 of a 15 day cruise), and had been upgraded because of problems with their cabin. I remember the wife saying that they always wound up a cruise with a large credit toward a future trip, because as well as complaining on board they always do a multi page follow up with management.

What only occurred to me later, is how hard these people work while on "vacation". Clearly they enjoy making the staff's job harder.

I will note the bad with the good, but while I actively look for the good, the bad has to stand out for me to note it in a review.

[NLH Arizona]

The only thing I complain about are "the complainers" !

It's become a sport, which I'm getting close to getting a gold medal for.

As with all the above comments, cruising can be nothing but positive.

I've read cruise reviews about a cruise I was also on at the same time - and it was though they were CLEARLY on a different ship !! :confused:

 

We also are in the habit of challenging fellow passengers who talk to the staff like dirt - this is by far worse (for me) than complaining. Knowing the crew member can saying nothing and when you see them try to meet the demands which is clearly no good enough then DW and I politely speak on their behalf and tell/advise the passenger exactly what they should be saying or HOW they should be asking for something - some people are just so rude..... aarrghhhh !!

 

surprising how many crew friends you make after that ;)

 

COMPLAINERS = please stay at home, don't waste your money on any more cruises, let the rest of us enjoy them - thank you

Maybe your expectations are less than someone elses. My BFF and I can go to an event or on a vacation and have a total different perception of how it was. It does not mean that either one of us is wrong, it is just that we see things differently.

 

I also don't think that it is a passenger's responsibility to talk to any other passenger about their actions, that should be left of to the ship personnel. You are correct, however, that some people are just rude!

[k9x8]

My husband had a full glass of red wine knocked over him by a waiter on the last night. Did we complain? NO, of course not! It was an ACCIDENT by the loveliest and most attentive waiter. The fuss made by his bosses was phenomenal - completely over the top. I just hope he wasn't deducted pay :(

 

I witnessed the same over-the-top behavior when another passenger accidentally knocked over her glass of wine. You'd have thought the other diner, who got 1/2 a spot on her trousers, had been vomited on. The staff were frantic to make it right with free cleaning and dinner in a specialty restaurant, and it was in no way their fault. Meanwhile, the woman who spilled her wine was completely ignored. She was apologetic and mortified, and I felt really bad for her.

 

My complaints have more to do with corporate shenanigans. It bothers me terribly that the staff are so terrified of getting a negative comment, that they solicit positive feedback.

 

As for my personal pleasure, both my cruises have been darn near perfect.

Rah rah rah! Sis boom bah!

[Lastdance]

I think when one rights a review it should state the good and bad! Just because 1 writes the bad stuff, does not mean they are complaining, nor they had a great cruise! If all I see on a review it was awesome, I almost disregard it, especially here on CC, as their are soo many Celebrity cheerleaders. A good review should state what took place.

 

I agree; "just the facts, my dear Watson." Leave out the emotion!

[NLH Arizona]

There is a big difference between someone mentioning the good and the not-so-good in a review and someone nit-picking a cruise to death. I was enlightened to this one evening at dinner on our second cruise. It was a late port evening so the MDR had open seating. We were the second couple at a large table which looked lovely to our innocent and untutored eyes . . . Crisp white tablecloth and napkins, shiny silver and glassware. The first couple seated asked us to wait to sit down, as they were in the process of "documenting the deficiencies of the table". They then proceeded to note down the number of stains on the tablecloth, spots on glassware and silverware, improperly folded napkins, etc. All through they meal they kept their notebook by their side to note anything they deemed "below standard". Everything they ordered at dinner was a "special request" and seldom lived up to their expectations. My fav was when the wife requested a certain brand of sauce . . . "Sorry madam we don't have that available", she sighed and turned to me and said "every night I ask for it and they never have any!" Umm, on a ship in Central America, it may not be possible! They kept the table regaled with stories of how "we always find enough things wrong to get our cruises almost free". They had already met with hotel director three times (and it was only day 8 of a 15 day cruise), and had been upgraded because of problems with their cabin. I remember the wife saying that they always wound up a cruise with a large credit toward a future trip, because as well as complaining on board they always do a multi page follow up with management.

What only occurred to me later, is how hard these people work while on "vacation". Clearly they enjoy making the staff's job harder.

I will note the bad with the good, but while I actively look for the good, the bad has to stand out for me to note it in a review.

That is not a complainer (which the OP was talking about), that couple were con artists. I would have probably, after that conversation, set a meeting with the hotel director and told him/her of the conversation.

 

When I read reviews, I usually take the 100% good ones and the 100% bad ones with a grain of salt and pay attention to the ones in the middle, as I feel they are a better representation of what really happens. Because you can have a fantastic cruise even if little things go wrong.

[Fouremco]

It might be useful if, instead of focusing on generalities, someone posted links to some negative reviews/comments here that were trivial. I don't recall seeing many complaining about "olives being pierced the wrong way" types of comments (I know that was a made up example, but it gets my thought across)....in fact, I'm not sure I can recall any one that I've seen recently (I'm sure there are some...but a good example or three would help the OP and others on this thread make their point)

Here's a review choc full of negatives: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=219898

 

While there may be a kernel of truth to some of the reviewers complaints, there is a great deal of hyperbole.