What do you like to read in a cruise review?

[happybooker1]

Do you like lots of pics? Of the ship, dinners, or ports?

 

Would you rather read a "port based" review or a "ship based" review? Or equally divided?

 

Do you want to know the name of the CD? Detailed info about the shows & entertainment?

 

Can a review be too long or too short? Just curious.

[RealAlexD]

Do you like lots of pics? Of the ship, dinners, or ports?

 

Would you rather read a "port based" review or a "ship based" review? Or equally divided?

 

Do you want to know the name of the CD? Detailed info about the shows & entertainment?

 

Can a review be too long or too short? Just curious.

 

Personally, I like seeing a TON of pics. However, I am picky about them lol. I want to see more of the ports than the ship and the standard 8 Atrium pics everyone posts. I want to see the things you did that made your cruise fun. Pretty places you went to, excursions, just fun things that made your trip memorable.

 

Info about the CD, shows and stuff is a meh to me. Everyone has different standards of the entertainment they expect on the ships, so I take those with a grain of salt.

 

And for SURE a review can be both too long and too short. I don't care about the 3 pics of the kitchen in your hotel. If I did, I would ask in the appropriate Homeports forum.

 

Tell us what was good, what was bad and most importantly, just be honest. Tell a story, but not the whole story. There are times when less is more.

 

And I realize this may sound contradictory regarding my picture policy, but NEVER forget the food porn! ;)

 

All that being said, I think the most important thing is just to have fun with your review and provide an honest insight.

[Keel Haul]

The Truth.

[Lerin]

Details. The more the better. What they saw, where they went, what they wore, was was great, what could change...Also photos.

 

If anything is surprising, new or a change from what is assumed. For example: "Fun Times said the steak house opened at 7, but actually it was open at 5."

 

Hints or tips, things that worked or helped to make the cruise better(brought an over door shoe hanger) or things that weren't needed (brought a bottle opener).

 

I'm not a big fan of the pre-cruise stuff and usually skip over those parts. Except in the case of a great deal that someone wants to share.

 

Which leads me to the final thing i like in a review. Great deals. If you found one on airfare, shuttles, hotels, excursions, etc... please share the wealth. :)

[ragen]

I want info and photos of all the little details,.....

as someone stated above, I don't want to see the same six photos everyone else takes, (you know, Pool, Dining Room, Atrium, etc.),...

Instead I want to see artwork, little details, tiny bars and clubs, what you did, the view from where you sat etc.,....I wanna feel like I'm cruising along with you, vicariously seeing it all as you saw it, instead of just getting a general overview.

 

Tell me and show me what YOU"RE personal cruise was like instead of just a general generic impersonal report.;)

[seashell64]

I love reading all the reviews and looking a pictures and any detail that can be written... what I don't care for in a review is all the pre-cruise stuff; what time people left home, the flight, the hotel, and shopping/sight seeing - I just want the ship and port details. With that said, I do appreciate anyone that takes the time to post their reviews; I'm a cruise critic junkie and can't get enough of the forums!!

[golfadj]

I like a nice balanced review of the cruies including what the reviewer thought of food, service and especially entertainment.

[asalligo]

I love the photos and the details, but I am the exact opposite of the previous poster when it comes to my pics. I want to see more pics of the boat. I enjoy the location pics also just to get an idea for excursions, but my real love in pics is the boat interior.

[RWolver672]

Do you like lots of pics? Of the ship, dinners, or ports? I like to see pictures of the ship and ports but with people in them. It makes it nicer knowing who the people are that are on the cruise with you. It makes it more personal. I'm not a fan of foodie pictures. In most of them, the food looks gross. That and I know what food looks like.

 

Would you rather read a "port based" review or a "ship based" review? Or equally divided? Both. If something interesting happens on the ship, I'd like to hear about that too.

 

Do you want to know the name of the CD? Detailed info about the shows & entertainment? Not really. We rarely know their name and we've heard the same lame jokes over and over. As for the entertainment, there isn't that much of it anymore.

 

Can a review be too long or too short? Just curious.To me, the size doesn't matter but I like it when the whole review is posted all at once. I don't like having to go through ten pages of people saying "great review" to get to the last page of the review.

 

I do like reviews that start out from the beginning if they are interesting. Some times that part of a review is better than the cruise review. Lots of interesting things happen to people on their way to the cruise. If they show pictures of the hotel they stayed in, it might be helpful for us on our next cruise.

 

I like to see lighthearted reviews. A little humor goes a long way. Someone once posted to one of my reviews that while reading it, it made them feel like they were right beside me when it was all happening.

[HeatherC430]

Do you like lots of pics? Of the ship, dinners, or ports?

 

Would you rather read a "port based" review or a "ship based" review? Or equally divided?

 

Do you want to know the name of the CD? Detailed info about the shows & entertainment?

 

Can a review be too long or too short? Just curious.

 

The more pictures the better (IMO). I want to see pictures of everything. I would say I enjoy pictures of the port more than the ship, etc.

 

Equally divided. More port based if I had to choose.

 

Personally, I don't care who the CD is. It's nice to mention if a show is worth attending or not.

 

I review can never be too long! Many/Most are too short.

[MsTabbyKats]

Keep it short and sweet.

 

I don't like pictures.

 

I don't care about where you stayed the night before.

 

I don't care about the details of your meals.

 

Just summarize...what was good, what wasn't good. What stood out...either negative or positive.

 

I'd probably like a review in the form of an outline....with perhaps 10 bullet points.

[topguy]

I like lots of pics

[petesweet]

Good thread:

1. I agree with above poster that usually it is nice to have the entire review at one time to avoid having to read the unnecessary comments. There are exceptions, of course.

2. I like seeing a picture of the writer and his/her family. I want to see who is talking to me.

3. Please put in LOTS of paragraph divisions!!!

Happy sails, and Happy New Year.

 

(Sorry about the color changes. Meant only the change to RED for emphasis.)

 

Kathy

Edited December 31, 2013 by petesweet

[halos]

Do you like lots of pics? Of the ship, dinners, or ports?

 

Would you rather read a "port based" review or a "ship based" review? Or equally divided?

 

Do you want to know the name of the CD? Detailed info about the shows & entertainment?

 

Can a review be too long or too short? Just curious.

 

For me, I like to see the review posted in full and then pics afterwards. It is very tough reading a review in pieces and having to weed through pics and other poster's responses. It takes too long and I usually give up on the review if it takes a full week for the OP to post the entire thing.

If a review is well written, too long isn't a problem. :)

All details about ship are great. I usually skip over pre or post cruise info (unless the embark/debarkation port is one I haven't been to)

I usually get my port info from the POC boards.

Edited December 31, 2013 by halos

[Perfect Stranger]

Lots of pictures are great. CLEAR, please!

 

I enjoy scenery in the ports and pools at any AI's or beach stops.

 

Full plates of food are better than half eaten. No need for pictures of the warm melting cake that we've seen 100 times.

[MsMot]

Do you like lots of pics? Of the ship, dinners, or ports?

 

Would you rather read a "port based" review or a "ship based" review? Or equally divided?

 

Do you want to know the name of the CD? Detailed info about the shows & entertainment?

 

Can a review be too long or too short? Just curious.

 

I love reviews with lots of pictures. I have to be honest and say that I don't read reviews that are have no pictures. I do when the review is short and sweet with a high level overview of their experience. I like to see all pictures, ship, food porn and ports.

[golfadj]

For me, I like to see the review posted in full and then pics afterwards. It is very tough reading a review in pieces and having to weed through pics and other poster's responses. It takes too long and I usually give up on the review if it takes a full week for the OP to post the entire thing.

If a review is well written, too long isn't a problem. :)

All details about ship are great. I usually skip over pre or post cruise info (unless the embark/debarkation port is one I haven't been to)

I usually get my port info from the POC boards.

 

I agree with you with one exception.

 

A long review such as your Hawaii one (which was one of the best ones ever on here btw) can and should be split up into sections.

[GottaLuvCruising]

I prefer a review written in ONE post (not a series of posts) with a link to pictures (or no pictures at all). I prefer it sorted by categories (service, dining, entertainment, stateroom, etc) rather than chronologically. I will not read one that is all caps, no paragraphs or written in a dozen different posts with comments between. I love reviews, always click on them, but will abandon if longer than a novel or too tedious to bother with.

[Blk_Amish]

I would love background information to better put the review in perspective. For example the cost of the trip and other types of vacation you have done recently. I like pic with people enjoying themselves, crazy or not so crazy fun. if you down a bottle of Tequila in Cozumel, in one shot, then share it. That's called a gift. If you went under the limbo the wrong way then share it. That's called stupid but fun. I like them short, sweet, and fun. Show me what you did and who you did it with! Above all, since I won't do another, I like it the way you choose to share.

 

Pauline

Edited December 31, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[cruizinisthebest]

I've done a review and even putting in a few pics can make it a time consuming process. I appreciate when people do them.

 

I like reviews with pics of the ship mostly and comments about the service, the itinerary, the crowd flow around food areas, and what they thought of the kids activities. Pics of folks having a good time is also nice to see.

 

I don't need to see pics or read details of every meal you ate. Just an overall opinion will due.

 

Information about where you stayed pre-cruise and ground transportation is useful, because I may be leaving from the same port.

[shoppingfever]

In other words, you aren't going to make everyone happy because everyone likes different things in a review.

 

I personally love seeing the 8 atrium pics and the food pics and the deck pics because I have never cruised.

 

I just like reviews to be completed. I hate getting into a review and it never is finished.

[PC Cruisin]

I only read reviews with lots of pictures. This keeps my coming back for more. Pictures tell a thousands words ... ;)

[Raven Days]

I want to see lots of photos. A detailed BALANCED review is best. A good review of the stateroom, dining, and shows are great as well. I also want to read about ports. Include photos, prices for tours (those you buy at the port) if available, what is a "must see" and a "dont waste your time". And would you go to that port again?

Edited December 31, 2013 by Raven Days

[crusinpsychRN]

Paragraphs!!

 

How embarkation/disembarkation went.

Good/bad about cabin--location, extras etc.

 

 

Good and bad of:

Activites

Entertainment

Food experiences

Issues

Highlights of excursions

[Vitality08]

Keep it short and sweet.

 

I don't like pictures.

 

I don't care about where you stayed the night before.

 

I don't care about the details of your meals.

 

Just summarize...what was good, what wasn't good. What stood out...either negative or positive.

 

I'd probably like a review in the form of an outline....with perhaps 10 bullet points.

 

This sums up my feeling. I like bullets that get to the down and dirty. I don't mind a few pictures here and there but generally, I don't care for them. I think I may be in the minority with this opinion. Generally, if the subject line of a thread is "Live from ......." I don't even open it.

 

There's a review style that fits all so I think it's best that you do the type of review YOU would like to read.