Strange new review about the NA

[sapper1]

I'm trying to figure out how any seasoned cruiser can be shocked that there is a 15% gratuity charged to drink purchases... even their favored cruise line (RCI) does this.

 

I'm also not sure why they think that Christmas falls on the same day of the week every year, so HAL should clearly know that port will be closed for most activities. It's highly unlike that HAL has been in PR on Christmas every year as they would imply.

 

Very good point.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just double click on his member name and a list of three reviews will come up.

 

 

Thank you

I was double clicking on his name before I actually opened his review.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here are the links to the other 2 reviews that Srandaz2 wrote:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=216937

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=99247

[Linda&Vern]

I just read a review of the Zuiderdam that was from a first time HAL cruiser sailing solo. The review was a 5-star rating, the cruiser seemed please with most everything, EXCEPT - Because of the chaos of the coffee and tea station in the buffet, the cruiser started ordering coffee via room service. They went on to say they never asked about charges, but wanted to share that room service sounds good but it does not matter what you get, the price is $11.50 every day when you get the bill.

 

I actually feel bad for the cruiser thinking they paid each day for their coffee when in fact it was most likely the daily hotel service charge.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Linda&Vern

[Cruise_More_Often]

I have read several reviews by people who have never posted anywhere on these boards over the years.

I questioned this one time. Basically anyone can come on and write a review without posting anywhere.

This is why I've stopped reading reviews in the "Reviews" section. As an experienced cruiser I can spot trolls or completely misinformed people. It's the new cruisers I worry about, since they have no idea whether posts there are correct or baloney. Edited January 7, 2014 by Cruise_More_Often

[Vict0riann]

This is why I've stopped reading reviews in the "Reviews" section. As an experienced cruiser I can spot trolls or completely misinformed people. It's the new cruisers I worry about, since they have no idea whether posts there are correct or baloney.

 

Agreed. I would much prefer to read a "live from" or report on this forum that was written by a name I recognize and respect.

[Tampa Girl]

I think that, for their own protection, these people should not be let out of their own house without proper supervision :rolleyes:

 

 

Yes - and even scarier - they vote! (and propogate, no doubt)

[496and706]

Oh, I could give you a very embarrassing list of our mis-conceptions on our first HAL cruise thanks to my Father in law and Mother in law...

 

FIL and MIL are now 4 star Mariners, and my husband and I are still trying to convince them that... room service is free, DVD rentals are free, the Lido is available for dinner, the MDR is available for breakfast... a soda card can be used for cola, not just soda water... the list goes on.

 

By the way, my MIL thinks that the Captain stands at the MDR entrance every night just to greet our family and sometimes he comes to our table to say hello. She even calls him "Captain" whenever she sees him.

 

My in laws don't own a computer and still can't grasp the idea that I can show them pictures on my monitor that I didn't take with my camera. Sailaways live on the internet is such a foreign concept that I can't even start to explain without both of them wanting to know how that can be done without a film crew in Ft. Lauderdale standing beside the white trucks. How could they possibly see one person standing on the rear deck from the top of a hotel at least a mile away, etc...

 

I love my in laws, but sometimes I have to just stop trying to explain CC and the internet. :D

[Seavoyage]

"Remember those days in High School where you had to wait in line and when it was your turn to get food and you were still trying to figure out what sounded good to try? And the pressure of people in line caused you to just spew out something to get on your plate and move along? Well if you don’t remember and or never had that experience then you will love eating on the Lido deck – The food is served cafeteria style so you get to stand in line staring at the cooks like a lost Freshman at his first day of school – knowing that at any time the person behind you might go into a rage from waiting too long in line, so when it’s your turn you yell out the first thing you see – which undoubtedly would be the last thing you would ever want to put in your mouth. That is exactly how you feel. It’s not only a very degrading feeling its demeaning and unprofessional, and keep in mind while you are waiting for your food in a line for 10 – 20 minutes there are passengers from Pools and Bars walking through – the same area you are standing in."

 

I have to agree with this portion of the review. We just returned from 10 days on the Noordam - and the above pretty much sums up our Lido experience as well. That was our 13th cruise with HAL and in the past few years it seems as though at feeding times the crowd goes wild....we just stopped going.

[Jridou]

 

By the way, my MIL thinks that the Captain stands at the MDR entrance every night just to greet our family and sometimes he comes to our table to say hello. She even calls him "Captain" whenever she sees him.

 

:D

 

OMG. This.

[mollyanne]

On the Grand Princess one year, we were seated at a table for 8 with only 6 of us for most of the cruise. On the next to last night, the last couple joined us. They were newbies who didn't really do any research, and their TA hadn't explained things to them. They had been eating dinner in the buffet every night. A chance conversation with another passenger had resulted in them finding their way to the dining room at the end of the cruise!

 

I have heard of this happening before - isn't it sad? I know must of us do research til our eyes cross! What a shame for these people to not have known all their options.

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Forums mobile app

[Aruba]

I just read a review of the Zuiderdam that was from a first time HAL cruiser ... The cruiser seemed please with most everything, EXCEPT - Because of the chaos of the coffee and tea station in the buffet, the cruiser started ordering coffee via room service. They went on to say they never asked about charges, but wanted to share that room service sounds good but it does not matter what you get, the price is $11.50 every day when you get the bill.

 

I actually feel bad for the cruiser thinking they paid each day for their coffee when in fact it was most likely the daily hotel service charge.

I just laughed so hard I spilled my drink.

[jtl513]

... I do know from previously looking at reviews you can post a review and not have posted under that name anywhere else on CC.

 

I have read several reviews by people who have never posted anywhere on these boards over the years.

 

I questioned this one time. Basically anyone can come on and write a review without posting anywhere.

But you have to be a member to post a review, and this person is not in the member list.

[Aruba]

That is the perfect analogy. :D

Rachel

Going off-topic for a moment: Rachel, just the other day I was looking at past cruise photos and saw one of you, Jeff and I after we went zip-lining in Belize. :) Hope all is well -- regards to you, your husband, and Mom too.

 

And now back to the Nieuw Amsterdam review.:eek:

Edited January 7, 2014 by Aruba

[rafinmd]

But you have to be a member to post a review, and this person is not in the member list.

 

You apparently do not appear on the member list until your first post.

 

Roy

[HamOp]

Methinks there was a con artist on board and this sucker fell for it.

 

A real con artist would have sold him special "discount" tickets to the MDR for only $200.00:D

[Randyk47]

You apparently do not appear on the member list until your first post.

 

Roy

 

That's apparently the way it works. Maybe the hosts can explain better. This is not the first time I've seen this over the years.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Randyk47

[goleta]

I wanted to get my red pencil out and checkmark all of his grammar, mechanical, and punctuation errors! I found it painful to read. Reading it reminded me of the feeling one gets when someone runs their fingernails on a chalkboard. I tend to ignore reviews that are written as poorly as this review.:eek:

[CPADWJ]

You apparently do not appear on the member list until your first post.

 

Roy

 

This has been bothering me so much that I did some additional perusing of the member list. When I did a search for my own user name I did not appear on the list.

 

So, I looked at several hundred members on the list under different sections of the alphabet and what I think I have discovered is that members do not appear on the member list until they have posted 300 posts.

 

I apologize for creating some doubt about the independence of the reviews.

 

I am glad that so many CC member have taken an interest in this and I would hope that CC would consider allowing responses to reviews to be posted along with the reviews. This would go a long way to providing more accurate information for CC users.

[Randyk47]

I wanted to get my red pencil out and checkmark all of his grammar, mechanical, and punctuation errors! I found it painful to read. Reading it reminded me of the feeling one gets when someone runs their fingernails on a chalkboard. I tend to ignore reviews that are written as poorly as this review.:eek:

 

Generally speaking we're asked not to comment or criticize poster's English, spelling, grammar, etc. Some of our members are not native English speakers and as long as they make themselves understood then that's enough. I kind of carry that same approach over to reviews.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Randyk47

[Krazy Kruizers]

I just read a review of the Zuiderdam that was from a first time HAL cruiser sailing solo. The review was a 5-star rating, the cruiser seemed please with most everything, EXCEPT - Because of the chaos of the coffee and tea station in the buffet, the cruiser started ordering coffee via room service. They went on to say they never asked about charges, but wanted to share that room service sounds good but it does not matter what you get, the price is $11.50 every day when you get the bill.

 

I actually feel bad for the cruiser thinking they paid each day for their coffee when in fact it was most likely the daily hotel service charge.

 

 

That is so sad that they thought they were paying $11.50 each day for room service and yet at the same time -- funny.

[Randyk47]

This has been bothering me so much that I did some additional perusing of the member list. When I did a search for my own user name I did not appear on the list.

 

So, I looked at several hundred members on the list under different sections of the alphabet and what I think I have discovered is that members do not appear on the member list until they have posted 300 posts.

 

I apologize for creating some doubt about the independence of the reviews.

 

I am glad that so many CC member have taken an interest in this and I would hope that CC would consider allowing responses to reviews to be posted along with the reviews. This would go a long way to providing more accurate information for CC users.

 

Now that is something I had not noticed. I checked a couple of people just in this thread and indeed they are not listed as members even though they have a hundred, give or take, posts. I didn't try to find an exact number like the suggested 300 but that works for me. :) I did look at the roll call for the NA cruise the reviewer wrote about but unfortunately it was one of the DOA roll calls that had only one lonely poster who never generate any conversation.

[cbr663]

I feel a little sad for the cruiser. It is clear to me that they did not have a great time on the ship and I suspect that a large part of it it was due to the fact that they were new to HAL. They did not understand how things worked on the ship and were not well acquainted with the ship. They even stated that they relied on the comments of others that they overheard, so it would seem that they were lost and confused on their cruise. I can only imagine how horrible that must have felt.

 

Such a shame, and I can't help but wonder whether HAL should be doing more for first time cruisers and welcoming them aboard? Even some sort of onboard tour for first timers would go a long way to acquainting new comers with the ship, its offerings, other cruisers and allow a great opportunity for new cruisers to ask questions. If nothing else, think of the potential revenue gains that HAL could see by marketing, err, orienting, new passengers to the ships.

[Krazy Kruizers]

This has been bothering me so much that I did some additional perusing of the member list. When I did a search for my own user name I did not appear on the list.

 

So, I looked at several hundred members on the list under different sections of the alphabet and what I think I have discovered is that members do not appear on the member list until they have posted 300 posts.

 

I apologize for creating some doubt about the independence of the reviews.

 

I am glad that so many CC member have taken an interest in this and I would hope that CC would consider allowing responses to reviews to be posted along with the reviews. This would go a long way to providing more accurate information for CC users.

 

I few years ago someone ask on another board how many posts they needed before their name showed up on the "Member" List.

Wish I could remember how many posts was needed.

[Admin]

I just read the review to my DH.

He is shock that the administrators didn't contact this person and question him about some of the information he wrote.

I am sure glad they were not on our cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam. We have so much bad luck, we would have probably run into them.

Cruise Critic doesn't verify the information posted in a member review. We receive thousands every year. We depend on the writer to provide an account of their trip. If a review is proven to be false, we remove it.

 

I think this message was a plant by *CC*. It was written by an alleged member Srandaz2, but there is no member in the member list by that name.

So, how did it get posted? It was posted by a *CC* Admin.

 

Keep in mind that *CC* was started on AOL but it is now owned by Trip Advisor, which is a publicly held travel company listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol TRIP.

I publish member reviews on the site and I'm not sure I understand your comments that it would be planted. What would be the benefit to that? Also, you don't have to post on the message board to post a member review and you don't show up in the member list until you've made one post.

 

Lastly, Cruise Critic is part of the TripAdvisor Media Group but I'm unsure what that has to do with this member review. If you have any questions about something on the site, please send it to the community manager. Thanks!