Can CC please explain how the choice for Viking

[alexandra cruiser]

as number one river cruise was made by this website.

Is it based on reviews, votes,personal experience,or all of above?

I know Viking buys ads on this site,but sure that would not affect decision.

Its also the largest market in river cruises,so may account for most traffic and votes.

I have nothing against the company,just wondering how the decision was made.Thanks in advance.:confused:

[Cary Cruiser]

It's like a secret sauce, or the formula for Coke - no one is supposed to know. Alex, just keep it at that and you will be safe. Shhh...

Edited March 20, 2014 by Cary Cruiser

[alexandra cruiser]

or is it like above poster says?

Seems like almost every thread conc.Viking,but know its the biggest river cruise operator,,,but BEST??

Are others curious?:confused:

[CC Help Jenn]

Hi All - Happy Friday

 

There is definitely no "secret sauce" :)

 

This page explains how we tally the scores for our Cruisers' Choice Awards:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/cruiserschoice_rules.cfm

 

 

Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards - All-Time Results

Rankings are based on ratings given by our members in published member reviews.

 

Ships must have a minimum number (10) of member reviews and ratings in a particular category in order to be included.

 

Ratings shown have been rounded to the first decimal place, although they are calculated to the 8th decimal place and ordered as such; in the unlikely event of an exact tie, tied ships will instead order by the highest number of records entered, then alphabetically.

 

Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards 2014

Rankings are based on ratings given by our members in published member reviews; awards are based on 2013 cruise reviews submitted by February 1, 2014.

Ships must have a minimum number of member reviews and ratings in a particular category in order to be included in that category's top 10 list. Minimums are as follows:

 

Large ships

Global (50); U.K. (20)

Mid-size ships

Global (50); U.K. (5)

Small ships

Global (15); U.K. (5)

Family & Children (no ship size)

Global (20); U.K. (5)

Destination (no ship size)

Global (20)

 

Ship size is designated as follows:

Large ships: 2,000+ passengers (double occupancy)

Mid-size ships: 1,200 - 1999 passengers (double occupancy)

Small ships: 1,199 or fewer passengers (double occupancy)

 

Ratings shown have been rounded to the first decimal place, although they are calculated to the 8th decimal place and ordered as such; in the unlikely event of an exact tie, tied ships will instead order by the highest number of records entered, then alphabetically.

 

Hope this helps

[Cary Cruiser]

The allure of secret sauce was so romantic and inviting...

[alexandra cruiser]

so it looks like MORE PEOPLE wrote positive reviews for Viking.But then, MORE people cruised with them since most advertised,etc.

 

So sort of a catch 22. ;)

[Host Jazzbeau]

so it looks like MORE PEOPLE wrote positive reviews for Viking.But then, MORE people cruised with them since most advertised,etc.

 

So sort of a catch 22. ;)

 

That's not how I read it. It doesn't matter how many reviews there are (except for resolving a tie in the rankings), it's how positive the reviews average out to. The people who reviewed Viking cruises gave them higher ratings.

 

But like anything, the ratings are based to a large part on the initial expectation -- so it may not really be useful to compare ratings of cruise lines at different price points. For an example, a major site for restaurant reviews lists all restaurants in a location based on average rating -- this often puts a pizza joint or donut shop in the #1 position with the really gourmet restaurants down lower. It may be good pizza, but it's not chateaubriand.

[4774Papa]

Vantage is always cheaper than Viking and you get more and it is a quality river cruise line.

[Got2Cruise]

I can't believe Viking won with all the negative reviews from the floods. But what do I know about statistics?

[Host Jazzbeau]

I can't believe Viking won with all the negative reviews from the floods. But what do I know about statistics?

 

There were a lot of negative posts on the forums, but how many actually posted reviews?

[alexandra cruiser]

member reviews.But,must say from own experience,it is more complicated and time consuming.Easier to put on reg.thread.Have even gone to the trouble on 2 occasions,and had it not put in,for various reasons.Not in depth enough,long enough,port inclusions,etc..

That MIGHT BE A REASON.

 

Do notice,Host,that YOU have not inc.Viking in your list of river cruises?

 

Agree,we all have our favorities.But price DOES MATTER and you DO generally get what you PAY for.I also prefer those that work with TA s.

 

Thanks for the clarification,but can t say I agree with the term BEST,but now see how you came to conclusions.;);)

[Host Jazzbeau]

Do notice,Host,that YOU have not inc.Viking in your list of river cruises?;)

 

I'm not an expert, with only one river cruise so far, just a guy who volunteered to help out when the confusion over sub-forums was driving me crazy. ;) So I don't speak for Cruise Critic.

 

Speaking for myself, I agree that you do get what you pay for and my research pointed me to AMA as the best value and best food/wine. My cruise last year validated that so I am booked for a second AMA cruise next summer.

 

I also pay a lot of attention to how the different cruise lines performed last year when weather or strikes made things difficult. Compulsive reading of this forum showed that there were some lines, including AMA, that did extremely well despite trying circumstances -- while others, which may be highly rated based on how they do in good weather, were significantly poorer at that time. Since I can't predict what will go wrong on my next cruise, I prefer to deal with the companies that were more customer-oriented.

[alexandra cruiser]

I too have picked AMA as best all a round,but will TRY Scenic in June.Mostly for itinerary.But also sounds very 5 star.Am aware they did NOT do well in last yrs. river probs, so really HOPE its not a repeat.

After 10 river cruises,now have to focus on places I ve never been too.So ships must vary now.Realize ea.ship,crew,food manager,country,etc.....can ALL affect how the cruise is rated.

Many things to consider.:)

[ingo_e]

That's not how I read it. It doesn't matter how many reviews there are (except for resolving a tie in the rankings), it's how positive the reviews average out to. The people who reviewed Viking cruises gave them higher ratings.

 

You are right, as they calculate the review scores as averages (Sum(n) / N). Which means if you have more reviews (more cruisers), the devisor will be bigger as well. For reviews this is fine, for other data groups, I actually prefer the median and quartiles, as you eliminate extreme measures..

 

But like anything, the ratings are based to a large part on the initial expectation -- so it may not really be useful to compare ratings of cruise lines at different price points. For an example, a major site for restaurant reviews lists all restaurants in a location based on average rating -- this often puts a pizza joint or donut shop in the #1 position with the really gourmet restaurants down lower. It may be good pizza, but it's not chateaubriand.

 

But I like pizza :)

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

They buy the most adds ..

[alexandra cruiser]

and agree that MIGHT??have something to do with it.But was denied as above posts say.

 

Host Jazzbeau was honest and did say he picked AMA,and taking them again.

 

Guess everyone will have to make their own interpretation of what BEST is to them.

 

I just always wonder about how the results are obtained for any poll.:confused:

[alexandra cruiser]

you got it,,Viking also Best there too.But seems to be strictly by website vote for members only.

I must be missing something,but most people would ASS u me(sorry)that these polls are both TRUE.right?

Guess I ve been on the wrong VIking cruises?Certainly would not rate BEST for me,but I could be unlucky?

Agree they were average,or even somewhat above,but certainly not best.Doubt I would even take another,UNLESS itinerary only done by them.:confused::confused:

[Talisker92]

Vantage is always cheaper than Viking and you get more and it is a quality river cruise line.

I totally agree

[nordski]

You are right, as they calculate the review scores as averages (Sum(n) / N). Which means if you have more reviews (more cruisers), the devisor will be bigger as well. For reviews this is fine, for other data groups, I actually prefer the median and quartiles, as you eliminate extreme measures..

 

Excellent point.

 

It's interesting that some people put more faith in the anecdotal assessments on this forum than the rankings obtained by CC based upon posted reviews.

 

This might be a case of "confirmation bias".

 

Frankly, I take both sources with a large grain(s) of salt.

[caviargal]

 

Frankly, I take both sources with a large grain(s) of salt.

 

Frankly, the only opinions that really have influence on me are from friends and other posters whose travel style and tastes I know are similar to my own.

 

As an example, someone who sails and enjoys Carnival or NCL is not someone I would personally rely on for opinions as their tastes are obviously far off from mine. OTOH, if some is a fan of Oceania their opinions would be relevant to me.

 

YMMV

[nordski]

 

Frankly, the only opinions that really have influence on me are from friends and other posters whose travel style and tastes I know are similar to my own.

 

As an example, someone who sails and enjoys Carnival or NCL is not someone I would personally rely on for opinions as their tastes are obviously far off from mine. OTOH, if some is a fan of Oceania their opinions would be relevant to me.

 

YMMV

 

I agree with a caveat.

 

It would depend upon what they liked about Carnival or NCL that might sway me. For example, there are some positive comments about the suite experience on NCL from posters with whom I seem to have a shared sensibility. Thus there might be a particular ship or itinerary that would bear consideration.

 

But overall those "tastes" that you refer to are crucial. The comments and rankings on this board are useful food for thought, but not, I think, intended to be globally definitive.

[caviargal]

 

I agree with a caveat.

 

It would depend upon what they liked about Carnival or NCL that might sway me. For example, there are some positive comments about the suite experience on NCL from posters with whom I seem to have a shared sensibility. Thus there might be a particular ship or itinerary that would bear consideration.

 

But overall those "tastes" that you refer to are crucial. The comments and rankings on this board are useful food for thought, but not, I think, intended to be globally definitive.

 

For me, I am all about the least expensive house in the best neighborhood, not the best house in the average neighborhood. That is also the way I choose my vacations.

 

The biggest suite on lines like Carnival and NCL do not change the fact that these are huge ships with tons of people, banquet quality food, lots of kids running around, overcrowded pools, nickel and diming that has become an art form, lines everywhere and an onboard ambiance that I avoid.

[tomhigh]

I follow a couple message boards that cater to specific markets, this one for River Cruises and a couple Jet Ski boards.

It's been my experience over the years that people are more motivated by a bad experience than a good one when it comes to posting about it. If we just assume that all cruise lines are the same than the largest cruise line will receive the most negative posts.

The real point is that it's important to take all complaints with a grain of salt. The cruise lines are all different in their own way. Some are classier than Viking and some are not. Viking has stepped up and carried river cruising to the USA masses and they deserve some credit for that.

 

I'll admit that I've been on only one cruise (with Viking), and it was during the nasty flooding last June. The cruise was a real mess with over half of it on busses instead of a boat. On the other side of the flood, Viking was able to get us on a another ship for the last few days of the trip. The time on the ship was excellent. After it was all over, we all received a 75% credit for another cruise. As bummed out as I was about the cruise, I can't blame Viking for the weather, but I can praise them about how well we were taken care of during the mess.

[pinotlover]

Viking gets a bump for being larger with more sailings. As an example, we have looked at Uniworld, Scenic, and Viking. The first two are great lines, but the departure options are far more limited. For 2015, we will be doing Portugal. We don't want to risk high water in the Spring, not the company's fault, nor the heat of the summer. That puts us out into Sept. Uniworld has one sailing on 9/3. for the entire month, Viking has one each week giving us far more flexibility.

 

We are on a Rhone River cruise this September. We would have preferred Uniworld, even though they are more expensive, but their dates options didn't work as well as Viking.

 

We tend to bounce around based on cost, quality of ships, and most importantly schedule.

[pinotlover]

Viking gets a bump for being larger with more sailings. As an example, we have looked at Uniworld, Scenic, and Viking. The first two are great lines, but the departure options are far more limited. For 2015, we will be doing Portugal. We don't want to risk high water in the Spring, not the company's fault, nor the heat of the summer. That puts us out into Sept. Uniworld has one sailing on 9/3. for the entire month, Viking has one each week giving us far more flexibility.

 

We are on a Rhone River cruise this September. We would have preferred Uniworld, even though they are more expensive, but their dates options didn't work as well as Viking.

 

We tend to bounce around based on cost, quality of ships, and most importantly schedule. May I also add the number of veranda rooms is also a plus, in lieu of French doors.