Opposite reviews for same cruise - WHY?

[Jimjam]

I know it's a matter of personal taste and opinion but when I read reviews where some write about how "terrible" the food was and/or how poor the service and others "rave" how great the food and service was on the SAME cruise, I always have to ask, were they really on the same cruise?

[LARGIN]

Some look at things half full while others look at things half empty..

[pcsanity]

Different strokes for different folks. :o

[stephenandrew]

My thought is that with as large as these ships are now, and with so many different entertainment, dining and recreational options---two people can go on the same ship but have no common experiences. Take dining---one person can have traditional and another PC (lots of potential differences in tersm of waiting for a table, consistency of service, etc.) Shore excurions---some take ship sponsored excursions and may have no trouble getting a tender; someone else may book the same excurions privately, but be unable to get a tender (and thereofre miss their excursion) because priority is given to those with ship sponsored excurisons. When you have a cruise ship transporting 3000 people, its like being in small city---not everyone will have the same experiences. Obviously, people's personalities and tastes differ too---some folks can go with the flow, others are not (shall we say) so flexible.

[leighj]

Well, you have to figure in a lot of different factors that produce those opposite opinions. Some people have been on one or more cruises and have more realistic expectations going into the experience and therefore aren't as disappointed as say, someone who has never cruised (or someone who has cruised on a higher-end line) and is anticipating 5-star gourmet meals. Even with cruising aside, to some people, Country Buffet is plenty good while others can't settle for anything less than the top-of-the-line steakhouse (not that either of those standpoints is good or bad--just different). There is no way that everyone is going to be pleased, and just like with restaurants, the ships are all bound to have their outstanding offerings, some mediocre offerings, and some things that just aren't good.

 

I'd say the same thing with service...maybe couple A gets an outstanding room steward while couple B gets stuck with the one bad apple who's on his/her way out.

 

I think that your attitude going into it often governs a lot of your overall experience...if you go into skeptically or with sky-high expectations, it's a recipe for disappointment. That isn't to say that you still can't have some bad experiences to recount, but you're more apt to take things in stride.

 

The good thing is that there's so much food to choose from on a cruise that I find it hard to believe that almost everyone can't find SOMETHING that's appealing.:D

[Dreamer333]

I think its a matter of perspective...

 

Sometimes its extremely difficult to take negative reviews seriously when they say such broad things like "I'll never cruise Princess again"... or... "My whole cruise was ruined"... etc

 

I think that sometimes the negative reviews come from someone who does have a negative "experience" onboard, which then taints the whole entire cruise for them. Or they have a negative experience with one person, and then they claim that the "staff" was rude, etc.

 

For me, it would take ALOT for me to give a negative review!!! I can't even fathom experiencing a "bad" cruise!!!!

[Love Cruis'n]

I think a lot depends on expectations. To some folks, any cruise is WONDERFUL, and to others, the slightest thing just sets them off and there is no pleasing them after that.

 

Reality is what we perceive it to be. To me 70 degrees is very comfortable, but to some it's freezing, and to others, it too darn hot.

 

I've never taken a cruise I did not enjoy - immensely. ;)

 

Some folks just like to point out what’s wrong, while ignoring everything that is wonderful. Like the media never reporting good news. Some feel it is their duty to say what’s not great. Other revel in all that gives them pleasure, at the risk of being called a “Pollyanna”.:)

 

Go figure :confused:

[mii]

Like someone mentioned you basically are sharing space in a small town which would be 2000 or 3000 people. Not all of that town has the same tastes or likes the same thing. For example my DH and I like buffet's(good ones) and as we all know there are alot of people who do not. Some love entertainment, some do not. I am extremely easy to please, but some are not. I also have never had a bad cruise, had some that were alot better than others but not enough to say I would never sail again. To each his own.

 

Marilyn

[Jimjam]

I completely agree with everyone that has responded to this post..However, it is interesting nerver the less..Thanks for your responses..

[Casshew]

I feel it is all based in expectations. If people have high high expectations they will surely be disappointed in many aspects.

 

Others, who have no particular expectation will never be disappointed or have their vacation ruined. Some people just need to chill out IMO

[mr green]

In my opinion the first twenty four hours of a cruise is all important. If two things go wrong, during this period, then one is apt to find fault with every other little thing. Conversely, if the early part is faultless, the any later miscues tend to be ignored. Get on board with a good state of mind, and usually all should be well! Smile!! :) :) :) john

[Oxo]

Some people would not admit that the cruise they spent a lot of money on was not what they expected or was not excellent. Normal reaction of some people. Others write the exact experience and give details. Others just like to find fault with anything they can. That is what makes us human beings. Right or wrong.

[bdjam]

I agree that the way ships are run, there is a good chance that two people on the same ship won’t experience the same thing. I know there are times on the day of disembarkation when I’ll see someone with their bags packed and ready to go and wonder when they got on the ship – I would have never seen them before.

Food, entertainment, room stewards – it’s all subjective. Two people can be fed the same exact quality of a meal, or see the same show and have opposite opinions of those things. What I don’t understand is when someone says a crew member was rude to them or unhelpful or something like that. I’ve been on enough cruises so that I think I’ve experienced the gamut of crew members – some starting their contracts, others on the last cruise of their contract. I have never had a crew person be rude or condescending or any of the other things people mention. That’s when I say “huh?” That’s also when I ask questions about a review. And that’s also when I get accused of being a basher and/or cheerleader… :rolleyes:

[sacway]

Agree with the above, particularly the small town, different options, different people. Here are two examples from the same cruise last week.

 

1) We had a great time in traditional dining; another couple did not; we were immensely grateful to the maitre'd for getting us a spot when we were 152 on the waitlist, the other couple was unhappy that the maitre'd wasn't able to put them at a larger table where they could meet others (having spent a cruise mostly alone at a table for six, and all alone at a table for four, I can understand their frustration.

 

2) DH & I have completely different perceptions about elevators on the Golden (esp. compared to the Constellation, our latest prior cruise.) He thought they were fast and terrific; I thought they were terribly confusing and avoided them if at all possible. Even though, for instance, in the aft area (I think) there are more elevators than on the Constellation, there were two different buttons to push, since some of the elevators only stopped on some floors; in the central core, there were elevators 360 degrees but maybe 10 or more yards from edge to edge in elevator lobby. For me, who usually wears flats on dry ground, on formal nights it was troublesome to rush in heels to whatever elevator would open since they closed promptly -- he was fine. It takes a while to explain this but otherwise it looks like we don't agree on this detail for no reason at all!

[Times Prince]

I also agree with the other posters - people vary and so do their opinions. We've had some cruises where we see people who just like to complain. It's seems this is their social activity. We try not to sit next to them.

 

While there are legitimate reasons for negative or positive experiences (crew are people too) we believe it is entirely our attitude that makes these a minor part of the whole or something that affects our cruise experience directly.

 

After being on a cruise in hurricane force winds, rocking of the ship becomes fun! It's all relative.

 

Food? Fool me once shame on you - twice, then shame on me, there are other restaurants on board I could have chosen.

 

Service? Sometimes that's an opportunity to meet someone from another culture - the waiter may just be missing his wife and children who he hasn't seen in many months. It can brighten our life and his to hear of his love and pride for his family.

 

Sometimes it really is noteworthy (+ or - ) and the cruise line provides means for that feedback and will take actions to correct.

 

So everyone: ENJOY your cruise !!!

[negc]

I think that most of us realize that people have different tastes in food and entertainment which explains many of the conflicting posts, and I think that some people are less than precise when they toss around descriptive words like "horrible", "terrible" and,my favorite: "inedible":D

When it comes to service, it is entirely possible that the persons who give it glowing reports encountered ship's personnel who were outgoing, friendly, and eager to provide good service (usually the majority). Someone else on the same cruise might have encountered a staff person who was having a bad day, week or year and really wanted to be anywhere but on the ship. Such an encounter can really color the cruisers' impression of their trip and, unfortunately, might lead them to believe that their experience was typical, and they will post a review to that effect.

To some extent, using the sports judges formula of tossing out the highest and lowest marks, might give one a better picture of the typical cruise experience.

[Lynda90]

It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

[spongerob]

Having had a variety of clients over the years, all I can say is that there are some people you can never please, some who never complain, and a whole lot of in between. Some people go off at the slightest provocation, others are blessed with infinite patience. Some look for any excuse to complain, and others understand that you tried your best even if things didn't come out perfectly. I think you'll find all of these on every cruise, and maybe some more. You just never know which ones are going to show up on CC to tell us their version of "the truth".

 

The negative reviews stay up longer because they get commented upon more, and the comments get comments, and so on. Sometimes one complaint gets repeated many times over a period of weeks or months. It all keeps the board jumping.

[SeaTeacher]

I agree with all of the above. But there is another element that's key - the attitude of the cruiser.

 

When I went on my recent cruise, I was excited and determined. I had set my sights on the fact that nothing was going to keep me from having a good.....no GREAT cruise.

 

It's amazing what happens when you see your steward in the passage, and with a big bright smile you say, "good morning!" Or your waiter comes by and asks, "may I get you anything else?" And your response is, "You are so helpful, thanks yes I'll have..."

 

Though food varies and standards of fun may differ, when it comes to people and service, we get what we give.

[Ethel5]

I agree that the way ships are run, there is a good chance that two people on the same ship won’t experience the same thing. I know there are times on the day of disembarkation when I’ll see someone with their bags packed and ready to go and wonder when they got on the ship – I would have never seen them before.

Food, entertainment, room stewards – it’s all subjective. Two people can be fed the same exact quality of a meal, or see the same show and have opposite opinions of those things. What I don’t understand is when someone says a crew member was rude to them or unhelpful or something like that. I’ve been on enough cruises so that I think I’ve experienced the gamut of crew members – some starting their contracts, others on the last cruise of their contract. I have never had a crew person be rude or condescending or any of the other things people mention. That’s when I say “huh?” That’s also when I ask questions about a review. And that’s also when I get accused of being a basher and/or cheerleader… :rolleyes:

 

The attitude of the cruiser has a lot to do with the quality of service received. As far as food goes-it's all subjective. In the end it really comes down to "One man's ceiling is another man's floor".

[bruce-r]

two words:

 

Attitude and Expectations

 

A postitive attitude will increase the likelyhood of a fun cruise.

 

Artificially high expectations will often lead to a disappointing experience.

 

Some people seem to think that having fun is always easy or free. I would offer the opinion that it often has a price and requires some effort. Sometimes it takes a little more effort on the passengers part to have a good time, but having fun is worth at least some effort.

 

I had another thought. Not everyone encounters the exactly same crew members on the exact same cruise. While attitude and expectations will definitely affect passenger/crew member interactions, the crew member themselves will add their own unique personality to the experience.

[bdjam]

The attitude of the cruiser has a lot to do with the quality of service received. As far as food goes-it's all subjective. In the end it really comes down to "One man's ceiling is another man's floor".

Exactly – on Dawn Princess a couple of weeks ago, we had to hear ad nausea from a gentleman (and I use that term loosely) who’s cruising experience has been on the high-end lines – Radisson, Seabourn, etc. – he had nothing but complaints about Dawn Princess and in fact submitted a two page letter detailing them. As his cabin mate said – and I don’t think they’ll be sailing together again – “how much caviar and high end wines can one consume in 10 days?” Clearly, Princess was this guy’s floor and his expectations regarding this cruise were set way too high.

[JLC@SD]

The attitude of the cruiser has a lot to do with the quality of service received. As far as food goes-it's all subjective. In the end it really comes down to "One man's ceiling is another man's floor".

 

it's the latitude of your attitude..........:)

[TheDreamer]

And, sometimes the people are the in the same party.....

 

Went on a family reunion....aboard the Sea Princess.

 

I loved it, and Princess. Even though I had this horrible (inside) cabin that was right near where they drop anchor and some service stairwell. My Aunt who had the opposite inside cabin...hated everything, will never sail on Princess ever again.

 

This time that Aunt handled the cruise booking, she went with Holland America.....but dining room experience was horrible. She booked the (December) cruise in January...and requested that we get one table during first seating. We ended up at four different ables in the second seating...the cruise may as well have ended then, because there was nothing they were going to do to make it good. So, now she will never sail on Holland America ever again.

 

OTOH, I enjoyed my time....so much so that if it weren't for the fact that I was effectively laid off the day before the cruise (I only went into work on the 23rd, to clear out my cubicle).....I'd be looking to book myself on the same ship when it does its Pacific Coastal run (to Alaska) later this year.

 

I just hope that my situation changes, so that I can still book that cruise....

 

The Dreamer.

[Coolmama_1]

I always remember to consider the source!