Objective view on all the criticism/alternatives

[MrMike45]

Posting this on both NCL and MSC forums, which might be against the rules.  If so, mods, please remove one, and sorry....

 

Background - we are platinum plus on NCL. Our next cruise w/ NCL is less than 30 days away.  We are also booked for our first cruise on MSC for October of this year, and will be going on a Carnival cruise in June 2020 for a "destination wedding" family thing.  

 

Have been a member of CC for awhile.  Mostly troll, post here and there.  But I read alot of the posts.  And being booked on MSC and Carnival now, I am also reading alot on their sections of the forum as well, and have posted on the MSC forum a bit recently.  

 

So here's the thing...for all 3 lines, about 1/3rd (maybe even 1/2) of the posts are negative.  Criticism of the service, the prices, the perks, the offers, lack of deals, repetitive deals, etc. etc. etc.  If I was a first time cruiser...I would run for the hills!  Luckily, I have been on 16 cruises so I know alot of what people post can be taken with a grain of salt, and until I experience it for myself, I chalk it up to a random bad experience.  

 

But on an overview.  To those who post negative reviews, comments and criticisms...I am curious as to what you find "worth it" in terms of vacationing?  Is it another cruise line?  Bearing in mind, that the price you pay on NCL or MSC or Carnival is not what you will pay on a luxury cruise line...so do you save up for one of those trips?  Is it a land based vacation, deeming all cruises have dropped in quality?  If so...why are you posting on CRUISE critic?  

 

This is not meant to start a flame war or a bunch of argumentative posts.  I am just curious.  My wife does not fly (major fear).  So for us, it is either drive or cruise.  But maybe we are missing out on the best options when it comes to cruising.

 

Thanks 

[1fifthavenue]

Hmmm I think with the reviews section you only have to see how many people have only ever posted one review and that's as far as they go. It's like a hit and run scenario, especially as there's no facility to reply.

[Mattnvick]

59 minutes ago, MrMike45 said:

  To those who post negative reviews, comments and criticisms...I am curious as to what you find "worth it"

 

 

I am fairly new to cruising only been doing it about 3 years but enjoy it very much. 

 

However on reading negative things posted on c.c. f/b etc the thing i have wondered many times is do a lot of people who  cruise either

A. Like to  complain more than peope who take other types of vacations  or

B. Have highter expectations and or standards.

 

You read some peoples complaints and think honestly if you are that upset maybe you should stay home or do a different type of vacation.

I struggle to understand the complaints such as no towel animals ruined my holiday or towels or sheets weren't changed every day or of the 200 or so items in a buffet it was the same every day.....

 

Ranks up there with British travel agents  releasing the funniest complaints ( "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels." Or the best one ever 

"The beach was too sandy.")😂😂

 

They truly do walk among us......

Edited April 16, 2019 by Mattnvick

[Até]

5 minutes ago, Mattnvick said:

...You read some peoples complaints and think honestly if you are that upset maybe you should stay home or do a different type of vacation.

I struggle to understand the complaints such as no towel animals ruined my holiday or towels or sheets weren't changed every day or of the 200 or so items in a buffet it was the same every day....

I think most of us are intelligent enough to read the posts/reviews and make a competent judgement as to the author's credibility.  Whether you discount it or believe it is at least up to the reader and not a censor.  I have seen it here on CC, continual posts from someone with an obvious axe to grind making dozens of posts or even fake reviews.  I think the moderators and review editors usually do a good job to curtail that type of activity.

[MrMike45]

I guess lurker is a better title than troll, thank you Ate.  

 

I guess the gist of what I am asking is...for those who have complaints about a particular cruise line (not talking the 1 post disappearing people) and are critical of them, do you go back?  Do you try another cruise line, and find those problems did not exist?  If so, which line?  Or if not, do you vacation another way?  

 

Or...do you keep going back to the same company, and keep complaining.  Which is their right, they pay the same thousands of dollars as we all do, but why?  

[Até]

57 minutes ago, MrMike45 said:

I guess the gist of what I am asking is...for those who have complaints about a particular cruise line (not talking the 1 post disappearing people) and are critical of them, do you go back?  Do you try another cruise line, and find those problems did not exist?  If so, which line?  Or if not, do you vacation another way?  

 

Or...do you keep going back to the same company, and keep complaining.  Which is their right, they pay the same thousands of dollars as we all do, but why?  

I'm also a NCL cruiser, once top tier but now only a lowly Platinum.  I enjoyed their product for years, but my last cruise with them was early 2017.  I felt there was a stream of customer unfriendly policies that continues to this day.  That doesn't stop me from visiting the NCL boards and occasionally making comments, not necessarily negative, but that seems to be the way NCL has been going.  It took several years of offensive policy before they alienated me to the point I no longer book with them.  I've seen others post on the forum questioning why people like myself still comment if we no longer sail NCL, but it wasn't like it happened overnight.  I had some truly fantastic cruises and would sail NCL again if the conditions were right, but as NCL moves further and further away from what I'm interested in I find I look at that forum and the NCL website less and less. 

 

Perhaps it's a somewhat vain effort to get others involved to try get the attention of the cruise line to understand they're alienating previously loyal people.  In some rare cases I've seen it work.  I'd say that's most likely why I will continue to call out MSC for policies I feel are customer unfriendly.  I've enjoyed most of my MSC cruises, but that doesn't stop me from criticizing the parts I don't like nor checking out the competition.  I've been on Cruise Critic longer than this user profile suggests, after a while you see that posters will eventually move on to other cruise lines or just leave this site, and possibly cruising, altogether.  To me seeing people post complaints is a normal thing, eventually they either move along as I have or otherwise either things improve or they accept the offense and they stay with the line.

Edited April 16, 2019 by Até

[1fifthavenue]

1 hour ago, MrMike45 said:

I guess the gist of what I am asking is...for those who have complaints about a particular cruise line (not talking the 1 post disappearing people) and are critical of them, do you go back?  Do you try another cruise line, and find those problems did not exist?  If so, which line?  Or if not, do you vacation another way?  

We cruised once with NCL, after having two cruises with MSC. We really didn't like the NCL Epic and the cruise we had for various reasons which are irrelevant to this post, but with that being said we don't go back to the NCL boards, join their Facebook groups etc as we know people who enjoy NCL and that there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to cruising.

 

After that experience we decided to stick with MSC as we know the product very well, we know what our holiday will be like etc

[Nashna]

     Interesting question.  I have relied on reviews and opinions on CC for years.  I find cruise critic to be the most negative of all the review sites.  Perhaps, it is due to the fact that the hosts tend to let the posters state their negative options at will.  I joined a FB HAL site prior to my January cruise.  Like many FB sites, they are monitored by the cruise line or a travel agent who specializes in promoting the cruise line.  Complaints are squashed.  Posts are removed.  I was thrown off the site when I replied to a mother who asked if HAL would be a good option for her 5, 8, and 9-year-old children.  My suggestion that she would be much better off on RCCL, was not received well.  I was warned that I would be thrown off the site if I mentioned other cruise lines.  Since I had already decided that we probably would not be sailing HAL in the future, I suggested that the mother check out RCCL's web site and HAL's to compare their children's programs.  I am now banned.

     I would rather deal with the negative posts on CC to get honest opinions than to experience the false narratives on other sites.  We have not sailed on MSC.  We are scheduled to sail in January.   In the meantime, I am enjoying perusing the MSC CC boards to learn as much as I can about the cruise line prior to sailing.  

[Ariel1985]

My husband and I are about to go on our 6th cruise, and I feel like I have good discernment/can read between the lines of negative reviews. We've never been on MSC, but I'm really trying to talk him into cruising on the Seaside. The ship looks amazing, and the YC experience seems very reasonably priced. But I gotta be honest, the negative reviews are very concerning. The complaints seem to be significant and consistent. We'll probably end up taking the chance but still... 

[deliver42]

I've been on quite a  few cruises , including, NCL, Carnival, Royal, Princess, MSC, Carnival. The only one I won't go back to is Carnival. Not that I didn't enjoy myself, but their service lags the other lines, and I'm not crazy about their ships. I find MSC to be pretty much on a par with the others. Some things better, and some not as good, but I've been on the Divina twice, and am booked on the Meraviglia for next year.

[BermudaBound2014]

Perhaps you are looking at this subject too linear? Many factors are considered when selecting a cruise. Critiquing/comparing lines on cc is incredibly valuable for me in making a decision. I appreciate all the good, bad, and ugly reviews of all cruise lines. 

 

Example- For me, MSC Offers a good value. I consider it a budget line. I find service, food, entertainment lacking when compared other lines, but I don’t expect Champaign on a beer budget. That is my opinion- some may consider it negative toward MSC but that isn’t the case. When priced right,  MSC is one of the best values sailing.

 

But pricing isn’t the only consideration. DH likes  lots of onboard activities (ifly, flow-rider, zero gravity drop slides, etc...). MSC isn’t the right fit for him unless of course the value and itinerary  overcame those deficits.

 

I had an excellent value based girls trip in the YC on divina. However; last year the girls passed on MSc because the price wasn’t low enough. We all enjoyed MSc very much but agreed that for just a little more $,  celebrity would provide (for us) better food and service this making it the better value. 

 

These are all my opinions that could be considered negative - but then again, my experience may help someone choose their best value (which is most certainly different than mine).

 

PS- I’ve found that the MSC forum has the least “cheerleading”. Even those most vocally loyal to MSC acknowledge the companies shortcomings. I believe this forum to be exceptional in terms of helpfulness and overall accuracy (or at least as accurate as one can be with MSc policy changing). Those interested in a MSC  cruise would be well served to spend some time here to see if MSc is the right fit. 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

While researching our first MSC cruise (coming up in September), I decided that there are really four MSC cruise experiences [not to be confused with the official 'Experiences' you choose with your cabin ]:  (1-2)  Florida-based YC; (2) Med-based YC; (3) Florida-based non-YC; and (4) Med-based non-YC.  

 

It is often difficult to figure out which of the four is involved until you are deep into a review.  But if it starts out negative, chances are very high it is a non-YC review and somewhat high that it is an American on a Med-based cruise.  

 

At least that is what I hope, as DW and I are looking forward to a YC cruise in the Med – and we are ready to say 'Vive le différence [except that we don't know how to say it in Italian ] about the Italian-ness of MSC. 

[thecruisers6]

17 hours ago, Mattnvick said:

 

 

I am fairly new to cruising only been doing it about 3 years but enjoy it very much. 

 

However on reading negative things posted on c.c. f/b etc the thing i have wondered many times is do a lot of people who  cruise either

A. Like to  complain more than peope who take other types of vacations  or

B. Have highter expectations and or standards.

 

You read some peoples complaints and think honestly if you are that upset maybe you should stay home or do a different type of vacation.

I struggle to understand the complaints such as no towel animals ruined my holiday or towels or sheets weren't changed every day or of the 200 or so items in a buffet it was the same every day.....

 

Ranks up there with British travel agents  releasing the funniest complaints ( "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels." Or the best one ever 

"The beach was too sandy.")😂😂

 

They truly do walk among us......

This is so true. 

There are 2 fairly regular posts that are quite hard for me to understand. 

1. “I spent half my cruise in line at customer service”.

I’ve seen this regularly across most of the main boards except one. 

Why oh why if this is genuine, do the posters keep returning to say the same thing? Move on and stop reliving your nightmare, life is too short. Also, did you not think the bars, pools or restaurants were a better place to hang out? 😀

 

2, “I had a terrible cruise on xxx (all lines except one) but I’m coming back for more”.

No - please don’t. 

Again this is a form of self-harm and bad for your health. You are setting yourself up for a miserable cruise subconsciously, looking out for anything to say “I knew it” or “it’s even worse”.  

 

Most bizarre discussion I’ve had onboard a ship was a gentleman who said “this is not up to my usual standard, I’m used to a queens grill suit on Cunard”. Turns out he was with a group of family members that were enjoying their cruise and he didn’t know why. He was sat with his DW who was looking almost suicidal. 

They really are among us and on the seven seas 😳 so sad. 

 

[Markanddonna]

We've been on about eighteen cruises with experiences from penthouse suites to guarantee insides with five lines over eighteen years. I am past the "being in awe of cruising" stage and generally am content because I set my expectations low. With that attitude, most cruises are very positive experiences.

 

My favorite cruises tend to be the Transatlantic and Transpacific cruises. Therefore, my cruise is more of a very pleasant experience to get to my target destination. 

 

I've written lots of reviews, not to complain but to be helpful and inform.  I find that really negative reviews have a bitter spirit behind them, and they help no one, including the reviewer. "Totally inedible food, all the staff were rude, my cabin was never cleaned, etc." tells more about the person than the actual cruise and therefore are dismissed. I also don't highly value 100% positive, first-time cruisers reviews. I read reviews for guidance.

 

Also, readers need to consider the subtle messages in a review. If you are in majority and booked an inside, oceanview or regular balcony cabin, a review from someone who has secluded themselves in the Haven or Yacht club isn' of much help. That's a different world. And, as others have mentioned, people who judge mainline cruise companies against the higher priced luxury lines, do the readers a disservice. Many of us think "Yeah, I could go on four of my less expensive cruises for what you just paid for yours." 

 

We each need to judge what is important to us and what fits our budget.  Can you imagine not needing to consider what you can afford?

 

 

[MrMike45]

Appreciate all the responses, and this not turning argumentative.  

 

The goal of my post was to hopefully see the constructive side of the criticism that some people have/post about, and also to get an idea of what other options out there don't have those same issues.  This is a public forum.  People can post whatever they want (as long as within the rules by the mods).  It can be a detailed negative review with some knowledgeable shared things to avoid in the future, or something as simply as "NCL/MSC SUCKS!".  They have that right.  And I have the right to read/respond or to keep it moving.  Basic premise on message boards.  

 

But as someone else said...when 3 of the major cruise lines all have a bunch of negative complaints, and most of those complaints are similar in nature...i'm interested to hear what the alternatives are.  

[Into Cruising]

Mr Mike,   I, too, feel that many on the boards here take the title of Cruise Critic, literally.   They feel this is the place to be critical.  I have found that many of the posts must be taken with a box of salt.  However there are a few enlightened travelers on here  that I value their comments and opinions.  

 

I was never expected to "ace" every test/exam, and I knew there was always a scale  for the level of "competence" I exhibited.  If I passed, I was elated.   Some subjects were "easier" for me, and i got better grades there.  Some were harder for me and my grades showed that.   However, my grades had no connection to which subject I liked the best.    

 

The same goes for how I view ships, and I have been on plenty.   Ships from a specific line many times have different scores.   Many here will disqualify an entire line on their experience with one ship on one specific sailing.   They are not travelers, they are vacationers.

 

This week there is a Carnival ship that had to delay embarkation of passengers until 4:00 PM.  All of those poor people who arrived early or even on time with expectations of getting on board early were inconvenienced.   Their actual cruise  may go without further mishap and actually be very enjoyable, with perfect weather  and excellent service and food.   Nevertheless, I would expect to see a myriad of "criticism"   with many vacationers writing off Carnival and perhaps cruising in general.  

 

Travelers take it in stride and  accept the "adventure" of travel.

 

Being a Traveler has nothing to do with how many cruises you have been on, it has more to do with your attitude and expectations of travel.

 

Just my take on it,  I accept these forums being "critical"  and simply glean whatever value I can from the actual travelers on here.

[MrMike45]

@Into Cruising that is an excellent view on it.  I really like the Traveler v. Vacationer premise.  

[Stockjock]

I find many of the criticisms, but not all, to be valid.  I am always hopeful that the cruiselines review some of these criticisms to improve service.

I personally have a mixed relationship with MSC.  Their ships are beautiful, but I've had some many maddening experiences which I've detailed elsewhere.  I wouldn't take much for them to greatly improve service and their customer experiences.

Yes, some people just like to complain, yet there is legitimacy in many of the gripes.  The cruiselines can and should learn from them and the customers need to be made aware of them, in my view.

[jean87510]

Interesting subject. I've been lurking and asking some questions on both ncl (now on the pearl for my first ncl experience) and MSc in January. It's difficult  to decipher at times the reviews and comments because  of the critics view of their experience.  I try to pick through what will interest me (Internet speed, gym, thermal suites, specialty restaurants). The chair hogs, towel animals and dining room service critiques I just scroll through.  I don't really stay in suites or balconies because  I sleep better in inside cabins. And of course they are cheaper. I prefer reading cruise critic reviews rather then Facebook because of the over moderating.  

[Bluewake]

I read the reviews but tend to discount reviews or posts that don't demonstrate any sort of balance...where the reviewer characterizes everything as being all good or all bad instead of pointing not only the negatives but also the positives.  There are so many different factors that contribute to the quality of a cruise...itinerary, cabin, price, excursions, service, food, activities and amenities, entertainment, condition of the ship, service reps/agents, fellow passengers, debarkation, and other aspects.  Each of us places a different priority on these various factors...some matter more and some matter less. In 25+ cruises, I've never been on the perfect cruise or the perfectly bad cruise...it has always been the case that I've been pleased with some of those aspects and less pleased with others.  However, for some folks, there can be one particular "make or break" factor that colors their overall perception of the entire cruise or even the cruiseline.  I just don't  view a cruise or cruiseline in that way.   

 

 

[Toofarfromthesea]

Interesting thread, but I don't get the thread title.  Giving opinions about opinions seems like the opposite of objective.  Nothing in the thread had to do with objectivity.🤷‍♂️

[tobyt]

I don’t consider myself an expert but as a many time NCL and now a recent MSC and more a reader than poster on CC. I thought I would weigh in. We liked our Seaside winter cruise. We had asked everyone we knew who cruised if they had done MSC without finding a human person that one of us knew to discuss the pros and cons...finally I pulled the trigger. Below are my thoughts random and hopefully it will help the process for someone else...

i use a big retail warehouse travel agency, I like the service and they have always had awesome pricing. With MSC they were not booking...hmmm kind of odd  but ok I booked direct with the cruise line. I had looked at many horror stories here about MSC service but beyond some challenges getting my level match no concern. Level match took many many emails and too many phone calls but in the end since they did not match us to black it was not time well spent.

And because of my need for full disclosure I really only cared about the big giant chocolate ship!

We arrived in port right around noon, no issues boarding, busy yes a bit of a line yes but not an issue.

We are trying to travel lighter and each had a backpack and small suitcase which we carried on. Rooms had not been released but the steward kindly let us dump them off no worry and a nice gesture.

Room was fine, we always book an inside, this one was fine size wise and we found it adequate. I will say the rug was kind of dirty like they needed a better vacuum, lots of ground in sand.

Lack of a dining room option for lunch and buffet only was a downer not a shock since I read it here but a downgrade from other lines. I like to start my trip with a limited stress lunch. 

We did it several lunches in the dining room during the week. We enjoyed it service and food were a better fit for relaxation. On the topic of food, some things we liked some not so much. We had early seating at a table for two. Our server was perhaps a bit more reserved than other lines but by the end of the week he had warmed up. We loved the head waiter he was a formidable looking gentlemen but wow after you spoke with him friendly and a delight to chat with!

Buffet was fine for breakfast.

Some oddities no omelets on port days, only one meringue cookie each day just a different color, late night snacks opened at a specific time until which not a dessert to be had...around 1030 on the way back to room I like to have a tea and a couple if cookies...only option pizza and a few American entrees..like hamburgs and hot dogs, none of which worked with my nightly tea! I will say the coupons for drinks made for a trip to the service desk. It was cleared up easily enough but I only knew because of reading here to ask for those coupons. They were a great addition to the limited drink package, good on marvelous gelato and hot chocolate and worth the bit of time to get them!

There was nothing earth shattering or cruise breaking of the so called issues on food!

Entertainment was amazing! The MJ show on the last night was not to be missed! We made all our reservations for each show online with the TV no problems. At times no one checked and there were plenty of seats, others not so much.

We did enjoy the shows but as mentioned by others there is a sameness after a couple of nights but we were not home surfing online and watching Big Bang reruns! We love the game show type entertainment and while they had some it was limited in scope during the week and always packed. Cruise director was visible and seemed interested in feedback and open to making updates.

Ship was very pretty lots of glitter and glam. At times crowded but generally not an issue. Pools and outdoor space was exceptionally limited with the space for the Yacht club and another really taking some prime real estate. We missed a outdoor promamade for walking.

Ports were nothing new but the times in port were unusual and might have been problematic if this had been our first trip. We do like the private island experience which was not part of this cruise but that is on me for picking this itinerary. We love St. Martin and we wanted to be there post hurricane and spend some funds. The island outside of town has made slow progress. Please if you are going and even if you have been to St Thomas or St Martin many times consider helping simply by bringing back the tourist dollars! Soapbox over 🙂

We spent one morning in the Thermo spa (freebie with the loyalty match). It was dark and we would never buy it somehow it felt like an afterthought. I have purchased passes on NCL and Princess and enjoyed them very much but this one was not a place I would spend time.

 

Ok well that ended up far longer than I anticipated but I hope it helps. Go in with an open mind, enjoy the differences and at least give it a try.

We have a rotational way of cruising to keep things interesting. The cruise lines aren’t loyal to me and there are few perks of interest so I try to book a different line frequently based on price, ports and to keep shows, menus and everything as fresh as possible! We will be back on MSC if the stars and price align! Happy Cruising to all!

[DCGuy64]

I appreciate the thread and the topic. I, too, have often wondered why some of my fellow travelers put themselves through the same nightmarish situations time after time. Ultimately, as the OP suggests, it's their money and time, and I guess their right to come on CC and complain. I'm glad someone else chimed in about the perils of posting negative information on a board that's owned or patrolled by a particular cruise line. As much as some (I emphasize, some) negative reviews are annoying, I'd rather have that than exclusively cheerleader reviews. There needs to be balance. I suspect those of us who read lots of reviews have gotten pretty savvy about reading between the lines and knowing which reviews are helpful, balanced, etc. and which aren't. There's some quote out there to the effect of "take what you want, ignore the rest" and that's been a good motto for me. Thanks again for the thread.

[DCGuy64]

On ‎4‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 12:12 PM, Mattnvick said:

 

 

I am fairly new to cruising only been doing it about 3 years but enjoy it very much. 

 

However on reading negative things posted on c.c. f/b etc the thing i have wondered many times is do a lot of people who  cruise either

A. Like to  complain more than peope who take other types of vacations  or

B. Have highter expectations and or standards.

 

You read some peoples complaints and think honestly if you are that upset maybe you should stay home or do a different type of vacation.

I struggle to understand the complaints such as no towel animals ruined my holiday or towels or sheets weren't changed every day or of the 200 or so items in a buffet it was the same every day.....

 

Ranks up there with British travel agents  releasing the funniest complaints ( "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels." Or the best one ever 

"The beach was too sandy.")😂😂

 

They truly do walk among us......

That one got an audible guffaw from me. Thanks! :-)

[ready2cruzagain]

On 4/16/2019 at 11:13 AM, MrMike45 said:

Posting this on both NCL and MSC forums, which might be against the rules.  If so, mods, please remove one, and sorry....

 

Background - we are platinum plus on NCL. Our next cruise w/ NCL is less than 30 days away.  We are also booked for our first cruise on MSC for October of this year, and will be going on a Carnival cruise in June 2020 for a "destination wedding" family thing.  

 

Have been a member of CC for awhile.  Mostly troll, post here and there.  But I read alot of the posts.  And being booked on MSC and Carnival now, I am also reading alot on their sections of the forum as well, and have posted on the MSC forum a bit recently.  

 

So here's the thing...for all 3 lines, about 1/3rd (maybe even 1/2) of the posts are negative.  Criticism of the service, the prices, the perks, the offers, lack of deals, repetitive deals, etc. etc. etc.  If I was a first time cruiser...I would run for the hills!  Luckily, I have been on 16 cruises so I know alot of what people post can be taken with a grain of salt, and until I experience it for myself, I chalk it up to a random bad experience.  

 

But on an overview.  To those who post negative reviews, comments and criticisms...I am curious as to what you find "worth it" in terms of vacationing?  Is it another cruise line?  Bearing in mind, that the price you pay on NCL or MSC or Carnival is not what you will pay on a luxury cruise line...so do you save up for one of those trips?  Is it a land based vacation, deeming all cruises have dropped in quality?  If so...why are you posting on CRUISE critic?  

 

This is not meant to start a flame war or a bunch of argumentative posts.  I am just curious.  My wife does not fly (major fear).  So for us, it is either drive or cruise.  But maybe we are missing out on the best options when it comes to cruising.

 

Thanks 

 

 

I must say that I think some people on Cruise Critic take the "critic" part to seriously and think that all they should do is pick things apart. 

 

We read reviews and take them with a grain of salt.  We have sailed Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, NCL and MSC. If I would have believed some of the reviews, we would never have cruised. 

 

MSC gets the worst I think but yet we sailed 32 days on the Divina this past Nov/Dec and loved it.  Were there things they could improve on, YES but did it ruin our cruise NO.  As a matter of fact, we are booked for 28 days this Nov/Dec on the Seaside.   The reviews for NCL Epic are horrible, we sailed anyways and it is one of our favorite ships.  Have sailed a total of 36 days on the Epic.

 

Some of the reviews come across as that person had not one second of a good time and they enjoyed nothing.  I really find that hard to believe.  To me they are doing the "critic" part and forgetting to mention the good.