seeking positive feedback about cruising or is it really that bad?

[World Gallery]

My husband and I are long time cruisers.  We have tried most cruise lines and have been on a variety of itineraries over the years. I have been a CC member for over 12 years. This is the 3rd attempt to research and book a cruise.  I am overwhelmed by the negative reviews in general, so I am considering just doing land trips, but we know we are "cruisers by nature" because you see more, and we love the convenience.  We are hoping to do a British Isles cruise either July, Aug., or Sept of 2023.  I was about to book Viking Venus but starting reading about how shore excursions and diner reservation are done by category (and you won't get your choice if not in top Cat.) along with many other negative points.  Looked in Oceania Riviera and the reviews are so negative I stopped reading. Regal Princess and NCL Dawn, negative reviews. I am hoping to hear what is still good and positive about cruising or should I wait until things recover a bit longer from Covid?  Is it really that bad?  I have not been on a cruise in 4 years.  Also, any feedback about a British Isles cruise getting positive reviews, it would be appreciated.  We are open to any cruise line. PS I meant this post for the "Other" forum. 

Edited August 10, 2022 by World Gallery
wrong forum and didn't know how to delete

[OneSixtyToOne]

Have you tried a river cruise? I actually prefer it to ocean cruising. You have much more time in port and the attractions are closer to where you dock. The scenery is wonderful. The ship is more intimate and you get to know many of the passengers. Plus there are no dinner reservations because everyone eats dinner together at the same time. It’s a much different experience than ocean cruising.

Edited August 10, 2022 by OneSixtyToOne

[Host Jazzbeau]

I combined your two threads and moved it to Ask a Cruise Question, which I believe is the proper forum for this question.  [Other Cruise Lines gets very little traffic.]

 

Since last September DW and I have taken 7 cruises, and we are completely Positive about all of them.  Four were on Noble Caledonia Hebridean Sky, a British cruise line that sails two of the original Renaissance ships [the generation before the 'R-ships' that Azamara and Oceania sail] with fewer than 100 passengers.  One was on Oceania Riviera, and despite the constantly changing itinerary forced by Caribbean islands last-minute Covid policy changes we had a wonderful time.  The other two were River Cruises – on AMA and Scenic – and we enjoyed both of them as well.

 

We have sailed on Viking Ocean in the past and did not experience any issues of being squeezed out by the top suites, but we had a Penthouse Veranda which you consider being in the top suite category... 

 

I haven't seen the negative reviews you refer to – because I rarely read the Reviews section of Cruise Critic.  It seems to get a lot of 'one post wonders' who only join to vent.  The reviews, 'live from's, and comments on the CC Boards for each cruise line are IMO a much better gauge of the pluses and minuses and overall quality.

 

You do have to go with a more tolerant attitude toward unexpected changes and possible service shortfalls due to staffing issues [e.g. when the entire production show cast came down with Covid on the second day of our Riviera cruise and the entertainment director had to scramble the guest artist schedule to keep the lights on].  But if you are 'cruisers by nature' you will still have a good time and appreciate the things that cruising uniquely offers.

[gunnywife]

I'm booked on British Isles cruise in June on Princess. I read the reviews but take them with a grain of salt.  Each person has their own particular likes and dislikes.  You can look at one review and the food is terrible, then look at another and it's great.  It's the same with cabins, entertainment, crew, etc.

As long as I don't have to cook or clean and I'm fine.

Just find a cruise with an itinerary you would like at a price you can afford and go for it.

[Honolulu Blue]

8 hours ago, World Gallery said:

My husband and I are long time cruisers.  We have tried most cruise lines and have been on a variety of itineraries over the years. I have been a CC member for over 12 years. This is the 3rd attempt to research and book a cruise.  I am overwhelmed by the negative reviews in general, so I am considering just doing land trips, but we know we are "cruisers by nature" because you see more, and we love the convenience.  We are hoping to do a British Isles cruise either July, Aug., or Sept of 2023.  I was about to book Viking Venus but starting reading about how shore excursions and diner reservation are done by category (and you won't get your choice if not in top Cat.) along with many other negative points.  Looked in Oceania Riviera and the reviews are so negative I stopped reading. Regal Princess and NCL Dawn, negative reviews. I am hoping to hear what is still good and positive about cruising or should I wait until things recover a bit longer from Covid?  Is it really that bad?  I have not been on a cruise in 4 years.  Also, any feedback about a British Isles cruise getting positive reviews, it would be appreciated.  We are open to any cruise line. PS I meant this post for the "Other" forum. 

I was onboard the Regal Princess in December.  I mostly enjoyed myself.  There were some little annoyances, but I felt they were overwhelmed by the positives.  This happened to be a themed cruise that sailed less than 30% full, so definitely YMMV.

 

But that's true of any single review you read of any ship or any cruise line.  I tend to "weigh" reviews by reading a lot of them.  If 48 people think a ship is the bee's knees, then maybe the two that are critical are the outliers.  Also, if 20 people complain about the same thing that happens to be important to me, then that holds a lot of weight.  Three people whining about things I don't care about have very little weight.

 

All the ships and cruise lines you mentioned have their fans - lots of them.  There are reasons for this.  But whatever ship you eventually decide to choose, I'm reasonably sure will give you a good time.  Have fun on your next cruise.

[Mary229]

As a person who at one time owned 4 internet retail stores I can tell you with certainty that most reviews are written by those who loved it and those who hated it.  Those who were merely satisfied may or may not write a review and if they do it will be simply a star rating with not a lot of verbiage.  Read reviews with that in mind.  
 

There have been issues in 2022.  I expected issues so I was actually pleasantly surprised how well most travel is functioning.  The things you mentioned about shore excursions are a reflection of land based operations not being quite up to pre pandemic levels.  The cruise ships by 2023 should be as you recalled in 2019 but perhaps more expensive as life and economics march on😉

 

By 2023 I am hoping land tour services, museums, airports and so on will also be fully staffed.  There are strong counter forces like the new work at home culture  and war working against us but we can hope.  

Edited August 10, 2022 by Mary229

[basenji56]

Having recently sailed on Oceania Riviera, it's hard for me to believe negative reviews unless it was about something port specific.  Wonderful ship, amazing food, hard working crew.

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, gunnywife said:

I'm booked on British Isles cruise in June on Princess. I read the reviews but take them with a grain of salt.  Each person has their own particular likes and dislikes.  You can look at one review and the food is terrible, then look at another and it's great.  It's the same with cabins, entertainment, crew, etc.

As long as I don't have to cook or clean and I'm fine.

Just find a cruise with an itinerary you would like at a price you can afford and go for it.

This! We have 32 days on cruise ships since March 1 of this year, including one of the best of our 25 cruises. Yes, Covid has caused a few changes and inconveniences, and nobody wants those, but cruising is still a great way to travel. Take the reviews with a grain of salt. People want everything to be perfect, and expect nothing to ever change from some previous experience if it was a great one. 

[Joebucks]

2 hours ago, gunnywife said:

You can look at one review and the food is terrible, then look at another and it's great.  It's the same with cabins, entertainment, crew, etc.

 

Pretty much this. The internet has given rise to Karens to complain about everything. For me, anytime I hear someone talk about how terrible all of *anything* is, I stop reading. Food is a big one. "Everything was poor quality, inedible, etc." 

 

That's not to say you can't have a critical review. You absolutely can. Some people are just miserable people though.

[wcook]

My opinion: Cruising is still awesome.  

[SargassoPirate]

A day at sea with a good book and a shady spot on the promenade to read, somewhere to get something to eat when I feel like it, a wee dram or three in the evening to sip while listening to some un-amplified music and I'm good.  Fifty-some cruises with Cunard, HAL, Viking, Princess, and RCI and I've only been on one ship on which I could hardly wait for the cruise to be over ( NCL Epic) and I've never booked another one with that line.

 

See my signature line below.

[alc13]

If you loved cruising in the past, you probably still will.  I believe it has become more expensive, I suppose due in part to rising fuel and labor costs.  The glitches and missteps because of covid are temporary.  I would say to expect a reasonable value for the money you choose to spend, but assume you might spend a little more these days.  And beyond that, trust the cruise business not to put themselves out of business with a shoddy product.

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Having recently sailed on Oceania Riviera, it's hard for me to believe negative reviews unless it was about something port specific.  Wonderful ship, amazing food, hard working crew.

Did Riviera earlier this year (and Insignia recently). Other than the expected port changes with shifting Covid et al. concerns, all was fine. 
OP needs to understand that far less than 10% of any particular cruise’s population participate in Cruise Critic and many of those only post when they’ve perceived some unhappiness.
BTW: we’ve done the Britain/Ireland circumnavigation on Oceania and it was terrific.

[wcook]

53 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

day at sea with a good book and a shady spot on the promenade to read

Alright… I know I’m mr “cruising is better now than ever” but this is a pet peeve of mine. Modern cruise ship design hates promenade decks. They’ve been reduced to the bare minimum to allow access to lifeboats. More than offset by all the improvements to ship design, but still a bummer. 

[Markanddonna]

I'll use myself as an example. I post about my two experiences (total of about 10 hours) of wild waves, but have cruised about a 1,000 hours. I really haven't had a bad cruise, so all my reviews are generally positive with a few honest comments that are negative. I agree that most reviews are from the super happy or the very dissatisfied.  It really throws off the accuracy. We did a marvelous 12 day transatlantic on the Anthem OTS and count it as some of the best days at sea we have ever had!

[jsn55]

8 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Have you tried a river cruise? I actually prefer it to ocean cruising. You have much more time in port and the attractions are closer to where you dock. The scenery is wonderful. The ship is more intimate and you get to know many of the passengers. Plus there are no dinner reservations because everyone eats dinner together at the same time. It’s a much different experience than ocean cruising.

River cruises are magic.  But we've found out that more than one dining venue needs to be available for dinner.  Can't bear a long meal in a stuffy huge noisy room every night. 

[jsn55]

13 hours ago, World Gallery said:

My husband and I are long time cruisers.  We have tried most cruise lines and have been on a variety of itineraries over the years. I have been a CC member for over 12 years. This is the 3rd attempt to research and book a cruise.  I am overwhelmed by the negative reviews in general, so I am considering just doing land trips, but we know we are "cruisers by nature" because you see more, and we love the convenience.  We are hoping to do a British Isles cruise either July, Aug., or Sept of 2023.  I was about to book Viking Venus but starting reading about how shore excursions and diner reservation are done by category (and you won't get your choice if not in top Cat.) along with many other negative points.  Looked in Oceania Riviera and the reviews are so negative I stopped reading. Regal Princess and NCL Dawn, negative reviews. I am hoping to hear what is still good and positive about cruising or should I wait until things recover a bit longer from Covid?  Is it really that bad?  I have not been on a cruise in 4 years.  Also, any feedback about a British Isles cruise getting positive reviews, it would be appreciated.  We are open to any cruise line. PS I meant this post for the "Other" forum. 

I'm a big fan of 'real-people' situations ... I read Ann Landers when I was a kid, and personal opinions have always been interesting to me.  So I read reviews ... lots and lots of reviews.  Cruises, hotels, Things to Do.  The whiners and dopes are so obvious that it's easy to just move on.  The 'gushing it's perfect' people are the same.  I've learned to look at the type of cabin before reading the review ... interesting that the pax who pay the least for an inside cabin often find enjoyment in almost everything.  Those in the expensive cabins are far more picky.  But their opinions are very informative.  By carefully reading many reviews of anything, I get a very clear picture.  I think people who cruise need to realize just 'what they're doing'.  You are a captive audience for the cruise duration.  You're the only one who can make or break your experience.  So seek out the good stuff, ignore or work around the negative stuff, and create a great experience.  People who sit back and expect perfection on a cruise are bound to be disappointed.

Edited August 10, 2022 by jsn55

[World Gallery]

These are excellent insights.  Thank you!

[Heidi13]

15 hours ago, World Gallery said:

My husband and I are long time cruisers.  We have tried most cruise lines and have been on a variety of itineraries over the years. I have been a CC member for over 12 years. This is the 3rd attempt to research and book a cruise.  I am overwhelmed by the negative reviews in general, so I am considering just doing land trips, but we know we are "cruisers by nature" because you see more, and we love the convenience.  We are hoping to do a British Isles cruise either July, Aug., or Sept of 2023.  I was about to book Viking Venus but starting reading about how shore excursions and diner reservation are done by category (and you won't get your choice if not in top Cat.) along with many other negative points.  Looked in Oceania Riviera and the reviews are so negative I stopped reading. Regal Princess and NCL Dawn, negative reviews. I am hoping to hear what is still good and positive about cruising or should I wait until things recover a bit longer from Covid?  Is it really that bad?  I have not been on a cruise in 4 years.  Also, any feedback about a British Isles cruise getting positive reviews, it would be appreciated.  We are open to any cruise line. PS I meant this post for the "Other" forum. 

 

We have also sailed with Viking and never experienced any of the issues you mentioned. Yes, we have read them, but they are mostly from pax new to Viking. Some people complaining just need to chill. These are our experiences with 4 months on Viking ships.

 

Shore-ex - we booked a DV, which is the 2nd last to book and never had any issues. We got every tour and even the preferred times we wanted. Many pax cancel tours and even the cruise, so even if they aren't available the day booking opens, they nearly always have spots available, at some time prior to the tour. Once onboard, they get more cancellations and the shore-ex staff can add resources to the tours. Since Viking doesn't tend to fill buses to capacity, you can often approach the staff on the dock and get added at the last minute.

 

Dinner Reservations - we don't know what we are eating tomorrow, so never make any reservations prior to boarding. We don't even make them once we get aboard, as we make a decision that day. I check the schedule on the cabin telly and always find something available within about 1/2 hr of our preference. We have also wandered down to the host/hostess desk on any given night and most nights have been accommodated.

[navybankerteacher]

7 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Having recently sailed on Oceania Riviera, it's hard for me to believe negative reviews unless it was about something port specific.  Wonderful ship, amazing food, hard working crew.

You are talking about a ship which does not share the mass-market approach to cost (and quality) cutting prevalent on lines like NCL, Carnival, Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean

[basenji56]

1 minute ago, navybankerteacher said:

You are talking about a ship which does not share the mass-market approach to cost (and quality) cutting prevalent on lines like NCL, Carnival, Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean

Yes.  Which is why this comment really stood out: "Looked in Oceania Riviera and the reviews are so negative I stopped reading."

 

[YourWorldWithBill]

19 hours ago, World Gallery said:

My husband and I are long time cruisers.  We have tried most cruise lines and have been on a variety of itineraries over the years. I have been a CC member for over 12 years. This is the 3rd attempt to research and book a cruise.  I am overwhelmed by the negative reviews in general, so I am considering just doing land trips, but we know we are "cruisers by nature" because you see more, and we love the convenience.  We are hoping to do a British Isles cruise either July, Aug., or Sept of 2023.  I was about to book Viking Venus but starting reading about how shore excursions and diner reservation are done by category (and you won't get your choice if not in top Cat.) along with many other negative points.  Looked in Oceania Riviera and the reviews are so negative I stopped reading. Regal Princess and NCL Dawn, negative reviews. I am hoping to hear what is still good and positive about cruising or should I wait until things recover a bit longer from Covid?  Is it really that bad?  I have not been on a cruise in 4 years.  Also, any feedback about a British Isles cruise getting positive reviews, it would be appreciated.  We are open to any cruise line. PS I meant this post for the "Other" forum. 

We were on a Viking cruise around Iceland last August, and another Viking cruise Athens-Venice in May. Both were great, and we had no problem booking the excursions we chose either time.  The same goes for dinners in the specialty restaurants. If an excursion you choose is very popular, it might be necessary to go online the day that you get the email that excursion bookings are becoming available and make the reservation. But overall, we loved both cruises!

[shipgeeks]

7 hours ago, wcook said:

Alright… I know I’m mr “cruising is better now than ever” but this is a pet peeve of mine. Modern cruise ship design hates promenade decks. They’ve been reduced to the bare minimum to allow access to lifeboats. More than offset by all the improvements to ship design, but still a bummer. 

Agree.  This is one of the reasons we continue to choose "older" ships.

[SargassoPirate]

21 hours ago, wcook said:

Alright… I know I’m mr “cruising is better now than ever” but this is a pet peeve of mine. Modern cruise ship design hates promenade decks. They’ve been reduced to the bare minimum to allow access to lifeboats. More than offset by all the improvements to ship design, but still a bummer. 

A wrap around full promenade is a must have for me.

 

I think the reason promenades are disappearing is that they don't produce any revenue per square foot. 

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

A wrap around full promenade is a must have for me.

 

I think the reason promenades are disappearing is that they don't produce any revenue per square foot. 

I always though they should put a portable bar out there serving alcoholic beverages and coffees