Do you think...

[It'sRC4ME]

...Fewer people using travel agents means more folks coming to these boards with questions along the lines of "What do you mean I can't put the diapered baby in the pool / can't wear shorts to dinner in the dining room / can't get free soda / can't smuggle booze on" etc?

 

I think TA's used to know their customer and make sure they were aware of any policies/norms on the cruise that would effect them before they booked their vacation. I seriously doubt that everyone reads their way through the entire RC website before booking, so they miss "rules" that might negatively effect their vacation.

[Merion_Mom]

...Fewer people using travel agents means more folks coming to these boards with questions along the lines of "What do you mean I can't put the diapered baby in the pool / can't wear shorts to dinner in the dining room / can't get free soda / can't smuggle booze on" etc?

 

I think TA's used to know their customer and make sure they were aware of any policies/norms on the cruise that would effect them before they booked their vacation. I seriously doubt that everyone reads their way through the entire RC website before booking' date=' so they miss "rules" that might negatively effect their vacation.[/quote']

 

That's one theory.

 

I think that this board is simply a better source of information than an awful lot of the travel agents out there.

 

I know that there are many highly-qualified and knowledgeable agents out there, but I also know that there are quite a few duds.

 

The people who ask questions like the ones you mention actually have to know something about cruising in order to ask those questions!

 

People come to Cruise Critic because more and more, the internet is the primary source of information for people. This trend is not unique to cruising.

 

JMO.

 

YMMV.

 

:)

[Gonzo70]

Another factor is that cruisng is becoming more popular, so a wider variety of people are now cruisimg. A big reason the dress code has become more lax on RCL is they keep building larger and larger ships and need to expand their customer base. As such they have been more flexible with attire in the main dining room. They are suceeding in growing their customer base, but some of the newer cruisers have different etiquette, values, and customs than more traditional cruisers.

[cb at sea]

I think everyone should get the cruise brochure from whatever cruiseline they are sailing and READ IT! All of the answers to all of these questions are in the book for all to see! It amazes me how folks just book "willy-nilly" and know NOTHING about the cruiseline, the ship, the traditions, etc.... that are expected of the passenger! Not to mention, they have no idea where their cabin is located, or even what KIND of cabin they booked! Staggering! Spending all this money on something they know nothing about!

Research of some kind is critical when planning ANY vacation!

[iheartbda]

I agree with all the previous posters but it must be remembered that it's still a small percentage of the cruising public that use these boards or know about them for that matter.

[Apoggi]

I agree with all the previous posters but it must be remembered that it's still a small percentage of the cruising public that use these boards or know about them for that matter.

That is so true. We've gone on at least 15 RC cruises but until we did Radiance to Hawaii last year I had never heard of CC. Glad I found it because everyone here is so smart. Every question gets answered by someone who has been there, done that, etc.

Horray for CC!!!

[sicsinohio]

I think everyone should get the cruise brochure from whatever cruiseline they are sailing and READ IT! All of the answers to all of these questions are in the book for all to see! It amazes me how folks just book "willy-nilly" and know NOTHING about the cruiseline, the ship, the traditions, etc.... that are expected of the passenger! Not to mention, they have no idea where their cabin is located, or even what KIND of cabin they booked! Staggering! Spending all this money on something they know nothing about!

Research of some kind is critical when planning ANY vacation!

This is true of people considering any large purchase, whether it is a vacation, washing machine, car, house, etc. Many people can't be bothered to read up or ask questions, and then they complain when they don't get what they expected. Many TA's don't educate their patrons..perhaps it is expected that those with the means for leisure travel should have done that on their own. CC is a great resource for travel info, and not just for cruising. There are many websites, on just about every imaginable subject for people to research just about everything.

[lucky99]

...Fewer people using travel agents means more folks coming to these boards with questions along the lines of "What do you mean I can't put the diapered baby in the pool / can't wear shorts to dinner in the dining room / can't get free soda / can't smuggle booze on" etc?

 

I think TA's used to know their customer and make sure they were aware of any policies/norms on the cruise that would effect them before they booked their vacation. I seriously doubt that everyone reads their way through the entire RC website before booking' date=' so they miss "rules" that might negatively effect their vacation.[/quote']

 

 

 

Unfortunately, although a lot of people answering on these boards do have the correct knowledge it still remains "opinions". The difficult thing is to be able to know which one is fact and which is opinion. Some really do know the answer but.....You can ask a simple question like the "dress code" which gets asked each week just to add flavor to the mix and start arguments in some cases and you will get half the people say one thing and half the people say something else. I have cruised 31 times and I still say call the cruise line you are sailing with for cruise questions, call the people you are getting your passport from for those questions, and so on. Don't rely on opinion for the important questions. Like a RCI representative told me, they are very aware of this site and it is a lot of people with various opinions but not necessarily much fact. Just hard to tell who is blowing smoke and who really knows. Don't go by the number of cruises because I personally know a couple of the people that post out here and they list a bunch and only have been on 2 or 3. Don't go by the number of posts either, some have nothing more to do that sit here and post all day. It is a game to some unfortunately. Order a brochure from RCI or call them, they are very helpful.

[PantherFan]

That is so true. We've gone on at least 15 RC cruises but until we did Radiance to Hawaii last year I had never heard of CC. Glad I found it because everyone here is so smart. Every question gets answered by someone who has been there, done that, etc.

 

Horray for CC!!!

 

Same with us, my husband found out about this site from someone on a cruise with us and we had been cruising since 2000. I am always picking up new tips here...

I faithfully check the board everyday--sometimes 2-3 times per day. :)

I try to be helpful to others as well.:D

I have nothing against TA's and have used them a couple times in the past but, I now feel comfortable doing my own planning directly and prefer doing it.

[isujim]

I believe, and am really convinced of this that RC is changing it's marketing strategy and going after a new market or generation of cruisers. The reasons given so far all have merit........but having just gotten off the Grandeur 2 weeks ago, I really think there is a "new" market of cruisers that RC is going after.............they really need to find out about blue jeans on formal night:) ..........and no I didn't see one person in blue jeans on formal night.......

[sleepless]

I think everyone should get the cruise brochure from whatever cruiseline they are sailing and READ IT! All of the answers to all of these questions are in the book for all to see! It amazes me how folks just book "willy-nilly" and know NOTHING about the cruiseline, the ship, the traditions, etc.... that are expected of the passenger! Not to mention, they have no idea where their cabin is located, or even what KIND of cabin they booked! Staggering! Spending all this money on something they know nothing about!

Research of some kind is critical when planning ANY vacation!

 

 

I agree with cb at sea. I am new to cruising, so new that my first cruise is not until March of 2008. I did read the Royal Carribbean book cover to cover. Infact, I read the Carnival and Princess books cover to cover also before deciding. Their internet web sites helped me with my final decision of Royal Carribbean, Jewel of the Seas, Eastern Carribbean. All necessary information pertaining to cruising is in '"the book".

 

What makes CC extremely valuable is the unpublished information. Reading these boards helped me in choosing a cabin. From "the book" I understood the differences in cabin catagory - JS, D1, E1, OV and inside. I knew that I wanted a balcony and choose the D1 because it is bigger then the E cabin. CCI enlightened to the value of an aft balcony cabin and a hump balcony vs a standard balcony cabin. I felt knowledgable when I finially booked my cruise, and knew enough to ask for a hump cabin on deck 9.

 

Another piece of useful information learned from CC is arrival time for embarkation. "The book" states 2pm as the time for first embarkation, and it is my understanding the cruise documents support this time. However from CC I learned that I can get to port earlier, and be on the ship before noon and enjoy lunch onboard.

 

CC members are great at sharing knowedge of the ships that is unpublished. Special things about the ship like the crepe's on the Jewel.

 

Thanks CC for all of the great information.

[Merion_Mom]

Unfortunately, although a lot of people answering on these boards do have the correct knowledge it still remains "opinions". The difficult thing is to be able to know which one is fact and which is opinion. Some really do know the answer but.....You can ask a simple question like the "dress code" which gets asked each week just to add flavor to the mix and start arguments in some cases and you will get half the people say one thing and half the people say something else. I have cruised 31 times and I still say call the cruise line you are sailing with for cruise questions, call the people you are getting your passport from for those questions, and so on. Don't rely on opinion for the important questions. Like a RCI representative told me, they are very aware of this site and it is a lot of people with various opinions but not necessarily much fact. Just hard to tell who is blowing smoke and who really knows. Don't go by the number of cruises because I personally know a couple of the people that post out here and they list a bunch and only have been on 2 or 3. Don't go by the number of posts either, some have nothing more to do that sit here and post all day. It is a game to some unfortunately. Order a brochure from RCI or call them, they are very helpful.

Unfortunately, a lot of the people who answer the phone at Royal Caribbean don't have the correct knowledge!

 

Relatively few of those phone answering customer service people have ever been on a cruise.

 

Call RC five times, and you can usually get five different answers to the same question, usually contradictory.

 

There may be different opinions on this board, but that is because we are all individuals, with our own backgrounds, experiences, preferences and needs. As long as everyone understands that, opinions are very valuable.

 

It is frustrating receiving misinformation from "the source", which you seem to promote over all other options.

 

JMO.

 

YMMV.

[JF4300]

Another reason people are turning away from TA and going direct with RCCI is due to the change a few years ago when they stopped giving discounts to the TA. Without discounts and commission the TA's have no incentive to do anything other than book the cruise.

 

My brick & mortar agent could not give any discount on RCCI and stopped giving welcome aboard gifts because they were not getting enough from the cruise line.

 

I don't know about other cruise lines, but I find it at least more convenient to deal directly with RCCI. They are quick, efficient and courteous when taking the booking. So far no problems.

 

JMHO

[Ocean Boy]

Like a RCI representative told me, they are very aware of this site and it is a lot of people with various opinions but not necessarily much fact. Just hard to tell who is blowing smoke and who really knows. Don't go by the number of cruises because I personally know a couple of the people that post out here and they list a bunch and only have been on 2 or 3. Don't go by the number of posts either, some have nothing more to do that sit here and post all day. It is a game to some unfortunately. Order a brochure from RCI or call them, they are very helpful.

 

Unfortunately, some RCI reps don't necessarily have much fact either. There is incorrect info on the RCI web site ie. Voyager class ships having a class covered adult solarium. And the brochures have a disclaimer that RCI is not responsible for any inncorect info contained there in.

 

There is plenty of opinion and incorrect information to go around but on the whole I think the amount of cruising info that we posters bring to these boards is staggering and make this place a great cruisers' resource.

[lucky99]

Unfortunately, a lot of the people who answer the phone at Royal Caribbean don't have the correct knowledge!

 

Relatively few of those phone answering customer service people have ever been on a cruise.

 

Call RC five times, and you can usually get five different answers to the same question, usually contradictory.

 

There may be different opinions on this board, but that is because we are all individuals, with our own backgrounds, experiences, preferences and needs. As long as everyone understands that, opinions are very valuable.

 

It is frustrating receiving misinformation from "the source", which you seem to promote over all other options.

 

JMO.

 

YMMV.

 

 

It is frustrating receiving misinformation form "any source". All I am saying is this is an opinion site. I have also received misinformation from the cruise lines but this site you can ask a question and get 40 different answers and who knows which is correct. If you have an important question you need a better source. Like a passport question would be better asked to someone who isn't going to say "oh you will be fine", and you get to the port and find out you can't sail because of someones opinion. I don't think the answer of "I read it on cruise critic" will work. Things that are non important fine, take a survey and add up the answers and go with the majority.

 

The problem may be a new person to this site and cruising doesn't necessarily realize it is just opinions. And opinions are great, they are like noses, everyone has one. Some of the information on here is good and some people really do know the correct answer. What I was trying to say is it is difficult sometimes to tell the difference.

[lucky99]

Unfortunately, some RCI reps don't necessarily have much fact either. There is incorrect info on the RCI web site ie. Voyager class ships having a class covered adult solarium. And the brochures have a disclaimer that RCI is not responsible for any inncorect info contained there in.

 

There is plenty of opinion and incorrect information to go around but on the whole I think the amount of cruising info that we posters bring to these boards is staggering and make this place a great cruisers' resource.

 

The amount of opinion and incorrect information is staggering. It is a good resource sometimes. It can be very entertaining. I deal with legal documents and there will be a document always included for incorrect information and typos to hold harmless.

[Ocean Boy]

The amount of opinion and incorrect information is staggering. It is a good resource sometimes. It can be very entertaining. I deal with legal documents and there will be a document always included for incorrect information and typos to hold harmless.

 

A good number of the questions asked here warrant being answered with opinion. It is true that incorrect information does get into the threads but there are usually plenty of responses to point it out and to correct it.

 

This is still one of the best resources around. I've educated a few travel agents from what I've learned here over the years.

[It'sRC4ME]

What I also notice about the information that many people post here, is that it could use a disclaimer that things change over time and vary from ship to ship. Just because you were allowed to order whatever drink you wanted at the captain's reception on Jewel of the Seas three years ago doesn't mean that someone sailing on Voyager next week is going to encounter the same perk.

 

Plus, there is so much stuff that's really subjective, like the dress code. I find that most people make an effort to dress nicely, what what "nice" is varies by the person and their circumstances.