What do you like to see in a review?

[SusieV]

I always enjoy reading other people's cruise reviews but sometimes they don't cover all the areas I'm interested in reading about.

 

I'm interested in hearing what other people think should be "standard" review fodder. I've written one of my own here on Cruise Critic (link in signature) and I also have a trip blog, and I'd like to improve the quality of my reviews if I can!

 

I leave on the 27th for Florida for the next day's sailing of Constellation, and I will definitely write a review when I return!

[dforeigner]

The facts, just the facts.

[Keith1010]

SusieV, it's always great to read about the comments from others. Some people have more time than others to provide comments. Time permitting, it's nice to get an overview of the major aspects of the cruise including;

 

Embarkation Process Including Time of Embarkation.

Daytime and Evening Activities including Entertainment

Overall Quality of Food and Comments about dining venues.

Comments about Accomodations.

Comments about the overall Ship.

Comments about Service from the dining room to other areas of the ship.

Ports Visited and highlights. Comments about any ship offered shore excursions.

Disembarkation Process including times.

 

Keith

[C 2 C]

The category breakdown by Berlitz could be your "guide":

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=683119

 

The website for Berlitz:

http://www.berlitzcruising.com/ship-evaluations.htm

 

I don't know if everyone would place the same value on the different components that make up the final score:

Ship: 25%, Accommodation: 10%, Food: 20%, Service 20%, Entertainment 5%, Cruise Experience 20%.

 

I also believe the embarkation and disembarkation process is worthy of comment within the cruise experience.

[TRadle]

I like a well a balanced review: the good with the bad. I also like tips about the finds off the beaten path that would make my cruise more enjoyable.

 

I also enjoy reading about what people do in port or on the ship while in port.

 

 

Thanks for asking and enjoy your cruise!!:D

[Catnip]

I like a well a balanced review: the good with the bad.

 

Me, too.

[Squirrel's Mom]

Good points by all -- especially the balance issue. I don't expect every cruise to be flawless or "the best we ever had" but I also don't expect every element of a cruise to be a problem. Surely there was something you enjoyed -- if only the weather.

 

I would also want to know if you found something to be a particularly good or bad value -- especially in terms of time or money -- and why. For example, "the excursion to XYZ was expensive but we enjoyed it because it offered us the opportunity to do ABC". Or "the wine pairing in the specialty restaurant was a great price but because we were limited to certain entrees we didn't think it was a good choice for us". The "why" is a particularly important thing to include because it allows me to evaluate whether or not I might feel the same way.

 

I am not interested in what you were told by other cruisers or what you learned from reading others' comments here. For example, "our room was always made up when we returned from breakfast but people at our table said theirs was not" is not helpful or necessarily accurate. Or "we didn't have any problem with XYZ but I read that somebody else did". I reading your review and I want to learn from your experience.

 

Now, I'd like to ask a follow up question if I could. When is a review "too long"? Right now, I'm working on a review of our Alaskan CruiseTour (yes, I know the trip was in August and it is January but the Alaskan cruise season will be kicking off soon and someone might be interested :o ) but I find myself on page 9 and we haven't even gotten to Juneau yet! I am afraid that it's turning into more of a blog than a review.

 

When do you think a review crosses the line between the two?

 

Wishing you many happy cruises and looking forward to reading your reviews!

[C 2 C]

I'll gladly make up a template of all the ideas mentioned here as a check list when all the comments have been made.

I would also like to know the names of the people that we might experience on our sailing. For example the captain, hotel director, cruise director and Captain's Club host(ess). Individual waiters and cabin stewards are so numerous that we are unlikely to experience them personally. Restaurant managers and a Maitre'd who added to the dining experience above expectations might get a nod as well. However standouts like "Happy, Happy" or activities staff that did a great job and are recognizable to many cruisers would be worthy of mention.

One of the most rewarding aspects of cruising repeatedly with a cruise line is the feeling that you are part of the "family", an acknowledgment by crew and guest that you have met before and both appreciated the experience. It is always nice to have the feeling that you and staff are both "at home".

[leoandhugh]

while agreeing with the above posters concerning content, I would prefer a short succinct review rather than a verbose, detailed one. If I see a thread title with the word LONG after it, I dont even bother to read it. Some people just get carried away with trivial details on matters of personal opinion such as what kinds of their favorite booze is not available on board. Just my opinion on the matter and I am sure that there are others who love to read all that detail:)

[junglejane]

I like reviews to be organized by topic with headings. That way I can skip over the parts I'm not interested in. Some reviewers seem unfamiliar with the concept of paragraphs.

 

I'm most interested in opinions on Dining (service and food) and Entertainment. I would be interested in feedback on the kids program, but most reviews don't cover those. I generally think that problems with embarkation or disembarkation are sporadic and can happen on any cruise, so I don't usually pay too much attention to those. They are unlikely to affect my decision at all. But people seem to like to go on at length about them.

 

--Junglejane

[dsparku]

After being on these boards for two years,any review by Tuggers or Radio

(which by the way we have a real treat underway with both people now doing live reports) is well worth a read.You will get a fair,objective,sometimes amusing and always an entertaining review.The bonus is the great pictures from Radio.

[Muushka]

As has already mentioned:

 

1. PARAGRAPHS!! If it is just one big paragraph, I will not even bother to read it.

 

2. Bold headings as to what the paragraph is about:

 

Embarkation

 

Dining

 

Cabin

 

3. If you have to say something negative, try to also find something positive. If a TR is just all negative, I tend to take the entire report with a grain of salt. Even Titanic had some good times on the cruise (well, prior to the berg that is).;)

 

4. If you can dispel a rumor, go for it! Chances are that if you did not experience what had been said as fact on CC, someone else will also.

 

5. Try not to include every single detail. I always re-read my important things such as TR to avoid being boring. (Yes, believe it or not, I try not to be boring!)

[cruise kitty]

A good review, imo, includes the details of the first day- i.e. transportation, boarding, were you escorted to your room, baggage delivery,& most important: details of your room & it's condition. After that, just a brief overview of each day. A good breakdown would be:

 

1. Day 1 ( including room & ship condition)

2. Service- very important

3. Fellow passengers, age range, social class, etc. Are there kids- if so, how many, and are you constantly bombarded by them?

4. Pool, spa, activities

5. Food.

6. Your recommendations on what you did & saw, ports, excursions, maybe you had a category D room and would really recommend C, tell us why.

 

Anyhow, I enjoy all the reviews, positive, & not so positive, sometimes you will see a recurring complaint or compliment in several different reviews, then you know to take notice, plus, we can't travel that often, so it's like a little voyeuristic thrill to read about someone else's trip, & it helps me to spend my cruise dollar more wisely.

[Muushka]

Social class of fellow passengers? Oh dear.

[cruise kitty]

Sorry- that did across as snobby- what I meant was- give me a very "general" overview of fellow passengers, are they dressing for formal night?, are they partying till dawn?, and most important of all: Are they wearing those G-awful crocs? ( then they should be thrown overboard) lol

[Muushka]

Sorry- that did across as snobby- what I meant was- give me a very "general" overview of fellow passengers, are they dressing for formal night?, are they partying till dawn?, and most important of all: Are they wearing those G-awful crocs? ( then they should be thrown overboard) lol

 

Well, I was smiling until you said to throw the croc people overboard! No, I understand.;)

[loves2read]

I enjoy reading the reviews. I'm most interested in dining details (favorite and least favorite foods) and recommendations on what to see in port.

[teedee]

After being on these boards for two years,any review by Tuggers or Radio

(which by the way we have a real treat underway with both people now doing live reports) is well worth a read.You will get a fair,objective,sometimes amusing and always an entertaining review.The bonus is the great pictures from Radio.

 

I completely agree. I love the "Live from" posts that tell day by day what is going on. Both of the above mentioned posters do a great job. They both make you feel like you're cruising with them!

 

Terri

[Sky Sweet]

This is what I like to see in a cruise review:

 

Feedback on pre cruise hotel to see if I would like to stay there.

 

Spaciousness, condition, and amenities of cabin.

 

Overall condition of ship.

 

Whether ship was sailing at full occupancy or with just two passengers per cabin

 

How well the ship handles crowds

 

Quality of food, including what was good and what wasn't

 

What factors enhanced their overall cruise experience

 

What the cruise line could have done better during that cruise

 

Feedback on ports and shore excursions

 

 

 

Quality of service, with examples

[Cruisenouvelle]

My criteria aren't very comprehensive, I'm afraid. But I do always enjoy a review that makes me smile (or even laugh!) - especially if the writer is putting a humorous spin on an unpleasant situation, meal, etc. It just makes the review fun to read. Otherwise, I do agree that organization and paragraphs are helpful.

[DeepWaterMariner]

Short and too the point. Many cruise reports posted these days are boring in their sameness so creativity in cruise reports, as in all writing, is very welcome. If experiences were as expected then it isn't worth mentioning. Focus on the exceptions, the unusual, and the entertaining. I'm not after a score card from someone who is probably viewing their experiences from a perspective that is different than mine.

[Canuker]

No comment

[SusieV]

No comment

 

You've made a lot of pointless posts lately. If you have nothing to say, then why post? Are you trying to build post count for something?

[Drew B]

All I care about is honesty. If everything honestly was all bad or all good, that's fine. If your review is short and true or loooooooong and true, that's fine. I just want truthfulness without an agenda.

 

I personally don't care about things like flights or hotels/ground transportation or restaurants pre/post-cruise because that is not really a review of the cruise, but if you want to include them, that's your business.