Post-Cruise Complainers

[newmexicoNita]

And I even dare to say that not only do we all have different expectations of our vacations, we also have different thresholds of what reasonable is!

 

I didn't have a bad time - we had a good time...... and I certainly didn't let the "irritants" get to me. But I might be one of those people that thought it was 2 star experience when there were certainly people on my same sailing that reported a 4 star experience. I don't think that's strange at all: people notice different things, place importance in different things - and we all run into parts of the ship, employees and activities that others never do. I think it's entirely possible to have a totally different experience than the next person on a ship, especially the big ones.

 

I actually have been feeling a kind of "duty" I guess to post my trip notes/review/report (whatever) because of the fact I was a little disappointed with my most recent trip. I have been wondering if part of the reason I was slightly disappointed is because there's too much good reported here, setting my expectations too high - since people that hang out on the different boards, tend to prefer that line and like it alot. So in a weird way I feel like I should report my negatives to balance it all out for future searchers. Am I making any sense? :confused:

 

And I haven't done it yet :o - frankly I get a little intimidated to say something besides YAY!

You are, but we all need to put things into prespective. Our last cruise we had a few concerns, (it wasn't a NCL cruise btw) you can feel certain, if you state your negatives sandwhiched between positives, they should be well received but even that depends. The cruise I am referring to I did just that. If you think NCL loyalist can be tigers, you haven't seen some of the other lines. I about got my eyes clawed out and I wrote almost total positives about the cruise...I di think, if conserns are handled tactfully they can be informative and educational. Maybe all this comes from wording things a little to strongly. Sometimes we do not realize how our words sound to others. I am probably more guilty of this than anyone.

 

Nita

[raudacruise]

You are, but we all need to put things into prespective. Our last cruise we had a few concerns, (it wasn't a NCL cruise btw) you can feel certain, if you state your negatives sandwhiched between positives, they should be well received but even that depends. The cruise I am referring to I did just that. If you think NCL loyalist can be tigers, you haven't seen some of the other lines. I about got my eyes clawed out and I wrote almost total positives about the cruise...I di think, if conserns are handled tactfully they can be informative and educational. Maybe all this comes from wording things a little to strongly. Sometimes we do not realize how our words sound to others. I am probably more guilty of this than anyone.

 

Nita

 

Nita, I know where you are coming from. When I posted on another board (lets call it X) that we had a great time except for a couple of issues (maintanance related) I got flamed for being negative. Hello, we had a great time.

 

Cruising is always better than working.

[newmexicoNita]

Nita, I know where you are coming from. When I posted on another board (lets call it X) that we had a great time except for a couple of issues (maintanance related) I got flamed for being negative. Hello, we had a great time.

 

Cruising is always better than working.

and we will be on a ship in 3 weeks and about 171/2 hours, right?

 

Nita

[daldog]

Maybe all this comes from wording things a little to strongly. Sometimes we do not realize how our words sound to others.

Nita

 

Yes. Or LARGELY. Or BRIGHTLY :) I think it makes people read tone that may not be implied when people use some of the crazy fonts. It's hard enough not to read tone into a posting to begin with!

 

My habits so far on CC (which I guess must be typical right?) is that every time I start dreaming about the next one, I start lurking on many of the different boards ... trying to think shall I try this? or this? And then once I am booked I am OCD about that board til I go, then I hang around after for while to get over my blues and help the people that are leaving soon, like others helped me. And then I go away for awhile. And with so few cruises under my belt, I don't feel like a loyalist anywhere. Yet.

[raudacruise]

and we will be on a ship in 3 weeks and about 171/2 hours, right?

 

Nita

 

Don't know, haven't checked my watch recently ;).

[iheartbda]

 

Bottom line I do my best to not the complainers ruin my time and I forward all comments POSITIVE and negative to the approrpiate people.

 

Many times it's possible to see through a complainer's whine that has possibly been exaggerated to make their point.

Positive because oh so often good to great service is never commented on and it should be.

 

I did a b2b and at the end of the first week complemented the maitre d' on the improvements that were made on the food in the dining room. You could see his eyeslight up and he seemed truly happy that someone was not complaining for a change. When he found out that DH would be with me the next week, he said make sure you come see me and I'll take care of you. A positive word here or there goes a long way.:)

 

DH and I had an extra bottle of wine in our cabin that we never figured out where it came from....who knows?;)

[*Wink*]

DH and I had an extra bottle of wine in our cabin that we never figured out where it came from....who knows?;)

 

It was from me!! Hope you enjoyed it! ;)

[iheartbda]

It was from me!! Hope you enjoyed it! ;)

 

Why, THANK YOU!:D

[Greymeowsr]

Thanks for all your kind and well-thought out responses to my complaining about complaining post.

 

We are so looking forward to our January cruise on NCL. I know it will be a fantastic trip. We're a bit less focused on things to do this time than we were in the western Caribbean cruise we took on RCCL, but we already know we love to cruise.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing and living the differences on a larger ship than we were on in 2005.

 

How can one go wrong when we live in the snow belt of the Appalachians and we'll be in the sun belt of the Caribbean. AND we have the added bonus of only having to unpack once and letting someone else do the driving. AND AND no Mikey Ds. Hooray!

 

So thanks again for all the comments so far. For those who haven't let their thoughts be heard, we'll be reading them after you post.

 

You folks are indeed great!

[CruisnGram]

I guess what I don't understand is those who:

 

1) Expect everything to be perfect. Nothing in life is perfect. If you go out to dine for 3 meals a day, for 7 days, and have a different waiter each time, you are bound to have one that perhaps isn't too friendly, or one who forgets to refill the water glasses. That's life. And I don't understand why anyone thinks that cruise ships are different. There are great waiters, good waiters, okay waiters and poor waiters. Same goes for cabin stewards, etc. If you have a bad one DO something about it. Tell the cruise line right then and there what your problem is and most likely, they will rectify it.

 

2) Those who say nothing about the problems while on board but come home and rant on the boards (see above)

 

3) Those who feel that just because they think had a horrible trip, you are bashing them if you disgree or question them.

 

4) Those that have nothing positive to say at all. They must be very, very bitter people to be lucky enought to go on a cruise on any cruise line, to any location, and have not one positive thing to say about it.

 

There is nothing wrong with writing a review and making comments about things you did not like, or problems that you encountered. That's what reviews are for. And no one should ever be bashed for stating those issues. But when someone compares any cruiseline ship to a garbage scow, or claims that the food was completely inedible, I really just chuckle and move on to another thread as I'm not interested in anything that person has to say.

 

CG

[prg2101]

Thanks for all your kind and well-thought out responses to my complaining about complaining post.

 

We are so looking forward to our January cruise on NCL. I know it will be a fantastic trip. We're a bit less focused on things to do this time than we were in the western Caribbean cruise we took on RCCL, but we already know we love to cruise.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing and living the differences on a larger ship than we were on in 2005.

 

How can one go wrong when we live in the snow belt of the Appalachians and we'll be in the sun belt of the Caribbean. AND we have the added bonus of only having to unpack once and letting someone else do the driving. AND AND no Mikey Ds. Hooray!

 

So thanks again for all the comments so far. For those who haven't let their thoughts be heard, we'll be reading them after you post.

 

You folks are indeed great!

 

 

You seem like one of the few folks that will make the best of your cruise

enjoy:):)

[sonnenuntergang]

Thanks for all your kind and well-thought out responses to my complaining about complaining post.

 

We are so looking forward to our January cruise on NCL. I know it will be a fantastic trip. We're a bit less focused on things to do this time than we were in the western Caribbean cruise we took on RCCL, but we already know we love to cruise.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing and living the differences on a larger ship than we were on in 2005.

 

How can one go wrong when we live in the snow belt of the Appalachians and we'll be in the sun belt of the Caribbean. AND we have the added bonus of only having to unpack once and letting someone else do the driving. AND AND no Mikey Ds. Hooray!

 

So thanks again for all the comments so far. For those who haven't let their thoughts be heard, we'll be reading them after you post.

 

You folks are indeed great!

 

I just wanted to say that I LOVE your attitude!:) AND that I think the same way....vacation is about ejoying yourself....you just have to know how...Have a great cruise!!!!!!!:)

[knuts1]

OK I think most of the posts here are accurate. My first cuise was with my entire family and to hear my sister talk about it you would have thought it was the worst cuise ever and the rest of us thought it was just great. We did have some small issues but nothing to really complain about as there was nothing to be done about it by NCL. but thinking about it and doing a little math we are going on an Alaska Cruise in Aug 09. Our Mini is $1849 and divide that by 7 and it is roughly $264 a day which sounds like alot but then you will need to look at the other side and I am not going to do the reaserch for this but what would the cost to fly from port to port and each day and then add the cost of the hotel each night and then 3 meals a day at a fine or even a buffet. Now lets add the show evey night and I think you would find that to be much more than $264.00 and even a better deal for lower rooms and not for higher rooms.

[jkrislc]

My 2 cents.... I do think people go in with high expectations-- especially if they have paid big bucks. Some people are just extremely demanding. On the other hand-- there are times that things go wrong-- bad service, cabin problems, missed port.

 

 

I have agree that expectations play an important role. If you go expecting a good experience, you'll likely have one. However, I also believe CCers have different expectations because of their participation on these boards. We know what to expect often times. For example, how many of you are already familiar wtb the menu when you board, who the CD is, etc. I've found myself less impressed than I would have been at times simply because I knew too much before hand.

 

Personally, I don't mind the cplaints as they ground my expectations. What I do mind is blanket allegations that aren't suppported. For example, if you state you receive the worst service in your life, back it up with specific details as to why. Also, I'm also suspicious of those who have nothing positive to say at all. The law of averages suggest at least one good thing happened during the cruise.

[arby70]

It doesn't bother me when people complain on the boards I guess. I look at everything before I pick a cruise and try to be educated about the ship, the embarktion port and the itinerary itself. It gives me a better idea what to expect.

 

I also am a realist and know that no cruise is going to be perfect and don't expect 5 star restaurants and hotel rooms. It's a ship afterall with limited room and huge overhead. The number of meals they serve there is staggering, so I think they do a pretty good job considering.

 

I do think that some people expect a Seabourn, Crystal or Seven Seas type of luxury on the mainstream cruiselines like NCL, and it "ain't gonna happen." The only way to get that type of experience is to book one of them and pay the price.

 

Even with the luxury cruiselines are not going to be perfect. I love to cruise and take most things with a grain of salt. I guess people need somewhere to vent and that's what CC is partly here for. But everyone needs to do their homework as much as possible and be realistic about cruising. This might erase some of the bad experiences of some posters.

 

I like to read constructive commentary (both good and bad) about all the different cruiselines and ships. I sort through it all and try to get a realistic picture what to expect and go from there.

[Jamrenjer]

arby70: I agree-- I start to wonder when there is absolutely nothing good written in a review-- also when there is absolutely nothing wrong-- that it was totally perfect.... makes me wonder. I like hearing about constructive criticism.... as someone else posted earlier-- often times we hear the complaints after the fact-- when nothing can be done.... we always try to compliment-- and use that sandwich principle-- first a slice of good-- then the bad in the middle--than end with another slice of positive! It makes a difference how you complain... (most of the time!:))

On another note-- a couple years back- we saw a deal for $299 on Costa-- just happened we could get off work... jumped on it-- went on then read all sorts of negative reviews.... we went with open- minds-- and had a wonderful time-- ended up going on Costa again.... was it like NCL or RCCL etc.? No-- but it was a unique and positive experience....

[Lisl123]

[quote name='Greymeowsr']

I've noted an interesting thing as I've been reading these boards. There are a ton of post-cruise complainers. Often they have nothing nice to say about their cruise; even some who say they are experienced cruisers. I wonder if it's "halo" effect and something goes wrong early on and the person just goes off?

The other thing I've noticed is that first-time cruisers far more often rate their cruise as exceptional. I wonder sometimes why so many folks' expectations change with experience? ....

Another thing I've noticed in these threads is the number of posts where folks are complaining about the rudeness of other cruisers, how they behave badly, or treat cruise staff poorly. ...

[/quote]

I think you are absolutely right on in your first point. One bad thing happening at the start of a cruise CAN taint the whole trip if you treat it in the wrong manner. It can also color the whole cruise if the ship staff treat the problem incorrectly, or are rude about it.

I have had the misfortune of being booked in the *wrong* room twice (told I had a double room, and ended up in a "senior special" - the kind with bunk beds). Both were on Carnival ships, so it isn't even a difference in cruise line that made the difference between experiences.

On the first trip, we went immediatly to the purser, and were told, rather rudely, that it was too bad and that was the room we booked. If we needed two beds on the floor, we were welcome to pull the mattress off the top bunk after our steward had made up the top bunk. I had a broken ankle at the time (bad timing on my part), and I was 5 months (and quite visibly) pregnant, otherwise I would have just slept top bunk and not complained, even though I had paid quite alot for bunk beds. After 3 days (on a 7 day cruise) they finally decided they could accomodate me with a second bed frame. I slept on the floor of my cabin for 3 nights on a vacation that cost me (with flight and all) over a thousand dollars per person. You better bet I was mad, and yes. It tainted my entire trip. I wasn't so much mad about sleeping on the floor as I was about the cavalier attitude and *whoopty doo* kind of comments I received from the purser staff. They sent me a bottle of cheap Beringer wine to make up for the room descrepancies. Remember, I was NOTICEABLY pregnant. What does this say about the attention they were paying to my needs, when I came to them with a genuine issue with my room?

I'm not sure if the rest of the trip was really that bad, or if I was just hyper sensitive to every error in customer service after that point.

Compare that to, when sailing on the Victory, a similar thing happened (bunks in our room again - I think the Carnival agents get a bonus for suckering people into that room or something) - When we went to the purser to tell them we understood we were getting a room with two twins on the floor, they immediately switched our cabins, sent someone to help with our bags, and sent a rather nice bottle of wine to our table at dinner. My 7 mos old son was treated to a cute Carnival shirt, and one of their little mascot (the red smoke stack guy) stuffed toys waiting in his porta crip when we returned to the cabin after dinner. They didn't have to do anything but change our room, but they followed through. I know lots of things weren't perfect on that trip either, but when I think about the ship itself and the staff, what stands out is the high quality treatment I received when I was forced to lodge a complaint about something that WASN'T THEIR FAULT. Instead of blaming travel agents, trying to blame me, whatever, they just took care of it. That type of service pretty much forces even the most ungrateful passenger to feel appreciated and catered to - or at the very least acknowledged and treated fairly.

As for rude passengers. I don't care how horrible your service is, or how badly your vacation is altered by a booking mistake, service error, weather issue, etc. etc. It is ok to complain to the appropriate staff when you feel it is justified, but be polite. The thing I never can get past is all these crew members in uniforms, looking posh or at least polished, and then guests who are paying to be pampered act like they are spoiled children who were raised in a barn. Also, remember that most of the salaries on ships are very low, with tips making up the majority of a crew members paycheck. Don't stiff someone completely just because of one small error. If it is that bad - tell the staff member politely, they will likely be willing to do things your way, within reason. Definitely always include the cost of gratuities when planning a trip. They are really part of the price of the trip.

Happy cruising *lol*

[ute_fan]

[quote name='jkrislc']I have agree that expectations play an important role. If you go expecting a good experience, you'll likely have one. .[/QUOTE]

I think there are a couple of us who are "complaining" on this thread who fall into exactly this category. We're disappointed because our expectations didn't meet our previous NCL cruise experiences. I'm not comparing the service on NCL to a traditional cruise line -- I'm comparing the issues that we had on our last NCL cruise to 5 other NCL cruises where we experienced excellent service and no long lines for dinner. What's wrong about coming back and posting that we noticed that there was a definite problem with the restaurant the week we sailed?

Yes, I still had a good cruise. I'll still consider NCL for future cruises, even though our next one is probably going to be on a different line. As far as reporting problems to NCL, it was very evident that there were lines at the Venetian all night -- and they didn't seem to be able to idenfity the issues that were causing those problems. I didn't see that it was necessary to point out a particularly obvious issue to the hotel director.

[dyslexic pirate]

This is a great thread!

I have noticed on all my cruises that some people use a complaint as a bit of an ice breaker for conversations. A majority of the time the complaints stem from a lack of knowledge about how freestyle works. Some folks are bent out of shape about the need for reservations in the extra fee restaurants, ticked off there is a fee etc. etc. Others line up half an hour before the dining rooms open and get fussy when they wind up waiting 40 minutes - which in reality was only 10 minutes after the doors opened.

You can usually spot those that will have issues before they even get onboard the ship. They get in line to board with luggage/spouse/family and already they are fuming and pissy about waiting in line to board.

Then you have those that are very out of shape and pale. It is a struggle for them just to get on board the ship. Then after they've laid out in the sun all day and gotten burned and then taken on an excursion that was too strenuous for them and broken/sprained something you see them complaining and demanding attention as they hobble about on crutches or struggle with a wheelchair.

Alot of your cruise experience comes down to personal accountability. I don't lay out in the sun and I insist the whole family use baby 50+ sunblock and we research our excursions to make sure we are all fit enough to enjoy them. We also are cautious of alcohol consumption as nothing is fun about a hangover.:(

I also notice the whining and irritability raises it's ugly head on about day three or four. That's when many people check their onboard accounts and the reality of their carefree spending at the beginning of the cruise hits them in the face.

We cruise as a family and we also take large groups cruising. We address the potential negatives about a cruise beforehand and caution everyone about their spending, the sun, getting in shape pre cruise etc. I also handle the complaints on board with our groups. I address them and take care of them immediately. Sometimes there is just a miscommunication and legitimate complaints are best handled and remedied immediately before they can develop into a virus that infects everyone in the cruise party and sends them on a subconcious hunt to find more negatives.

I remember reading a review about a couple that got nastier and more hateful each day of their cruise because a chicken bone was on the floor of their cabin. (from one of their own meals!) They fixated on that bone and used it as a litmus test for the rest of their cruise. For gosh sakes just pick up the dang bone and toss it out or leave a note for the room steward to really clean the carpet - and then get on with enjoying the cruise!!

The best dining experiences that I've had on board are when I grab a tray of tasty morsels from the buffet or order something light from room service and retreat to my balcony and sit there bare footed in my jean shorts watching the scenery float by.

Happy Cruising!

[jkrislc]

[quote name='ute_fan']I'm not comparing the service on NCL to a traditional cruise line -- I'm comparing the issues that we had on our last NCL cruise to 5 other NCL cruises where we experienced excellent service and no long lines for dinner. What's wrong about coming back and posting that we noticed that there was a definite problem with the restaurant the week we sailed?[/QUOTE]

There's nothing wrong with that and I appreciate when CCers do in fact do that. What drives me crazy is when someone makes a blanket statement like "the food was bad, the services was poor, there were lines for everything," without giving any details to support their criticisms. I just want a sentence or two to answer the "why" of the statement. In your example, it's completely justified to make the statement. Even if you were a first time time cruiser, it would be justified simply by saying, "I wasn't expecting to wait in line for dinner every night. We tried to dine at 6, 7, and 8 and each time we had a line the took 15 to 20 minutes to get through."

I'm not trying to suggest how people should write their posts or reviews; however, I tend to evaluate them as less credible when they don't provide the details. Of course, when everything is perfect or everything is poor, I get suspicious as well.

Kris

[newmexicoNita]

[quote name='jkrislc']There's nothing wrong with that and I appreciate when CCers do in fact do that. What drives me crazy is when someone makes a blanket statement like "the food was bad, the services was poor, there were lines for everything," without giving any details to support their criticisms. I just want a sentence or two to answer the "why" of the statement. In your example, it's completely justified to make the statement. Even if you were a first time time cruiser, it would be justified simply by saying, "I wasn't expecting to wait in line for dinner every night. We tried to dine at 6, 7, and 8 and each time we had a line the took 15 to 20 minutes to get through."

I'm not trying to suggest how people should write their posts or reviews; however, I tend to evaluate them as less credible when they don't provide the details. Of course, when everything is perfect or everything is poor, I get suspicious as well.

Kris[/QUOTE]
I agree with you, I know that UTE_Fan has always been pretty loyal to NCL so I understand her concerns. I am also glad she will try another line for comparison. My thought, after so many cruises on one line it may become stale, a change is good and needed. UTE, I hope you report back that you will return to NCL....

[Deckhandoug]

Cruises offer Quality, Price and Service, please pick two.

It is what it is, and we ALWAYS have a good time!

Doug ;) & Lisa:)

[ute_fan]

[quote name='newmexicoNita']I agree with you, I know that UTE_Fan has always been pretty loyal to NCL so I understand her concerns. I am also glad she will try another line for comparison. My thought, after so many cruises on one line it may become stale, a change is good and needed. UTE, I hope you report back that you will return to NCL....[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Nita! I think that I'll always look first at NCL to see what's available -- and then compare other lines against it. We had our Princess cruise booked even before our latest experience on NCL (we're traveling with friends) so I'm not switching "due" to our experiences.

I'm really hoping that our Dawn cruise was just one of those off weeks that can occur on any line. I'm still a big enough fan of freetyle (both the dining options and the dress code) that I'm having trouble figuring out any other line that would suit me better. However, DH was more bothered by our problems on the Dawn. If he likes the service better on Princess, I may be fighting an uphill battle to get him back to NCL.

[huh]

What facinates me is how many complainers only discover these boards after the cruise. Prior to my 1st NCL cruise I checked this board almost everyday. I gained a wealth of information and had a good idea what to expect.

[Host Kewlguy]

[quote name='huh']What facinates me is how many complainers only discover these boards after the cruise. Prior to my 1st NCL cruise I checked this board almost everyday. I gained a wealth of information and had a good idea what to expect.[/QUOTE]

We call them trolls. :)