Why do people post here when they write Carnival?

[kwbound]

#1. Some posts that sound like valid complaints may or may not have actually happened. Do you honestly believe everything you read on the internet?

 

No. I don't believe everything I read on the internet. But I also don't automatically dismiss out of hand every negative thing that is posted. And even if I didn't believe something, or thought that it was blown out of proportion, it would have to be pretty outlandish for me to imply that the poster was lying. I haven't had any complaints so far (at least not about Carnival...), but if I do some day have a complaint, I hope I'm not accused of lying just because I have the nerve to post something negative.

[tina257]

Anytime I'm on a travel board, here or on it's sister site, I like to read both the positive and negative experiences so that I can judge for myself what I should listen to and what I should take with a grain of salt. We can get a feel for whether or not we agree with comments and the person writing them, but hearing both sides helps me to make decisions sometimes or warns me if I should better inform myself. It's fun to get excited about trip plans I've already made by reading the positive posts, but the negative ones sometimes give me a heads up. Nothing's 100% perfect or 100% negative and we don't all experience the same things. I think people are smart enough to "weigh" comments and decide for themselves how much value they may have for their own purposes.

[figs]

This is not a forum solely for Carnival "fans". I came here as a newbie without any knowledge of cruising or cruise lines. I researched each cruise line that appeared interesting. I weighed the good and the bad. I read reviews both positive and negative.

 

If I saw nothing but cheerleading and positive comments it would not have helped me a bit in choosing a line.

 

I don't worry about Carnival not responding because there are plenty of incessant cheerleaders to respond.

 

I'm glad I read through ALL the responses before answering Grits's question, 'cause this is EXACTLY what I was going to post. Grits, I think you misunderstand the point of this forum. This is not carnivalfans.com or weloveccl.com. This is Cruise Critic, and the CCL board is merely a subset of that. The reason I'm here is because, shocking though it may be, I was booked on a Carnival cruise, and stumbled in here. (yay!) I didn't stay 'cause I'm a fan (although I am). I stayed for the information given, especially the negatives! - and the entertainment value of these boards. This is NOT a place solely for Carnival fans, as you seem to believe. Most of us are here specifically to hear things like the negative threads that have shown up lately.

 

I do understand why you don't want to be around "negative people", but as some others have pointed out - you seem to think every problem you haven't personally experienced is "being negative". From one Southern gal to another: Sometimes, hon, it's just "accurate". :D

[*Mach*]

Seems like everyone (who knows about CC) who feels the need to write a letter of complaint to Carnival also feels the need to post it here. I'm not picking on the current poster's thread; there have been many such posts here. I fail to see why they want to share their complaints with a forum where Carnival fans gather? :confused: Are they trying to turn us against Carnival, or do they simply want a shoulder to cry on?

 

It is common knowledge that some people are NEVER happy with ANYTHING in life, and they are going to complain about it. For instance, as my friend and I sailed out of Galveston last month, she was hoping to see dolphins. We observed one dolphin, probably because we were on the wrong side of the ship to see more. Rather than saying, "Yea! I got to see a dolphin!", she complained that we didn't see MORE dolphins. :rolleyes: People like this look for the negative in everything and are always vocal about it. Some of us need to accept this and let them complain without turning the thread into 294711527 pages of varied responses. OK, off my soap box now. :cool:

 

I'm starting to think that I should post a copy of every letter of PRAISE that I send to Carnival. Would you like to join me? ;)

 

 

Having read a number of these it seems that the people who post those are mainly looking for support of their position... As in every report, be it a ship... a port... or an excursion, it's opinion and always one sided.

Some folks, it seems, need to poke their complaints in the faces of those they perceive to be Carnival (or whatever other line...) cheerleaders. It's as if to say 'You think this cruise line is so great... well... look at what they did to me!!!'

I try to approach these openly and with a bit of logic but that's generally perceived as being pro Carnival.

Much like as in any situation where customers are involved, you don't hear as often, or as loudly, from those folks who are satisfied as those who have an ax to grind...

Just my $.02...

:)

[Grits53]

No. I don't believe everything I read on the internet. But I also don't automatically dismiss out of hand every negative thing that is posted. And even if I didn't believe something, or thought that it was blown out of proportion, it would have to be pretty outlandish for me to imply that the poster was lying. I haven't had any complaints so far (at least not about Carnival...), but if I do some day have a complaint, I hope I'm not accused of lying just because I have the nerve to post something negative.

 

I believe you have misunderstood me. I did not accuse any particular poster of lying. Where did I say that? I said it has happened before, and we should not believe that all complaints are factual. I'm sure that most complaints are basically factual, with some of those being distorted. I'm also positive that some are totally fabricated. The problem is in knowing which is factual and which is not. With the anonymity of the internet, it is almost impossible to know when someone has fabricated a story. I do not know when a poster has stated the facts, and neither do you. Therefore, I point no fingers at anyone in particular. I simply read some posts "with a grain of salt". ;)

[Grits53]

Having read a number of these it seems that the people who post those are mainly looking for support of their position... As in every report, be it a ship... a port... or an excursion, it's opinion and always one sided.

 

Some folks, it seems, need to poke their complaints in the faces of those they perceive to be Carnival (or whatever other line...) cheerleaders. It's as if to say 'You think this cruise line is so great... well... look at what they did to me!!!'

 

I try to approach these openly and with a bit of logic but that's generally perceived as being pro Carnival.

 

Much like as in any situation where customers are involved, you don't hear as often, or as loudly, from those folks who are satisfied as those who have an ax to grind...

 

Just my $.02...

 

:)

 

Thanks, Mach. It would be nice if both sides of every story could be reported, but since that will never happen, I will continue to view such threads "with a grain of salt". ;) (and still wonder why they go on and on and on for days....)

[kwbound]

Hey Mach - I almost always agree with your posts, but I hope you're not offended if I don't this time....

 

Having read a number of these it seems that the people who post those are mainly looking for support of their position...I don't agree. I think most people are posting their experiences to warn others about what could happen. As in every report, be it a ship... a port... or an excursion, it's opinion and always one sided. True, everyone's opinion is their own.

 

Some folks, it seems, need to poke their complaints in the faces of those they perceive to be Carnival (or whatever other line...) cheerleaders. It's as if to say 'You think this cruise line is so great... well... look at what they did to me!!!' Once again, I don't think this is what they are doing. But I do think there are quite a few "cheerleaders" (not you) who are sometimes just outright hateful to anyone who does post a negative experience, or any one who ask a question they could have gotten an answer for by searching, or anyone who post any number of other things that they don't think is a worthy post, or God forbid a first timer who makes a bad cruising decision because they didn't read the CC bible first.

 

I try to approach these openly and with a bit of logic but that's generally perceived as being pro Carnival. There is nothing wrong with that. I'm pro-Carnival too. But, I still want to hear everything, good or bad.

 

Much like as in any situation where customers are involved, you don't hear as often, or as loudly, from those folks who are satisfied as those who have an ax to grind... I think there are WAY more positive posts than negatives. Let me change that...there are way more positive threads than negatives. It's just that people get so riled up when something negative is posted...it's just off to the races and the next thing you know the thread is 20 pages long.

 

Just my $.02...and now you have mine too!

 

:)

[Kurbanfan]

It just ..... is.

 

Don't question the mysteries of the universe. We do not ask why water is wet or why vests have no sleeves. We just accept that these things are what they are.

 

 

Ohhhmmmmmm .....

 

But why:confused:

 

Ummm..... To give you something to occupy your time today?

 

No, seriously, I just don't understand why these people come here with their complaints and then so many veteran CC'ers feel the need to keep the thread going for countless pages....especially when you really don't know whether or not the thread's OP has stated the truth. I'm not saying any particular person is guilty of fabricating a post for attention. I truly do not know which ones are factual, and neither do you. But it has happened and will happen, and CC'ers will continue to stretch those threads to enormous lengths. So you're right. I've wasted my time and yours. My apologies.

 

LOL! Thanks for curing my boredom:D

 

 

I think the problem with some of those threads is that once the big things like unclean water happen on an OP's cruise, the petty annoyances become that much bigger in their heads and they lose their objectivity on the subject.

 

No! Coffee is not petty..........you have know idea how I get without my daily dose of caffeine:eek::cool::( Not a pretty picture:eek:

[sarcasticgirl]

you have the best username ... Ever.

 

hehehe :)

[Kurbanfan]

I do understand why you don't want to be around "negative people", but as some others have pointed out - you seem to think every problem you haven't personally experienced is "being negative". From one Southern gal to another: Sometimes, hon, it's just "accurate". :D

 

Great response!!!

[KingofSomewhereHot]

I read them because I am interested.

 

Forewarned is forearmed and I don't like surprises...especially on vacation.

 

 

Nothing ruins a vacation more than a surprise forearm! ouch!:D

[*Mach*]

Hey Mach - I almost always agree with your posts, but I hope you're not offended if I don't this time....

 

 

I'm not offended in the least!!

A few points... when folks join Cruise Critic and their first post is a rant about how badly they were treated on a Carnival (or any other line...) ship I can't help but feel that it's an attempted poke in the eye...

I agree completely about some of the folks here who are rude, unkind and downright hateful when someone posts something negative. Without fail, that's what starts the tit for tat comments that drag these threads out ad infinitum...

For the most part, I think we hear a lot of both the good and the bad. Pick almost any of the reviews you see on this forum and there will be the good and the bad. Generally, the good FAR outweighs the bad so perhaps we tend to gloss over the bad a bit... No cruise line is perfect... far from it and constructive criticism is always welcomed. Look at some of the changes that have occurred due to comments here in the past!

Does this make it my $.04???

;)

[2young2care]

No! Coffee is not petty..........you have know idea how I get without my daily dose of caffeine:eek::cool::( Not a pretty picture:eek:

 

You probably get the same way I did on the Past Guest Party thread...... a wee bit touchy! :eek: Trade the coffee for a steady stream of Diet Coke and I'll reconsider my definition of petty. :p

[Kurbanfan]

You probably get the same way I did on the Past Guest Party thread...... a wee bit touchy! :eek: Trade the coffee for a steady stream of Diet Coke and I'll reconsider my definition of petty. :p

 

You make an excellent point if I do say so myself:D....pettiness can be perceived in soooo many different ways;)

[tedjazz]

I don't think people are trying to turn anyone against Carnival. We are all cruise fans here, and we share both our successful trips as well as the not-so-great ones. When posters write to Carnival, they believe that we are not only interested in the specific complaints, but we also want to learn about Carnival's response to the complaints. I think, for the most part, that people on the board are interested in the complaints and in the outcomes. If you don't like to read certain posts, just close up the thread and read those that you are interested in.

Many people in the past have written glowing fan letters to Carnival. Some have been because they had truly enjoyed their cruises, and want to thank certain crew members for making their trips more successful. Some have written to Carnival because the CC board told them that they would receive a 45-day letter to get something free on their next cruise.

I'm sure CC members would love to read your letters praising Carnival and the crew members that have made your trip enjoyable. We love to hear about other members' trips...good and bad.

 

Very nicely said... :)

[7SEASSISTER]

Thanks, Mach. It would be nice if both sides of every story could be reported, but since that will never happen, I will continue to view such threads "with a grain of salt". ;) (and still wonder why they go on and on and on for days....)

 

Just a point on how folks exagerate...it did come out later that they weren't 11 families traveling together...they were only 6. and also, its all over carnivals documents that they promise to basically get you to where you are suppose to be. so i agree...people exagerate....

 

.....but i can't stop reading it...its like a train reck getting ready to happen i love it

[kelz66]

Seems like everyone (who knows about CC) who feels the need to write a letter of complaint to Carnival also feels the need to post it here. I'm not picking on the current poster's thread; there have been many such posts here. I fail to see why they want to share their complaints with a forum where Carnival fans gather? :confused: Are they trying to turn us against Carnival, or do they simply want a shoulder to cry on?

 

It is common knowledge that some people are NEVER happy with ANYTHING in life, and they are going to complain about it. For instance, as my friend and I sailed out of Galveston last month, she was hoping to see dolphins. We observed one dolphin, probably because we were on the wrong side of the ship to see more. Rather than saying, "Yea! I got to see a dolphin!", she complained that we didn't see MORE dolphins. :rolleyes: People like this look for the negative in everything and are always vocal about it. Some of us need to accept this and let them complain without turning the thread into 294711527 pages of varied responses. OK, off my soap box now. :cool:

 

I'm starting to think that I should post a copy of every letter of PRAISE that I send to Carnival. Would you like to join me? ;)

 

the attention.

[tedjazz]

#1. Some posts that sound like valid complaints may or may not have actually happened. Do you honestly believe everything you read on the internet? (See my previous post about things you read on internet forums not always being factual.)

#2. I don't like to be around people who complain about everything. Therefore, I try very hard not to be one of them. As for a valid complaint that I would complain about here..... Hmmm... Well, I suppose if the announced time to be back on board the ship from a port of call was 5:00 and I arrived at the port at 4:00, only to see my ship sailing away.... If I was absolutely certain my watch was correct and on ship's time. Yes, I think that would be a valid complaint. :D

 

Should we appoint someone to review the "Complaints" and have that person determine the "Validity" of their complaint and then in turn boot them if they don't meet the "Valid Complaint" Criteria?

One thing seems to be overlooked...a Newbie Cruiser has a different perspective than does a Veteran Cruiser. Americans have different customs and perspectives from Brits and Aussies, et al. The values taught you by your family/church/education/community, etc. tilt your perspective about many things. Good for you is not good for me. Everyone has the right to complain or praise as they see fit. Cruise Critic, as it's name implies, is a forum for just that. If the complaints are bothersome to you then just skip over those threads, but it's kinda like a Train Wreck, everyone stops to look.

BTW, using your logic, your letters of praise would probably fit into the same catagory as complaints, not everyone is telling the truth now are they and maybe they are really looking for a "freebie". JMHO :)

[figs]

BTW, using your logic, your letters of praise would probably fit into the same catagory as complaints, not everyone is telling the truth now are they and maybe they are really looking for a "freebie". JMHO :)

 

This actually made me laugh out loud. Thanks, Ted, for that little gem of truth. Lord, what fools [we] mortals be! :D

 

But don't do it again, you'll get me fired.

[tedjazz]

Having read a number of these it seems that the people who post those are mainly looking for support of their position... As in every report, be it a ship... a port... or an excursion, it's opinion and always one sided.

Some folks, it seems, need to poke their complaints in the faces of those they perceive to be Carnival (or whatever other line...) cheerleaders. It's as if to say 'You think this cruise line is so great... well... look at what they did to me!!!'

I try to approach these openly and with a bit of logic but that's generally perceived as being pro Carnival.

Much like as in any situation where customers are involved, you don't hear as often, or as loudly, from those folks who are satisfied as those who have an ax to grind...

Just my $.02...

:)

 

Mach, Your words speak objectivity, your tone does not. My opinion changed toward Carnival Cheerleaders when many of them accused the 13 yoa girl that claimed to be Sexually Assaulted by a Crew Member of trying to get a free cruise out of Carnival by filing a lawsuit because of the incident (that thread was from a few months back). The comments from that post made me SICK. It wasn't because of the validity of the claim (that was unknown), it was the lack of empathy, compassion and negative tone which these posters attempted to vilify this young girl and her mother.

BTW, I'm not looking for any support for my position, just voiceing an opinion.

There's my 2 cents.

[tedjazz]

This actually made me laugh out loud. Thanks, Ted, for that little gem of truth. Lord, what fools [we] mortals be! :D

 

But don't do it again, you'll get me fired.

 

Sorry, please don't get fired...too much unemployment already. BACK TO WORK!!! ;)

[byoung70]

Yes, I understand that. However, I do believe some people, the chronic complainers, blow things out of proportion, distorting their views of what actually happened. Then they post it here, and I'm sure some of the cruise newbies are freaked out by what they say. Some seem to have perfectly legitimate complaints, but others I have to wonder about. :rolleyes: After all, there are two sides to every story, and Carnival is not going to come here and state their side. So we are only getting a biased view of what happened. As a veteran internet forum poster, I know absolutely without a doubt that you cannot believe everything you read on any forum. ;)

 

It doesn't annoy me, and I do not waste my time reading through the pages of such threads. They bore me. I just fail to see the need to go on and on and on about "those horrible people at Carnival" on the Carnival board. (On a side note, I personally haven't met a horrible Carnival employee yet. I've met one or two that I didn't particularly like, but never one that I thought was terrible.)

 

Okay, so do I have this correct, you are complaining about people complaining but it does not annoy you because you do not read them, but they go on and on like this post. I am totaly confused.

[*Mach*]

Mach, Your words speak objectivity, your tone does not. My opinion changed toward Carnival Cheerleaders when many of them accused the 13 yoa girl that claimed to be Sexually Assaulted by a Crew Member of trying to get a free cruise out of Carnival by filing a lawsuit because of the incident (that thread was from a few months back). The comments from that post made me SICK. It wasn't because of the validity of the claim (that was unknown), it was the lack of empathy, compassion and negative tone which these posters attempted to vilify this young girl and her mother.

BTW, I'm not looking for any support for my position, just voiceing an opinion.

There's my 2 cents.

 

 

Ted... that's the problem with posts, IMs, text messages, etc... They're only words... there's no emotion, no body language and no tone...

Sorry you don't believe me. I've not bashed anyone for a negative review. Everyone has an opinion and they're completely entitled to it.

Don't you find it curious that folks who have never posted here, never been a member of Cruise Critic before find their way to forum to air their grievances?

[Wennfred]

Seems like everyone (who knows about CC) who feels the need to write a letter of complaint to Carnival also feels the need to post it here.

 

I enjoy reading these types of threads because all I see if JERRY JERRY JERRY DING DING DING DING :D

 

 

 

Fred

[Grits53]

Okay, so do I have this correct, you are complaining about people complaining but it does not annoy you because you do not read them, but they go on and on like this post. I am totaly confused.

 

It's OK. I don't expect you to understand my reason for posting (I wasn't complaining, I was asking a question.). I shouldn't have started this thread. I confess.....I was bored and tired of all the griping. I've been around internet forums a long, long time. I understand the dynamics of forums. Cruise Critic was definitely not my first. (It's one of my favorites, though! :D) I did get some sincere answers to my question, along with some ugliness, which is to be expected. That's life on the 'net! ;)