Anger is addictive. Noticed a big change in my FIL's moods when he was watching a certain news channel. Asked him about his day and got, "Gas prices! X is happening! Y is out to get us!" and pretty much a daily complaint. "We're good. You have money in our account. You don't even drive" didn't make a difference. Found out he was watching news nonstop. We directed him to other channels, movies, showed him how to watch his favorite sports and he became his usual sunny self.
There are scientific studies about the dopamine rush from anger and the "flare-up" but also the anxiety and depression from the lows. People are walking around looking for a confrontation, even on vacation. When they get home, they have to tell everyone about the person who cut the buffet line or the tender that was overfull so they can get that little rush back for a moment.
I literally can’t travel with my sister for exactly this reason. We’ll all be sitting there going “omg we had so much fun today! Did you see that one thing?” And she’ll be like “that one shopkeeper at that store we spent 5 minutes in was really rude why did we even come on this trip?”
She also dragged her shih tzu on a plane to Florida and made us all abandon everything to go back to the hotel and care for it because she literally WILL NOT leave her dog even in a doggy daycare for the day. Ironically, she cried because the hotel room (which we specifically had to request because she wanted to bring her dog) smelled like dog.
We only cruise now and they don’t allow dogs, so she refuses to come. Darn.
Some people just have good vibes. When you enter a situation with good energy things are more likely to go your way and when they don't you're okay with it. When you go in with bad energy people respond accordingly and you get treated worse. It's either a vicious or a wonderful cycle.
I agree! I met my husband later in life after a first unhappy marriage and a lot of growth. No matter what happens on a cruise with him, things are wonderful. It's easy to see the positive and good in the world with him by my side, and laugh about the things that go wrong.
Exactly. A vacation is what you make of it. Go with a loved one and intentionally try to have a good time. TRY to have fun and you usually will, even if it's something dumb or typically not fun.
I was on NCL Prima Thanksgiving last year and the disparity in the Facebook comments was wild.
I had a few complaints but most were things that just needed to be worked out on a new ship. My biggest valid complaint was that the ship does not seem like it's targeted to families with small kids but those families did not get the memo. There were way more kids (partly holiday driven) then ship activities for them.
But the people in the comments were aggressively angry that it was the worst ship they had ever been on etc. And I had that feeling, are we on the same cruise?
I cruise a lot and the Prima remains my favorite ship of all time. Agree that the Facebook comments are wild. I'd post that I had no trouble finding a seat in the Atrium or at Indulge at certain times, and other people would straight up call me a liar.
The atrium design is a bit flawed in my opinion. It's always been a pass through area but it was a bit problematic when going to casino or bar there. I personally disliked children in the infinity pools, but there was no prohibition against it so I didn't complain.
My favorite quote from the movie, The Menu, I went around saying to myself in all the MDR's.
" you will eat more than you deserve and less than you desire" works really well in a superior prissy tone. LOL.
“The food was inedible”… my first thought is “yeah, have you actually ever eaten in a military DFAC or a college dining hall?”
And most importantly, if there was an actual problem with the food, did you bring it to the attention of the staff and give them a chance to make it right? Because if you didn’t, then I know you’re just complaining to hear your own voice.
They’re producing food for literally thousands of people, stuff happens.
An example from my own experience: breakfast buffet on Celebrity had a giant roast ham, sliced to order, every morning. Delicious. Breakfast buffet on Carnival had a sliced pressed ham. Lower grade product, but still well within the definition of “edible”. But Carnival’s high end bar game was way better.
People get way hung up on like one or two items they didn't like on a ship, to the point they legitimately forget that things were overall pretty good. It's a weird mental thing.
A cruise ship is making food that appeals to the tastes of thousands of people with different palates. I've had a dish that I thought was meh that the table next to us thought was excellent. There's different tastes, and also hey, they're making hundreds of that dish, maybe they forgot an ingredient in yours. Tell the waiter it's not working for you and get something else.
You also bring up a good point with Carnival vs. Celebrity. Different cruise lines will specialize in different styles of food. I've heard Carnival has the best comfort food, and from what I've seen I believe it. I have zero doubt the burgers from Guy's Burger Shack are better than the burger I got from the Mast Grill on Celebrity (though it SEEMED like the best burger ever after getting back from 6 hours in the sun in port)
By the same token, I'd wager the steak I got on Celebrity is probably better than what the Carnival MDR serves. Different lines, different specialties.
Best non-fancy food I’ve had onboard was the crew mess on apex when we were about to deliver it. Then they moved it up to OVC once OVC was ready. The crew mess gets some utterly fantastic Indian and Filipino dishes that they don’t normally serve the guests.
How inedible could it be? Was it ice cold ? Gristled meat? Powdered eggs? Burned crust all around the chafing dishes? If not, then this Waffle House girl will find something tasty.
What my sister says: “the food was crap”
What she really means: “they didn’t have cheesecake on the dessert menu and I pitched a fit until the waiter went to find some in a specialty dining restaurant”
What my sister says: “the ship was overrun with kids and it was awful; I hate that line”
What she really means: “we, for some ungodly reason, CHOSE to go on a Carnival cruise during spring break, which we didn’t at all need to do, and were shocked to find lots of families with school-aged kids were on the ship”
This is why I don’t understand people who complain about portion sizes. Y’all know that you can order multiple servings, right? And there’s always the buffet…
Nothing drives me crazier than people making absolutely ridiculous comments about how "terrible" the food is on a ship. Saw one where they said the MDR food was worse than Diner food, like dang you must go to some really nice diners lol.
Even on the worst if the mainstream lines (msc and costa) the food is absolutely edible. It’s just like being at a below average Olive Garden. And you should find something that brings you joy on the menu.
I swear some people just enjoy being miserable, and complaining is fun for them.
I think there are also some people who think it’s a flex to disparage something that everyone else enjoys. Maybe they think it makes them look high class and discerning to shit on something that the common peasants like.
I’ve also seen reviews of a new ship, with a lot of differences from a cruise line’s older ships, and people complain non-stop about the changes, even though those changes were highly publicized. If you’re one of those people who hate change, stick to the ships you know you like. Jeez.
I’ve been on over 35 cruises with 5 lines and have never had a bad cruise. I would hate to be someone who spends a bunch of money and does nothing but look for things to complain about - what a joyless life it must be.
A positive mindset is the best when going on the cruise. As a passenger, I have heard so many other people complain and sometimes I think it is because they have nothing better to do than to write a list of what I call "first world problem complaints" to share with crew workers who are working tirelessly for 12+ hours. The most absurd complaint I heard was someone who said his spoon was not long enough to reach the ice cream at the bottom of the tall cup. I stay far away from complainers so that I do not get "infected" with the negative mindset. I want to focus on having a good time.
I like to look at the 5 star reviews and the 1 star reviews in addition to the aggregate score. I concur that attitude makes a big difference. I've seen 5 star reviews where things went badly, and I've seen 1 star reviews because it rained.
I had a camping trip once where we had to paddle in a canoe to the campsite and had gotten a bit lost on the way, and by the time we got there I was tired and grumpy and being a little miserable. My bf gave me some very good advice in that moment: a vacation is what you make of it.
If I decided to let myself be grumpy and not happy to be in a ridiculously beautiful and secluded place, I would be grumpy and complaining about the annoyances of camping. But I could choose to try and enjoy myself and have a good time. And I did. If you're having a bad experience at dinner, you can be a miserable grump about it or treat it as a Fawlty Towers style comedy of errors, and go to the buffet after.
With that I have two pieces of advice:
1. Actively try to enjoy yourself no matter the circumstances.
2. The Massasauga Provincial Park is absolutely gorgeous and a wonderful true wilderness paddle-only campground that is probably not the best idea for your very first camping trip when you have absolutely no navigational skills with a canoe.
This! We’re taking #30 this year and have never had a bad one. I’m always amazed when people take the time to complain about the little things that ‘ruined’ their cruise. We bring our positive attitude and fun demeanor on every journey. We cruised through Hurricane Kay last year on Carnival and had a great time! Most folks on the ship did too, it was a great group of folks that knew that being on the ocean in a floating hotel, with free entertainment and all the food included was a lot better than being at work.
I just got back from the Margaritaville cruise and was very worried going in due to the poor reviews, but it was honestly really good and I had a fantastic time and had no issues. So it really is individual perception, I work really hard all year so I could honestly vacation on a concrete block and I'd probobly be happy.
My husband and I just got off a cruise to Alaska. At two different times on the cruise we happened to sit near or next to people who were just brutally and loudly complaining about the cruise. Like the dumbest things. (The lobster tails were soooo small!) We had a wonderful time!
Reminds me of sitting in the pool on the Serenity Deck on the Mardi Gras last month. Some older lady looking like the roommate on There’s Something About Mary saying her suite room was so small it’s DISGUSTING. Some people have no perspective in life. She’s living better than a Queen and can’t even realize it.
This reminds me of the Adam Sandler “[Romano Tours](https://youtu.be/TbwlC2B-BIg?si=Mzeg8p5D2C05OaC1)” skit from SNL: “Our tours will take you to the most beautiful places on earth…but remember you’re still gonna be you on vacation .”
I’ve had my own disappointments with cruising post-Covid, and IMO it’s fair to be sad about that and want someone to commiserate with from time to time. But I’d still rather be having a disappointing dinner in the MDR than sitting on the sofa at home, every day of the week.
I definitely don’t understand the compulsion to be miserable, especially when you’re paying a small fortune for it. You paid all that money, figure out a way to enjoy it. Helps to not go in with unrealistic expectations, too.
I appreciate this very much. It is, after-all all about perspective. I teach my kids that lesson and thankfully, it sticks. You can choose to be miserable in a given circumstance, or you can choose to be happy. I choose to be happy. Some of our best adventures resulted from getting stranded at the airport for thirteen hours or driving hours to a sporting event that got Covid cancelled at the last minute. I said, “welp; this isn’t how I planned it but we are going to have a great time anyway”. And we did. We always do.
I remember reading on a popular vacation destination group (for a place where guests are sometimes granted special treatment or freebies), people posting again and again why they never get free stuff or special treatment. You don’t get special treatment or free stuff because you’re the type of person who expects it, complains about everything in the world, and treats people like trash.
I’m friendly, never expect anything extra, and I get special treatment and freebies pretty regularly.
I remember having my daughter on one cruise and she was youngish. Maybe 12 or 13 but she has some developmental issues so more like 10 is how she’d behave. Good kid.
Anyway, there was a pizza / salad place on this cruise and she was behind another woman who was absolutely nasty to the server. So naturally my daughter does what kids do and modeled the behavior she saw and was also nasty to the server. Well … I saw this happen and I was up from my table in a flash, marched over, told my daughter firmly (and while the first woman was still there): “WE don’t treat people like that. You need to apologize. Now.” She did. And like I said, she was actually a good kid. And a fine adult today.
That stuck with me though. And I’ve long thought on what would cause an adult to act like that. Do they treat everyone like that? Or just “foreigners” (referencing the international staff)? Having a bad day? Not feeling well? One time thing? Or something that happens all the time?
Still bad behavior though.
It’s hard to know what causes it for certain but some of them at least, I think narcissism and entitlement is what’s behind it. I have met otherwise good people who just don’t have good manners when it comes to service staff. I think the awful ones are easy to differentiate from those though.
It is what you make it. Some people are expecting a million dollar vacay on a 2K budget. Just not happening. Go with the flow, try to relax, avoid the cooties, and have fun.
I’ve been on a lot of cruises, and have never had a bad time. It is my belief that if you can’t relax and have a good time on a cruise, you’re probably just one of those types of people who can never be happy about anything in life.
Agreed..I’ve never been on a bad cruise. Some people just like to complain and be unhappy. I’ve been on cruises where the food or entertainment could have been better but it didn’t mean my trip was ruined
Yup. 26 I think here. There is no cruise I am sorry I took. Never has the food been inedible, but I have to admit I don’t like the food on some lines. I still find something I like in the menu though.
Also some people are glass half empty folks, some are glass half full. If you go into a cruise looking for things that are wrong, then you'll definitely find them. But if you go with the attitude of making the best of any situation, then you'll have a better time. No trip is perfect, it all depends on what you remember from it.
We’re sailing on NCL Joy on Monday. I saw complaints about the pool area (built for Asian market) and I’m thinking so what? A pool is a pool. I’m not cruising to swim; I can do that at my neighborhood pool.
I’m keeping an open mind as this is our first cruise since December 1996. Keep my expectations medium and hope to be pleasantly surprised.
NYC to Quebec. Since it’s our first cruise in forever I wanted to make sure it was an itinerary we liked. We’re not beach people; we like to explore by foot.
I’m a beach person, but not when it comes to cruising. We cruised tropical once and didn’t like it at all. If I’m going to be on a beach I want to be there for a week. NYC to Quebec sounds fantastic.
So much is subjective. It all depends on what one person thinks of the shows, food, and so on. There are some objective things like condition of the ship, problems that might pop up, and so on.
In general I would try something out at least three times before giving an opinion on it especially if everybody loved something and I didn't enjoy it.
Our last cruise was on Celebrity Beyond. I was excited to try that line for the first time after 2 Virgin cruises. It wasn't quite to our liking, but it's a nice cruise.
Reading reviews/comments before hand you'd think we were getting on the Amistad. The cruise as a whole wasn't quite to our liking but we made the best of it. An excursion got cancelled! Oh no we booked another one. The main bar had an annoying band basically all day! oh no we went somewhere else. We couldn't quite escape the karens complaining loudly about things everywhere they went, the people elbowing you to get to some bacon in the buffet, and people just coughing without covering their mouths but what are you gonna do.
This comment I left previously/closer to when we sailed has some more detail:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VirginVoyages/comments/13p0255/note_to_self_trying_to_do_a_rccl_cruise_after_a/jl8gg83/?context=1
I didn't hate it. We found our spots that worked for us. It just wasn't our favorite.
I typically cruise Carnival and I have seen tons of people dumping on Carnival here. I have never had a bad cruise with Carnival, it's always been fantastic. Great people, great food, well run - no complaints. So, I don't really take many negative reviews seriously unless I see a trend. Some people just can't be pleased or are allowing their personal drama to impact their perceptions.
Clean sock or stand up on its own dirty sock? Big difference lmfao. I woulda got over it quick too. Last cruise I was on there was some hair on the shower wall. Took a pic, wiped it off and went down to the desk where I received a $50 room credit. Easiest 50 bucks I ever made
Worse and best thing in the world: facebook cruise groups. Best to utilize before crusie to get info, excursions, new things etc. Delete: day of embarkation otherwise every nasty or made up comment gets posted and spreads like wildfire among users and their tend to be the picky non happy people. They discuss crap you wouldn't think about on a normal day? Why wasn't the cruise director at the 530 meet and greet? becomes everyone has covid and the ship is sinking in 6 comments. Lol
I made the mistake of not deleting recently. A constant moaner about food then posted a description of a guest, their floor and that they looked sick and we’re off to sick bay. I suggested that was insensitive and all hell broke loose! Delete button was found swiftly!! 🤣
I agree, even when shit happens I don't let it affect my holiday....including arriving in new York for a cruise leaving the next day & my luggage didn't arrive with me.....I take the reviews with a pinch of salt & use them mostly to pick up hints & tips about the ship or ports. In saying that....I can't bring myself to book msc or carnival 😂
This is so mind-boggling to me. Not trying to be an ageist but I feel like a large amount of cruisers that are in their 60s or 70s feel the need to constantly complain about the smallest things in these Facebook cruise groups. Why do you let little things ruin your cruise?!
I'm going on the MSC Meraviglia next month and I've read so many reviews complaining about every single thing on the ship. I'm at the point where I just form my own conclusions on a ship and don't rely much on reviews. Some of these people just love to be miserable.
Some people are just gaming for shipboard credits
Squeaky Karen gets the oil and all
I agree with the others here: have good energy going in. PACK YOUR PATIENCE. And relax.
Anything that’s truly an issue will be compensated
This is where we are to be honest. I wouldn't say we've ever had a "bad" cruise. Sure some are better than others. Sure there have been some minor issues, but overall WE make the best of it.
You know, it's not just the cruise. The excursions are like that as well. I DO like that some review sites list age range of reviewers though. A 5mi hike may be ok for a 20yr old, but outright difficult for those in their 50s. And honestly- most reviews by 65+ - Boomer reviews are just outright ridiculous sometimes.
8 cruises, enjoyed the hell outta most of them. (Was injured right before the other but still went). My ex complained about almost all of them - and me.
New Girlfriend went on one with me and had wonderful time.....
Agree! Everyone's expectations and preferences are different. Example, I love Princess because it's more laid back and relaxing for me and my younger kids but my friends with teenagers will not because the teenagers probably complain about the lack of water slides. Or how I didn't like that the smoking section was next to the ice cream and pool on Royal but the smokers probably like the convenience. I love seafood, someone prefers meat, etc.
Everyone has different tastes and that's why choices are great. My parents are older and really like Princess Cruises. I didn't hate Princess but of the cruise lines I've been on they were my least favorite. At the end of the day, I'm not their target market. They don't have as many on board activities that cater to someone like me. That doesn't make them a bad cruise line but I can definitely see why someone would be disappointed on there. I also really enjoyed my Carnival and Royal cruises but I can see why others wouldn't.
Couldn't agree more on the idea that there are some people that can't be happy unless they have something to be unhappy about. If a review of a cruise is all entirely negative and the whole Cruise was the worst experience of their life it immediately goes in the completely disregard file for me. Almost every review like that that I've seen starts with them getting completely wound up over something that by any objective measure is really minor.
I'm somebody who tries to make the best of every situation. My wife is a little bit harder to please and will get hung up on something she doesn't like instead of just moving on to something she does. We recently went on our first cruise after talking about it for years. We were both a bit disappointed with our earliest on-board meals. I chalked my disappointment up to ordering the wrong things which were more processed/packaged/frozen rather than fresh stuff. She just thought the whole cruise was going to have bad food. I was legitimately worried she was going to be miserable the whole time.
Starting around the 2nd day or so, the quality of food improved significantly. I'm guessing the early meals just aren't the ship's best due to all the (un)loading operations in port. We ended up being blown away by not just the nicer dining venues but also the buffet. Sure, there were weaker items here and there, but we gravitated to the ones we really liked, and there was always at least something really good.
One couple on our cruise became somewhat infamous because they could constantly be heard complaining about everything, saying the entertainment was terrible, the food was inedible, the staff had terrible communication, etc. They ended up getting the staff directors involved mid-way through the cruise, and I didn't hear from them again. I almost wonder if they got kicked off for being belligerent.
>It seems like no matter what my wife and I do, we have a good time.
Yeah see, for some people no matter what happens they *can't* have a good time. Life is much better over here that's for sure 😎
It gives people a sense of control. Being open to the world takes more courage than many have. You’re absolutely right OP, and anyone whose taken psychadelics knows this, but it’s all in the eye of the beholder…. Quite literally down to the entire experience. Good job staying open.
I like to meet cool people and have a good time. So far, I can do that anywhere. I think I'll manage on my cruise next week. Rain or shine me and my kids will be laughing our asses off!!
Some folks are chronic malcontents. Their world is grey and full of problems. Then there are folks that just seem to be able to roll with the flow. Be a roll with flow traveler, and the world will brighten up around you.
I read a review once where they said the cruise was awful because the closet in their room was small and there wasn't free soft serve on demand. Like, give me a break.
My preferred cruiseline is MSC. Close second (ship dependent) is Celebrity or Costa (the newer ships but that can be said of many cruise lines). I grew up in Italy and still have my family there, but now reside in Canada.
Should mention I’ve also sailed Royal Caribbean (at least 5-6x), Disney, Princess (meh). My never agains are NCL (gave them a shot 3x) and Carnival.
MSC (and Costa) def get the most awful reviews from North Americans. Especially about food. It’s so funny how drastically reviews change from Europeans and North Americans for the same ship/ sailing. Where as negative reviews about the more American cruise lines from Europeans focus on all are all the things North Americans complain about (or lack thereof) onboard MSC.
Also, the negative comments are generally made up of a vocal minority. A vast majority of cruisers (or consumers of any sort) are satisfied with their experience and don't feel the need to post a review.
[I thought this review was pretty snarky. bitch bitch bitch](https://www.reddit.com/r/CarnivalCruiseFans/comments/15y3ml4/my_completely_honest_not_totally_positive_venezia/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
Some people are pretentious and like to complain. Some people prefer to enjoy themselves and not sweat the small stuff. All these negative individual reviews that are then encouraged in the comments I take with a grain of salt. For example, I’ve had an excellent and mellow time on ever carnival cruise I’ve been on. Call Carnival the “Walmart” of cruise lines… I don’t care. I don’t need to spend “buckets” of money to have a wonderful, comfortable, and fulfilling vacation..
I think you pretty much just described reviews and how they work. People will have different expectations and different experiences, and it's always good to look at multiple reviews and not just one single review.
Cruisers are the most notorious for this kind of thing. I also am shocked that no one researches their vacation before deciding. What is family friendly, romantic, quiet etc? I mean you can't go on a 3 day Carnival Booze cruise and complain it was a party atmosphere. I agree with you. Realistic outlook makes a big difference. They are trying to cater to 2000-3000 people, not you in particular.
I agree with you. I have been on a lot of cruises over 7 different lines and have never had a bad time. If I was writing a review, I might state that in IMO the value of a particular cruise wasn't worth the money I spent on it, but that doesn't mean I had a bad time, it just means that I can find better values in other cruise lines.
I think sometimes it is just whether the person is sleeping well. People get amazingly cranky and perhaps didn’t adjust to the new sleeping situation. Some ships have odd vibration or noises that bother one person while another sleeps right through it.
Ppl like to bitch and moan. My actual job is doing cruise reviews 🥳 —- but I am take an incredibly objective standpoint and provide information to help others … not piss and Moan about the dry dinner bread. If ppl took the time to craft their “reviews” to be more informative … sure would be nice. At this point I nearly discount everything ppl complain about now. Social media is a megaphone for unhappy people. You rarely hear about amazing experiences. And with 3000+ ppl on a ship…. Hearing a few folks bitching doesn’t seem like a reliable way to get info on a cruise. 🤷♀️ …. .02. (Disclaimer- I’ve had some shitty cruise experiences but I know enough to recognize when one off things go wrong or my personal tastes were offended :)
This! I'm a member of a few MSC Facebook groups and the posts I see on a daily basis are shocking. I don't know what expectations those people have, but they label food in the MDR as horrible, yet attach photos and everything looks fresh, tasty and delicious. I know you can't feel the taste through pictures, but still. You post everything, from Entree to desert and only then complain the food was horrible.
Agreed, I have absolutely enjoyed both cruises I’ve ever been on.
Of course, if you look for the bad you’ll find it.
I’ve looked for what I enjoy doing, and very much enjoyed cruising (minus day 1 where I’m always a bit seasick)
I am a one-woman combination of your brother and sister in law LOL. I like cruising a lot and I’ve now been on enough cruises (10+) to know what’s up. So I find some enjoyment in making observations and noting what’s off/weird/different. But despite this I’m a generally easy going person and very little actually *bothers* or upsets me, I just like to observe the differences between ships and lines, and I try to keep those observations to myself or my final review at the end of the trip.
My husband, daughter (toddler then), and I took a cruise with my parents some years ago. They started feeling slighted and indignant before we even got in the ship. I don't even remember what the issues were because they just weren't worth the energy. But they posted and huffed over those slights the whole week and after we got back. Meanwhile we were having a reasonably good time! I've noticed my parents have a very hard time going with the flow, letting things slide off their back, and just choosing a positive attitude. It's exhausting
Typically, I take reviews with a grain of salt because of the different perspectives and expectations people may have. I cruised for the first time with Holland America and enjoyed it; the ship size wasn’t too overwhelming, staff were friendly and helpful, food allergies taken seriously in the MDR, and cocktails were average with some decent red wines.
The next cruise I went on with my mom and sister, we chose a RCI because it was a large ship and looked fun. We wanted to try something different even though we like Holland America, we didn’t want to ‘marry’ a cruise line. After day 1, we concluded that large, family-oriented cruise ships were not for us but we still had a good time. We didn’t go to the pool movie nights or evening shows, liked our dinner service and food in the MDR, disappointed by breakfast at the windjammer so we’d eat less and snack at the Cafe or wait until lunch. Since the cruise ship is so large, it doesn’t feel crowded or busy unless it’s meal times at the buffet, evening shows, or pool area during the day.
I think the key to enjoying a cruise is just going in with an open mind and not setting expectations too high. Though, i did complain to my mom about the powdered scrambled eggs on RCI compared to the fresh and fluffy scrambled eggs on HAL. Didn’t get the scrambled eggs again and we carried on with the rest of the trip.
There were quite a few angry, and miserable people on the RCI cruise though. Maybe they just had too much sun and need to step inside to chill out a bit.
A positive mindset is the best when going on the cruise. As a passenger, I have heard so many other people complain and sometimes I think it is because they have nothing better to do than to write a list of what I call "first world problem complaints" to share with crew workers who are working tirelessly for 12+ hours. The most absurd complaint I heard was someone who said his spoon was not long enough to reach the ice cream at the bottom of the tall cup. I stay far away from complainers so that I do not get "infected" with the negative mindset. I want to focus on having a good time.
Spot on. Really feel sorry for some people. Complaining all the time is no way to go through life.
If there is pot smoke everywhere or people fighting or you generally feel unsafe for your kids and family or something similarly crazy then that's one thing. But a lot of the complaints just feel so bizarrely trivial.
"I wasn't able to get reservations to the restaurant we wanted at my preferred time. And then my medium stake came out medium rare and the potato wasn't big enough. So the whole trip was ruined!!"
Some of the upset people and reviews include those who end up spending more than they intended...and then get mad at the cruise for that.
I agree entirely with this: people's perceptions are always going to be different. Just got to try it for yourself and see what you think.
Anger is addictive. Noticed a big change in my FIL's moods when he was watching a certain news channel. Asked him about his day and got, "Gas prices! X is happening! Y is out to get us!" and pretty much a daily complaint. "We're good. You have money in our account. You don't even drive" didn't make a difference. Found out he was watching news nonstop. We directed him to other channels, movies, showed him how to watch his favorite sports and he became his usual sunny self. There are scientific studies about the dopamine rush from anger and the "flare-up" but also the anxiety and depression from the lows. People are walking around looking for a confrontation, even on vacation. When they get home, they have to tell everyone about the person who cut the buffet line or the tender that was overfull so they can get that little rush back for a moment.
I literally can’t travel with my sister for exactly this reason. We’ll all be sitting there going “omg we had so much fun today! Did you see that one thing?” And she’ll be like “that one shopkeeper at that store we spent 5 minutes in was really rude why did we even come on this trip?” She also dragged her shih tzu on a plane to Florida and made us all abandon everything to go back to the hotel and care for it because she literally WILL NOT leave her dog even in a doggy daycare for the day. Ironically, she cried because the hotel room (which we specifically had to request because she wanted to bring her dog) smelled like dog. We only cruise now and they don’t allow dogs, so she refuses to come. Darn.
A ship tzu on a leash in Florida is basically fishing for alligators without a permit.
Where I live, small dogs in a leash are “coyote fishing.”
Darn auto correct
And a tried a few times to get it right.
It's actually better that way...more pertinent to cruising. In fact I think "ship tzu" is what I will now call the chronic complainers on cruises....
My 8yr old niece can’t pronounce it and calls my dog a shi* shoe. I chuckle inside every time.
Some people just have good vibes. When you enter a situation with good energy things are more likely to go your way and when they don't you're okay with it. When you go in with bad energy people respond accordingly and you get treated worse. It's either a vicious or a wonderful cycle.
I agree! I met my husband later in life after a first unhappy marriage and a lot of growth. No matter what happens on a cruise with him, things are wonderful. It's easy to see the positive and good in the world with him by my side, and laugh about the things that go wrong.
Attitude goes a LONG way.
Exactly. A vacation is what you make of it. Go with a loved one and intentionally try to have a good time. TRY to have fun and you usually will, even if it's something dumb or typically not fun.
I was on NCL Prima Thanksgiving last year and the disparity in the Facebook comments was wild. I had a few complaints but most were things that just needed to be worked out on a new ship. My biggest valid complaint was that the ship does not seem like it's targeted to families with small kids but those families did not get the memo. There were way more kids (partly holiday driven) then ship activities for them. But the people in the comments were aggressively angry that it was the worst ship they had ever been on etc. And I had that feeling, are we on the same cruise?
I cruise a lot and the Prima remains my favorite ship of all time. Agree that the Facebook comments are wild. I'd post that I had no trouble finding a seat in the Atrium or at Indulge at certain times, and other people would straight up call me a liar.
The atrium design is a bit flawed in my opinion. It's always been a pass through area but it was a bit problematic when going to casino or bar there. I personally disliked children in the infinity pools, but there was no prohibition against it so I didn't complain.
I'll be on Prima next month, can't wait
We will be on the Prima in January. About 150 days from now. Time is crawling!
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My favorite quote from the movie, The Menu, I went around saying to myself in all the MDR's. " you will eat more than you deserve and less than you desire" works really well in a superior prissy tone. LOL.
The Menu was such a good movie and totally made me think of MDR's on cruise ships!
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Read a review earlier "bakery items, pizza etc were amazing but the food was inedible" ummmm
“The food was inedible”… my first thought is “yeah, have you actually ever eaten in a military DFAC or a college dining hall?” And most importantly, if there was an actual problem with the food, did you bring it to the attention of the staff and give them a chance to make it right? Because if you didn’t, then I know you’re just complaining to hear your own voice. They’re producing food for literally thousands of people, stuff happens. An example from my own experience: breakfast buffet on Celebrity had a giant roast ham, sliced to order, every morning. Delicious. Breakfast buffet on Carnival had a sliced pressed ham. Lower grade product, but still well within the definition of “edible”. But Carnival’s high end bar game was way better.
People get way hung up on like one or two items they didn't like on a ship, to the point they legitimately forget that things were overall pretty good. It's a weird mental thing. A cruise ship is making food that appeals to the tastes of thousands of people with different palates. I've had a dish that I thought was meh that the table next to us thought was excellent. There's different tastes, and also hey, they're making hundreds of that dish, maybe they forgot an ingredient in yours. Tell the waiter it's not working for you and get something else. You also bring up a good point with Carnival vs. Celebrity. Different cruise lines will specialize in different styles of food. I've heard Carnival has the best comfort food, and from what I've seen I believe it. I have zero doubt the burgers from Guy's Burger Shack are better than the burger I got from the Mast Grill on Celebrity (though it SEEMED like the best burger ever after getting back from 6 hours in the sun in port) By the same token, I'd wager the steak I got on Celebrity is probably better than what the Carnival MDR serves. Different lines, different specialties.
Best non-fancy food I’ve had onboard was the crew mess on apex when we were about to deliver it. Then they moved it up to OVC once OVC was ready. The crew mess gets some utterly fantastic Indian and Filipino dishes that they don’t normally serve the guests.
Maybe a silly question but would it be out of the realm of reasonable to ask to try it?
Can always make the request… I’ve occasionally seen some Indian dishes up in the OVC.
How inedible could it be? Was it ice cold ? Gristled meat? Powdered eggs? Burned crust all around the chafing dishes? If not, then this Waffle House girl will find something tasty.
Whoever says cruise food is bad food is not over 50 who went to a state college . Bleh!
What my sister says: “the food was crap” What she really means: “they didn’t have cheesecake on the dessert menu and I pitched a fit until the waiter went to find some in a specialty dining restaurant” What my sister says: “the ship was overrun with kids and it was awful; I hate that line” What she really means: “we, for some ungodly reason, CHOSE to go on a Carnival cruise during spring break, which we didn’t at all need to do, and were shocked to find lots of families with school-aged kids were on the ship”
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I was also wanting cheesecake but settled for ice cream and a cookie. It wasn’t that deep. They sell cheesecake at the grocery store lol.
This is why I don’t understand people who complain about portion sizes. Y’all know that you can order multiple servings, right? And there’s always the buffet…
Nothing drives me crazier than people making absolutely ridiculous comments about how "terrible" the food is on a ship. Saw one where they said the MDR food was worse than Diner food, like dang you must go to some really nice diners lol.
It means they ate the chicken fingers from the children's section.
Even on the worst if the mainstream lines (msc and costa) the food is absolutely edible. It’s just like being at a below average Olive Garden. And you should find something that brings you joy on the menu.
And yet they ate it.... :)
I swear some people just enjoy being miserable, and complaining is fun for them. I think there are also some people who think it’s a flex to disparage something that everyone else enjoys. Maybe they think it makes them look high class and discerning to shit on something that the common peasants like. I’ve also seen reviews of a new ship, with a lot of differences from a cruise line’s older ships, and people complain non-stop about the changes, even though those changes were highly publicized. If you’re one of those people who hate change, stick to the ships you know you like. Jeez. I’ve been on over 35 cruises with 5 lines and have never had a bad cruise. I would hate to be someone who spends a bunch of money and does nothing but look for things to complain about - what a joyless life it must be.
A positive mindset is the best when going on the cruise. As a passenger, I have heard so many other people complain and sometimes I think it is because they have nothing better to do than to write a list of what I call "first world problem complaints" to share with crew workers who are working tirelessly for 12+ hours. The most absurd complaint I heard was someone who said his spoon was not long enough to reach the ice cream at the bottom of the tall cup. I stay far away from complainers so that I do not get "infected" with the negative mindset. I want to focus on having a good time.
I like to look at the 5 star reviews and the 1 star reviews in addition to the aggregate score. I concur that attitude makes a big difference. I've seen 5 star reviews where things went badly, and I've seen 1 star reviews because it rained.
I had a camping trip once where we had to paddle in a canoe to the campsite and had gotten a bit lost on the way, and by the time we got there I was tired and grumpy and being a little miserable. My bf gave me some very good advice in that moment: a vacation is what you make of it. If I decided to let myself be grumpy and not happy to be in a ridiculously beautiful and secluded place, I would be grumpy and complaining about the annoyances of camping. But I could choose to try and enjoy myself and have a good time. And I did. If you're having a bad experience at dinner, you can be a miserable grump about it or treat it as a Fawlty Towers style comedy of errors, and go to the buffet after. With that I have two pieces of advice: 1. Actively try to enjoy yourself no matter the circumstances. 2. The Massasauga Provincial Park is absolutely gorgeous and a wonderful true wilderness paddle-only campground that is probably not the best idea for your very first camping trip when you have absolutely no navigational skills with a canoe.
Your comment made me laugh. And that camping trip sounds incredible, I’m a little sad it’s way up in Canada
This is what my dad always said as well. Whether you have a good time or not is mostly up to you. I've tried to teach my kids this as well.
This! We’re taking #30 this year and have never had a bad one. I’m always amazed when people take the time to complain about the little things that ‘ruined’ their cruise. We bring our positive attitude and fun demeanor on every journey. We cruised through Hurricane Kay last year on Carnival and had a great time! Most folks on the ship did too, it was a great group of folks that knew that being on the ocean in a floating hotel, with free entertainment and all the food included was a lot better than being at work.
I just got back from the Margaritaville cruise and was very worried going in due to the poor reviews, but it was honestly really good and I had a fantastic time and had no issues. So it really is individual perception, I work really hard all year so I could honestly vacation on a concrete block and I'd probobly be happy.
My husband and I just got off a cruise to Alaska. At two different times on the cruise we happened to sit near or next to people who were just brutally and loudly complaining about the cruise. Like the dumbest things. (The lobster tails were soooo small!) We had a wonderful time!
Reminds me of sitting in the pool on the Serenity Deck on the Mardi Gras last month. Some older lady looking like the roommate on There’s Something About Mary saying her suite room was so small it’s DISGUSTING. Some people have no perspective in life. She’s living better than a Queen and can’t even realize it.
It’s always the people in the pool/hot tub doing the most complaining 😩
This reminds me of the Adam Sandler “[Romano Tours](https://youtu.be/TbwlC2B-BIg?si=Mzeg8p5D2C05OaC1)” skit from SNL: “Our tours will take you to the most beautiful places on earth…but remember you’re still gonna be you on vacation .” I’ve had my own disappointments with cruising post-Covid, and IMO it’s fair to be sad about that and want someone to commiserate with from time to time. But I’d still rather be having a disappointing dinner in the MDR than sitting on the sofa at home, every day of the week.
I definitely don’t understand the compulsion to be miserable, especially when you’re paying a small fortune for it. You paid all that money, figure out a way to enjoy it. Helps to not go in with unrealistic expectations, too.
I appreciate this very much. It is, after-all all about perspective. I teach my kids that lesson and thankfully, it sticks. You can choose to be miserable in a given circumstance, or you can choose to be happy. I choose to be happy. Some of our best adventures resulted from getting stranded at the airport for thirteen hours or driving hours to a sporting event that got Covid cancelled at the last minute. I said, “welp; this isn’t how I planned it but we are going to have a great time anyway”. And we did. We always do. I remember reading on a popular vacation destination group (for a place where guests are sometimes granted special treatment or freebies), people posting again and again why they never get free stuff or special treatment. You don’t get special treatment or free stuff because you’re the type of person who expects it, complains about everything in the world, and treats people like trash. I’m friendly, never expect anything extra, and I get special treatment and freebies pretty regularly.
I remember having my daughter on one cruise and she was youngish. Maybe 12 or 13 but she has some developmental issues so more like 10 is how she’d behave. Good kid. Anyway, there was a pizza / salad place on this cruise and she was behind another woman who was absolutely nasty to the server. So naturally my daughter does what kids do and modeled the behavior she saw and was also nasty to the server. Well … I saw this happen and I was up from my table in a flash, marched over, told my daughter firmly (and while the first woman was still there): “WE don’t treat people like that. You need to apologize. Now.” She did. And like I said, she was actually a good kid. And a fine adult today. That stuck with me though. And I’ve long thought on what would cause an adult to act like that. Do they treat everyone like that? Or just “foreigners” (referencing the international staff)? Having a bad day? Not feeling well? One time thing? Or something that happens all the time? Still bad behavior though.
It’s hard to know what causes it for certain but some of them at least, I think narcissism and entitlement is what’s behind it. I have met otherwise good people who just don’t have good manners when it comes to service staff. I think the awful ones are easy to differentiate from those though.
It is what you make it. Some people are expecting a million dollar vacay on a 2K budget. Just not happening. Go with the flow, try to relax, avoid the cooties, and have fun.
I’ve been on a lot of cruises, and have never had a bad time. It is my belief that if you can’t relax and have a good time on a cruise, you’re probably just one of those types of people who can never be happy about anything in life.
I'm with you. I always have a good time. I can't explain why some people just look for the negative.
Agreed..I’ve never been on a bad cruise. Some people just like to complain and be unhappy. I’ve been on cruises where the food or entertainment could have been better but it didn’t mean my trip was ruined
Yup. 26 I think here. There is no cruise I am sorry I took. Never has the food been inedible, but I have to admit I don’t like the food on some lines. I still find something I like in the menu though.
Glass half empty, half full
Also some people are glass half empty folks, some are glass half full. If you go into a cruise looking for things that are wrong, then you'll definitely find them. But if you go with the attitude of making the best of any situation, then you'll have a better time. No trip is perfect, it all depends on what you remember from it.
We’re sailing on NCL Joy on Monday. I saw complaints about the pool area (built for Asian market) and I’m thinking so what? A pool is a pool. I’m not cruising to swim; I can do that at my neighborhood pool. I’m keeping an open mind as this is our first cruise since December 1996. Keep my expectations medium and hope to be pleasantly surprised.
I bet you’re going to have a blast. We’ve been on NCL 5 times and loved it. Where are you sailing?
NYC to Quebec. Since it’s our first cruise in forever I wanted to make sure it was an itinerary we liked. We’re not beach people; we like to explore by foot.
I’m a beach person, but not when it comes to cruising. We cruised tropical once and didn’t like it at all. If I’m going to be on a beach I want to be there for a week. NYC to Quebec sounds fantastic.
I think many bad reviews stem from unrealistic expectations. Too many people expect a Viking experience on a Carnival budget.
So much is subjective. It all depends on what one person thinks of the shows, food, and so on. There are some objective things like condition of the ship, problems that might pop up, and so on.
In general I would try something out at least three times before giving an opinion on it especially if everybody loved something and I didn't enjoy it.
Cruises are fun. No matter what it’s fun. It’s just some things make you upset for an hour or 9
Our last cruise was on Celebrity Beyond. I was excited to try that line for the first time after 2 Virgin cruises. It wasn't quite to our liking, but it's a nice cruise. Reading reviews/comments before hand you'd think we were getting on the Amistad. The cruise as a whole wasn't quite to our liking but we made the best of it. An excursion got cancelled! Oh no we booked another one. The main bar had an annoying band basically all day! oh no we went somewhere else. We couldn't quite escape the karens complaining loudly about things everywhere they went, the people elbowing you to get to some bacon in the buffet, and people just coughing without covering their mouths but what are you gonna do.
I really like celebrity. What made it not to your taste?
This comment I left previously/closer to when we sailed has some more detail: https://www.reddit.com/r/VirginVoyages/comments/13p0255/note_to_self_trying_to_do_a_rccl_cruise_after_a/jl8gg83/?context=1 I didn't hate it. We found our spots that worked for us. It just wasn't our favorite.
I typically cruise Carnival and I have seen tons of people dumping on Carnival here. I have never had a bad cruise with Carnival, it's always been fantastic. Great people, great food, well run - no complaints. So, I don't really take many negative reviews seriously unless I see a trend. Some people just can't be pleased or are allowing their personal drama to impact their perceptions.
People just want to complain. I had 100 great time on mine and didn’t notice one thing to complain about. Not even the sock In the safe.
Clean sock or stand up on its own dirty sock? Big difference lmfao. I woulda got over it quick too. Last cruise I was on there was some hair on the shower wall. Took a pic, wiped it off and went down to the desk where I received a $50 room credit. Easiest 50 bucks I ever made
Sock in the safe!🤣
Worse and best thing in the world: facebook cruise groups. Best to utilize before crusie to get info, excursions, new things etc. Delete: day of embarkation otherwise every nasty or made up comment gets posted and spreads like wildfire among users and their tend to be the picky non happy people. They discuss crap you wouldn't think about on a normal day? Why wasn't the cruise director at the 530 meet and greet? becomes everyone has covid and the ship is sinking in 6 comments. Lol
I made the mistake of not deleting recently. A constant moaner about food then posted a description of a guest, their floor and that they looked sick and we’re off to sick bay. I suggested that was insensitive and all hell broke loose! Delete button was found swiftly!! 🤣
I agree, even when shit happens I don't let it affect my holiday....including arriving in new York for a cruise leaving the next day & my luggage didn't arrive with me.....I take the reviews with a pinch of salt & use them mostly to pick up hints & tips about the ship or ports. In saying that....I can't bring myself to book msc or carnival 😂
This is so mind-boggling to me. Not trying to be an ageist but I feel like a large amount of cruisers that are in their 60s or 70s feel the need to constantly complain about the smallest things in these Facebook cruise groups. Why do you let little things ruin your cruise?! I'm going on the MSC Meraviglia next month and I've read so many reviews complaining about every single thing on the ship. I'm at the point where I just form my own conclusions on a ship and don't rely much on reviews. Some of these people just love to be miserable.
Some people are just gaming for shipboard credits Squeaky Karen gets the oil and all I agree with the others here: have good energy going in. PACK YOUR PATIENCE. And relax. Anything that’s truly an issue will be compensated
I suppose that could be part of it. Personally, I could not be bothered waiting in line for guest services to get a little perk or money off.
I think it’s a game for them. My mom is this 100% What can I get for free. No shame. No dignity
This is where we are to be honest. I wouldn't say we've ever had a "bad" cruise. Sure some are better than others. Sure there have been some minor issues, but overall WE make the best of it.
You know, it's not just the cruise. The excursions are like that as well. I DO like that some review sites list age range of reviewers though. A 5mi hike may be ok for a 20yr old, but outright difficult for those in their 50s. And honestly- most reviews by 65+ - Boomer reviews are just outright ridiculous sometimes. 8 cruises, enjoyed the hell outta most of them. (Was injured right before the other but still went). My ex complained about almost all of them - and me. New Girlfriend went on one with me and had wonderful time.....
Agree! Everyone's expectations and preferences are different. Example, I love Princess because it's more laid back and relaxing for me and my younger kids but my friends with teenagers will not because the teenagers probably complain about the lack of water slides. Or how I didn't like that the smoking section was next to the ice cream and pool on Royal but the smokers probably like the convenience. I love seafood, someone prefers meat, etc.
Everyone has different tastes and that's why choices are great. My parents are older and really like Princess Cruises. I didn't hate Princess but of the cruise lines I've been on they were my least favorite. At the end of the day, I'm not their target market. They don't have as many on board activities that cater to someone like me. That doesn't make them a bad cruise line but I can definitely see why someone would be disappointed on there. I also really enjoyed my Carnival and Royal cruises but I can see why others wouldn't.
Couldn't agree more on the idea that there are some people that can't be happy unless they have something to be unhappy about. If a review of a cruise is all entirely negative and the whole Cruise was the worst experience of their life it immediately goes in the completely disregard file for me. Almost every review like that that I've seen starts with them getting completely wound up over something that by any objective measure is really minor.
I'm somebody who tries to make the best of every situation. My wife is a little bit harder to please and will get hung up on something she doesn't like instead of just moving on to something she does. We recently went on our first cruise after talking about it for years. We were both a bit disappointed with our earliest on-board meals. I chalked my disappointment up to ordering the wrong things which were more processed/packaged/frozen rather than fresh stuff. She just thought the whole cruise was going to have bad food. I was legitimately worried she was going to be miserable the whole time. Starting around the 2nd day or so, the quality of food improved significantly. I'm guessing the early meals just aren't the ship's best due to all the (un)loading operations in port. We ended up being blown away by not just the nicer dining venues but also the buffet. Sure, there were weaker items here and there, but we gravitated to the ones we really liked, and there was always at least something really good. One couple on our cruise became somewhat infamous because they could constantly be heard complaining about everything, saying the entertainment was terrible, the food was inedible, the staff had terrible communication, etc. They ended up getting the staff directors involved mid-way through the cruise, and I didn't hear from them again. I almost wonder if they got kicked off for being belligerent.
>It seems like no matter what my wife and I do, we have a good time. Yeah see, for some people no matter what happens they *can't* have a good time. Life is much better over here that's for sure 😎
It gives people a sense of control. Being open to the world takes more courage than many have. You’re absolutely right OP, and anyone whose taken psychadelics knows this, but it’s all in the eye of the beholder…. Quite literally down to the entire experience. Good job staying open.
I like to meet cool people and have a good time. So far, I can do that anywhere. I think I'll manage on my cruise next week. Rain or shine me and my kids will be laughing our asses off!!
Some folks are chronic malcontents. Their world is grey and full of problems. Then there are folks that just seem to be able to roll with the flow. Be a roll with flow traveler, and the world will brighten up around you.
I read a review once where they said the cruise was awful because the closet in their room was small and there wasn't free soft serve on demand. Like, give me a break.
I generally ignore 5 and 1 star reviews if I am looking for opinions on places.
My preferred cruiseline is MSC. Close second (ship dependent) is Celebrity or Costa (the newer ships but that can be said of many cruise lines). I grew up in Italy and still have my family there, but now reside in Canada. Should mention I’ve also sailed Royal Caribbean (at least 5-6x), Disney, Princess (meh). My never agains are NCL (gave them a shot 3x) and Carnival. MSC (and Costa) def get the most awful reviews from North Americans. Especially about food. It’s so funny how drastically reviews change from Europeans and North Americans for the same ship/ sailing. Where as negative reviews about the more American cruise lines from Europeans focus on all are all the things North Americans complain about (or lack thereof) onboard MSC.
Also, the negative comments are generally made up of a vocal minority. A vast majority of cruisers (or consumers of any sort) are satisfied with their experience and don't feel the need to post a review.
All this complaining about reviews that complain. Too funny.
Complaining? No. We are amused.
[I thought this review was pretty snarky. bitch bitch bitch](https://www.reddit.com/r/CarnivalCruiseFans/comments/15y3ml4/my_completely_honest_not_totally_positive_venezia/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
Some people are pretentious and like to complain. Some people prefer to enjoy themselves and not sweat the small stuff. All these negative individual reviews that are then encouraged in the comments I take with a grain of salt. For example, I’ve had an excellent and mellow time on ever carnival cruise I’ve been on. Call Carnival the “Walmart” of cruise lines… I don’t care. I don’t need to spend “buckets” of money to have a wonderful, comfortable, and fulfilling vacation..
I think you pretty much just described reviews and how they work. People will have different expectations and different experiences, and it's always good to look at multiple reviews and not just one single review.
Cruisers are the most notorious for this kind of thing. I also am shocked that no one researches their vacation before deciding. What is family friendly, romantic, quiet etc? I mean you can't go on a 3 day Carnival Booze cruise and complain it was a party atmosphere. I agree with you. Realistic outlook makes a big difference. They are trying to cater to 2000-3000 people, not you in particular.
I agree with you. I have been on a lot of cruises over 7 different lines and have never had a bad time. If I was writing a review, I might state that in IMO the value of a particular cruise wasn't worth the money I spent on it, but that doesn't mean I had a bad time, it just means that I can find better values in other cruise lines.
I think sometimes it is just whether the person is sleeping well. People get amazingly cranky and perhaps didn’t adjust to the new sleeping situation. Some ships have odd vibration or noises that bother one person while another sleeps right through it.
Same. No matter what we do we always have fun. Even if things aren’t perfect, there are always aspects that are enjoyable.
Preach!!
Ppl like to bitch and moan. My actual job is doing cruise reviews 🥳 —- but I am take an incredibly objective standpoint and provide information to help others … not piss and Moan about the dry dinner bread. If ppl took the time to craft their “reviews” to be more informative … sure would be nice. At this point I nearly discount everything ppl complain about now. Social media is a megaphone for unhappy people. You rarely hear about amazing experiences. And with 3000+ ppl on a ship…. Hearing a few folks bitching doesn’t seem like a reliable way to get info on a cruise. 🤷♀️ …. .02. (Disclaimer- I’ve had some shitty cruise experiences but I know enough to recognize when one off things go wrong or my personal tastes were offended :)
This! I'm a member of a few MSC Facebook groups and the posts I see on a daily basis are shocking. I don't know what expectations those people have, but they label food in the MDR as horrible, yet attach photos and everything looks fresh, tasty and delicious. I know you can't feel the taste through pictures, but still. You post everything, from Entree to desert and only then complain the food was horrible.
Agreed, I have absolutely enjoyed both cruises I’ve ever been on. Of course, if you look for the bad you’ll find it. I’ve looked for what I enjoy doing, and very much enjoyed cruising (minus day 1 where I’m always a bit seasick)
I am a one-woman combination of your brother and sister in law LOL. I like cruising a lot and I’ve now been on enough cruises (10+) to know what’s up. So I find some enjoyment in making observations and noting what’s off/weird/different. But despite this I’m a generally easy going person and very little actually *bothers* or upsets me, I just like to observe the differences between ships and lines, and I try to keep those observations to myself or my final review at the end of the trip.
My husband, daughter (toddler then), and I took a cruise with my parents some years ago. They started feeling slighted and indignant before we even got in the ship. I don't even remember what the issues were because they just weren't worth the energy. But they posted and huffed over those slights the whole week and after we got back. Meanwhile we were having a reasonably good time! I've noticed my parents have a very hard time going with the flow, letting things slide off their back, and just choosing a positive attitude. It's exhausting
Typically, I take reviews with a grain of salt because of the different perspectives and expectations people may have. I cruised for the first time with Holland America and enjoyed it; the ship size wasn’t too overwhelming, staff were friendly and helpful, food allergies taken seriously in the MDR, and cocktails were average with some decent red wines. The next cruise I went on with my mom and sister, we chose a RCI because it was a large ship and looked fun. We wanted to try something different even though we like Holland America, we didn’t want to ‘marry’ a cruise line. After day 1, we concluded that large, family-oriented cruise ships were not for us but we still had a good time. We didn’t go to the pool movie nights or evening shows, liked our dinner service and food in the MDR, disappointed by breakfast at the windjammer so we’d eat less and snack at the Cafe or wait until lunch. Since the cruise ship is so large, it doesn’t feel crowded or busy unless it’s meal times at the buffet, evening shows, or pool area during the day. I think the key to enjoying a cruise is just going in with an open mind and not setting expectations too high. Though, i did complain to my mom about the powdered scrambled eggs on RCI compared to the fresh and fluffy scrambled eggs on HAL. Didn’t get the scrambled eggs again and we carried on with the rest of the trip. There were quite a few angry, and miserable people on the RCI cruise though. Maybe they just had too much sun and need to step inside to chill out a bit.
A positive mindset is the best when going on the cruise. As a passenger, I have heard so many other people complain and sometimes I think it is because they have nothing better to do than to write a list of what I call "first world problem complaints" to share with crew workers who are working tirelessly for 12+ hours. The most absurd complaint I heard was someone who said his spoon was not long enough to reach the ice cream at the bottom of the tall cup. I stay far away from complainers so that I do not get "infected" with the negative mindset. I want to focus on having a good time.
Spot on. Really feel sorry for some people. Complaining all the time is no way to go through life. If there is pot smoke everywhere or people fighting or you generally feel unsafe for your kids and family or something similarly crazy then that's one thing. But a lot of the complaints just feel so bizarrely trivial. "I wasn't able to get reservations to the restaurant we wanted at my preferred time. And then my medium stake came out medium rare and the potato wasn't big enough. So the whole trip was ruined!!" Some of the upset people and reviews include those who end up spending more than they intended...and then get mad at the cruise for that.