| If you're thinking about cruising for the first time or | | | | reasons. |
| want to book your next cruise vacation, chances are | | | | First, way back when I first started out as a writer I |
| excellent you'll explore online to find out your options. | | | | was a theater reviewer. Reviewing is much harder |
| You won't be disappointed, either. There is a great deal | | | | than you think. A good reviewer has to balance her |
| of information about cruising online. Just know one | | | | specific experiences against a broader picture. A |
| thing: a lot of that material is produced by the cruise | | | | professional reviewer has to keep in mind that what |
| industry itself. | | | | he's evaluating has to be framed within the context of |
| You can't blame the major cruise lines for having very | | | | what its creators intended and keep any personal |
| detailed websites about their own offerings, but there | | | | preferences out of the mix. For instance, a chocoholic |
| are also travel agencies and other travel insiders who | | | | reviewer has to be able to give a fair review to vanilla, |
| run websites with reviews and encouragement about | | | | even if he'd never pick that flavor in a million years. For |
| cruising. While these sites often offer great information | | | | example, "The Dark Knight" was hailed by many as a |
| and are accurate, you have to realize that they have | | | | great movie, but I don't care for that genre. A good |
| an agenda. They want you to book a cruise. | | | | reviewer has to be able to rise above personal |
| The Internet is kind of like TV, but with no distinction | | | | preferences and even specific experiences to craft a |
| between the commercials and the programming. It's | | | | review that will be useful to most readers. |
| actually like having a TV where some of the coolest | | | | A lot of amateur reviewers tend to be extremists. |
| programs turned out to be commercials and some of | | | | They either rave and wax poetic (if they had a good |
| the short two-minute announcements in-between | | | | time or met some great people) or savagely berate (if |
| turned out to be programming. | | | | things were not exactly the way they expected them |
| So how do you know who to trust? In my opinion, you | | | | to be). I've read cruise reviews where a passenger |
| can trust all of the cruise company websites and | | | | howls because she called for extra towels and they |
| affiliated sites (many of them also have blogs and | | | | were not delivered immediately or reviewers who |
| related sites) but look for two things. | | | | slam the entire line if their medium-rare steak was |
| First, you want to see the company take clear | | | | delivered medium. A professional reviewer might note |
| ownership of the site. In other words, if you go to the | | | | such things but they would only factor into the review |
| Princess Cruises web site, you should know you're at | | | | if a pattern emerged of substandard service. |
| the website run by Princess Cruises. Whatever | | | | So how can you learn about cruises online? |
| business is behind the website should identify itself | | | | The best first stop for getting information is to go to |
| clearly on the site. | | | | the big, splashy websites run by the cruise lines |
| The second thing is you should recognize, as a savvy | | | | because they have definitely put the best and most |
| consumer, that you're hearing from a company that | | | | effort in making sure you have a fun, convenient, and |
| wants your business. Beyond that-business-run sites | | | | informative online experience. After all, they want you |
| are great. | | | | to get to know their product. There is not a better |
| I actually visit cruise sites all of the time to learn about | | | | place anywhere for you to get all of the details (and |
| new itineraries, ports of call, and special sales. You can | | | | great images) of any specific cruise, but you need to |
| even use some of these sites to get an "inside look" at | | | | remember that you are visiting a source that wants |
| the state rooms, plans of the ships, and destination | | | | you to spend your money ... with them. |
| details. I can't imagine booking a cruise without these | | | | Next, visit sites runs by businesses affiliated with the |
| sites. | | | | travel industry but keep in mind that they may be trying |
| You can also find plenty of sites with more general | | | | to steer you to a particular purchase. |
| information about cruising that provide you with | | | | Take all passenger-written reviews with a grain of |
| descriptions of many different packages from | | | | salt-make that all reviews. You know that two people |
| different companies. Some of these are run by travel | | | | on the exact same cruise can have very different |
| companies who make money when you book a | | | | experiences. |
| cruise-no matter what brand you pick. Again, these | | | | Travel guides and books or TV programs by |
| sites are great as long as you know who is running | | | | third-parties are great sources of information because |
| them and why. | | | | these folks have the luxury of not caring whether or |
| Many sites offer the opportunity for various | | | | not you take a cruise. They just want to give you |
| passengers to "review" or comment on a cruise | | | | some information about what you'd need to know for |
| vacation. I'm always a little wary of these for a few | | | | cruising. |