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Cruise Line Responses: FAQs and Helpful Tips

Staff
Cruise Critic

Last updated
Jan 8, 2019

Read time
6 min read

Why is it important to write Cruise Line Responses?

Responding to reviews clearly demonstrates -- to both former and prospective cruisers -- that you are interested in feedback, and that you take customer service seriously.

Which reviews should I respond to?

Each cruise line should determine its own strategy for responding to reviews. Some businesses respond to every review, while others focus primarily on critical ones.

It's generally a good idea to respond to reviews that are negative, as well as those where you can correct a factual misstatement or write about an action you've taken to correct problems addressed in the review. Another best practice is to always have at least one Cruise Line Response amongst the ten most recent reviews you've received. That will help ensure cruise travelers don't have to dig too far into a ship's review history to see a response from you.

How will I know if I've received a new review?

We'll notify you by email when new reviews have been published for your cruise line. This will help you monitor reviews as they come in, and decide which ones you want to respond to. You'll receive an email daily, unless there hasn't been a new review published during the prior 24 hours.

Where do I go on Cruise Critic to respond?

In order to reply to a review, you need to be registered; contact lauras@cruisecritic.com to get set up with the appropriate access.

Once you are registered and verified, access your dashboard here. If you receive a notification email, you can also click on the "Respond to Reviews" link from the email. Then:

  1. Click on the "Cruise Line Response" option in the menu along the left-hand side of your screen.

  2. Choose the review you would like to respond to by clicking anywhere in that row. Reviews can be filtered by ship, bubble rating and response status.

  3. Write (or paste) the response into the box provided. Please be sure to proofread and spell check your response before submitting.

  4. Click "Submit Response."

Before drafting your response, read our Cruise Line Response guidelines. In order to be published, your response will need to meet these guidelines.

How do I respond to a positive review?

Thank the reviewer for taking the time to share their experience. Avoid using the same standard reply for every response, as that can come across as repetitive and insincere. Refer to the reviewers' positive comments about your business to both personalize your response and reiterate the compliment to your potential visitors.

How should I respond to a negative review?

Respond quickly

A prompt response shows prospective guests that you take customer service seriously and adds your perspective on the situation to the original review. This allows future guests to hear your side of the story as soon as possible.

Be courteous and professional

When replying, remember that your Cruise Line Response will be seen not just by the reviewer, but also by potential guests who are considering booking on that ship or with your line. Therefore, if you don't agree with the reviewer, or feel they are being unfair, relay your side of the story in a polite and unemotional way. The last thing you want to do is turn off potential visitors with an aggressive or defensive Cruise Line Response.

Thank the reviewer

Express your appreciation for the traveler's business and for writing a review. Demonstrate that all feedback is important to you, be it good or bad. Also, if possible, provide an empathetic apology for any shortfalls.

Address the specific issues

If the review contains a specific complaint, explain what you have done to fix the issue so potential guests are reassured that the problem is resolved.

Highlight the positives

Highlight any positive comments the reviewer has made. You can even take the opportunity to mention related services or planned upgrades that you would like to share with potential visitors.

Need more help responding to negative reviews? Read on here.

Can I edit my Cruise Line Response?

Currently it is not possible to edit your response. If you want to change something, the best thing to do is to delete your original response and resubmit the edited version. To delete a response, please contact lauras@cruisecritic.com.

How long before my Cruise Line Response is posted?

Once you click submit, the status under the "Status" column will become "Response Pending." When the response is approved, the status will change to "Response Published." The majority of Cruise Line Responses will be reviewed and posted within a few business days. If there is a question of whether your response meets all of our guidelines, it may take longer to process. If your response is not approved, the status will become "Response Rejected". Please review the Cruise Line Response guidelines and submit a new Cruise Line Response for that review.

Tips

  • In addition to reading the text in dashboard itself, you can open the review you are responding to by clicking on the "Full Cruise Critic Review" link. This allows you to have the review fresh in your mind and respond to each of the specific points made.

  • You may want to write your response in a word processor first so you can spell check and edit it until you are pleased with the final product. Then, cut and paste it into the Response field in the dashboard.

  • Keep in mind that Cruise Line Responses can be found by search engines. If something negative comes up in a review, avoid repeating it in your response.

  • If you would like to encourage a reviewer to contact you, it is permissible to include your contact information in your response. Just keep in mind that your response is publicly visible to all Cruise Critic users.

  • Your username and title will appear on your Cruise Line Response.

Not registered yet to respond to cruise reviews? Contact lauras@cruisecritic.com to learn more!

See Also:
Cruise Line Response Guidelines
How Do I Respond to a Review for My Cruise Line?

Cruise Critic reserves the right to remove a review or management response at any time for any reason. The reviews posted on Cruise Critic are individual and highly subjective opinions. The opinions expressed in reviews are those of Cruise Critic members and not of Independent Traveler, Inc. We do not endorse any of the opinions expressed by reviewers or in management responses. We are not affiliated with any establishment listed or reviewed on this web site.

In accordance with our privacy policy, Cruise Critic does not release anyone's personal contact information.

Publish date January 08, 2019
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