Everyone says to join a cruise Facebook group. I wish I hadn't.
I love sharing information, meeting new people, and staying informed, but I stopped joining Facebook groups for my sailings.
As groups have risen in popularity, so have the problems. What used to be infrequent annoyances have become far more commonplace, and it's the sort of things that turn me off from bothering to go about it.
I cruise a monthly basis, so I run across lots of groups. If I'm on a big ship, it's not uncommon for there to be hundreds of people in there.
I hate to paint with a wide brush, because there are lots of people who use Facebook to learn from others, share their own experiences, and generally help get excited about an awesome vacation that's coming up.
The drama, misinformation, and spam are why I don't recommend joining Facebook groups anymore for a cruise.
Know-it-alls, judging others, and drama is a big turnoff
Squabbles over silly issues usually crop up, even before the cruise begins.
A simple question about dress codes, where to find information, or other "cruise 101" posts conjure up responses that are plain nasty.
While the correct answer usually gets shared, it's mired with trolling messages and personal attacks. Some people get annoyed anyone would ask a question that cannot be searched on Google first.
Then there are the sarcastic and joke responses. The people writing it think they're funny, but humor doesn't travel well in written form without being able to hear the inflection. That results in nasty comments back (because they think they're being attacked), or even someone thinking the joke response is the correct answer.
My personal pet peeve are the "weather pearl clutchers". These are the people that look at a 21 day weather forecast and start freaking out because there's any chance of rain. They bring the doom and gloom and bring down the vibe quickly.
All of it bogs down the usefulness of being in a Facebook group, and all it takes is one bored person to quickly set the wrong tone for everyone.
Some travel agents use Facebook groups to drum up business
The amount of unsolicited sales pitches in Facebook groups is a quickly growing problem.
Some travel agents will create a group as a means of gathering potential future sales leads. They lock down sharing links that might conflict with their own business interests, and share lots of posts offering to book future cruises.
I have no problem with someone marketing themselves and trying to grow their business, but a Facebook group that passes itself off as a place for everyone to meet isn't the place for that.
Absentee group admins foster chaos
If a travel agent that rules their group with an iron fist is bad, a group with no admin at the helm is even worse.
Facebook has a bad spam problem, and if you start a public group for a sailing, you can start a countdown on an egg timer before someone will post advertising a taxi service, shore excursion in Roatan, or t-shirts to buy.
Beyond the spam, arguments grow out of control and problem makers are left unchecked.
Misinformation spreads fast, and it's tiring to try to help
Even if there's a benevolent group admin that does a good job at rooting out the worst offenders, incorrect info can still run wild.
On a recent sailing, someone asked which cruise terminal we were boarding from in San Juan, Puerto Rico and I saw a couple of people insisting it was the wrong port.
I certainly don't want to go into any group and try to correct everyone. And I don't think anyone wants to be "that guy" that responds to every post and risks being seen as annoying or a know-it-all.
On the one hand, I hate to see people lead astray with the wrong info. But on the other hand, I have no interest in trying to correct everyone, especially people that think they're providing the right answer.
This is especially true of dress codes, because they're quite subjective and open for interpretation. Royal Caribbean doesn't really enforce dress codes much, so the result is a wide gap in personal preference.
