Tuesday

Review : The City Lights Cruises is not worth remembering

 Now that summertime is fast approaching, it is about time to post a review of my worst cruise experience right in my own city of Toronto.
Empress of Canada cruise ship
I was so excited when I got 16 tickets to go on a City Lights Cruises one end of summer. It's not my first time going on a cruise,  but because it's sponsored by a company I work with, I am tempted to go for it.  This cruise ship operates and offers dinner cruise in big cities in the US and Canada; New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Boston and Toronto. Being a resident of Toronto and works in the downtown core, I opted to join the one offered in my city.

Anyways, there are a couple of information that I totally disagree with this cruise for the following reasons. These information are very visible in their website:
  1.  This is not the Ultimate Party on the Water that I expect.  I have been to several Toronto harbour cruises and most of them are even better than City Lights Cruises ..... even without the party.
  2. There is nothing good to discover. No good music to dance around and not enough crew on the boat who smile and welcome guests, with the exception of the Captain and the bartender.
  3. I did not see a luxury yacht before and after the 3-hour cruise. That is not luxurious to my standard.
  4. No best decor whatsoever. Please, give me at least one. Be specific.
  5. Hot buffet? I don't even remember I ate.  I already mentioned, not worth it. Not even the snacks (e.g. cookies) that the server has to count while staring at your face making sure that it is your first time to get it.  If he is not sure, he will ask.
  6. There is nothing to congratulate about, so I sent my concerns thru their email and sent another one to their website when I did not get an acknowlegement on my first. Well, their website did not say they will acknowledge receipt of complaints.  All that they did say is ~ they love to hear from us whether we have questions, concerns, complaints or congratulations.  In this case, they are right, they heard me and that's all they can do.
  7. I do not want to go into detail on how rude and unfriendly two or three of the crews were. It is totally unacceptable and obviously, not a customer-oriented environment.
As a traveller, it is easy for me to notice the kind of service that any tourism business renders.  I will definitely compare with the others.  A traveller like me will make a review, recommend and brag about the best cruise or tour ever.  More importantly, I warn my friends, were it be my colleagues, friends online and my blogging friends all over the globe.

The City Lights Cruises should not only hear what I am trying to say.  They should realize that the reason why I spend time writing my complaint is for them to listen,  investigate and take action based on a very detailed information I sent.  I just want to help them improve. I gave them two chances to respond.

If you happen to go with the City Lights Cruises whether in the US or Canada, let me know and give me your feedback.  I welcome your comments.  And maybe, you can give me tips on the best cruise you ever had.  There's a lot of good cruises around. I surely don't want anyone of us make the same mistake.

Category: Cruise
Name of Cruise: City Lights Cruises
Address: 20 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011
Website: www.citylightscruises.com
Rate:

Read Reviews: (Rated between 1 and 10) 1-Worst   10-Excellent




5 comments:

  1. Hi Freddie. Was I right in understanding that you got the tickets for free (sponsored by the company you work with)? If I'm right, then at least it's quite a consolation. But if you did not get the tickets for free, it would really be more disappointing.

    Regardless, they should live up to what they have stated in their website. It's the good thing about blogging - you could inform people what really lies within. Hopefully, Google will direct people to your blog when they search for "City Light Cruises review".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cris, (Pinay Thrillseeker)
      Thanks for your comments.
      No, the tickets are not free. I paid a discounted price of close to $500 for the tickets.

      Yes, our travellers can easily find my reviews on Google Search page 1 of 1.4 million results 'City Lights Cruises Toronto reviews.

      Delete
    2. Wow, now I imagine how dismayed you have been. I actually tried searching for the keyword and saw your blog on page 1. Good job. This will surely help other travellers. :)

      Delete
  2. Hi Freddie, am going on a cruise this summer, Thomson Dream, it's my first time, and am going to a Mediterranean medley, hope it's a good one, so I'll do it again next year..
    nice travel blog...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Cecille. Go ahead with the Thomson Dream's Mediterranean Medley. I just read good reviews of their cruise ship. Please come back to me after the journey and tell me the story. Have a wonderful cruise.

      Delete

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