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Public Relations: Royal Caribbean Caught Infiltrating Review Sites With Viral Marketing Team

Reading the comments below the article is very interesting!

Well I can tell you as the only UK RC that report is a load of garbage.

As an RC I havent recieved any perks....I have recieved 2 emails...thats it !!

My Pre-Inaugural invites had nothing what so ever to do with being an RC.

Very disappointed to see such drivel on here.

The way that I read this is that RCI has been paying people for glowing reviews of their ships and itineraries....or at least paying a publicity company to employ people to be glowing.

If that is the case, then it is pretty dirty practice. As admin here, I have not discovered anything suspicious inregards to 'questionable' reviews or anyone who appears to have been paid to make glowing comments about RCI or any other line. People read reviews about ships expecting to be told information that is from someone who has actually been on the ship & itinerary that is being described, to then find out that the author is on a payroll and possibly never stepped foot on a ship is really below the belt and dishonest.

I take an extremely dim view of it, should it happen here on CruisingTalk, and those who try it and who are found out will be shown the door pretty damn quick, this sort of deception is outrageous and anyone caught doing it here will be banned permanently. I think the same opinion of this scam would be of the same opinion for the rest of the staff here too....being paid by a company to essentially lie is a disgraceful way to do business, and if RCI feel the need to stoop as low as this in order to plump up their public profile, well, they have possibly alienated quite a few people in doing so.

With all due respect Liz, I doubt the company concerned is paying every single member of RC around the world...that would be impossible. However, paying a proportion of people for their reviews is not unheard of and certainly not uncommon.

Unless RCI and the PR company come clean and allude to how many are on the payroll, we will never know how deep this problem is. But to say that it is drivel when it can be proved as true, is a wee bit strong. No smoke without fire...someone somewhere has uncovered deceipt, it may only be a tiny fraction of the membership involved but where doubt has been aired, it has to be investigated fully.

If you go onto online admin sites, for example, you will find those willing to pay for content...makes a discussion board look healthy...in the same way cruise lines and other industries can and do pay for good reports, it looks good and everything has a price.

To those who doubt that articles are often bought...

Family-Safe Website Content-Providers Wanted

Content For Sale

It is a big business and can earn someone a fair amount of money. No company is immune to using things like this, I am just surprised that it took so long for the US consumer advocates to actually catch on to it.

Something else that needs to be considered before anyone goes off half-cocked in defence of RCI in this.

In recent months the cruise line has had financing problems in respect to the Oasis ships.

To get investors to agree to put money into a project (any project) the company that is needing investment will want to show a buoyant trade and good customer relations, to prove that the investments will be safe and going into a successful and well thought of company. So emplying a PR firm to furnish 'evidence' of the firm's success from 'customers' will go a long way to bolster the reputation and make would-be investors look kindly upon a company.

RCI are not alone in feathering things to make themselves look good to investors, so as unsavoury and sour the taste is that something like this has been uncovered, it certainly doesn't mean that it is not happening....moreso when the finances are tight.

I am only influenced by my own choices and preferences. It matters not to me personally who might champion a product or cruise line or hotel chain. However, I do believe it's in everyone's best interest to disclose the affiliation.

I think that just as most consumers have to follow the old "buyer beware" policy, the same applies to cruisers, especially when you are looking for information or forums on the internet, or even an online travel agency.

I have seen on "other boards" some "1 post wonders" that will praise to the skies one private tour company, travel agency or taxi service while putting down a competitor.

It is up to each person to acknowledge their own needs and preferences when choosing a cruise line, agency, etc. I don't think that most people would choose their cruise line just based on some exaggerated, "loyalty" reviews on a board.

It's a personal decision based on your past experiences and what is suitable for you.

To me, if someone has something to post about a product or service they have tried or used, they should be able to review it without the need of inducements such as cash or freebee's. Those who 'cheerlead' with such inducements are not always going to tell the truth about that product, they will obviously gloss over the not so good bits cos they would not get the bounty at the end of it if they are too critical.

I am as shocked as anyone else is about this...however..it should be known that on many sites...such as sitepoint...there are areas specifically set up to buy & sell content for boards like ours, so although it is unpleasant to many to hear that this is happening, my only question is why did it take so long to become public knowledge that it happens?