NEW SOCIAL REVIEW CRUISE SITE DEBUTS

We all know the impact of social media. Facebook and Twitter have become part of the daily routine for millions. Cruisers are no exception. Sharing and interacting with fellow shipmates is a critical part of planning for that next cruise. That's where Cruiseline.com comes in.

It's a just-launched social cruise review website where readers can post or browse over 36,000 cruise reviews and participate in forums about cruise-related topics. Half of those reviews are verified, which means Cruiseline.com has partnered with five leading cruise agencies to verify that reviewers did in fact sail on the cruise they reviewed.

"Finding the perfect cruise is a complex decision given the hundreds of options for ships, itineraries and even cabin choices," said Faraz Qureshi, general manager of Cruiseline.com in a release. “Consumers are looking for objective recommendations to help with this decision, specifically from travelers with similar interests. We want to be that trusted resource for the cruising community as well as provide cruisers the ability to interact before, during and after their cruise."

Interactive features on the site include:


Reviews – In addition to providing a variety of ways to search the site’s 36,000 cruise reviews, this section allows visitors to filter by star rating, verified reviews, length of cruise, stateroom, and even traveler type such as couple, family with young children, singles/friends, etc. And, as part of a review, consumers can upload their cruise photos. The site also includes more than 77,000 reviews of hundreds of ports around the world and gives community members the opportunity to add their own quick tips for each port.

Forum – The Forum allows members of the community to interact by asking questions and discussing topics. Members can “follow” discussions to receive automatic email updates when a member responds, and can easily view the most popular real-time discussions via “Top Questions”.

Roll Calls – Community members that have booked their cruise can sign up for Roll Call and converse with other members that will be on the same cruise. Each cruise page in Roll Call features a countdown clock so passengers can count down to “bon voyage”.

The site is partnering with five agency brands at launch — Cruises.com, Cruise411, CheapCruises.com, Vacation Outlet and CruisesOnly. Future enhancements will include a mobile-optimized site, iPhone and Android apps, Facebook integration, photo sharing and additional verified cruise reviews. -- Gerry