It is a horrible feeling, your Google alert hits your inbox and there it is, the dreaded one-star review from a client.  Like it or not, reviews are here and not going anywhere anytime soon. Ignore them at your peril. But since you cannot do much about them, why not use them to your advantage.

First, let’s get this out of the way. If it is a legitimate and reasonable bad review, do what you can to make it right. Sometimes things go south. Sometimes we all make mistakes. Own them and move on.

But in every case, as a business owner you must reply. Reviews pack a huge punch with consumers, and we all look at them to assist us in our purchasing decisions and we…

Half the cruise ships are sailing, carrying half the passengers they once did. At each port, they are beset by differing and ever-changing protocols, negotiating life-and-death decisions with new players with whom they do not have the usual long-term relationships.

And yet, guest satisfaction is off the charts. The new-to-cruise customers that many expected to be frightened off are instead showing up. New ships and new partnerships, new terminals and new ports are on the horizon—and they promise to share the wealth with local communities and to promote a healthier environment for all.

“We built this industry over more than five decades; we deliver a phenomenal experience that our customers love, and the Caribbean is an unbelievably popular destination for our core markets,” said Royal Caribbean International…