*May not be spoiler-free, but no spoilers that would not be found 10 minutes into the game*
Before you downvote immediately for a negative review, please read the comprehensive reasons below. If you find that none of it was helpful, then downvote. Thank you.
A bit of background on me: I'm a lover of visual novels and otome games, and have been for a few years, back when Voltage only had My Forged Wedding and Pirates in Love out in English and they were considered pioneers for casual visual novels in America. (PSP games didn't count for casual, since it was a console with a relatively small market even then.) Since then, I've played probably 30-40 visual novels, from the 20-minute to the 10-hour full playthroughs, and from PC to Android.
When I saw True Lover's Knot, I went for it immediately after reading the description and looking at the screenshots. I'm personally a big fan of vacation romances, and cruises are my favorite type of vacation romance. The character art was gorgeous as well, and my initial assessment of the art wasn't incorrect. However, I can't say that after having played this game I would pay anything more than $0.99 for it. Here's why, in a short list format that I then explain in detail below.