Hey Celebrity -- is anyone there reading this board?

[cruisestitch]

Someone this morning brought up yet another place where the Celebrity website is confusing, and most of us can point to very specific places where it is in unclear, awkward, difficult to use, and even just plain wrong. I suspect that if X asked for a few volunteers to help evaluate their website and make specific recommendations, many of us would spend an hour or two on this task. Hey Celebrity -- are you out there somewhere reading this board?

[CruisingChick]

Hey Celebrity -- are you out there somewhere reading this board?

 

Yes, they are. They have people whose job it is to read these message boards.

[Pilot70D]

Someone this morning brought up yet another place where the Celebrity website is confusing, and most of us can point to very specific places where it is in unclear, awkward, difficult to use, and even just plain wrong.

 

All of this is so very true. Here is a link to a previous post I wrote about their website:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=25788708&highlight=#post25788708

 

I am continuously amazed that a cruise line which is trying so hard to get it right could have such a BAD website. =X= is not alone in this badness. Princess and HAL aren't far behind.

:confused::(:confused:

[Woobstr112G]

Someone this morning brought up yet another place where the Celebrity website is confusing, and most of us can point to very specific places where it is in unclear, awkward, difficult to use, and even just plain wrong. I suspect that if X asked for a few volunteers to help evaluate their website and make specific recommendations, many of us would spend an hour or two on this task. Hey Celebrity -- are you out there somewhere reading this board?

 

Back in January I was booking a cruise on the Eclipse (that I unfortunetely had to cancel). I did note that the site was at times confusing and hard to navigate.....

 

Bob

[cruisestitch]

Just was reading the thread about difficulties with pre-purchasing things for cruises which begin in Barcelona - here is a perfect example of one thing X could do better. They know who is on those cruises. An e-mail should be going out to every person on the manifest for all the affected upcoming sailings, and there should be an announcement on everyone's "My Celebrity" page and on the "Manage My Reservations" page, wouldn't you think?

[Denny01]

Although I love to cruise Celebrity, I find websites such as the Princess Line much easier to use, and nothing to do with the basic errors and bad data Celebrity has on theirs. You can select multiple dates, which I find much handier, and the options for finding a cruise is much friendlier, and easier to use.

 

Celebrity has used the same pulldowns for years and it is very limited in location, ship options and especially dates.

 

If I were CEO for the day, boy would I fix them up....just a thought. Heck, I'd just like to be someone who could give them some advice beyond the cruise evaluation cards. Once I get onboard, I find Celebrity to be fantastic......but getting 'onboard' can be a challenge sometimes with the website.

 

Denny

[Host Kewlguy]

All of this is so very true. Here is a link to a previous post I wrote about their website:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=25788708&highlight=#post25788708

 

I am continuously amazed that a cruise line which is trying so hard to get it right could have such a BAD website. =X= is not alone in this badness. Princess and HAL aren't far behind.

:confused::(:confused:

 

NCL's website is hands down the worst of any major cruise line.

[bellybutton530]

Hey Celebrity:

 

1. Bring back the 360-degree views.

 

2. Post some new pictures of Constellation cabins since ship was solsticized.

 

3. Improve the Captain's Club.

[Momorider]

Just was reading the thread about difficulties with pre-purchasing things for cruises which begin in Barcelona - here is a perfect example of one thing X could do better. They know who is on those cruises. An e-mail should be going out to every person on the manifest for all the affected upcoming sailings, and there should be an announcement on everyone's "My Celebrity" page and on the "Manage My Reservations" page, wouldn't you think?

 

I figure that situation is political they can't be saying to Spain we won't collect your tax for you. :rolleyes:

[fleckle]

What we really hate most about their website is the way they are so inconsistent about showing your payment information on the My Celebrity site when you log into your account.

 

The Payment Summary section is there for some cruises and entirely missing for others. We want to see that information right on the screen when we log into our account (Vacation Total, Paid to Date, Balance Due, Full Payment Due Date).

Whenever we make a payment, we like being able to log on to our account and see when it has been applied.

 

I can understand why they may want to omit the payment information section when people book through a travel agent, since they want you to go through the travel agent for every little thing.

What I don't understand is why when you book a cruise directly with Celebrity sometimes the payment information is shown and sometimes it isn't.

 

We even booked a back-to-back where we booked both cruises the same way at the same time, and the payment information showed up on our screen for one cruise but not for the other.

 

We have called Celebrity to ask about it a couple of times, and the agent was never able to explain the discrepancy, claiming that it was a computer problem. Yet the payment information is consistently there for the cruises where it shows up and it is consistently missing for the cruises where it does not.

[judyfssw]

Perhaps the company (persons) that Celebrity is using is cheap which explains why Celebrity no longer has bridge cams or wifi throughout their ships.

[Denny01]

Perhaps the company (persons) that Celebrity is using is cheap which explains why Celebrity no longer has bridge cams or wifi throughout their ships.

 

Don't disagree with the 'cheap' on the webiste, but unless things changed recently, Celebirty has wifi throughtout the S-class ships, and never did on the other Class ships, so it's not a 'no longer' issue.

 

Denny

[cruisecriticmember]

I also note that some details in the printed catalog seem different from the website (but can't come up with a specific example at this moment).

[Marelaine]

If you are listening: We want Chateaubriand, not beef cheeks. Thanks

[Lsimon]

Yes, they are. They have people whose job it is to read these message boards.

Where do I apply for that job!

[JeffCoud]

If you are listening: We want Chateaubriand, not beef cheeks. Thanks

 

My sentiments exactly! I don't care about the web site at all, bring back the better cuts of meat! lol....

 

Jeff

[jg51]

Friends,

 

I am sympathetic to each and every one of your complaints -- and I have some of my own, to boot.

 

However, as I was reading through the thread, some thoughts that came to my mind were these (also to be read by the "X" spy here ;)):

 

1. I have been a computer programmer ("mainframe" work) since 1975.

 

2. I know how very difficult programming can be -- and I know that truly talented, affordable experts are few and far between.

 

3. There were mainframe programmers before me (in significant numbers since about 1965) ... so we had been programming for about thirty years, in a certain way, before the Internet exploded into widespread public use around 1994. That's about thirty years. Why do I mention this? Read on.

 

4. The languages and techniques used for Internet programming are relatively NEW -- only 5 or 10 or 15 years old (depending on the specific item) ... and thus the whole scene is in its RELATIVE INFANCY. We unfortunately have to accept the experience of going through its "growing pains," and we should try to complain as little (or at least as mildly) as possible.

 

5. When I think about what I could NOT do prior to 1994 and see what I now CAN do, via the Internet -- even at a flawed site like Celebrity's -- I thank my lucky stars! I am SO grateful to be able to use many features of the "X" site. Although I want the bugs fixed ASAP -- and improvements galore introduced -- I want the "X" spy here not to feel demoralized or to think of himself as being a co-worker with a bunch of incompetent programmers.

 

Now, having said that, I'll mention my "pet peeve:"

Throughout the site, wherever one can plug in "search parameters" before clicking on "FIND YOUR CRUISE" (or a similar button), "X" allows the entry of "Any Month." This is NOT good enough. Instead the site needs to allow for an entry of a date range (i.e., FROM Any Month THROUGH Any Month). [Norwegian's site (as unpleasant as it may be) at least offers this kind of date-range feature.]

 

Thank you!:)

.

[Hypo]

I would suggest that the sites plant a cookie that remembers that you are over 55, a veteran, and are from a specific state. Having to reenter this info each time you search for a cruise is annoying and unnecessary.

[bellybutton530]

I would suggest that the sites plant a cookie that remembers that you are over 55, a veteran, and are from a specific state. Having to reenter this info each time you search for a cruise is annoying and unnecessary.

 

A big old AMEN to that. You shouldn't have to enter your preferences every time you make a change either.

 

Y'all need better programmers....:eek: folks who can make the site more user-friendly. Right now the site is a PITA.

[JeffCoud]

I would suggest that the sites plant a cookie that remembers that you are over 55, a veteran, and are from a specific state. Having to reenter this info each time you search for a cruise is annoying and unnecessary.

 

Online travel agency O____z does this, lol.... that's how I usually check prices and dates actually!

 

Jeff

[Chooz2Cruz]

BRING BACK THE OSSO BUCCO!!!! and I agree about the website, and having to reenter the info for every search. Show all cabins available in a category, not just 3.

[bellybutton530]

Show all cabins available in a category, not just 3.

 

YES YES YES.

 

Let ME determine which cabin in a category I want; don't cram the terrible ones down my throat....

[judyfssw]

Hi Denny,

Thank you for the info on the Soltice ships. I haven't been on them yet. I have been on the newly redone Constellation and they still do not have it on this ship. They said that it was too expensive. Interestingly, they have added it onto some of the Princess ships. It's just a nice service.

And, I do still miss the bridgecams.

[markvk]

my issue with the website was when I was logged into my Celebrity account that when I tried to go and purchase something like a restaurant reservation or gift then it would prompt me to login to my account again. When I did try to login again then an error would come up saying "the reservation is already being accessed" HUH?????????? that is a glitch that needs to be fixed

[Andy]

Hi Denny,

Thank you for the info on the Soltice ships. I haven't been on them yet. I have been on the newly redone Constellation and they still do not have it on this ship. They said that it was too expensive. Interestingly, they have added it onto some of the Princess ships. It's just a nice service.

And, I do still miss the bridgecams.

 

Hi Judy !

 

I heard exactly the same thing. As Celebrity is spending many millions of dollars to Solsticize the M-Class ships.... at first, I was surprised they opted not to offer Wi-Fi throughout. However, after speaking with folks both onboard and in Miami, they all agreed the cost was staggering. The numbers I heard, were indeed surprising. I hope they will continue to work on a solution. At the very least, they should add more Wi-Fi Hot spots. Perhaps they can try to negotiate with their vendors more agressively.

 

FYI, I continue to ask for the bridgecams to be re-instated. The technology is already in place, as the video can be seen on Stateroom TV, so they should be able to send the signal to the 'net. Hopefully it will return at some point.