New Cunard Website

[57eric]

I just received an email stating "Please watch for our new website coming soon, including all the Cunard news, itineraries and much more". 

 

What are your hopes for this?

[Underwatr]

Oh, I could think of a few items...

 

• Access to World Club history and level
• Log in to the Voyage Personaliser using email & password combination rather than having to look up the booking number each time
• Access to the "real" FAQ pages from the US 
• Port arrival & departure times listed as part of the itinerary
• Ability to book spa and dining reservations before embarkation.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2018 by Underwatr

[babs135]

Hmm, I wonder if this has anything to do with the survey I filled in a few days ago.  It included showing times of arrival and departure at ports, which were overnighters and how long you could expect to travel from, for example, the port to Rome.

 

I thought this was a great idea and told them so.

[Underwatr]

The teaser image in the email doesn't look all that different from the current website, but hopefully the back-end is all shiny and new.

[ivanidea]

Access to your onboard account whilst cruising (the website can be accessed without incurring an internet charge).

 

Whilst on board, I'd love to have access to the daily programme (maybe even download it to my phone), as well as the restaurant menus.

[naturelovergirl]

Yes- agree that the actual FAQ for the US site would be wonderful

[Host Hattie]

Has anyone in the UK had the email ?

[Oslo Dutch]

Would be great if the webpage will be visible all over the world. Here in Norway it just shows a notification to contact some of their (very expensive) Norwegian sales agents. 

Cunard Norge.webarchive

[babs135]

41 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Has anyone in the UK had the email ?

no

[Elephant1151]

Onboard QV last week I photographed the daily programme on my phone so it was easily accessible throughout the day.  I agree to be able  to download as Princess do would be great.

[cruiseluvva]

On 12/18/2018 at 5:43 PM, Host Hattie said:

Has anyone in the UK had the email ?

No.

 

[Host Hattie]

That's 3 of us, maybe the change is only to the US version, it would be nice if you got access to the same information we have.

[Bigmike911]

Well, I am in the US and just went to the Cunard web site. I cannot see any obvious changes, and the voyage personalizer still requires all the information it did before. I could not find a link to world club either. I guess it is possible that they were giving 'advance' notice of a change that has not yet occurred.  It's like United Air who tout their new Polaris Service and their new premium economy but only have a handful of aircraft configured for the services, and won't have the rest of the international fleet ready for years. 

[Underwatr]

It hasn't changed yet. The email is promising changes are coming.

 

For those who haven't seen the email:

 

[Keuka Lake Sailor]

I have been on the new website twice, and so far it seems really AWFUL.   HELP!!!    No doubt  I will get use to it but seems hard to navigate.   Biggest change so far is the ability to pick your own cabin.  It seems they pick one to begin with that you can change but for example, hard to move from aft to midship, hard to change decks, pricing for different categories can't be found (at least , not easily or by me). Each itinerary features a huge map of exactly where you are going (nice)  but only a few voyages are featured on a page.  I will be looking forward to others comments to help me figure out what I am missing.  As far as I can see right now,  someone should be hauled on the red carpet.   Thanks goodness, we have already  booked a voyage for next November - got a very attractive offer from Cunard to spend three nights in London before sailing. 

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, Keuka Lake Sailor said:

I have been on the new website twice, and so far it seems really AWFUL.   HELP!!!    No doubt  I will get use to it but seems hard to navigate.   Biggest change so far is the ability to pick your own cabin.  It seems they pick one to begin with that you can change but for example, hard to move from aft to midship, hard to change decks, pricing for different categories can't be found (at least , not easily or by me). Each itinerary features a huge map of exactly where you are going (nice)  but only a few voyages are featured on a page.  I will be looking forward to others comments to help me figure out what I am missing.  As far as I can see right now,  someone should be hauled on the red carpet.   Thanks goodness, we have already  booked a voyage for next November - got a very attractive offer from Cunard to spend three nights in London before sailing. 

 

I was going to ask how you managed to get to the new US website, but I am now able to bring it up in my various desktop browsers after clearing their caches. My first impressions are in agreement that the booking process is quite a bit different now. Specifically, in the very short time I've tried the new site, it does seem to be more cumbersome to determine the fares for all the different cabin categories on any given voyage.

 

Using a QM2 crossing as an example, the only fares I initially see after selecting a voyage are the lowest "From $x.xx" fares for each general type of cabin (Britannia Inside, Britannia Oceanview, Britannia Balcony, Britannia Club, Princess Grill, and Queens Grill).

 

If I select Britannia Balcony, I am then shown the lowest "From $x.xx" fares for the three types of balconies ("Balcony", "Balcony (sheltered)", and "Balcony (obstructed view))".

 

In order to compare fares within the "Balcony (sheltered)" category, it looks like I have to start a booking, select "Change your room" followed by either "We select your room" (for a guarantee booking) or "You select your room" (to choose a specific cabin). Then I see fares that vary based on the location of the cabin within the ship ("Fwd", "Aft", "Mid-Fwd/Mid-Aft", or "Mid").

 

Nowhere do I see actual cabin grades shown anymore ("BZ", "BY", "BX", etc.), at least to the point I took the booking process just to test it.

 

I suppose I too will eventually get used to this new site, but it will take some time to learn all the tricks of getting around.

 

On the positive side, the FAQ appears to be much more robust on this new US site now. It looks like it could actually be a subset of the Cunard UK FAQ that is appropriate to the US. And the itineraries now show arrival and departure times for each port. Kudos to Cunard for those additions!

[bluemarble]

I suppose some teething problems are to be expected, but there are problems with the names of some of the voyages as currently listed on the new Cunard US web site. Here are a few examples I've noticed from some of the 2020 QM2 voyages.

 

Voyage M011 (9 nights) - New York, Southampton, Hamburg is called "Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing To Le Havre".

Voyage M011B (2 nights) - Southampton, Hamburg is called "Southampton To Liverpool".

Voyage M011C (4 nights) - Southampton, Hamburg, Southampton is called "Kiel To Southampton".

Voyage M012 (9 nights) - Hamburg, Southampton, New York is called "Westbound Transatlantic Crossing From Le Havre".

Voyage M012A (2 nights) - Hamburg, Southampton is called "Hamburg, Baltic And Tribute To Liverpool".

Voyage M012B (7 nights) - Southampton, New York is called "Transatlantik Ab Hamburg".

Voyage M013A (18 nights) - New York, Southampton, Zeebrugge, St Peter Port, Southampton, New York is called "Hamburg Short Break".

 

Other voyages with similar itineraries have the same issues with their names.

[bluemarble]

I just tried the new US website on my phone for the first time and I'd say the site now qualifies as being a "mobile website" when used on a smartphone in the US. For those of you not in the US, here is what the beginning of the site looks like on my phone.

 

 

On the other hand, it looks like those who were hoping for additional Cunard World Club functionality will be disappointed. Maybe I've just missed it somewhere, but I can no longer find any reference at all to the Cunard World Club on the new US site. Not even the page that used to list the Cunard World Club benefits and provided the phone number to call to update your CWC profile or enquire about your status. I can't even find any useful information about the Cunard World Club in the new-and-improved FAQ for the US. It would appear that none of the questions/answers about the Cunard World Club found in the UK FAQ have made it into the US FAQ.

 

Edit: The "Contact us" page contains this contact information for the Cunard World Club.

 

Request for Member number please call (800) 728-6273.
Status of a new Membership number please call (800) 728-6273.

 

Of course that's just the general number for Cunard Customer Service in the US. But at least I managed to find that one minimal reference to the Cunard World Club on the new US site.

Edited December 21, 2018 by bluemarble

[bluemarble]

Just in case anyone is looking for more evidence that the new Cunard US website is still a bit rough around the edges, here are some further observations of mine. Most of these issues are minor/trivial, but I thought it might be of some help to others to point them out since they could cause some confusion.

 

1)  Every voyage I’ve looked at so far makes this statement under “Cruise Fare", "What’s included”.

 

“Complimentary shuttle buses to and from the ship to the nearest transport hub.”

 

As we know, in New York there are no complimentary shuttle buses provided from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. And in Southampton, as far as I know, the only complimentary shuttle provided to those booking under the US terms and conditions is one to the West Quay Mall.

 

2)  After starting the booking process, it states

 

“As a Cunard Fare guest you can select your stateroom using the link here:”

 

Maybe this is intentional and Cunard intends to start using the term “Cunard Fare” in the US, but up until now that has been a term for the UK, not the US.

 

3)  During the booking process for a crossing on QM2, I said that I wanted to choose my own cabin. I then requested a “Mid-Forward” sheltered balcony. But it selected a “Mid-Aft” cabin for me and all it showed me were other mid-aft cabin numbers to choose from. I was able to verify on another site that many mid-forward sheltered balconies were available on that voyage and I was able to select one of them by entering its cabin number into the “Search for a specific cabin number” field.

 

4)  If I enter a cabin number that is not available into the “Search for a specific cabin number” field, I get this somewhat peculiar error message (in programmer-speak).

 

“When user wants to hold a room which is already in hold.”

 

5)  The sections to add pre- and post-voyage transfers during the booking process make this statement.

 

“The specific details of your transfer will be sent to you around 6 months before departure.

Lorem ipsum”

 

Then, when presenting the transfer options, it states

 

“Coach transfers are included as standard, but you can opt to upgrade here.”

 

But coach transfers are not included as standard for those booking under the US terms and conditions. And the extra-price "upgrade" options that are shown include the usual coach transfers (for example $40 per person for coach transfers to New York airports).

 

Edited December 21, 2018 by bluemarble

[bluemarble]

Some additional observations of mine about the new Cunard US website. Here are some things that appear to be missing on the new site.

 

1)  Dress Code - I cannot find any mention of the dress code definitions. On the old web site there was a "What to pack" page that explained the dress code at least in terms of introducing the concepts of "Smart Attire" and "Gala Evening" and showing examples for each. On the new site I cannot find this page. Only a few oblique references to the dress code such as a section about the gala balls that states "Our Gala Balls are highly anticipated occasions on any cruise of three nights or more. They’re the reason you’ve packed your finest dinner jackets and ballgowns, ready to sweep around the Queens Room."

 

The FAQ section contains this not particularly helpful entry about the dress code.

 

"(Q) Is there a dress code on board?

 

(A) Children under 18 do not have a dress code but should adhere to the daily dress code where possible. National and Religious dress including headdress' are allowed on board. Depending on the amount of the face covered by the headdress, guests may be asked to unveil for a security photo at check in and passing through security check points ashore and on board during the voyage. Some items of national dress such as ceremonial blades or swords are not permitted and guests should check our list of prohibited items under the question What am I not allowed to take on board?"

 

There's also this not particularly helpful entry in the FAQ.

 

"(Q) Does the dress code apply to all areas of the ship?

 

(A) The dress code applies to most areas of the ship after 6:00 pm each evening. Please visit our What to Pack page to find out more."

 

OK, where do I find the "What to Pack page" on the new website to find out more about the dress code please?

 

The dress code definitions can be found in the Voyage Personaliser, the pre-voyage documents, and the daily programmes once on board. But how does someone who is new to Cunard figure out from this new website what the dress code is prior to actually booking a voyage?

 

2)  Speakers - I cannot find the enrichment program speaker lists on the new website. All I see is a general description that states there is an enrichment program with "remarkable guest speakers".

 

3)  Cunard World Club - As I mentioned in a previous reply, I cannot find any details about the Cunard World Club on the new website, particularly any mention of the various CWC status levels, the criteria to qualify for each level, and the benefits accrued at each level.

 

Just as an aside, I have been providing feedback about each issue I've found so far via the "Feedback" tab on the new website.

[gphb]

Looks remarkably similar to the slightly older HAL website, especially the booking engine section.   Probably a good example of cost sharing, but I hope the entertainment onboard does not follow HAL's cost cutting.   

[bluemarble]

To follow up on my previous post about not being able to find information about the dress code on the new Cunard US website, I now see there is a "What to Pack" page under "The Experience". Just one little problem. It describes the two dress codes as "Formal attire" and "Gala evening attire". Here are excerpts from the "What to Pack" page on the new Cunard US website.

 

Evening style guide.

For those who want some help and guidance on what to pack, our style guide includes new ideas for your evening cruise wardrobe, including our Gala nights - and a little help on the finishing touches.

 

Formal attire.

Every night on board in most venues we ask that you wear formal attire. You can still feel free to dress to impress, yet with less formality than during our Gala celebrations.

 

Gala evening attire.

Two or three times during every seven nights on board, our Gala evenings (sometimes themed) encourage you to be at your most glamorous from when the clock strikes 6:00 pm.

 

 

The included images showing suggested attire are a subset of we have seen before, with the gentlemen not wearing ties under the "Formal attire" category. So, not really formal attire as I would define that term.

 

Fortunately, what appears to be planned for the new Cunard UK website does not have this issue. The "What to Pack" page there correctly describes the dress codes as "Smart attire" and "Gala evening attire".

 

As before, I have provided feedback on the new US website about this terminology which might tend to cause some confusion about the dress code. But having said that, this could be an intentional difference between the two sites, since we have had discussions here before about how the term "Smart attire" is not something that resonates particularly well with Americans.

[sogne]

My Xmas Card email received 24/12/18 mentioned new UK website coming soon

[bluemarble]

18 minutes ago, sogne said:

My Xmas Card email received 24/12/18 mentioned new UK website coming soon

 

What I presume is going to be the new Cunard UK website appears to be up and running. At least I can get to it when I VPN to the UK from here in the US. Not sure why it isn't accessible in the UK yet. Perhaps they are still beta testing it. I mentioned it in this other thread that I started.

 

Edit: Sorry, I see you also replied to that other thread, so this isn't news about what I found about the possible new UK website.

Edited January 8, 2019 by bluemarble

[Underwatr]

I still don't see the new website in the US.