Celebrity app - some real issues

[ghstudio]

1) the app is only supported on phones....while it often works ok on iPads, some pages are screwy and you can easily get lost requiring closing the app (actually closing it...not just hiding it in the bg) and restarting it.

 

2) someone should tell the programmers that white navigation arrows don’t show very well when their background is a white picture...kind of basic stuff

 

3) the app has built in messaging but there is no audible signal that a message has been received.  The only way the recipient knows there is a message is if they are looking at the celebrity app.  If it’s running in the bg, you don’t get notification..  translated, that means that messaging using the celebrity app is essentially useless.

 

4) the app does not show all the activities.  Apparently, someone off the ship has to create the description etcbefire something can be added...and this takes days.  The ship can not add events.  Result is that if you want to know the days events, you need the printed version.

 

5) when you do find how to display the events that are in the application, the default view is “recommended” events.  If you want to see all events, you have to select “filter” and then click on all.  To me, filter means see less....I discovered that it includes all by accident.

 

6) daily menus work well..and likely making reservations for the xcursions or specialty restaurant works..

 

7) bar hours either aren’t included in the app...or I can’t find them.  Bar events (fee) are, of course listed.

 

At some point, likely all will work well but IMHO, the application isn’t ready yet and if celebrity is focusing on millennials, they don’t ndetstand that that the always connected folks expect accuracy, they expect ipads to work interchangeably with iPhones etc. 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2019 by ghstudio

[Bo1953]

I Am an Android person, anyone know how the app might work with those tablets, if tried?

 

bon voyage

[CruisinNole]

8 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

I Am an Android person, anyone know how the app might work with those tablets, if tried?

 

bon voyage

Works just fine on my Samsung tablet. I used the app on Edge earlier this year and have been checking it out for my Equinox cruise next month. Of course, not everything is loaded but  my Set Sail pass is there so I'm good to go!

[cruisestitch]

The app is a mess.  It has been since the beginning, and I found that not even the daily menus worked -- the chef had to make a last minute switch of day 3 and 5 menus and the app could not be updated to show the change.  Accuracy, ease of use, clarity -- those seem to be concepts beyond the app developers' expertise. 😞

[Fogfog]

I am trying to use the app to check-in and it keeps timing out..Telling me "check in is temporarily paused" ...

 

Anyone have this issue? Wondering if it  is because I have only  a few bars.

 

BTW do you take a pic IN the app or upload the pic from your phone's gallery?

 

Is the passport "scan" a photo as well?  

 

Wondering what I am getting into and if it is worth the bother... Checkin at the pier shouldn't be bad (Priority w Catpn Club and Aqua so we will pick shortest line)

[Jim_Iain]

3 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

I am trying to use the app to check-in and it keeps timing out..Telling me "check in is temporarily paused" ...

 

Anyone have this issue? Wondering if it  is because I have only  a few bars.

 

BTW do you take a pic IN the app or upload the pic from your phone's gallery?

 

Is the passport "scan" a photo as well?  

 

Wondering what I am getting into and if it is worth the bother... Checkin at the pier shouldn't be bad (Priority w Catpn Club and Aqua so we will pick shortest line)

I don't believe the low carrier bands is affecting you.  The app is really wonky.  When it starts acting up like you define I find that if you HARD KILL the program and reopen it starts working better. 

 

I know you can upload your picture using a PC instead of a phone but from what I remember from my last check in when you select picture it turns on your Selfie Picture and there is an outline of a head to match up.   The passport scan is using your camera and acts like when you do an auto deposit to your bank.    There is a frame that pops up and you adjust distance to fit your passport in.

 

I don't believe you same a great deal of time doing the photos in advance - on a recent B2B they accepted my photo on the first cruise but had to retake for the second (about 4 seconds). 

[Fogfog]

Thanks Jim

I have even restarted my phone and it seems to churn and time out.

Cleaned the phone/storage/apps and its 100% on my side

 

I'll try later. Am thinking its worthless right now and I can do it from a laptop..and then at the pier. Pic takes o time at all

 

When are you and Iian off again?

 

Best

fog

 

PS some other lines are doing AMAZING things with tech-- sending you a fob that has your data encoded. You can find your traveling companions, order drinks etc.. quite amazing

Another line for its shi within a ship--the wrist band prioritizes the elevator for suite pax

Edited July 18, 2019 by Fogfog

[Jim_Iain]

1 minute ago, Fogfog said:

Thanks Jim

I have even restarted my phone and it seems to churn and time out.

Cleaned the phone/storage/apps and its 100% on my side

 

I'll try later. Am thinking its worthless right now and I can do it from a laptop..and then at the pier. Pic takes o time at all

 

When are you and Iian off again?

 

Best

fog

Hi -

You might also try the web version it seems to be much more stable.  

 

We are home for the summer but will be next on Edge for a B2B Late October Early November-   It is the Greek Island Cruise followed by the TA.   From the roll call it looks like lots of B2B's.  

[Fogfog]

6 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Hi -

You might also try the web version it seems to be much more stable.  

 

We are home for the summer but will be next on Edge for a B2B Late October Early November-   It is the Greek Island Cruise followed by the TA.   From the roll call it looks like lots of B2B's.  

TY Yes we typically do the web check in... and then the pic etc is as you said like 4 sec..

Fo vanity's sake was hoping to upload a pic with my hair freshly blown out... ahh first world problems hahaha👧

[Oville]

19 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

Thanks Jim

I have even restarted my phone and it seems to churn and time out.

Cleaned the phone/storage/apps and its 100% on my side

 

I'll try later. Am thinking its worthless right now and I can do it from a laptop..and then at the pier. Pic takes o time at all

 

 

Try deleting app and uploading it again.  This has worked for me on a few occasions.

[hcat]

Our Samsung tablet and phones ( once state of the art) are now too old to work with the app.  We prefer keeping the phones Off and in the safe anyhow.  

 

We survived our EDGE cruise just fine without  access to the App.  For those who need to have it, hopefully it will improve.

[poffles]

I find the app is lacking a bit too.  It 'works' for me (android tablet/android phone/apple phone) so that is not an issue but the usability seems a bit lacking as I find every time I open the app I have to think a bit how I do things in there.  Considering this is just another extension of technology much like the website, it relies on the way it is presented and how well it is maintained. 

 

All that said, I have used more before my cruise than on it so maybe that makes a difference in how usable it is?  However, if changes to events/meals etc are not updated in a timely manner then this would be frustrating.  Maybe it will get better over time.

Edited July 19, 2019 by poffles

[takemeaway2008]

So I downloaded the app today but after reading this, it seems like a waste of time? It doesn't have my excursions listed. And I think I completely screwed up my password which is sooooo frustrating. 

[Oville]

I’m not sure the apps work well on all ships.

[Jim_Iain]

On 7/18/2019 at 9:45 AM, Oville said:

Try deleting app and uploading it again.  This has worked for me on a few I occasions.

Agree === I had a problem and the latest version worked fine.

[Fogfog]

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Agree === I had a problem and the latest version worked fine.

Am going to try this--remove it from my phone and upload newest app just before sailling

 

I ended up doing the check in online which allowed me to upload pics off my laptop. I expect they will takes pics anyway 

Asked for mail tags as an experiment. We normally print them. The checkin said tags would be here in 10 days. We shall see. No matter if they do...just curious

 

Jim -- because of your comment re check in for  B2B--I did check in for both legs of our B2B as another experiment. I realize we will get transit pass.. However I uploaded the pics and printed the passes ... We shall see.

 

Tabs on the app related to menus etc - I expect those won't load til we board -- 

 

 

 

[CruisinNole]

Our Equinox cruise departs on Aug 17. We received our luggage tags about a week after our request. I checked in online on my pc and the Set Sail passes displayed immediately in the app on my tablet. I used the same photos that I uploaded for our Edge cruise in March. The photos were accepted then when we checked in so we're hoping that using them again will be OK. If not it only takes a second to have your photo taken. 

 

The app has been updating nearly every day. Yesterday, after an update,  our calendar displayed our Select Dining and Tuscan reservations. I don't see our alcove reservation yet. I've been able to see the main dining menus for a couple of weeks. I think they're correct because night one has prime rib. Don't they usually serve prime rib on the first night? Anyway, I'm really pleased with the app. Works a lot better than I thought it would.

Edited July 26, 2019 by CruisinNole

[burnoutbabe]

app seems okay to me so far, i think if it only works for messaging on the ship, that is worth it in itself. Not much worse than trying to work out where your other half is, and both wondering if they have gone back to the room or are on way to bar and you just missed them.

[4Mast]

The app worked well with our Android phones but not too well with the ipad. Its not perfect and does need some reworking but we could see excursions (our bookings showed which was unfortunate as one was as a surprise ). Our biggest gripe was that it showed the wrong time and location for events.   Its a start but perhaps Celebrity will heed the comments from customers?

[Ginnyfyr]

I have a Samsung and found the app ran terribly on it when we were on Summit earlier this month. I would have to tap the icon several times for it to open, and often if it did open right away it would immediately close. It eventually crashed half way through our cruise so I uninstalled and reinstalled it. Still didn't work very well and it never did reload the menus and dailies. I eventually gave up using it and just relied on hubby's iPhone, where it worked perfectly. I did like the messaging feature - very handy way to arrange to meet with friends for drinks, shows, etc.

 

FogFog - if you upload your own photo during check in, they will not take another one when you arrive for the cruise. I was surprised at that, but I guess as long as you follow their instructions (no hats/sunglasses, photo taken against a white background, etc) and your photo is clear, they don't really have reason to take another pic.

[Fogfog]

3 minutes ago, Ginnyfyr said:

FogFog - if you upload your own photo during check in, they will not take another one when you arrive for the cruise. I was surprised at that, but I guess as long as you follow their instructions (no hats/sunglasses, photo taken against a white background, etc) and your photo is clear, they don't really have reason to take another pic.

Interesting

There is a zenith here who tells me that on his B2B, they retook the pics for the second sailing. He wasn't sure why. 

I figured as with everything and Celebrity-- it can depend on the day, mood, crew member 😉

They are going to scan the passport anyway, correct?

We also have our Global Entry cards for our return

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

On 7/26/2019 at 5:49 AM, Fogfog said:

Am going to try this--remove it from my phone and upload newest app just before sailling

 

I ended up doing the check in online which allowed me to upload pics off my laptop. I expect they will takes pics anyway 

Asked for mail tags as an experiment. We normally print them. The checkin said tags would be here in 10 days. We shall see. No matter if they do...just curious

 

Jim -- because of your comment re check in for  B2B--I did check in for both legs of our B2B as another experiment. I realize we will get transit pass.. However I uploaded the pics and printed the passes ... We shall see.

 

Tabs on the app related to menus etc - I expect those won't load til we board -- 

 

 

 

 

On our last B2B I had done both express passes -   On the first one they accepted the picture but on the second one I didn't need the express pass but they obviously had it and she said she had to retake the picture.    This was a b2b out of Port Liberty and we had to go down and clear customs and then they took us to the Terminal and we checked in again like normal (before most of the guests had arrived).

 

A previous B2B out of Port Everglades they just took us ashore to a holding pen for 10 minutes until they zeroed out the ship and then gave us our new seapasses and brought us back aboard.   -   They automatically transferred the photo and credit card numbers to the second cruise.  

[Fogfog]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

On our last B2B I had done both express passes -   On the first one they accepted the picture but on the second one I didn't need the express pass but they obviously had it and she said she had to retake the picture.    This was a b2b out of Port Liberty and we had to go down and clear customs and then they took us to the Terminal and we checked in again like normal (before most of the guests had arrived).

 

A previous B2B out of Port Everglades they just took us ashore to a holding pen for 10 minutes until they zeroed out the ship and then gave us our new seapasses and brought us back aboard.   -   They automatically transferred the photo and credit card numbers to the second cruise.  

TY Jim

I checked us in for both legs and uploaded the pics/printed the passes and figured from your reports that with the transit pass we may or may not have pics retaken. Either way we expect it will be relatively painless.

DH will be moving his laptop/biz bag -- hopefully we can get that stowed in the second cabin -- otherwise he'll just find a comfy place and get a bit of email done before second leg sail away. Really no rush. We are planning on enjoying a generally relaxing day

 

Hope you and Iian are well and we cross paths on ship sooner rather than later

 

Best

fog

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by Fogfog