Best and worst cruise company websites

[jasbo49]

We're regular Princess cruisers but are interested in trying another cruise line or two. Every time I go exploring on the net, I find the other lines' websites baffling.

 

I'm sure part of this is that we're accustomed to Princess. But I think part is that most cruise line websites stink.

 

Does anyone have an opinion as to which sites are most easily navigated?

[mom says]

Help me understand this. You want to try new cruiselines,  but only those with a website you like using? If you think the Princess system is user friendly, then I would think the rest should be a breeze.

Edited October 7, 2022 by mom says

[CruiserBruce]

I cruise for the cruise. Not for the website. 

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, jasbo49 said:

I'm sure part of this is that we're accustomed to Princess. But I think part is that most cruise line websites stink.

I think it's mostly your familiarity to the [Princess] website. Each one has its flaws. The most annoying for HAL is that when it decides to log you out (for inactivity) you have to LOGOUT two to three times to get the LOGIN drop-down to come up. Carnival is having to answer OVER AND OVER again, your age, state, and if you are military/veteran. Really, is that not what cookies are for???

[Essiesmom]

Cunard and MSC complain about theirs, too.  EM

[Mary229]

Yeah, cruise line websites are awful and their apps are not much better.   As a frequent HAL cruiser I just assume that they think anyone over the age of 50 doesn’t use a computer and they expend no effort to improve.  You think ocean cruises are bad try visiting the river cruise websites. I actually had to order a paper catalog so I can literally cut and paste to compare itineraries.  
 

I used to have 4 internet retail locations that I designed  myself and I assure you every item could be easily found and bought on a phone screen.  60% of internet retail sales are done by phone.  I guess the cruise lines don’t read the retail pages. Cruise is retail and they should design it to modern retail standards. Enough with the slow loading pages and the hidden FAQs.  Enough with the lack of comparison tools.  But making it all worse is the lack of customer service.  

[Hlitner]

We have cruised on 16 different lines and had more than our share of experience with their web sites.  Bottom line is we only book through discount cruise agencies that have their own decent web sites (generally linked to the cruise lines).  IMHO there is no such thing as a good (or even  fair) cruise line site.  They are all bad to awful!  

 

Hank

[capriccio]

9 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Cunard and MSC complain about theirs, too.  EM

I have no experience with Cunard but any and all complaints about MSC are valid in my opinion.

 

More than 5 years ago I tried to navigate the Celebrity website because my DH and I plus my siblings and their spouses (8 people) were interested in their Galapagos cruises.  Finding pricing information was impossible.  I haven't tried again but sure hope it has improved.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

We have cruised on 16 different lines and had more than our share of experience with their web sites.  Bottom line is we only book through discount cruise agencies that have their own decent web sites (generally linked to the cruise lines).  IMHO there is no such thing as a good (or even  fair) cruise line site.  They are all bad to awful!  

 

Hank

And you are very possibly giving cruise line websites too much credit when you include bad as well as awful. 

[mnocket]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We have cruised on 16 different lines and had more than our share of experience with their web sites.  Bottom line is we only book through discount cruise agencies that have their own decent web sites (generally linked to the cruise lines).  IMHO there is no such thing as a good (or even  fair) cruise line site.  They are all bad to awful!  

 

Hank

Totally agree.  Every cruise line web site I've used has been poorly designed and often plagued by bugs.  The only reason I can see for this is that they simply don't put much value on their web sites.  Perhaps the majority of their bookings come through travel agents?  If not, maybe they want to drive customers in that direction.  Maybe both.

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, mnocket said:

Totally agree.  Every cruise line web site I've used has been poorly designed and often plagued by bugs.  The only reason I can see for this is that they simply don't put much value on their web sites.  Perhaps the majority of their bookings come through travel agents?  If not, maybe they want to drive customers in that direction.  Maybe both.

A few years ago a HAL future cruise consultant (onboard) told us that nearly 80% of HAL bookings were handled by travel/cruise agencies.  We have heard that it is similar with most cruise lines.   But I think the truth is that most folks use agencies because they can save 7-10% when compared to booking directly with most cruise lines.  With the cruise lines it is not just the lousy web sites, but also the long hold times when one tries to call cruise lines these days.  And then there is the strange issue that you can call a cruise line 4 times with the same question and get 4 different answers!  Some folks accept this with a nod and wink.  But some of us figure when we are spending our money, we deserve better.

 

Hank

[Mary229]

Perhaps in the past people relied on travel agencies but the mass market cruises should be catering to those who readily and confidently buy on the net.   In my shops people would click buy quickly and confidently on items up to $5000.   There is a whole new world of marketing out there that they are missing by their poor technology.   Many in the new economy will find other options rather than make a phone call.  They readily click and buy a weekend in Cancun without even thinking about it and that costs as much as any Caribbean 7 day cruise.
And they aren’t necessarily looking for discounts.  It shocked my boomer sensibilities but I realized time and experiences were what they cherished.

 

yes, yes I know most on this forum are looking for a more sophisticated travel experience but those week vacationers pay for the fleet.  Without those folks supporting the lines our favorite cruise lines perhaps wouldn’t exist. 

Edited October 7, 2022 by Mary229

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, Hlitner said:

And then there is the strange issue that you can call a cruise line 4 times with the same question and get 4 different answers! 

 

The same thing can happen when one ask a question at the ship's Front Office.  

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The same thing can happen when one ask a question at the ship's Front Office.  

Raising hand and agreeing as that has happened to me.

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, ontheweb said:

Raising hand and agreeing as that has happened to me.

 

The staff only knows what they know.  Some are more diligent than others than doing the requisite phone calling, etc. to find out what they don't know.  The poor "Night Auditor" has gotten the blame for all of my on-board account snafus.  Until, a Front Desk Officer takes charge and gets the issue resolved.