Crystal Website

[Keith1010]

Over the coming weeks and months, we will see more information on the Crystal website. It's wise to check it out often for additional itineraries and details.  

 

Recently, they have made it easier to find the details for each room category. Before it was difficult to find as you had to know to scroll down within a room category to find it.  Now they have a button marked details and when you press it, the details show in a new window.  They also show for each category when the last redesign took place.  Yes, they need to overlay this the type of suite (new, Seabreeze or traditional) on the deck plan for the ones where there is more than one type of suite within the category.  I call this a work in progress.

 

I do like when you bring up the itineraries you can quickly change all of them from a photo to the actual map making it easier to find ones you are interested in without having to click on each one to find the map/itinerary.  I also think some of the other sorts are good from the ability to sort them based on lower price to higher price to shortest durations to longest durations.  

 

Often, we want it all at once but very glad to see enhancements being made.  I expect we will see more details coming soon to answer questions that many have raised.   And I realize the sooner the better for some of them.  

 

Finally, a few surprises are nice too.  When most of us boarded our first Crystal Cruise I suspect there were several items we didn’t learn until we boarded, and I suspect it might have taken a few cruises to learn all of them.  By surprises I am not talking about policies.

 

The good news is with each passing day we are getting close to the inaugural launches of Serenity and Symphony.  The countdown began with the release of the itineraries and continues.

 

Our bags are packed.  Ready to go. Can’t wait.  

 

Many crew I hear from feel the same way including those already on board and the many crew who are returning to both ships.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[Mr Luxury]

Yes Keith it is all a learning curve but the professional way if you are going to market is to be ready especially with your website .

You only get one chance to create a first impression.

[Keith1010]

26 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Yes Keith it is all a learning curve but the professional way if you are going to market is to be ready especially with your website .

You only get one chance to create a first impression.

I see this very differently.

 

Maybe some of this has to do with different approaches.  When I worked we had a joint venture with a company in the UK and what I saw first hand was a totally different approach to rolling out products and how each company ran their business.  

 

Plenty of startups move quickly at least that is my experience in the USA . That is part of being a start up and things are not always perfect when they roll out products and they didn't get one chance.  In the USA there are some companies who move very slowly (not startups) and I can tell you often they try to figure out how can they move faster with a start up mentality and to do so sometimes they create a new subsidiary to do just that. I know of at least one cruise line who launched their product with a web site which lacked a lot of details.

 

This one is unique because they start with a name and ships and former customers who are very familiar with Crystal Cruises and add to that veterans of Crystal on land and at sea along with others from other companies on land. At the same time they have had to create a lot of new things and build an organization from ground up.

So you can wait until everything is perfect and that will take several more months or launch early and get everything in place before the cruises begin. The latter is what many startups do.

 

The key is let's see what this looks like with each passing week and month. 

 

Most people I know (and I know a lot of people) who have booked are understanding of this.  

 

Having done another new booking this past week I know the process was far better than just a few weeks ago reflecting progress.

 

Keith

 

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, Keith1010 said:

I see this very differently.

 

Maybe some of this has to do with different approaches.  When I worked we had a joint venture with a company in the UK and what I saw first hand was a totally different approach to rolling out products and how each company ran their business.  

 

Plenty of startups move quickly at least that is my experience in the USA . That is part of being a start up and things are not always perfect when they roll out products and they didn't get one chance.  In the USA there are some companies who move very slowly (not startups) and I can tell you often they try to figure out how can they move faster with a start up mentality and to do so sometimes they create a new subsidiary to do just that. I know of at least one cruise line who launched their product with a web site which lacked a lot of details.

 

This one is unique because they start with a name and ships and former customers who are very familiar with Crystal Cruises and add to that veterans of Crystal on land and at sea along with others from other companies on land. At the same time they have had to create a lot of new things and build an organization from ground up.

So you can wait until everything is perfect and that will take several more months or launch early and get everything in place before the cruises begin. The latter is what many startups do.

 

The key is let's see what this looks like with each passing week and month. 

 

Most people I know (and I know a lot of people) who have booked are understanding of this.  

 

Having done another new booking this past week I know the process was far better than just a few weeks ago reflecting progress.

 

Keith

 

Time will tell.

And of course things will get better because for some of us they need to.

I started my company thirty seven years ago and every day's a school day.

[cruisr]

@Keith1010Quick question,  Are your bags packed yet?

Edited February 26, 2023 by cruisr

[Keith1010]

1 hour ago, cruisr said:

@Keith1010Quick question,  Are your bags packed yet?

Bags packed. Ready to go. Can't wait.   😃

 

Keith

[Aldeya]

17 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Bags packed. Ready to go. Can't wait.   😃

 

Keith

Will you be blogging on your website? I always enjoyed your blogs and would be interested in following your and Anna Marie's adventures on the new Crystal.

[Keith1010]

9 minutes ago, Aldeya said:

Will you be blogging on your website? I always enjoyed your blogs and would be interested in following your and Anna Marie's adventures on the new Crystal.

Thank you so much.  Yes, when we return will blog and also post on this board.

 

Keith

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, Keith1010 said:

Thank you so much.  Yes, when we return will blog and also post on this board.

 

Keith

I can't wait to enjoy your posts