the new ha site sucks

[nurseblissful]

what is up with the new site? it looks like the site for rc. no direct prices, just contact your ta. don't like it. what about ya'll? we have just over a year (yes, i said that) for our next cruise. we downgraded from a suite to a sy suite. and we have buds going with us!!! look forward to a good trip with good companions on a great ship with great service....dreaming away....lauri

[billroddy]

After you select a cruise date, then VIEW DETAILS. then LOG IN TO PROCEED TO BOOKING.

You will use your email address and password.

If you are not yet registered with HAL you can do so on that page.

Bill

[jtl513]

I agree that it sucks. I've found there are many things that are now more difficult to do or cannot be done at all. Two examples are "Tracking Your Cruise Documents" (unless you know how to go directly to the DHL track-by-reference page) or being able to look at a two-year destinations calendar in convenient bar-graph form.

[jtl513]

Also, most search operations now result in the message "File not found! Don't worry, we'll keep looking for it." :mad:

[1FatPER]

This new site was definitely designed by a computer programmer and without much input from an end user. I think the old site was much more user friendly.

 

John

[HokiePoq]

The old one did, too. I cannot imagine a worse one. Uh oh.

I'm thinking HAL thinks, perhaps correctly, that it's target audience is not booking online.

I can't count the times I found, even with just two HAL cruises, that the site wouldn't perform the function desired with the only way to accomplish what you wanted was to call them and hold forever.

Fortunately, onboard service is miles above online, and our "personal cruise consultant", Sean, is also fantastic.

[nchank]

I agree that it sucks. I've found there are many things that are now more difficult to do or cannot be done at all. Two examples are "Tracking Your Cruise Documents" (unless you know how to go directly to the DHL track-by-reference page) or being able to look at a two-year destinations calendar in convenient bar-graph form.

 

OK, how do you Track your cruise documents? :confused:We are just over 4 weeks away right now.

[Astron]

Do they think that because the HAL demographic is older than CCL that we are all too stupid to know when we see a bad web design? :eek: While they clearly have access to my booking information since they are able to list my booking number, and will help me book excursions, they will only let me review booking information on the site if I booked through their web site rather than through a TA. :confused:

For a line that has built it's reputation on passenger service I would expect a far more passenger friendly web site. Bring the old site back, it was better than the new one IMHO! Failing that, turn web management over the the folks that did the CCL site. At least that one is easy to navigate and attempts to be passenger friendly.

[RetiredMustang]

After you select a cruise date, then VIEW DETAILS. then LOG IN TO PROCEED TO BOOKING.

You will use your email address and password.

If you are not yet registered with HAL you can do so on that page.

Bill

 

 

Bill,

 

That's pretty much the point. You didn't have to register or log in before to get a price quotation. A few years ago, I tried to compare prices among cruise lines, and could NOT get a quotation from Princess without registering; as a result, I have never cruised Princess. I am the same way when shopping online -- if a site demands personal information before giving me a price, they have lost a sale, because I will instead go to a competitor who will quote me a price. When I'm ready to buy, then they'll get my info (and I will always toggle off the default "please spam me" setting on the decision box).

 

Yes, in the case of HAL, they know my email address, mailing address and Mariner number, but why should I have to go through all that when I just want to check a quick price? And why should people do so who are just thinking about sailing HAL? They may be turned off and never come back.

 

First, HAL stopped giving quotations that included air. Now they don't give you quotations at all, just pretty much worthless "prices from ..." figures. Also, the cruise search results page looks like Celebrity's, but I preferred to have a simple long list that I could scan quickly instead of having to go through page after page to see what I want.

 

OK, the new look is prettier, but it uses more bandwidth for eye candy that doesn't add anything. It is much less user-friendly. Their geeks may love it, but I don't.

 

Dave

[Mid-Age]

I agree, the new site sucks. :mad:

 

I have a hard time to find the data that was very easy to get. I spend a few days try to like it, but I just can't.

[CC Help Michell]

 

OK, the new look is prettier, but it uses more bandwidth for eye candy that doesn't add anything. It is much less user-friendly. Their geeks may love it, but I don't.

 

Dave

 

HEY, I'm a geek, and back on Sunday on this thread (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=711522) I was saying "um, sorry.... maybe it's just me... but... this emperor dude isn't wearing any clothes!" I still think the design of this website is very poor. That won't stop me from sailing HAL this summer, or sailing them again if I like that experience -- but in this day and age not having a top-flight website is just.... ridiculous. Yes, I can figure out workarounds... but I really don't like having to.

 

The having to register thing (or re-register in my case, since the reformat eliminated prior registrations, but for some reason the new home page doesn't just admit that, and tell you to re-register)... that actually doesn't bother me so much. What bugs me is being deep in the site and deciding "nah, I'll do it later" (like guest reg or onboard gifts), but having NO way to just bail and punch back to the main screen. THAT one is kludgy design.

[pms4104]

OK, how do you Track your cruise documents? :confused:We are just over 4 weeks away right now.

Another person recently posted the following link ... http://track.dhl-usa.com/TrackByRef.asp?nav=TrackByRef

 

Use your booking number as the "Reference No."

 

Can't vouch personally for the link, as our docs still are many months out.

[pms4104]

dupe

[jtl513]

OK, how do you Track your cruise documents? :confused:We are just over 4 weeks away right now.

 

Another person recently posted the following link ... http://track.dhl-usa.com/TrackByRef.asp?nav=TrackByRef

 

Use your booking number as the "Reference No."

 

Can't vouch personally for the link, as our docs still are many months out.

That was me ... thanks for saving me from looking it up again!

 

I'll repeat what I said before too: if you try it and get a "No shipments found" message it means that either (a) DHL has not picked up the docs from HAL, or (b) they've already arrived at your TA, or © they were or are being shipped to your TA in a bulk shipment that does not itemize the contents.

 

You can start looking at the DHL site around 60 to 45 days out if you do not have HAL air, or 30 days out if you do. When they do appear as in DHL's hands, the expected delivery time will be shown as about 1 week, but it usually takes just 3 or 4 days! :)

 

nchank: at 30 days out, you may have already missed seeing them ship. On our last cruise ours shipped at 45 days out and arrived at our TA at 42 days out.

[jimgev]

I have not been impressed with ANY cruise line websites. They all leave a lot to be desired. I would imagine that, as cruisng is primarily tradition-based, they don't have much internal understanding of the new marketing realities. They understand that marketing has changed but they really don't know why. So they hire some computer people without a clear understanding of what they want. The results are uniformly sub-par.

But then, I really don't base my decisions on web sites. I would expect,however, that many younger, internet-savy people, do make decisons based on electronic marketing. this is likely an area of opportunity for HAL and other cruise lines.

[Jsipes]

I think ***** has the best web design on the net, and its lightening fast. Use it to book all my HAL cruises and have never had a problem.

[jtl513]

I think ***** has the best web design on the net, and its lightening fast. Use it to book all my HAL cruises and have never had a problem.

Don't use VTG to book anything on the Eurodam yet ... their deck plans and cabin numbering are out of date. Also, their deck plans and cabin numbering for the Zuiderdam are only good until 4/3/08.

[off2ctheworld]

I dislike the new website! Websites should be designed so 3 clicks will take you where you want to go and then get you back out! Why doesn't the site say to reregister. I want to track my documents. Yes, sites change but not all change is progress. My opinion only.

[CroozeAddict]

I thought that the old site was ancient and couldn't get any worst. HAL proved me wrong again.

 

One previous poster said it now resembles the RC site. No way. That's one of the most user friendly cruise line sites I've seen. AND ... you don't have to log-in with every function you use. That really grates me.

 

Buy excursion ... login. View res ... login (again) ... Buy gift ... login (again) and it goes on and on.

[samsonmo]

completely agree with the opinions given. The new website is not user friendly at all and very confusing. The "old" website gave me instant info. The new website does not. Very confusing to find your way.

Hope HAL realises what they have done with their website as if i want to look ahead for future cruises it seems almost impossible as cannot find where the ships are going in 2009.

peter

[samsonmo]

completely agree with the opinions given. The new website is not user friendly at all and very confusing. The "old" website gave me instant info. The new website does not. Very confusing to find your way.

Hope HAL realises what they have done with their website as if i want to look ahead for future cruises it seems almost impossible as cannot find where the ships are going in 2009.

peter

[samsonmo]

completely agree with the opinions given. The new website is not user friendly at all and very confusing. The "old" website gave me instant info. The new website does not. Very confusing to find your way.

Hope HAL realises what they have done with their website as if i want to look ahead for future cruises it seems almost impossible as cannot find where the ships are going in 2009.

peter

[Krazy Kruizers]

ONCE I got the new site to accept my password and everything, now I just log in right away and then go and check on anything I want to.

 

It is a bit of a pain.

[JORAY]

That was me ... thanks for saving me from looking it up again!

 

I'll repeat what I said before too: if you try it and get a "No shipments found" message it means that either (a) DHL has not picked up the docs from HAL, or (b) they've already arrived at your TA, or © they were or are being shipped to your TA in a bulk shipment that does not itemize the contents.

 

You can start looking at the DHL site around 60 to 45 days out if you do not have HAL air, or 30 days out if you do. When they do appear as in DHL's hands, the expected delivery time will be shown as about 1 week, but it usually takes just 3 or 4 days! :)

 

nchank: at 30 days out, you may have already missed seeing them ship. On our last cruise ours shipped at 45 days out and arrived at our TA at 42 days out.

 

Mmmm -- We have a new web site but many be also a new way to ship documents -- Ours came last week by FEDEX!

 

Ray

[jtl513]

Mmmm -- We have a new web site but many be also a new way to ship documents -- Ours came last week by FEDEX!

 

Ray

Could be ... but I know they were using DHL in Nov and Dec! :)