Celebrity Con Game

[DoCruise]

I notice the last few days on the transatlantic April 15 Suites, Celebrity's web site has Celebrity Suites on senior rates and when you try to book , it takes you down to a sky suite , WHAT a rip-off , I called and got a BS story, Then the resolution Dept told me , oh it a error on the web site. yea right for two whole days.

 

I guess business must be really slow.:mad: wow what a deceptive company.:eek:

 

[Waterlily777]

I notice the last few days on the transatlantic April 15 Suites, Celebrity's web site has Celebrity Suites on senior rates and when you try to book , it takes you down to a sky suite , WHAT a rip-off , I called and got a BS story, Then the resolution Dept told me , oh it a error on the web site. yea right for two whole days.

 

I guess business must be really slow.:mad: wow what a deceptive company.:eek:

 

 

 

Sorry, I am having trouble understanding your post.

 

All of the available suites on this cruise are available for Seniors pricing. You just choose the type of suite you want, and the Seniors pricing shows, if you have clicked the box for passengers 55 and over.

 

Could you perhaps provide the link to the screen where you are having the problem, because when I go through the normal booking process, I don't see where the trouble lies.

[Sloop-JohnB]

I notice the last few days on the transatlantic April 15 Suites, Celebrity's web site has Celebrity Suites on senior rates and when you try to book , it takes you down to a sky suite , WHAT a rip-off , I called and got a BS story, Then the resolution Dept told me , oh it a error on the web site. yea right for two whole days.

 

I guess business must be really slow.:mad: wow what a deceptive company.:eek:

 

 

TO DOCRUISE,

 

If I understand your posting correctly... you are having some issues with the "workings" of Celebrity's Website.

 

This is NOT NEWS...

 

Celebrity did a major rebuild this week (guessing that they are still getting some of "the bugs" worked out)...

 

Understandable, a little "common sense" would say that this is a global company that can't just make their website unavailable totally... they have to work things out without totally going "off line"... so any computer person will tell you this is challenging, and sometimes take time.

 

There was a similar topic posted recently about Penthouse Suites = http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1589106

 

Lol, it is what it is... by all accounts most Celebrity Customers have reported they have found this version of the website much better than the last (despite "the bugs")

 

Cheers!

[ghstudio]

Understandable, a little "common sense" would say that this is a global company that can't just make their website unavailable totally... they have to work things out without totally going "off line"... so any computer person will tell you this is challenging, and sometimes take time.

 

 

I am a computer person and I've installed major web sites for large corporations. I will tell you that it is challenging and takes some time BUT you do testing according to a test plan BEFORE you bring the site live....not after.

[Tomato53]

Looks ok to me. You are looking at the Solstice TA for April 15, 2012, right?

 

When I check the senior rate box, the rate is $3349 PP for a CS.

 

With the senior rate box unchecked, the rate is $3949.

[Waterlily777]

I am a computer person and I've installed major web sites for large corporations. I will tell you that it is challenging and takes some time BUT you do testing according to a test plan BEFORE you bring the site live....not after.

 

It is also true that on large, complicated websites, you are not always aware of the glitches until someone reports them.

 

It appears that the glitch has been corrected.

[DoCruise]

I guess you didn't notice that the there a Celebrity Suite name picture ,room 394 sf Veranda 100sf for $2099.00 senior rate . but the code is S2, if you don't know the code you think you are booking a CS but you will be getting a Sky Suite instead, there will be some unhappy customers in line on board.:eek::eek::eek:

[CathyCruises]

I see the problem. What should say Sky Suites says Celebrity Suites--obviously a problem since the upgrade. Celebrity Suites shows as CS, then if you scroll down, the caption on both the S1 and S2 actually says "Celebrity Suites" as well. I don't think it's meant to be a 'ripoff', I think it's a programming error.

[dmk]

I guess you didn't notice that the there a Celebrity Suite name picture ,room 394 sf Veranda 100sf for $2099.00 senior rate . but the code is S2, if you don't know the code you think you are booking a CS but you will be getting a Sky Suite instead, there will be some unhappy customers in line on board.:eek::eek::eek:

 

I just checked that out. The page is set up like this

"Celebrity Suite............ Stateroom Code "

 

There are 3 categories of suites formatted this way...with Celebrity Suite on the left and on the right, the classification of the kind of suite referred too.

[Sloop-JohnB]

I am a computer person and I've installed major web sites for large corporations. I will tell you that it is challenging and takes some time BUT you do testing according to a test plan BEFORE you bring the site live....not after.

 

TO GHSTUDIO,

 

True enough... lol, you seem like a reasonable person from what I've seen here on the CC CELEBRITY BOARD... maybe you could do some "consulting" for Celebrity ;):cool:

 

And I also agree with WATERLILY777... no matter how much testing one does beforehand, some "bugs" just sometimes seem to get thru (first hubby was a computer software engineer)

 

I'm willing to give Celebrity the benefit of the doubt... even though I know they have a history of problems with their website... and routinely take months (or never) to get around to fixing glitches that many of us here on CC loudly point out to them. :eek::rolleyes:

 

Cheers!

[ghstudio]

TO GHSTUDIO,

 

True enough... lol, you seem like a reasonable person from what I've seen here on the CC CELEBRITY BOARD... maybe you could do some "consulting" for Celebrity ;):cool:

 

Cheers!

 

I would have gladly beta tested the site for them...I've done it before a number of times :)

 

There are still a major fundamental design problems. The site assumes you are going to look at one cruise or modify one booking.

 

If you go back to the cruise selection page using the back button on the browser, it remembers, unhelpfully, your last entries without telling you instead of starting from scratch...for example I looked at the equinox TA's, then I went back, took out the ship name, indicated TA and it still only showed equinox TA's. Similar if you are managing multiple bookings, if you leave one booking and move to look at another by using the back button on the browser, you are still presented with the excursions from the first booking.

 

Lots of words....long post....but they really didn't test out the site. And they still don't have Live Chat, one of my favorite issues. The problem is that techies (and I am one) always assume that people will go thru the site the way they designed it...so that's all they test....and that's one of the major reasons why sites and programs have problems.....a lousy test plan.

[DoCruise]

I see the problem. What should say Sky Suites says Celebrity Suites--obviously a problem since the upgrade. Celebrity Suites shows as CS, then if you scroll down, the caption on both the S1 and S2 actually says "Celebrity Suites" as well. I don't think it's meant to be a 'ripoff', I think it's a programming error.

 

 

I was nice to celebrity about it, but they insisted I know nothing, "you sir don't know how to read our web site" one of the sales people called me an idiot and hung up the phone.

 

Oh well, what can you do? the world and the young kids have changed to have little integrity and honesty.

 

So, I will have to go on the cruise and have fun anyway, just not in a CS.

 

Thanks for your input. Happy cruising.

[fleckle]

.....There are still a major fundamental design problems. The site assumes you are going to look at one cruise or modify one booking.

 

If you go back to the cruise selection page using the back button on the browser, it remembers, unhelpfully, your last entries without telling you instead of starting from scratch...for example I looked at the equinox TA's, then I went back, took out the ship name, indicated TA and it still only showed equinox TA's. Similar if you are managing multiple bookings, if you leave one booking and move to look at another by using the back button on the browser, you are still presented with the excursions from the first booking.

 

Lots of words....long post....but they really didn't test out the site.

That is why many times it is easier just to delete their cookies and clear the cache before attempting to look at something else on their site.

 

Now you are probably thinking that should not be necessary and I totally agree. Of course it should not be necessary.

 

But I find it faster and far less frustrating in getting where I want to go than trying to navigate back and forth through their website using the features provided.

 

The website seems to have been designed with priority given to artistic appearance over functionality.

 

(Rather as though designed by the same people who designed the storage areas in the S-class staterooms, but I digress.)

 

I disagree with the OP because I don't think there was any con game or deception intended here, only one more example of how this website is messed up.

 

Instead of continually trying to patch it, they might be better off designing a new website from scratch to replace this one entirely.

[CathyCruises]

I was nice to celebrity about it, but they insisted I know nothing, "you sir don't know how to read our web site" one of the sales people called me an idiot and hung up the phone.

 

Oh well, what can you do? the world and the young kids have changed to have little integrity and honesty.

 

So, I will have to go on the cruise and have fun anyway, just not in a CS.

 

Thanks for your input. Happy cruising.

 

Unfortunately, at ground level the Celebrity shore-bound staff are badly misinformed on most topics. There are stories here constantly about the bad info they give out. The topper was when someone called and asked if they could have beer in their cabin and was told absolutely not, when the minibar is stocked with beer.

 

The good news is that as bad as the shore staff is, the onboard staff is great and makes up for it--but it IS frustrating to be told you don't know what you're talking about when in fact THEY don't know what they're talking about! I feel your pain.

[ariawoman]

I am a computer person and I've installed major web sites for large corporations. I will tell you that it is challenging and takes some time BUT you do testing according to a test plan BEFORE you bring the site live....not after.

 

Hear hear. I'm a software tester, and that's my job before the application I test goes live, I test the crap out of it.

 

That's the whole purpose of have Quality Assurance. Of course, many are outsourcing it or skipping it entirely which is leading to poor results....which may or may not be behind Celebrity's recent website issues.

 

I can't even log into my account. That's one of the first things I'd think they'd check considering you'd want the "secure" area of your site that your customer are accessing, to work. It can't even get in to see if it's working! Yikes.

[clipper110A]

I was nice to celebrity about it, but they insisted I know nothing, "you sir don't know how to read our web site" one of the sales people called me an idiot and hung up the phone.

 

Oh well, what can you do? the world and the young kids have changed to have little integrity and honesty.

 

So, I will have to go on the cruise and have fun anyway, just not in a CS.

 

Thanks for your input. Happy cruising.

 

 

Surprised about the rudeness that you report from phone sales..in our close to 20 years sailing with Celebrity, we have found them to be unfailingly polite on the phone, but basically unable/unwilling/unempowered to correct or take ownership of whatever issue exists.

[clipper110A]

I am a computer person and I've installed major web sites for large corporations. I will tell you that it is challenging and takes some time BUT you do testing according to a test plan BEFORE you bring the site live....not after.

 

 

+ 1

It also has to do with BASIC attention to detail...Example: On the new Reflection, they are adding suites on the port side on high deck where the forward view bar venue with the huge windows is situated.

There will be one very large two bedroom suite and then a handful of smaller suites. The big draw will be the huge 10 foot high ceilings and sweeping cabin windows and the novelty of a private hallway with card key only access...Interesting design concept...

 

The cabin information for these suites initially posted by Celebrity in their website booking search feature gave the SAME square footage for the smaller suites as for the huge two bedroom cabin. That is impossible. People who did not study the deck plan and trusted the square footage reported by the website for the smaller suites and made the booking are going to be quite shocked....and probably VERY unhappy....

 

As shareholders, we reported it to X and copied Investor Relations, and it has since been corrected, but it was like that for weeks..

 

Question: How difficult is it to load correct information about a handful of suites on one new ship for the WHOLE WORLD to see and make purchase decisions regarding the size of a stateroom when you are paying MILLIONS to build the ships ?

 

Better question: How IMPORTANT is it to Celebrity to load correct information?

 

Correct square footage a simple no brainer....