HAL's new online booking system?

[Stakeout]

I hate HAL's new site!!

 

that about says it all... I just emailed Guest Relations.. this should be good.. more apologies I would suspect but as with all the phone calls I made earlier this afternoon just 'lip service'.. they could care less

[Stakeout]

The most significant impact of the new site for me is that I cannot now quickly monitor the price of an existing booking. Could it be that this was done on purpose to minimize the number of requests for a downward price adjustment on an existing booking?

 

as I said previously... my guess is that this has been done on purpose because there could be no other explanation.. no one could approve such a boondoggle unless they wanted to get fired.. then again someone approved all of the changes made to the Veendam a couple of years ago and all the problems that were encountered afterwards--totally ruined a nice ship

[Stakeout]

I quite like it.

 

The most important considerations for us when booking are category and location. The ability to look at a full region of a deck to see what's available makes it much easier to get a sense of options.

 

With the old engine you only had a limited number of potential cabins to choose from. With this engine, you can browse through all the options in a particular type. Very flexible for backtracking and changing categories.

 

you may be having better luck negotiating the new site than I have.. once I plug in a particular cabin then go back to try to check another category and cabin on the same deck there is no way to undo that cabin.. it becomes locked in... try it.. not flexible at my end.. the only way to stop it is to get out of the site.. and delete the HAL cookies.. both of them... then have to do the process all over again... what a nitemare

[Chelly]

I already thought about this.

They don't want us to watch prices.

 

Bingo!

[Island Lovers]

Very frustrating! I could look up anything and everything yesterday. Today I can't even bring up the information on a cruise. The itinerary comes up and then is followed by a mostly blank page which shows "book your cruise" and a few blank lines. And I was considering options for 2015! I wonder if this new program was tested thoroughly enough before launching (please excuse the pun).

[Chelly]

We went through similar distress some years back, last time HAL changed its website. However, this time is WORSE. I don't like it one bit. Not that it matters.:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

[Island Lovers]

Now I'm into the site by going through Google Chrome. However, the web site is sad, OMG. The decks aren't numbered, just named. The very few cabins available do not show the category they are in (i.e. J, D, C, VA). It looks like the cruise I'm considering (more than a year out) has low inventory. There was great inventory two days ago, lots of options. If this is a new game, it isn't working for me. Unfortunately, I was about to reserve, but now the phone lines will be jammed for probably a few weeks, so going that route isn't desirable. The previous web site worked very well and was clear in decks, cabin category and location, pricing, etc. Why would they launch a new program without being sure it was an improvement and free of glitches?

[POA1]

What's the problem, exactly? It looks okay on everything I can throw at it. Checked against Trident, Webkit, Gecko, and Blink, it seems fine.

 

Is there a specific section of the site that's not working?

Edited August 9, 2014 by POA1

[pris993]

I guess if the site is so difficult why book on line at all. I would simply call HAL instead, after researching on another site pricing and most desirable cabin #'s.

[PathfinderEss]

Finally got it to work, had to go into Chrome. Still way to convoluted to make it user friendly.:( I think many are right, they don't want you to be checking prices easily or anything else. What is wrong with Hal, don't they get that you should make it easier on its web users rather then harder or is that the point.:(:mad:

[take us away]

Hi all:

 

Sent an email to HAL yesterday about the new web design and how I really did not like no pricing information until way late in the process, plus no break down on fare vs tax and port charges, etc.

 

Received the following reply - so if we all contact HA, there is a possibility we may get the pricing back - worth a try. I used the Contact Us section on their web site.

 

"Dear Ms.[deleted],

 

Thank you for your recent correspondence with Holland America Line. We appreciate your comments regarding the website design. We are glad that for the most part you like how the website has been modified. We apologize that there are parts of the website redesign that do not meet your needs. We understand that the pricing would be helpful while researching the cruise. We have passed your email to our Web Design team. They collect all guest suggestions for the website and will consider each comment when redesigning the web layout in the future.

 

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. Again, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Holland America Line hopes to welcome you onboard in the future.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Holland America Line

U.S. and Canada: 877-724-5425

International: 206-286-3900

Mon-Fri 5am-7pm PST

Sat-Sun 6am-5pm PST "

[erewhon]

On the new site, I can see the price for stateroom category SC, but not the SB and SA prices, guess those prices are a secret.......does HAL want customers?

[Krazy Kruizers]

A new computer. Windows 7 is reportedly going to be no longer supported in 2017 and I see no sense in going through this nonsense again during my lifetime!

 

I have played with 8.1 in the stores and it is something that I think I can figure out. There is even a book: Dummies for Windows 8.1. (Notice to nephews: a possible Christmas gift!)

 

It just simply has to be able to allow me to connect with Cruise Critic and the Port Everlglades websites as well as the other websites that allow me to virtually sail with those other fortunate cruisers!

 

 

 

I had to replace one of my computers last year and it has windows 8 on it. I am not a computer geek and worked out everything myself.

It just takes time to get used to a new set-up.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On the new site, I can see the price for stateroom category SC, but not the SB and SA prices, guess those prices are a secret.......does HAL want customers?

 

 

When I did my "dummy" booking, I had to actually put in a cabin number that we were interested in.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't give them any information about me. No log in, Check not a mariner, no phone, I just say 2 guests. I go into the system on HAL site at choose a cruise. I bring up all the cruises for the area, choose a month, select the cruise, and go on to the next screen to get the itinerary and then go to the next screen.

 

I must admit it was pretty cumbersome but I stuck with it. I was stumped at the choose a room since that didn't work so I just chose veranda and chose save and it brought up the three sections of the ship and when I clicked on the aft section it showed me available rooms, then I checked mid ship, etc.

 

I did that and still got the message that I had to give my name, etc.

[Stakeout]

Finally got it to work, had to go into Chrome. Still way to convoluted to make it user friendly.:( I think many are right, they don't want you to be checking prices easily or anything else. What is wrong with Hal, don't they get that you should make it easier on its web users rather then harder or is that the point.:(:mad:

 

I use Firefox...also tried it in Chrome.. same-same.. the more I use the new HAL site the more I am convinced that they made it more difficult to check prices and compare... not nice :(

[Stakeout]

I did that and still got the message that I had to give my name, etc.

 

as you know by not putting in one's mariner # and info different higher prices usually show up.. it is a sad game that HAL plays from their marketing department by holding back cabins making certain cabins available on segments of a longer cruise but not on the entire cruise that now has spread to the website

[Stakeout]

Hi all:

 

Sent an email to HAL yesterday about the new web design and how I really did not like no pricing information until way late in the process, plus no break down on fare vs tax and port charges, etc.

 

Received the following reply - so if we all contact HA, there is a possibility we may get the pricing back - worth a try. I used the Contact Us section on their web site.

 

"Dear Ms.[deleted],

 

Thank you for your recent correspondence with Holland America Line. We appreciate your comments regarding the website design. We are glad that for the most part you like how the website has been modified. We apologize that there are parts of the website redesign that do not meet your needs. We understand that the pricing would be helpful while researching the cruise. We have passed your email to our Web Design team. They collect all guest suggestions for the website and will consider each comment when redesigning the web layout in the future.

 

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. Again, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Holland America Line hopes to welcome you onboard in the future.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Holland America Line

U.S. and Canada: 877-724-5425

International: 206-286-3900

Mon-Fri 5am-7pm PST

Sat-Sun 6am-5pm PST "

 

 

like I said.. it is all 'lip service' 'smoke and mirrors' that HAL could care less about

[Lis2065]

Don't like the new website booking system at all! Have to enter all contact detail prior to getting the price, therefore cannot easily price a cruise.

 

It is clunky, not user friendly and appears to be aimed at limiting the users ability to check pricing.

 

I always used to check stateroom and pricing online and then book through my travel agent...

 

Now I am unable to check/monitor pricing online without providing significant personal information - not happy!

[PetNanny]

I already thought about this.

They don't want us to watch prices.

 

Have to agree with this. With all the good info I read on this board, are there any suggestions as to how best to check pricing? Thanks.

[0bnxshs]

<SNIP>

 

Is there a specific section of the site that's not working?

 

Not that it isn't working but, as an example, I am dummy booking an SA/Antarctic cruise in Jan. 2016 on Zaandam looking at Neptune Suites. When I'm at the Stateroom Location and Deck screen, 2 sections of the ship are indicated as having Neptune Suites (Forward and Mid, which is correct) but the description of the forward section reads: "Staterooms are aft view corner suites with large balconies or midship staterooms closer to the Heart of the Ship." which is obviously wrong. The Mid ship description is correct. Have they some crossed indexes, in which case where do other problems like this exist?

 

It would also be nice to see the deck number along with the deck name. The "Save and Continue" button should show in the display without having to scroll down as it's not intuitive to have to scroll to find a way to move forward for many of us. We are used to clicking an available option and moving on from there. And, there is just no reason they can't show the accumulated price in the far right column that describes the itinerary and stateroom selected. To go through and enter bogus name and contact information just to get the price is ridiculous from a customer's point of view, but is certainly a contact collecting technique for the marketing department and thus understandable from their point of view. Gotta wonder who Joe and Jane Blow at 123 Anywhere Place, Sometown, FL is? They aren't validating any of this information with a zipcode lookup, that's for sure.

 

Otherwise, it's certainly different, but not badly so, from the previous engine. I like seeing all open staterooms in a given section and deck. Just give us an accumulated price as we move along, and allow for a process to go back and change stateroom choices without having to re-enter contact information and I think it will become easier with time. It does remind me of Carnival and Princess which makes sense as CCL would likely prefer to manage fewer booking engines from a cost point of view.

Edited August 9, 2014 by 0bnxshs

[jaguarstyper]

I can't say its all bad, because there are many things I do like about it. But some of the things I don't like, I really dont like, which completely spoils the entire user experience. If my company released something like this, people would probably be getting dismissed. They clearly did not do their home work in the UX (user experience) design area and I seriously doubt this was ever presented to any focus groups or usability testing performed. Its just bad design techniques. HAL seems to be well behind the curve on most technology things and this is just one more thing to add to the list.

[POA1]

Not that it isn't working but, as an example, I am dummy booking an SA/Antarctic cruise in Jan. 2016 on Zaandam looking at Neptune Suites. When I'm at the Stateroom Location and Deck screen, 2 sections of the ship are indicated as having Neptune Suites (Forward and Mid, which is correct) but the description of the forward section reads: "Staterooms are aft view corner suites with large balconies or midship staterooms closer to the Heart of the Ship." which is obviously wrong. The Mid ship description is correct. Have they some crossed indexes, in which case where do other problems like this exist?

 

It would also be nice to see the deck number along with the deck name. The "Save and Continue" button should show in the display without having to scroll down as it's not intuitive to have to scroll to find a way to move forward for many of us. We are used to clicking an available option and moving on from there. And, there is just no reason they can't show the accumulated price in the far right column that describes the itinerary and stateroom selected. To go through and enter bogus name and contact information just to get the price is ridiculous from a customer's point of view, but is certainly a contact collecting technique for the marketing department and thus understandable from their point of view. Gotta wonder who Joe and Jane Blow at 123 Anywhere Place, Sometown, FL is? They aren't validating any of this information with a zipcode lookup, that's for sure.

 

Otherwise, it's certainly different, but not badly so, from the previous engine. I like seeing all open staterooms in a given section and deck. Just give us an accumulated price as we move along, and allow for a process to go back and change stateroom choices without having to re-enter contact information and I think it will become easier with time. It does remind me of Carnival and Princess which makes sense as CCL would likely prefer to manage fewer booking engines from a cost point of view.

 

Thanks. That's exactly what I was looking for. We use "the site that shall not be named" for quick and dirty pricing comparisons. I only wade into the HAL booking engine so that it can confirm that (1) a promo is not valid for our sailing, or (2) a promo is valid, but will cost us more than we gain. Basically it's a d-commerce experience in almost every case. (That's not a typo for e-commerce. The "d" is for "disappointment.")

 

Your post goes a long way toward helping me to understand the process flow issues.

[jaguarstyper]

Try Googling the words "cruise" and "fish". Go ahead, it's fun. ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can't say its all bad, because there are many things I do like about it. But some of the things I don't like, I really dont like, which completely spoils the entire user experience. If my company released something like this, people would probably be getting dismissed. They clearly did not do their home work in the UX (user experience) design area and I seriously doubt this was ever presented to any focus groups or usability testing performed. Its just bad design techniques. HAL seems to be well behind the curve on most technology things and this is just one more thing to add to the list.

 

 

I think HAL is going backwards rather than forward.