HAL's new online booking system?

[Stakeout]

E-mail of complaint was just sent to the socialmedia address that someone was kind enough to post. Thanks for doing that.

 

I also sent one off to Guest Relations.. guestrelations@hollandamerica.com

the only thing bad about sending emails .. all they do is click the delete button and poof--all gone

 

I'll call some more Departments tomorrow and annoy them even more

[erewhon]

I'll call some more Departments tomorrow and annoy them even more

 

Good for you.

Please let us know the result.

 

I will have to start sending e-mails asking for pricing on some cruises, as prices for SA and SB categories remain hidden:(.

[Chelly]

While I've had no difficulty navigating HAL's new booking website, it is truly dreadful! It's not a matter of "getting used to" this abomination. The design stinks.!

 

And,,,,,, this is simply another annoyance that lowers my view of HAL. Honestly folks, it is the totality of disappointments about HAL over the years that has many HAL fans looking at other cruise lines.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Chelly

[macdons]

I love HAL overall. I do not find the changes made to the booking site to be helpful. I always book for 3 and it seems impossible to get a total or breakdown price for 3 passengers. The price of the cruise is what I need before I start filling in all kinds of info that is NOT needed until AFTER I decide if what I am looking at is the cruise I want to book. I don't want to waste my time when I plan to look at a number of different cruises before I decide. I need to know the cost as a whole and as separate passengers. I do hope,as a shareholder and frequent passenger, that this unhelpful change is modified for the good of all.

[boards]

I cannot believe they making it so difficult to find out the final price of a booking. I usually will be looking at a number of future cruises to decide which one is best suited for us price wise, but this makes it impossible. Not sure what we will do now. I don't want to be bothering our TA with a lot of price questions. Hope they will redesign this.

[Lis2065]

I cannot believe they making it so difficult to find out the final price of a booking. I usually will be looking at a number of future cruises to decide which one is best suited for us price wise, but this makes it impossible. Not sure what we will do now. I don't want to be bothering our TA with a lot of price questions. Hope they will redesign this.

 

That's the issue for me too... I don't mind updates to web pages, but usually they make a site more user friendly - not less!

[VMax1700]

Thinking about the pricing situation.....It really works well for Europeans, as EU dictates mean that prices must include all taxes and charges! So, when I select a cruise and then a stateroom category, I have the total price per person of that stateroom. When I move on and select Aft, mid or bow it again gives me prices per stateroom that include all taxes and charges. Then select the deck and it shows prices again including taxes and charges.

 

All that needs to be done is multiply by 2 and even DBW (dear blonde wife) can do that! :D

[thetexasaggiecruiser]

There are some things I like about the new site, but it seems to be cumbersome overall. Having to go further into the process to see the totals is annoying. A question though - when I check for price drops for our cruise in December, I just pull up the cruise by searching in general, I don't go any further than that. I've seen the price drops easily that way. Are the possibly additional price drops that are visible further into the booking process?

[Tampa Girl]

Just tried the new website. No problems at all either just looking without entering demographics or going ahead and doing a dummy booking. Quite frankly I find it as easy as, if not easier than, the previous website. The only thing I didn't like is the placement of the continue button at the bottom of the page instead of the top.

 

 

What operating system and what browser are you using?

[Tampa Girl]

I have tried Google Chrome, Firefox and IE. I cannot get past the Cabin Choices. Nothing happens when I click on "Verandah", and can't write it in, either. So I can't go any further. Is anyone else having this problem?

[pv girl]

After doing dummy bookings, I now get an email asking if I need "help in completing my booking" and to call HAL or my PCC. So they are tracking all those dummy bookings. I entered mariner# so I could see if any discounts there (and there was $200pp in the cruise I was looking at). Nice thing was name, birthdate, address, email etc. all in their system, so no need to enter. Big brother is watching.

[AZNative2000]

I, too, am having no fun on the HAL website that now mimics Carnival's. Not only does it make comparison shopping impossible, it told me my Mariner number was invalid.:eek:

 

I will be calling my PCC to let her know of my concerns.

 

Cheers!

[Chelly]

I have tried Google Chrome, Firefox and IE. I cannot get past the Cabin Choices. Nothing happens when I click on "Verandah", and can't write it in, either. So I can't go any further. Is anyone else having this problem?

 

Did you try clicking on the inside or outside pics to see if they will open and display choices.

[Crazy For Cats]

I tried to do a dummy booking for Caribbean December 2015 and could not pick an aft VB cabin. This fell into the category of one that HAL will assign. Not good.

[Chelly]

I tried to do a dummy booking for Caribbean December 2015 and could not pick an aft VB cabin. This fell into the category of one that HAL will assign. Not good.

 

Sounds like HAL is only showing what it wants you to book!

[jaspersmycat]

I have tried Google Chrome, Firefox and IE. I cannot get past the Cabin Choices. Nothing happens when I click on "Verandah", and can't write it in, either. So I can't go any further. Is anyone else having this problem?

 

After you click on Verandah, you need to scroll down and click on "NEXT AND CONTINUE" (Might be SAVE and CONTINUE)

Edited August 11, 2014 by jaspersmycat

[jaspersmycat]

I just looked at a Prinsendam cruise and my problems were that I needed to open a second window to the HAL site to bring up the deck plans and see the size of the room and the layout.

 

The price issue is not a problem. I tested using 1 passenger and it did change the price to the solo price (twice the 1 person price). I can mentally add the port charges, fees, and taxes to figure out the total.

[durangoscots]

I have gone onto the site and tried several dummy bookings.... so far no real problems although I find the sytem cumbersome and awkward. I have entered my mariner number. And so far I have not heard from HAL asking me if they can help. I do like being able to see the available cabins but that does not make up for the fact that to try another category I have to back up and go round so to speak.

 

I do feel that the site does not make it easy for us to search and compare both between cabins and between cruises when we are trying to make up our minds.

 

Not a comfortable system at all.

 

Susan

[jaspersmycat]

I never saw more than 10 available cabins on a deck. Have they just changed the 6 to 10? Anyone seen more than 10?

[DrFUN]

So glad to see this thread! Thanks, dear CC friends, for always being on the cutting edge and creating such a caring community! :)

 

After being utterly shocked at this ridiculous design, I phoned HAL--and spend a half hour trying to explain to the very patient rep why I so frustrated (and he kept trying to tell me how to do it on the former system). Finally, he tried a booking from the "customer" side--and realized what I meant. Apologies ensued. I am doubly shocked that HAL didn't bother to inform its own customer reps about this major change! :eek:

 

Here is a copy of the email I sent to the above-posted social media link:

 

As a 4-star Mariner who frequently convinces friends to join us (all of us are usually in suite categories), I am appalled at the absurdity of the booking process of your new web design:

 

• Asks what stateroom I want without providing a deck plan.
  
  
• Does not show me the categories within a specific stateroom type (important for those using Amex or other category upgrades).
  
  
• Forces me to type in all kinds of personal info (including table size info!) before showing me a price--and never shows a category.
  
  
• Forces me to start all over again (providing the info for all pax once again--which not only incredibly tedious on a phone but even on a laptop) just to see a different category to which I might want to upgrade myself (from a Vista to a Neptune, for example--or from an SY to and SS) or for multiple friends who like different categories
  
  
• Makes me phone your service rep (a waste of YOUR time, as we use an outside cruise agent)
  
  
• Makes me look at Celebrity.

 

I'm sure that the HUNDREDS of complains on Cruise Critic (where I am also very active) and FB might have some impact on your giving your loyal customers and newcomers more of the old process, which was quick and easy and led to many quick bookings.

 

Please don't disregard your best customers and active Cruise Critic posters, whose comments influence hundreds of others.

 

Seeing the specific category and price breakout (A-AA-B; SY-SS; SA, SB, SC, etc) in one place without having to do a COMPLETE entry of all personal info through several irrelevant screens--EACH TIME--is VERY important to many of us. And we aren't always in a private place where might easily phone a rep (whereas the Internet is always more readily available--even while sitting in a waiting room).

 

Hoping HAL gets with it!

 

Thanks again to all above!

Mary-Lou

Edited August 11, 2014 by DrFUN

[swin26]

I couldn't even find an aft VB cabin on the Eurodam to compare prices without putting in all my info. I just made up names and phone numbers - by the way 555 numbers are rejected and email addresses. I finally called my PCC to get the price. I really do dislike this new set up.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Stakeout]

Thinking about the pricing situation.....It really works well for Europeans, as EU dictates mean that prices must include all taxes and charges! So, when I select a cruise and then a stateroom category, I have the total price per person of that stateroom. When I move on and select Aft, mid or bow it again gives me prices per stateroom that include all taxes and charges. Then select the deck and it shows prices again including taxes and charges.

 

All that needs to be done is multiply by 2 and even DBW (dear blonde wife) can do that! :D

 

curious on this.. when you click on a particular cabin and get a price does it show the Category of that Cabin anywhere on the page .. all it shows for most of us is Oceanview with no Cabin Category like H.. E..EE..F etc.. there must be a reason that HAL is blocking that.. I'm sure it's some desk jockey's super idea that it makes them more money somehow..

[VMax1700]

Just gone onto the (European version) of the website and it has changed since last night!

 

Now showing stateroom categories! But, there is a fault in the with the currently published site as I cannot select a stateroom within the chosen category.

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

I hate this new system. I am computer dummy. But this system is horrible. I want to price a back to back. I want to look at cabins and see what is available. this new web site would make me look at another cruise line

[VMax1700]

Just gone onto the (European version) of the website and it has changed since last night!

 

Now showing stateroom categories! But, there is a fault in the with the currently published site as I cannot select a stateroom within the chosen category.

 

And I have just gone back in again and the 'category view' has disappeared and it is back to aft, mid, front and then deck names. Nowhere is a category mentioned

 

STATEROOM

Type:Neptune Suite (Deluxe Verandah Suite)

Location:Aft

Deck:UPPER PROM

Stateroom: 4185