Celebrity- the web site is costing you money!

[Wj420]

Dear Celebrity,

 

Reading all those posts and now experiencing the terrible system I see how much money the cruiseline is probably loosing because it can't keep up with the technology or demand.

 

Bookings were doubled, bookings were frozen, bookings cancelled that then the system allowed to be reinstated past the expiration, past when the price still should have been available and more. Multiple cabins held when the system looked like nothing was held and so much more.

 

My travel agent complains, the customers complain and people are actually choosing other cruise lines because of the ease of booking vs the hassle.

 

When is it time to finally invest in the changes needed?

 

Please don't let your biggest fans down.

[bouhunter]

I'ts been going on forever at RCCL and apparently at Celebrity. Boggles the mind they apparently don't care.................:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: No hope it will ever improve.

[CatlinSTJ]

I'm not convinced that any of the cruise lines have a reliable website, but this one appears to be more flakey than most. We've been battling the Celebrity site trying to book our first X cruise and it's been an "adventure" to say the least. I was not able to enter my husband's information at first. I've gone through screens several times where it will suddenly decide that there are no cabins available and loops me back to the beginning - very aggravating! Thanks to he folks here, I was able to find more than 4 available cabins by going to a 3rd party website at least.

 

From an IT standpoint, I don't like entering my credit card information into a site with so many obvious glitches - does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling. How about website/database repair in exchange for cruise fare? Could totally take care of this! LOL

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[GeorgesGal]

Why not do what I do? I simply pick up the phone, call their 800# and book with aCVP, using the info before me on their web page. Works quite well, and, yes, you can then transfer your booking to your favorite TA to get obc perks, etc.

[WestLakeGirl]

Right now we can't do on line check in and the wait time to talk to someone who can do this for us by 'phone is 22 minutes

[cruisestitch]

I agree that some people will look elsewhere and choose a different cruise line, but another place where revenue is lost is in the shore excursions. When they become too difficult (or impossible) to book, people look to private tours.

 

I don't think that Celebrity has trouble filling most of the ships, but the possible loss of income on the shore excursions and other extra cost items that people forego isn't insignificant.

[hulamoon]

I agree, we all discuss it here quit a bit. I also agree shore excursions are very difficult. I do most things on an iPad and last night it appeared there was not a single excursion available on two cruises. After messing with it for a half hour I got to some but when I purchased, it took me to check in and cancelled the cart.

[Wj420]

Too bad the partnership with Apple doesn't include any web design and implementation support!! It's funny how we can order room service on a tv at sea but can't seem to reserve a shore excursion much less try to put a deposit on a new reservation from home. Imagine how little cruising we could do if we ran our businesses this way!

 

Too bad someone cannot convince Celebrity that the investment would be worthwhile.

[cpj]

They don't care. Not even the cheerleaders are saying much because they know they don't care. Modern luxury at its best.

[blindrid]

Dear Celebrity,

 

Reading all those posts and now experiencing the terrible system I see how much money the cruiseline is probably loosing because it can't keep up with the technology or demand.

 

Bookings were doubled, bookings were frozen, bookings cancelled that then the system allowed to be reinstated past the expiration, past when the price still should have been available and more. Multiple cabins held when the system looked like nothing was held and so much more.

 

My travel agent complains, the customers complain and people are actually choosing other cruise lines because of the ease of booking vs the hassle.

 

When is it time to finally invest in the changes needed?

 

Please don't let your biggest fans down.

 

I'm afraid you're preaching to the choir per my post regarding the unavailability to book excursions a few weeks ago.

 

Per some of the prior posts:

 

I don't do phone calls. Way too time consuming. That's even before dealing with phone agent that don't care.

 

Other Cruiselines sites are superior to navigate. Horrible with X/RCCL.

 

It certainly puts a sour taste in ones mouth. Free drinks or not;)

[SPacificbound]

It certainly hasn't stopped me. :rolleyes:

[hulamoon]

I think some big fans are the most critical. They want their favorite line to be their best, and it is disappointing to see other websites so much better.

[WestLakeGirl]

Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

As shareholders we wonder how much more revenue the company could achieve if only.........

[cle-guy]

Not sure it's costing them much money. Stock prices reaching all time highs on a weekly basis these days. It's gone over $70 per share this week, up from $44 1 year ago, $34 2 years ago. Website's been an issue during that entire time. Frankly, seems the website issues are helping the bottom line ;-)

 

Shore excursions fill up when people board.

 

Perhaps the cost to fix and maintain the website isn't worth the projected gains in profits that may come from it, and is therefore actually a good business decision.

 

There's nothing you should be able to do on the website that can't be done with a phone call or once you board the ship.

[cruisestitch]

True enough, unless you are trying to book a shore excursion that is probably going to sell out, or unless the wait time to get through to Celebrity is excruciatingly long, or unless you are trying to spread your expenses out over time and want to pre-pay for some things rather than wait until after the cruise, or unless you are out of the US and have no local phone number to call at all, and on and on. Right now I can't even do on-line check in. If they don't want to have a fully functioning website, then maybe they should not imply that all these things can be done on their site, and maybe they should stop sending us e-mails encouraging us to use their site.

[blindrid]

Not sure it's costing them much money. Stock prices reaching all time highs on a weekly basis these days. It's gone over $70 per share this week, up from $44 1 year ago, $34 2 years ago. Website's been an issue during that entire time. Frankly, seems the website issues are helping the bottom line ;-)

 

Shore excursions fill up when people board.

 

Perhaps the cost to fix and maintain the website isn't worth the projected gains in profits that may come from it, and is therefore actually a good business decision.

 

There's nothing you should be able to do on the website that can't be done with a phone call or once you board the ship.

 

As you we'll know stocks prices are a figment of ours (the market) imagination as to true value. A website is imperative in today's world, regardless of stock price.

 

The days of grandma on hold, on the phone have went away. My immediate gratification is today's mode. Look it up, buy it, done. It's not that hard.