New U.K. website

[Highpeaklad]

There’s a new U.K. website and it’s just awful. 

Before you could easily see all the prices for the different categories and now you can’t. 

Worst of all, you can’t see flights at all, even if they’re free. You have to book your cruise (non-refundable deposit), then ring up to add flights on, not knowing how much they are. 

I cant see many people using the site to book, most people will need to ring up. 

[DYKWIA]

Complete mess

 

CEO more interested in other stuff these days.  I think the general brief for the website is "put some pretty pictures up"

[fleckle]

1 hour ago, Highpeaklad said:

There’s a new U.K. website and it’s just awful. 

Before you could easily see all the prices for the different categories and now you can’t. 

 

 

Thanks for letting us know.

Many of us here in the USA liked using Celebrity's UK website to look up stateroom availability because it was so much better than their poorly designed US website, which is inefficient and cumbersome to use.

 

I guess the UK web people chose to ignore the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Oh well, it looks like we will now just need to use a third party site instead.

 

[bogofman]

When I saw they had changed the Web site for bookings it gets directed to the .com site, I hoped the captains club discount would automatically be applied. For next category upgrade, but no such luck, so why book online if we still have to phone up the captains club to get a cabin upgrade.

 

The site itself is OK and easy to navigate, but the category pricing is missing and it's not easy to find cabins in the price range without alot of searching

Edited October 14, 2019 by bogofman

[upwarduk]

1 hour ago, Highpeaklad said:

There’s a new U.K. website and it’s just awful. 

Before you could easily see all the prices for the different categories and now you can’t. 

Worst of all, you can’t see flights at all, even if they’re free. You have to book your cruise (non-refundable deposit), then ring up to add flights on, not knowing how much they are. 

I cant see many people using the site to book, most people will need to ring up. 

I have always rung to book, since I was told it was impossible to pay via the web site.

In  the UK, our T& C have always dictated that our deposit is non refundable.

You can however change your booking ONCE ONLY, at a fee of £75, unless you are Elite or above and you get it free.

[BigAl94]

This is complete and utter madness, can't see any way I would ever book a cruise online with Celebrity again. 

[Mark_T]

This really is nasty.

 

I can't imagine that I would ever have found the cruise I booked only a week ago, and the complete lack of clarity over the offers and the various cabin grades is a major downgrade from the previous website.

 

Deeply unpleasant and unhelpful to use.

[bogofman]

1 hour ago, upwarduk said:

 

You can however change your booking ONCE ONLY, at a fee of £75, unless you are Elite or above and you get it free.

I didn't know that, are you saying it's possible to get a  price drop without losing our deposit, (we are booked under uk terms) since we are elite, if that is the case I've not seen that in any documents.

 

In the past we gave lost deposit to change and make saving, 

[upwarduk]

6 hours ago, bogofman said:

I didn't know that, are you saying it's possible to get a  price drop without losing our deposit, (we are booked under uk terms) since we are elite, if that is the case I've not seen that in any documents.

 

In the past we gave lost deposit to change and make saving, 

I was cancelling a cruise and the agent was trying to get me to rebook another cruise when I was told about the Elite perk. That was in 2015.

[Mynki]

 

The web development team have done a pretty sloppy job with it. I've noticed before that they clearly don't do enough testing after change implementation.

 

When I sign in now I'm directed to the .com site. Cruise pricing is displayed in £ sterling as it's identified me as a UK customer. All good. Until you notice the $ dollar pricing on the E class ship ad. That should have been picked up and fixed before rolling out to the public as it could confuse some. 

Celebrity cruises, consistently inconsistent since 1988....

 

Edited October 15, 2019 by Mynki

[villauk]

7 hours ago, bogofman said:

I didn't know that, are you saying it's possible to get a  price drop without losing our deposit, (we are booked under uk terms) since we are elite, if that is the case I've not seen that in any documents.

 

In the past we gave lost deposit to change and make saving, 

 

 

It’s not a price drop on the same cruise, it’s when you move the booking to another cruise - not then having to pay the £75 admin charge if Elite or above. However, you can move the booking with the large price drop and then rebook the initial cruise at the cheaper rate, resulting in obtaining the price drop (you’d then have 2 bookings).

[Highpeaklad]

9 hours ago, upwarduk said:

I have always rung to book, since I was told it was impossible to pay via the web site.

In  the UK, our T& C have always dictated that our deposit is non refundable.

You can however change your booking ONCE ONLY, at a fee of £75, unless you are Elite or above and you get it free.

 

As a special offer if you book by November 18th you can change your booking for free until December 31st

[mrsgoggins]

This website is now a dog's breakfast/pig's ear - choose your own metaphor!  If it becomes just so difficult to use, it must be very easy to miss cruises and offers you might otherwise book - speaking as someone who has been lucky enough to take multiple cruises a year over the past few years.  Just awful.

[villauk]

1 hour ago, Highpeaklad said:

 

As a special offer if you book by November 18th you can change your booking for free until December 31st

 

 

They do offer this periodically - mainly as most of the price drops happen for next year after that date 😉.

[BigAl94]

Just been on to look at the site this morning - what a mess! No opportunity to see Captain Club upgrades, final page is payment of non refundable deposit with no way of viewing available flights or hotels and total cruise cost! It's now a way of simply booking a cruise only - totally useless and if that's the way it's going to remain then I'm done with Celebrity.

[Mark_T]

If the objective was to discourage anyone from booking direct then they have succeeded magnificently! 🙂

[mrsgoggins]

No doubt there are some young IT folk at Corporate believing that it's a great improvement and it's because many of us (not you dear reader!) are old 'crusties' (with apologies to Boris) who don't like change.  But they'd be wrong - I love change when it improves things.  Ah well, back to the 'first world problems' mantra I guess.

[bogofman]

found  this in the terms regarding changing UK bookings,  does not say its only for ship changes, and could include moving to another room on existing ship and make savings if cost has gone down?

 

1.12 CAN I MAKE CHANGES TO MY BOOKING AFTER IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED?

Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed holiday, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist you, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such request. 

For guests wishing to make a significant amendment to their booking outside of 56 days from departure, such as changing the ship, sail date, flights or brand, please note that a booking transfer fee is applicable. 

Please note that any amendments for hotels, transfers and flights may result in the loss of the amount that was collected at the time of booking for these additional components.

The transfer fee is £75 per guest which is limited to the first two guests on a booking, therefore any additional guests on the booking will not be charged as well. Please note, the transfer fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.11 above. Please note that guests who are Elite and above within our Captains Club loyalty scheme are entitled to one free change per booking.

Please note that your booking will be re-priced in-line with the up-to-date business and price rules and a new confirmation invoice will be issued. 

For all changes that we consider to be minor changes (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking by way of example only), outside of 56 days from departure (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking), an amendment fee of £35 per guest per booking will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Please note, the amendment fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.11 above. 

Passengers should note that suppliers may not allow name changes and that the booking may need to be cancelled and rebooked. Notwithstanding, for any changes, the rebooking will always be subject to flight availability and to payment of any charges imposed by the supplier which may, in some cases, be the full cost of the ticket. Given that the transfer and amendment fees are both non-refundable, we would recommend that these amounts are collected from the guest at the time the changes are made, as they will be charged to the booking as part of any cancellation.

If you request a change within 56 days of departure, this may be treated as a cancellation of your original booking and cancellation charges as set out in these terms and conditions will be payable (see section 1.11 above). The changed arrangements will then be treated as a new booking.

If you or any of persons travelling with you is prevented from taking the holiday, such as due to medical reasons, you/they may give your/their place on the booking to someone else (suggested by you). In this situation, providing we are given not less than 7 days’ notice in writing of your wish to make the change, we will permit the name change. The airline and flight routing may differ from the original assignment due to this name change. You must produce documentary proof of the reason for the transfer of your/their booking with the request (e.g. a letter from a doctor etc.). Both the person who was originally due to take the holiday and the person who actually does so, must make sure that the administration fee and any charges/costs (see below) as well as any amount which is still due to be paid for the holiday, is paid in full before the change will be made.

Changes to Celebrity Cruise & Stay packages are more restrictive that those of a standard fly cruise booking. See section 1.7 above for more details. 

[villauk]

 

Bogofman,

I can only state on previous queries for price drops that I’ve been unable (in recent years) to obtain the drop by just being Elite (obviously when booking on this side of the pond), but have been able to move the booking F.O.C. and rebook at the lower cost, thus maintaining my deposit. I’ve also obtained the price drop when I was transferred to the US in error. What do the cancellation charges state in section 1.11 (as per quoted below from your post)? Does this mention about losing deposits?

 

‘ in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.11 above’?

 

and also from your quote:

‘Whilst we will endeavour to assist you, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such request.’

 

Many times, it’s the luck of the draw as to whom you speak with.

Edited October 15, 2019 by villauk

[mickey89]

They changed the exchange rate on their UK site from 81p to 79p = US$ over the weekend but all the excursions, dining packages, etc are still priced using the 81p rate except they have reduced the obc Sterling amount at the top of the page.  Mistake ..........or added profit ?

Edited October 15, 2019 by mickey89

[DYKWIA]

14 hours ago, Mynki said:

 

The web development team have done a pretty sloppy job with it. I've noticed before that they clearly don't do enough testing after change implementation.

 

When I sign in now I'm directed to the .com site. Cruise pricing is displayed in £ sterling as it's identified me as a UK customer. All good. Until you notice the $ dollar pricing on the E class ship ad. That should have been picked up and fixed before rolling out to the public as it could confuse some. 

Celebrity cruises, consistently inconsistent since 1988....

 

 

I remember a few years back on the UK site they used a photo which featured a scenic port and in the background was a ship - a Royal Caribbean Ship. I know Celebrity is part of RCC but that was so sloppy someone should have been sent up the road.

 

Looking at the picture of Edge and Apex above, the one of Edge might panic someone who has booked a Port Midship cabin to avoid the Magic Carpet.

[villauk]

10 hours ago, DYKWIA said:

Looking at the picture of Edge and Apex above, the one of Edge might panic someone who has booked a Port Midship cabin 

 

 

Thinking that someone forgot to take the scaffolding down 🤣?

[Mark_T]

1 hour ago, villauk said:

 

 

Thinking that someone forgot to take the scaffolding down 🤣?

 

That's the magic carpet I believe, but they have mirrored the photo so it is showing on the wrong side...

Edited October 16, 2019 by Mark_T

[chemmo]

Well I did some post cruise  blues browsing yesterday....thought I would try out the new website before commenting.

 

Don’t know what is more depressing the new website or the fact that prices for cruises from Southampton are so high...We booked the PH for the Norwegian Fjords a couple of years ago for less than the cost of a RS now. Another interesting thing is that cruise lengths seem to be shrinking. Norwegian Fjords now 7 nights, Canary Islands shrunk I am fairly sure from 13 down to 11...Do they think we will not notice? One less shrimp on each cocktail?

 

Perhaps the new website is a cunning plan to deflect us from noticing the high cost of cruising from the U.K. 

[Mark_T]

I wonder if the ex-Southampton prices are high because of the current promotion...

 

Simply Book an eligible Ocean View stateroom or above by 18 November 2019 on select worldwide sailings departing September 2019 through May 2021, and you’ll enjoy:

• A free Classic Drinks Package for two (worth over £750 per person)*
• $300 to spend onboard per stateroom*
• Free flights to Europe, from selected airports†
• Gratuities included on sailings from Southampton*
• Gratuities included & Unlimited Wi-Fi* for Suite Class guests
• Half price cruise fare plus a Non-alcoholic Drinks Package for additional family members in the same stateroom or suite*

Offer ends 18 November 2019

 

I imagine the prices will be lower once they drop the 'free' stuff 🙂