HAL has a new website...Naturally it doesn't work!

[ukpylot]

I write software for a living and the HAL website has always been awful so I’m amazed they made it worse. Right now when I login it says I have no bookings despite being less that 30 days way from one. Using the booking number only, no login works.

 

And looking at future cruises next year, the Continue/Book button does nothing, thereby preventing me from finding prices or making any kind of booking. Do they want customers? 

[crystalspin]

3 hours ago, ukpylot said:

I write software for a living and the HAL website has always been awful so I’m amazed they made it worse. Right now when I login it says I have no bookings despite being less that 30 days way from one. Using the booking number only, no login works.

Have you tried an incognito window? I am alternately able to do pretty much anything in a Chrome incognito window or in "regular" Chrome. The regular was going to white when I would choose a booking number early afternoon today, but incognito worked. Later regular let me browse Alaska and Asia future cruises.

 

The new site seems to be an improvement, just shaking out the kinks.  

[Real NHDOC]

6 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Have you tried an incognito window? I am alternately able to do pretty much anything in a Chrome incognito window or in "regular" Chrome. The regular was going to white when I would choose a booking number early afternoon today, but incognito worked. Later regular let me browse Alaska and Asia future cruises.

 

The new site seems to be an improvement, just shaking out the kinks.  

I've tried it with Chrome incognito, Firefox and MS Edge and it doesn't work well with any of them. 

 

An improvement?  I think not.  It's actually quite a bit worse than it was before the "new site" was launched.  It's just shameful.

[ukpylot]

1 hour ago, Real NHDOC said:

An improvement?  I think not.  It's actually quite a bit worse than it was before the "new site" was launched.  It's just shameful.

Yes, the fact that I can no longer make any purchases at all seems far from an improvement. The average customer isn’t going to try 3 different browsers, will surely go to a different cruise line.

 

That said, maybe the average HAL customer prefers TAs and the phone, idk.

[iceman93]

1 hour ago, ukpylot said:

The average customer isn’t going to try 3 different browsers, will surely go to a different cruise line.

And there's the rub.  Most of us who post here are loyal to HAL and so grouse about things like bad IT but we struggle, persevere, and make it work.  But the average consumer doesn't really care if they cruise on HAL or X or RCCL (kind of like flying United or American or Delta--each have their loyalists but to the once-a-year flyer they're all pretty much the same).

 

That kind of customer is just going to give up and take their business elsewhere, wherever it's easiest to spend their money.  I haven't tried to book a cruise on X or RCCL, but I have to assume their websites (if not call centers and chat associates) are easier to work with?

[Sea Hag]

23 hours ago, Jacqueet said:

Were having a slightly different issue with the web site. We were notified that one of our waitlisted shore excursions is now available. I logged on with relative ease, went to my booked cruises page, found the April cruise, selected shore excursions, saw that the waitlisted one had been added to my cart, which I thought was remarkably efficient for HAL. I selected the checkout option, filled in all the info, using the credit card I have always used for HAL purchases, and got a message that said "There was a problem processing this order. Please review your name on card, credit card number, and expiration date - then submit your order again. Still not working? Please contact your payment provider using the number on the back of your card." So I reviewed and tried again...same message. I eventually tried four different credit cards on two different browsers (Chrome & Edge) and got the same message. My husband logged on and was able to make the purchase. 

Then this morning, I got another email saying a different shore excursion was now available, so I logged in and repeated everything I did the day before and got the same message. My husband then tried (Firefox) and now he's getting the error messages on all his credit cards! I can't call HAL because nobody works on the weekends (seriously???) so now I have to wait until Monday morning to call and get this done, and the waitlist is time-limited. According to the CC companies, there is no reason AT ALL that these credit cards won't process. I've used several over the last few days with no issues.  I am beyond frustrated.

I don't know if this will help you at all, but this worked for me. Several months ago, I was trying to book shore excursions. In no way, shape or form could I do this on the website. I tried the pretty much useless app and was actually able to book them. 

[Sea Hag]

2 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

I've tried it with Chrome incognito, Firefox and MS Edge and it doesn't work well with any of them. 

 

An improvement?  I think not.  It's actually quite a bit worse than it was before the "new site" was launched.  It's just shameful.

They just put lipstick on the pig.

[ukpylot]

I brought this up on Twitter and the HAL account replied there are no known issues with the website at the moment. I mean, I’m using safari on an iPad and the Continue button for booking cruises doesn’t do anything. Not like I'm on some custom browser and equipment 

[Sea Hag]

1 minute ago, ukpylot said:

I brought this up on Twitter and the HAL account replied there are no known issues with the website at the moment. I mean, I’m using safari on an iPad and the Continue button for booking cruises doesn’t do anything. Not like I'm on some custom browser and equipment 

Wow! Talk about clueless. The pile of complaints must surely be deep and wide by now.

[Lady Arwen]

Just now, ukpylot said:

I brought this up on Twitter and the HAL account replied there are no known issues with the website at the moment. I mean, I’m using safari on an iPad and the Continue button for booking cruises doesn’t do anything. Not like I'm on some custom browser and equipment 

Same here.  iPad on Safari and the “Continue” button is useless.  However, I can now access my bookings, so there’s something improved since Friday.

[Jacqueet]

2 hours ago, Sea Hag said:

I don't know if this will help you at all, but this worked for me. Several months ago, I was trying to book shore excursions. In no way, shape or form could I do this on the website. I tried the pretty much useless app and was actually able to book them. 

I tried this and unfortunately the shore excursion we were waitlisted for still shows sold out and is not showing we had cleared the wait list, o I couldn't buy it. I could have bought other excursions as you did, just not the one we want.  Thanks for the suggestion though! It was worth a try.

[Sea Hag]

7 minutes ago, Jacqueet said:

I tried this and unfortunately the shore excursion we were waitlisted for still shows sold out and is not showing we had cleared the wait list, o I couldn't buy it. I could have bought other excursions as you did, just not the one we want.  Thanks for the suggestion though! It was worth a try.

Too bad! I hope you can get the one you want eventually. 🙂

[RuthC]

30 minutes ago, Jacqueet said:

I tried this and unfortunately the shore excursion we were waitlisted for still shows sold out and is not showing we had cleared the wait list, o I couldn't buy it. I could have bought other excursions as you did, just not the one we want.  Thanks for the suggestion though! It was worth a try.

Look again. Please! 

I recently cleared a wait list for an excursion on my next cruise. I found the same things when I went in to book it and pay for it. There was no way that I could find or make the purchase work.
Then, after I closed out and decided to try again, I spotted that there was something in my cart! It was the waitlisted shore excursion just sitting there quietly waiting for me to purchase. I hadn't seen it the first time. 

Go on back and see if yours is in your cart. 

[dockman]

6 hours ago, ukpylot said:

I brought this up on Twitter and the HAL account replied there are no known issues with the website at the moment. I mean, I’m using safari on an iPad and the Continue button for booking cruises doesn’t do anything. Not like I'm on some custom browser and equipment 

the emperor has no clothes....

[iflyrc5]

5 hours ago, RuthC said:

Look again. Please! 

I recently cleared a wait list for an excursion on my next cruise. I found the same things when I went in to book it and pay for it. There was no way that I could find or make the purchase work.
Then, after I closed out and decided to try again, I spotted that there was something in my cart! It was the waitlisted shore excursion just sitting there quietly waiting for me to purchase. I hadn't seen it the first time. 

Go on back and see if yours is in your cart. 

I caught that same thing last week on a tour where I was emailed that I had cleared the wait list.

[sambamama]

I can log in.  But my account now has no address, or sex.  Worse, I HAVE NO BOOKINGS WHEN I HAVE TWO!  One is a month, and I was going to book 4 Pinnacle dinners as I have $1100 shipboard credit.  HAL always has the worst IT people!

[swin26]

And the problem of the day. It doesn’t show my bookings or my history.  I tried clearing cookies for the site, but still nothing 

[Nickelpenny]

45 minutes ago, swin26 said:

And the problem of the day. It doesn’t show my bookings or my history.  I tried clearing cookies for the site, but still nothing 

If you hover over "Manage My Cruise", you can choose can choose what you want to do (I had to check in)

BUT you have to have your booking number to manage it and put it in "Lookup a Booking".  

 

It worked for me.

[mame42]

4 minutes ago, Nickelpenny said:

If you hover over "Manage My Cruise", you can choose can choose what you want to do (I had to check in)

BUT you have to have your booking number to manage it and put it in "Lookup a Booking".  

 

It worked for me.

It did not work for me in any way, shape, or form.

[ghstudio]

One wonders whatever happened to the ancient practice of "testing" changes, before making them live on the internet.  I understand that cruise companies subcontract their IT...and some even subcontract their ship operations (Azamara is one), but signing a contract doesn't absolve HAL management from insisting that changes, that customers will see, are tested.  Signing a contract does not mean....I don't have to pay attention to what the subcontractor does.  If I'm wrong and HAL actually uses it's own IT department...well, that's easier....they need new management in that area.

 

Like others, HAL has apparently decided we no longer have the three cruises we've booked, etc.  They also can't determine my sex any longer in my profile, so my title is not Mr or Mrs, it's "Null". With luck,  these issues will continue and tomorrow's issue will allow booking a cruise for $0.....one can always hope.

Edited December 11, 2023 by ghstudio

[Haljo1935]

On 12/9/2023 at 1:59 PM, Jacqueet said:

No worries. I learned something new today and appreciate you trying to help!

Ypu can book excursions w/o ypur TA - just as you can book specialty dining, add spa packages, etc on your own directly w/HAL. If you want to reference or anything that changes the base cruise, you have to go through your TA, but add one ypu do not. Hope it works out.

I cannot do anything and have final payment due - ugh.

[Haljo1935]

On 12/9/2023 at 8:42 AM, Sea42 said:

No problems for me, before or after the remodel, using Firefox with Windows 11.

Maybe that's the issue - redesign optimized for W11? That would account for those of us (which is many) not on W11 having issues.

[Jacqueet]

Just now, Haljo1935 said:

Ypu can book excursions w/o ypur TA - just as you can book specialty dining, add spa packages, etc on your own directly w/HAL. If you want to reference or anything that changes the base cruise, you have to go through your TA, but add one ypu do not. Hope it works out.

I cannot do anything and have final payment due - ugh.

I was able to call HAL this morning and get it done, but the shores excursion dept. does not operate over the weekend so I was running up against the 72 hour deadline for booking the excursion. They really need to up their IT game and fix the web site!

[iflyrc5]

I just logged in with Chrome and Windows 10 and it seems to be working fine.  Did have issues last week but all good now.

[Mary229]

Try this!  Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click site map.  The links from that page seem to be working.