2 questions re Sapphire Suites on Serenity

[ggo85]

I really love the whirlpool tub so we went with classic.  If anyone has sailed in the newly remodeled design, would love your views. 
 

Second, is there any way to see what cabins are available without submitting a booking request (which I find VERY annoying)?

[Keith1010]

5 hours ago, ggo85 said:

I really love the whirlpool tub so we went with classic.  If anyone has sailed in the newly remodeled design, would love your views. 
 

Second, is there any way to see what cabins are available without submitting a booking request (which I find VERY annoying)?

Your TA can check availability for you. We as passengers do not have visibility for that.

 

Keith

[Helene1111]

We as passengers used to have visibility to available suites by number in old crystal. Please Cristina bring back this feature ! Thank you! 

[BWIVince]

3 minutes ago, Helene1111 said:

We as passengers used to have visibility to available suites by number in old crystal. Please Cristina bring back this feature ! Thank you! 

This is only going to be available through the customer-facing web booking engine.  They know it’s a step backwards right now, but rolling out the reservation system is a multi-year process, just the same way it was at Old Crystal (more than once).

 

Vince

[ggo85]

9 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Your TA can check availability for you. We as passengers do not have visibility for that.

Yes, we as passengers come after the TAs in terms of satisfaction priorities. 😀

 

Somewhat kidding.  But annoying that, if they can manage to give info to TAs, they can’t give it to us.  Other lines manage this just fine. I also don’t like being “forced” to use a TA or full out a form with personal info - which maybe sends you to a TA?  I have a fantastic TA BTW, but in 2024, using one should be a choice.  

[Keith1010]

Vince has it right. Please keep in mind that it was only a few weeks ago that they rolled out a travel specialist booking engine. The good news is I have heard very good feedback about the new system.

 

I always remind people that the new ownership didn't buy a company. They bought two vessels, customer lists and the name. 

Every system has to be created from the ground up.  I think it is extraordinary how far they have come.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

3 minutes ago, ggo85 said:

Yes, we as passengers come after the TAs in terms of satisfaction priorities. 😀

 

Somewhat kidding.  But annoying that, if they can manage to give info to TAs, they can’t give it to us.  Other lines manage this just fine. I also don’t like being “forced” to use a TA or full out a form with personal info - which maybe sends you to a TA?  I have a fantastic TA BTW, but in 2024, using one should be a choice.  

I just posted after you did.

 

Please remember that other lines have been around a lot longer than new Crystal.

 

New Crystal moved very quickly rather than waiting years to launch.

 

From my perspective better they didn't wait three to four years until everything was in place with all of the bells and whistles .

 

In the meantime, the TA's can run this down for you.  

 

Keith 

[Roland4]

3 hours ago, ggo85 said:

Yes, we as passengers come after the TAs in terms of satisfaction priorities. 😀

 

Somewhat kidding.  But annoying that, if they can manage to give info to TAs, they can’t give it to us.  Other lines manage this just fine. I also don’t like being “forced” to use a TA or full out a form with personal info - which maybe sends you to a TA?  I have a fantastic TA BTW, but in 2024, using one should be a choice.  

FWIW, even we TAs have to go part way through the booking process before we can see what rooms are available. 

[PaulMCO]

19 hours ago, ggo85 said:

I really love the whirlpool tub so we went with classic.  If anyone has sailed in the newly remodeled design, would love your views. 
 

Second, is there any way to see what cabins are available without submitting a booking request (which I find VERY annoying)?

Since Crystal has a new TA booking interface -- YES you can check what cabins are available, by doing a search on one of the discount internet TA;s that allow booking directly.   No names can be given but i checked 3 of them and all worked.

[BWIVince]

9 hours ago, ggo85 said:

Yes, we as passengers come after the TAs in terms of satisfaction priorities. 😀

 

Somewhat kidding.  But annoying that, if they can manage to give info to TAs, they can’t give it to us.  Other lines manage this just fine. I also don’t like being “forced” to use a TA or full out a form with personal info - which maybe sends you to a TA?  I have a fantastic TA BTW, but in 2024, using one should be a choice.  

Keith hit the nail on the head, but I’ll expand on it a little…. There are multiple modules to the reservation system, and the main components almost always launch sequentially if the situation doesn’t require a cutover/conversion.  

 

Most lines are blessed that this happens before the line starts taking reservations at all, so it doesn’t seem sequential, but in other cases “lines” (brands) are lucky to inherit their own similar instance of an existing sister brand’s system, which only needs minor changes.  
 

Crystal benefitted from both scenarios in the past, but in its current iteration, their luck ran out and they needed to do this the hard way AND they were doing it on an extremely compressed timeline.  That sucks.
 

The prioritization IS correct though, and the customer is DEFINITELY not the most important for sales tools…

 

First priority is launching the back-end module for the reservationists and staff to use.  No one can fix or book anything without it.

 

Second priority in this segment is agents and intermediaries — they are the largest consolidated sales channel.  This is where the money is that pays for all this.

 

Last priority in this segment, like it or not, is direct sales, which are the vast minority of luxury cruise sales.  Maybe someday that will change, but while still an important piece, for now this is why it importantly comes after internal and agent sales.

 

Vince

[KenzSailing]

2 hours ago, BWIVince said:

Last priority in this segment, like it or not, is direct sales, which are the vast minority of luxury cruise sales. 

 

Vince

 

It's kind of like running a yard sale, anyone who shows up after 10 AM isn't really serious.