Celebrity web site... plain bad

[dkjretired]

Is this REALLY worth getting upset over??? What other web sites are that much better than X's? I don't like the Carnival Sites (HAL, Princess, etc.) because you have to log in to see the cruise price. For that reason, I just use Expedia if I am curious.

 

As far as the 'sold out' tag on a cancelled cruise, it probably has NOTHING to do with thier IT folks. Without getting too in depth (was involved in coordinating the support a very large corporation's web site in a past job) There are the people who design the sites (IT, many times expensive contractors) and usually the people who publish the content to them (usually a branch off of marketing). Since a cancelled cruise doesn't happen very often, the person in marketing may have just decided it was more cost effective to mark all of the rooms on the ship as unavailable, resulting in a 'sold out' tag. Does this mean that they don't plan on fixing that? No, it is probably on a list of things that need to be done to the site, but given a very low priority in terms of cost/need. That is the same reason why my web site is not done manually (even though it is MUCH less in depth compared to X's) I just don't have the time. Using a template was a MUCH more effective use of my time.

 

I know that I am going to be labeled by some as a Celebrity apologist, fine. All of you who are reading this page OBVIOUSLY know that the best place to look for information on a cruise (or any other product) is NOT their web site anyway, that's why you are here. We all know that companies will only show you what they want you to see in their marketing. Sites like this for information or Travelocity (VERY great site for pics on any vacation) for pics are great. Anything I see on X's, RCCL's, HAL's, etc. sites I ALWAYS take with a grain of salt until I confirm it on here.

 

Thank you, very well said.....

[mii]

I also agree, very well said tprime76.

 

Marilyn

[pcur]

I figured out a little work-around for their shore excursions. They didn't want to give my my shore excursion brochure, probably because my cruise was too far in the future and the prices will probably go up:D ....

 

So, I opened another browser window, found cruises that were closer with the same ports (took a few cruises to get them all), went back and plugged them into the shore excursion page, and got the brochure.

 

All I want right now is the descriptions, anyway.

 

I've noticed RCCL is this way, too. Used to be you could download the whole excursion brochure and look up the ports in that. I don't know why they make it so difficult now.

[4 cruisers]

Sorry, but to put a link that shows "Virtual Tours" and to have one after another AFTER ANOTHER that "are not available" is just annoying to customers! Annoying customers can NOT be a good thing!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Celebrity needs to get with it. NO EXCUSES in this day of digital cameras. Get the link off the site until it's ready to launch!

[expat67]

If I ran a website for my business like this, I'd be answering my phone all day. It's just unprofessional, AHH the celebrtiy difference, I forgot....

[expat67]

My bad, just looking forward to my cruise on Celebrity, they(in my experince provide a first class procuct) Hope you all have the same!

[mumu]

New photos of Century Staterooms!

 

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gurirandom/album?.dir=93b3scd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//ca.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

[4 cruisers]

Thanks mumu. Sadly, they don't show the living room area of the royal suite and they don't show the penthouse at all. We are spending quite a bit of money and it would just be nice to see what those cabins have turned out like.:o

[campingman]

I went on line and found 30 pictures on the new Century in about five seconds on Celebrity's web site.

 

Ive also looked at the 30 pics and i cannot find details of the new suites or cabin pics or the dimenisions.

 

The information i am seeking is to do with cabin sizes of the new suites including bedding.

 

Celebrity website does not have any of those facts up only old pics with no dimenisions.

 

There will be 6 of us sailing, 3 cabins. Thats a lot of dollars we are spending. surely we have a right to know what we are spending our money on and a right to know what we require.

 

I have been lucky to search out a photo of a new Family View cabin on the new Century that has been posted on Cruisecritic and it has the double bed against the bulkhead and yet i have just this moment recieved a email reply from Celebrity reservations that insist in their reply to me that the double bed can be made into 2 singles in the Century FV cabins.

 

Work it out? We cannot?

[mcnyc]

I'm with tprime76, Don and mii. Harp all you want about X's website, but I'd rather navigate that site than any others I've attempted. Has anyone tried NCL lately? It's miserable!!! I'm currently giving up on NCL because it shows you available rooms to choose from, but when you try to book it, it gives you an occupancy error. Then why give it as a choice in the first place, AND THEN say the room I just chose was a "family friendly accomodation" when it can only hold 2 people? I had to check out travelocity and expedia to see what was truly available for 4/cabin!!! My cruise out of NY will be with someone else, no matter where in the NY area I have to go! That was just too annoying and a complete waste of time.

 

Celebrity, on the other hand, is more forth right. It tells you what's available when you select a cabin for 4, and makes it easy to change the number of people in each room during the selection process without having to start from scratch (as in back to the main site). It's just easier overall in my book.

 

Can someone tell me what cruise website out there is so easy to navigate that it makes X blush in comparison? Inquiring minds want to know!

[mii]

Ive also looked at the 30 pics and i cannot find details of the new suites or cabin pics or the dimenisions.

 

The information i am seeking is to do with cabin sizes of the new suites including bedding.

 

Celebrity website does not have any of those facts up only old pics with no dimenisions.

 

There will be 6 of us sailing, 3 cabins. Thats a lot of dollars we are spending. surely we have a right to know what we are spending our money on and a right to know what we require.

 

I have been lucky to search out a photo of a new Family View cabin on the new Century that has been posted on Cruisecritic and it has the double bed against the bulkhead and yet i have just this moment recieved a email reply from Celebrity reservations that insist in their reply to me that the double bed can be made into 2 singles in the Century FV cabins.

 

Work it out? We cannot?

 

There is a thread on page 1 that someone just got off of the Centry and they were talking about suites. Also someone on that thread said that Travelocity had some pics of the Century. Try there.

 

marilyn

[4 cruisers]

I don't see how comparing how horrible other cruise webistes are with how horrible Celebrity's is reasonable. Bad is bad. Period. I too bought stock. Celebrity/RCI CAN do better!!!!! Honestly, we have waited patiently since the re-model on Century since MAY! ARE they hiding something on those catagories not showing? It really makes me wonder! Once again, just POOR marketing.

[Captain Cosmo]

I agree with 4 Cruisers - if Celebrity wants to be a cut above it shouldn't be operating a website that is as bad as some other lines. For me, having all ships to all destinations showing all rooms booked for over two weeks was annoying, but for you stockholders out there you should be concerned about lost revenue. I'm not sure its a good marketing strategy to trade in the "We treat you famously" motto for "We're no worse than anyone else". No one is having a heart attack over this issue, but then why continue to defend X's blundering? As I've said here before, the onboard experience (without pod breakdowns or norovirus) is great, but the managment of this company is acting like there's an endless supply of cruisers out there. As more baby boomers enter this market there will be more competition for each passenger. Most of this generation is used to websites that work, getting accurate and prompt responses to complaints or questions, and also used to having their vacation when they planned - not when the ship is "available" between breakdowns. Celebrity needs to wise up.

[campingman]

Captain Cosmos.

Well said.I suspect that there is a tie in with brochure marketing versus i t especially when the Century details are still not up to date.

Meanwhile us the babyboomers are trying hard to book cruises with outdated information.

Meanwhile my case about Family View Cabins with a new refurbished cabin pic that was posted here on CruiseCritic here is still showing the double bed against the bulkhead and Celebrity web reservations sending me this reply that took ages for them to respond.

 

My Question to Celebrity (caused by not having details on their website)

 

The Century was refurbished 2 months ago.

Could you please tell us what the exact bedding arrangements are in the Family View cabins?Has the former fixed double bed been changed to configure/alternate to 2 singles.

Thanking You

 

Celebrity Web Reservations Answer.

 

Thank you for your recent inquiry. We apologize for the delay in our response.

 

Please note that each Family Oceanview Stateroom will have two lower beds that convert to two twin beds or can be placed together as a queen. Also there is a double sofabed and one upper berth. I hope this information will be helpful.

 

Thank you for choosing Celebrity Cruises.

 

(name provided)

Customer Service Representative

[4 cruisers]

Thank you both for assuring me I'm not totally crazy by expecting a far better experience with viewing Century's updated cabins!!!! We are spending over $10,000 on our upcoming two trips....in rooms yet to be seen!?!!!! Final payments aren't in yet.....can't believe they don't really care to update us.

[jaxon41]

Not an apologist, but I have to agree with the poster about NCL -- truly the most horrible of all ship sites. Thanks to the poster for the pic link -- we are 20 (10 cabins) going on Century in March. Is the century suite the same as the new balconies? I am kind of disappointed if it is since there is just a door, no expansive glass -- looks kind of dark, to me, and that's what I booked.

[suntan]

I have to say that Celebrity's website is inconsistent and I saw this today.

 

This morning I was checking out if a stateroom on our deck, booked for next year, had reduced in price. I realized that I was on the U.S. site and switched over to the Canadian site. When I did the switch I noticed that the staterooms listed on our deck, that were still available, were not listed on the U.S. site. I must point out that it took only seconds to make the switch between sites and back again. Therefore anyone's theory that the rooms were reserved and then released in those few seconds when I went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth, doesn't hold water (in my opinion).

 

Tonight I thought I would check it again and now the information on both sites, for stateroom availability, is exactly the same.

 

So I'm thinking, if someone on the U.S. site wanted, say stateroom #1214 they wouldn't see it listed this morning and therefore would book (maybe) another stateroom.

 

I also noticed this week that for our cruise the price went down for a couple of days and then right back up.

 

It seems to me that whoever at Celebrity is in charge of their website, needs to get a new job!

 

While were on the subject of people at Celebrity getting a new job, the person who posts the shore excursion descriptions. Please hire someone who has a grasp of English and spelling!

[suntan]

(I'm posting this again because it didn't get "officially" recorded on this thread.)

 

I have to say that Celebrity's website is inconsistent and I saw this today.

 

This morning I was checking out if a stateroom on our deck, booked for next year, had reduced in price. I realized that I was on the U.S. site and switched over to the Canadian site. When I did the switch I noticed that the staterooms listed on our deck, that were still available, were not listed on the U.S. site. I must point out that it took only seconds to make the switch between sites and back again. Therefore anyone's theory that the rooms were reserved and then released in those few seconds when I went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth, doesn't hold water (in my opinion).

 

Tonight I thought I would check it again and now the information on both sites, for stateroom availability, is exactly the same.

 

So I'm thinking, if someone on the U.S. site wanted, say stateroom #1214 they wouldn't see it listed this morning and therefore would book (maybe) another stateroom.

 

I also noticed this week that for our cruise the price went down for a couple of days and then right back up.

 

It seems to me that whoever at Celebrity is in charge of their website, needs to get a new job!

 

While were on the subject of people at Celebrity getting a new job, the person who posts the shore excursion descriptions. Please hire someone who has a grasp of English and spelling!

[cruiser2004]

I agree with 4 Cruisers - if Celebrity wants to be a cut above it shouldn't be operating a website that is as bad as some other lines. For me, having all ships to all destinations showing all rooms booked for over two weeks was annoying, but for you stockholders out there you should be concerned about lost revenue. I'm not sure its a good marketing strategy to trade in the "We treat you famously" motto for "We're no worse than anyone else". No one is having a heart attack over this issue, but then why continue to defend X's blundering? As I've said here before, the onboard experience (without pod breakdowns or norovirus) is great, but the managment of this company is acting like there's an endless supply of cruisers out there. As more baby boomers enter this market there will be more competition for each passenger. Most of this generation is used to websites that work, getting accurate and prompt responses to complaints or questions, and also used to having their vacation when they planned - not when the ship is "available" between breakdowns. Celebrity needs to wise up.

 

You have summed it up and these facts can not be denied by Celebrity apologists. Celebrity corporate does indeed act like there is an endless supply of cruisers out there, who are unaware of the corporate short comings and the lack of reliability of half of the ships in the fleet. If a company can't, or will not, maintain their website, I would worry about what else they can't, or will not, maintain.