Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises Merging Accounts Into One (two threads comb.)

Posted on the "unofficial" RC blog.

Beginning in March 2018, Royal Caribbean will begin offering an enhanced guest account that will, "deliver many capabilities of our digital cruise experience, to simplify the guest experience online and to allow guests to quickly access features and information."

The one login can be used for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises apps and websites. It promises to bring them everything guests need from loyalty (Crown & Anchor) information, personalized itineraries and details – all with just one account login.

In addition, Royal Caribbean has simplified and strengthened the account security and password reset processes to ensure guest information is safe and accessible.

Guests may experience new functionality while it is being trialed beginning as early as March 7, 2018 who have upcoming reservations.

Royal Caribbean has also hinted that additional digital enhancements are coming in the months to follow. Other enhancements include the ability to book anything imaginable from a smart phone and more.

Does this mean the sites will be sharing bugs?

I saw the same post but could find no other details elsewhere.

Any idea how they will manage it if you already have accounts in each site?

I saw the same post but could find no other details elsewhere.

Any idea how they will manage it if you already have accounts in each site?

The merge could be interesting to say the least. RCCL is doing user testing of their site next week. Combined with this I would expect a single site for both lines is in the works. Considering the problems in both sites it's hard to believe they'll be able to pull off a site merger.

Just read this

https://cruisefever.net/royal-caribbean-and-celebrity-cruises-merging-accounts-into-one/

Beginning this month, Royal Caribbean is rolling out Universal Guest Accounts that will give cruisers just one login for both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises accounts.

This one login will be good for both cruise line’s apps and websites, giving you an enhanced digital cruise experience. Royal Caribbean is putting all of your essential cruise information in one place. It will include everything you need from loyalty (Crown & Anchor) information, personalized itineraries and details, all with just one account login.

The merger will begin to take place as early as March 7, 2018 for those who have upcoming reservations. The merged logins are on a trial basis so they will not be rolled out to everyone at once.

Royal Caribbean also stated that they are working on other enhancements that will be rolled out over the next few months. Enhancements will include the ability to book “anything imaginable” from your smart phone.

Thanks for posting this. I hope it will clear up some of the problems with the new X site, but fear that it will just mess it up more and spread the dysfunctionality to the Royal site. Time will tell, fingers crossed.

Just read this

 

https://cruisefever.net/royal-caribbean-and-celebrity-cruises-merging-accounts-into-one/

 

Beginning this month, Royal Caribbean is rolling out Universal Guest Accounts that will give cruisers just one login for both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises accounts.

 

 

This one login will be good for both cruise line’s apps and websites, giving you an enhanced digital cruise experience. Royal Caribbean is putting all of your essential cruise information in one place. It will include everything you need from loyalty (Crown & Anchor) information, personalized itineraries and details, all with just one account login.

The merger will begin to take place as early as March 7, 2018 for those who have upcoming reservations. The merged logins are on a trial basis so they will not be rolled out to everyone at once.

Royal Caribbean also stated that they are working on other enhancements that will be rolled out over the next few months. Enhancements will include the ability to book “anything imaginable” from your smart phone.

They should let people use their accumulated points for both cruise lines.

They should let people use their accumulated points for both cruise lines.

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How about the Azamara Club Cruise info? Will that also be merged? The loyalty program is already merged with Celebrities.

What Lenny said. It would be big news, good news if they were going to merge Crown and Anchor with Captains Club....or at least let us choose which program we want our points to go to like the airlines do in their partnerships.

Given the quality of both web sites, I have to wonder how often people will not be able to login to either site.

Oh, geez, given the general incompetence of their IT dept, who could think this could possibly go well?

I'm going to predict an epic nightmare. But I REALLY hope I'm wrong.

If you already have a cruise booked I would download all docs etc. Take screen shots of your loyalty points for both. As you just know there will be problems.

Oh, geez, given the general incompetence of their IT dept, who could think this could possibly go well?

Is this like merging a cold with a sore back?

I would expect the ultimate goal to be merging the sites. If they try that I hope they find a much more competent staff than what they are currently contracted with. They can start by hiring some good project managers with experience in the cruise or hospitality business.

So maybe the big boys at RCCL have heard the IT screams of agony from their customers? This news is really not surprising. There are other signs of some sort of consolidation of electronic and technical services. For example if you notice the new Celebrity and RCI smartphone apps are almost identical. Same layout, features etc.... They have great potential for future use. Also it makes sense to do this. The digital feature competition is heating up among all the cruise lines.

I view this a positive step......maybe.

Cheers

Okay, for those of us (read: If I or My/any teenager or ???) who posted that 'WE' can do it better or have seen or used better cruise line websites, HERE is your opportunity to step up to the plate and prove yourselves.

Put your current or prior experience to work, then post back results and validate the comments.

bon voyage

They should let people use their accumulated points for both cruise lines.

For me a merger of loyalty programs would be a positive as I would become Pinnacle on Royal Caribbean, but I believe it would be a negative for the Celebrity Loyalty program since Celebrity could be overwhelmed by the number of people entitled to use Michael's Club.

Hello,

Well I have just done battle with the new 'merged' RCI & CC web site - accessed via Crown and Anchor not Captains' Club - I'll try that when I feel stronger!

Some of Personal Details have gone.

My C&A Membership no. has gone.

My Cruise History as gone.

My On-Board preferences have gone.

It shows one forthcoming RCI cruise but not the X cruise.

I'll reserve final judgement until I try a check-in.

I would make one general point speaking as a retired IT Director. Criticism of the RCI/X IT department is probably misplaced. Yes, mistakes have frequently been made but that those mistakes have been published is the fault of the RCI/X Change Control Management system and specifically the 'owner' of the project/upgrade that is being released. IT people don't make changes off their own bat.

Before I allowed anything into the production environment it had to be tested from somewhere outside of the company's system and using a non-company device. That way any 'friendly' company settings otherwise not available to the general public working from their spare rooms would not affect the operation. Once that had been done and the project change owner had verified the testing and confirmed the positive outcome then as Change Control Manager would I approve the release of the change from test to Live.

If RCI want my consultancy, they can have it - for an enormous fee.

Regards,

Cublet

Okay, for those of us (read: If I or My/any teenager or ???) who posted that 'WE' can do it better or have seen or used better cruise line websites, HERE is your opportunity to step up to the plate and prove yourselves.

 

Put your current or prior experience to work, then post back results and validate the comments.

 

bon voyage

There are a few significant hires there.

LEAD, ENTERPRISE CHANGE MANAGEMENT - get control over the development process

MGR, USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN - basically the Project Manager who seems to have been MIA.

DIRECTOR, IT DELIVERY PROGRAM - top of the IT pyramid. Very important to get this one right.

Other assorted Dirs, Designers and Analysts make it look like they are pulling things in-house and working to get control. This is very encouraging but don't look for too much improvement in 2018. This is pretty much an entire IT team they are recruiting and it will take time for them to gel. Getting some of the more annoying bugs fixed will be enough for this year, in my opinion.

I would expect the ultimate goal to be merging the sites. If they try that I hope they find a much more competent staff than what they are currently contracted with. They can start by hiring some good project managers with experience in the cruise or hospitality business.

Having been an IT Software project manager I shake my head in disbelief on a daily basis. The one think I see lacking is their testing and resolution management.

Try this scenario. Select a group of well seasoned travelers like many of the people on Celebrity and invite them to be Beta Testers. Have a robust error tracking and resolution system. I am sure they would find many free volunteers and or offer a perk or two. The beta testers would be able to identify all the various bugs, inconsistencies and foibles prior to be released.

This isn't rocket science and most major corporation have a robust beta testing team. (Microsoft, Apple etc).

Hello,

 

Well I have just done battle with the new 'merged' RCI & CC web site - accessed via Crown and Anchor not Captains' Club - I'll try that when I feel stronger!

 

Some of Personal Details have gone.

My C&A Membership no. has gone.

My Cruise History as gone.

My On-Board preferences have gone.

It shows one forthcoming RCI cruise but not the X cruise.

 

I'll reserve final judgement until I try a check-in.

 

I would make one general point speaking as a retired IT Director. Criticism of the RCI/X IT department is probably misplaced. Yes, mistakes have frequently been made but that those mistakes have been published is the fault of the RCI/X Change Control Management system and specifically the 'owner' of the project/upgrade that is being released. IT people don't make changes off their own bat.

 

Before I allowed anything into the production environment it had to be tested from somewhere outside of the company's system and using a non-company device. That way any 'friendly' company settings otherwise not available to the general public working from their spare rooms would not affect the operation. Once that had been done and the project change owner had verified the testing and confirmed the positive outcome then as Change Control Manager would I approve the release of the change from test to Live.

 

If RCI want my consultancy, they can have it - for an enormous fee.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

39 yrs in IT and getting ready to retire. You are dead on. There appears to have been very little change management with these sites. It looks like that's at least one big control they seem to be trying to implement - some serious project management as well.

Having been an IT Software project manager I shake my head in disbelief on a daily basis. The one think I see lacking is their testing and resolution management.

 

Try this scenario. Select a group of well seasoned travelers like many of the people on Celebrity and invite them to be Beta Testers. Have a robust error tracking and resolution system. I am sure they would find many free volunteers and or offer a perk or two. The beta testers would be able to identify all the various bugs, inconsistencies and foibles prior to be released.

 

This isn't rocket science and most major corporation have a robust beta testing team. (Microsoft, Apple etc).

Yep. If you didn't know, RCCL is doing user testing in Miami next week. It's a tad late but the little optimist in me says at least someone in corporate may be paying attention.

Okay, for those of us (read: If I or My/any teenager or ???) who posted that 'WE' can do it better or have seen or used better cruise line websites, HERE is your opportunity to step up to the plate and prove yourselves.

 

Put your current or prior experience to work, then post back results and validate the comments.

 

bon voyage

Unfortunately not included in the job listings is a new CIO. Problems that are as chronic as these can almost always be traced to failure of executive management.

Unfortunately not included in the job listings is a new CIO. Problems that are as chronic as these can almost always be traced to failure of executive management.

DIRECTOR, IT DELIVERY PROGRAM and a couple of other postings are SR positions that will hopefully have an impact. Overall I'm encouraged by this as well as the user testing (albeit late) scheduled for next week.