Celebrity's IT Department Poll

[Hotel CA]

There are clearly problems and issues! BUT, so what else is new with or different from many other websites with such a wide variety of details, info, options, potentials, audience interests, etc.? I checked the box for how they will work through it. It's a pain for customers. Always issues. BUT, here at Cruise Critic and at other places, there are quirks and mess-ups, at times. Nothing is perfect and/or always smooth at big, diverse websites. Am I too kind and understanding?

 

AND, we don't how much is the direct fault of the IT department versus others in management who fiddle around, create problems for the tech people?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 74,979 views for this fun posting.

 

You are too forgiving-- this is a simple failure in leadership. Put more value and focus on quality (meaning test and review before promoting functionality to production) and you will vastly improve the results. This is not so complicated a problem that it can't be fixed-- you solve by implementing processes and actions designed to insure and support the results you want. Ignore the process or utilize the 'Hope' methodology ( "we hope it will work") and you get the current circumstances. Focus attention on the importance of quality (agile re-iteration with QA testing) and the quality will rise. In other words-- you WILL reap what you sow.

 

This is fundamentally a failure in Leadership

[ghstudio]

Appreciate these follow-ups and you could be 100% correct that I am being too kind. As I think more on the various comments made, my sense is that Celebrity, like many other businesses, is very torn on their future sales model versus their past traditions. Many cruise lines (and insurance companies, etc.) have been tied to the "old way" of placing THE priority and money on "agents" and/or people calling into them via 800 numbers.

 

 

Seems to me that the airlines have figured this out pretty well.

 

Many/most of the Celebrity web site problems are not related to content...they are things that don't work. When you can't book excursions because they aren't shown...or you cant get to your cruise to look at/buy something...that's an IT shop that doesn't have an adequate testing plan and/or process to get code or fixes operational. I blame that on IT management who, to date, hasn't demonstrated that they know how to run a high quality, high reliability web site.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I have no hope that Celebrity will resolve this issue. They have demonstrated over and over that this is not a priority for them. The most telling comment was what the IT people said to the poor call center reps (who have to take the brunt of the abuse) when they were in Kansas.

 

I don't fret about it, I simply use a good travel agent. On the rare occasion when I want to do a Celebrity excursion and the website won't let me book it, I simply have her book it. I'll try once, but that's the limit of my patience. If I had to deal directly with Celebrity, I'd never set foot on one of their ships.

 

What is fascinating to me is the total disconnect between Miami and the actual experience on the ships. One would think they were two different companies!

[wallie5446]

These are a little more than bumps in the road and have been going on for months and months.

 

But the biggest factor, IMHO, is in their quest for cost cutting (cheap back- and front-end development costs), the amount of revenue the line is losing through bookings, enhancements such as shore excursions, specialty dining packages, liquor packages and more, is breathtaking.

 

I think it is known as penny wise and pound foolish. Unfortunately, that is the trend of much of corporate business today.

 

Ya know, their ships are sailing at almost 100% full each and every trip. Many shore excursions are wait listed and sold out. The offering of discounts for the speciality resturants has slacked on some cruises, as it is hard to get a time slot. The 2 S-Class with the Alcoves are near impossible to book unless you do so 4,5, sometimes 6 months in advance. Advanced bookings, those more than 6 months out, are at an all time high. The last 2 years we booked in Jan/Feb for a Nov cruise for the first time ever.

 

So it would seem that it is not effecting things too bad.

 

Linda! you said it!

"What is fascinating to me is the total disconnect between Miami and the actual experience on the ships. One would think they were two different companies!"

Edited August 30, 2014 by wallie5446

[Hotel CA]

I agree-- for a company that generates $125,000 in revenue per employee and whose stock is trading near the 52 week high, it seems odd that they are not more concerned about their most important customer facing vehicle-- the website. Used to be you created the brand with ads and brochures and taglines-- nowadays you use all that but the most important 'prospect' and customer interaction vehicle is your website.--not the best foot forward if your site is not operating correctly and worse yet if that is consistently so.

 

Would love to be a mouse in the corner during exec meetings at Celebrity whenever the subject of the website comes up--- then again, maybe the problem is that it NEVER does come up ?

[Pilot70D]

These are a little more than bumps in the road and have been going on for months and months.

 

You are correct - these ARE A LOT MORE THAN BUMPS IN THE ROAD. However, they have been going on for years and years and more years now. It is incomprehensible to me how any large corporation can have a website with as many problems as that of Celebrity's website and with the problems persisting over a PERIOD OF YEARS, not just months.

 

See the following. This is a post which I wrote four years ago. The thread was started September 1, 2010 and my post is dated on that same day. Four years ago and I haven't seen any marked improvement in the Celebrity website over this period.

No, wait - leave the wesite alone Celebrity, please, please, please.

I just love being miserable and frustrated each and every time I need to visit your website.

:confused::(:confused:

Edited August 30, 2014 by Pilot70D

[CaroleLee]

What do you think of the IT Department at X?

 

You forgot a category- Have them try to make a reservation, check a reservation, get information in less than a day whilst waiting on the telephone and computer.

Carole

[NLH Arizona]

I certainly won't vote in the poll. I wonder how those voting would feel if someone did a poll voting on if they think they sould be fired from their job or being fired when they were employeed. I think there is a way to get your feelings across, but to actually vote for someone to lose their livelyhood, is not, IMHO, the way to do it.

Edited August 30, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[richsea]

I certainly won't vote in the poll. I wonder how those voting would feel if someone did a poll asking that they be fired from their job or being fired when they were employeed. I think there is a way to get your feelings across, but to actually vote for someone to lose their livelyhood, is not, IMHO, the way to do it.

 

So they should just continue to be employed even though they're incompetent? Maybe they could be transferred to work in the ships; then see how you feel.

[Oxo]

I certainly won't vote in the poll. I wonder how those voting would feel if someone did a poll voting on if they think they sould be fired from their job or being fired when they were employeed. I think there is a way to get your feelings across, but to actually vote for someone to lose their livelyhood, is not, IMHO, the way to do it.

 

People get fired without cause today. I would say that this is definitely a 'CAUSE.' Like the ole saying. Poopoo or get off the pot. LOL

[wwhcruise]

I hope there ship board navigation works better than the web site.

 

 

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[hcat]

We do.

 

Thank you

seems the same issues are coming up for most users

[Swinden]

Actually I think the poll question should be: "How would you rate CC's website and customer interface"

 

Personally, the pits with some hints of greatness.

[wwhcruise]

I printed my boarding passes a few weeks back for early Nov cruise I just went in to online check in to see when luggage tags get sent and all the information on my online check in for btb cruises is gone. Phoned celebrity whose answer was check back in a few hours if nothing appears , redo the online check in. They cannot explain what happened to all the info just more apologies. I wonder how many times I will have to redo this and where my personal information is.

 

 

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[Oxo]

I printed my boarding passes a few weeks back for early Nov cruise I just went in to online check in to see when luggage tags get sent and all the information on my online check in for btb cruises is gone. Phoned celebrity whose answer was check back in a few hours if nothing appears , redo the online check in. They cannot explain what happened to all the info just more apologies. I wonder how many times I will have to redo this and where my personal information is.

 

 

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Why can't you request your luggage tags when you print out your boarding passes? That just doesn't make sense. You can print out a boarding pass before you make a final payment, but can't printout or request your luggage tags until 45 days or less. DAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

[FLACRUISER99]

I wonder who voted They are not that bad & Top It Dept. in the industry?:confused:

[ECCruise]

I wonder who voted They are not that bad & Top It Dept. in the industry?:confused:

 

People who have A) never used the site or B) cruise pretty infrequently or don't use the site to do anything. I laughed when I saw "top IT in the industry."

[ECCruise]

Ya know, their ships are sailing at almost 100% full each and every trip. Many shore excursions are wait listed and sold out. The offering of discounts for the speciality resturants has slacked on some cruises, as it is hard to get a time slot. The 2 S-Class with the Alcoves are near impossible to book unless you do so 4,5, sometimes 6 months in advance. Advanced bookings, those more than 6 months out, are at an all time high. The last 2 years we booked in Jan/Feb for a Nov cruise for the first time ever.

 

So it would seem that it is not effecting things too bad.

 

Haven't found that at all. Have always received healthy discounts on Specialty restaurants. Each cruise we've taken in the last 2 years has had staff hawking reservations outside the buffet, even once when returning from outside. Shore excursions always seem to have room. Have seen a few booked out, but not many.

 

Maybe it varies by itinerary. We sail TAs, Europe, Pacific and Australia. Haven't done a Caribbean in a decade or more.

 

But the most important thought:

 

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. As a stockholder for over a dozen years, I want Celebrity to plan and execute for the long haul. Unfortunately, I see only the quest for immediate gratification, known as quick profit.

 

I can name dozens of corporations who did their little victory dances, celebrated the value of their equity position and are worthless or less today.

Edited August 30, 2014 by ECCruise

[Hotel CA]

I wonder who voted They are not that bad & Top It Dept. in the industry?:confused:

 

Perhaps the same people who wrote "we do" ??????

[budisal]

Maybe they should hire the guys from HAL. I've never had any problems ANY time I've used the online sites with them. Right from booking the cruise, to booking the excursions, thru printing the luggage tags and documents... Never a problem.

 

 

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[R&M1000]

Senior management didn’t rise to their multi-million dollar a year compensation levels without having a qualified staff that reports to them on the outdated platform that the web site rests on, creating all of the IT issues that are reported here.

 

The problem that I see is that this current executive team is so focused on increasing the bottom line and feathering their own resumes, for their next positions, that they choose not to spend the $$$ required to replace their outdated platform, leaving it to the next executive management team to deal with.

 

It's ALL about the bottom line!!!

[TorontoSailor]

Celebrity is a good line. It's website, however, is a joke. I honestly believe it is probably costing them business. This is your public face; if it never works, people are not going to have faith in you. They need to get a handle on this. Always broken.

[The_Big_M]

People who have A) never used the site or B) cruise pretty infrequently or don't use the site to do anything. I laughed when I saw "top IT in the industry."

 

I did too.

 

But it's important to have a balanced poll. ;)

[neverbeenhere]

You blinded me with science. Don't get near any IT dept, so can't vote.

[hulamoon]

It absolutely costs them money. Not just in additional sales. There are competitors that let new customers get a great feel of the product, maybe even better than the cruise. If I pull up a few cruise websites celebrity would leave a poor impression.