I hate this new Carnival site, anyone else?

[wiskt]

It randomly directs me to this new site and it is so difficult to navigate unless I want them to pick my cabin for me, which I do not. Come on Carnival IT dept!

 

 

I agree. I booked a few rooms today with my PVP and mentioned how much I didn't like the new site. Its harder to simply go back a page or two without having to go all the way back out and restart. I only really use the site when searching my VIFP offers and scouting cruise options. However, I also liked the old version where I could change the VIFP# and check out family members offers for them.

[IntrepidFromDC]

So weird a difference.

 

I have had bad experiences with multiple "recommended" PVP's, but great success with the website.

 

For example, I got a bouceback offer (free cruise) and contacted my PVP just in case there was something better than what I was seeing on the carnival.com website. She said I must be mistaken because the cruise I was trying to book was not one of the cruises offered under the terms of the bounceback offer. I booked the cruise online while I was on the phone with her. FREE.

 

I am completely satisfied while Carnival is, I assume, also happy.

Edited June 9, 2017 by IntrepidFromDC

[the mistral wind]

The difference (i.e., "not all families are dual income") is probably attributable to the fact that sometimes the statistics only counts households with income, thereby ignoring the poor. That's why those numbers make it look like so many more Americans can afford cruise vacations than is the reality. Beyond that, CLIA projects that the sweet spot for the industry are households with annual income between $100,000 and $300,000, with the average obviously somewhere between that. So the confusion between whether the average is $29,979 or $55,755 is somewhat immaterial, since the affordability of and attraction to cruising only starts in earnest at roughly double that.

 

CLIA is a great source for insight into the industry. It's industry-biased, but that actually helps us see things from the industry's perspective. (We already are in a good position, ourselves, to see things from our own perspective.) For 2017, the #1 trend that they indicate will shape the industry are the new generations taking to the seas - not just Gen Xers, but Millennials as well. The median cruise passenger in the industry is now a Gen Xer. I believe that this is the first year that that will be true. And cruising is coming onto the radar of many who have never cruised before. One of the inescapable consequences of folks comparatively new to cruising flooding into the market is that they substantially dilute the significance of the preferences of folks who have been cruising for decades. It's roughly 50/50 now, but we can expect to see that skew more and more toward the younger generations over the next few years.

 

And this info really underscores why the cruise line websites are changing in the way they are.

 

Not the people i know, they don't make 100,000.00 and neither do i.

I do cruise every year a few times a year. But i do not live above my means. I do not have ANY debt. I pay for everything without time payments. And save in advance for my vacations .

So does my sister and many of the people that i know who take cruise vacations on Carnival or RCL, Holland America, NCL.

I have cruised with my kids also for many years when they were younger on a salary MUCH less then 100,000.00.

I have to admit most people are not as good with money as we are .

Now Chrystal cruise line may be a different story. That is a luxury cruise line and $$$. But carnival is for the AVERAGE American Vacation.

I spent more money going to Disney for 5days then on a carnival cruise vacation.

I am from Florida so i do not have to pay for air which i imagine is an extra 500. for most who need to fly.

Its actually the best deal out there. ;p

[Sun 4-ever]

Why they feel the need to keep changing things is beyond me. They have made it harder to navigate not easier

 

 

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[E@syPe@zy]

I'm not a fan, but having said that I don't use their web site for anything other than actually booking the cruise and then managing my booking.

 

If I'm looking for cruise I use a website that I'm not allowed to mention on CC but if you Google cruise VTG, it will be the first link that isn't an ad. I use this website for ALL of my research. The results are displayed in a sortable Excel type format and the easiest to use of any I've tried and trust me, I've probably tried them all! I've never booked a cruise using that website and can also pretty much guarantee that I won't ever book there. But the research product that they provide is priceless IMHO.

 

I only go to Carnival's site to check on Casino Rates, actually book my cruise and then purchase FTTF or complete my check-in. As far as I'm concerned, that is about all that works on the site! I'd hate to think I had to go there to choose a cruise, without having an idea of where/what I want to book. Must be frustrating as hell for newbies!

Ditto...my go to site for info also. Love it that I can search many different aspects in a very short time. Easy and quick....how does that not relate to "all" demographics??

[the mistral wind]

Well these statistics don't hold for our family. But being an accountant I know one can get statistics to say whatever someone wants them to say. According to this I am Platinum but I can't afford to cruise. My son, in his 30's, is Platinum and has more cruises than me and is nowhere near that $100,000 income. Therefore he can't afford to cruise. And of course since we don't have that kind of income we aren't attracted to cruising. Thus the lack of cruise. HA-HA! Always take statistics with a grain of salt. In this case that grain in very large.

 

Give us 100,000.00 salary a year and we will turn it into 10,000.000.in 5 years.

Ridiculous we don't make that much either. And if i told our accomplishments you would be amazed. Carnival Cruise Line is for Average American. Since we make even less then 55,000. a year but are debt free with no time payments . I think i can say this is not true at all because i am proof. Over 29 cruises and counting. Also we took our kids along for several.

[bUU]

That is enough money to take cruise vacations.

Not the people i know, they don't make 100,000.00 and neither do i.

Believe what you wish. The industry knows that their profitability is going to come from getting those households earning $100,000 to $300,000 a year, and even if they are wrong (they probably are not, but even if they are) that is what they understand to be the reality, and therefore that is the part of the market that they're targeting: People with lots of discretionary income - and more specifically, those who demonstrate that they spend that money.

[bUU]

Is this in English?

Yes. It may be difficult to understand because it isn't strictly a passenger's perspective, but rather provides both technology and marketing insights.

 

 

People who make that kind of money ($300K) probably aren't looking at Carnival first.

Very true. Surely Carnival is aiming at the lower end of the range.

[the mistral wind]

People who make that kind of money ($300K) probably aren't looking at Carnival first.

They aren't looking at carnival at all

[Saint Greg]

I did a couple mock bookings on my phone last night...my god. The mobile site was impossible. It would freeze up on "loading your experience." I finally selected the option to switch from mobile to desktop and it was better. There were a couple times where I woundn't be able to click on an option. I'd refresh and be able to do it. But the mobile site seems unusable.

[the mistral wind]

Believe what you wish. The industry knows that their profitability is going to come from getting those households earning $100,000 to $300,000 a year, and even if they are wrong (they probably are not, but even if they are) that is what they understand to be the reality, and therefore that is the part of the market that they're targeting: People with lots of discretionary income - and more specifically, those who demonstrate that they spend that money.

Ok. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.:o And that's fine with me. I don't agree and it really doesn't matter what either of us believe . I will be on the carnival Glory at the end of this year and am looking forward to it. Happy cruising to you.

[Purvis1231]

It randomly directs me to this new site and it is so difficult to navigate unless I want them to pick my cabin for me, which I do not. Come on Carnival IT dept!

 

I think they do not want people to book for themselves but Carnival should realize this is the 21st century and people want to be able to navigate there website and make their own decisions. Up until a few years ago Carnival had a good easy to use site, I wish they would just reset everything to the old booking engine.

[bury me at sea]

It's pitiful.

 

It is anything but user friendly. It does no good to post screen shots showing options if those options never show up on my screen.

[n6uqqq]

This new website still has bugs. Says extended balcony rooms for Miracle on November 4th 2018 are unavailable when there are dozens and dozens left. Checked on Costco.com and could find extended on their site. Carnival site is slow and has a lot of scripting errors also. Normally new experience are designed to make things easier, not harder.

[the mistral wind]

This new website still has bugs. Says extended balcony rooms for Miracle on November 4th 2018 are unavailable when there are dozens and dozens left. Checked on Costco.com and could find extended on their site. Carnival site is slow and has a lot of scripting errors also. Normally new experience are designed to make things easier, not harder.

 

I am not a travel agent but does costco buy a block of staterooms and that's what they can sell?

[n6uqqq]

I don't think Costco is buying blocks of rooms because I could find the same rooms available on both Carnival and Costco's website. This "new" Carnival site is showing extended rooms not available when there are clearly many available. The older easier to use Carnival site did show the extended rooms as being available but it is now gone.

[bUU]

it really doesn't matter what either of us believe

Very true. What matters is what the cruise lines' research reveals to them.

 

 

 

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[ferfoodle]

I don't like it either...but I am adjusting. I get it to work "fine" on my ancient computer. Am able to pull up the deck plans, compare rates, etc. But then again I work all day (well try to work anyway) in programs created by CGI; so I'm used to web pages/programs that look pretty but function like garbage.

 

Every time Carnival makes changes to their site, we go through the hate stage - have seen it many times. Eventually the bugs will get worked out and it will be fine - then bam, they will change it and we will start these type of posts all over again.

[IntrepidFromDC]

Give us 100,000.00 salary a year and we will turn it into 10,000.000.in 5 years.

 

I'm not sure which is worse - that you carried the cents out to three decimals, or that you would turn $100,000 into $10,000.

[the mistral wind]

I'm not sure which is worse - that you carried the cents out to three decimals, or that you would turn $100,000 into $10,000.

We'll when the numbers get that high i go cross eyed. You know what I mean lol;p

[Bernardo62]

Making 3k.... I would still book on Carnival.. it's the fun ship!

I'm not stuck up....

[bUU]

Eventually the bugs will get worked out and it will be fine - then bam, they will change it and we will start these type of posts all over again.

And then what was once reviled is instead remembered as the good ol' days.

[AmberTeka]

I'm not a fan, but having said that I don't use their web site for anything other than actually booking the cruise and then managing my booking.

 

If I'm looking for cruise I use a website that I'm not allowed to mention on CC but if you Google cruise VTG, it will be the first link that isn't an ad. I use this website for ALL of my research. The results are displayed in a sortable Excel type format and the easiest to use of any I've tried and trust me, I've probably tried them all! I've never booked a cruise using that website and can also pretty much guarantee that I won't ever book there. But the research product that they provide is priceless IMHO.

 

I only go to Carnival's site to check on Casino Rates, actually book my cruise and then purchase FTTF or complete my check-in. As far as I'm concerned, that is about all that works on the site! I'd hate to think I had to go there to choose a cruise, without having an idea of where/what I want to book. Must be frustrating as hell for newbies!

 

 

can you post all of the address for that site? I also go there for deck plans. I cannot find the price differences for cabins or empty cabins. Thanks

[luv2trvlnow]

Change is necessary. But a lot of the change we see on the websites (not just Carnival's) is only needed so CEO's, managers, Marketing people, and web developers can keep their jobs. Celebrity's website has been horrible for years. People on that forum have been complaining for a long time. They say if the onboard experience was anything at all like the online experience they would never sail Celebrity. But despite the horrible website Celebrity is still their favorite line. They tell this to new people to Celebrity all the time. And I found out they are right. What a shame it can't be a good experience from looking for a cruise online to the actual time onboard.

[bUU]

But a lot of the change we see on the websites (not just Carnival's) is only needed so CEO's, managers, Marketing people, and web developers can keep their jobs.

 

I'm sure it feels fun to say that but it simply isn't true. Marketing is actually a real thing and it actually does make a big difference with regard to the success of an enterprise. Just good people doing good work, maligned for no good reason.

 

And I can tell you from both third-party observation and first-hand experience companies couldn't care less about web developers keeping their jobs! :)

 

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