newbie question

[COTINGEY]

Good Morning Holland America fans!

 

My family and I are going to branch out and try Holland America, and we are very excited. We are looking at the Mexico sailing on March 24 - March 31 (2019) on the MS Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

Every category that I pick says "Your stateroom is guaranteed. You will receive your stateroom details prior to departure." Does that mean it's close to being sold out and I can't pick a stateroom or, more likely, I'm unfamiliar with the website and I'm not doing it right?

 

Thank you,

Robyn

[freestyling]

When you get into the booking process you will have the option of selecting your stateroom.

[Sunburg1]

When you get into the booking process you will have the option of selecting your stateroom.

No, they will assign you a stateroom, you don't select it. You bought (for a discount) a guarantee that you will get (at least) a particular category of cabin. They will pick the cabin, and possibly, but not likely get you a higher level cabin

[aa7yy]

Every category that I pick says "Your stateroom is guaranteed. You will receive your stateroom details prior to departure." Does that mean it's close to being sold out and I can't pick a stateroom or, more likely, I'm unfamiliar with the website and I'm not doing it right?

 

Thank you,

Robyn

 

I think it is what many of us consider "problems with the new web site". HAL's first attempt is to try and get you into a guaranteed room. You have to fight with it and go thru change rooms and pick your own room to get there..Or, just call up the HAL people and ask questions for awhile.

[aa7yy]

No, they will assign you a stateroom, you don't select it. You bought (for a discount) a guarantee that you will get (at least) a particular category of cabin. They will pick the cabin, and possibly, but not likely get you a higher level cabin

 

If you go thru the booking process as a guaranteed room. True !

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL's site user unfriendly.

Personally I would go through a TA and let them deal with HAL and getting the cabin you want.

[aa7yy]

Just went back and tried it for exercise. Seems to default to inside-guaranteed. Change rooms, get to go to Veranda, defaults to Obstructed View guaranteed. Change room, get to Veranda. Defaults to guaranteed, change rooms, pick your own defaults to lower deck, change deck.

 

 

Liked it a lot more when you picked a room type, they showed you a deck , you picked a room. Or changed deck forward, stern or aft. The good old days.

[freestyling]

No, they will assign you a stateroom, you don't select it. You bought (for a discount) a guarantee that you will get (at least) a particular category of cabin. They will pick the cabin, and possibly, but not likely get you a higher level cabin

I appoligize for not being detailed enough.

You can select your own room within the booking process instead of taking the default of a guaranteed stateroom. When you get to stateroom selection, which is after the itinerary, you have the option to select your own stateroom.

The HAL website as noted by many seasoned travelers is not easy to navigate. A call to HAL or a TA would be advised.

I would also have a deck plan available so you can choose a stateroom.

[Boytjie]

HAL's site user unfriendly.

 

Having now ventured onto Celebrity's website for my upcoming cruise I have to say that it aint better. Cruise line websites don't seem to be well designed and coded.

[KroozNut]

I find the site very easy to navigate and use, once the initial 'learning curve' of the new UI has been accomplished. ;) My experience with the new booking engine is that it nearly always defaults to 'Guarantee' initially, and if that is not what you want then you have to intervene. Intervention consists of simply selecting 'change stateroom' (top of page), then 'select your stateroom'; at which time options to change deck, select a specific cabin, etc. appear.

 

 

It's all rather intuitive to me, but YMMV..

[POA1]

You picked a great ship.

 

You're not going to pay anything more to use a travel agent or HAL PCC. Their systems allow them to see the whole inventory so you can pick the room you want. Generally speaking, a guarantee only saves you a few bucks per day. (I want to say that it was about $50/pp total on our upcoming cruise. It's a 10 day sailing, so, $5/pp/day.)

 

Do a little poking around here and on halfacts.com for room guidance. In our opinion, choosing a specific cabin is important. Even though the real estate floats, it's still "Location, Location, Location" for us.

[OlsSalt]

Unfortunately the new website defaults you to where they want you to be, which may not be where you would like to be. And they do not make it easy to understand how to verride these forced defaults.

 

Traps for the unwary and first time users. We don't like this approach at all. You are not alone feeling confused. I would call this deceptive business practices and is not a good introduction to the onboard HAL experience we have gotten to know over the years.

 

HAL's new management, who created this website. is working at cross purposes right now against HAL's onboard and long-standing traditions of respect and decency. I hope you can find what you want because you started out choosing a very nice ship. Too bad it requires such an awkward online interface to get there.

[KroozNut]

Unfortunately the new website defaults you to where they want you to be, which may not be where you would like to be.

 

And IMO that's okay, because it's really quite easy to get to where you'd like to be.

[deliver42]

I booked on Labor day, and to say that I labored on their site is an understatement. I wound up calling and made my reservation. If you look at my complete signature for all y cruises, and I've never had a problem with any website to book. I may have called afterward for some updates, the the booking process itself was fine.

[OlsSalt]

And IMO that's okay, because it's really quite easy to get to where you'd like to be.

 

RE: HAL website defaults you to where they want you to be.

 

For a new website user, an even an old well-traveled HAL cruiser, there was no way someone would easily be able to override this default setting - they would assume that was it. Take it or leave it. The terminology to get elsewhere is so obscure as to be almost intentionally misleading.

 

You have to already know where you want to go, to know where you want to go on the HAL website and that is user unfriendly. Sorry, but I do not find the new website easy at all for a new user.

[me-shel]

Good Morning Holland America fans!

 

My family and I are going to branch out and try Holland America, and we are very excited. We are looking at the Mexico sailing on March 24 - March 31 (2019) on the MS Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

Every category that I pick says "Your stateroom is guaranteed. You will receive your stateroom details prior to departure." Does that mean it's close to being sold out and I can't pick a stateroom or, more likely, I'm unfamiliar with the website and I'm not doing it right?

 

Thank you,

Robyn

 

I'm new to HAL as well so I thought I'd give this a shot! Here's what I got, starting at the home page:

 

• Chose Sail to: Mexico; Departure date: March
  
• One listing is shown for March 17 departure. Chose "More Dates & Fares" to see all 3 March departures and room types.
  
• Chose March 24 Ocean View price and hit "View Itinerary"
  
• It defaulted to "Fully Obstructed Ocean View", which I switched to "Ocean View"
  
• Book Now!
  

Now we're getting into the selections.

• Defaults to 2 adults. Fine. Continue.
  

Bingo! Here we go with the "YOUR STATEROOM IS GUARANTEED. YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR STATEROOM DETAILS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE."

 

Next to that message, there is a link to "Change Stateroom." Clicking that, I now get the options of "Let us Select Your Room" or "You Select Your Stateroom." With the second choice, I can edit each option to get the exact area/deck/room I want.

 

Seems like the "You Select Your Stateroom" option should've come earlier, but you can still get there on the website. My upcoming booking (first time on HAL) was done by my friend over the phone so I can't speak to how anything used to work... but at least you can fumble your way through all the options you need online.

[KroozNut]

I'm new to HAL as well so I thought I'd give this a shot! Here's what I got, starting at the home page:

 

 

 

• Chose Sail to: Mexico; Departure date: March
  
• One listing is shown for March 17 departure. Chose "More Dates & Fares" to see all 3 March departures and room types.
  
• Chose March 24 Ocean View price and hit "View Itinerary"
  
• It defaulted to "Fully Obstructed Ocean View", which I switched to "Ocean View"
  
• Book Now!
  

Now we're getting into the selections.

• Defaults to 2 adults. Fine. Continue.
  

Bingo! Here we go with the "YOUR STATEROOM IS GUARANTEED. YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR STATEROOM DETAILS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE."

 

Next to that message, there is a link to "Change Stateroom." Clicking that, I now get the options of "Let us Select Your Room" or "You Select Your Stateroom." With the second choice, I can edit each option to get the exact area/deck/room I want.

 

Seems like the "You Select Your Stateroom" option should've come earlier, but you can still get there on the website. My upcoming booking (first time on HAL) was done by my friend over the phone so I can't speak to how anything used to work... but at least you can fumble your way through all the options you need online.

 

 

Congratulations, now that wasn't so hard after all (even for a new user), was it?;):)

[KroozNut]

RE: HAL website defaults you to where they want you to be.

 

For a new website user, an even an old well-traveled HAL cruiser, there was no way someone would easily be able to override this default setting - they would assume that was it. Take it or leave it. The terminology to get elsewhere is so obscure as to be almost intentionally misleading.

 

You have to already know where you want to go, to know where you want to go on the HAL website and that is user unfriendly. Sorry, but I do not find the new website easy at all for a new user.

 

Not at all. HAL goes out of its way to make the default setting (Guarantee) override easy to find. In fact the link is highlighted orange (for added visibility), and is in all caps. It's really hard to miss... even for a new user, or one that may be 'technically challenged'.;):)

[kazu]

And IMO that's okay, because it's really quite easy to get to where you'd like to be.

 

Tell me how you have avoided the 16 clicks and having to go back to look at different categories and we can agree.

 

Frankly, the website is a PITA in my opinion. It shouldn't be that tough - especially for a newbie. That's not the way to get people to book. JMO.

[aa7yy]

Tell me how you have avoided the 16 clicks and having to go back to look at different categories and we can agree.

 

Frankly, the website is a PITA in my opinion. It shouldn't be that tough - especially for a newbie. That's not the way to get people to book. JMO.

 

100%, and I am not a newbie and I am not technicaly challenged.

Choose Veranda and it defaults to Obstructed Veranda,,,

 

You know HAL is in Seattle, that world is full of computer people. Shouuldn't need to go to low bidder.

[KroozNut]

Tell me how you have avoided the 16 clicks and having to go back to look at different categories and we can agree.

 

Frankly, the website is a PITA in my opinion. It shouldn't be that tough - especially for a newbie. That's not the way to get people to book. JMO.

 

Okay, I'll bite.. I went back and started a mock booking so I could count my clicks. :) Now, I could be wrong (because I'm a product of the public school system and my math may be off), ;) but I counted exactly 3 clicks to get from the default 'Guarantee' to another category and specific cabin number; while also reviewing cabins available.

 

Not tough at all, pita bread notwithstanding..:D

[OlsSalt]

Congrats kazu if you got where you wanted to go in 16 steps. I gave up after 25 and still did not even get close.

 

Went in with the idea I was a new cruiser and wanted to see what HAL offered. So I click the PLAN button. which took me to 1835 cruise choices. Wow, how do I choose from 1835 cruise options. Kept trying to drill down further, and did not want to sort by date and price - the first filter. I just wanted to get a big picture to see if anything tantalized me - BIG picture - one click BIG PICTURE - got that HAL?

 

Then it asks me where do I want to sail from -- I dunno - two pages of departure ports known and unknown - I don't even know where I want to go yet, and they are asking i know where I am going from. Fail

 

So I finally decide Mexico after another click and i get 45 results. Better than 1835, but still pretty overwhelming. And it does narrow down my departure choices - Vancouver or San Diego. Phew, dodged that one.

 

So I start scrolling through a lot of similar options for Mexico until I spot Sea of Cortez - okay we have a winner.

 

View Interactive Map --- NOOOOOOO!!!!!! - 6666 on that tortured exploding click -don't even go there by mistake you may never come out - our very own HAL Bermuda Triangle. Go back - salsipeudes - get out while you can

 

Then -- we are up to click #12 at this point -- how was I supposed to know "Flexible Fare" is where you click to get more information - how about "do you want to book this cruise?"

Then it drops me into another Sargasso Sea of nonsense clues and I have to click and go back and forth to finally figure out I need to "view the Itinerary" after I click "Flexible Fare" - sure, that makes sense.

 

Now several more clicks and back clicks to retrieve a forward path I finally see the "orange book now" . Which only takes me into further rings of purgatory never contemplated by John Milton in the entire The Divine Comedy - plus I have to scroll side ways on my screen to even get out of Inside Cabin Hell default. How was I supposed to know that, since everything up to this point had been up and down screen choices.

 

No I don't want the default inside cabin -so with a whisper of hope I click "change stateroom" because I indeed want to change the default Inside - to a Verandah.

 

Nope, I failed totally thinking 'change stateroom would mean I could actually change the TYPE of stateroom. Noooooooooo .... more back clicks to get to Verandah -- choose or let us choose - then the decision derby of forward, middle aft -- Huh? I dunno.

 

So I try to navigate around this next layer of intimidating location filters - what does "aft" mean anyway - I am a land lubber.

 

After making choices and getting assulted with "not availlable" messages and I swear an off screen voice squealing neener, neener, neener at me ... I just plain give up.

 

PS - I actually do know what I am doing, and I still can't do it. This is one freaking crazy awful website. i weep for those who walk into it in good cheer and finally leave hating HAL concluding they simply do not want their business.

[canadianbear]

When I spoke with HAL yesterday morning about our Mexico cruise he admitted the website, even to them, is a pain. I find this new format frustrating and yes, I can get to what I want but not easily like the old one was.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Some times it pays to call up

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[OlsSalt]

There is so much wasted space with so little content, that requires constantly clicking from page to page to get even basic, albeit disjointed and confusing information. There is zero flow that makes any sense - just a garbage pile of distraction that one has to be heavily committed up front to even bother trying to understand after multiple trial and error.