HAL Navigator has a 2 star rating on Google Play.

[kangforpres]

HI- I recently deleted and re-installed the Navigator app on my Samsung A13, because it wasn't working at all and I have a cruise coming up in 10 days. It works again but I thought it was funny and accurate that it only has a 2 star rating for performance on Google Play. Do those of you with I phones have an easier time with it than us Android Users?

 

A 2 star rating is really embarrassing for a travel company's app.

 

-Paul

 

[GlennG]

It's embarrassing, and not surprising, given the number of comments which express the frustration of so many Holland America travelers.  For many people, the Navigator App is not a reliable source of information or a reliable tool for task implementation.

[decrepit old man]

The app is only garbage when you're not actually on the ship and connected to their wifi. I was on board two weeks ago and the app worked flawlessly for me. I was very impressed with the functionality. I have a Samsung btw

[YourWorldWithBill]

I tend to agree about 90% with @decrepit old man. On the Rotterdam a couple of weeks ago it worked most of the time, with some fairly minor problems. I suspect it might be better than what some other lines are doing. I suspect that a lot depends on where you're receiving the connection onboard. 

[rodndonna]

We were on the Zaandam last week and had no problems with the app. 

 

As others have said, I wouldn't judge its' performance until you are on the ship. I don't know it if is actually having the connection to their wifi or just having the stability of your cruise details loaded in the app (which doesn't happen until your cruise starts). 

[Nang]

I too have an A13 and have had no issues with the app until a few weeks ago which was easily fixed by clearing data/cache and reinstalling. I have made fairly extensive use of the app over the past couple of months booking excursions (and cancelling them) and HIA dinners which all worked well. Who knows why my experience has been better than many others.

[cbr663]

No, my wife and I have iPhones and it wasn't any better.  It was the most frustrating piece of software ever experienced on an iPhone prior to embarking on the ship.  Once on the ship it appeared to be fine.  The only issue we seemed to encounter while cruising was the option to order from the Dive In was never available.

 

For us, we found it didn't really add much value overall to the cruise experience, even while onboard.  It was immediately uninstalled as soon as the cruise ended.

[cruisemom42]

I think too many people try to use the app for things it was not intended for. 

 

As far as I can tell, it has two main purposes -- to provide a way to "check in" and complete key requirements before boarding, and to use while onboard for information on activities and events, messaging with others, managing reservations, account balance, etc.

 

It is NOT intended as a way to find out menus or events in advance of your cruise.

 

I have used both the Navigator app and the similar app Celebrity uses. They both worked very well for me on iPhone for the intended purpose. Predictably, the Celebrity app is a bit more design-forward, but the Navigator was fine and had a few things I liked better.

 

 

[timbom]

Ir is a piece of garbage compared to RCCL and Princess.  They need to find who wrote these and copy them.  They both work well and have many additional features.

[scooter6139]

1 hour ago, timbom said:

Ir is a piece of garbage compared to RCCL and Princess.  They need to find who wrote these and copy them.  They both work well and have many additional features.

I guess you haven't been on the Princess forums talking about their app?  Lots of complaints there too.  I would hazard it's a standard complaint across most lines.

[Jeremiah On a Cruise]

I've made the executive decision to not fret about cruise ship apps. 

 

Several lines have killer ideas with great functionality, but none of them are working as intended yet, and all are working through major issues.  Until those are ironed out, I'll stick with paper, and spend my gray hairs other places.

[Nodakboiler]

It’s a lot better than NCL! Can’t wait to get back to HAL in August 

[Dismomx5]

I have the app installed on my phone and on my iPad. I was very pleased with the way it worked on our Panama Canal cruise on both devices. I even got notifications of people messaging me, and I fully didn't expect that since I'd been told that that aspect of the app didn't work. As has been said, it is meant to be in use on the ship. At home, I use my laptop. But then, I prefer my laptop to apps any day of the week. 😄

[POA1]

I had the phantom empty cart issue, but it was cleared up with the most recent update. (Plus clearing the app and data caches. That's standard operating procedure on an Android phone when an app gets persnickety.)

 

I've found the app pretty easy to use, but realize that much of the functionality is for once you were on the ship. A couple of feature requests would be: 1) Being able to see excursion reviews on the app. Right now, you can see reviews on the website, but not on the app. 2) Ability to modify specialty dining reservation times in the app. You currently cannot. We found a Food & Wine tour in San Juan that looks good, but it would end too close to our Pinnacle Grill reservation time. (On the plus side, being unable to take the excursion saves us around $160 pp.)So, instead of a small group, guided tour, we'll have to find a local spot for drinks and something to nibble. Just like the early pioneers who settled the Great Plains!

 

I tend to have fairly low expectations of these kind of limited purpose apps, but I think that Navigator is greatly improved since I last used it on our 2018 cruise. I come at this with a slightly higher than average geek skill set, so that may explain my attitude. (Apparently I have 220 apps installed. Only 4 of them are games. Perhaps an intervention is called for. But I swear, I really do use them. Even the B-Rhymes dictionary. B-Rhymes are used for good, but not perfect rhymes when writing things like poems or Holland America Christmas carols.)

 

In any case, I generally prefer a large computer screen to my phone. I'm deeply worried about the ability to order from the Dive In 24 hours a day. Yes, I know that there's a $4.95 surcharge, but the POA1 who is leaving B.B. King after last call just ain't gonna care. (You have no idea how many times we've been saved by the fact that NY Pizza & The Lido are closed by the time we get there. Of course, that's how we discovered the joy that is the Holland America Club Sandwich. Which I can now order from my phone when we receive our last drink of the night. The 21st Century may not have delivered on the promise of the flying car, but arranging for a burger and fries to meet you at your stateroom when you get home from da club... That kind of makes up for it a little bit.)

[whogo]

I would give it a 2 on the Apple Store. I can't remember all the glitches. I know that I received reminders of shipboard activities I had flagged long after the activity had ended. Dining menus were occasionally wrong. The Navigator app is practically required, it ought to work flawlessly. 

[mightycruisequeen]

My husband installed the Navigator app on his iphone, and the phone completely locked up.  He tried many things to no avail, and finally just let the battery die completely.  When he recharged and powered the phone back up, he was able to delete the app and be done with it. 

Needless to say, my husband thinks a 2 is too high a rating.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

 If I want to make reservations or purchases in advance of a cruise, I use the HAL website. It’s useless for that once you board.
 Once I’m onboard I switch to the Navigator App. That’s what it’s meant for.

Using them the other way around is like driving your lawnmower to the mall and using your car to cut the lawn. 

[Sea42]

20 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

 If I want to make reservations or purchases in advance of a cruise, I use the HAL website. It’s useless for that once you board.
 Once I’m onboard I switch to the Navigator App. That’s what it’s meant for.

Using them the other way around is like driving your lawnmower to the mall and using your car to cut the lawn. 

I agree. I didn't install the app until the day before we left home and deleted it once off the ship.

[kazu]

20 hours ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

 If I want to make reservations or purchases in advance of a cruise, I use the HAL website. It’s useless for that once you board.
 Once I’m onboard I switch to the Navigator App. That’s what it’s meant for.

Using them the other way around is like driving your lawnmower to the mall and using your car to cut the lawn. 

 

LOL - love the analogy.  😂 And, I do the same as you.

[mowogo]

Cruise line apps in general earn the low ratings they deserve because cruise lines fail to manage expectations properly on the app, and then fail to properly guide customers to the website for cruise management when they need to be using that prior to the cruise given the limited onshore capabilities of the app.  

 

With that said, Navigator is nowhere near the worst in the pack.