Navigator really needs some help

[Moriah]

This is just a rant - there is no need to tell me to call, or get the appointment when I board - I know all that.  I'm just venting my frustration here because perhaps someone who can fix it is reading these posts 🙂

I have had several problems with Navigator in relation to my cruise coming up this Friday, and this last one really is annoying.  I wanted to book a manicure for embarkation day - usually that's just click click and you're done, but this was really curious.  When I chose my service and clicked to book, it asked me which passenger on my booking I wanted the appointment for. So far so good... But... the choices were myself, and a friend I cruised with two cruises ago, in May... who is NOT on my current booking!! Everything else was correct.  The booking number, the date and location of the cruise, everything.  But the person listed on the booking with me, as said, was wrong - and it didn't even list the people on my most recent booking, which was in August! It showed a friend I sailed with on the cruise before THAT! When I clicked on my own name (I'm the one making the appointment anyway..) I got an "error" message.  I tried again on my laptop (the above described problem was on the Navigator app on my iPhone) and this time saw the actual people on the current booking, BUT there was no possibility to pay for a spa service in advance. 

Also, last week, Navigator said everyone on the current booking is good to go, finished check-in and docs ready to print.  NOW, however, it's asking for all kinds of "missing" info for check-in, things I filled in weeks ago... sigh...

The IDEA of doing things online is excellent.  Who wants to sit on hold all the time for things we can manage on our own? But in practice, it's a hot mess.  HAL should be able to get some decent programmers and get it together with their online presence, both on the website and the Navigator app.  Please. 

[OlsSalt]

To save everyone grief, each ship should have a supply of working Navigator "devices" ready to be handed out to passengers when they board.  

 

A dumb, closed system device that we can't even screw up on our own,  to give to for those of us who remain too dumb to actually figure out how to make our own individual devices work with "their" Navigator. 

[Sea42]

It could be that you are too close to your sailing to book online or thru the app. I'm not sure of when but they do close bookings a few days before the cruise.

[lais]

Did you try logging out then back in to the app?  Maybe that can rest it for you 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I agree Navigator is no good but for all important things such as making Spa Appointments I never do it on Navigator but rather do it on line, just signing into my cruise. Being Embarkation Day there could be some lower prices. I have made massage appoints for my last several cruises and my upcoming cruise but never on Navigator.

[kazu]

I don’t know if this is of help to the OP or not but I have found that pre-cruise I am better off booking on line.  Of course I use Navigator for my boarding pass.

 

Once on board, I find Navigator works quite well.  I think it is geared for once you are on board and not so much for pre-cruise.  It’s just my observation trying to do some stuff pre-cruise and finding the website was better (that’s a sad statement in itself 😉).

[REOVA]

As others have said, Navigator is mostly used for onboard "intranet" activity when connected to ships network. I've always had trouble using Navigator prior to boarding, except opening boarding passes, as it doesn't sync well with what is done online website from the laptop/computer. Try to book using computer and print your itinerary so it shows everything you've booked (dinner, spa, excursions, etc) for each day. If you then get onboard and Navigator is not synced, try guest services. 

[golfbagger]

Not new to HAL, but new to "Navigator", and its function😕.  We just down loaded our cruise docs. online, with boarding passes; on which there is a recommendation to not print until 7days prior, unless using Navigator?  Reading this thread seems to indicate that going with printed passes would be wiser?  

I was hoping that the Nav. App would provide a link to onboard and boarding activity, while driving to the port, much like my Delta Air app. ??

[FlaMariner]

We use the Navigator for the following and we think we have mastered it and like it...at least for what we use:

 

1) online boarding pass....easily access when gaining entry to the ship at embarkation

2). order Dive In burgers....when leaving the morning EXC talk (or whatever we are doing), we easily order lunch, find our seat at lido, grab tea and then by then, the burgers are ready and we pass by all the folks holding up the wall waiting for their burgers and grab our pre ordered burgers 

3). text each other....when her majesty gets lost from me (probably on purpose) we can easily text

4). looking up past cruise OB statements....when I need to confirm/answer a question on here, I find the previous onboard statements useful and easily to access

5). ships time....I do not wear a watch so this is my onboard source for "ships time"

 

We do not use it for the following:

 

1) daily schedule...we prefer paper

2). tonights menu in the MDR, we prefer the in cabin TV when getting dressed for dinner

3). Onboard account statement.....we prefer the TV again for that

 

We are glad we have several choices to find info and get around the ship efficiently.....navigator is a good tool and another choice. 

 

Enjoy navigator and the journey......

 

[porsena]

On 11/20/2023 at 12:36 PM, OlsSalt said:

To save everyone grief, each ship should have a supply of working Navigator "devices" ready to be handed out to passengers when they board.  

 

A dumb, closed system device that we can't even screw up on our own,  to give to for those of us who remain too dumb to actually figure out how to make our own individual devices work with "their" Navigator. 

Yeah, Scenic used to offer something like that on theirriver cruises. 

[aliaschief]

Recently cruised on Seabourn and they basically use the same app onboard pretty similar to Hal. Worked great not sure why Hal could not use the same. 

[iflyrc5]

One feature of the Navigator we use almost every is under the connect menu called "let us know".  You can use this to report issues without going the guest services but we use it mostly for giving positive feed back on over and above support from the wonderful HAL crew members.  These messages are sent to the crew members manager and are read at daily team meeting.  We have been told that crew members getting these positive reports get some extra time off during the cruise. 

[lyndarra]

I never use the app until I am on board. It works fine for me.

I have come across on line the check-in bug  on a couple of cruises. I've gone through all the steps, got all the ticks, then next time I log in I see that check-in information is still required. I do my normal thing and just ignore it and everything is good.

Edited November 22, 2023 by lyndarra

[CruiseMark]

Believe it or not, Holland America’s app is one of the best out there. Princess’ app was so bad they’re about to completely replace it, Royal Caribbean constantly crashes, etc. 

 

HAL’s website on the other hand…ugh. As a website manager for Microsoft for nearly 20 years, it pains me every time I get a “Bad Gateway” message. 

[POA1]

7 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Recently cruised on Seabourn and they basically use the same app onboard pretty similar to Hal. Worked great not sure why Hal could not use the same. 

It's "skinned" differently, but it's the same app. Could be different content, but the presentation layer is the same. What did you like better about the Seabourn version?

[aliaschief]

5 hours ago, POA1 said:

It's "skinned" differently, but it's the same app. Could be different content, but the presentation layer is the same. What did you like better about the Seabourn version?

Everything worked. Chat and the recipient was notified they had a message. My main point is that everything worked on their similar or same app so why not Hal’s compared to the poster’s experiences on this thread.One feature I really liked was prior to the cruise we could see and peruse the ships daily menus.

Frankly other then maybe having to initially reboot Hal’s App once in a while it has worked pretty well for us.