Website Update ?

[WAAAYTOOO]

It looks like there is a new format for searching cruises.  This is how the search return came in for my 3 night NAV 6 Nov cruise.

[WAAAYTOOO]

Oh....and prices are UP !

[Rene Desmarais]

tried this myself, and it looks like there was an update, looks good  

[Ogilthorpe]

1 minute ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Oh....and prices are UP !

Another motivation to utilize Lift and Shift for my upcoming bookings that are in jeopardy of cancellation! 

[WAAAYTOOO]

What I have is a huge update and I hate it !  Once I am in a potential reservation scenario, I have no way to get out of it.  You used to be able to click on "Change dates" and it would take you back to the master list.  Now, there is no way (that I have found, yet) to get out of the cruise you are in.  Total PITA

[Ogilthorpe]

It appears that everything past the section of sailing date is updated.  Some updated room descriptions as well more virtual tours.

[Jill]

I still have the old format on my phone. Haven’t checked desktop. 

[SpeedNoodles]

17 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

What I have is a huge update and I hate it !  Once I am in a potential reservation scenario, I have no way to get out of it.  You used to be able to click on "Change dates" and it would take you back to the master list.  Now, there is no way (that I have found, yet) to get out of the cruise you are in.  Total PITA

I just used the back button on my browser and I could look at a different dates (which is the way I've always done it since I never noticed a "change date" option, LOL - omg)

[Ogilthorpe]

55 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

What I have is a huge update and I hate it !  Once I am in a potential reservation scenario, I have no way to get out of it.  You used to be able to click on "Change dates" and it would take you back to the master list.  Now, there is no way (that I have found, yet) to get out of the cruise you are in.  Total PITA

I found the "Change Date" selection on the itinerary/Promos and Offers screen. It appears the new path back there is to select "view itinerary details". Once you have advanced past Room Type, you either need to back page or select the logo where options will take you all the way back.  I kinda miss the old way also. 

[WAAAYTOOO]

3 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

I just used the back button on my browser and I could look at a different dates (which is the way I've always done it since I never noticed a "change date" option, LOL - omg)

Yeah, this is the only way I have been able to do it...but it's a complete pain.

The only improvement that I can see so far is that you can now review the itinerary once you are in the <mock> booking.  Before you could never see the itinerary once you started looking at cabins.  I also noticed that (so far) all of the previous military discounts are now gone.  Glad I had all of mine repriced while they were still applicable.  Prices on my 3 and 4 night NAV cruises were up around 10% plus no military discounts anymore.

[WAAAYTOOO]

1 minute ago, Ogilthorpe said:

I found the "Change Date" section on the itinerary/Promos and Offers screen. It appears the new path back there is to select "view itinerary details". Once you have advanced past Room Type, you either need to back page or select the logo where options will take you all the way back.  I kinda miss the old way also. 

Hmmm....I was in the "review itin" link but didn't see the ability to go to a different date.  I will check that out.

Thanks !!!

[WAAAYTOOO]

7 minutes ago, Ogilthorpe said:

I found the "Change Date" section on the itinerary/Promos and Offers screen. It appears the new path back there is to select "view itinerary details". Once you have advanced past Room Type, you either need to back page or select the logo where options will take you all the way back.  I kinda miss the old way also. 

I still can't find it.  Maybe it's a browser thing.  UGH !

[marti314]

Now if they would just STOP with the cookie they indefinitely store that takes you to /booked

[SteveinSC]

3 minutes ago, marti314 said:

Now if they would just STOP with the cookie they indefinitely store that takes you to /booked

[SpeedNoodles]

6 minutes ago, marti314 said:

Now if they would just STOP with the cookie they indefinitely store that takes you to /booked

Agreed. This is why I always just use an incognito window but it's a pain.

[WannaCruise]

56 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Oh....and prices are UP !

Yes...noticed a big jump as of Wed for a few of my cruises (Wed seems to be the standard new "sale" day).

I like the new website.  Shows info differently (plus a few virtual room tours).  They got rid of one small annoyance where it defaulted the C&A number from the main applicant for all applicants, but then errorred out when trying to get final price.  Why default if it will be an error and everyone has a unique number anyways.  This is fixed, which saves a few 'delete' keys. 

But true...to get out of a screen, you need to use the back arrows instead of the old 'change itinerary' link that was at the top.

[cruisinnewbie]

Beware also: My phone is giving me different prices than my desktop! I've just priced my cruise three times in the last five minutes and gotten 3 different prices. I called RC and they confirmed the middle one, which is the same as the price it was yesterday. When I called the rep got locked out of the system momentarily, so I'm guessing there's something glitchy going on.

[Matt]

I don't see the new design on my desktop computer. Are you searching on a specific device to get the new look?

[FionaMG]

I somehow got the new format on my desktop yesterday but today it's back to the old format...

[SteveinSC]

13 minutes ago, Matt said:

I don't see the new design on my desktop computer. Are you searching on a specific device to get the new look?

Working new way for me on Chrome. 

[WAAAYTOOO]

I've used both Chrome and Explorer/Edge and it's on both.  You have to go past the first few steps of a "find a cruise" to get to the new format.

[twangster]

33 minutes ago, Matt said:

I don't see the new design on my desktop computer. Are you searching on a specific device to get the new look?

Chrome Incognito on Mac does it for me.

Functionality remains the same it appears.

 

[Ogilthorpe]

26 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I still can't find it.  Maybe it's a browser thing.  UGH !

It could be, I was using Chrome on my desktop.

In desktop Edge, it is the old style site, in Desktop IE it is new and has the change date in the itinerary window.

On my phone (Android Chrome) it is the new style and the change  date is in the itinerary window there also.

I'm realizing this is way more interesting than what I was working on ....

[SpeedNoodles]

And for the love, WHEN will they change it to show us the refundable price BEFORE we have to enter name/address/signooverfirstbornchild?

[twangster]

1 minute ago, SpeedNoodles said:

And for the love, WHEN will they change it to show us the refundable price BEFORE we have to enter name/address/signooverfirstbornchild?

Ummm, never?

[marti314]

26 minutes ago, twangster said:

Ummm, never?

Why wouldn't you want to show someone the highest price first so they go no further and avoid booking a cruise.  

[Ampurp85]

It works in Mozilla Firefox too, I actually like this new layout..........but prices have increased. Part of my S2S that wasn't a L&S has increased quite a bit. Don't get me wrong it is still cheaper than a hotel, food and transportation but after I add my extras, it will be right at the edge.

[SpeedNoodles]

37 minutes ago, marti314 said:

Why wouldn't you want to show someone the highest price first so they go no further and avoid booking a cruise.  

They could show both. So annoying.

[marti314]

50 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

They could show both. So annoying.

OH i was kidding, i think they lose a lot of customers who say "Too Pricey" then move on to another line/sailing.

[twangster]

They are not encouraging refundable deposits, they don't want to lead with it.  They want NRD to be the norm.

[F1guynz]

It’s funny, I was just thinking the other day how much better the website used to be a few years ago. Royal must be one of the few companies that continually takes away functionality from the website.

 

Remember when you could

• View all the payment information on one tab with the timeline that showed amount paid, final payment date, amount owning etc. 
• sort cruises by cabin class price rather than the lcheapest cabin.
• cancel a cruise
• upgrade your cabin without calling
• update your crown and anchor preferences

And these are just the ones I remember.

How I long for the good old days of not having to contact their frustrating Call Centre

[marti314]

45 minutes ago, twangster said:

They are not encouraging refundable deposits, they don't want to lead with it.  They want NRD to be the norm.

I see why they are pushing the NRD but ive also found that after typing in all of mine and my passengers information the price often decreases.  This is after filling in the "State and C&A" number on the 2nd step of the booking.

[SpeedNoodles]

57 minutes ago, crisgold52 said:

In my experience all website bookings by default are NON REF generally. Its always best to book over the phone if one wants to explore categories in a refundable.

I could ask my travel agent, but I simply do it to check for price drops. Not a chance in hell I'm calling Royal Caribbean.

[twangster]

27 minutes ago, marti314 said:

I see why they are pushing the NRD but ive also found that after typing in all of mine and my passengers information the price often decreases.  This is after filling in the "State and C&A" number on the 2nd step of the booking.

Lucky you, my pricing stays the same throughout.  CAS discounts seem to apply before cabin selection for me.

[MLH]

they also took the ability to see pricing by guest.  That always told you what discounts you were getting, SR,c/A, or resident or Kids sale free.

[WAAAYTOOO]

39 minutes ago, MLH said:

they also took the ability to see pricing by guest.  That always told you what discounts you were getting, SR,c/A, or resident or Kids sale free.

You can still see that.  

[MLH]

6 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

You can still see that.  

found it.  thanks

[RCIfan1912]

The price difference between "you pick your room or we pick your room" is HUGE. Its 200 bucks difference on the one cruise I checked. I don't remember the difference being that huge in the past. Overall I think the update is OK. I'll have to play around with it more and use it more to really get a feel for it. 

[SpeedNoodles]

11 minutes ago, crisgold52 said:

Why not? It's super easy to call and get around hold times.

#1 - I can never understand them through the heavy accents.  and #2) I spent 10 years with a headset on my head for 10-14 hours a night answering phone calls. The LAST thing I ever want to do is call someone on the phone. Anyone. Ever.

[Ampurp85]

@SpeedNoodles OMG this so much. Calling is the last resort for me, which is why I am super grateful for my TA. I also find the CSRs to sometimes be ignorant of new polices. I don't want to have to get the "right" CSR to get things resolved.