Thanks to @BrianCurliss for hunting us! We just launched on Friday! Psyched to make Product Hunt.
Online cruise booking needed a good kick in the pants and some solid updating. That's precisely why we launched Cruise.me. Online cruise booking sites have not changed much since they first appeared in 90s. Complex UI/UX is why only 10% of people book online.
We thought that if you could travel all over the world and visit thousands of amazing places, you should be able to visualize and book on an interactive map. We eliminated most of the cumbersome drop down menus and added big, bold images of ports, destinations and ships.
There are over 25 new cruise ships ordered and on the way. These ships are built for the millennial generation. We wanted to introduce a site that was easier and much more fun to use.
I'll be here all day answering any questions. Would love to hear your feedback!
Cheers!
I thought cruises were mostly for the older generation....
I've never really been tempted by the thought of one.
This being said, it's my opinion but one that I think a lot of people may agree with (I could be wrong!!).
Have you designed the site to accommodate a certain demographic? Or have you just jazzed it up to current web standards for us tech-interested peeps?
@bentossell There used to be a saying in the cruise industry that there were two types of cruisers — newlyweds and nearly deads. However, that's no longer the case. The average cruiser is getting younger every year.
The newer ships are built more like boutique hotels and cater to a younger demographic. Think of it like this, it would be difficult to travel to five different locations within a week. Airports, checking into Airbnbs, unpacking, checking out and all the hassle. Then you repeat four more times.
@stephenchip haha what a great saying!
I understand why it may suit some people... just don't think its for me. Can always be persuaded though I'm sure!
@bentossell@stephenchip I've been tempted by a cruise before for sure, but actually going is entirely dependent on recruiting friends. I always thought they were way more expensive, so more transparency to pricing of the various options is definitely a good thing.
Great to see you guys go live @stephenchip. I remember seeing the URL a little over a year or two ago and thought, "that's a great name!"
How do you see yourself compared to something like Dreamlines (https://www.dreamlines.de/) which has a loyal following in Europe?
@farazq would like this.
@daveambrose Hi Dave! Thanks for the kind words. We are quite fond of the name as well.
The main difference between Cruise.me and other sites is the user experience and the innovation.
For example, on Cruise.me, selecting a cabin on a cruise ship is as easy as selecting a seat on an airplane. That's not the case with other cruise booking sites. They display a static deck plan with no interactivity. This makes for a frustrating booking experience for the user.
Cruise.me also has a social layer. When someone logs into Cruise.me, they create a profile and can add favorite cruise lines, cruises, places they have visited and more. We have more features to add that are on our roadmap.
As we were creating solutions, and eliminating pain points, we realized that we had some innovative tech that could also be standalone products for the B2B community.
@stephenchip "The main difference between Cruise.me and other sites is the user experience and the innovation."
Playing devil's advocate, what's defensible long term about either of those?
@drewmeyers@daveambrose Well, nothing is defensible because, no my knowledge, you can't patent a user experience. There very well may be some "me too" products that comes out in the future. I think Cruise.me certainly has a first mover advantage here.
Cruise.me
Cruise.me
Makerpad
Cruise.me
Makerpad
Horizon
Polywork
Cruise.me
Horizon