No AIBP or Soda & More sith Ocean Medallion??

[sonomaphil]

Hopefully coming in the future. Statement from Princess

"Our Ocean Medallion™ Class ships will offer the Here and Now™, There and Then™ feature which allows you to order what you want, when you want it - in most locations throughout the ship. In order to accommodate this great new way to order beverages, our soda and all-inclusive beverage packages will initially not be offered onboard our Ocean Medallion™ Class ships. We are evaluating our ability to include them in the future."

 

I do hope so. If the Royal really is coming to the west coast that will be our 2019 cruise. But not if the Medallion causes the loss of the AIBP option.

[kenzie]

very disappointed as was going to book huge family holiday 28 dec on Regal:mad: (5 cabins) all adults so AIBP would be needed - off to NCL again we go.

[Thrak]

Hopefully it will be straightened out before the first Medallion cruise sails. Otherwise it is going to be confusing for staff and cause some very hard feelings among passengers when those who booked earlier under the Sip and Sail promo have the AIBP and the general population of passengers are unable to have it.

[GUT2407]

were is this to, just booked majestic from sydney sept 2018 cruise personaliser doesn't show AIBP shows soda package, does this mean it aint gonna be offered????

Ours is Hawaii. On Sea.

 

Maybe they're dumping AIBP....

[tartan cruiser]

I agree, they better get this worked out. We sail 2/18/2018 Regal with final payment in November. If it's not worked out by then we will cancel. Might be a lot of great prices after final payment if others do the same. I'm not hauling soda onboard nor paying per can. Deal breaker!

[martin jenkins]

Ours is Hawaii. On Sea.

 

Maybe they're dumping AIBP....

 

hope not, we persuaded other friends to come on this cruise, if it is not offered don't think aussies and kiwi's will be too impressed and we will definitely be cancelling this and move to ovation or p&o.

[NavyVeteran]

Hopefully it will be straightened out before the first Medallion cruise sails. Otherwise it is going to be confusing for staff and cause some very hard feelings among passengers when those who booked earlier under the Sip and Sail promo have the AIBP and the general population of passengers are unable to have it.

I guess the good news is that you and I will be able to find seats at the bar in Crooners to sit and drink all day.:) The bad news is all of the people walking past us glaring at us.:(

[wildfan2k]

If they don't fix this soon, we will be cancelling our Thanksgiving cruise on the Regal & trying NCL for the first time. NCL is currently offering 3 free specialty dinings AND their all inclusive drink package for free on 7 day cruises in an oceanview room or above.

[tartan cruiser]

I tried NCL last year and it was much better than I expected. By the way you can get the drink package on NCL when you book an inside cabin. One choice for inside and two for oceanview and balcony. They also have a deal now $50 deposit and $100 OBC for balcony and above plus the 2 other perks. I still prefer Princess but the value is not there anymore and this new Medallion thing might be the final straw. Celebrity includes 2 perk choices also with oceanview and above. Prices comparable to Princess who has lesser perks.

[reedprincess]

From Princess via their Facebook page:

"Hi Cheryl, our Ocean Medallion Class ships allow you to order what you want, when you want it – in most locations throughout the ship. In order to accommodate this great new way to order beverages, our soda and all-inclusive beverage package will initially not be offered onboard our Ocean Medallion class ships.

 

We will honor any packages previously purchased. Medallion Class voyages will be eligible for promotional offers that include a beverage package - like our popular Sip n Sail.

 

We look forward to welcoming you onboard!"

[sonomaphil]

From Princess via their Facebook page:

"Hi Cheryl, our Ocean Medallion Class ships allow you to order what you want, when you want it – in most locations throughout the ship. In order to accommodate this great new way to order beverages, our soda and all-inclusive beverage package will initially not be offered onboard our Ocean Medallion class ships.

 

We will honor any packages previously purchased. Medallion Class voyages will be eligible for promotional offers that include a beverage package - like our popular Sip n Sail.

 

We look forward to welcoming you onboard!"

 

So basically Princess is telling me do not book any cruises at all unless it's a Sip and Sail promo. Unreal.

[mthomp5]

I really hope it's something that is being done only initially as they work out how the Ocean Medallian beverage/food delivery system works. I would prefer to have AIBP and soda and more package and get my own drinks versus having drinks delivered through Ocean Medallion with no AIBP or soda package.

[lljost]

I really hope it's something that is being done only initially as they work out how the Ocean Medallian beverage/food delivery system works. I would prefer to have AIBP and soda and more package and get my own drinks versus having drinks delivered through Ocean Medallion with no AIBP or soda package.

 

I agree completely. I have no problem getting my own drink at any of the many bars located throughout the ship at any time of the day. I would much rather they drop that from their Ocean Medallion benefits and keep the drinks packages. It will be interesting to see what Princess does to fix this. My DH and I will not be happy if there is no all inclusive drinks package...

[GreyFox386]

I called Princess this afternoon and discussed this with the telephone representative. She seemed to be knowledgeable. She said they had just been notified of this change. She said their internal communication said the beverage packages were not being offered because of the ease of ordering drinks anywhere and anytime.

 

I made two comments: Medallion is supposed to make things better for the passengers and this removes options that some passengers like. Even if they were going to make the change, the communications was terrible - removing it from Cruise Personalizers on already booked cruises and adding the note without any explanation. She said she was taking notes and would forward the comments to the appropriate department.

 

She checked several times with someone else to verify answers to my questions. She said that anyone who already had the beverage packages (either already paid or under a promotion) would be able to use the package - including using it to order drinks to be delivered under Ocean Medallion. But no one else can purchase one.

 

This seems like another example like what they did with requiring payment for reserving shore excursions. First they required payment. Then they received lots of comments. They seemed to understand the comments about not being able to use OBC, so they reversed the policy until they could figure out how to allow use of OBC. Then they reintroduced the policy with OBC allowed, but they still don't allow all OBC. On my January cruise, I used my FCD and veteran OBC to book excursions, but my shareholder OBC is not yet available. Also my loyalty OBC won't be available until onboard. They didn't seem to understand the ramifications of their decision. In order to make it work with OBC, they need to figure out some way to post additional OBC earlier (at least tentatively).

 

This looks like a similar problem. Someone figured out that they can't have a bunch of people with beverage packages ordering drinks to be delivered every few minutes. So their response was to stop offering the packages. Personally, I think they had a better response that would take care of their customers and also prevent the problem they're trying to prevent. Drinks ordered from room service are currently not covered by AIBP or Soda & More. They could define the Medallion drink delivery options as room service and not include them in the packages. I would not mind if I had to go to a bar or dining room to order my beverages under the AIBP as I do now. I don't plan to take advantage of the new ordering flexibility and I would prefer having the option of the current drink packages working the way they do now. They certainly could program something like that if they wanted.

 

I suspect we will see changes in drink packages for Ocean Medallion once Princess starts receiving a lot of negative feedback. In my opinion, this one change will make Ocean Medallion a failure even if everything else works great.

 

I agree with you 100%. I just got off the phone with them myself, and cancelled our March 2018 booking because of this. I still love Princess and hope this gets worked out, but until then, I am not booking anything on Ocean Medallion voyages, and since Regal and Royal are our favorite ships, I probably won't be booking at all until this is resolved. I am so very disappointed...

[senior lady]

I find it hard to believe that people would cancel cruises because the all- inclusive drink pkg isn't offered. As these cruises haven't even started yet, how do you know that it won't be resolved or something new added?

I've only had this pkg once, and it was hard to break even everyday. As a Canadian, by the time you add 30% extra on, it's not worth it for me. My last cruise I had enough OBC to cover most everything, I think my bill was $178 at end of cruise.

[GreyFox386]

I find it hard to believe that people would cancel cruises because the all- inclusive drink pkg isn't offered. As these cruises haven't even started yet, how do you know that it won't be resolved or something new added?

I've only had this pkg once, and it was hard to break even everyday. As a Canadian, by the time you add 30% extra on, it's not worth it for me. My last cruise I had enough OBC to cover most everything, I think my bill was $178 at end of cruise.

 

I understand how you would feel this way if you don't drink a lot on the ships. For us, the AIBP includes, specialty coffees, beer/wine (by the glass), cocktails and on Regal or Royal also gelato. We don't drink heavily at home, but on the ships, we enjoy our drinks, and we absolutely get our monies worth. We do two cruises on Princess per year, and we ALWAYS buy the AIBP. Sure, we can still cruise without it, but we don't want to. It's nice to know that you have set that part of the expenses aside, and that you no longer need to think about how much you're spending... just relax and indulge/enjoy. So yes, I absolutely did cancel our cruise in March, and I am seeing others on FB doing so as well. Many people like this option, so simply because you may not benefit from it isn't a reason to judge those of us who want it.

[tartan cruiser]

I agree these packages affect different people differently. I hate hauling soda onboard and I always buy the soda and more package and love all that is included especially the mocktails and juices. It is something I enjoy and indulge while cruising. My cruise isn't until 2/2018, on the Regal, and it does say initially they won't be available. How long will that be? 1 month, 6 months. Like I said if not resolved by final payment I will cancel. I also booked another cruise on another cruise line to be somewhat price protected and assured I will be cruising in February/2018.

 

Very seldom do I order from a waiter because I don't like to wait so I go to the bar myself anyway. Don't see the value of Ocean Medallion for me at this time. What has me puzzled is they say if you get the Sip n Sail promotion they will accommodate you but otherwise you'll be forced to pay as you go. Sounds like they want to make the Sip n Sail promotion more appealing. Hummmm

Edited May 2, 2017 by tartan cruiser

[GreyFox386]

I agree these packages affect different people differently. I hate hauling soda onboard and I always buy the soda and more package and love all that is included especially the mocktails and juices. It is something I enjoy and indulge while cruising. My cruise isn't until 2/2018, on the Regal, and it does say initially they won't be available. How long will that be? 1 month, 6 months. Like I said if not resolved by final payment I will cancel. I also booked another cruise on another cruise line to be somewhat price protected and assured I will be cruising in February/2018.

 

What has me puzzled is they say if you get the Sip and Sail promotion they will accommodate you but otherwise you'll be forced to pay as you go. Hummmm

 

I think they are hedging their bets that those without Sip and Sail won't cancel. I suspect they'll be unpleasantly surprised by how many of us actually do cancel. We love Princess, and we go a long way out of our way to sail with them... but we have ports closer to home and as much as we'd rather stay on Princess, we will jump-ship to another line if this policy doesn't change.

[Murray's Pop]

I think they are hedging their bets that those without Sip and Sail won't cancel. I suspect they'll be unpleasantly surprised by how many of us actually do cancel. We love Princess, and we go a long way out of our way to sail with them... but we have ports closer to home and as much as we'd rather stay on Princess, we will jump-ship to another line if this policy doesn't change.

 

I'm definitely having a hard time figuring out their rationale for this, other than very poor planning. We were planning to book a 14 day cruise on the Regal for next April, but that is now on hold to see what they do. If no AIBP then will go to another cruise line. Hopefully they will get their act together soon, as its not a good idea to show the public just how unorganized corporate planning really is!

[Thrak]

I agree with you 100%. I just got off the phone with them myself, and cancelled our March 2018 booking because of this. I still love Princess and hope this gets worked out, but until then, I am not booking anything on Ocean Medallion voyages, and since Regal and Royal are our favorite ships, I probably won't be booking at all until this is resolved. I am so very disappointed...

 

Hopefully you made it abundantly clear why you were cancelling your cruise. I hope there is a flood of cancellations due to this issue. That is the thing that is most likely to get their attention.

 

 

I think this whole problem is just one more case of Marketing making promises that aren't realistic. It happens all the time. It's easy to promise that someone else will do something. Heck, the marketing people aren't the ones who have to provide the service or implement the process or whatever else it is they are promoting.

[Tedferg]

I just read Medallion info on Princess site and must say I am underwhelmed - seems like a gimmick to me. 'The ability to suggest an excursion because we know you like snorkeling' ??????

[GrammySpo]

The reason we booked our cruise was to give the Ocean Medallion a try, however we won't do it without the AIBP. I have confidence they will get it figured out.

 

 

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[geocruiser]

I would like to know how the crew is going to be able to handle all the requests, like drinks. There are 3,000+ PAX on board and I sure more than one at a time will want something brought to them. Any one know how it will work?

Do I need a cell phone to use this? I have a old flip phone.

[GreyFox386]

Hopefully you made it abundantly clear why you were cancelling your cruise. I hope there is a flood of cancellations due to this issue. That is the thing that is most likely to get their attention.

 

 

I think this whole problem is just one more case of Marketing making promises that aren't realistic. It happens all the time. It's easy to promise that someone else will do something. Heck, the marketing people aren't the ones who have to provide the service or implement the process or whatever else it is they are promoting.

 

Oh yes, I made it very clear that I was cancelling because of the lack of availability of the AIBP.

 

I am sure you're right about why this happened... and to be honest, it's not so much that it is an issue, it's more of how they are dealing with it.

 

First, they should have "grandfathered" anyone who booked who hadn't yet purchased the package. We buy ours a few weeks before we leave. They did this for Sip N Sail passengers and anyone who had already paid for the AIBP, but not for those who booked and hadn't yet paid.

 

Second, anyone who booked should have ALREADY received an email explaining the situation and reasonable options to offer us.

 

Third, they should be much more transparent about the plans to either resolve this, or never to offer it again. Granted, nothing is forever, but if it's a short term problem that they KNOW they want to resolve, it would solve a lot of frustration by just letting us know. Leaving people hanging like this is WHY we feel we have no choice but to cancel and book something else, or with another line.

[Bill B]

Hopefully coming in the future. Statement from Princess

"Our Ocean Medallion™ Class ships will offer the Here and Now™, There and Then™ feature which allows you to order what you want, when you want it - in most locations throughout the ship. In order to accommodate this great new way to order beverages, our soda and all-inclusive beverage packages will initially not be offered onboard our Ocean Medallion™ Class ships. We are evaluating our ability to include them in the future."

 

 

Red italics 'translated' -

 

Because this creates the potential for unlimited abuse of our soda and all-inclusive beverage packages, they will initially not be offered onboard our Ocean Medallion Class ships. We will include modified versions of the packages in the future. However, the new packages will have an as yet to be determined limit on the number of beverages per day a package holder may order .