Ocean Medallions: Is Princess Ending the Program before it began.

[stevenr597]

We have been reading a lot about the Ocean Medallion Program on Princess. Personally it may have some positives, but again some negatives in that Princess will be able to track what you are doing and where you are on the cruise.

 

With that being said, we keep seeing that its implementation is constantly being pushed back. I am getting the impression, that if possible, Princess would like to do away with this program entirely, in that it is proving to be a costly mistake.

 

We are booked on the Regal Princess, the end of July, and I am beginning to doubt that we will see it in use.

 

Personally, this wouldn't bother me. Just curious to do if Princess is planning to shelve this program.

[weedpindle]

way too much invested to kill it. Not sure why they can't fix it, Disney World has basically the same setup and it works like a charm (at least every time I've used it).

[fishywood]

It is not Princess' program to end. Ocean Medallion is the pet project of Mr. Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc. It was his decision to implement it on the Princess brand first. So either it somehow gets fixed or Mr. Donald will be updating his resume very soon.

[moki'smommy]

way too much invested to kill it. Not sure why they can't fix it, Disney World has basically the same setup and it works like a charm (at least every time I've used it).

The difference is that Disney has learned thru some embarrassing goofs to not release information about a project until it is "almost" ready to go. They are also known for "soft openings" and CM only trial periods before official release dates.

 

Would people have been upset to arrive at the terminal and be issued a medallion rather than a cruise card along with printed material touting all the benefits of this new medallion technology? I don't think you'd hear complaints. But promise new technology and end up saying "oh, sorry" and you'll hear plenty.

[kywildcatfanone]

I hope they kill it. Seems like forcing something on customers that has no real benefits to the customer.

[pms4104]

Sadly, I suspect the ***** program is full steam ahead ... even if it takes til hell freezes over before it works on even one ship in the fleet.

 

Meanwhile, heads should roll, starting with those who drank the ***** koolaid and made the decision to spend how much $ to market and roll out the ***** wsy before it eas ready for prime time.

 

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[NoWhiners]

I don't care about ***** but if the technology improves the internet speed and bandwidth onboard, I'd be a happy camper.

 

Last year we cruised around NZ on RCI. Their internet was great--I was able to watch Netflix in the evening and I got unlimited use, on sale (about 30% off the regular price).

 

I wish Princess could offer me that. I have no problem using my key card to unlock my door or getting my drink at a bar or from a passing waiter. Maybe they could just backtrack from all the ***** bugs, uhh, I mean features, and just give us fast and capable internet at a decent price.

[weedpindle]

I hope they kill it. Seems like forcing something on customers that has no real benefits to the customer.

Like so many things today, it is not about a benefit to the consumer. If it were to work properly, all purchases, reservations, boarding,disembarking, leaving & returning to the ship would be without any physical interaction between ship personnel & passenger, just by being in close proximity to ***** and a ***** reader all passenger info is automatically displayed on a reader monitored by ship personnel (no handheld card scanning ever). It will benefit Princess immensely when it works.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I just got home from the Seatrade Cruise Global conference and since they had a conference on "Preparing to Deliver Ocean Medallion Class Guest Experience Maximization" with John Padgett speaking, I don't think it's going anywhere.

 

Cruise Critic hosted a Consumer Centric Panel, what Cruisers want. What an absolute honor to be one of the panelists along with 3 other members of CC.

[fishin' musician]

I just got home from the Seatrade Cruise Global conference and since they had a conference on "Preparing to Deliver Ocean Medallion Class Guest Experience Maximization" with John Padgett speaking, I don't think it's going anywhere.

 

Cruise Critic hosted a Consumer Centric Panel, what Cruisers want. What an absolute honor to be one of the panelists along with 3 other members of CC.

 

Congratulations on being appointed to the panel!

 

In light of the continuing epic failure of the rollout, I'm surprised they are remaining on the soapbox. Across the fleet how many staterooms were slated to have it by now and yet they are barely over 100 rooms and those are not fully functional.

 

With regard to Disney, I get the impression that this wireless technology is better suited to open space rather than thousands of stacked metal boxes.

[Coral]

In the end, regardless of how bad the implementation is and regardless how well it works when fully implented, it will eventually be deemed a huge success from the company.

[jlp20]

The issue is you might be unaware just how arcane the old system is. What Princess wants is a more efficient way to get money out of your pocket in a quick and accurate method. The shops are independent and may swipe you cruise card for THEIR book keeping, but it's the duplicate paper receipt that tracks your money. Those copies and all those handwritten bar slips are entered by hand each night into the accounting program. This is why I have recommended you check your folio 2-3 times a week. After 5 days rather hard to remember if you had 3 or 4 beers that first night. I have only had to dispute 2 charges at the pursers desk twice in all of our cruises. With new system, all actions SHOULD appear on account instantly. All the other actions the medallion is to perform are just frosting on the cake.

[pms4104]

The issue is you might be unaware just how arcane the old system is. What Princess wants is a more efficient way to get money out of your pocket in a quick and accurate method. The shops are independent and may swipe you cruise card for THEIR book keeping, but it's the duplicate paper receipt that tracks your money. Those copies and all those handwritten bar slips are entered by hand each night into the accounting program. This is why I have recommended you check your folio 2-3 times a week. After 5 days rather hard to remember if you had 3 or 4 beers that first night. I have only had to dispute 2 charges at the pursers desk twice in all of our cruises. With new system, all actions SHOULD appear on account instantly. All the other actions the medallion is to perform are just frosting on the cake.

I question the manual process described here. Just off the Royal ... instantly, after using my card in a shop or at a bar, I was able to view that expense on my folio via Princess@Sea. In fact, the BOGO servers were using tablets to handle our orders and folio debit. We were on the Carib Princess in October ... and I could verify thru Princess@Sea that our folio was updated immediately.

 

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[jlp20]

If ALL the drink runners are now wired, I stand corrected. If folios were correct, I take it there was no lines of upset pax at the purser's desk the final morning.

[mamaboss]

Probably not going anywhere. I'm just off Crown March 3 and they were installing cables in the hallways. My brother ask a worker who confirmed they are installing medallion. Personally I don't care one way or the other. I did have to replace my cruise card a few times due to it getting to close to the magnet on my fit bit band. I wonder if medallion would eliminate that problem.

[pms4104]

If ALL the drink runners are now wired, I stand corrected. If folios were correct, I take it there was no lines of upset pax at the purser's desk the final morning.

I can only speak for the Happy Hour servers being wired. As to Guest Svc lines, we never had anyone in line ahead of us on Royal ... and we did not qualify for the Elite/Suite line. Good timing on our part, perhaps. Our folio needed no corrections.

 

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[satxdiver]

Now with Princess@Sea I can watch my folio on a minute by minute basis. As soon as I order and receive a drink, I look on my folio and it is always there. Since Princess went to a computerized ordering system, updates are instantaneous. Princess@Sea has a lot of good features and I use my smart phone all the time as it is so convenient.

 

***** is here to stay despite all the naysayers. Princess oversold the concept initially and ended up with a huge PR problem. After spending years as an IT consultant, I have seen this played out over and over again. The sales department wants it now while the IT group wants to do it right. Sales always seems to win. ***** will be good for the pax and for Princess. With data collected on pax movements they can better plan the ships to cut down on congestion and better determine what pax want and what they do not want. For those who believe Princess is going to monitor all 3000+ pax on a ship minute by minute, I suggest you first turn off your cell phones as they are being tracked and recorded every minute and then put on your tin foil hat to stop the radiation.

[Thrak]

We cruised in October and all drinks were immediately (or close enough) available on my phone via Princess@Sea. We did have a few issues. My wife was charged for a beer at Outrigger and I was charged two times for drinks I ordered in the theater. The waiter got them from the casino bar and both times the clowns there charged my card even though we had the beverage package.

[OCruisers]

While use of the Medallions keeps getting pushed back, it's highly unlikely it'll go away.

[KreinKrunker]

Just off the Royal ... instantly, after using my card in a shop or at a bar, I was able to view that expense on my folio via Princess@Sea.

At Happy Hour on the Coral, in February, our drinks were showing on the account before we received them. We don't need the medallion to track people. I can track my wife by checking her account.

[pms4104]

At Happy Hour on the Coral, in February, our drinks were showing on the account before we received them. We don't need the medallion to track people. I can track my wife by checking her account.

And vice versa, I would guess.

 

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[riclop]

I hope so.

[HUNKY]

Princess forgot the Golden Rule of Technology.

 

UNDER promise & OVER deliver!

[dobiemom]

At Happy Hour on the Coral, in February, our drinks were showing on the account before we received them. We don't need the medallion to track people. I can track my wife by checking her account.

:D:tropical-drink::D

[Lucky TGO]

I think Princess has to much money invested in it to just drop it.

Tony