Should we boycott Princess until Medallion App works ?

[CapeAliso]

1 hour ago, SOCACRUISEGUY said:

Four of us, with 4 different phone types, have two different upcoming cruises. Green lane across the board and medallions received for the first departure. App seems to be working well for us.  🤷‍♂️

6 of us with the same experience...green lane across the board...

I can imagine that it would be frustrating if it didn't work for us though.

 

[Amtrack Springfield]

We have two cruises booked worked just fine.

[MishelleMcc]

So far, I've been able to complete all the steps for our Jan 2022 cruise (Haven't even tried to do the 2023 Cruise)  But it took many different times, tries and days...  All while Princess was also trying to fix stuff so my timing may have been out of sync with their repairs and upgrades.  

 

I also am all thumbs on the iphone and it's a huge strain for my eyes.  Unfortunately, my Ipad is just one version off from the lowest compatible version for the Medallion App. 

 

That said, I feel very optimistic for it's future:  I think I've read (Here on CC) that sometime in November, the Medallion App will have a compatible and/or interchangeable App that will work in a desktop version.   THIS will make a lot of this work so much easier!  Some things, like scanning the Passport, will likely still need to be done with iphone or ipad.  But having this flexibility And Princess continuing to fix the "Bugs" (There are ALWAYS bugs, fixes, upgrades and patches when new technology is rolled out - I know from experience) should really help all of us navigate through the process more smoothly.  I look forward to the functionality of the App when it's working consistently for everyone!

 

In the mean time...  I bought a $9.00 blue-tooth keyboard that I easily paired with my iphone and use regularly.  😉

 

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088ZQNNX5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[disneyochem]

The app is working well for all of our cruises (4 before the end of this year).  Doesn’t seem to be the most intuitive app but I find it pretty easy to use.

 

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by disneyochem

[dog]

4 minutes ago, MishelleMcc said:

So far, I've been able to complete all the steps for our Jan 2022 cruise (Haven't even tried to do the 2023 Cruise)  But it took many different times, tries and days...  All while Princess was also trying to fix stuff so my timing may have been out of sync with their repairs and upgrades.  

 

I also am all thumbs on the iphone and it's a huge strain for my eyes.  Unfortunately, my Ipad is just one version off from the lowest compatible version for the Medallion App. 

 

That said, I feel very optimistic for it's future:  I think I've read (Here on CC) that sometime in November, the Medallion App will have a compatible and/or interchangeable App that will work in a desktop version.   THIS will make a lot of this work so much easier!  Some things, like scanning the Passport, will likely still need to be done with iphone or ipad.  But having this flexibility And Princess continuing to fix the "Bugs" (There are ALWAYS bugs, fixes, upgrades and patches when new technology is rolled out - I know from experience) should really help all of us navigate through the process more smoothly.  I look forward to the functionality of the App when it's working consistently for everyone!

 

In the mean time...  I bought a $9.00 blue-tooth keyboard that I easily paired with my iphone and use regularly.  😉

 

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088ZQNNX5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Well said!!! Thanks for sharing. 

[CineGraphic]

We currently have six sailings booked. Only one of them recognizes my credit card and has me in the "green lane". Even though I used the same info for all six bookings, it only works with one of them.

 

[dog]

5 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

We currently have six sailings booked. Only one of them recognizes my credit card and has me in the "green lane". Even though I used the same info for all six bookings, it only works with one of them.

 

Glad you have it worked for atleast ONE of your cruises, so far 

[kbt cruiser]

Well it is encouraging that it works for some. It gives me hope. To @Princessluver, I'm all for change, I'm a Princess Platinum member, and as I said before, they are my favourite cruise line. I also worked in IT industry from 1986 until I retired last year, so I know a lot about software and how to release it, so I know a complete dog's breakfast when I see it.

 

A working app and contactless is the way to go. By implementing it so badly, Princess have given Celebrity and other competitors a real competitive advantage. Do Princess think travel agents will not be warning people (especially over 70s) and steering them onto other cruise lines ? This debacle will be hurting their bottom line (see the post from the gentleman wishing he could afford to cancel a number of future cruise bookings)

 

It should not take 4 hours to input the data (an I've still not managed to input my daughter's address or my wife's mobile phone number as the Persoonal details gives an "Invalid sequence number" error and throws away all edits). On the website it took about 15 minutes.

To the sarcastic poster, go buy a kettle and wait 4 hours for it to boil and see if you feel resistant to change

[Jimmys Chippy]

Just returned off a week long cruise. My Medallion App take from booking to disembarkation? Ridiculous to have to use the app to log in details and check in, this surely could still be done via the website and the details transferred across with your booking reference, the whole episode worked out in the end but at the expense of frustration, anger and a lot of ignored questions and phone calls from Princess.

 

Whilst onboard the app worked ok for the first two and a half days and then nothing as the wifi stopped being picked up on my phone making the app, and my prepaid wifi, worthless. I was told at the front desk that there are glitches but nothing in the way of how to fix it. The saving grace is that you really don’t need the app, you can still order drinks manually, and this way is the most efficient way, there’s screens all round the ship to log into your account if you need to use the technology and other services can be accessed by your stateroom tv. 

[CineGraphic]

4 hours ago, dog said:

Glad you have it worked for atleast ONE of your cruises, so far 

 

That cruise is in January......our sailing in November is the one I'm concerned about.

Is it too much to expect to be able to stroll on the ship with no delay as been the promise for over a year? Princess has 29 days to make things right, but my gut feeling is that they'll drop the ball and fail.

Up until now, Princess has been our cruise line of choice. It looks like it's time to give MSC a try.

[dog]

3 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

That cruise is in January......our sailing in November is the one I'm concerned about.

Is it too much to expect to be able to stroll on the ship with no delay as been the promise for over a year? Princess has 29 days to make things right, but my gut feeling is that they'll drop the ball and fail.

Up until now, Princess has been our cruise line of choice. It looks like it's time to give MSC a try.

I was wondering if it might have to do with later cruises that wouldn’t take the credit card. I had this happen in the Personalizer because the card expired before the end of the cruise. I also had something similar when inputting my passport because it expired less then 6 months after the cruise.  
doesn’t sound like that is your issue. Princess has really let people down with taking away the Personalizer option. 

[billco]

15 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

Again… why should they be posting an apology on Cruise Critic? It isn’t a forum operated by Princess nor do they have any strategic alliance with it.

 

Why do you think someone should be terminated over this? The app was tested and met the expectations and performance requirements as part of the Apple Developer Program for iOS. Loyalty status shouldn’t make a difference with someone’s opinion over an app’s performance.

 

If you’re having difficulty, there will be agents available to assist you.

I agree. On my recent cruise on the Majestic I noticed help being available both on the pier and on the ship. I haven't had much trouble with the app, but knowing what I know now I think I might have ignored the app and just showed up at the ship with my passport, covid test, and booking number. Might have taken longer to check in, but not nearly as long as it did fooling around with the app.

[twangster]

I just took my first Princess cruise at the end of September so I was new to everything for this line.

 

My only app issue was my payment card showing as incomplete even though it was there.  The result was getting the blue lane.  

 

I tried all the regular things.  Deleting app, reinstalling, rebooting, different device, called them, etc.  No matter what... blue lane.  I gave up.  

 

A few weeks later I was in the green lane.  Until I answered the health questions the day before and back to the blue lane.  I fiddled briefly, deleted all my payment methods was about to give up and... green lane.

 

At the port it didn't matter.  Green lane vs. Blue lane was 10 seconds different.  

 

My pre-delivered customized medallion had a dead battery.  Had to get a new medallion on the ship.  Lost $5 on the customized medallion.   That happens a lot apparently.  Lesson learned - don't order a medallion (suggestion from guest services).

  

When I cruise them again I'm taking my sales invoice on paper and just going to the pier.  No medallion order, no app worries, I'm just going to show up.  

 

[awhcruiser]

Have you checked for an update on your phone?

[Steelers36]

I believe if we did not have a B2B2B, that all of our bookings would be working fine on MC App.  The only persistent issue I have is with DMW on the B2B2B.  Doesn't work.

 

Outside of that, I have many issues and concerns with the general implementation and philosophy of DMW since they destroyed the TD experience and don't seem to be "allowing" the MD's to fix it.

 

[Sea Hag]

I may have been lucky or it may be that the Android version has worked better than the Apple version. Or something. But I just haven't had anywhere near the problems that so many people have had. Has it worked perfectly for me, every time in every place? No. Have I always, up until today, been able to accomplish what I needed to accomplish? Yes, and mostly without much fuss. 

 

I'm happy with things as they are now, and I hope that those of you who are having problems can get those solved or work around them. It can't be any fun trying to get ready for a cruise and having all these glitches suck all the joy out of things.

[ProfMHC]

My problem is we have Princess hotels booked for three cruises. Pre-sailing. Apparently this is a known problem. They finally fixed the first cruise for me so I can access DMW. They’ve not fixed my husband’s on any (nor mine on the other cruises.) This has to be a global problem for many folks as pre-Cruise Princess hotels are, I assume, fairly popular.  So still waiting…….

[fabby50]

We too had many of the problems discussed here until about 2 weeks before our cruise, then stuff started to work well.  We have another cruise scheduled for April 22 and I am again faced with a white screen on a lot of the steps.  I wonder if they have some clocks set or a priority based on cruise date or something?

 

I also see that other cruise lines are going this way with their own versions of Medallion (called something else of course).  I wonder how those are doing?  Anyone have any experience with another line?  We have a NCL cruise booked for December 22 and I haven't started working that one yet.

[wallyj]

I know I read a suggestion on another thread regarding the Medallion APP. Unfortunately, pre Cruise many are having issues, completing check in. My cousin was on the 4 day Grand sailing September 30. He has sailed with Princess but for some reason, the APP would not recognize his booking number, and birth date. He was never able to check in via the APP. So it takes a couple more minutes at the pier.

 

The suggestion in the other thread, not by me, is forget about the APP and stress. You will be able to check in at the pier. Why are you spending hours of your time on the phone worrying about this or trying to get it resolved, when you will be able to check in easy peasy at the pier. Especially now with lower capacity, you are only saving yourself a few minutes by having checked in on the APP. 
 

I got frustrated as the APP all of a sudden a few weeks before sailing lost my Passport info and sent me to Blue lane from Green lane. Obviously, Princess hopefully will fix these issues and has already announced they will again allow check in thru the online Personalizer as before in the near future.

 

Frustrating yes, spend hours on the phone pre cruise, no. I understand some want to book excursions, specialty dinners, etc. You will be able to do on board, with lower capacity, you will most likely still get your first choice.

[CineGraphic]

5 minutes ago, wallyj said:

Frustrating yes, spend hours on the phone pre cruise, no. I understand some want to book excursions, specialty dinners, etc. You will be able to do on board, with lower capacity, you will most likely still get your first choice.

 

I know the early Alaska sailings were at reduced capacity, but unless I'm missing something,  I've not seen anything to indicate that they are continuing this practice. More ships start sailing soon, which means more folks with more problems. Princess is behind a HUGE 8 -ball.

[kbt cruiser]

Yes, I think our sailing on Tuesday is full. We got the last balcony. At least it says Green Lane, even though the details for my wife and daughter are wrong and can't be edited. (Well they can, but it doesn't save them)

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by kbt cruiser
Extra info

[wallyj]

12 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

I know the early Alaska sailings were at reduced capacity, but unless I'm missing something,  I've not seen anything to indicate that they are continuing this practice. More ships start sailing soon, which means more folks with more problems. Princess is behind a HUGE 8 -ball.

The short sailings on the Grand are at greatly reduced numbers, probably by low bookings and not imposed by Princess. The first 5 day was about 1100, second 4 day about 1000, 3rd 5 day current sailing just over 700 and the next sailings not much more.

 

Friends on current 3 day Majestic say about 50% and they are on for the next 2 seven day sailings and circle host reported those are only about 60-65% , so I think a combination of the testing requirement and masking has made many hesitant about booking now, so at least for now, ships are not going to be sailing full.

 

Medallion APP pre cruise, thumbs down for many, but once on board, I feel it is great to have so few on board and very minimal waits for service at dining or bars or elevators.

[memoak]

4 hours ago, dog said:

I was wondering if it might have to do with later cruises that wouldn’t take the credit card. I had this happen in the Personalizer because the card expired before the end of the cruise. I also had something similar when inputting my passport because it expired less then 6 months after the cruise.  
doesn’t sound like that is your issue. Princess has really let people down with taking away the Personalizer option. 

Regarding the passport issue many  countries insist you have 6 months remaining on the passport in order to enter the country

[dog]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

Regarding the passport issue many  countries insist you have 6 months remaining on the passport in order to enter the country

Yes that is true and was the reason the Personalizer would not accept my information. I renewed the passport and everything filled in correctly 

[Tedferg]

25 minutes ago, kbt cruiser said:

Yes, I think our sailing on Tuesday is full. We got the last balcony. At least it says Green Lane, even though the details for my wife and daughter are wrong and can't be edited. (Well they can, but it doesn't save them)

 

Check the Country code for phone number. I was not able to Save until I chose '+1" for US.