Princess Customer Service - Beginning to Second Guess My Decision

[Clark W Grismond]

Hello-

 

Compelled to write.  I'm new to Princess, booked on the Sky for a late-February Departure.  Between the abysmal execution of the mandatory Medallion App, to their poor customer service, I'm seriously beginning to question the wisdom of booking this trip.  Nothing has gone smoothly.  And good luck trying to get a live person on the phone to assist with an issue.  And when you do, they're inept.  And this coming from a young parent of teenagers, that is technologically adept and more than capable of managing an iPad and their App.

 

And frankly, I'm beyond sick of, "Well, we don't have enough people to work due to Covid."  Covid is the new, de facto refrain to provide poor, overpriced customer experiences, and people simply nod their heads and accept the new normal.  I'm working.   My team is working.  My Customers continue to expect crisp execution.  Am I wrong to be fed up with the "new normal?"  

 

You pay a premium for DCL, but it's proving the old adage to be true - you get what you pay for.

 

I'm hoping the trip will be more enjoyable than the preparation.

[VibeGuy]

There has never been a better time to sail with Princess, in terms of onboard product and execution, at any time in the last 25 years. 
 

The pre-departure experience is a feces-show right now - getting a human is impossible, the app doesn’t work well even on flagship devices, the help desk for app issues is buried in requests from people who aren’t sailing until June. 
 

I urge you to disregard all that.  We booked B2Bs for before and over Christmas.   Things on board were so good we stayed for New Years.   That was so fun we stayed past Epiphany and all the way into MLK Day.   That sailing was so good we’re back for another month in a few weeks. 
 

The crew is eager to please.  Nothing is overcrowded.  The ships are sparkling. The app actually works great once you’re onboard.  Princess is executing so well it scares me and the App makes them seem just one step away from psychic.  
 

I’ve got no dog in this hunt other than being a happy customer who has lots of vacation choices open to him.  I have millions of Marriott Bonvoy points and enough miles to buy a small airline.  I could go anywhere they’ll have me, and I’m choosing to spend more time on Princess right now. 

[dog]

1 hour ago, Clark W Grismond said:

Hello-

 

Compelled to write.  I'm new to Princess, booked on the Sky for a late-February Departure.  Between the abysmal execution of the mandatory Medallion App, to their poor customer service, I'm seriously beginning to question the wisdom of booking this trip.  Nothing has gone smoothly.  And good luck trying to get a live person on the phone to assist with an issue.  And when you do, they're inept.  And this coming from a young parent of teenagers, that is technologically adept and more than capable of managing an iPad and their App.

 

And frankly, I'm beyond sick of, "Well, we don't have enough people to work due to Covid."  Covid is the new, de facto refrain to provide poor, overpriced customer experiences, and people simply nod their heads and accept the new normal.  I'm working.   My team is working.  My Customers continue to expect crisp execution.  Am I wrong to be fed up with the "new normal?"  

 

You pay a premium for DCL, but it's proving the old adage to be true - you get what you pay for.

 

I'm hoping the trip will be more enjoyable than the preparation.

They offer CWC- 30 days prior to sailing & refundable deposits, & PVP insurance 

 

with your attitude I don’t see any enjoyment for you. 
as many governments are still telling us this is not the time to travel. 

 

 

[suekel]

2 hours ago, Clark W Grismond said:

Hello-

 

Compelled to write.  I'm new to Princess, booked on the Sky for a late-February Departure.  Between the abysmal execution of the mandatory Medallion App, to their poor customer service, I'm seriously beginning to question the wisdom of booking this trip.  Nothing has gone smoothly.  And good luck trying to get a live person on the phone to assist with an issue.  And when you do, they're inept.  And this coming from a young parent of teenagers, that is technologically adept and more than capable of managing an iPad and their App.

 

And frankly, I'm beyond sick of, "Well, we don't have enough people to work due to Covid."  Covid is the new, de facto refrain to provide poor, overpriced customer experiences, and people simply nod their heads and accept the new normal.  I'm working.   My team is working.  My Customers continue to expect crisp execution.  Am I wrong to be fed up with the "new normal?"  

 

You pay a premium for DCL, but it's proving the old adage to be true - you get what you pay for.

 

I'm hoping the trip will be more enjoyable than the preparation.

You could always use a travel agent and let them deal with this for you. 

[cr8tiv1]

@Clark W Grismond.  Welcome to the Princess brand.  You can scratch all of your frustrations by going around the app.  Just take your necessary documents to the terminal (passport/credit card/vaccination card/pre-travel negative covid test results).  And get on the ship.  You don't need the app to board.

 

Cons: 

You will not be able to get a boarding time without the app (Princess will assign you a time).

You will not receive your Medallion (which will be given to you at the terminal).

You will need to stand in the "regular" line.

 

The Medallion Class App and the Ocean View (Medallion) are two separate working pieces that sort of work together..  You will use the Ocean View/Medallion will unlock your cabin door, get you on/off the ship, order drinks and room service, chat with others (passengers/staff). etc.

 

 

[caribill]

Many long time Princess customers are also very frustrated with the pre-cruise app implementation and the long wait times to reach Princess on the phone.

 

But most of these long time Princess customers continue to believe Princess is their favorite cruise line.

 

If you are worried about the on board experience, read several of the "live from" threads about current and recent cruises. All of them report many positive experiences on board and no one posted that they were sorry they took the cruise.

[dog]

I have Not cruised Yet during the Pandemic.  
Please share Your source Steelers 

4 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

As a fellow Canadian, surely you saw the report that almost 750K Canadians travelled internationally in December.  No doubt many are fleeing the deep freeze going on this month as well. 

 

I imagine many more snowbirds are down here in FL than last year.  And, just like last year, there are places one can travel to and encounter less Covid-19 than in GTA back home, so a blanket order due to "safety" doesn't always apply.

 

(I am aware of course that you have travelled and cruised, so I gather you are comfortable like we are in doing so).  It's not a problem to find travel insurance that covers getting ill with Covid and requiring treatment.

This year is So much different then a year ago, as many were not vaccinated and booster and when you were in Florida last year, wasn’t Ontario in Lock Down? I seem to recall several posts about that. 
 

however, my advice to OP is cancel if you are second guessing your decision to book with Princess. 

[OhioDogLover]

I agree that the medallion app is disappointing and that trying to get through on the phone is nightmare.  Sadly, this appears to be the norm these days.  Everywhere.  Every single time.  (at least that is my experience)  

 

However, I know that once I get through the red tape and get on the ship, that I am going to have a fabulous vacation, because I always do when I sail on Princess.   I am focusing on the positive.  There is a lot of positive out there.  Sailing in March.  It will be a great time.  Just my two cents.

Ohiodoglover

[deliver42]

There is a post somewhere on the Princess forum that stated Princess is working on a web bases check in, avoiding the app. Does anyone have any more information? Not having that option is the only thing causing me hesitancy of booking Princess again. The last Princess cruise was in 2019, and check in was on line.

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, deliver42 said:

There is a post somewhere on the Princess forum that stated Princess is working on a web bases check in, avoiding the app. Does anyone have any more information? Not having that option is the only thing causing me hesitancy of booking Princess again. The last Princess cruise was in 2019, and check in was on line.

They're "working on it".😵

[awhcruiser]

10 hours ago, Clark W Grismond said:

Hello-

 

Compelled to write.  I'm new to Princess, booked on the Sky for a late-February Departure.  Between the abysmal execution of the mandatory Medallion App, to their poor customer service, I'm seriously beginning to question the wisdom of booking this trip.  Nothing has gone smoothly.  And good luck trying to get a live person on the phone to assist with an issue.  And when you do, they're inept.  And this coming from a young parent of teenagers, that is technologically adept and more than capable of managing an iPad and their App.

 

And frankly, I'm beyond sick of, "Well, we don't have enough people to work due to Covid."  Covid is the new, de facto refrain to provide poor, overpriced customer experiences, and people simply nod their heads and accept the new normal.  I'm working.   My team is working.  My Customers continue to expect crisp execution.  Am I wrong to be fed up with the "new normal?"  

 

You pay a premium for DCL, but it's proving the old adage to be true - you get what you pay for.

 

I'm hoping the trip will be more enjoyable than the preparation.

Have you tried the Princess chat feature?  Covid is not going away anytime so it may be best for you to cancel your cruise.

[Sprocket]

 

First of all just walk away from the app for a while,  Go back in a week or so and try again.  I just got off a B2B and my first leg disappeared and I had zero access to it.  I tried calling the help desk......once.  They couldn't fix it so I did the above, and about 2 weeks out there it was!  All my dining reservations were there I got early boarding we had less than 500 passengers.  There is literally nothing on that app that is so essential that it will stop you from boarding, at worst it will delay you a few minutes.  Let them take care of you at the pier its what they're doing for a lot of people right now who are having issues.  

Just go old school and take paper copies of everything I have a zippered pouch from the dollar store and take them with me for back up.

I hope you have a great cruise!

 

Just wanted to add that here in BC right now a lot of businesses are struggling with staffing issues and are closed temporarily or have reduced hours due to Omicron, its having an impact for sure.   

[CineGraphic]

Clark,

 

The service on board will more than make-up for the cluster#$%& pre-cruise experience.

Don't waste anymore time on the app, and just bring all of the required paperwork to the port.

They know the app is quirky and have lots of agents at the port to check everyone in.

 

Once on board, put your check-in problems behind you otherwise you will not enjoy yourself.

I'm sure that you'll have just as good as a time as I had in Wally World.

 

(The remake of Vacation was filmed here in Atlanta, where I worked on a handful of scenes)

 

 

[cruzsnooze]

4 hours ago, dog said:

I have Not cruised Yet during the Pandemic.  
Please share Your source Steelers 

 

I've cruised 4 times in the last 4 months and can share my experiences. Two cruises with Princess were great. I did not use the app or my phone. I got the medallion in the mail and it had nothing loaded onto it except the ability to unlock my cabin door and use as a charge. Check in at the pier took less then 5 minutes despite not using the app. The service on board is excellent and worth the hassle of pre cruise formalities. The other 2 cruises I took was NCL which was horrid and RCL which was as good as Princess. 

[dog]

1 minute ago, cruzsnooze said:

I've cruised 4 times in the last 4 months and can share my experiences. Two cruises with Princess were great. I did not use the app or my phone. I got the medallion in the mail and it had nothing loaded onto it except the ability to unlock my cabin door and use as a charge. Check in at the pier took less then 5 minutes despite not using the app. The service on board is excellent and worth the hassle of pre cruise formalities. The other 2 cruises I took was NCL which was horrid and RCL which was as good as Princess. 

I remember you & I telling others to do just that if they could  be not use app. Glad it all worked out. Positive responses are nice to hear. So much negate out there. Princess is certainly trying and giving us the opportunity to CWC 

[*Miss G*]

I, too, am new to Princess and was beginning to question my decision as I kept running into issues.  Prepping for the cruise started feeling like a chore.  Then a miracle appeared (a responsive, reliable, and competent PVP — replacing the rude and incompetent previous PVP) and it has been smooth sailing ever since.  He warned me about the app and how to avoid its issues but I have not yet downloaded it so I don’t know how well that will work.  I almost don’t care, at this point, because I have been enjoying my cruise prep, which is how things should be.  I say all this to say, don’t sweat the tech.  It will all work out in the end.

[Sprocket]

Since you've probably already deleted, reinstalled and turned off your device then restarted it, have you tried using your Booking Number to log in.  Works for some people.  And your App and phone have all the current updates?

 

Still not working?  Just ignore it as I said, it may just show up soon.

[cr8tiv1]

2 hours ago, Sprocket said:

Since you've probably already deleted, reinstalled and turned off your device then restarted it, have you tried using your Booking Number to log in.  Works for some people.  And your App and phone have all the current updates?

 

Still not working?  Just ignore it as I said, it may just show up soon.

 

Try booking number in all caps and/or all lower case letters.  Just so quirky.  

[loge23]

Just had a little tift with CS at Princess also, but as others have said here - the onboard experience seems to be fine.

All the reviews I've read have been very good and my neighbors just returned from a Regal Princess cruise and also had a wonderful time onboard. 

The times we live in...

[Sprocket]

1 hour ago, loge23 said:

Just had a little tift with CS at Princess also, but as others have said here - the onboard experience seems to be fine.

All the reviews I've read have been very good and my neighbors just returned from a Regal Princess cruise and also had a wonderful time onboard. 

The times we live in...

Just want to say I love your avatar!

 

[Shelly97060]

@Clark W Grismond welcome to Princess. I am sorry your first experience is so frustrating for you and many others! Don’t let the app stress you out. As others have said it’s fine to show up at the port with your passport, original Covid vaccine card and negative Covid test.  I would also print out your travel summary along with your luggage tags which can be found in your Cruise Personalizer on the Princess website.  Princess has staff at the port that will enter your information into the App and they will print your medallion for you.  The next time you cruise on Princess much of the information will already be loaded into the app which should make things go more smoothly for you.  

 

 

[wayuphigh]

I have 22 cruises with Princess and like the rest of you folks I am discussed with the medallion APP, I can fill out the forms for my cruise coming up on 2/26/22. I did reach out to Princess on 1/20 and was able to get through but that gave me little satisfaction, they gave me a ticket number for my trouble and have never called me back. My problem is I use the quick link for the cruise where you put in the booking number and then your name and birth date. The cruise comes up in the App but when I try to fill out my personal information it sends me to a screen that says I need to link a cruise, when I select that it takes me back to the quick form from before so I put in the cruise number again and it tells me that cruise booking is already taken which then takes you right back to the link a cruise screen, it is a loop I can't get out. The girl on the help line tried to set it up on her own phone and it did the same thing to her and that is when I got the trouble ticket number. She said many folks are having the same problem and I should keep trying as the App works better as it gets closer to cruise date. I am getting ready to write a detailed letter Princess expressing my heartfelt opinion of their App.

 

I had a similar experience with the App in November 2021 on a cruise, I spent hours trying the App and then suddenly it worked so perhaps that is the answer. She did tell me they are working and a computer program that will allow you to fill out your information because the App is such a disaster. I would just like to get my medallion before I leave, hope it works by then.

 

FYI the onboard experience on the ship is fantastic, no lines anyplace with only about 50% or less passengers  on board. You don't need the App on the ship, it is mostly useless. If you have an older Android phone it will not run on the ship, if you have Apple you need IOS 13 or higher for the App to run.

 

 

[Sprocket]

7 minutes ago, wayuphigh said:

I have 22 cruises with Princess and like the rest of you folks I am discussed with the medallion APP, I can fill out the forms for my cruise coming up on 2/26/22. I did reach out to Princess on 1/20 and was able to get through but that gave me little satisfaction, they gave me a ticket number for my trouble and have never called me back. My problem is I use the quick link for the cruise where you put in the booking number and then your name and birth date. The cruise comes up in the App but when I try to fill out my personal information it sends me to a screen that says I need to link a cruise, when I select that it takes me back to the quick form from before so I put in the cruise number again and it tells me that cruise booking is already taken which then takes you right back to the link a cruise screen, it is a loop I can't get out. The girl on the help line tried to set it up on her own phone and it did the same thing to her and that is when I got the trouble ticket number. She said many folks are having the same problem and I should keep trying as the App works better as it gets closer to cruise date. I am getting ready to write a detailed letter Princess expressing my heartfelt opinion of their App.

 

I had a similar experience with the App in November 2021 on a cruise, I spent hours trying the App and then suddenly it worked so perhaps that is the answer. She did tell me they are working and a computer program that will allow you to fill out your information because the App is such a disaster. I would just like to get my medallion before I leave, hope it works by then.

 

FYI the onboard experience on the ship is fantastic, no lines anyplace with only about 50% or less passengers  on board. You don't need the App on the ship, it is mostly useless. If you have an older Android phone it will not run on the ship, if you have Apple you need IOS 13 or higher for the App to run.

 

 

Anyone outside of the US including us have to pick up their Medallion at the pier, literally takes seconds.  I'm sure it must be nice to have them mailed but I am pretttttty sure I'd forget it at home lol.

 

[mlgb]

I can almost predict that the USPS will not get my Medallion to me in the post. Hopefully there is a backup at the pier if it doesn't arrive. 

 

I have been able to login using Quick Access and my Booking number. Even though I could never "Link Booking" it didn't seem to matter. I tried to update as much as possible in my Princess Profile on the desktop first. 

 

For the security photo I uploaded a file which had an alpha.jpg file name. The default file name on my phone created problems. 

 

If the ap freezes someone suggested tapping your photo icon in the upper left and signing out. 

 

I managed to get into Green Status in one day!

[geoherb]

As I mentioned in a post I started about long hold times, if I had not sailed on Princess before, I'd be reconsidering my next cruise and looking at other cruise lines. The good news is that I'll be sailing in 12 days and my problems getting my booking right will hopefully be a distant memory once I'm on the ship.