Questions for a Princess (almost) newby

[rsail203]

I'm new to Princess, not counting a Coral Princess Alaska cruise years ago. I'd appreciate some answers to these questions for my Panama Canal cruise on the Island Princess. The cruise is in less than 3 weeks. 

 

1) When do we get the medallion in the mail?

 

2) Will dining open up, before the cruise, on the medallion, so we can choose our specialty dining?

 

3) A major concern is if one of us tests positive, on the antigen test, 2 days before the cruise, and we have to cancel, what happens then? Do we get an FCC that expires this year, which we wouldn't be able to use as we have other cruises booked?

 

4) What is the latest mask protocol on Princess cruises?

 

Thank you in advance for these answers.

 

 

[clan]

Welcome back to Princess!  I hope you will enjoy your cruise.  If you haven't already done so, I'd suggest you check the "Health Protocols" section on the Princess web site.  There is a wealth of information there.  It says you will receive 100% FCC if you test positive on your pre-cruise test, but it doesn't say how long you will have to use it.  Hopefully someone else can answer that for you.

 

Current mask protocol is recommended but not required, but they reserve the right to require them in certain situations.

 

Sorry, but I can't give you any answers about the medallions/medallion app.

[FlaMariner]

48 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

1) When do we get the medallion in the mail?

 

Ours arrived around two weeks before our cruise. (March 2022)

[FlaMariner]

51 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

4) What is the latest mask protocol on Princess cruises?

 

From the Princess website TODAY RE:  masking

 

Masks are recommended, but not required, in the majority of venues, though they may be required in select venues or situations. This will be clearly designated through signage and onboard communications.

[AF-1]

1 hour ago, rsail203 said:

I'm new to Princess, not counting a Coral Princess Alaska cruise years ago. I'd appreciate some answers to these questions for my Panama Canal cruise on the Island Princess. The cruise is in less than 3 weeks. 

 

1) When do we get the medallion in the mail?

 

2) Will dining open up, before the cruise, on the medallion, so we can choose our specialty dining?

 

3) A major concern is if one of us tests positive, on the antigen test, 2 days before the cruise, and we have to cancel, what happens then? Do we get an FCC that expires this year, which we wouldn't be able to use as we have other cruises booked?

 

4) What is the latest mask protocol on Princess cruises?

 

Thank you in advance for these answers.

 

 

Once you fill out your medallion info in the app and after final pmt, like post#3 says about two weeks prior to your cruise.  You will get FCC if you test positive.  My suggestion would be if you can't use it within the time frame,  possible cancel one of your other cruises then rebook that cruise using your FCC.  

[Astro Flyer]

1 hour ago, rsail203 said:

1) When do we get the medallion in the mail?

 

2) Will dining open up, before the cruise, on the medallion, so we can choose our specialty dining?

1) Ours have arrived about 10-14 days before a cruise.

 

2) Are you unable to make any dining reservations including in the dining rooms? Those are supposed to be available for all passengers after final payment & for elite level passengers when booking a cruise. For me both dining room & specialty restaurants were available at the same time at booking. If you’re seeking to make a SD reservation that’s included as a promotion we could not do it in advance. Due to posts about the difficulty of making SD reservations onboard we pre-paid but won’t do it again because Princess makes it difficult to get credit for the promotional SD. Generally a card will be in your cabin with a reservation or how to make a reservation which recently was not in our Discovery cabin.

 

[AF-1]

Astro Flyer, so you received a card with your dining time and restaurant name in your cabin?  

[capriccio]

@rsail203On our 2 cruises since the beginning of the year we received an email about 30 days in advance announcing that our medallion was en route.  IIRC I've read that they are sent from Singapore.  First stop in the US is JFK - not too far at all from you but don't get too excited when you see that!

 

For both our Medallion deliveries I watched the tracking from JFK (where it sat for days) to California and then back east before finally getting to Florida 12 days before the cruise in January! 

 

On our second cruise my DB#1 and SIL had theirs mailed to their house in Virginia and they received them on February 21. DB#2 and SIL were traveling so they used our mailing address. The Medallions coming to Florida arrived in the US on the same day and followed the same criss-crossing of the country but ours arrived on February 24 and DB#2 and SIL's arrived on February 28 4 days after ours and 10 days before the cruise. 

 

This is the journey of the Medallions for our January cruise.  So when this happens to you, don't get nervous! 

 

December 5, 2021

 

"The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on December 13, 2021 to expect your package for mailing. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date. Delivery status information will be provided if/when available."

 

Two entries were made to the tracking record that day:

 

December 13, 2021
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item

December 13, 2021, 10:53 pm
Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
JAMAICA, NY 11434 
Shipping Partner:  4PX EXPRESS USA

 

The next update was:

 

December 17, 2021, 4:47 pm
Arrived at USPS Facility
CARSON, CA 90747 

 

Followed by:

 

December 18, 2021
In Transit, Arriving Late
Your package will arrive later than expected (They never told us what day it was expected), but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

 

December 19, 2021
In Transit, Arriving Late
Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

 

December 20, 2021, 1:55 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility
OPA LOCKA FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

 

December 20, 2021, 4:25 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
OPA LOCKA FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

 

December 20, 2021, 4:58 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
OPA LOCKA, FL 33055 

 

December 20, 2021, 5:41 am
Departed USPS Facility
OPA LOCKA, FL 33055 

 

December 20, 2021, 6:33 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
POMPANO BEACH, FL 33060 
Your item arrived at our USPS facility in POMPANO BEACH, FL 33060 on December 20, 2021 at 6:33 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

 

[brisalta]

Our Medallions arrived 10 days prior to our upcoming cruise.

The were mailed from China.

You will get an email from Princess saying it is being shipped.

Edited April 23, 2022 by brisalta

[Astro Flyer]

7 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Astro Flyer, so you received a card with your dining time and restaurant name in your cabin?  

Unfortunately no.

[Astro Flyer]

27 minutes ago, brisalta said:

Our Medallions arrived 10 days prior to our upcoming cruise.

The were mailed from China.

You will get an email from Princess saying it is being shipped.

I received my shipping email with tracking info 5 days after they were delivered from Singapore for our Discovery cruise . Several others on the roll call had the same experience.

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Astro Flyer

[caribill]

11 hours ago, clan said:

Welcome back to Princess!  I hope you will enjoy your cruise.  If you haven't already done so, I'd suggest you check the "Health Protocols" section on the Princess web site.  There is a wealth of information there.  It says you will receive 100% FCC if you test positive on your pre-cruise test, but it doesn't say how long you will have to use it.  Hopefully someone else can answer that for you.

 

 

I think it is one year from date issued.

[caribill]

11 hours ago, rsail203 said:

2) Will dining open up, before the cruise, on the medallion, so we can choose our specialty dining?

 

 

 

Since it is past final payment, you should be able to make regular dining room reservations.

 

You should have been able to make specialty restaurant reservations (and pay for them) anytime after you booked the cruise. If you are still unable to make them, call Princess and book them over the phone.