No room service menus found on the TV on Crown Princess

[CruzeQueen2]

I am currently on the Crown Princess. My bed is fine, Sabatini dinner last night was perfection. Every bite, fabulous service.

 

Today when I went to order something from room service, I couldn't find any menus on the TV. I called Room Service on the phone. They were polite and offered me the usual list of room service items that I know about. When I asked where to find the list on the TV, they told me I could use the app, but I explained, I don't have a smart phone (full disclosure).  They told me I could chat with Guest Services, or dial 6000.

 

When I went to the GS desk, I chatted with two staff members. They also suggested I use the app. But they also agreed that I should be able to see a print version of the offerings, somewhere. They also knew that this has been suspended. Not there, not on the TV! Imagine my surprise and dismay. Things change. In an instant.

 

I am reporting this here as my first hand experience of what happened today. The official roll of the new plans for this ship starts on August 15th...

So after all of the speculation here on using the TV, as before, to order room service, I can tell you today, there are no menus to be found there. 

I am only the messenger.

 

I ended up going to have chicken korma for lunch in the dining room after all and enjoyed the korma and some lively conversation.

Edited August 5, 2023 by CruzeQueen2
Missing words

[HaveDogWillTravel]

Well the bright spot is you’ve discovered my favorite lunch Chicken Korma!  I do hope they have you “all” the toppings and the spicy mango chutney. Thanks to @PescadoAmarillofor turning me on to this lunch in one of her blogs. I’ve attached pictures from my July 1, 2023 sailing on the Emerald. 
 

But seriously that is HUGE removing the room service menus and the ability to order off the tv. Think about the demographics of folks who don’t have a smart phone and the message Princess is sending them.  Wow just wow. 
 

I became pretty close to one of the gals who answered the room service line at the beginning when we first started sailing. She told me about passengers who have limited eyesight and can not use a phone and can only use the TV in a limited way ( all those pesky questions about toppings, sides, temp and so on make it challenging for them). She told me she didn’t mind and liked to help them but it did make it difficult to keep up with her job. And these sailings were a third to a half full. I can not imagine the challenges that crew is facing with Ocean now on full ships. 

[Thrak]

Bizarre. I wonder if this is a glitch on Crown or is going to be the new "standard" fleet wide. That would be a major slap in the face to a lot of folks. On our last cruise we ordered via the TV a number of times. Yes, I have a smart phone that works quite well with the app but it was easier for us to both see the TV at the same time and is obviously a much larger screen for our less-than-perfect eyes to peruse.  Did they tell you outright that ordering via the TV is being discontinued?

[Thrak]

4 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Well the bright spot is you’ve discovered my favorite lunch Chicken Korma!  I do hope they have you “all” the toppings and the spicy mango chutney. Thanks to @PescadoAmarillofor turning me on to this lunch in one of her blogs. I’ve attached pictures from my July 1, 2023 sailing on the Emerald. 

 

Holy Cow! I can't believe they actually brought out that large assortment of "extras" for you to choose from. That's quite excellent service for a lunch in MDR.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Thrak

[CruzeQueen2]

14 minutes ago, Thrak said:

Bizarre. I wonder if this is a glitch on Crown or is going to be the new "standard" fleet wide. That would be a major slap in the face to a lot of folks. On our last cruise we ordered via the TV a number of times. Yes, I have a smart phone that works quite well with the app but it was easier for us to both see the TV at the same time and is obviously a much larger screen for our less-than-perfect eyes to peruse.  Did they tell you outright that ordering via the TV is being discontinued?

@Thrak Basically yes. This is the way...

I have forwarded my findings to another  "FNB" staff member on another ship so that they will know that this has happened here. He also finds this move not quite right.

Wow, just wow, I agree. @HaveDogWillTravel

Edited August 6, 2023 by CruzeQueen2
adding info

[Astro Flyer]

10 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

And these sailings were a third to a half full. I can not imagine the challenges that crew is facing with Ocean now on full ships.

From the beginning of OceanNow with delivering food & drinks around the ship, I wondered how the already overworked crew could do it. Their morale must be low with the extra workload placed upon them by management sitting in their HQ office.

 

[Thrak]

7 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

From the beginning of OceanNow with delivering food & drinks around the ship, I wondered how the already overworked crew could do it. Their morale must be low with the extra workload placed upon them by management sitting in their HQ office.

 

 

I have to agree with you on this. Marketing will always promise the moon and the stars because they aren't the ones who have to make good on the promises. I used to cringe when we had our annual meetings in Sacramento when various departments would speak to our group. Every time the marketing folks showed up they were always "Excited!" (their word) about some new and phabulous thing that I knew wasn't going to work out the way they were promising.

 

Having the menus on the TV and being able to order in that manner was really cool and easy for the passengers but likely a logistical nightmare for the crew. We can deal with the loss of this but, if it's going to be removed, it would have been much better if it had never been implemented (or even offered) in the first place.

 

Maybe the marketing folks can spin this as "NEW! Ordering with the app on your Phone or Tablet!"

Edited August 6, 2023 by Thrak

[PacnGoNow]

I always use my phone, but there are many guests who rely on the TV to order.  Especially, if they are in their room and ordering RS. 

I hope it’s not fleet wide.

So, fewer choices now. 😞

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

They should supply the room stewards with printed menus...

[azbirdmom]

A couple of days ago I saw a post on another forum with a picture of a letter the OP received while aboard.  It said something to the effect that all Ocean Now features were being removed from the TV - temporarily.  My first thought of course was that this wasn't temporary and that's why Princess said nothing in the FAQs (or on the TA webinar) about what happens re: charges if you order through the TV.  I'm guessing that this feature won't return.

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

They should supply the room stewards with printed menus...

 

That would make for some pretty hefty menus given what one could order on the TV or the phone. Multitudes of drinks and the ability to "somewhat" customize orders of food would make it cumbersome and keeping it current would be next to impossible.

[New2cruise2022]

I can’t focus on anything in this thread other than the chicken korma pics. Seriously, for an MDR lunch, I am extremely impressed. Something to put on my Princess bucket list …

[HaveDogWillTravel]

4 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Holy Cow! I can't believe they actually brought out that large assortment of "extras" for you to choose from. That's quite excellent service for a lunch in MDR.

Sometimes on some ships they’ve not brought all the fixings. When we go to chicken korma day lunch none of us even look at the menu.  We smile and ask for all the toppings being specific about what we most look forward to. This has helped stop the service that comes with 2-4 toppings. 

[CruzeQueen2]

@HaveDogWillTravel So true! I was lucky to be offered 6 various condiments, but alas, I was enjoying the conversation so much with my table mates, that I forgot to ask for the chutney and the raita. Well, I guess next time I will bring my little list so I don't miss out!

 

Further to the topic in this thread, the Crown does not feel that it has removed the TV room service menus in error. It was intentional albeit short-sighted and somewhat unfair to people that have come to rely on the TV method of ordering. Too bad, so sad. Gone.

We will survive this change, but without warning...it sends a message to those of us who cruise with Princess. Anything can happen and be changed at their whim and will. Whatever and whenever they deem it in their best interest. Done

I will more than likely continue to cruise with the brand that I have come to enjoy, but I will also look at other options in the future. Why not?

Edited August 6, 2023 by CruzeQueen2

[Sprocket]

Saw this posted on another site.

 

[PacnGoNow]

5 hours ago, Sprocket said:

Saw this posted on another site.

 

So, this would force you to use the button on your cabin phone for RS, if you don’t have a smartphone.

 

More $5 fees if you don’t have the package?  If you make it complicated enough, some may just say, to heck with it, let’s just buy the package. NOT..

[icat2000]

I don't see the logic of Princess removing the ordering off the TV. Its still linked to your room account so what the big issue. Seems like is smacks in the face of discrimmination against people who maybe older and struggle with technology and those who sight is fading.

 

Last cruise my partner app wouldn't work on his phone no matter how many times we downloaded, deleted it, upgraded it. Still no go. And we have the same phones.

 

Half the time it was quicker to go to the place to get your food or to order a drink.

[skynight]

Incredible blindness to customer customer service. 

[New2cruise2022]

7 hours ago, CruzeQueen2 said:

We will survive this change, but without warning...it sends a message to those of us who cruise with Princess. Anything can happen and be changed at their whim and will. Whatever and whenever they deem it in their best interest. Done

In fairness to Princess, it is hard to characterize this change as “without warning” or “at their whim and will.” Expressing surprise at a shift in operations that essentially requires the use of smartphones in 2023 is disingenuous. Worldwide, the market for smartphones has exploded over the last 15 years. The reported numbers of smartphone users is between 5.25 and nearly 7 billion (with a B) smartphone users worldwide. With nearly 90% of the population using smartphones now, Princess “gambled” that there are enough people in the world to fill their ships and use their product. 

[New2cruise2022]

8 minutes ago, icat2000 said:

I don't see the logic of Princess removing the ordering off the TV. Its still linked to your room account so what the big issue. Seems like is smacks in the face of discrimmination against people who maybe older and struggle with technology and those who sight is fading.

 

Last cruise my partner app wouldn't work on his phone no matter how many times we downloaded, deleted it, upgraded it. Still no go. And we have the same phones.

 

Half the time it was quicker to go to the place to get your food or to order a drink.

Removing the ordering from the TV will force Princess to improve the stability of the app and onboard internet for accessing that app. 

[New2cruise2022]

3 minutes ago, skynight said:

Incredible blindness to customer customer service. 

For the few that will truly be unable to cruise comfortably without ordering on the TV, the vast (probably better than 98%) majority of people will  have a steep and near completely painless transition to smartphone ordering through the app. 

[roadster08]

No more room service off the TV. Can't let my smartphone battery die now. 

[sunviking90]

My thought is that this is really a temporary thing until they transition to the new changes. We’ll see. They will need to add a fee activation somewhere on the tv ordering and that’s probably what’s being sorted right now.

[roxievegas]

Just off the Emerald - we were able to use the TV to order our room service - but order not correct when delivered.

 

Our TV "live" channels were not available for two days, during our stay in La Paz, overnight to Cabo and during our stay in Cabo.  Felt we were cut off from the world with no live news.

Edited August 6, 2023 by roxievegas

[Steelers36]

9 hours ago, CruzeQueen2 said:

@HaveDogWillTravel So true! I was lucky to be offered 6 various condiments, but alas, I was enjoying the conversation so much with my table mates, that I forgot to ask for the chutney and the raita. Well, I guess next time I will bring my little list so I don't miss out!

 

Further to the topic in this thread, the Crown does not feel that it has removed the TV room service menus in error. It was intentional albeit short-sighted and somewhat unfair to people that have come to rely on the TV method of ordering. Too bad, so sad. Gone.

We will survive this change, but without warning...it sends a message to those of us who cruise with Princess. Anything can happen and be changed at their whim and will. Whatever and whenever they deem it in their best interest. Done

I will more than likely continue to cruise with the brand that I have come to enjoy, but I will also look at other options in the future. Why not?

This is another dumb misstep by the jugheads in Santa Clarita.  They invested money and time to provide the TV ordering feature, so why take it away as it is important to many guests?

 

A cynic might say - given the stated temporary loss - that the PCL IT team was not prepared to program an order from the TV to charge the one-time $15 service fee that happens when ordering via the App on a smart device.  What logical reason would there be to do this?  An order is an order, whether it comes from guest smart device using Princess Medallion App or from the cabin TV.  Are they trying to force folks into using both the App ordering and RS ordering so they can charge both $15 and $5?  Also doesn't make much sense since PCL tells us 75% of guests are on Plus or Premier. 

 

Don't other lines have TV ordering?  (I have no idea).  Anyway, it is a really dumb move when they have already pissed off guests who have lost things they thought they were getting when booked and paid.