lilfish7

Does anybody know why there are only 110 rooms with the medallion reader installed at the door? The ship went into dry dock in April 2017 so it could be ready for the November rollout.

 

To me, this is exceptionally poor implementation and management by Princess.

 

People have eluded to the fact that we should expect glitches when something of this calibre is new and being rolled out. I agree with this in principle. For example, I wouldn't have a problem if my Little Tagalong was a turtle but I wanted an Octopus. That's a glitch.

 

Not having the readers installed at stateroom doors, or the readers not granting access, isn't a glitch. These are fundamental essentials of the technology that should have been tested and tested again and again in a lab before ever announcing a firm roll-out date.

 

If readers still aren't installed, and Princess has a valid reason for this, then Princess should have converted from ***** to ***** PREVIEW long before final payment due dates on all upcoming cruises.

 

It would be much better for people to think that all Regal cruises between now and 'july' (or whenever) are PREVIEW but then be pleasantly surprised IF Princess completes a full rollout earlier.

 

But this 'keeping clients hoping' and not notifying until after final payment that you aren't part of the *****, is flat out ludicrous and disrespectful to the PRINCESS customers.

 

I realize many don't care if they get it, and many hope they won't, but there are some people who booked this cruise months ago, for this reason alone (*****).

 

Add to this insult is people have to call in to ask (or beg) for OBC - some are told yes, some are told no, some are given different amounts. All staterooms not selected for ***** should get the same OBC automatically applied (or a standard amount based on cabin type booked). That would be an organization being accountable for not delivering on what they promise to the customer.

 

This is being handled as professionally as Celebrity is handling their website - threw that in for those of you who read both threads ;). Sarcasm intended.

I agree, completely.

I have been reading these posts and find it so disappointing and frustrating that customer service is not offering the same obc across the board. I am doing a b2b and was told that my cabin may still be part of the test group for my Jan/Feb. sailings on the Regal. No resolution. Just curious if those that were offered the obc are Elite passengers?

I'm not Elite (only gold), and after several "holds" and one transfer to the relations department, I was finally able to speak with someone who issued my OBC. My parents, who are travelling with us, are Elite, but I don't think it had anything to do with why we got the credit.

Thank you for posting! I called and got $100 pp OBC since we were not selected. While we wish we can enjoy the full ***** experience (which is one reason we selected that ship/date), the credit was a nice way to help make it "right"!

Calling Princess tomorrow. We sail on 1/14 and just received word that we're not *****. We chose this ship over others for the ***** factor (new, thought it sounded neat), so we're disappointed. But some extra OBC would help make it right.

Thank you for sharing! My dad (who happens to be Elite) always orders his Irish Whiskey/Scotch via room service, to enjoy a glass in his cabin before dinner. I informed him of this new policy and he just verified it with Princess rep today (12/1). He's not exactly thrilled, as he doesn't know how much to order ahead of time. He expressed his frustration of the new policy to the Princess supervisor lady on the phone, but stated that due to the attitude he received, he's pretty sure the complaint wasn't going to do anything productive.

I'm sure Princess is wanting people to buy the liquor by the glass in their bars, but I have a feeling that this will either a) cause people to pre-purchase more than normal and avoid the bars or b) sneak liquor on board.

We're on the 1/14 cruise too, and booked it over another ship due to the *****. We're supposedly on the wait list but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I'm on that one as well. We booked specifically because we wanted to experience the Medallion Class. Hope they are up and running.

This reaffirms my faith in humanity!

Not all Dinner Mate Stories happen at the table you are sitting at.

 

Last cruise we were assigned a 4 top table in TD. The Table was located in a elevated area of the dinning room so I had a good view of the rest of the dinning room when I looked over the rail that ran beside us.

 

The first night I watched a senior lady roll up to a table for 8 in her wheel chair. Then she sat there and sat some more as waiters walked past looking at the mostly empty table.

 

Beside her table was another table for 8 that was full of people. One Gentleman, and I do mean Gentleman, was watching like I was. He stood up walked up to a waiter, had a conversation with him, and then both of them walked back to the table with lady sitting there. The Gentleman introduced himself and sat down. The Waiter took their order and both of them engaged in conversation during dinner. No else came to that table the first night.

 

The rest of the cruise some, not a full table, showed up so the lady was not alone again.

 

That Gentleman did deserve a Gold Star for his actions on the first night.

 

Bob

What is the difference between the "royal tea" and the "regular" tea time they offer?

DISREGARD! I read DMW..'s post! Very helpful.

Your photos are STUNNING! Thank you for sharing!

Loving this review, and your humor! I sure hope the Mrs' tiara is safe and sound! I'm glad to know the safe isn't big enough, so I'll make sure to leave my tiara at home! ha!!

I'd recommend Royal Caribbean! I'm in my 30's and found that the crowd/atmosphere on the RCCL cruises I've been on to be more lively. We went on the Grandeur of the Seas, 7 years ago (it was my second time to sail on her) and enjoyed it very much. The smaller, older ship(s), like Grandeur, don't have as many amenities as the big, newer ships, but it was plenty for us! I really do want to try the Allure/Oasis one day, just for the experience!

We also went on a CA coastal cruise 6 years ago on Sapphire Princess, and while we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise (and love Princess), the vibe just wasn't the same. My parents who were in their late 50's at the time were one of the youngest on board besides us (if that tells ya anything)!! The "club" was dead (we were the only folks there most nights). The pool "parties" weren't happening either. I know it depends on the ship and itinerary, but it was some what of a "let down" after our previous Princess/RCCL cruises. We're sailing on the Regal in January and I'm looking forward to comparing the experiences!

At the end of the day, you won't know until you try!

My first cruise was on a now-defunct line. I was young (13ish), so it was all SO overwhelmingly exciting. Growing up my brother played travel baseball, so our vacations consisted of whatever town the tournament was held. So, needless to say, getting an actual vacation, without having to watch ball games all day, everyday was a thrill all it's own.

I don't remember everything about the ship or cruise itself, unfortunately (will have to look back at a photo album to refresh my memory). BUT, I do remember the room service! I wore that out because it was the greatest thing ever!! I ordered the cheesecake at least once a day, if not multiple times (oh to be young with a metabolism!) per day. The last full day I called and the room service man joked "ma'am, we're out of cheesecake....you've eaten all the cheesecake!" I laughed so hard.

I also remember the extravagant "Baked Alaska Parade/Song" they did on the last night, and the elaborate midnight buffets were mind blowing for my 13 year old self. So neat!

I was hooked after this cruise. Sadly, we learned after we got home that it was one of the last sailings that ship did before the line went out of business.

I surprised my DH with a cruise for his 60th birthday about 4 years ago. Everything was a surprise...he thought I was attending a work seminar in Orlando. I packed his bag and we stayed with friends that live in the FLL area. They didn't let on ... but I think he figured it out that it wasn't going to be a run of the mill work trip when I booked first class air on the way to Florida.

So, I did all this booking right in front of him but he was oblivious. Our friends dropped us off at the cruise port ... surprise!! Ok ... so now he is on to me ...but I still had some surprises in store for him. I booked an extra special cabin and got the drink package ... every time he turned around, something else special just knocked his socks off.

So, we are sitting at the martini bar on the day of boarding and we met a couple of sisters that always cruise together. We were telling them of all the surprises that I pulled off ... unbeknownst to my DH until we got in our cabin. The bartender was also engages as part of our conversation and he asked when my DH's actual birthday was. It was a 10 night cruise and his birthday was 6 days in ... so we still had awhile.

Well, we loved the martini bar where the bartenders were so attentive and learned our names and what we liked to drink. Always ON it!! So, you can imagine our surprise when we went to the martini bar early, sat at one end of the bar and no bartender was paying any attention to us. Just busy, I guessed. Our favorite guy, the one we met on the first day onboard, was down at the other end of the bar fiddling with something rather intricate ... so we can be patient. Well, when he finished, he put a large empty martini glass in front of my DH and proceeded to pour a chocolate martini in the glass. On the inside of the glass, he had used chocolate sauce to intricately write, 'Happy Birthday xxxxx" on the inside of the glass. How did he even remember the actual date of his birthday and his name? WOW!! This is why I love cruising!! The crew / staff that make you feel so special.

That is wonderful!!

Thanks for sharing! I always forget about the laundry room/irons! I believe it's actually close® to our cabin, so that's helpful!

Very nice!

Probably! They're probably trying to say/do anything to smooth the situation in order to prevent people from cancelling. Not having the Medallion won't make me want to cancel, but I can see where some folks would.

I also wonder how they decide who to call to inform of the change. We haven't received any emails or calls yet from Princess to explain the situation. We did book thru a TA, so I'm sure that may have something to do with it.

That's funny, because the corporate person (who called me), couldn't say for sure that we would get medallions on our TA in April of 2018 on the Regal.

Maybe the "hoping to have" answer you got was just to get you past your final payment due date (in 11 days)?

I spoke with a Princess Rep yesterday, and she informed me that they are hoping to have the majority (if not all) of the ship rolled out by our January 14th cruise. She gave me the whole "we're doing the slow roll out so we can make sure it all works without affecting the entire ship....". Basically it was a non answer,as she stuck to the script. I can see both sides (about rolling it out completely vs a soft roll out), but it's definitely a disappointment that we were told we'd have this new/exciting technology and now told we aren't guaranteed.

87 days until we board the Regal! I'm so excited!

Bummer! We're sailing in January and I was really looking forward to trying the Medallion.

Are they planning on phasing it in like: first cruise section A gets it, then the second cruise: section A and B and so on? Or are they literally only doing a section at a time? The article wasn't clear to me.

We sailed on Sapphire in 2011, the California Coastal cruise. I loved the ship and the staff! I was 14.5 weeks pregnant at the time (they were aware!), and it seemed the waiter/asst. made sure to go above and beyond to make sure I had the "right" food to eat (certain foods are a no-no for pregnancy). The only time my husband had to leave the table early (due to a tad bit of motion sickness/too much alcohol!), they made sure to package his dinner and send to the room (w/o us asking). I also had a pleasant experience with the Spa (didn't try to get sold a bunch of products after either).

All in all, it was an amazing cruise! I would not hesitate to sail on the Sapphire again!

I submitted my husband's DD214 and the request form last week and already have the credit on our account! It's listed under the Payment & Credit section. I'm glad to know that they will save this for any future cruises (and wish we knew about it for the previous ones).

Stunning photos!

Pam is right again. Sorry.

Tony

It appears Ms. Pam is right about a lot of things I've been reading!

It's not a huge deal. As long as we get on the ship, I don't care which section I'm waiting in! :D

We are Elite tier on Princess cruises but find that the lines are always longer for the priority embarkation at Fort Lauderdale. We are going to use the ordinary check in next time in December.

Interesting! I'm wondering if it depends on the time of year? We're going in January, so I'm assuming it'll be full of more seasoned travelers, versus the summer or spring break week where you may run into more first time cruisers. That may explain the why the Elite priority boarding takes longer (and is busier)? Or do they not have enough staff members checking in the Elite guests? It'll be interesting to see if my theories are correct. I may have to time our wait and my parents, to see which is faster.

I have been told that I don't do sarcasm well. I did not mean to offend you.

 

At least you have a goal....I enjoyed the journey to Elite. I never worked so hard in my life AND found such pleasure in the path.

Absolutely no offense taken!

Yes, I'm looking forward to achieving our goal of Elite! So many cruises, so little time (and money)!! One day! :D