MedallionNet on Emerald Princess - anyone currently on-board?

[zerwey]

Some posters seem to be saying that MedallionNet is already available on the Emerald Princess: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2606140-emerald-princess-2019-drydock/page/4/

 

On Princess Cruise's website, MedallionNet will be available on the Emerald by August 3rd. But when we try to book an internet access package online, no options show up for our cruise departing on July 6th. I tried contacting support and they just gave a generic answer about wifi availability so it wasn't much help.

 

Is anyone currently on-board the Emerald and can confirm whether MedallionNet is already available on the ship?

[fishywood]

From what has been reported, Emerald Princess has been offering the per-day rather than the per-minute plans for quite some time now. But as enumerated on the Princess website, the MedallionNet system upgrade will not go online until August 3 this year: https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ocean-medallion/medallionnet/

 

I just wanted to make that clear in case you are conflating the two different concepts of (1) type of plans and (2) the upgraded system into a single event that was or will be rolled out simultaneously. Not the case on Emerald. I am assuming your bigger concern is the performance aspect so hopefully someone onboard very recently will chime in.

 

(welcome to Cruise Critic by the way)

[caribill]

12 hours ago, fishywood said:

From what has been reported, Emerald Princess has been offering the per-day rather than the per-minute plans for quite some time now.

 

 

They offer per-day (or cruise-long) packages for both the new MedallionNet and the old PrincessConnect.

 

PrincessConnect offers three packages with three speeds (social, surf, stream) while MedaliionNet offers a single package, high speed for for all users (subject to the limitations Haboob listed above).

[zerwey]

1 minute ago, caribill said:

 

They offer per-day (or cruise-long) packages for both the new MedallionNet and the old PrincessConnect.

 

PrincessConnect offers three packages with three speeds (social, surf, stream) while MedaliionNet offers a single package, high speed for for all users (subject to the limitations Haboob listed above).

 

This is on the Emerald Princess?? So the new MedallionNet has already been activated on the Emerald?

[caribill]

1 minute ago, zerwey said:

 

This is on the Emerald Princess?? So the new MedallionNet has already been activated on the Emerald?

 

Can't say for sure. My point is that only offering per day or per cruise packages instead of minutes does not mean it only applies to MedallionNet.

[zerwey]

Are the PrincessConnect packages cheaper on a per-day basis if you purchase them for the entire cruise rather than by individual days?

[caribill]

1 minute ago, zerwey said:

Are the PrincessConnect packages cheaper on a per-day basis if you purchase them for the entire cruise rather than by individual days?

 

Yes

[Haboob]

9 hours ago, zerwey said:

 

This is on the Emerald Princess?? So the new MedallionNet has already been activated on the Emerald?

 

The equipment has been in place for over a year and Emerald's internet has been marketed as "PrincessCONNECT" (the non-Medallion Class tradename for MedallionNet-class service) since around Thanksgiving.

 

That being said, "someone didn't get the memo" last December and Emerald connected to slower, previous-generation satellites.  YMMV

[DGSFlorida]

We cruised on the Emerald in February to Hawaii and it was definitely NOT the Medallion NET internet.  In fact, it was some of the worst internet we had seen on Princess in a few years.  They were offering the daily packages but the connectivity sent people back for refunds.This was before the last drydock and hopefully the Medallion Net is soon to be available.

Edited June 27, 2019 by DGSFlorida

[New York Nana]

We board the Emerald on July 6.  Around June 17 I went into our personalizer and just happened to check the available internet packages. We're Elite, but our granddaughters are coming with us and I had previously purchased them the 'social media' plan for the week for $59.99.

I was surprised to see a "MedallionNet" plan for unlimited internet for the week for the same prince of $59.99!  I purchased 2 packages and cancelled the the social media package.

When I went back in the next day, the MedallionNet plan was no longer showing, but it still shows on our itinerary and I have the receipt for the purchase.

I contacted my PVP and she was unable to find out if this is legit or not but thought they were perhaps offering it to certain cabins(?).  Anyway, I plan to bring my receipts with me when we board to show Pax Svcs to confirm what plan we will be credited for having purchased.  

I'll let you know how it turns out!

[Xyla]

3 hours ago, New York Nana said:

We board the Emerald on July 6.  Around June 17 I went into our personalizer and just happened to check the available internet packages. We're Elite, but our granddaughters are coming with us and I had previously purchased them the 'social media' plan for the week for $59.99.

I was surprised to see a "MedallionNet" plan for unlimited internet for the week for the same prince of $59.99!  I purchased 2 packages and cancelled the the social media package.

When I went back in the next day, the MedallionNet plan was no longer showing, but it still shows on our itinerary and I have the receipt for the purchase.

I contacted my PVP and she was unable to find out if this is legit or not but thought they were perhaps offering it to certain cabins(?).  Anyway, I plan to bring my receipts with me when we board to show Pax Svcs to confirm what plan we will be credited for having purchased.  

I'll let you know how it turns out!

 

Following this since I board the week after you. I need internet access since my daughter and I are each taking a class over the summer. It's been driving me nuts to constantly get emails about buying a discounted internet package pre-cruise, yet when I go to the cruise personalizer,  there is nothing available to purchase!

[Redwing55]

There has been a lot of misinformation about this on the Emerald.  We got off in early June, it was the old system.  Some have posted that the new one is up, but I don't think that I've read a post from someone who is on board , that the new faster service is up.  

It sounds like soon though... at worst!

[Jennwick]

I’m on Emerald right now. It’s still the old internet. Maybe the  week after next?  It’s in a weird pre-medallion phase right now. TVs are weird too.  You can see the new channels that will be available, and the remotes are in for on-demand - but it’s not working yet.   The ship is in beautiful shape post dry dock though.

[Steelers36]

On 6/27/2019 at 2:53 AM, zerwey said:

Are the PrincessConnect packages cheaper on a per-day basis if you purchase them for the entire cruise rather than by individual days?

Just wait and buy the package you want on Embarkation Day.  There will be a deal then for full cruise packages. 

[mnocket]

My sailing isn't until Feb 2020, but when I look online the only internet option shown for my sailing is $14.99/day.  No unlimited package is listed.  Anyone know what is going on?

[Colo Cruiser]

19 minutes ago, mnocket said:

My sailing isn't until Feb 2020, but when I look online the only internet option shown for my sailing is $14.99/day.  No unlimited package is listed.  Anyone know what is going on?

Yeah it is too early.

Give them time to update the website/personalizer/bookings.

[Coral]

1 hour ago, mnocket said:

My sailing isn't until Feb 2020, but when I look online the only internet option shown for my sailing is $14.99/day.  No unlimited package is listed.  Anyone know what is going on?

I am sailing in October and there is a Medallionnet  Package for 15-30 days for $129.

Edited July 4, 2019 by Coral

[Thrak]

We're sailing Emerald in November and  the only offering I see listed for Internet access is this:

 

[Coral]

4 hours ago, Thrak said:

We're sailing Emerald in November and  the only offering I see listed for Internet access is this:

 

This is for October on Emerald - though I have purchased it so it looks different. I can also see what you see.

[pablo222]

On 6/27/2019 at 1:45 AM, caribill said:

 

They offer per-day (or cruise-long) packages for both the new MedallionNet and the old PrincessConnect.

 

 

There was a poster here who insisted (over and over and over and over) that per-day rates meant MedallionNet.

 

I get from time-to-time people post things that are inaccurate, but it's funny, when they insist over and over and over...

 

 

 

[mnocket]

On 7/5/2019 at 3:55 PM, Thrak said:

We're sailing Emerald in November and  the only offering I see listed for Internet access is this:

 

 

Different date, same problem for me too.  I don't know if the website is just screwed up or if this is a sign things are changing.

[Thrak]

58 minutes ago, mnocket said:

 

Different date, same problem for me too.  I don't know if the website is just screwed up or if this is a sign things are changing.

 

Not actually a problem for me as I don't intend to purchase anything and will just stick with my free minutes. I'm on a cruise and don't need to be totally connected. I just posted it informationally (stupid neologisms) to show that things are showing up differently in different cases. In my case, Emerald Princess is scheduled to have Medallion.Net well before my cruise but, as posted, I don't show the multiple tiers and options others are seeing.

 

I really think Princess should change their motto again. I don't know what it was in the past but when I started cruising it was "Escape Completely". These days its "Come Back New". Perhaps they should change it to: "Princess - Consistently Inconsistent" 

 

Note: I preferred Escape Completely to the current motto.

[Midnight_Buffet]

Any updates? The website says the MedallionNet will be up "by" August 3rd.. Getting closer...

[LMADAMS91]

Last summer, we sailed on Caribbean Princess the week before it went over to the medallion with the new internet. This summer, we sail on Emerald the week before it switches to MedallioNet......we have three young adult kids who, I'm afraid, are going to be very disappointed with the internet service (they have the middle level, unlimited access.)  Maybe they will put the phones down and look around a bit!

 

[Xyla]

On 7/13/2019 at 3:23 PM, Midnight_Buffet said:

Any updates? The website says the MedallionNet will be up "by" August 3rd.. Getting closer...

 

We were on the Emerald July 13-27 and for the first week it was the old internet. The 2nd week, they had installed MedallionNet and we got the 4 device package. I was able to attend a remote, streaming class without difficulty so it was a good improvement from previously.

The day before we disembarked, they installed on-demand on the TVs.