Medallion App Updated and Working Now

[barrykel]

26 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

True, and many have not been helped at Princess call center.

 

It seems they went to narrow for device support in terms of age of devices.

Limiting the supported smartphone OS versions would have been fine, if they'd just continued to support the pre-cruise data entry requirements via the Personalizer website. And as one who has been a professional software developer for over half a century, I find it hard to believe that the cost of adding one new data entry page and any required new database interfaces would have been that significant. 

[Daniel A]

4 minutes ago, barrykel said:

Limiting the supported smartphone OS versions would have been fine, if they'd just continued to support the pre-cruise data entry requirements via the Personalizer website. And as one who has been a professional software developer for over half a century, I find it hard to believe that the cost of adding one new data entry page and any required new database interfaces would have been that significant. 

I decided to replace DW's Apple tablet and my Android tablet as the MC App requires higher operating systems than we were able to use in 2020.  We have a finite vacation budget and just spent more than $600 on Apple and Samsung rather than having it to spend onboard a Princess ship.  Doesn't sound like a very good business model to me...🥴

[lstone19]

This strikes me as designed by a bunch of 20-somethings who think that everyone can and should buy the latest mobile technology every year. And that mobile technology is the solution to everything with desktop and laptop computers being something the Ice Age.

[barrykel]

12 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

I decided to replace DW's Apple tablet and my Android tablet as the MC App requires higher operating systems than we were able to use in 2020.  We have a finite vacation budget and just spent more than $600 on Apple and Samsung rather than having it to spend onboard a Princess ship.  Doesn't sound like a very good business model to me...🥴

They're lucky you didn't just cancel and switch to another cruise line - it's not like they don't have any competition. I've got to believe a lot of cruisers will do just that, particularly those who don't have smartphones at all. It really looks like Princess has just abandoned a pretty large portion of their customer base. 

[barrykel]

8 minutes ago, lstone19 said:

This strikes me as designed by a bunch of 20-somethings who think that everyone can and should buy the latest mobile technology every year. And that mobile technology is the solution to everything with desktop and laptop computers being something the Ice Age.

I suspect that's the case for those at the company they contracted to implement the app, but you would think the Princess/Carnival executives that hired them would know better.

[Daniel A]

34 minutes ago, barrykel said:

They're lucky you didn't just cancel and switch to another cruise line - it's not like they don't have any competition. I've got to believe a lot of cruisers will do just that, particularly those who don't have smartphones at all. It really looks like Princess has just abandoned a pretty large portion of their customer base. 

I'm using future cruise credits for my next princess cruise.  We'll have to see after that...

[Steelers36]

I realize a lot of people have been caught with older tech devices that aren't supported - and then another group with none.  I don't look at having a smart phone as just valuable for MedallionClass.  I find it invaluable when traveling in general as we have trip info on it like tours and contact (often WhatsApp as well as email).  We can be up-to-date on weather, tour matters and details, not to mention all the things outside the cruise like airline sites, hotel sites, UBER, foreign mobile providers, rental cars, and so on.  A very large number of Apps on my phone are in the travel category.  Another invaluable one is Google Translate.  

 

IMO, I think any serious App provider should support OS platforms that are still supported by their provider (Android/Apple). 

[HBCcruiser]

I received an email back from the MedallionClass Support Team today regarding not being able to select a Boarding time. We are sailing on October 27, 2021 to Cabo out of LA. Here is the email response, which makes good sense:

 

Thank you for your email.  As we’re sure you can appreciate, PCL is still coordinating with the ports our ships will soon be embarking from regarding embarkation and disembarkation times (an outgrowth of restarting), therefore those timeframes are not yet available. We wish we could give you an idea of when they might become available, but we just don’t have that insight as of yet. Feel free to check the app a couple times per week. It shouldn’t be a problem to get an early arrival window once they become available.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

MedallionClass Support Team

 

[barrykel]

35 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I realize a lot of people have been caught with older tech devices that aren't supported - and then another group with none.  I don't look at having a smart phone as just valuable for MedallionClass.  I find it invaluable when traveling in general as we have trip info on it like tours and contact (often WhatsApp as well as email).  We can be up-to-date on weather, tour matters and details, not to mention all the things outside the cruise like airline sites, hotel sites, UBER, foreign mobile providers, rental cars, and so on.  A very large number of Apps on my phone are in the travel category.  Another invaluable one is Google Translate.  

 

IMO, I think any serious App provider should support OS platforms that are still supported by their provider (Android/Apple). 

For me, DW and I frequently like to just get off the ship and wander around town, so the most useful app for us is probably Google Maps.

But the proportion of US consumers who own a smartphone is only around 70%, and I'm fairly certain it's even lower among cruisers, who tend to be older. Just seems incredibly stupid to alienate probably between a third and half of your customer base.

[007colocruz]

On 4/27/2021 at 4:42 PM, HBCcruiser said:

Strange - I logged into the Medallion App and it has a new look. PLUS I was just able to complete the Medallion order for our upcoming July 5, 2021 cruise. I highly doubt that it will sail, but...weird, right? Wishful thinking? 🤔 

Going back to beginning of thread. 
How did the App work for you? 
 

We have App working well on both smartphones, but the cabin number is wrong. The Personalizer & luggage tags are correct & cruise is paid in full . 
I have emailed and will call Princess later to get App corrected. 

[AF-1]

I have an iphone eleven.  Never had an issue with my info transferring over from the website personalizer. All I have left to do is select an arrival time. As HBCcruiser mentioned in post#1708, we will wait until closer to our Oct 4th date to pick an arrival time.  No big deal.  Also, in case anyone here is thinking of jumping ship to another cruise line.  Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity use an app just like Princess.  I have a good friend who is my travel agent, and he has been on both lines in the past month.  The have apps too.  I think just like Disney World who went to the magic bands to do everything in the park; the same concept is trying to be used on ships now.  

[HBCcruiser]

1 hour ago, 007colocruz said:

Going back to beginning of thread. 
How did the App work for you? 
 

We have App working well on both smartphones, but the cabin number is wrong. The Personalizer & luggage tags are correct & cruise is paid in full . 
I have emailed and will call Princess later to get App corrected. 

 

Everything seems ok except I’m not able to book my departure/arrival times for my October 2021 cruise. I emailed the MedallionClass support team and this was their reply:

 

 

Thank you for your email.  As we’re sure you can appreciate, PCL is still coordinating with the ports our ships will soon be embarking from regarding embarkation and disembarkation times (an outgrowth of restarting), therefore those timeframes are not yet available. We wish we could give you an idea of when they might become available, but we just don’t have that insight as of yet. Feel free to check the app a couple times per week. It shouldn’t be a problem to get an early arrival window once they become available.

 

Kind regards,

 

MedallionClass Support Team

 

I have been able to book dining reservations and am showing Green Lane is all other areas. As the cruise gets closer I’ll hopefully be able to use more functions. 

 

[007colocruz]

The wrong cabin number has been removed from my App and my cabin is blank. I am in green lane. Only departure time & health form left. 
personalizer has correct cabin 

[Daniel A]

1 hour ago, AF-1 said:

  Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity use an app just like Princess.  I have a good friend who is my travel agent, and he has been on both lines in the past month.  The have apps too.  

I think there are other lines that have apps too.  The big question is "Do they work?"

[HBCcruiser]

4 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

I think there are other lines that have apps too.  The big question is "Do they work?"

 

I just returned from the Royal AOS Cruise out of Nassau. Their app worked very well. I was able to book dining and entertainment reservations with ease. We used the app to check in and breezed through the boarding process. Note: We still had to show our original vaccination card, Bahamas Health Visa and passport, but the rest was easy. 

[Dave from Ont]

On 8/2/2021 at 3:05 PM, barrykel said:

Limiting the supported smartphone OS versions would have been fine, if they'd just continued to support the pre-cruise data entry requirements via the Personalizer website. And as one who has been a professional software developer for over half a century, I find it hard to believe that the cost of adding one new data entry page and any required new database interfaces would have been that significant. 

I agree completely. What was Princess thinking not making their app usable on many OS versions. I refuse to add another $600 (in Canada) to the cruise cost, just so we can update an iPad to use the Princess App. Everyone doesn't go and buy the newest phone or iPad just because the manufacturer says we should, just to be current.

[caribill]

20 hours ago, AF-1 said:

 Also, in case anyone here is thinking of jumping ship to another cruise line.  Both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity use an app just like Princess.

 

The difference is that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do not require using the app pre-cruise. Their versions of the Princess Personalizer works just fine from any PC type device for entering in any pre-cruise information.

[AF-1]

caribill;  did you read post # 1715?  they used app pre cruise to book dining and entertainment.  Princess should hire the firm who does RC and Celebrity apps.

Edited August 4, 2021 by AF-1

[HBCcruiser]

1 hour ago, AF-1 said:

caribill;  did you read post # 1715?  they used app pre cruise to book dining and entertainment.  Princess should hire the firm who does RC and Celebrity apps.

 

Correct, however Royal does allow booking specialty dining and dining time (not entertainment at this time) online as well, whereas Princess does not. Princess needs to change that IMO. You MUST use the Royal App to do your health screening the day prior to sailing though. It also speeds up your boarding process. Once onboard the App is used to book all entertainment and or change dining reservations. You are NOT able to book any entertainment (shows and such) online prior to the cruise. That is done through the App when you are onboard.  

Edited August 4, 2021 by HBCcruiser

[roxievegas]

Disclaimer:  I have not read all 69 pages, so maybe someone has addressed this already.

 

I do not carry my phone around with me on the ship (cord not long enough).  I am on vacation and I don't want to be tied to a phone.

 

I don't mind the medallion for opening my cabin door, or using it to order a drink at the bar.  But other than that I want to be "tech" free.

 

Am I the only one ?

[Chiliswick]

All we want is early dining each day,but cant seem to get it.

[barrykel]

2 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

You MUST use the Royal App to do your health screening the day prior to sailing though. It also speeds up your boarding process. Once onboard the App is used to book all entertainment and or change dining reservations. 

What about those who don't have smartphones? Also note that the Royal app (at least the Android version) is somewhat more tolerant of older OS's - it only requires Android 7, while MedallionClass requires Android 8.

[HBCcruiser]

40 minutes ago, barrykel said:

What about those who don't have smartphones? Also note that the Royal app (at least the Android version) is somewhat more tolerant of older OS's - it only requires Android 7, while MedallionClass requires Android 8.

 

I have not used the MedallionClass App onboard yet. Hopefully in October! The Royal App was very useful and made booking shows, dining and events/activities very easy.  You could only book dining in the Main Dining rooms (for breakfast or lunch) and the buffet through the App once onboard, NOT ahead of time. There were 2 lines - one for those with a reservation and one for those without a reservation. We had limited (30%) capacity on our sailing so we never saw lines for the buffet or main dining rooms. As capacity increases, though, that may change. Reservations may be necessary for everything.  NOTE: Staff scanned your Seapass Card every time you entered or exited a dining facility or entertainment venue (including the buffet) whether you had a reservation or not. This may have been for contact tracing purposes.

 

I can't imagine not using the App but I use my cell for work so I am used to carrying it with me at all times. I suppose people could book shows through guest services. On the Royal AOS you were also able to view the Cruise Compass (Patter) on your TV. You might also be able to call guest services from your cabin to reserve events as well. 

[san diego sue]

On 8/3/2021 at 5:48 AM, 007colocruz said:

The wrong cabin number has been removed from my App and my cabin is blank. I am in green lane. Only departure time & health form left. 
personalizer has correct cabin 

I have the same problem with wrong cabin number on Medallion. I had called two weeks ago and not fixed. Did you call them?

[Tedferg]

2 hours ago, roxievegas said:

Disclaimer:  I have not read all 69 pages, so maybe someone has addressed this already.

 

I do not carry my phone around with me on the ship (cord not long enough).  I am on vacation and I don't want to be tied to a phone.

 

I don't mind the medallion for opening my cabin door, or using it to order a drink at the bar.  But other than that I want to be "tech" free.

 

Am I the only one ?

Me too, You will be fine doing just that. Treat Medallion just like Cruise Card.