Smart Phone Not Needed TY Princess

[caribill]

3 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

 If it is required in advance they will have a work around such as FAX

 

Fantastic.

 

Don't use a PC because the world is moving to smart phones/tablet apps.

 

I guess the world is also migrating to FAX technology.

[cruzsnooze]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

Fantastic.

 

Don't use a PC because the world is moving to smart phones/tablet apps.

 

I guess the world is also migrating to FAX technology.

If you're referring to me I use a laptop. No IPad and have a new android smart phone (6 weeks new) but don't use it for anything but a phone. I couldn't tell you anything about the phone except what I paid. I switched from AT&T to Spectrum so had to buy a phone at Spectrum since my old one wasn't compatible with Spectrum service. If Princess allowed emailing the stuff they want from the app I could do that, I learned how to scan recently. 

  I will check with the on board ocean ready crew member to let him/Her see if my phone will accept their stuff and download it I won't venture into the settings on my phone alone. 

  There are people who have no one to help us with tech and don't need it for work since we're retired. The phone is hard for old eyes and texting on that tiny keyboard. I've managed just fine doing what I need on a laptop.

Edited June 24, 2021 by cruzsnooze

[ontheweb]

15 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

I don't have a FB account and was able to stream the webinar. Just go here and then click the Watch Now button right under the video window. (The window says This Live Video Has Ended.) Click the button and it will open up a copy of the video. (Yes, I know it''s a FB link. It works fine.)

 

https://www.facebook.com/PrincessVPSales

Sorry, it did not work. I was told I must log on to Facebook to continue. It also was allowing me to sign up for Facebook.

 

😒😒😒😒

 

 

[Thrak]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Sorry, it did not work. I was told I must log on to Facebook to continue. It also was allowing me to sign up for Facebook.

 

😒😒😒😒

 

 Weird. I've never had a FB account and it works fine for me.

 

How about tying by just clicking on THIS LINK

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, Thrak said:

 Weird. I've never had a FB account and it works fine for me.

 

How about tying by just clicking on THIS LINK

I don't actually have the time to look at it now, but that seems to work. I will check it out later.

 

Thank you.👍

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, Thrak said:

 Weird. I've never had a FB account and it works fine for me.

 

How about tying by just clicking on THIS LINK

OK, I have now watched it. Princess was our favorite cruise line, but now I never expect to sail with them again.😢

 

All this smartphone stuff is a turnoff. How are we going to even know when are boarding time is? And all this reservation for dining instead of just walking into anytime is a total turnoff. You can make your dining room reservations even a year in advance; really who does anything like that? And dancing is very important to DW, and they said no dancing or classes.

[brisalta]

On 6/23/2021 at 4:06 PM, Thrak said:

 

I don't have a FB account and was able to stream the webinar. Just go here and then click the Watch Now button right under the video window. (The window says This Live Video Has Ended.) Click the button and it will open up a copy of the video. (Yes, I know it''s a FB link. It works fine.)

 

https://www.facebook.com/PrincessVPSales

 

Thanks but it insists I log in. I am wondering if it is using a google log in that you may have. Facebook does share credentials with google of all things!

[skidroe]

I found a simple solution, I cancelled my PCL cruises because of all the smart phone stuff.

I booked with Holland America, there, you can do everything online using my personal computer at home 2 weeks before the cruise.

I do not need a smart phone, I have free "landline" because I am a retired telephone employee.

I have a computer at home (with a 23" screen) for easy reading.

I have a $100/year  flip phone ( with large buttons)for emergencies while travelling

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, skidroe said:

I found a simple solution, I cancelled my PCL cruises because of all the smart phone stuff.

I booked with Holland America, there, you can do everything online using my personal computer at home 2 weeks before the cruise.

I do not need a smart phone, I have free "landline" because I am a retired telephone employee.

I have a computer at home (with a 23" screen) for easy reading.

I have a $100/year  flip phone ( with large buttons)for emergencies while travelling

 

Good for you but...

 

While I don't like the non-functional app and I don't even vaguely like being "forced" to use it I really don't get your attitude. Yes, I have a desktop with a 23" and a 27" monitor that has lightning fast hardwired Internet access. So what? I also have a modern phone that works with modern things. I don't have a flip phone that is pointless other than for making phone calls. Sheesh... I don't make that many phone calls! I mostly use the phone for texting, Internet access, and (okay this is maybe sad) playing Words with Friends. (I've been playing with my wife for quite some time. We each tried playing with other folks we know but got tired of winning by freaking huge margins.)

 

Yes, I like my desktop. Yes, I am very happy with my laptop. (Okay, I rarely use the desktop anymore. I built it for gaming a few years ago. It still totally kicks butt because I built it to be awesome. Using the laptop is easier as I can just sit in my living room chair and let my fingers do their thing...)

 

I don't see having a "flip phone" as a badge of honor. Yes, it works as an emergency item - maybe. I understand the changing world and changing technological needs. I just, as I said above, don't like being forced to use a non-functional app that hasn't even vaguely been tested properly. To me that is truly an affront.

 

 

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, skidroe said:

I found a simple solution, I cancelled my PCL cruises because of all the smart phone stuff.

I booked with Holland America, there, you can do everything online using my personal computer at home 2 weeks before the cruise.

I do not need a smart phone, I have free "landline" because I am a retired telephone employee.

I have a computer at home (with a 23" screen) for easy reading.

I have a $100/year  flip phone ( with large buttons)for emergencies while travelling

 

Sigh... I (Twice!) typed out very long responses to this post. I deleted both of them. If you are happy living in the past with your flip phone there is no way I will convince you to change. Enjoy your archaic lifestyle. Perhaps you also have a 12" Raytheon Black and White TV.  Things change. I don't claim to like being forced to use the MC app - especially as the pushed it out and forced us to use it without properly testing the thing - but I do understand change.

 

Princess has blown it big time with their crummy app that doesn't work and with forcing folks to use it. I get that. What I don't get is folks who insist that outdated tech is "the way to go" or whatever it is you are promoting. I loved DOS. Really. DOS 3.3 was great. (DOS 4 stunk.) DOS 5 was back on the right track. DOS 6.22 was freaking great! However, DOS is dead and gone. I had to move on so I did.

 

A flip phone is akin to DOS. Yes, it was great in its time. Today it works in a limited manner. It's not the "way to go" today.

[dog]

2 hours ago, skidroe said:

I found a simple solution, I cancelled my PCL cruises because of all the smart phone stuff.

I booked with Holland America, there, you can do everything online using my personal computer at home 2 weeks before the cruise.

I do not need a smart phone, I have free "landline" because I am a retired telephone employee.

I have a computer at home (with a 23" screen) for easy reading.

I have a $100/year  flip phone ( with large buttons)for emergencies while travelling

I applaud you for being decisive and for making the right choice for yourself. 
I’ve only sailed once on HAL and enjoyed it. 
 

I do prefer Princess and I’m working through the changes, trying not to complain too much. 
 

Hope we all have wonderful cruises to look forward to. 

[ontheweb]

On 6/22/2021 at 3:20 PM, caribill said:

 

The question was asked during today's webinar and was ignored.

Having now watched it, I did notice that they conveniently ignored the questions like that they did not want to answer!

 

There were several questions about how badly their app worked that also were ignored such as "I am a single, why can I only reserve a table for 2? Will I have to eat alone?" They also ignored all the comments about my client isn't able to make the app work.

 

And I guess they could not totally ignore the DeSantis question, so they said we're working on it and still have time. Probably that is an honest answer, but really does not do much to deal with the potential problem.

 

And so many of you with smartphones have said the app does not work with they version you have. That makes their 90% of our clients (how do they really know that?) have smartphones answer irrelevant. 

[caribill]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

 

There were several questions about how badly their app worked that also were ignored such as "I am a single, why can I only reserve a table for 2? Will I have to eat alone?"

 

And so many of you with smartphones have said the app does not work with they version you have. That makes their 90% of our clients (how do they really know that?) have smartphones answer irrelevant. 

 

a) I could easily be wrong, but the impression I had from the presentation is that initially every table would only be occupied by one "unit", be it a travel group of several people or a single cabin's occupants. Based on Cruise Critic posts that initially said they were assigned a table for 2 and then posts that said they were assigned a table for 4, I have the impression that they assigned all tables for two first and then went on to tables sized for 4, but with only two occupants. This type of table allocation might be appropriate for a cruise with unvaccinated passengers where social distancing is required, but not for a cruise where essentially every passenger is vaccinated.

 

b) Even if 90% of clients have a smart phone, posts on Cruise Critic maker it clear that many of those smart phones either have operating systems that cannot handle the app or phone models that cannot handle the app no matter what version of the operating system.

[pms4104]

7 hours ago, skidroe said:

I found a simple solution, I cancelled my PCL cruises because of all the smart phone stuff.

I booked with Holland America, there, you can do everything online using my personal computer at home 2 weeks before the cruise.

I do not need a smart phone, I have free "landline" because I am a retired telephone employee.

I have a computer at home (with a 23" screen) for easy reading.

I have a $100/year  flip phone ( with large buttons)for emergencies while travelling

Nothing wrong with choosing not to be a cheerleader or a lemming ... good for you!

[billco]

7 minutes ago, pms4104 said:

Nothing wrong with choosing not to be a cheerleader or a lemming ... good for you!

or an ostrich.

[awhcruiser]

On 6/22/2021 at 9:42 AM, lx200gps said:

Can't speak to IOS devices, but I do know this is very difficult, if not impossible, on Samsung Android devices and may be the same on other model phones as well. Each model has a "range" of acceptable Android versions that Samsung will support, i.e.  will allow to be installed on the phone through their usual update function. IIRC, my recently retired S5 started out at Android 4 (?) and was only upgradeable officially to Android 7 and no further. The only way that I know of to install more recent versions of Android is to unlock and root the phone, install a custom recovery like TWRP and install a custom ROM , bypassing/eliminating the Samsung version OS completely. I've done that on many Android devices (phones and tablets), and it's definitely not for the faint of heart and/or technically challenged. On my old S5 running Android 10 on a custom ROM, I still couldn't get the MedallionClass app to run. So the Princess rep you spoke to knows little of the technology (which the cynic in me takes to  mean they are probably a key member of the MC development team)

 

Thanks for your updates on this, it's pretty sad to see how arrogant they have become over this.

I got the app downloaded on my Samsung A71 phone by accessing the app through the Princess website with my cell phone.  Back door but it worked for me.

[thinfool]

Seems to me that Princess has, or is, evaluating the cost of using smartphones and apps.  Thinking that it will not be too long before the non-tecchie folks are no longer a factor in their financial reports.

If this is so, I also think that HAL and other lines will eventually get in line with apps and smartphones.

Friends that I have who are firmly resistant to technology and learning anything about it are all in their late 70's...:(

 

[san diego sue]

4 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

I got the app downloaded on my Samsung A71 phone by accessing the app through the Princess website with my cell phone.  Back door but it worked for me.

I got my new cell phone to work the same way. Through the Princess website. When I went to download the program, it asked if I wanted to download on my cell phone. Had my new cell phone listed( also a Samsung). How, who knows. It was a very easy download, and on my cell phone in seconds.

[memoak]

18 minutes ago, san diego sue said:

I got my new cell phone to work the same way. Through the Princess website. When I went to download the program, it asked if I wanted to download on my cell phone. Had my new cell phone listed( also a Samsung). How, who knows. It was a very easy download, and on my cell phone in seconds.

Downloading is one thing getting it to work is another

[san diego sue]

54 minutes ago, memoak said:

Downloading is one thing getting it to work is another

Mine is working as well as a dial up computer used to work. Still functions that don't work, things don't always get save, all appears working, then information disappears.

[ontheweb]

18 minutes ago, san diego sue said:

Mine is working as well as a dial up computer used to work. Still functions that don't work, things don't always get save, all appears working, then information disappears.

That does not really sound like working to me, but since I don't have one of them new fangled smartphones for all I know that is normal.

[cruzsnooze]

14 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Sigh... I (Twice!) typed out very long responses to this post. I deleted both of them. If you are happy living in the past with your flip phone there is no way I will convince you to change. Enjoy your archaic lifestyle. Perhaps you also have a 12" Raytheon Black and White TV.  

 

 

Kinda snarky answer. That archaic system where people "talk" to each-other, don't look at a phone in the restaurant, car, walking, people who don't need to entertain themselves with games every idle minute and so on....................People who don't need instant gratification. There's a whole world out there that doesn't require technology and sometimes tech isn't all that wonderful. Imagine a world without identity theft, robo calls, personal service. Skidroe is stress free without trying everything under the sun to get  that APP which  barely/rarely works.

Edited June 25, 2021 by cruzsnooze

[maggie777]

42 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

Kinda snarky answer. That archaic system where people "talk" to each-other, don't look at a phone in the restaurant, car, walking, people who don't need to entertain themselves with games every idle minute and so on....................People who don't need instant gratification. There's a whole world out there that doesn't require technology and sometimes tech isn't all that wonderful. Imagine a world without identity theft, robo calls, personal service. Skidroe is stress free without trying everything under the sun to get  that APP which  barely/rarely works.

Thrak must have been having a bad day because his posts are usually thoughtful and courteous. However I am one of the PCL customers that uses a cell phone as a phone and am very upset about the decision to abolish the website for pre-boarding purposes.

[billco]

17 hours ago, skidroe said:

I found a simple solution, I cancelled my PCL cruises because of all the smart phone stuff.

I booked with Holland America, there, you can do everything online using my personal computer at home 2 weeks before the cruise.

I do not need a smart phone, I have free "landline" because I am a retired telephone employee.

I have a computer at home (with a 23" screen) for easy reading.

I have a $100/year  flip phone ( with large buttons)for emergencies while travelling

Will your "$100/year flip phone ( with large buttons) for emergencies while travelling" tell emergency services your location? Will it notify your preselected contacts?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208076

Will it provide the EMT your Medical ID?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207021

I cancelled my landline long ago. As a stroke survivor I have a strong need for an iPhone and an Apple watch with cellular to enable quick access to emergency services in case the need arises.

if the worst happens will emergency services have quick access to your wishes as an organ donor?

As far as the Medallion App is concerned, it is part of an evolving technology that will be the standard in years to come. my memory isn't that good these days but I seem to recall complaints from people when Princess went from mailing packets to peole in favor of the Personalizer.

Edited June 25, 2021 by billco

[caribill]

1 hour ago, billco said:

I seem to recall complaints from people when Princess went from mailing packets to people in favor of the Personalizer.

 

The big disappointment at that time was because people were so excited to do a "happy dance" when that packet arrived. It symbolized that the upcoming cruise was real.

 

All it did require of the Personalizer was to use it to print out luggage tags and boarding passes.

 

However, at the time they did this, many people did not have home printers. But Travel Agents were more than happy to print out these items for their customers.