Ocean Medallion App - Part 3

[kamelia]

20 hours ago, Thrak said:

With the app update my wife's profile pic is gone.  I've tried (several times) to put it back but it doesn't show up. 😒

I've got the same results here in that DH's profile pic is also gone.  When it has disappeared before over the past couple of years, I (as instructed by the app) uploaded a new photo, and now have a fleet of his doppelgangers as pending friend requests when I get onboard.  🥴  Part of me is tempted to try uploading another photo of him to test whether or not this will add to my collection, but then the adult part of me says I've got enough issues with the app already so probably best to not intentionally add to the muddle.  

 

By way of curiosity, though, when you look at your own profile in the app, has your security photo also changed so that it no longer matches your profile photo?  My security photo is now showing the most recent photo taken by port security because one did not come up in their system on turnaround day in Vancouver two weeks ago, but my profile photo remains the same.  TIA!

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, kamelia said:

By way of curiosity, though, when you look at your own profile in the app, has your security photo also changed so that it no longer matches your profile photo?  My security photo is now showing the most recent photo taken by port security because one did not come up in their system on turnaround day in Vancouver two weeks ago, but my profile photo remains the same.  TIA!

 

My security photo and my profile photo have never been the same. I didn't like my security photo so I took another one yesterday that is better. I have a copy of my passport photo and considered just scanning that and using it but haven't done so.

 

My wife hated her security photo that we took so she's asked that I just leave her old photo alone and not try to put it back. She's happy to have the crew take a new pic when we board.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Thrak

[theloo]

I got my first notification from the Princess App ever:  "ssss aaaa."  When I tried to open the app, it just is in a continual "loading" phase and can't pull up my boarding QR code.  🤔

[memoak]

24 minutes ago, theloo said:

I got my first notification from the Princess App ever:  "ssss aaaa."  When I tried to open the app, it just is in a continual "loading" phase and can't pull up my boarding QR code.  🤔

No one is going to ask to see your QR code. All you need is your medallion and passport. Or travel summary if you are picking up the medallion at the pier.  Once on board you can get help with the app

[kamelia]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

 

My security photo and my profile photo have never been the same. I didn't like my security photo so I took another one yesterday that is better. I have a copy of my passport photo and considered just scanning that and using it but haven't done so.

 

My wife hated her security photo that we took so she's asked that I just leave her old photo alone and not try to put it back. She's happy to have the crew take a new pic when we board.

Thanks for the quick response.  My profile photo is the one thing that has been consistent for me with the app - it's the security photo from my first MedallionClass cruise back in 2018 and appeared the first time I set up the app.  For whatever reason, DH's profile photo has been wonky, including disappearing once again after this latest update.  Maybe it will come back with the next update.  🤔

[kamelia]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

No one is going to ask to see your QR code. All you need is your medallion and passport. Or travel summary if you are picking up the medallion at the pier.  Once on board you can get help with the app

Just by way of information, I haven't even needed the travel summary.  The port personnel have just scanned my passport and requested my stateroom number and then secured my medallion.  That's worked for embarkation in several different terminals.

[Tug10]

33 minutes ago, theloo said:

I got my first notification from the Princess App ever:  "ssss aaaa."  When I tried to open the app, it just is in a continual "loading" phase and can't pull up my boarding QR code.  🤔

I just received the same notification too. I was trying to access the Princess App just before receiving this notification & kept getting a message saying their servers were down. Then straight after this notification I was able to get in and the QR code was still showing on mine. It appears to have been a glitch.

[theloo]

18 minutes ago, Tug10 said:

I just received the same notification too. I was trying to access the Princess App just before receiving this notification & kept getting a message saying their servers were down. Then straight after this notification I was able to get in and the QR code was still showing on mine. It appears to have been a glitch.

I figured it was an error, but it was kind of a random thing to send out as a notification 😉

[CruiserN1]

Trying to reserve Crown Grill for a cruise coming up July 14. When I go to "Explore dining options" the window pops up saying that these options will appear closer to my cruise date. When exactly do specialty dining reservations open in advance of the cruise?

[t&atravel]

29 minutes ago, CruiserN1 said:

Trying to reserve Crown Grill for a cruise coming up July 14. When I go to "Explore dining options" the window pops up saying that these options will appear closer to my cruise date. When exactly do specialty dining reservations open in advance of the cruise?

@CruiserN1Explore dining options only works onboard.  To book SD select “view or book individual daily reservations”, pick the day for your SD, the. “Add reservation”, select travel party then the time and SD restaurant you want.

Edited May 30, 2023 by t&atravel

[CruiserN1]

6 minutes ago, t&atravel said:

@CruiserN1Explore dining options only works onboard.  To book SD select “view or book individual daily reservations”, pick the day for your SD, the. “Add reservation”, select travel party then the time and SD restaurant you want.

Thank you for your help. I tried your approach and no matter which day I pick, when I select both my husband and myself as guests it says "Sorry, we could not find any reservations at this time. Please check back later." 

 

However, if I select just my husband as the guest, it offers me tables at Crown Grill or Sabatini's without a problem and specifies it's a private table. Presumably if they have a table for 1 person, it could accommodate both of us (unless there's chair shortage and they are down to the last one).

 

Oddly, if I select myself but not my husband as the guest, the "sorry" message appears again. Apparently only my husband is invited to dine at the CG. I promise I'll take a shower and dress nicely and be on my best manners if it helps.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, CruiserN1 said:

Thank you for your help. I tried your approach and no matter which day I pick, when I select both my husband and myself as guests it says "Sorry, we could not find any reservations at this time. Please check back later." 

 

However, if I select just my husband as the guest, it offers me tables at Crown Grill or Sabatini's without a problem and specifies it's a private table. Presumably if they have a table for 1 person, it could accommodate both of us (unless there's chair shortage and they are down to the last one).

 

Oddly, if I select myself but not my husband as the guest, the "sorry" message appears again. Apparently only my husband is invited to dine at the CG. I promise I'll take a shower and dress nicely and be on my best manners if it helps.

I have seen this issue with friends last year.  I won't be able to give you the specific reason, but there is something wrong with your data, such that there is some piece of bad/missing data, a mismatch between POLAR and Princess App, or perhaps your record indicates a small dollar amount owing by some oddity.  It might require someone from the Princess App (OCEAN) IT team to go through your data field-by-field to find an anomaly.  Basically, it doesn't think you qualify to be booked for dining.

 

Are either of you Platinum or Elite CC Member Level?

[Steelers36]

14 hours ago, Pinballs83 said:

I went on the regal princess in April and the medallion app worked fine for me. I can see how some people struggle with it. For embarkation I had to upload a face picture and passport. If you are not phone savy it could be frustrating. 

 

On the ship the app is really nice. You can locate your shipmates on map. Order drinks. Look at activities. When you walk up to your stateroom the door automatically unlocks. 

Thanks for the report.  Glad to hear it worked well.

 

Just a note that the Princess App has mostly worked quite well on board during a voyage, doing what it is supposed to do.  It is clear they made efforts to have the on board experience work well.  It may be less complex in a way.  They certainly have added more on board features. 

 

The App's biggest failings are the pre-cruise experience with guest registration, getting Ocean Ready and making dining reservations.

[CruiserN1]

27 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I have seen this issue with friends last year.  I won't be able to give you the specific reason, but there is something wrong with your data, such that there is some piece of bad/missing data, a mismatch between POLAR and Princess App, or perhaps your record indicates a small dollar amount owing by some oddity.  It might require someone from the Princess App (OCEAN) IT team to go through your data field-by-field to find an anomaly.  Basically, it doesn't think you qualify to be booked for dining.

 

Are either of you Platinum or Elite CC Member Level?

Nope, just gold. Ugh, might just wait and book onboard. We have a reserve collection minisuite so I think we have access to preferred reservations for specialty dining.

[Pinballs83]

Just do your embarkation documents so it turns green in the app. Then I wouldn't fuss with app at all until you get on the ship. I don't think there is anything to do. 

 

Also i see no point in getting the medallion mailed to you early. When you check in at the port they have the medallion organized by stateroom.  Besides being a cute magnet, I do not think you can do anything with it. 

[jsn55]

6 hours ago, kamelia said:

Thanks for the quick response.  My profile photo is the one thing that has been consistent for me with the app - it's the security photo from my first MedallionClass cruise back in 2018 and appeared the first time I set up the app.  For whatever reason, DH's profile photo has been wonky, including disappearing once again after this latest update.  Maybe it will come back with the next update.  🤔

Makes me laugh ... when I was wasting far too much time trying to get 'ocean ready' last fall, we took photos of each other but they weren't 'accepted'.  No reason was given so I could fix it, of course.  Ran through that three times.  Then I dug up photos on my hard drive about 15 years old and uploaded those ... instant acceptance.  It was cool to see my 'good' photo appear on my cabin door, much more flattering than what I really look like now.

[HiCCCs]

5 hours ago, CruiserN1 said:

Trying to reserve Crown Grill for a cruise coming up July 14. When I go to "Explore dining options" the window pops up saying that these options will appear closer to my cruise date. When exactly do specialty dining reservations open in advance of the cruise?

Best answer I can give is "who knows"? I was able to secure specialty dining reservations over a month ago for a cruise in Australia set for late October. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason.

[Dlynna]

7 hours ago, Pinballs83 said:

Just do your embarkation documents so it turns green in the app. Then I wouldn't fuss with app at all until you get on the ship. I don't think there is anything to do. 

 

Also i see no point in getting the medallion mailed to you early. When you check in at the port they have the medallion organized by stateroom.  Besides being a cute magnet, I do not think you can do anything with it. 

I was quite happy to skip the long line to pick up the medallions in Seattle last week. 

[HiCCCs]

7 hours ago, Dlynna said:

I was quite happy to skip the long line to pick up the medallions in Seattle last week. 

I am forced into the experience of picking up the medallions in Sydney this Fall since mailing them to me here in the USA won't work as I'll be in Australia in early September until the cruise starting October 21st. I have a feeling I'm going to like it....one less thing to worry about losing...or forgetting to pack!!!

[capriccio]

8 minutes ago, HiCCCs said:

I am forced into the experience of picking up the medallions in Sydney this Fall since mailing them to me here in the USA won't work as I'll be in Australia in early September until the cruise starting October 21st. I have a feeling I'm going to like it....one less thing to worry about losing...or forgetting to pack!!!

Last month picking up the medallions in Sydney for a Coral Princess cruise was seamless.  Maybe they have the process down pat because more than 80% of the 2,000 passengers were not from the US and couldn't get them mailed (and of the 20% that were from the US, some of us started our journey before the medallions would have arrived via the mail).  While one staffer was checking us in (with absolutely no waiting in line at 11:30 am), another collected the medallion.  Check-in didn't even take 5 minutes.  The two other couples we were sailing with arrived between 10:45 and 11:45 and had similar experiences - even the couple who had to do a new RAT test (because they took the original test more than 24 hours before embarkation) didn't take more than 15 minutes (and they were very nicely treated in the time waiting for their negative test results).

Edited May 31, 2023 by capriccio

[HiCCCs]

5 minutes ago, capriccio said:

Last month picking up the medallions in Sydney for a Coral Princess cruise was seamless.  Maybe they have the process down pat because more than 80% of the 2,000 passengers were not from the US and couldn't get them mailed (and of the 20% that were from the US, some of us started our journey before the medallions would have arrived via the mail).  While one staffer was checking us in (with absolutely no waiting in line at 11:30 am), another collected the medallion.  Check-in didn't even take 5 minutes.  The two other couples we were sailing with arrived between 10:45 and 11:45 and had similar experiences - even the couple who had to do a new RAT test (because they took the original test more than 24 hours before embarkation) didn't take more than 15 minutes (and they were very nicely treated in the time waiting for their negative test results).

Did you sail out of Sydney Harbor? When I was there back in December one of the cruise ships was in the Harbor...it's the perfect backdrop for a cruise ship...and I imagine so easy to hop off - explore the downtown area or beyond - and then hop back on. I pray that I'll be embarking the Grand Princess at the pier right there in the Harbor and not at the other pier.

 

[capriccio]

Yes and it is beautiful - actually all of downtown Sydney is.  There is so much to do and see.  We spent a total of 7 days in the area: 4 days after arriving from the States; 2 days pre-cruise after returning from a week on the South Island of New Zealand; and 1 day after the cruise.  I believe the Grand will sail from the Overseas Passenger Terminal as we did because I don't think any of the Princess ships can fit under the Harbor Bridge.

[WAvoyager]

10 hours ago, Dlynna said:

I was quite happy to skip the long line to pick up the medallions in Seattle last week. 

Was there a separate line for medallion pickup?  Usually they just grab your medallion as you check in, so no separate line for just that.

 

When we’ve cruised out of Seattle we’ve had our medallions delivered, so I never noticed how they handled pickup.

Edited May 31, 2023 by WAvoyager

[HiCCCs]

5 hours ago, capriccio said:

Yes and it is beautiful - actually all of downtown Sydney is.  There is so much to do and see.  We spent a total of 7 days in the area: 4 days after arriving from the States; 2 days pre-cruise after returning from a week on the South Island of New Zealand; and 1 day after the cruise.  I believe the Grand will sail from the Overseas Passenger Terminal as we did because I don't think any of the Princess ships can fit under the Harbor Bridge.

Disappointing....but I'll still be boarding a ship for a GREAT vacation.  Sydney to Melbourne...then on to Kangaroo Island and Adelaide before turning back to Melbourne. Counting the days!!!!

[capriccio]

40 minutes ago, HiCCCs said:

Disappointing....but I'll still be boarding a ship for a GREAT vacation.  Sydney to Melbourne...then on to Kangaroo Island and Adelaide before turning back to Melbourne. Counting the days!!!!

Not disappointing - the picture above is taken from the Harbor Bridge or close by over looking the harbor..  Here's a great aerial view of Sydney Harbor.  The Overseas Passenger Terminal is on the right side of the Harbor, the Harbor Bridge is on the bottom right, the Opera House is on the bottom left, and the Botanical Garden is on center left.  The small docks in the center host dozens of ferries.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!