Onboard Regal Medallion App…A BIG FAT FAILURE!!

[californiagirl]

We boarded the Regal today.  For the positives of the cruise please see my Regal 11/24 thread.  I really need to vent about how terrible the Medallion app has been for us today.  This morning when we went to enter our final health screening our booking for this cruise was gone, nowhere to be found.  We tried logging off then back on.  We removed the app and reinstalled it.  Still nothing.  I have an iPhone, my husband has an android.  Gone from both.  I told him it wouldn’t be a problem since everyone on CC has said once you get on the ship the medallion app works great.  (We had lots of trouble with the app until about two weeks ago.)  When we got to the port the medallions that never arrived were sitting at the port.  (This after choosing to have them mailed to us.)  The check in person instructed us to go to the Internet cafe and they would be able to restore the voyage/booking.  The man at the Internet cafe said he could not do it but he walked us to the Medallion center.  We told the medallion specialist what had happened and he said “oh no”.  He went on to inform us that he could do nothing onboard.  It was a glitch in the system.  He said it had to be corrected by the IT dept. at Princess HQ.  He also said that this happens to a few people on each cruise and no one knows why it is happening.  He promised he would contact the IT dept and it would be working by tonight.  No big deal we said.  We then stopped by the kiosk at the pursers desk to check that all of our onboard credit was correct.  We each tried to scan our medallions and we received a “no information” prompt.  A very nice purser dept woman came up and offered to help.  We explained the problem with our medallion account and she looked us up on the iPad.  Sure enough they had not credited back to us half the cost of the internet package, which is a platinum perk. She said there was a glitch in the system and she manually added the onboard credit. Then she offered, as a gesture of goodwill, complementary dinner in either Crown Grill or Sabatinis.  We could choose the night and time.  We said thank you and chose tomorrow night, Crown Grill at 6:00.  She later called us in the stateroom and asked if we would be able to go at 5:30 instead of 6:00.  No problem so the time was switched, still tomorrow night.  

 

Mid-afternoon my husband ordered a fruit plate via the medallion app on the TV to tide him over until dinner.  After 45 minutes he checked the status on the TV and it said delivered.  He called the room service line and they said it had been delivered.  He said no it had not.  They said to reorder it.  So he did.  30 minutes later it had not arrived.  Again the TV said delivered.  He called the room service line again and same thing…they said it had been delivered.  This time they said they would send it right now.  10 minutes later the fruit plate was delivered.  About 10 minutes after that 2 more fruit plates were delivered!  The delivery person looked at the order history on the TV and said there must be a glitch in the system.  We and they still don’t know what happened.  

 

Now it’s close to dinner time and I can’t remember which dining room or time I pre-booked for dinner.  We went to the interactive screen near the elevators.  When I scanned my medallion and tapped the dine my way it said no reservations listed or words to that effect.  Back to the pursers desk.  The woman was able to see our reservations.  I asked her why she could see them and I could not and she said, drum roll:  it must be a glitch in the system (I’m really sick of that phrase).  I asked her to please write the reservation times down for the entire cruise.  She wrote Crown Grill down for Friday not tomorrow and I said that is a mistake.  She said no that is what is listed.  She said I had to go to Crown Grill to change it as the dine line was now closed.  I went to Crown Grill and they said there was no availability on the sea days.  This was the last straw.  I politely but firmly said that is not acceptable and explained what had happened.  She found a spot Sunday night at 6:30.  I told her I appreciated her help.

 

I checked prior to posting this and our voyage still is not listed on the medallion app so we still can not access it.  I get that this is a first world problem and I’m really happy to be cruising.  BUT what really chaps my hide is that it has been an exercise in frustration with everything we have tried to do today related to the medallion app.  Of course I can get my own drinks, go to the pursers desk, call the room service line and order over the phone.  Basically do everything the way we’ve always done it.  However don’t promise something you can’t deliver.  Don’t say:  order what you want anywhere, anytime, anyplace if it’s not possible.  There are only 1200 passengers on this cruise.  What is going to happen when that triples???  

[CineGraphic]

Roll with it, don't let it ruin your cruise.

Been there done that. Not worth it.

[californiagirl]

Thank you CG we will.  I need to add that every staff member has been professional and kind.  

[cheeseclan]

We were on the Caribbean Princess many years ago when the Medallion first rolled out.  Never got it to work properly.  To top it off got to the ship in NYC and was told that I had canceled my cruise so my hubby was going without me. What?! It took 3 hours to get it all straightened out, while we stood to the side.  I was not a happy camper at all.  They said it is new and they were sorry.  Also gave us a dinner and  a bottle of wine.  Pain in the backside for sure!!!

 

I must admit that we had no issues at all on our Majestic sailing on 11/6.

I hope your cruise goes smoothly and that you have no issues on your next cruise.

[coopco]

I’m so sorry to hear of your problems. That has to be an incredibly frustrating way to start your cruise. I appreciate your posting your experience though. If it happened to you, it can happen to any of us and it will help me to be mentally prepared if it does. I hope they can get it fixed asap so you can enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[Roberto256]

8 hours ago, californiagirl said:

We boarded the Regal today.  For the positives of the cruise please see my Regal 11/24 thread.  I really need to vent about how terrible the Medallion app has been for us today.  This morning when we went to enter our final health screening our booking for this cruise was gone, nowhere to be found.  We tried logging off then back on.

 

I'm really sorry that you are having such problems.

 

But, thank you so much for posting.

 

There are some princess-lovers here who try and minimize the ongoing medallion problems,

and find a way to be dismissive of the people having the problems.

 

Based on your experience, real people are having real problems.

 

Bad day for the love-blind.

 

Three fruit plates delivered at nearly the same time reminded me of this old internet tale:

 

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/101245-the-hotel-soap-saga/

 

I think you should keep ordering fruit plates!!!

 

[voljeep]

XXXXXXX customers know this all too well. The coffee chain has been struggling in the past year with a number of operational issues, many of which are directly related to difficulties with its mobile app. Glitches in the XXXXXXX app and incomplete integration of the technology into the chain's day-to-day business have left customers complaining of inaccurate orders, delays in order fulfillment, and difficulties with refunds.

 

yep, it happens ☕

[awinte2]

So sad CGirl.  Just get back to cruising and you have to put out all the fires started by this Medallion App that on paper looked great but in the real world is causing more headaches than it is worth.  

No one wants to go through all these glitches on their holiday.

As for the saying A Glitch In the System.  What else can they say.  The crew is as unhappy as you are when things are not working as they are suppose to as it causes them nothing but grief as well.

The app will not work on my phone so will load it on my DH phone and am not going to stress (hopefully) about it when my cruise comes in February if it fails to perform.

Trying to deal with the pandemic, vaccine issues, testing and a Malfunctioning App. I am still looking forward to getting back to cruising.

Keep smiling  and thanks for posting your experience.

 

[tothemall&beyond]

The constant trope of a "it must be glitch" is definitely something Princess is training all of them to say. Totally inexcusable! You should demand, not ask for, but demand, some sort of actual partial refund -- via either a credit to your bank card or FCC's, but not another specialty dining or non-refundable OBC's. You go girl!!!

 

[pathi]

I wish there was a way to tie all this together. We just got off Regal yesterday, and our medallions worked. To be fair we did not order food thru the tv, But we did have several drinks and food delivered around the ship. Even on the 1st day the app said food delivery was not available. it was before sail away. We ordered cheese fries, got a msg service was not available. Then had them delivered 5 minutes later.

[Honolulu Blue]

OP, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. I will be boarding the Regal on Monday. I hope I'm not one of the unlucky ones to have app problems.

[californiagirl]

I really appreciate all of your kind thoughts.  I can’t image arriving at the ship to find that they cancelled your cruise!!!  When we woke up this morning and the app still didn’t work we realized it probably wouldn’t work for the duration.  We decided to pretend like it doesn’t exist and enjoy our cruise.  I did however go back to the medallion center and I spoke with the same man as yesterday.  He was genuinely kind and frustrated with the system himself.  I learned a little more.  Evidently there are 3 couples…6 people onboard that this has happened to.  He said no one from IT has responded at all which he said is unusual.  I then had a lightbulb moment…I said it’s Thanksgiving!  Everyone probably went home on time or early yesterday and most likely there is a skeletal crew working today and the rest of the weekend.  He agreed completely.  He said there is another unusual thing that has happened.  He said there was a scheduling mixup and there is no IT/Medallion manager onboard for this sailing.  Normally that person would have access to the shoreside IT manager.  He said he is it and doesn’t have access.  He was very apologetic and I was polite because it’s not his fault that the app is a dismal failure.  He asked what we would like in the way of compensation.  I said I’d have to think about it and get back to him.  
 

On a very positive note our physical medallion devices work.  I love the way the door unlocks when you walk up to it.  No more digging around for a key card with full arms.  The servers have only to scan the medallion for our Diet Cokes etc.  Because of the low number of passengers it has the feel of being on the ship when it’s in port.  In the retreat pool area at 11:30 this morning only 1/3 of the lounge chairs were taken.  It’s unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.  The passengers and crew are all very polite and fun to be around.  
 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  One thing I’m grateful for today is that I can cruise!

[phdiva]

We’re on the Enchanted Princess and our door panel is glitchy. First they replaced a battery and sent us flowers. The second time they sent an officer, IT specialist, and a carpenter and comped us dinner four four at the Crown Grill. 

[billco]

1 hour ago, californiagirl said:

I really appreciate all of your kind thoughts.  I can’t image arriving at the ship to find that they cancelled your cruise!!!  When we woke up this morning and the app still didn’t work we realized it probably wouldn’t work for the duration.  We decided to pretend like it doesn’t exist and enjoy our cruise.  I did however go back to the medallion center and I spoke with the same man as yesterday.  He was genuinely kind and frustrated with the system himself.  I learned a little more.  Evidently there are 3 couples…6 people onboard that this has happened to.  He said no one from IT has responded at all which he said is unusual.  I then had a lightbulb moment…I said it’s Thanksgiving!  Everyone probably went home on time or early yesterday and most likely there is a skeletal crew working today and the rest of the weekend.  He agreed completely.  He said there is another unusual thing that has happened.  He said there was a scheduling mixup and there is no IT/Medallion manager onboard for this sailing.  Normally that person would have access to the shoreside IT manager.  He said he is it and doesn’t have access.  He was very apologetic and I was polite because it’s not his fault that the app is a dismal failure.  He asked what we would like in the way of compensation.  I said I’d have to think about it and get back to him.  
 

On a very positive note our physical medallion devices work.  I love the way the door unlocks when you walk up to it.  No more digging around for a key card with full arms.  The servers have only to scan the medallion for our Diet Cokes etc.  Because of the low number of passengers it has the feel of being on the ship when it’s in port.  In the retreat pool area at 11:30 this morning only 1/3 of the lounge chairs were taken.  It’s unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.  The passengers and crew are all very polite and fun to be around.  
 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  One thing I’m grateful for today is that I can cruise!

Well, we sailed on the Regal 3 weeks in October and November. Fortunately, we had very little issues with the Medallion or the App. However, we were watching a movie on the TV and it got totally out of sync with the audio. I used Crew Chat to complain and was told they would look into it. Next day still not fixed, so I sent another text. This time the Cruise Director Andy sent me a text . Still didn't get fixed, but I like the Crew Chat feature of the App. Saved a couple trips to the PSD. Always got a quick response. Also, liked ordering food and drinks from the stateroom.

[barrykel]

7 hours ago, voljeep said:

XXXXXXX customers know this all too well. The coffee chain has been struggling in the past year with a number of operational issues, many of which are directly related to difficulties with its mobile app. Glitches in the XXXXXXX app and incomplete integration of the technology into the chain's day-to-day business have left customers complaining of inaccurate orders, delays in order fulfillment, and difficulties with refunds.

 

yep, it happens ☕

Not to mention the poor Tesla owners who were actually locked out of their cars, thanks to a problem with their app. At least with Princess, noone (that I've seen reported here) has been denied boarding because of the app problems.

[phdiva]

Door gremlins struck again. We insisted on changing cabins (ship is sailing at about one-third capacity) and got an upgrade to a minisuite. 

[brisalta]

18 hours ago, californiagirl said:

We boarded the Regal today.  For the positives of the cruise please see my Regal 11/24 thread.  I really need to vent about how terrible the Medallion app has been for us today.  This morning when we went to enter our final health screening our booking for this cruise was gone, nowhere to be found.  We tried logging off then back on.  We removed the app and reinstalled it.  Still nothing.  I have an iPhone, my husband has an android.  Gone from both.  I told him it wouldn’t be a problem since everyone on CC has said once you get on the ship the medallion app works great.  (We had lots of trouble with the app until about two weeks ago.)  When we got to the port the medallions that never arrived were sitting at the port.  (This after choosing to have them mailed to us.)  The check in person instructed us to go to the Internet cafe and they would be able to restore the voyage/booking.  The man at the Internet cafe said he could not do it but he walked us to the Medallion center.  We told the medallion specialist what had happened and he said “oh no”.  He went on to inform us that he could do nothing onboard.  It was a glitch in the system.  He said it had to be corrected by the IT dept. at Princess HQ.  He also said that this happens to a few people on each cruise and no one knows why it is happening.  He promised he would contact the IT dept and it would be working by tonight.  No big deal we said.  We then stopped by the kiosk at the pursers desk to check that all of our onboard credit was correct.  We each tried to scan our medallions and we received a “no information” prompt.  A very nice purser dept woman came up and offered to help.  We explained the problem with our medallion account and she looked us up on the iPad.  Sure enough they had not credited back to us half the cost of the internet package, which is a platinum perk. She said there was a glitch in the system and she manually added the onboard credit. Then she offered, as a gesture of goodwill, complementary dinner in either Crown Grill or Sabatinis.  We could choose the night and time.  We said thank you and chose tomorrow night, Crown Grill at 6:00.  She later called us in the stateroom and asked if we would be able to go at 5:30 instead of 6:00.  No problem so the time was switched, still tomorrow night.  

 

Mid-afternoon my husband ordered a fruit plate via the medallion app on the TV to tide him over until dinner.  After 45 minutes he checked the status on the TV and it said delivered.  He called the room service line and they said it had been delivered.  He said no it had not.  They said to reorder it.  So he did.  30 minutes later it had not arrived.  Again the TV said delivered.  He called the room service line again and same thing…they said it had been delivered.  This time they said they would send it right now.  10 minutes later the fruit plate was delivered.  About 10 minutes after that 2 more fruit plates were delivered!  The delivery person looked at the order history on the TV and said there must be a glitch in the system.  We and they still don’t know what happened.  

 

Now it’s close to dinner time and I can’t remember which dining room or time I pre-booked for dinner.  We went to the interactive screen near the elevators.  When I scanned my medallion and tapped the dine my way it said no reservations listed or words to that effect.  Back to the pursers desk.  The woman was able to see our reservations.  I asked her why she could see them and I could not and she said, drum roll:  it must be a glitch in the system (I’m really sick of that phrase).  I asked her to please write the reservation times down for the entire cruise.  She wrote Crown Grill down for Friday not tomorrow and I said that is a mistake.  She said no that is what is listed.  She said I had to go to Crown Grill to change it as the dine line was now closed.  I went to Crown Grill and they said there was no availability on the sea days.  This was the last straw.  I politely but firmly said that is not acceptable and explained what had happened.  She found a spot Sunday night at 6:30.  I told her I appreciated her help.

 

I checked prior to posting this and our voyage still is not listed on the medallion app so we still can not access it.  I get that this is a first world problem and I’m really happy to be cruising.  BUT what really chaps my hide is that it has been an exercise in frustration with everything we have tried to do today related to the medallion app.  Of course I can get my own drinks, go to the pursers desk, call the room service line and order over the phone.  Basically do everything the way we’ve always done it.  However don’t promise something you can’t deliver.  Don’t say:  order what you want anywhere, anytime, anyplace if it’s not possible.  There are only 1200 passengers on this cruise.  What is going to happen when that triples???  

 

Do not worry as the clueless idiot who pushed the whole concept of the Medallions and Medallion app. has been promoted to the position of President, Princess Cruise Lines. I foresee far worse to come.

[brisalta]

1 hour ago, barrykel said:

Not to mention the poor Tesla owners who were actually locked out of their cars, thanks to a problem with their app. At least with Princess, noone (that I've seen reported here) has been denied boarding because of the app problems.

 

Actually Tesla owners were not been locked of out of their cars as Telsa owners also have a key card for entry.

[californiagirl]

Latest update.  I received a call from the senior purser this afternoon.  She asked if a credit of $150.00 per person would be adequate as compensation for the medallion app failure.  We also get the complementary Crown Grill dinner.  I think that is more than fair.  We paid less than $400.00/pp for the cruise.  I would have asked to change to a mini-suite except that our cabin and more importantly the balcony are too good to give up.  
 

Regarding ordering food to our room via the TV.  That problem was solved today.  I ordered something from room service via the TV and the same exact thing happened as yesterday.  The only difference is that the room service manager followed up.  He said that the delivery person insisted the items had been delivered.  I insisted that they had not.  He called me back within 2 minutes and said the items were on the way and the mystery was solved.  When the delivery girl got here she showed me the computer generated ticket.  It had our names and the ROOM # DIRECTLY BELOW US!  She had delivered the items to the room listed on the ticket.  She said each time she delivered something to that room no one was there so she left it by the door!  The poor girl!!  She probably thought she had entered the twilight zone.  Also the people below us must have wondered why unrequested food was showing up by their door! 😂

[Bgwest]

17 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

 

I'm really sorry that you are having such problems.

 

But, thank you so much for posting.

 

There are some princess-lovers here who try and minimize the ongoing medallion problems,

and find a way to be dismissive of the people having the problems.

 

Based on your experience, real people are having real problems.

 

Bad day for the love-blind.

 

Three fruit plates delivered at nearly the same time reminded me of this old internet tale:

 

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/101245-the-hotel-soap-saga/

 

I think you should keep ordering fruit plates!!!

 

I am one of the Princess supporters lambasted above. Medallion is a new(ish) technology and as such will not work perfectly all the time. I get that but I steadfastly refuse to let it ruin my cruise. Life's just too damned short to get my knickers (I'm borrowing this word and am hoping I'm using it correctly) in a wad over a battle with a quarter sized piece of plastic with assorted internal electrical gizmos. When I choose to engage with an inanimate object, I usually lose anyway. 

 

See Post #2 above. 

 

The Medallion system has worked flawlessly for us on 6 cruises before the shutdown and one cruise since restart. We have cruises scheduled in December, January, April, October and November then more in 2023. I anticipate that Medallion will continue working for us on these cruises as it has in the past. 

 

Now if on any of these cruises Medallion decides to lay a big 'ol egg at our feet I may feel differently. If and when that time comes, I'll do my best to recall memories of cruising life while holding in my hand nothing more than a cruise card. If my grey matter doesn't completely fail my at that moment, I'll likely remember cruising pre-Medallion and will continue with my cruise experience and enjoy every moment of it!!😀

 

 

 

 

[Bgwest]

55 minutes ago, californiagirl said:

 

 

Bgwest I’m glad that the medallion app has worked well for you but you clearly have no sympathy for those of us who have had issues with it.  Bragging about how it works flawlessly for you only serves to insult those of us who have had problems.  We are long time Princess cruisers…note my CC join date.  We love Princess.  Generally speaking Princess is a good fit for us.  I realize that no cruiseline is perfect however when something goes completely wrong this is the place to share experiences and sometimes those are bad.
 

We are thoroughly enjoying this cruise and as I said earlier we are just pretending the medallion doesn’t exist.  If you have nothing constructive to add pick up your wad of knickers and go flame someone else.
 

 

OK, you have my sympathy. Now what? 

 

If you are somehow interpreting my statements of fact of how satisfactorily Medallion has worked for us as “bragging” and “flaming”, then an expression of sympathy is even more appropriate. 

 

See post #2 above. 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

OP, I understand your frustration. I had a few cruises where my medallion didn’t work and I was OK with it but… there are six people on your cruise, counting you, whose medallions don’t work. It can also be looked at this way… A certain cruise experience was advertised, you booked and paid for that cruise experience that was advertised, and they are not delivering what they advertised and sold to you.  I understand people saying don’t get upset but I can see both sides. Good luck OP!

[donaldsc]

Based on the fact that 50% of the posts on the Princess board are related to Medallion problems, this is yet another reason why I will not ever sail on Princess again.  Just as an aside, perhaps CC members on Princess can organize a "throw the damn things overboard" party at the start of the cruise.  Or is that forbidden by some anti ocean littering treaty.  

 

DON

[Hlitner]

Perhaps there needs to be some clarification as folks are talking about two different (but related) issues.  The "Medallion App' is software you put on your phone (or tablet) that gives you access to various functions such as making dining reservations.   That is not the same as the actual "Medallion" which is a small button sized transponder device that unlocks your cabin door and is used to activate other functions such as paying for a drink (or verifying you have a package).   Even if the Medallion App is not functioning (or perhaps you do not even bother to carry a phone and use the App) you can still enjoy your cruise.    

 

Having a working Medallion is a necessity on the cruise although I think that Guest Relations can still issue a Smart Cruise Card which will handle the basic functions such as opening your cabin door and handling transactions.

 

I mention the distinction because a majority of the complaints have been about the App...not the actual Medallion.  

 

Hank

[eagletwo]

Currently on the Regal and will board Enchanted on November 30th.  Our Medallions work great. The app, not so much. Shows us on the Enchanted from November 24-December 10th. Can’t use most of the features as we are on the Regal and the app “thinks” we are on Enchanted.  Both my android phone and IPad show the same thing. Ocean Medallion staff have no clue. 
 

We are having a wonderful time on the Regal!