Check you account when sailing on a medallion ship

[FlaMariner]

34 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

We find the “find your shipmates” very helpful when we plan to meet.

 

Gotcha....Never had a problem meeting up w/her Majesty. 

 

34 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

We’ve also had much less trouble with incorrect charges with the medallions than with key cards. 

 

Gotcha....that's a good one....but the posts on here is suggesting the opposite.

 

16 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

The live patter is on the app.

 

Paper is easy for me to read and not interested in toting my cell phone around  the ship.

 

17 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

Instead of flashing our card at the spa, they knew instantly who we were

 

Gotcha.....that could save a second or two......a real advantage?  

18 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

I could tell which table my husband was at in the casino, or which slot machine he was at.

Definitely not an advantage.  LOL

 

19 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

You can do instant chat with a crew member,

 

Never needed to reach out to room steward after our intro when we already settled towels, etc. 

19 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

only way to place a bet on professional sports.

 

um, not our thing.

 

Great info folks!  Keep them coming....Certainly something with this millions of dollars investment is worth it for me......I learned from a very wise IT head at work a long time ago....Sometimes, a pencil is the best solution.  

 

We plan to keep an open mind and try it out....Maybe we can find a rational reason to tote our phone and a medallion around.  

 

(pre embarkation experience with the app has been an epic fail....perhaps onboard will make up for it and exceed expectations)

[Kmkub]

4 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

Gotcha....Never had a problem meeting up w/her Majesty. 

 

 

Gotcha....that's a good one....but the posts on here is suggesting the opposite.

 

 

Paper is easy for me to read and not interested in toting my cell phone around  the ship.

 

 

Gotcha.....that could save a second or two......a real advantage?  

Definitely not an advantage.  LOL

 

 

Never needed to reach out to room steward after our intro when we already settled towels, etc. 

 

um, not our thing.

 

Great info folks!  Keep them coming....Certainly something with this millions of dollars investment is worth it for me......I learned from a very wise IT head at work a long time ago....Sometimes, a pencil is the best solution.  

 

We plan to keep an open mind and try it out....Maybe we can find a rational reason to tote our phone and a medallion around.  

 

(pre embarkation experience with the app has been an epic fail....perhaps onboard will make up for it and exceed expectations)

 

You'll probably hate it. Best to ask for a regular ole' metal key.

[smbt1]

Might I suggest you create a new topic for discussing software development issues related to complex mobile systems

[FlaMariner]

48 minutes ago, Kmkub said:

Best to ask for a regular ole' metal key.

 

LOL..."metal key".....and I am in my early 50's!

 

(I think you are right...or get back to Holland America Line where we've been cruising fine with our "metal key" since we were in our 30's!)

[brisalta]

14 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Programming contracts are of two varieties.

 

1. Fixed price. If delivered meeting poor quality specs, then the contract is fulfilled. Then the contractor can get paid mucho $$$$$ to make the software actually work. Thus no incentive to question poor quality specs.

 

2. Pay for hours spent on the project. If delivered meeting poor quality specs, no matter how lomng it took to do so,  then the contract is fulfilled. Then the contractor can get paid mucho $$$$$ to make the software actually work. Thus no incentive to question poor quality specs.

 

Actually proper contracts specify financial penalties if the product delivered does not pass feature and acceptance testing. Delivery of features is specified in a particular order, etc.

[capriccio]

23 hours ago, brisalta said:

It is just knowing how to do the various types of testing required. That is why you use a professional quality team as well as professional developers.

And it has been evident that the developers didn't even have a basic requirements analysis thereby dooming the programming and system testing.  This project has failed miserably at every step of the way up to and including user support.

Edited February 3, 2022 by capriccio

[brisalta]

2 hours ago, capriccio said:

And it has been evident that the developers didn't even have a basic requirements analysis thereby dooming the programming and system testing.  This project has failed miserably at every step of the way up to and including user support.

 

Well it was not a complete failure as the person in charge got themself promoted to President of Princess  /s

[caribill]

8 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

Actually proper contracts specify financial penalties if the product delivered does not pass feature and acceptance testing. Delivery of features is specified in a particular order, etc.

 

A contract with those penalties is meaningless if the delivered product does just what the spec said, but the spec was poorly written.

 

For example, a spec for the app about DMW might say "allow the user to select if they want slow, normal or fast dining," a feature that is in the app. But if the spec does not also say that people assigned to the same table should have the same selected dining speed, the specs will have been met but the practical result is that it be a poor outcome when people with three different selected dining speeds are seated at the same table. The cost to fix that in the app will be much greater than if that logic had been specified in the first place.

 

I once met a contractor who bid on government projects. Realizing that the result of delivering what the spec asked for would not result in a useful product, he always made a low bid and would get the contract. He then would deliver on time software that met the spec exactly. When the government entity realized the result was useless, they paid him to fix all the problems that resulted from a poor spec. That is when he made the big $$$ as the rates he charged to make the software usable were relatively high.

[brisalta]

13 hours ago, caribill said:

 

A contract with those penalties is meaningless if the delivered product does just what the spec said, but the spec was poorly written.

 

For example, a spec for the app about DMW might say "allow the user to select if they want slow, normal or fast dining," a feature that is in the app. But if the spec does not also say that people assigned to the same table should have the same selected dining speed, the specs will have been met but the practical result is that it be a poor outcome when people with three different selected dining speeds are seated at the same table. The cost to fix that in the app will be much greater than if that logic had been specified in the first place.

 

I once met a contractor who bid on government projects. Realizing that the result of delivering what the spec asked for would not result in a useful product, he always made a low bid and would get the contract. He then would deliver on time software that met the spec exactly. When the government entity realized the result was useless, they paid him to fix all the problems that resulted from a poor spec. That is when he made the big $$$ as the rates he charged to make the software usable were relatively high.

 

So you happen to have met a contractor that complied with a poorly written contract. Big deal! That does negate what I said. Having had a long career in the software field and seeing what was required to fulfill well written contracts I beg to differ.

[MissP22]

On 2/1/2022 at 2:14 PM, Host CJSKIDS said:

I’ve had drinks, a bottle of wine  and even a store charge to my account on our cruises previous to medallion where you just had to go down and keep checking on your charges so the medallion app makes it easier for me to keep an eye on things. 
 

 

Did you have the medallion app option of charging off the ship activated?

How much trouble was it to get the store charge reversed?

[MissP22]

On 2/1/2022 at 3:30 PM, Thrak said:

For those who are really worried about this there are a number of RFID blocking pouches or wallets that will keep your medallion from being read at all unless you remove it from the wallet. Check amazon for RFID blocking pouch.

I'm beginning to think this is an excellent idea, at least until the medallion system is running smoothly. 😉

[Buckeye10640]

We had 2 drink charges show up in error on our 10 day cruise. In both cases customer services agreed it was an error and removed the charge when asked. We do check our account daily and certainly the last morning before leaving the ship.

Edited February 5, 2022 by Buckeye10640

[Host CJSKIDS]

2 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Did you have the medallion app option of charging off the ship activated?

How much trouble was it to get the store charge reversed?

That was prior to the medallion even being around and I always figured it was just someone punching in the incorrect stateroom number.  Only once was something on my account on a medallion sailing and just like the previous times, I simply went to the purser’s desk to get in reversed. 

[Thrak]

I have to wonder how easy it would be to fix a bogus charge that occurred at a shore facility. I'd hate to find a bogus charge from Diamonds International or something of that sort. I don't plan to enable shore side purchasing with the Medallion.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Something tells me I don’t frequent the types of establishments where Medallion pay will be accepted and Medallion Pay is not accepted at the types of establishments I do frequent. 

[MissP22]

19 minutes ago, Thrak said:

I have to wonder how easy it would be to fix a bogus charge that occurred at a shore facility. I'd hate to find a bogus charge from Diamonds International or something of that sort. I don't plan to enable shore side purchasing with the Medallion.

For an addition 7 % is not worth the risk as I see it.

I'll bet that if you were really interested in something at one of their "special" establishments and were about to walk out, they would give it to you anyway. I'm sure there not doing all that much business theses  days they can afford to turn away anyone. 

[smbt1]

8 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I'm beginning to think this is an excellent idea, at least until the medallion system is running smoothly. 😉

The problem is not so much the medallion system as it is crew training.  I have found errors mostly occurring when you happen to be in the same venue with the person ordering and the bartender selects the wrong picture.   

 

We also found that the servers tend to charge both drinks to one person, instead of charging each medallion correctly.  We also found cases where the servers would ask for cabin number and then find that drinks one of ordered ended up charged to the other persons account.  Cases of staff billing procedures, not system error.

[smbt1]

46 minutes ago, Thrak said:

I have to wonder how easy it would be to fix a bogus charge that occurred at a shore facility. I'd hate to find a bogus charge from Diamonds International or something of that sort. I don't plan to enable shore side purchasing with the Medallion.

I do not enable shoreside purchasing.

[MissP22]

18 minutes ago, smbt1 said:

The problem is not so much the medallion system as it is crew training.  I have found errors mostly occurring when you happen to be in the same venue with the person ordering and the bartender selects the wrong picture.   

 

We also found that the servers tend to charge both drinks to one person, instead of charging each medallion correctly.  We also found cases where the servers would ask for cabin number and then find that drinks one of ordered ended up charged to the other persons account.  Cases of staff billing procedures, not system error.

Charging my husbands account instead of mine isn't a problem since we can straighten it out between ourselves. 

Having someone else's drink charged to my account is & that's why I intend to keep my medallion in an RFID case and take it out as needed.

So much for the convenience of the medallion system until they learn how to use it. 

[Thrak]

I have no issue if they charge my drinks to my wife but I do have a problem if they charge my wife's drinks to my account.

[smbt1]

44 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Charging my husbands account instead of mine isn't a problem since we can straighten it out between ourselves. 

Having someone else's drink charged to my account is & that's why I intend to keep my medallion in an RFID case and take it out as needed.

So much for the convenience of the medallion system until they learn how to use it. 

The problem is more with the coffee cards when you order and find your card has zero left because they charged your wife's drinks to your card.

[MissP22]

16 minutes ago, smbt1 said:

The problem is more with the coffee cards when you order and find your card has zero left because they charged your wife's drinks to your card.

I suppose to could be inconvenient if it hits you at a time you order coffee & your account is maxed out.

[FlaMariner]

I do like the idea of my drink charges being charged to someone else's account......

[smbt1]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

I suppose to could be inconvenient if it hits you at a time you order coffee & your account is maxed out.

More if you are saving a punch for the last morning of the cruise, when they cannot be charged to your bill and you then find that it was inappropriately charged and gone.