Verifly and the P&O App

[ceeceeDee]

As I stated on a thread elsewhere on the forum, I was not looking forward to setting up these two apps. I know literally thousands of people have managed without a hitch, but if something is going to stuff up it usually happens to me.😂

Funnily enough I was initially more concerned about Verifly, having read a few horror stories. Not so. The app downloaded without a hitch, the photos uploaded easily (though, like my drivers licence and passport photos, I look like Ma Baker on a particularly bad day). I'd printed out our vaxx certificates with the QR code and they scanned and loaded perfectly also. We'll see what happens 24 hours before the trip when I complete the information in search of the green tick.

Now we come to the P&O app. I am not exaggerating. It took nearly all day. Had several attempts to download it and it just folded its arms and wouldn't do a thing. Tried on hubby's phone, same thing. Then hubby had a light bulb moment (they happen occasionally) and wondered if the phones were too old. Sigh. Hop in the car and drive to the Telstra shop and sure enough the answer was "A lot of the new apps aren't compatible with phones more than a couple of years old". Okaayy....... Our current phones are fit for purpose in our every day life, so we weren't interested in upgrading for the sake of one app.

Then my own light bulb had a flash of brilliance and I realised that I had access to a phone I could borrow which was just over a year old. Score! That phone downloaded the app like a good little device. Go to log into my P&O account and it wasn't having any of it. Kept getting the dreaded "the log in and password do not match our records" routine. Right. Re-set the password (several times as it happens) and tried again. Same deal. Rang P&O. Customer Service checked that all details were correct on my account, name matched cruiseling number etc etc and then advised to reset the password (AGAIN), delete the app, re-boot the phone, download the app again and have another go. Did all that and I was back to square one. Still couldn't log in. By this point I was totally over it, needed to be somewhere else, wasn't interested in raising my frustration levels any further so I put the phone aside with a que sera sera. Arrived back home after about four hours, decided to have one more try and what do you know, the planets aligned and the log in worked.

So the take away with the P&O App for anyone else experiencing dramas:

1.  Will not download on an Android phone more than a couple of years old

2.  If you re-set the password and it still won't let you log in, contact P&O to make sure all your details in the account are aligned

3.  Then, re-set you password again, delete the app, re-boot the phone and download the app again

4.  Walk away for an hour or so before trying to log in and it should work. (If not, I recommend a stiff drink and a good lie down)

Honestly, after all the palarva yesterday, I REALLY need this cruise!! If only I'd known steps 1 to 4 I could have saved a lot of time and energy. It might also help if the cruise line mentioned that older phones may not download their yew bewt app!

Still, if the foregoing saves someone else getting stressed out I'll be happy.

 

Cee the Technophobe

 

 

[Ozwoody]

1 hour ago, ceeceeDee said:

As I stated on a thread elsewhere on the forum, I was not looking forward to setting up these two apps. I know literally thousands of people have managed without a hitch, but if something is going to stuff up it usually happens to me.😂

Funnily enough I was initially more concerned about Verifly, having read a few horror stories. Not so. The app downloaded without a hitch, the photos uploaded easily (though, like my drivers licence and passport photos, I look like Ma Baker on a particularly bad day). I'd printed out our vaxx certificates with the QR code and they scanned and loaded perfectly also. We'll see what happens 24 hours before the trip when I complete the information in search of the green tick.

Now we come to the P&O app. I am not exaggerating. It took nearly all day. Had several attempts to download it and it just folded its arms and wouldn't do a thing. Tried on hubby's phone, same thing. Then hubby had a light bulb moment (they happen occasionally) and wondered if the phones were too old. Sigh. Hop in the car and drive to the Telstra shop and sure enough the answer was "A lot of the new apps aren't compatible with phones more than a couple of years old". Okaayy....... Our current phones are fit for purpose in our every day life, so we weren't interested in upgrading for the sake of one app.

Then my own light bulb had a flash of brilliance and I realised that I had access to a phone I could borrow which was just over a year old. Score! That phone downloaded the app like a good little device. Go to log into my P&O account and it wasn't having any of it. Kept getting the dreaded "the log in and password do not match our records" routine. Right. Re-set the password (several times as it happens) and tried again. Same deal. Rang P&O. Customer Service checked that all details were correct on my account, name matched cruiseling number etc etc and then advised to reset the password (AGAIN), delete the app, re-boot the phone, download the app again and have another go. Did all that and I was back to square one. Still couldn't log in. By this point I was totally over it, needed to be somewhere else, wasn't interested in raising my frustration levels any further so I put the phone aside with a que sera sera. Arrived back home after about four hours, decided to have one more try and what do you know, the planets aligned and the log in worked.

So the take away with the P&O App for anyone else experiencing dramas:

1.  Will not download on an Android phone more than a couple of years old

2.  If you re-set the password and it still won't let you log in, contact P&O to make sure all your details in the account are aligned

3.  Then, re-set you password again, delete the app, re-boot the phone and download the app again

4.  Walk away for an hour or so before trying to log in and it should work. (If not, I recommend a stiff drink and a good lie down)

Honestly, after all the palarva yesterday, I REALLY need this cruise!! If only I'd known steps 1 to 4 I could have saved a lot of time and energy. It might also help if the cruise line mentioned that older phones may not download their yew bewt app!

Still, if the foregoing saves someone else getting stressed out I'll be happy.

 

Cee the Technophobe

 

 

Hi Ceeceedee

Welcome to the hate P&O app club.

I did get it to load on my S10s, but it is very buggy.

Have you got the "Who tost the pineapple into the pool" message yet?

Kept getting that any time I tried info on venues or dining.

 Don't know why they cant use a version of the Medallion App, would be much better result.

Its the same corporation after all why re-invent the wheel?

 

We go on a cruise with them October, to Nth Qld.

 

[ceeceeDee]

No, pineapples haven't popped up yet, but then again I haven't ventured back into the app since I successfully logged in last night. What IS it with pineapples and cruise ships??!!😬 Knowing me, I'd get the rough end.

I must say I preferred cruising in the pre-app days. These things are 'supposed' to save time, but so far I have lost a day and who knows if the darn thing is going to work properly on board. It's not as if I'm the only one feeling the pain, from what I've read.

I have heard the Medallion App is far superior and, as you say, both cruise lines are under the Carnival umbrella so why not make use of it across the board? Maybe it is a cost thing?

Enjoy your October cruise to FNQ. Will be starting to get a bit on the humid side up there then. Not unbearable, but definitely noticeable. I remember doing an experiment one Christmas in Cairns where I actually fried an egg on the super hot wrought iron patio table to disbelief of my kids! Yep, they thought Mum was off her trolley.😂

[Aus Traveller]

I had all sorts of problems with the VeriFly app for our P&O cruises last year. For our cruise at the end of April, I decided to do what I could on the app, but if there was a problem I would leave it and just turn up at the terminal. That worked.

[Aus Traveller]

3 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

No, pineapples haven't popped up yet, but then again I haven't ventured back into the app since I successfully logged in last night. What IS it with pineapples and cruise ships??!!😬 Knowing me, I'd get the rough end.

I must say I preferred cruising in the pre-app days. These things are 'supposed' to save time, but so far I have lost a day and who knows if the darn thing is going to work properly on board. It's not as if I'm the only one feeling the pain, from what I've read.

I have heard the Medallion App is far superior and, as you say, both cruise lines are under the Carnival umbrella so why not make use of it across the board? Maybe it is a cost thing?

Enjoy your October cruise to FNQ. Will be starting to get a bit on the humid side up there then. Not unbearable, but definitely noticeable. I remember doing an experiment one Christmas in Cairns where I actually fried an egg on the super hot wrought iron patio table to disbelief of my kids! Yep, they thought Mum was off her trolley.😂

The apps aren't to save us time, they are designed to save staff time whether at check in or on board (the latter is with Princess).

[ceeceeDee]

Absolutely right, Aus Traveller!! The apps are more of a time saver for staff than the punters! I'd like to think we will be able to messsage our friends (who will be one deck above us) with the P&O app, but I'm not betting the farm on it working.

And again, I'm not trusting Verifly. I have ALL our documentation in hard copies in a folder which I will dump on the check in desk at the terminal if needed. I can do without getting stressed out trying to embark. I've advised our travelling companions to do the same. (As they are in their late 20s, they tend to rely heavily on technology but in this case I think they should have 'old school style' back up)😉.

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, ceeceeDee said:

Absolutely right, Aus Traveller!! The apps are more of a time saver for staff than the punters! I'd like to think we will be able to messsage our friends (who will be one deck above us) with the P&O app, but I'm not betting the farm on it working.

And again, I'm not trusting Verifly. I have ALL our documentation in hard copies in a folder which I will dump on the check in desk at the terminal if needed. I can do without getting stressed out trying to embark. I've advised our travelling companions to do the same. (As they are in their late 20s, they tend to rely heavily on technology but in this case I think they should have 'old school style' back up)😉.

The key point about VeriFly is that is for use by P&O before the cruise, presumably to confirm that the required percentage of passengers have been fully vaccinated.. The information was not available to the check-in staff. They asked us to verify that we had tested negative on a RAT and they looked at the hard copy of our vaccination certificates. That's why I didn't bother too much for our cruise a few weeks ago. I do not think you will be able to message friends using the P&O app.

[Ozwoody]

Verify was a total lost, we filled it out as requested, with all details added at the required times.

Didn't do any good when we boarded last year, we had to provide all the info again at the terminal.

Good thing I'm one of those pedantic's that still trusts paper copies over the app thingies.😂

Couldn't see much use for the P&O app on board other than booking breakfasts/lunches in the MDR.

Not planning on completing the info in the verify app for our next cruise, unless it is insisted on by P&O.

 

[ceeceeDee]

Thanks, Aus Traveller. According to the P&O website the app can be used to 'chat with friends and new friends whilst onboard'. We'll see .........

[ceeceeDee]

Thanks John and Hillary. Seems like a total waste of time to complete Verifly if the terminal staff want to gather the information all over again. As I said, I'm arriving armed with hard copies of everything. At least paper won't refuse to cooperate!

[Aus Traveller]

33 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

Thanks, Aus Traveller. According to the P&O website the app can be used to 'chat with friends and new friends whilst onboard'. We'll see .........

I have to confess I didn't try to use the P&O app on board. It was useless up to that point anyway. 😁

[dazadelaide]

I just dislike almost everything to do with technology but the P&O app while on board was useful i am sorry to say!

We used it to make dinner bookings after the first 3 days and to keep up with what was going on around the ship when we were not in the cabin where the good times hard copy was.

We used the chat function to check up on each others location when we went off and did our own things during the day so we could meet up and have a coffee without having to look all over the ship for each other.

We did download it before the cruise but am not sure it was any use for anything before boarding.

Embarkation was easy just had to show staff the verifly app and our cruise card was ready and we just went straight on board whole process took about 5 mins most of which was waiting in line to get to a free counter.

Daz

[ceeceeDee]

Well, I'll give it a go on board and see what happens. I don't have any great expectations so I might be pleasantly surprised. It's not like the cruise will grind to a halt without it. I'll just have to do things the old fashioned, reliable way and sort out what I need in person.😂

[ceeceeDee]

Thanks, Daz. Useful information. The uses you listed for the app are precisely what I want to do. And like you, I'm not a big fan of technology but find myself using it more frequently simply because there is no other choice. I'm not exactly being dragged into it kicking and screaming, but it would be fair to say I am mildly wriggling and projecting a stage whisper.😬

[dazadelaide]

Yeah my wife keeps telling me I need to get with the program but I just don't see the need for it in my everyday life.

I only have my phone connected to the internet when we are travelling the rest of the time my phone just sits on the kitchen bench.

Daz

[ceeceeDee]

Hubby keeps his opinions to himself as far as technology is concerned since I use it a lot more than he does. I don't know how I get myself into these things, but I am the booking officer of our theatre group so I am constantly on line and on the phone helping people book for our shows through the on line booking system. I'm no expert, but boy can I tap dance when a problem arises and act as though it's all a piece of cake. Luckily we have a young IT guy that I can get to sort out what I can't or when the booking system decides to throw a wobbly.

[Ondine]

When boarding all my cruises last summer the counter staff in Melbourne positively beamed when I presented my documents in paper.  Even printed out the QR codes so no fiddling with my phone which also lives on the kitchen bench when not cruising.

[ceeceeDee]

I'm starting to feel vindicated!!!😁