Is paying $10 shipping for a medallion worth it?

[MissP22]

3 hours ago, ldubs said:

If one has the Medallion in hand, are you suggesting, they should be made to wait in the same line as those who need to collect it at the port?  Should folks not have the option to have the medallion mailed ahead of time?  For what reason would either of these be desirable?  

 

I sure don't feel indignant of those who opted to get the medallion early.  

  

 

No, but at the same time why should those that are Elite be penalized and have their priority boarding discontinued and sent to the end of the line of those that paid their way to enter first. 

Once again Princess has watered down another perk that had been earned through years of being loyal.

[kywildcatfanone]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

No, but at the same time why should those that are Elite be penalized and have their priority boarding discontinued and sent to the end of the line of those that paid their way to enter first. 

Once again Princess has watered down another perk that had been earned through years of being loyal.

Yep.  Also, exchanged our mini bar and now you can only get 18 soda/water instead of 20.

 

Also, what is the white medallion?  See a lot of people with them.

[Musky Ike]

4 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Yep.  Also, exchanged our mini bar and now you can only get 18 soda/water instead of 20.

 

Also, what is the white medallion?  See a lot of people with them.

We noticed that also on recent cruises. The white medallion used to be for the first year on new ships now it seems they are for new passengers. White with a blue logo is the new blue?

[MissP22]

36 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Yep.  Also, exchanged our mini bar and now you can only get 18 soda/water instead of 20.

 

Also, what is the white medallion?  See a lot of people with them.

The only time we received a white medallion was during the first year of sailing for the Enchanted. Maybe they also use them if the old ones need to be replaced, using up old stock? 

[MissP22]

39 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Yep.  Also, exchanged our mini bar and now you can only get 18 soda/water instead of 20.

Now that I didn't notice since we traded in our setup for a bottle of wine last cruise. we had the classic soda package so it made the setup not worth trading for more soda plus we manage our own liquor. 

[Sea Hag]

I haven't read through this long thread, but here's my two cents. It's definitely worth $10 to me to have them shipped. My hubby has a very low tolerance for waiting in lines, so $10 to cut out one little bit of that is worth it to us even if it is a very little bit.

[kywildcatfanone]

10 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

I haven't read through this long thread, but here's my two cents. It's definitely worth $10 to me to have them shipped. My hubby has a very low tolerance for waiting in lines, so $10 to cut out one little bit of that is worth it to us even if it is a very little bit.

Agree.  I also have low tolerance for lines, especially lines I shouldn't have to wait in because of my loyalty level and the benefit it used to afford.  Reluctantly I will be buying them in the future.

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

Not irked by the passengers who drank Princess' proverbial Kool-Aid but by Princess' new practice of charging for Medallion shipping.  Prior to August 2023, Medallion shipping was free to all passengers in the USA.  Now they are starting to charge.  Either cough up the $10 or purchase a package fare.  Now, it's a money maker for Princess.  It's a cash grab, IMO.  In addition, the priority lane to enter and check-in for P/E/S disappeared.  The benefit is now a priority boarding lounge which is useless if you arrive after boarding has already commenced.

 

Having said that, even with Medallion in tow, that doesn't necessarily mean you will be first on the ship.  Now, if you can't complete the pre-check-in on the app, you'll still be stuck in the blue lane.  My friends had the Plus Package and had their Medallions shipped to them, but couldn't get the Cruise Ready section of the App to accept their CC info, so off to the Blue Lane they were sent.

 

Would be just as happy to have my cruise card waiting for me my cabin on embarkation day like other cruise lines.  This is a free service and none of the other cruise lines charge to procure a cruise necessity.  I'm not really one that needs to be first on the ship and my preference is to mosey onto the ship as close to the end of the the check-in window as possible.  The only times I get onto the ship early is if I'm on a Princess transfer and I have no choice but to be at the terminal when the transfer dictates.

 

(As an aside, Princess' practice mimics Southwest Airlines practice of charging for early check-in to get an earlier boarding group.  Southwest stands firm in not charging for 2 checked bags so they had to find other ways to generate income.  The sad part is that some people pay for early check-in and still get a C group because too many people purchased early check-in for the particular flight that they were on and the algorithm is programed to check the passengers in alphabetical order by last name.)

 

 

Princess does not charge to procure a cruise necessity, except for those who want it shipped.   I don't think my fare should cover the processing and shipping of a medallion to those who want it.  A fee is appropriate.

 

I get the elimination of preferred boarding lines.   Not an issue if you board late as you claim and not an issue in well run ports, but I do get it.   

 

 

 

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, MissP22 said:

No, but at the same time why should those that are Elite be penalized and have their priority boarding discontinued and sent to the end of the line of those that paid their way to enter first. 

Once again Princess has watered down another perk that had been earned through years of being loyal.

 

I understand the elimination of the preferred boarding lines (I used to get in those lines).   Do I "resent" it, no.   It isn't worth getting bitter about it.  I don't feel abused or cheated.  Apparently a lot of folks do.    

 

Perhaps two additional lines are needed.  Elite with medallions and elite without medallions.  Then there will be much happiness.  

[MissP22]

18 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Perhaps two additional lines are needed.  Elite with medallions and elite without medallions.  Then there will be much happiness.  

That could work but I doubt if we'll ever see it applied.

 

It's not just one thing that irritates me but everything they've taken away from everyone with elite status being affected most.

Loyalty credit, WIFI, coffee cards, 

[ldubs]

Just now, MissP22 said:

That could work but I doubt if we'll ever see it applied.

 

It's not just one thing that irritates me but everything they've taken away from everyone with elite status being affected most.

Loyalty credit, WIFI, coffee cards, 

 

I get that.  Who knows, if enough feedback perhaps they will reinstitute some kind of elite lines.  Though it might be tough to do in some boarding hall configurations.  

 

I suspect the sad truth is very few people are going to take their business elsewhere because of these changes.  We book primarily on Princess, RCI, and Celebrity.  I'm happy to have cruise status benefits on those lines, but they are not an important part of deciding on a cruise.  Right now Princess is serving our needs best and we have two more cruises booked with them.  

[SCX22]

2 hours ago, ldubs said:

Princess does not charge to procure a cruise necessity, except for those who want it shipped.   I don't think my fare should cover the processing and shipping of a medallion to those who want it.  A fee is appropriate.

 

The fact that Princess is charging for shipping or purchase a package fare for those that want it shipped shows their desperation for money.  Shipping used to be "free" for U.S. residents.  Like I said before, whether it be Medallion or cruise card, just leave it in the passengers' cabin on embarkation day and have the passengers collect it from there.  Imagine the money that Princess would be saving... Don't have to have off shore facilities in Asia personalizing the Medallions.  (The Medallions are made on board the ship during the cruise prior for those opting to pick up at the cruise port.)

[kywildcatfanone]

41 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

 

The fact that Princess is charging for shipping or purchase a package fare for those that want it shipped shows their desperation for money.  Shipping used to be "free" for U.S. residents.  Like I said before, whether it be Medallion or cruise card, just leave it in the passengers' cabin on embarkation day and have the passengers collect it from there.  Imagine the money that Princess would be saving... Don't have to have off shore facilities in Asia personalizing the Medallions.  (The Medallions are made on board the ship during the cruise prior for those opting to pick up at the cruise port.)

Yep. Celebrity does this and it doesn't impact boarding or affect their loyalty customers.

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, SCX22 said:

The fact that Princess is charging for shipping or purchase a package fare for those that want it shipped shows their desperation for money. 

I'm not sure if desperate is the correct term for it, more like greed.

How much does 2 cans of soda save them...$1.50 or so. 

They're assuming everyone will buy into the package & won't care one way of the other as it's almost become a worthless perk. 

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

The fact that Princess is charging for shipping or purchase a package fare for those that want it shipped shows their desperation for money.  Shipping used to be "free" for U.S. residents.  Like I said before, whether it be Medallion or cruise card, just leave it in the passengers' cabin on embarkation day and have the passengers collect it from there.  Imagine the money that Princess would be saving... Don't have to have off shore facilities in Asia personalizing the Medallions.  (The Medallions are made on board the ship during the cruise prior for those opting to pick up at the cruise port.)

 

Like I said before, it is appropriate for those who want it shipped to pay for that.  I don't think I want to pay for someone else's medallion shipping.   I personally would have no issue with picking up the medallion in the embark hall or from the cabin upon boarding.  Too bad once obtained the same medallion couldn't be used on future cruises -- battery changes are not difficult.  

[Thrak]

I'm Elite and have Plus but the app says I don't have a package and doesn't offer me free shipping. It also seems to have dropped the rest of my 5 person party from the dining reservations. GAH!!! I'm hoping the new app works better. (Although the current app worked fine for our recent cruises.)

[SCX22]

53 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Like I said before, it is appropriate for those who want it shipped to pay for that.  I don't think I want to pay for someone else's medallion shipping.

 

Still missing my point.  It's not about the people that take the bait.  It's about Princess the company.  Princess is the only cruise line to have the option of your cruise identifier sent to your home.  It's a completely unnecessary charge.  Just leave them in people's cabins on embarkation or have EVERYONE collect in port like every other cruise line.  Long story short, Princess has found a way to turn embarkation into a revenue generator by tying the speed of check-in embarkation to whether or not a passenger has the Medallion in possession prior to the cruise and the only way to have it before the cruise is to cough up the money.

[Thrak]

21 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Just leave them in people's cabins on embarkation

 

Not sure how that could work since you need the Medallion to get on the ship...

[ldubs]

Just now, SCX22 said:

 

Still missing my point.  It's not about the people that take the bait.  It's about Princess the company.  Princess is the only cruise line to have the option of your cruise identifier sent to your home.  It's a completely unnecessary charge.  Just leave them in people's cabins on embarkation or have EVERYONE collect in port like every other cruise line.  Long story short, Princess has found a way to turn embarkation into a revenue generator by tying the speed of check-in embarkation to whether or not a passenger has the Medallion in possession prior to the cruise and the only way to have it before the cruise is to cough up the money.

 

I don't misunderstand.  I just don't totally agree.   I like the medallion in place of the old cruise card. Good for Princess for doing something innovative instead of following the herd.  There are all kinds of added fee options available to customers. Unlike you, I don't have an issue with an option to have the medallion mailed.  The $10 fee seems reasonable to me.  The fall out that I do understand would be the loss of preferred boarding lines.  That impacts some more than others. 

[ldubs]

16 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Not sure how that could work since you need the Medallion to get on the ship...

 

Used to be that way with cruise cards too.  We have been on one cruise line where we picked up the cards in our cabin on embark day.  If that can be done, seems it could be done with the medallion too.   I'm not necessarily pushing for that approach, but I think it must be doable.  

[AZjohn]

10 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Used to be that way with cruise cards too.  We have been on one cruise line where we picked up the cards in our cabin on embark day.

I have never experienced this in my life.

 

Every cruise line we have ever sailed with always had you pick up you card key to your cabin at check in at the port.

 

The last thing in the world we would want is our cabin unlocked and the keys sitting inside for anyone to pick up.

 

Makes no sense to me whatsoever 🤪

[ldubs]

4 minutes ago, AZjohn said:

I have never experienced this in my life.

 

Every cruise line we have ever sailed with always had you pick up you card key to your cabin at check in at the port.

 

The last thing in the world we would want is our cabin unlocked and the keys sitting inside for anyone to pick up.

 

Makes no sense to me whatsoever 🤪

 

Not my favorite approach, but I didn't lose any sleep about it.  Hold on to your seat, because the cards are waiting for you in the slot outside your cabin door.  🙂

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

Not my favorite approach, but I didn't lose any sleep about it.  Hold on to your seat, because the cards are waiting for you in the slot outside your cabin door.  🙂

 

Must have missed that. We didn't start cruising until 2011. (It took my wife 20 years to talk me into a cruise...)

[SCX22]

2 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Not sure how that could work since you need the Medallion to get on the ship...

 

2 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I have never experienced this in my life.

 

Every cruise line we have ever sailed with always had you pick up you card key to your cabin at check in at the port.

 

The last thing in the world we would want is our cabin unlocked and the keys sitting inside for anyone to pick up.

 

Makes no sense to me whatsoever 🤪

 

Holland America and Carnival, which ironically are under the Carnival Corp Umbrella, X and RC handle their cruise card distribution in this manner.  They are left outside your cabin door by the door number in an envelope.  In some instances, all the cabins doors are propped open during embarkation and the cruise cards are on top of the desk or bed.  To get on the ship for the first time, you either print out a boarding pass with a QR code before leaving home, the port agent will hand you a piece of paper with a written code which is unique, or in recent times, the present the QR code generated in the digital boarding pass on your phone to the boarding agents and that is your ticket onto the ship.

 

I think this why Princess has the QR code on the digital boarding pass.  They, however, went in a different direction with Medallion collection and boarding.  Maybe if their IT department could get a properly functioning App, the method above would work.  Then again, probably not, since the above method doesn't generate revenue.

 

Never have had a problem nor have I heard any one had a problem with someone stealing a cruise card.  The ship is a contained environment; they wouldn't be able to get a away with it for too long.  In Princess' case, if someone were to have stolen your Medallion during embarkation, you could go to GS and if the locator showed your location to be somewhere other than GS or your cabin, then your stolen Medallion could be deactivated and new one could be issued.

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by SCX22

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, SCX22 said:

 

 

Holland America and Carnival, which ironically are under the Carnival Corp Umbrella, X and RC handle their cruise card distribution in this manner.  They are left outside your cabin door by the door number in an envelope.  In some instances, all the cabins doors are propped open during embarkation and the cruise cards are on top of the desk or bed.  To get on the ship for the first time, you either print out a boarding pass with a QR code before leaving home, the port agent will hand you a piece of paper with a written code which is unique, or in recent times, the present the QR code generated in the digital boarding pass on your phone to the boarding agents and that is your ticket onto the ship.

 

 

If the door is propped open on Carnival, it means the steward hasn't finished preparing the cabin.

 

Whether card or medallion, your picture is associated and pops up when used.