Medallion roll out slower than anticipated

[PoohUnderstands]

Wow, a lot of people like technology more than cruising! Grin. I am on one of these cruises on Royal in March, 2018. Now I am really hoping that they are still in preview mode and I am NOT chosen. Would like the $200-500 more OBC everyone here has mentioned getting when they called into Princess!!!!!! I chose the cruise for itinerary, pricing, ship. Do people really choose a certain cruise just to be first on a technology gadget?! Guess I am naive. But then I am one of those weird people that don't like the WDW wristbands either!

 

Though either way, I have to agree with those that said Princess should have come out with this approach to begin with in their advertising. Only makes sense. Makes one sense that they are not too confident in the launch of this new technology as they were in the very beginning........ or someone hadn't thought it through too well.

 

Pooh

[pablo222]

I have to respectively disagree with my IT colleagues who have previously posted. This last minute announcement of a phased approach is a complete and utter failure in both planning and execution.

 

Exactly.

 

Just put a little note in the patter:

"We're testing this new medallion with a limited number of passengers.

If you'd like to participate, stop by the purser's desk for your medallion."

 

Do this for 4 or 6 or 8 cruises before the announced date.

 

Or, put everyone on it, and watch it fall over.

[ERvet]

"I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I cannot do that. I cannot let you in your room right now."

 

 

 

“Shall we play a game?” Yes, I know different movie but still applicable.

 

Question for those disappointed....if it was ship wide and broke just how mad would you be then. Imagine 3000 passengers and 1000+ crew all having to change back to cards. The lines for tenders will never look so short.

 

 

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[XBGuy]

I have to respectively disagree with my IT colleagues who have previously posted. This last minute announcement of a phased approach is a complete and utter failure in both planning and execution.

 

Princess announces this program with pomp and circumstance about complete rollout 1 ship at a time. Followed up with multiple videos 2 months later about how great they are and that they completely installed the hardware in a single 8 day dry dock.

 

If this had been planned correctly the limited trials would have been running for the past 60 days. Ocean Compass would have been released 2 months ago.

 

If this would have happened at my company (a Fortune 50 company) the Program Director and a few dept heads would looking for new employment. Of course the VP in charge would be promoted <sic> but that's a whole other story LOL.

 

This is a simple case of alligator mouth overloading mockingbird @ss.

 

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I'm not sure that any of your IT colleagues would actually disagree with you.

 

If you are saying that you have never experienced a roll-out that has not been delayed, then I am impressed, and I have to agree that you work for a truly excellent organization. The fact is, however, it does happen. When, suddenly, the realization hits that disaster may be approaching, there are only two courses that can be taken: avoidance or mitigation. It appears to me that Princess is taking the mitigation approach. I agree that penalties should be paid by incompetent management. With that feeling of superiority and a few bucks, I can buy myself a coffee.

 

Completely off-topic: I heard that the CCL stock dividend was increased by 12%, today--from $.40 to $.45 per share. As a stockholder, news like that makes me happy.

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/carnival-raises-quarterly-dividend-12-2017-10-19

[richsea]

Wow, a lot of people like technology more than cruising! Grin. I am on one of these cruises on Royal in March, 2018. Now I am really hoping that they are still in preview mode and I am NOT chosen. Would like the $200-500 more OBC everyone here has mentioned getting when they called into Princess!!!!!! I chose the cruise for itinerary, pricing, ship. Do people really choose a certain cruise just to be first on a technology gadget?! Guess I am naive. But then I am one of those weird people that don't like the WDW wristbands either!

 

Though either way, I have to agree with those that said Princess should have come out with this approach to begin with in their advertising. Only makes sense. Makes one sense that they are not too confident in the launch of this new technology as they were in the very beginning........ or someone hadn't thought it through too well.

 

Pooh

I have to agree with you on all points. We are on Royal's first Medallion sailing in January. I have to admit that I was intrigued with the thought of trying it out, but did not book this particular sailing because of it, & really can't understand why anyone would book a cruise for that reason. But to each his own.

 

Like you, at this point I hope we are not picked to be one of the guinea pigs to try it. Just give me my sea pass card and I'll be more than happy! I am on a ship in the Caribbean for 20 days and not in the northeast winter!

[DnD_Cruisin]

I'm not sure that any of your IT colleagues would actually disagree with you.

 

If you are saying that you have never experienced a roll-out that has not been delayed, then I am impressed, and I have to agree that you work for a truly excellent organization. The fact is, however, it does happen. When, suddenly, the realization hits that disaster may be approaching, there are only two courses that can be taken: avoidance or mitigation. It appears to me that Princess is taking the mitigation approach. I agree that penalties should be paid by incompetent management. With that feeling of superiority and a few bucks, I can buy myself a coffee.

 

Completely off-topic: I heard that the CCL stock dividend was increased by 12%, today--from $.40 to $.45 per share. As a stockholder, news like that makes me happy.

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/carnival-raises-quarterly-dividend-12-2017-10-19

Firstly I never said that my company has had flawless execution. Yes we have experienced delays. Yes people have been fired. Yes we recovered. I could only wish for flawless execution..the holy grail 😀

 

This Medalion program appears to have been doomed from the start. IMO due to poor planning. As I outlined above, pieces should have been rolled out far in advance of the advertised debut. Limited end user trials should have been initiated 8 weeks ago. Without doing that, an all in roll out was foolhardy at best.

 

Because the are taking the mitigation steps that they are now, makes perfect sense. But it doesn't change what I am saying in that this is still a planning and execution mistake that lead to this decision.

 

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[coconut cruiser]

Just wanted to post this in case people hadn't seen it yet off of Travel Weekly. Looks like they are being conservative on the roll out of this new tech.

 

http://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Ocean-Medallion-rollout-to-be-more-conservative-than-planned

Wow! We actually cancelled our Nov 15 cruise on Regal because we didn't want to be guinea pigs for this new tech. Not against the idea. But know that there are often major problems when new. Planned to wait several months until the bugs were ironed out. Think it is better to do it this way.

[XBGuy]

D n D, I apologize that I misconstrued some of your comments.

 

Otherwise, I do believe we are, pretty much, on the same page regarding the planning and execution of this project. I'm not prepared to declare that this project is doomed, but, from what little I know, and, let's face it, I know very little, it sure looks like the project manager was not as thorough as he should have been.

[DnD_Cruisin]

D n D, I apologize that I misconstrued some of your comments.

 

Otherwise, I do believe we are, pretty much, on the same page regarding the planning and execution of this project. I'm not prepared to declare that this project is doomed, but, from what little I know, and, let's face it, I know very little, it sure looks like the project manager was not as thorough as he should have been.

No apologies needed. I was guilty of the same sins 😀 Sometimes my speed reading causes me to lack in reading comprehension.

 

Yes I do think we are saying the same thing. I definitely believe the program will ultimately be a huge success. I am just disappointed in their progress to date.

 

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[DnD_Cruisin]

Also to be more succinct... by doomed I meant the initial roll out as promised. Not the overall program.

 

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[sswv]

So here is what happened to me. Booked on the 11/15 Regal (bc wanted to try out new tech) when they first announced the intro cruises at the LV Tech Show back in Jan/Feb.

We were excited to snag an Aft deluxe balcony and it was also to celebrate our 25th Anniv.

Received the email Tuesday around 6pm stating that the cabin we selected is not part of the Medallion roll out.Promptly called Princess and waited for about 25 minutes to talk to a representative. His initial response was straight by the script which I am sure he was given. I interrupted him and said all that I said above and that my biggest gripe is that they knew they were not going to have this ship wide long before October 17, 2017. They have been selling these intro cruises since January. What happens when I attempt to cancel less than 30 days out?

To which the representative broke from script and said that they all learned the same time I received my email - that evening around 5pm! I told him that the next day, Wednesday is going to be a really bad day for him and to bring some Advil to work.

He did apologize even though we both knew it wasn't his fault at all and offered to make a note in my reservation that I would like to be considered for the Medallion section IF it's an equal category room or higher. He also documented all of my points as far as the lack of open communication and fair warning.

This evening around 6pm I received an email that I was upgraded to mini suite mid ship which is part of the Medallion program. I called them back to make sure I understood the email correctly and the lady representative told me they are rolling out according to muster stations and MB is the muster station I was assigned to.

Don't know if this helps anyone, but if you are displeased I would say call sooner rather than later and ask to be on a volunteer list.

[coolcruiser777]

They said they are trying it in one cabin block, but now I've been seeing people say they've gotten it all around the ship on at least four different decks now...

[cruzsnooze]

While you can opt out of most things, the medallion will be your door key, so... if its on the ocean floor, you'll be spending a lot of time in the lounges, I guess?

I was assured the old key card will remain in place ( the new tech will be in addition ) so it will be no problem to opt out. Of course there is the possibility the several reps I asked aren't always correct so time will tell. I plan to leave Princess next May after my Alaska cruise after 42 cruises with them because they are too big and crowded and I want to sail on smaller, more destination oriented ships anyway.

[p010ne]

So is it true that even if you do not have a medallion equiped cabin that platinum/elite get unlimited internet? If so, then I will bring my Amazon Echo so that I can keep entertained![emoji6]

 

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[PrincessFan1984]

No - just some computers in the Internet Cafe. Yes - or a notebook/laptop/tablet. Nothing special - you are responsible for your own property.

 

I read an article that said there are over 100 touch screen portals being installed on the ship so you don't have to use your own phone. It didn't say where, but if there's that many, they're probably all over the ship.

[Shadow9612]

This last minute announcement of a phased approach is a complete and utter failure in both planning and execution.

 

Very Well said.

 

I am a loyal Celebrity cruiser, who loves their S class ships, but feels that they are slipping a bit in quality.

 

So I looked around and considered a few other cruise lines. I have sailed on Princess 2 times previously but was not super impressed. It was due to the 'new' Medallion technology that I decided to settle on trying Princess again on the Regal (advertised the medallion being available In November) .

 

I'm disappointed to hear now that the rollout will be phased in until spring 2018.

 

I hope that any quirks are ironed out quickly and that a ship wide medallion experience is available soon.

 

Looking forward to following the threads about this, hoping everyone has a positive experience with this new technology, which I think is fascinating.

[DnD_Cruisin]

Very Well said.

 

I am a loyal Celebrity cruiser, who loves their S class ships, but feels that they are slipping a bit in quality.

 

So I looked around and considered a few other cruise lines. I have sailed on Princess 2 times previously but was not super impressed. It was due to the 'new' Medallion technology that I decided to settle on trying Princess again on the Regal (advertised the medallion being available In November) .

 

I'm disappointed to hear now that the rollout will be phased in until spring 2018.

 

I hope that any quirks are ironed out quickly and that a ship wide medallion experience is available soon.

 

Looking forward to following the threads about this, hoping everyone has a positive experience with this new technology, which I think is fascinating.

We are virtually in the same boat.

 

We had been looking for an upgraded experience in cruising. For me as a CCL shareholder the considerations were between HAL and Princess. Because of the new technology we chose Princess.

 

While I am very disappointed in their performance to date, I am hopeful that they pull it together. This is very intriguing tech and the potential is exponentially expandable.

 

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[caribill]

 

Question for those disappointed....if it was ship wide and broke just how mad would you be then. Imagine 3000 passengers and 1000+ crew all having to change back to cards. The lines for tenders will never look so short.

 

While the whole concept of what the Medallion can do with associated software on various computer devices is very complex, I would have high confidence that the most basic of functions would work from the start:

a) Open cabin door locks

b) Check you onto and off of the ship

c) Identify you enough to make ship charges to your onboard account

 

All the rest is fancy fluff. No great tragedy if you cannot order a martini using your cabin TV and have it delivered to you in the spa 30 minutes later.

[Shadow9612]

We are virtually in the same boat.

 

We had been looking for an upgraded experience in cruising. For me as a CCL shareholder the considerations were between HAL and Princess. Because of the new technology we chose Princess.

 

While I am very disappointed in their performance to date, I am hopeful that they pull it together. This is very intriguing tech and the potential is exponentially expandable.

 

Sent from my SM-G920T using Forums mobile app

 

Let's hope that November and December will be enough for them to test the waters with Medallion, and Regal will be full steam ahead in 2018 ;)

[Shadow9612]

While the whole concept of what the Medallion can do with associated software on various computer devices is very complex, I would have high confidence that the most basic of functions would work from the start:

a) Open cabin door locks

b) Check you onto and off of the ship

c) Identify you enough to make ship charges to your onboard account

 

All the rest is fancy fluff. No great tragedy if you cannot order a martini using your cabin TV and have it delivered to you in the spa 30 minutes later.

 

True!

I'd rather see less features fully implemented ship-wide rather than a phased-in approach of a select number of cabins on the ship testing it out.

[divaofdisney]

We are on the Regal 12/10 I wish I knew if our cabin was on the list. If those cruising 11/15 have already received notifications wonder when we will??

[wildfan2k]

We are on the Regal 12/10 I wish I knew if our cabin was on the list. If those cruising 11/15 have already received notifications wonder when we will??

 

Make sure everyone going on the cruise are checking their email. Everything for our Nov 19th cruise (booking, adding drink packages & coffee cards, paying for it, etc) was done thru my Princess login and yet I have NOT received an email regarding our medallion status, but my Wife did.

[dides]

This evening around 6pm I received an email that I was upgraded to mini suite mid ship which is part of the Medallion program.

This inspired me to contact Princess UK to try and get moved or even pay to upgrade to a Medallion cabin but the rep stuck to a script and added us to a spreadsheet. Yet to exceed my expectations....

 

Sandra

[DnD_Cruisin]

This inspired me to contact Princess UK to try and get moved or even pay to upgrade to a Medallion cabin but the rep stuck to a script and added us to a spreadsheet. Yet to exceed my expectations....

 

Sandra

I do find it somewhat condescending that they try to say this failure in execution is not a failure but that they are doing it to exceed our expectations!

 

Seriously that's one on the stupidest press releases I have ever seen. It's like come try our new steak dinner but then only delivering chopped liver.....

 

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[beachmets]

We are on the Regal Dec 3rd. So will only some staterooms on this cruise get medallions? Very disappointed if we don't get one