Dine My Way - new MedallionClass enhancement

[Steelers36]

43 minutes ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

I know that to be true under 'normal' circumstances.....but we don't know what Princess I.T. is doing exactly....It could depend on how it is coded.... 🤪

Okay. I get it when we talk about Princess' IT team, but see my Post #439.

[phabric]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

What happens if you make a reservation for dinner at, say, 20:00, but get "delayed" by an extra beer or two in the bar? Does the reservation automatically get cancelled, and you just walk up to the MDR as you did in the past?

They said they will hold a reservation for 15 minutes after the time then  they will release the table for others.

[pris993]

2 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Princess says they are trying to lesson the workload of the TAs (who have the experience and know how to do these things) so that passengers can spend oodles of time doing what a TA can do quickly.

This is in keeping with the way it goes with technology today, customers are doing more that use to be done for them, i.e., getting boarding passes, seat assignments etc. 

[caribill]

17 minutes ago, pris993 said:

This is in keeping with the way it goes with technology today, customers are doing more that use to be done for them, i.e., getting boarding passes, seat assignments etc. 

 

Or checking out in a grocery store. One chain store near here keeps olanes with checkers open, but has 8 self-checkout spots open.

 

I know it takes me much longer to weigh and get the price for some asparagus than it takes an experienced store employee. So not only are we doing the store's work, it is taking us longer. Just like using the Princess app instead of a TA entering our preferences when making a booking.

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, phabric said:

They said they will hold a reservation for 15 minutes after the time then  they will release the table for others.

I'd be favorable to 10 minutes.

[Happiest when cruising]

On 6/3/2021 at 10:21 AM, Astro Flyer said:

Thanks…where did you find that statement?

[caribill]

3 minutes ago, Happiest when cruising said:

 

You used to request at booking time if you wanted traditional or anytime (without a specific time) dining.

 

Going forward,  unless you pay in full or are Elite/Platinum, you can't select this and must hope your option will be available when final payment time comes.

 

So is this designed to be an incentive for new cruisers who want traditional dining to pay in full at time of booking?

[nreeder]

Ok, I may mess this up, but we are both Elite, and have a suite for a September cruise from LA.  As far as the app goes, there’s no option for “Traditional Late or Early Seating”.  I can book the same time each night and they assign me a dining room.  I can book Crown Grill and Share (Ruby doesn’t have Sabitinni’s).  The default is table for 2, and you can add people you know if you have their booking number.  What you can’t do is say I want to sit at a table of six people I don’t know now for the whole week.  I don’t know if this is because they are eliminating traditional early and late in order to accommodate all of the specific reservations they are going to face with the app.  Maybe they need all three dining rooms to be available for the app reservations system and can’t allow the “fixed” table seating that Traditional Dining allowed.  Again I don’t know this for sure, and have no inside info.  But if you figure that 2,600 passengers can all book specific times for dining, they may need three dining rooms to accomplish this.  We still have a lot of time to see how this sorts out.  We may just cancel speific time each night and go to Club Class dining as it seems equilivant to Traditional with extra entree, serving cart items but with table for 2 only.  Norm

[Astro Flyer]

21 minutes ago, Happiest when cruising said:

It was from the Princess webinar on 6/3/21 with their SVP of Sales.

[Barry ATL]

So, I tried to book seating tonight.  We want a table for 2.  To book the same time each night it will only offer a table for 4.  When I try to book individual nights, there are only tables for 4 on the first night no matter what time I pick whether 5 PM or 10 PM.  There does not seem to be a way to change the request for table size.

[caribill]

2 hours ago, nreeder said:

Ok, I may mess this up, but we are both Elite, and have a suite for a September cruise from LA.  As far as the app goes, there’s no option for “Traditional Late or Early Seating”.  I can book the same time each night and they assign me a dining room.  I

If you are in a full suite or a Club Class mini-suite, then you have the Club Class dining. No reservation ever needed. Just go when you are ready.

[dog]

2 hours ago, Barry ATL said:

So, I tried to book seating tonight.  We want a table for 2.  To book the same time each night it will only offer a table for 4.  When I try to book individual nights, there are only tables for 4 on the first night no matter what time I pick whether 5 PM or 10 PM.  There does not seem to be a way to change the request for table size.

I found the same for the first night only table of 4 was offered. I did get the other 11 nights table for 2/ time I requested in dining room I wanted I will try specialty restaurant for first night. 

[Condocat]

OK....Help me here:

 

This is our 1st cruise with Princess and getting very frustrated with trying to navigate the Medallion App.   We have booked a Premium Suite on an Alaska Cruise this August which includes a "free" dinner in the one of the specialty restaurants on the first day of the cruise.  When I visited the dining section of the App, it did not recognize this benefit and I was going to book the time we wanted and pay, then have Princess reimburse us.  I didn't want to miss out on the time we wanted that evening.

 

Is it safe to say we can really wait until we're onboard and just show up at the time we want to dine?

 

Any comments/advice appreciated!

 

 

 

[memoak]

45 minutes ago, Condocat said:

OK....Help me here:

 

This is our 1st cruise with Princess and getting very frustrated with trying to navigate the Medallion App.   We have booked a Premium Suite on an Alaska Cruise this August which includes a "free" dinner in the one of the specialty restaurants on the first day of the cruise.  When I visited the dining section of the App, it did not recognize this benefit and I was going to book the time we wanted and pay, then have Princess reimburse us.  I didn't want to miss out on the time we wanted that evening.

 

Is it safe to say we can really wait until we're onboard and just show up at the time we want to dine?

 

Any comments/advice appreciated!

 

 

 

We have never had an issue with first night specialty dining.  They seem to make sure tables are available.  We just go to the restaurant after boarding and tell them when we plan to show up

[awhcruiser]

What medallion app?  Doesn't show up in the play store.

[memoak]

11 hours ago, nreeder said:

Ok, I may mess this up, but we are both Elite, and have a suite for a September cruise from LA.  As far as the app goes, there’s no option for “Traditional Late or Early Seating”.  I can book the same time each night and they assign me a dining room.  I can book Crown Grill and Share (Ruby doesn’t have Sabitinni’s).  The default is table for 2, and you can add people you know if you have their booking number.  What you can’t do is say I want to sit at a table of six people I don’t know now for the whole week.  I don’t know if this is because they are eliminating traditional early and late in order to accommodate all of the specific reservations they are going to face with the app.  Maybe they need all three dining rooms to be available for the app reservations system and can’t allow the “fixed” table seating that Traditional Dining allowed.  Again I don’t know this for sure, and have no inside info.  But if you figure that 2,600 passengers can all book specific times for dining, they may need three dining rooms to accomplish this.  We still have a lot of time to see how this sorts out.  We may just cancel speific time each night and go to Club Class dining as it seems equilivant to Traditional with extra entree, serving cart items but with table for 2 only.  Norm

If you meet any other suite/club class passengers and want to dine together they will put tables together if they need to.  We are a group of 3 and they always have at least 4 tops available

[Condocat]

Thanks for your help!

[Wishing on a star]

Okay, then as Platinum, we should be able to book even before Paid In Full...  That would be nice.

 

[Astro Flyer]

1 hour ago, awhcruiser said:

What medallion app?  Doesn't show up in the play store.

Over the weekend it was removed from the Play Store apparently because of too many problems. The Apple App Store still has it available for Apple smart devices…maybe it’s less buggy & didn’t need to be temporarily removed like the Android version.

 

Edited June 9, 2021 by Astro Flyer

[Steelers36]

10 hours ago, Barry ATL said:

So, I tried to book seating tonight.  We want a table for 2.  To book the same time each night it will only offer a table for 4.  When I try to book individual nights, there are only tables for 4 on the first night no matter what time I pick whether 5 PM or 10 PM.  There does not seem to be a way to change the request for table size.

Others reported in recent days that they only saw 2-tops.  I am wondering if that inventory is gone.  Next thing, we will be reading that folks only see 6-tops.  🙄

[Steelers36]

30 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Over the weekend it was removed from the Play Store apparently because of too many problems. The Apple App Store still has it available for Apple smart devices…maybe it’s less buggy & didn’t need to be temporarily removed like the Android version.

 

I am 99% positive they are developing on Apple and Android is an after-thought.  Not a good approach when majority own Android.  Or better - do it more in tandem.  Helps solve issues.

Edited June 9, 2021 by Steelers36

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, awhcruiser said:

What medallion app?  Doesn't show up in the play store.

 

The link on the Princess site now takes you to the MC app. I deleted the "old" version and installed the one from their link. I can't see any difference and the personal info part still doesn't work at all for me.

[Thrak]

7 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Others reported in recent days that they only saw 2-tops.  I am wondering if that inventory is gone.  Next thing, we will be reading that folks only see 6-tops.  🙄

 

When I looked before it only offered me tables for 2. I thought it was weird. I doubt our January cruises will sail so I have until May for them to get this sorted out. Maybe with that much time even Princess IT can get it right.

[skynight]

2 hours ago, Condocat said:

OK....Help me here:

 

This is our 1st cruise with Princess and getting very frustrated with trying to navigate the Medallion App.   We have booked a Premium Suite on an Alaska Cruise this August which includes a "free" dinner in the one of the specialty restaurants on the first day of the cruise.  When I visited the dining section of the App, it did not recognize this benefit and I was going to book the time we wanted and pay, then have Princess reimburse us.  I didn't want to miss out on the time we wanted that evening.

 

Is it safe to say we can really wait until we're onboard and just show up at the time we want to dine?

 

Any comments/advice appreciated!

 

 

 

You you board, call the dining line. They will be able to get you into the specialty restaurant for the first night. Full suite passengers have priority and there is space reserved for them. Do not pay up front to reserve.

You didn't ask, but your regular dining is in Club Class. It is walk in anytime. Special breakfast will be in one of the specialty restaurants.

[Steelers36]

Is this too good to be true???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have downloaded MC app again (using a link from Princess.com) and the darn thing appears to be working for DMW!!

 

Now, I had been in before the weekend and had setup dining for 2 for our full cruise.  I think it was the last thing I could do before crash.  Never was able to get friends included.

 

Just now, I can book for four of us, but bad thing is that old res is still there - perhaps it was a Princess default.  No matter - I have to go through 26!!! nights and delete it.  Setting up the res for all nights is a one-stepper, but I do not see a cancel for all nights.  That ought to be an enhancement, but for now I will take basic functionality as promised.  

 

Back to work no and will report later.