They finally fixed my medallion ap!!

[caribill]

On 9/30/2021 at 9:35 AM, Peckishpixie said:

 

It took so much persistence (47 phone calls and over 100 emails) and I am so grateful to my franchise owner for really pushing them to fix it.

 

Remember the "good old days" when every thing required to be ready to check-in could be accomplished in less than 15 minutes using the Personalizer?

 

On the other hand, Princess has given us something to occupy all that extra time we have at home due to the pandemic.

[brisalta]

On 9/30/2021 at 2:19 PM, Steelers36 said:

A LOT of the issues were bad data and not the MC App program logic.  I believe they had a terrible data conversion exercise from the old system.  Either there was a lot of poor, inconsistent data, or the data conversion program was lousy.

 

Why would they need to change the back end technology? There would actually be no reason for that at all. The Medallion software development team is just plain incompetent.

 

Note that I used to work on a team developing database applications that could be accessed by multiple different types of client applications.

 

I suspect that any member of the team developing the Medallion software that actually puts that on their resume is going to have a hard time finding another job in software development. Things get around in the software development world and having worked at certain places can be negative to a career.

 

[Steelers36]

5 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

Why would they need to change the back end technology? There would actually be no reason for that at all. The Medallion software development team is just plain incompetent.

 

Note that I used to work on a team developing database applications that could be accessed by multiple different types of client applications.

 

I suspect that any member of the team developing the Medallion software that actually puts that on their resume is going to have a hard time finding another job in software development. Things get around in the software development world and having worked at certain places can be negative to a career.

 

I am not sure the point about back-end tech as I wasn't saying that.  Both of us having worked in IT understand that sometimes an issue or bug is due to bad (or corrupt) data and not the program logic.  Sometimes that can be due to bad data setup from a legacy system, or it could even be new input insufficiently edited for correctness.  I realize there a process bugs as well, but certainly this implementation suffered from bad data as well at the outset.  The project team had to do a lot of data cleansing/correcting after the fact.

 

[brisalta]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

I am not sure the point about back-end tech as I wasn't saying that.  Both of us having worked in IT understand that sometimes an issue or bug is due to bad (or corrupt) data and not the program logic.  Sometimes that can be due to bad data setup from a legacy system, or it could even be new input insufficiently edited for correctness.  I realize there a process bugs as well, but certainly this implementation suffered from bad data as well at the outset.  The project team had to do a lot of data cleansing/correcting after the fact.

 

 

I spent many years involved in R & D side of major database applications.

I think you are being way too kind to the Medallion app developers. It is actually quite rare for data corruption to occur on the scale that would be indicated by the behavior of the Medallion application. It is especially telling that people do not have problems when looking at their data in the Web application and also that Princess staff and agents do not have problems looking at the data via POLARIS but there is a problem with the Medallion application.

The Medallion application has some very strange problems with just scrolling. It has items active that should not be until after final payment and so on. It is a poorly thought out project.

[caribill]

53 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

I spent many years involved in R & D side of major database applications.

I think you are being way too kind to the Medallion app developers. It is actually quite rare for data corruption to occur on the scale that would be indicated by the behavior of the Medallion application. It is especially telling that people do not have problems when looking at their data in the Web application and also that Princess staff and agents do not have problems looking at the data via POLARIS but there is a problem with the Medallion application.

The Medallion application has some very strange problems with just scrolling. It has items active that should not be until after final payment and so on. It is a poorly thought out project.

 

I think the problem is that the app is not looking at the same data base the web based and Polaris based programs are looking at. The app has its own data base and it appears not all the info from the original data base was properly set up in the app's data base.

[Roberto256]

13 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

Why would they need to change the back end technology? There would actually be no reason for that at all. The Medallion software development team is just plain incompetent.

 

They are definately capturing new data from passengers, so they have to be able to save it.

 

For instance, dine my way.   There was never any way in the personablizer to select your dining preferences details

in advance.

 

You would also need to have some way to know how many passengers can be seated in a speciality resturant

at one time, and how many seats are already assigned, so you can control reservations.

 

[Steelers36]

6 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

I spent many years involved in R & D side of major database applications.

I think you are being way too kind to the Medallion app developers. It is actually quite rare for data corruption to occur on the scale that would be indicated by the behavior of the Medallion application. It is especially telling that people do not have problems when looking at their data in the Web application and also that Princess staff and agents do not have problems looking at the data via POLARIS but there is a problem with the Medallion application.

The Medallion application has some very strange problems with just scrolling. It has items active that should not be until after final payment and so on. It is a poorly thought out project.

IDK about kind, but I have suggested that the CIO be fired.  I wrote that to Jan Swartz as well. 

 

As yo know, a bunch of data was removed from the web perspective (Cruise Personalizer) and it isn't the same system.  I don't have a systems design map for Princess, but it seems clear that the MC App is working with its own database.  It also takes time for a new res or a change to become populated in MC App.  POLAR does not contain all of the data we can see and (hopefully) maintain in the MC App.

 

But I agree, it's a mess and poorly conceived in many ways.  The overall concept is good but it fails again and again to deliver on promises and in ways customers want/need it to work.

[Roberto256]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

IDK about kind, but I have suggested that the CIO be fired.  I wrote that to Jan Swartz as well.

Shouldn't that go to Arnold Donald?

 

 

[brisalta]

6 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

 

They are definately capturing new data from passengers, so they have to be able to save it.

 

For instance, dine my way.   There was never any way in the personablizer to select your dining preferences details

in advance.

 

You would also need to have some way to know how many passengers can be seated in a speciality resturant

at one time, and how many seats are already assigned, so you can control reservations.

 

 

All that needs to be done in regards to the backend database is add a new field and or a new table when required to capture new information. There is no need for a completely new database.

Edited October 4, 2021 by brisalta

[brisalta]

5 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

IDK about kind, but I have suggested that the CIO be fired.  I wrote that to Jan Swartz as well. 

 

As yo know, a bunch of data was removed from the web perspective (Cruise Personalizer) and it isn't the same system.  I don't have a systems design map for Princess, but it seems clear that the MC App is working with its own database.  It also takes time for a new res or a change to become populated in MC App.  POLAR does not contain all of the data we can see and (hopefully) maintain in the MC App.

 

But I agree, it's a mess and poorly conceived in many ways.  The overall concept is good but it fails again and again to deliver on promises and in ways customers want/need it to work.

 

It is obvious the team that is developing the Medallion app is clueless about best practices in design, development, deployment and use of databases.

 

[donswife]

I'm on live chat right now trying to get an MC app problem fixed. My husband's info is all there when I log in on my account,  but when we log into his account none of his info shows up and we can't link our booking number.  The agent is going to submit it to the Ocean Navigator team.  

[barrykel]

6 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

IDK about kind, but I have suggested that the CIO be fired.  I wrote that to Jan Swartz as well. 

It looks like there are three executives who (based on their titles) would have been involved in the decision process: 
   * Greg Sullivan is the Carnival corporate CIO - his only experience is as CEO of two startups, one of which was acquired and one which failed. Neither was consumer-facing.
   * Marshall Lancaster is CIO for several Carnival lines, including Princess. He has several years experience at Hyatt, and should have known better.
   * John Padgett is Carnival corporate Chief Experience and Innovation Officer. He has many years experience at Disney, and _really_ should have known better.

[Steelers36]

5 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

Shouldn't that go to Arnold Donald?

 

 

Good point.  But I didn't have his email.  And Princess seems to be the disaster zone for some reason.

[barrykel]

19 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

 And Princess seems to be the disaster zone for some reason.

Well, the immediate reason is that Princess is the line on which they decided to debug (too unstable to call it even an alpha test) the Medallion technology. It's unclear why, out of all of Carnival's lines, they decided to make Princess' cruisers the pioneers (and of course you know how to recognize the pioneers - they're the ones with the arrows in their backs)

[pms4104]

9 minutes ago, barrykel said:

Well, the immediate reason is that Princess is the line on which they decided to debug (too unstable to call it even an alpha test) the Medallion technology. It's unclear why, out of all of Carnival's lines, they decided to make Princess' cruisers the pioneers (and of course you know how to recognize the pioneers - they're the ones with the arrows in their backs)

If I remember correctly, when the OM program first was rolled out on the Regal nearly 4 years ago, one of the bobbleheads (Arnold Donald? John Padgett?) thanked Jan Swartz for volunteering Princess to be the test for the corp.

[Roberto256]

2 hours ago, brisalta said:

There is no need for a completely new database.

 

Where did I say there was?

 

I don't think most of the gentle readers here care a bit about

databases, tables, stored procedures, etc.

 

All they dream of is to be able to use Dine My Way to make a

reservation for a meal in less time than it takes to 

actually eat the meal.

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Roberto256

[Dar & Bob]

2 hours ago, donswife said:

I'm on live chat right now trying to get an MC app problem fixed. My husband's info is all there when I log in on my account,  but when we log into his account none of his info shows up and we can't link our booking number.  The agent is going to submit it to the Ocean Navigator team.  

I would be interested if they actually get this fixed for you.  I have the similar situation except the info is there on hubby’s account but nothing on mine and it doesn’t recognize the booking number for me.  I’ve had 4 phone calls and a chat and it still doesn’t work

[CineGraphic]

In the past, I've read that an email to Collin Steinke, Director of Customer Relations would result in a prompt reply. I emailed him on September 20th, and haven't heard a thing.

[Peckishpixie]

On 9/30/2021 at 11:40 AM, pms4104 said:

The OM either works or it doesn't ... most pax don' have access to a team such as that used by the OP to shake the developers loose and get problematic accounts fixed one by one by one.

That's why I posted. I really want to know how bad it is so I can try to use the resources I am lucky enough to have

[Peckishpixie]

On 9/30/2021 at 10:25 PM, Want2Cruise 701 said:

We are new to princess. I downloaded the app but it won’t let me link my reservation. It keeps saying booking not found. I am entering the correct booking #. Am I doing something wrong?  

That's what was happening to me! 

[Peckishpixie]

On 10/1/2021 at 12:05 PM, Steelers36 said:

While I would call a Princess Rep or PVP, this is not something to bother a TA with IMO.  TA's do not have access to the MC App nor the system for it.  They only have access to POLAR.

As a TA I absolutely think it is my job to advocate for my clients and do the work of escalating until I get resolution.

[Steelers36]

5 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

In the past, I've read that an email to Collin Steinke, Director of Customer Relations would result in a prompt reply. I emailed him on September 20th, and haven't heard a thing.

I have not heard from him in a while either - and I recently sent a follow-up email.

 

[caribill]

9 hours ago, pms4104 said:

If I remember correctly, when the OM program first was rolled out on the Regal nearly 4 years ago, one of the bobbleheads (Arnold Donald? John Padgett?) thanked Jan Swartz for volunteering Princess to be the test for the corp.

 

Before the initial rollout, Princess had a contest and the winner won a free cruise (balcony cabin for two) on the initial sailing with the Medallion.

 

I have often wondered what they did with the winner since the Medallion was not ready for the cruise that was to be the first to have it.

[blondee419]

On 10/1/2021 at 4:54 AM, Ombud said:

I can do everything except get a boarding time. But the cruise is 2 months away so that's probably it

When I had that issue, they said you had to wait till 30-45 days before the cruise.  It was still not working until about 28 days ago.....I also had other issues though.

[blondee419]

Head's up, try using the "Quick login" instead of signing in with email/password. This is what I was told on one of my marathon phone calls last week (Cruise is tomorrow). 

 Apparently THAT'S what was preventing me from entering my travel documents?? WTH???