Princess Cruise Line...improving or on a downhill run?

[Flyinby]

We've been on several Princess cruises and enjoyed them...prior to that we did several Carnival cruises which we also enjoyed, but the less "party-like" atmosphere on Princess was more to our liking.  Last Princess cruise was Nov. 2019 Panama Canal.

 

I booked a December 10-day Mexico cruise this year for our family, 14 total, and in getting things set up I've noticed some changes...the so-called "Medallion" being the elephant in the room.  While not needing a card to get into the room is nice, I see nothing else useful there; getting 7% back from onshore purchases made from a merchant who had to raise his prices 20% to make up for the 17% Princess charges him?  No thanks.  And having to give my credit card info to a firm I never heard of, to enable this silly medallion, does not particularly thrill me.  Setting up dining now seems like one could spend half the cruise time scheduling times for what?  Before, we had early or late, and if we didn't want to bother or it didn't fit our schedule, we just ate at the buffet...simple and it worked fine.

 

Now I look at a recent Princess Circle, with the new president raving about all the "great" changes coming, "MedallionClass" being one of them.  Whooppee, sports betting, just what I never wanted.  And you can gamble from your room, wow, wonderful (not).  And maybe someone from a show cast will say happy something or other to one of us and surprise us, can hardly wait.  And we can always watch the new "Love Boat II" reality show soon, that's about as exciting as nothing I can think of.  So is Princess turning into Carnival, only more so?

 

I'd have been many times more excited if they announced they were quitting being such cheapskates with drinking water, and no longer charging us for the bottle conveniently left in the room, or to carry on an excursion.  Or eliminating formal night, though I don't begrudge them having it as some folks really like them.

 

So perhaps I'm spoiled...we did a Viking trip this spring and really enjoyed it, besides things like water being freely handed out, coffee, drinks with dinner, sparkling water, wine, beer or whatever included, wi-fi for all.  No onboard gambling, and never missed it.

 

As I said, I did enjoy our several Princess Cruises before, so am withholding judgment until after this family cruise, but the things I've seen don't look good, if this is the way they're headed.  They've hyped that silly Medallion so much (I think it's the president's pet project) that it monopolizes everying from magazines to discussion boards, and what a waste of everyone's time in figuring out how to use it.  I actually liked the Princes app for onboard use before, it wasn't confusing and worked well.

 

So we'll see, but I think their leadership is leading them the wrong way, and hopefully they'll figure it out before I write them off and head for other cruise lines.

[Cruise Raider]

Wow ... you may not enjoy your Princess cruise very much but at least you are giving them a chance to prove it may be well worth your while.  

[Guest ldtr]

Have done 5 Princess cruises since the restart and am currently on HAL.

 

I have found some benefits to medallion. Faster boarding, ability to place food and drink orders just about anywhere, ability to find where other members of your group are on the ship have been pretty useful.

 

Not a fan of the new dining scheduling system.

 

On the other hand HAL seems to be getting back to pre covid operations faster compared to some of the minor glitches on Princess.

 

You did not say what class cabins you tend to book, but cost per day tends to be substantially higher on Viking for most cabin classes and as such they are more inclusive.

Edited August 28, 2022 by ldtr

[Steelers36]

10 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Have done 5 Princess cruises since the restart and am currently on HAL.

 

I have found some benefits to medallion. Faster boarding, ability to place food and drink orders just about anywhere, ability to find where other members of your group are on the ship have been pretty useful.

 

Not a fan of the new dining scheduling system.

 

On the other hand HAL seems to be getting back to pre covid operations faster compared to some of the minor glitches on Princess.

 

You did not say what class cabins you tend to book, but cost per day tends to be substantially higher on Viking for most cabin classes and as such they are more inclusive.

To begin to compare with Viking as described by the OP, you would for sure need to include the extra $50/pp/day for Plus Fare option.

[Guest ldtr]

30 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

To begin to compare with Viking as described by the OP, you would for sure need to include the extra $50/pp/day for Plus Fare option.

if you included that than several of the things he was complaining about having to pay for on Princess would be free as well with the Princess plus fare.

Edited August 28, 2022 by ldtr

[Ombud]

2 hours ago, Flyinby said:

I booked a December 10-day Mexico cruise this year for our family, 14 total

Can't do that on Viking .... its got a no one under 18 rule. As to the medallion.  Ppl are overthinking this based on my 6 MC cruises. You can turn it into just a room key or take advantage of so many options. It's up to the individual. And no where is it written that you need to use it onshore.  

 

As to DMW, I tried it once.  Didn't fit my style and never went back. I eat when I'm hungry. I have no idea what time that will be tomorrow 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by Ombud

[ghstudio]

In our opinion, Princess has moved significantly in the wrong direction. We are currently on the sky princess and frankly disappointed.  The crew is outstanding…entertainment, activities and dining room food are not.  Pizza and specialty restaurant are very good…internet service including using the medallion app is dreadful (perhaps it’s due to our being far north in Norway…but it’s bad, even when we are at sea). Yes, they still allow smoking in part of the casino and even sitting in a different part of the casino, your clothes will reek of smoke when you leave.  Pluses…great service in the buffet, fast table clearing and you can find a table. Drink/wine prices very reasonable but (hint) almost every drink on board is under $12 and if you want a “better” glass of wine, they just charge the amount over $12 plus tip).  Club class dining offers excellent service with no wait, but the food is the same as regular dining plus one dish extra per day…but that extra dish is just another option…it’s nothing special..nothing prepared at your table, etc. We find Celebrity aqua class and suite dining is significantly better.  Any cruise is a good cruise…..but I would not choose Princess again.

[antsp]

39 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

In our opinion, Princess has moved significantly in the wrong direction. We are currently on the sky princess and frankly disappointed.  The crew is outstanding…entertainment, activities and dining room food are not.  Pizza and specialty restaurant are very good…internet service including using the medallion app is dreadful (perhaps it’s due to our being far north in Norway…but it’s bad, even when we are at sea). Yes, they still allow smoking in part of the casino and even sitting in a different part of the casino, your clothes will reek of smoke when you leave.  Pluses…great service in the buffet, fast table clearing and you can find a table. Drink/wine prices very reasonable but (hint) almost every drink on board is under $12 and if you want a “better” glass of wine, they just charge the amount over $12 plus tip).  Club class dining offers excellent service with no wait, but the food is the same as regular dining plus one dish extra per day…but that extra dish is just another option…it’s nothing special..nothing prepared at your table, etc. We find Celebrity aqua class and suite dining is significantly better.  Any cruise is a good cruise…..but I would not choose Princess again.

 

[antsp]

So reading all of your post, your only complaint is smoke in the casino, and poor Internet 

[ghstudio]

16 minutes ago, antsp said:

So reading all of your post, your only complaint is smoke in the casino, and poor Internet 

Perhaps I was too subtle….

[caribill]

5 hours ago, Flyinby said:

  Setting up dining now seems like one could spend half the cruise time scheduling times for what?  Before, we had early or late, and if we didn't want to bother or it didn't fit our schedule, we just ate at the buffet...simple and it worked fine.

 

My spouse and I agree 100% each, so that makes it 200% for still having the traditional fixed time dining that is scheduled to coordinate with show times in the main theater.

 

5 hours ago, Flyinby said:

They've hyped that silly Medallion so much (I think it's the president's pet project) ......

 

The current Princess president was brought from Disney to Princess because he had worked on Disney's equivalent of the Medallion for visitors to the Disney parks. After his "success" in developing the Medallion technology for Carnival Corp with Princess being the first CCL line to get the technology, he was rewarded with being Princess president.

[MissP22]

Your main complaint seems to be with the Medallion system. Why not use the Medallion for the things you do like and ignore the rest? No one is forcing you to use it to gamble, make purchases or reserve a DR time.

Other than an ID for embarking and disembarkation it becomes transparent once aboard.

[leck57]

6 hours ago, Ombud said:

As to the medallion.  Ppl are overthinking this based on my 6 MC cruises. You can turn it into just a room key or take advantage of so many options. It's up to the individual. And no where is it written that you need to use it onshore.  

 

As to DMW, I tried it once.  Didn't fit my style and never went back. I eat when I'm hungry. I have no idea what time that will be tomorrow 

 

 

 

I think you are spot on. People overthink the Medallion - if you don't want to use all the bells and whistles just use it as a room key equivalent.

Unfortunately Princess have confused people and their website/magazines don't give people the impression that they can take it or leave it. Even the OP mentions onshore purchases, whereas in reality just about no one uses that. 

[MissP22]

19 minutes ago, leck57 said:

I think you are spot on. People overthink the Medallion - if you don't want to use all the bells and whistles just use it as a room key equivalent.

Or exchange it for an old fashion cruise card which will let you use it for a room key and boarding card but nothing else. 

[SargassoPirate]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

To begin to compare with Viking as described by the OP, you would for sure need to include the extra $50/pp/day for Plus Fare option.

As well as the Viking requirement to pay in full anywhere from a year to a year and a half in advance.

 

You can't drive an economy car and expect a luxury car experience/

[latebloomer56]

36 minutes ago, leck57 said:

 

I think you are spot on. People overthink the Medallion - if you don't want to use all the bells and whistles just use it as a room key equivalent.

Unfortunately Princess have confused people and their website/magazines don't give people the impression that they can take it or leave it. Even the OP mentions onshore purchases, whereas in reality just about no one uses that. 

They had me very confused (not hard with a technically challenged person) so got the hint on here to use the web available for all my info, good tip. Now my question this app s for boarding and the cabin, can I just walk up to the bars and International Cafe and order like before? Will they just scan this medallion and see we have the package so no charge to our cabin?

[BabySarge]

1 hour ago, latebloomer56 said:

They had me very confused (not hard with a technically challenged person) so got the hint on here to use the web available for all my info, good tip. Now my question this app s for boarding and the cabin, can I just walk up to the bars and International Cafe and order like before? Will they just scan this medallion and see we have the package so no charge to our c

Yes - that is exactly what we do.  

[Ombud]

2 hours ago, latebloomer56 said:

can I just walk up to the bars and International Cafe and order like before

Thats what I do if not ordering from the roaming servers in the piazza 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by Ombud

[nini]

This is a comparison of apples to celery. These are two very different cruise lines.

As has been mentioned, just think of the Medallion as a small round cruise card. Use it when convenient. And, NEVER use it on shore! Yikes!

 

We eat when we want to and really have never had to wait but maybe once with a pager. Regardless, it was usually a pleasant waiting experience as we would chat with others.

[mnocket]

15 hours ago, ghstudio said:

Club class dining offers excellent service with no wait, but the food is the same as regular dining plus one dish extra per day…but that extra dish is just another option…it’s nothing special..

I must admit I've never really understood the attraction of Club Class Dining.  People seem to like it though.

[JimmyVWine]

18 hours ago, Flyinby said:

the so-called "Medallion" being the elephant in the room.  While not needing a card to get into the room is nice, I see nothing else useful there;

Medallion usage is not a systemic "change" in Princess cruising.  It is an option of perceived convenience.  If it is not convenient for you, you can  continue to cruise as you always have. Ignore the medallion and pretend it is 2017.

 

18 hours ago, Flyinby said:

getting 7% back from onshore purchases made from a merchant who had to raise his prices 20% to make up for the 17% Princess charges him?

Shoreside medallion use is not a systemic "change" in Princess cruising.  It is an option of perceived convenience.  If it is not convenient for you, you can continue to shop as you always have.

 

18 hours ago, Flyinby said:

And having to give my credit card info to a firm I never heard of, to enable this silly medallion,

The medallion is fully operational by simply supplying your credit card to Princess, same as you always have.  You do not need to do anything special with your cc in order for your medallion to open your cabin door.

 

18 hours ago, Flyinby said:

Setting up dining now seems like one could spend half the cruise time scheduling times

I booked the same dining room for the same time for every night of my cruise months before I left home.  Took me about 18 seconds, max.

 

18 hours ago, Flyinby said:

Whooppee, sports betting, just what I never wanted.

Sports betting is not a systemic "change" in Princess cruising.  It is an entertainment option offered to those who are interested, same as bingo, art auctions and trivia.  If it is not something you are interested in, you can refrain from partaking.  I have never stepped foot into a bingo session or art auction. But it's nice that these things exist for people who enjoy them.  They can be crowd eaters, freeing up other spaces around the ship that interest me more. 

 

18 hours ago, Flyinby said:

And you can gamble from your room, wow, wonderful (not).

In-room gambling is not a systemic "change" in Princess cruising.  It is an entertainment option of convenience offered to those who are interested, same as bingo, art auctions and trivia.  If it is not something you are interested in, you can refrain from partaking.  

 

18 hours ago, Flyinby said:

And we can always watch the new "Love Boat II" reality show soon, that's about as exciting as nothing I can think of. 

This is a TV show that will air on CBS in October.  Not sure what you are referencing here.

 

18 hours ago, Flyinby said:

So perhaps I'm spoiled...we did a Viking trip this spring and really enjoyed it, besides things like water being freely handed out, coffee, drinks with dinner, sparkling water, wine, beer or whatever included, wi-fi for all.

Price out a Princess cruise in a Balcony or MiniSuite cabin complete with the Plus Package, and then compare that price to what a comparable square foot cabin will cost on Viking, and then report back. You can get the "all-inclusive" experience on Princess for a fairly modest cost increase.  If I could afford to take all of my cruises on Viking, Oceania, I'd do it in a heartbeat.  But trying to compare those cruise lines to Princess is like trying to compare a Ritz Carlton to a Homewood Suites.

[sloopsailor]

Some people live in a fog of pessimism. Others live in the light of optimism.

 

If the OP is so annoyed with what they perceive as severe negatives, I have a hard time understanding why they have booked that cruise in the first place. To go on a vacation with such low expectations seems to be a fools errand. Personally, I go on a cruise looking forward to the positives, not obsessing over perceived negatives. And, frankly, I have never been disappointed. 

Edited August 28, 2022 by sloopsailor

[LSGDRG]

My feeling is that Princess is moving in a direction to appeal to a younger, more tech savvy demographic.  They are trying to attract a clientele that does not necessarily want a "party vibe" but for various reasons, also doesn't want or need a more luxurious cruise.  

[c-boy]

2 hours ago, sloopsailor said:

Some people live in a fog of pessimism. Others live in the light of optimism.

 

If the OP is so annoyed with what they perceive as severe negatives, I have a hard time understanding why they have booked that cruise in the first place. To go on a vacation with such low expectations seems to be a fools errand. Personally, I go on a cruise looking forward to the positives, not obsessing over perceived negatives. And, frankly, I have never been disappointed. 

it appears that he is looking for reasons to leave, and asking us to usher him out the door. 

 

  

[jwattle]

21 hours ago, Flyinby said:

We've been on several Princess cruises and enjoyed them...prior to that we did several Carnival cruises which we also enjoyed, but the less "party-like" atmosphere on Princess was more to our liking.  Last Princess cruise was Nov. 2019 Panama Canal.

 

I booked a December 10-day Mexico cruise this year for our family, 14 total, and in getting things set up I've noticed some changes...the so-called "Medallion" being the elephant in the room.  While not needing a card to get into the room is nice, I see nothing else useful there; getting 7% back from onshore purchases made from a merchant who had to raise his prices 20% to make up for the 17% Princess charges him?  No thanks.  And having to give my credit card info to a firm I never heard of, to enable this silly medallion, does not particularly thrill me.  Setting up dining now seems like one could spend half the cruise time scheduling times for what?  Before, we had early or late, and if we didn't want to bother or it didn't fit our schedule, we just ate at the buffet...simple and it worked fine.

 

Now I look at a recent Princess Circle, with the new president raving about all the "great" changes coming, "MedallionClass" being one of them.  Whooppee, sports betting, just what I never wanted.  And you can gamble from your room, wow, wonderful (not).  And maybe someone from a show cast will say happy something or other to one of us and surprise us, can hardly wait.  And we can always watch the new "Love Boat II" reality show soon, that's about as exciting as nothing I can think of.  So is Princess turning into Carnival, only more so?

 

I'd have been many times more excited if they announced they were quitting being such cheapskates with drinking water, and no longer charging us for the bottle conveniently left in the room, or to carry on an excursion.  Or eliminating formal night, though I don't begrudge them having it as some folks really like them.

 

So perhaps I'm spoiled...we did a Viking trip this spring and really enjoyed it, besides things like water being freely handed out, coffee, drinks with dinner, sparkling water, wine, beer or whatever included, wi-fi for all.  No onboard gambling, and never missed it.

 

As I said, I did enjoy our several Princess Cruises before, so am withholding judgment until after this family cruise, but the things I've seen don't look good, if this is the way they're headed.  They've hyped that silly Medallion so much (I think it's the president's pet project) that it monopolizes everying from magazines to discussion boards, and what a waste of everyone's time in figuring out how to use it.  I actually liked the Princes app for onboard use before, it wasn't confusing and worked well.

 

So we'll see, but I think their leadership is leading them the wrong way, and hopefully they'll figure it out before I write them off and head for other cruise lines.

You say that you're going at it with an open mind, but are you? Really?🤔🙄

11 hours ago, latebloomer56 said:

They had me very confused (not hard with a technically challenged person) so got the hint on here to use the web available for all my info, good tip. Now my question this app s for boarding and the cabin, can I just walk up to the bars and International Cafe and order like before? Will they just scan this medallion and see we have the package so no charge to our cabin?

Absolutely yes! 😊🥂