Princess (and Cruise Critic) aren't as good as they used to

[Rick&Jeannie]

10 minutes ago, xamsx said:

 I wish they’d let me book everything from my browser (looking at you dining reservations).

I assume you know that you *can* book dining from your tablet/laptop/desktop browser....?

 

Use the "web version" of the app. This is the *only* way that I book dining.

[Rick&Jeannie]

Just now, brisalta said:

 

There is a web version of the app that has a better interface for booking dining reservations.

Hah! You just beat me to it!

[brisalta]

9 hours ago, dbeckett said:

I'll start with the Princess App.  I've had it on phone for some time and loved the fact it would count down the days to the next cruise but no more.   According to the App (it has been like this for over a week) it will say good evening regardless of the time of day and then show we  have 106 days, 11 hours and 52minutes before the next cruise.   When it got stuck on 111days I thought it must be counting down by weeks but why have it on the App if it is no longer a daily count down.  There were issues with the App last time we were on (failed to order drinkw when we were at the pool) so to see this happen when we aren't on board makes me seriously think of deleting the App.

 

Now Cruise Critic.  I first started using CC when I was living in Canada.  Now if I want to go to CruiseCritic.com as it says I can and always has done in the past,  it goes to an external page (flightsand packages.com) which is not what I want.  So I am also thinking I will stop using this previously excelllent website.

 

It appears that the sites think they are improving the experince by doing updates but I have yet to find this the case

 

Regarding the crusiecritic redirect try clearing the DNS cache on your device and in your router as their local DNS cache may be corrupted. Also clear your browser cache as that may be corrupted. You may also have malware on your device.

 

I ma not sure why you chose too have two different topics in one post but it is more effective to have one topic per post.

Edited July 10, 2023 by brisalta

[brisalta]

2 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Hah! You just beat me to it!

 

For once.... ; )

[brisalta]

Here is the URL for the web version of the Medallion app

https://oceanready-personalinfo-ui.prod.ocean.com/

Remember to first choose language on the home page before login.

You use your standard Princess account login credentials

Edited July 10, 2023 by brisalta

[xamsx]

57 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

There is a web version of the app that has a better interface for booking dining reservations.

 

57 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I assume you know that you *can* book dining from your tablet/laptop/desktop browser....?

 

Use the "web version" of the app. This is the *only* way that I book dining.

Thank you both, but ... yes, but think about how silly that is... can't book from a web browser, you have to use the glitchy app... oh wait, use the web browser app instead because the phone app sucks. Why not just allow the customer to do everything associated with the cruise from an account using the web browser?

Here's the web browser app link for anyone looking.

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by xamsx

[cr8tiv1]

I will admit the frustrations and glitchiness of the app when it first was launched.  I have been on 5 cruises since the pandemic.  I rarely have had any issues with the app.  If I did, I'd wait an hour and try again.  Usually fixes itself (latest was "lost" green lane).  I've used it ONCE, to order a bottle of water in the Piazza.  No problems.  I use it all the time to crew chat (faster than standing in line/gives me something to screen shot).  I use it to find friends.  As others have said, you can do some stuff on their web base app.  

 

Is it the greatest thing since sliced bread?  No.  Does it work:  most of the time.  Will it work when you need it?  Who knows.  Too many are expecting miracles from JP's marvelous toy.

 

 

[CynCyn]

11 hours ago, dbeckett said:

I'll start with the Princess App.  I've had it on phone for some time and loved the fact it would count down the days to the next cruise but no more.   According to the App (it has been like this for over a week) it will say good evening regardless of the time of day and then show we  have 106 days, 11 hours and 52minutes before the next cruise.   When it got stuck on 111days I thought it must be counting down by weeks but why have it on the App if it is no longer a daily count down.  There were issues with the App last time we were on (failed to order drinkw when we were at the pool) so to see this happen when we aren't on board makes me seriously think of deleting the App.

 

Now Cruise Critic.  I first started using CC when I was living in Canada.  Now if I want to go to CruiseCritic.com as it says I can and always has done in the past,  it goes to an external page (flightsand packages.com) which is not what I want.  So I am also thinking I will stop using this previously excelllent website.

 

It appears that the sites think they are improving the experince by doing updates but I have yet to find this the case

This may be silly, but it’s boards.cruisecritic dot com.  Gets me there every time!

[Thrak]

3 hours ago, xamsx said:

I must say the Princess app sucks. I wish they’d let me book everything from my browser (looking at you dining reservations). I thought the Celebrity app was bad, but the Princess app makes that one look good as it is simply dreadful pre-cruise.  Glitchy, slow, difficult to sign into - I have four Princess cruises booked (two back to back), and it makes me want to cancel. I won’t, but the app is frustrating, to say the least. 

 

If it's "glitchy, slow, difficult to sign onto" it is most likely that you have a "less than good" phone or device. My wife had all of those issues and, even on the ship, she didn't use the app because it performed so poorly. I got her a different phone (I spent less than$200 and she really needed a new phone anyway as the one she had made most things function sloooooooowly. I didn't get her a new(er) phone just for the Medallion app.) With a decent phone she now has zero issues using the app. It opens up quickly, reacts quickly, and functions just fine.

 

So many people say they "shouldn't have to get a new phone just to use the Medallion App" and they are correct. However, if their phone has major issues with the app it's quite possible that they really ought to replace the thing anyway as an outdated and under powered device. RAM is important. So many older phones have extremely limited amounts of RAM. Likeways storage capacity is important as sooooooo many older devices have very little storage space and are close to maxed out with peoples photos and stupid games. (Many of those games are also bogging down your phones.)

[nasa1974]

One issue I have with the Princess phone app is you have to log in with username and password. Royal Caribbean log in is facial recognition. Princess get up to date.

[brisalta]

1 hour ago, CynCyn said:

This may be silly, but it’s boards.cruisecritic dot com.  Gets me there every time!

 

cruisecritic.com will take you to the Cruise Critic website.

[brisalta]

32 minutes ago, nasa1974 said:

One issue I have with the Princess phone app is you have to log in with username and password. Royal Caribbean log in is facial recognition. Princess get up to date.

 

Facial recognition is far easier to by pass.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Honestly, and not to make light of your concern, I wish that an incorrect countdown clock was my biggest app issue. I couldn’t input any personal information for n upcoming cruise, and in attempting to get it fixed, ended with with someone in the Philippines trying to sell me chocolate covered strawberries. 

[Sprocket]

6 hours ago, xamsx said:

I must say the Princess app sucks. I wish they’d let me book everything from my browser (looking at you dining reservations). I thought the Celebrity app was bad, but the Princess app makes that one look good as it is simply dreadful pre-cruise.  Glitchy, slow, difficult to sign into - I have four Princess cruises booked (two back to back), and it makes me want to cancel. I won’t, but the app is frustrating, to say the least. 

• You can just select your cruise and scroll down until you see this

• Check-In With the MedallionClass™ App

  

  • 1
• 1

  Download the MedallionClass™ app

      

  Don't have a compatible device? Try our web version(opens in a new window)

Edited July 11, 2023 by Sprocket

[charliedalrymple]

16 hours ago, txjim09 said:

Design engineer of 45 years and person who has written apps here.  Deleting cleans up behind-the-scenes corruption. 

 

Developer of the first app in history and inventor of WhatsApp, TikTok, SnapChat and Messenger, with over 125 years of experience here--and I have no idea how to solve your problem

[txjim09]

5 hours ago, charliedalrymple said:

 

Developer of the first app in history and inventor of WhatsApp, TikTok, SnapChat and Messenger, with over 125 years of experience here--and I have no idea how to solve your problem

Yea, I guess we were throwing credentials around a bit

[xamsx]

12 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

If it's "glitchy, slow, difficult to sign onto" it is most likely that you have a "less than good" phone or device.

 

That is definitely not the issue. 🙂


I do wonder what someone without a smartphone does. We went on a Celebrity cruise with my mother in March. She is in her late 70s, does not have a smartphone, and uses an old flip phone when she has to make use of a cell phone. We gave her a smartphone to access the Celebrity app. Celebrity does not use it as a key card or to input data (online works); it uses it as a personal folio and the ability to see what is happening around the ship at any time. She stuck that smartphone in the safe and returned it to us at the end of the cruise. We would never be able to take her on Princess (I have no idea what she'd do with the medallion!) She does not use a smartphone and has no interest in learning how to use a smartphone.

Edited July 11, 2023 by xamsx

[cr8tiv1]

2 minutes ago, xamsx said:

That is definitely not the issue. 🙂


I do wonder what someone without a smartphone does. We went on a Celebrity cruise with my mother in March. She is in her late 70s, does not have a smartphone, and uses an old flip phone when she has to make use of a cell phone. We gave her a smartphone to access the Celebrity app. Celebrity does not use it as a key card; it uses it as a personal folio and the ability to see what is happening around the ship at any time. She stuck that smartphone in the safe and returned it to us at the end of the cruise. We would never be able to take her on Princess. She does not use a smartphone, and has no interest in learning how to use a smartphone.

 

Princess does not use the phone Medallion Class app as a key card either.  The Medallion opens the cabin door.

 

You really do not need a smart phone.  You do not need the Medallion Class app on the phone to complete your registration.  You can do it all by computer then go to the pier and complete the rest (passport, credit card, pick up medallion, etc).  The Medallion Class app is just a "convenience" for those who want to compete everything before arriving at the ship.  

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Princess does not use the phone Medallion Class app as a key card either.  The Medallion opens the cabin door.

 

You really do not need a smart phone.  You do not need the Medallion Class app on the phone to complete your registration.  You can do it all by computer then go to the pier and complete the rest (passport, credit card, pick up medallion, etc).  The Medallion Class app is just a "convenience" for those who want to compete everything before arriving at the ship.  

can you just call Princess, a CVP, or a TA - and never have to use a computer or smartphone to book and pay for a cruise - then just show up with your passport, or identification documents?

[Steelers36]

9 hours ago, charliedalrymple said:

 

Developer of the first app in history and inventor of WhatsApp, TikTok, SnapChat and Messenger, with over 125 years of experience here--and I have no idea how to solve your problem

Eventually the App began working pretty well for me.  But I do stay at a Holiday Inn Express at least 2-3 times per year.

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

can you just call Princess, a CVP, or a TA - and never have to use a computer or smartphone to book and pay for a cruise - then just show up with your passport, or identification documents?

Yes, but….without DMW reservations, you’ll be waiting in a line to be seated at dinner every night. Heck, even with DMW reservations you might be waiting in a line every night…or the reservations might be changed…or disappear altogether. 

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Yes, but….without DMW reservations, you’ll be waiting in a line to be seated at dinner every night. Heck, even with DMW reservations you might be waiting in a line every night…or the reservations might be changed…or disappear altogether. 

I totally agree - It's like going back to pre-computer days when the TA did everything and mailed you documents.  Can/will a CVP work with you making dinner reservations in the mdr and specialty dining venues? along with excursions?

 

It's totally theoretically possible??

[srpilo]

4 hours ago, txjim09 said:

Yea, I guess we were throwing credentials around a bit

 

Ahh knowing all those pesky anonymous internet credentials lets me sleep well at night. 🤪

[Steelers36]

7 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

Yes, but….without DMW reservations, you’ll be waiting in a line to be seated at dinner every night. Heck, even with DMW reservations you might be waiting in a line every night…or the reservations might be changed…or disappear altogether. 

Or just go "old school" and arrange the same nightly table with DR Mgmt.

[cr8tiv1]

8 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Or just go "old school" and arrange the same nightly table with DR Mgmt.

 

I am "oldER" school and prefer the previously known Traditional Dining.  I really wish Princess would return at least one MDR to this concept.  In the meantime, I am either in Reserve Dining or have manipulated the system so that I have a modified Traditional Dining reservation.  It is complicated and requires some serious moves.  

 

I, for one, and finding it more stressful to cruise than ever.  I miss the "good ole days" when cruising was so simple.