Is paying $10 shipping for a medallion worth it?

[MissP22]

10 minutes ago, iramack said:

My boking is for a S3 full suite and Plus program and I paid 15 dollars for a custom image and the wrist band. No shipping was charged.

Such a deal. 😉

[iramack]

2 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Such a deal. 😉

I certainly thought so!!   lol

[SargassoPirate]

I just received an email from Princess regarding an upcoming cruise from Fort Lauderdale. I'm an Elite but standard cruiser - soon to be renamed steerage.  Princess tells me that if I don't order the Medallion and pay to have it shipped, there is no way I'll be in the green lane. So what? I'll be on the ship 111 days.

 

What's the worst that can happen?  

 

 

 

 

 

[kywildcatfanone]

25 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

I just received an email from Princess regarding an upcoming cruise from Fort Lauderdale. I'm an Elite but standard cruiser - soon to be renamed steerage.  Princess tells me that if I don't order the Medallion and pay to have it shipped, there is no way I'll be in the green lane. So what? I'll be on the ship 111 days.

 

What's the worst that can happen?  

 

 

 

 

 

I can let you know soon.  Presumably the only issue is having to wait a while to get through check in.  I remember when priority check in was a loyalty benefit.

 

[SargassoPirate]

1 minute ago, kywildcatfanone said:

I can let you know soon.  Presumably the only issue is having to wait a while to get through check in.  I remember when priority check in was a loyalty benefit.

 

Please, keep us posted.

 

I remember one cruise pre-Covid and when we entered the port building the lines for the upper loyalty tiers were longer than steerage. I think it was Princess but it might've been RCI.  Even though we were in the top tier, SWMBO and I went over to the shorter steerage line and were processed right on board past the the Elite/Diamond Plus.

 

Sheeple.

 

 

[doghog]

1 minute ago, SargassoPirate said:

Please, keep us posted.

 

I remember one cruise pre-Covid and when we entered the port building the lines for the upper loyalty tiers were longer than steerage. I think it was Princess but it might've been RCI.  Even though we were in the top tier, SWMBO and I went over to the shorter steerage line and were processed right on board past the the Elite/Diamond Plus.

 

Sheeple.

 

 

With RC it's Diamond/Diamond Plus. With Celebrity it's Elite and Elite Plus. 😉

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

I just received an email from Princess regarding an upcoming cruise from Fort Lauderdale. I'm an Elite but standard cruiser - soon to be renamed steerage.  Princess tells me that if I don't order the Medallion and pay to have it shipped, there is no way I'll be in the green lane. So what? I'll be on the ship 111 days.

 

What's the worst that can happen?  

 

 

 

 

 

No medallion for you.... only a cruise card. 😄 LOL

[SargassoPirate]

10 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

No medallion for you.... only a cruise card. 😄 LOL

Suits me just fine.  😂

[ldubs]

To the OP's question, to me it is more of a hassle than it is worth.  

 

Some folks worry about boarding as early as possible.  Some don't like lines of any length.  I would say if, for whatever reason, being in the green lane is important then pay the 10 bucks.    

[SargassoPirate]

35 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

No medallion for you.... only a cruise card. 😄 LOL

I'm the guy who sees the sheeple lining up and all going though one door of a row of four doors or more and walks right over and enters through the unused door.

 

 

[milolii]

7 hours ago, iramack said:

My boking is for a S3 full suite and Plus program and I paid 15 dollars for a custom image and the wrist band. No shipping was charged.

Shipping is free with the package, for full suites, as well as, any other type of cabin, but my experience in a suite without the package is a $10.00 charge. 

[jayred1]

First time on Princess and we have our Medallions ... curious if those picking up theirs at check-in get their names engraved on them?  No concerns either way, just curious.

[kywildcatfanone]

2 hours ago, jayred1 said:

First time on Princess and we have our Medallions ... curious if those picking up theirs at check-in get their names engraved on them?  No concerns either way, just curious.

Yes, they are engraved and waiting at check in.

Edited December 2, 2023 by kywildcatfanone

[kywildcatfanone]

21 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

Please, keep us posted.

 

 

 

 

Well, I'm back.  Flight landed at 9:59am, got bags dropped with porter at 10:34am, and by the time we got through blue lane and onboard it was 11:15. No lounge stop. I asked the rep at check in about priority check in for loyalty and she said "Princess is moving away from loyalty benefits and priority check in".

So, all in from the time we dropped bags it was 41 minutes.  Green lane would obviously be faster.  

 

I hate the direction Princess is headed with their most loyal customers.

Edited December 2, 2023 by kywildcatfanone

[MissP22]

24 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Well, I'm back.  Flight landed at 9:59am, got bags dropped with porter at 10:34am, and by the time we got through blue lane and onboard it was 11:15. No lounge stop. I asked the rep at check in about priority check in for loyalty and she said "Princess is moving away from loyalty benefits and priority check in".

So, all in from the time we dropped bags it was 41 minutes.  Green lane would obviously be faster.  

 

I hate the direction Princess is headed with their most loyal customers.

Another lost loyalty perk. 😒

They could have easily included free shipping for all the Elites even if they didn't buy into any package. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by MissP22

[kywildcatfanone]

5 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Another lost loyalty perk. 😒

They could have easily included free shipping for all the Elites even if they didn't buy into any package. 

Well, if you care about loyalty, yes.

I didn't say, but this was at FLL.

[ldubs]

40 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Another lost loyalty perk. 😒

They could have easily included free shipping for all the Elites even if they didn't buy into any package. 

 

Wasn't it free shipping for everyone earlier on?   Even if free shipping I wouldn't want it sent to my house.  I'll pick it up on embark day.  

[MissP22]

34 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Well, if you care about loyalty, yes.

I didn't say, but this was at FLL.

I noticed the same thing last month when we left from Fl. We were at the head of the entry line and had to get our medallions & by the time we got to the Elite lounge it was completely filled.

[kywildcatfanone]

22 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Wasn't it free shipping for everyone earlier on?   Even if free shipping I wouldn't want it sent to my house.  I'll pick it up on embark day.  

It was.  What I learned today is without paying to ship it, you will have a bit longer wait regardless of your loyalty status.  

[ldubs]

24 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

It was.  What I learned today is without paying to ship it, you will have a bit longer wait regardless of your loyalty status.  

 

Yes, that is the case.  I'm not among the early crowd scramble.   Usually the wait is not very long.  Though, I have to admit it was longer than expected recently in San Francisco, but that port has never been a picture of efficiency, at least compared to others in Europe.  

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

It was.  What I learned today is without paying to ship it, you will have a bit longer wait regardless of your loyalty status.  

 

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

Yes, that is the case.  I'm not among the early crowd scramble.   Usually the wait is not very long.  Though, I have to admit it was longer than expected recently in San Francisco, but that port has never been a picture of efficiency, at least compared to others in Europe.  

I resent that Princess is now allowing people to buy their way to the head of the line. 

[kywildcatfanone]

12 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

 

I resent that Princess is now allowing people to buy their way to the head of the line. 

Read what a rep told me earlier today.  It's chasing money now, with loyalty benefits going away.

[SCX22]

On 11/30/2023 at 7:55 PM, Stosh68 said:

 

Where did I say there was?

 

Well in Galveston, everyone has the right to complain.  The embarkation and disembarkation problems in that port shouldn't be happening.  Other cruise lines in Galveston don't have this problem.  Other Princess embarkation ports don't seem to have this problem.

[ldubs]

10 hours ago, MissP22 said:

 

I resent that Princess is now allowing people to buy their way to the head of the line. 

 

 

If one has the Medallion in hand, are you suggesting, they should be made to wait in the same line as those who need to collect it at the port?  Should folks not have the option to have the medallion mailed ahead of time?  For what reason would either of these be desirable?  

 

I sure don't feel indignant of those who opted to get the medallion early.  

  

 

 

 

[SCX22]

2 hours ago, ldubs said:

I sure don't feel indignant of those who opted to get the medallion early.  

 

 

Not irked by the passengers who drank Princess' proverbial Kool-Aid but by Princess' new practice of charging for Medallion shipping.  Prior to August 2023, Medallion shipping was free to all passengers in the USA.  Now they are starting to charge.  Either cough up the $10 or purchase a package fare.  Now, it's a money maker for Princess.  It's a cash grab, IMO.  In addition, the priority lane to enter and check-in for P/E/S disappeared.  The benefit is now a priority boarding lounge which is useless if you arrive after boarding has already commenced.

 

Having said that, even with Medallion in tow, that doesn't necessarily mean you will be first on the ship.  Now, if you can't complete the pre-check-in on the app, you'll still be stuck in the blue lane.  My friends had the Plus Package and had their Medallions shipped to them, but couldn't get the Cruise Ready section of the App to accept their CC info, so off to the Blue Lane they were sent.

 

Would be just as happy to have my cruise card waiting for me my cabin on embarkation day like other cruise lines.  This is a free service and none of the other cruise lines charge to procure a cruise necessity.  I'm not really one that needs to be first on the ship and my preference is to mosey onto the ship as close to the end of the the check-in window as possible.  The only times I get onto the ship early is if I'm on a Princess transfer and I have no choice but to be at the terminal when the transfer dictates.

 

(As an aside, Princess' practice mimics Southwest Airlines practice of charging for early check-in to get an earlier boarding group.  Southwest stands firm in not charging for 2 checked bags so they had to find other ways to generate income.  The sad part is that some people pay for early check-in and still get a C group because too many people purchased early check-in for the particular flight that they were on and the algorithm is programed to check the passengers in alphabetical order by last name.)