Priority boarding

[DHP1]

17 minutes ago, jwattle said:

Problem with that: if you board and cabins aren't ready, how do you purchase drinks, etc. prior to going to your cabin? 🙂 (asking for a friend)

Go to the bar. 

[jwattle]

12 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

Go to the bar. 

If you have no medallion? Oh, yeah, just give them your cabin #...

[DHP1]

6 minutes ago, jwattle said:

If you have no medallion? Oh, yeah, just give them your cabin #...

If you have no medallion then how do you board the ship?  You stated “if you board and cabins aren’t ready”. You need a medallion to board. 😀

Edited January 12 by DHP1

[jwattle]

7 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

If you have no medallion then how do you board the ship?  You stated “if you board and cabins aren’t ready”. You need a medallion to board. 😀

I was addressing the people who wanted to have the medallions waiting in the rooms instead of whipping them or picking up at check in.

[jwattle]

*Shipping them

[deadzone1003]

25 minutes ago, jwattle said:

I was addressing the people who wanted to have the medallions waiting in the rooms instead of whipping them or picking up at check in.

There is no "medallions waiting in the rooms" option for Princess.  You have to pick them up at check-in else you don't board.

[jwattle]

12 minutes ago, deadzone1003 said:

There is no "medallions waiting in the rooms" option for Princess.  You have to pick them up at check-in else you don't board.

I know that. There was an earlier post, suggesting it as an option to clear up the congestion at check in.

[SCX22]

4 hours ago, jwattle said:

Problem with that: if you board and cabins aren't ready, how do you purchase drinks, etc. prior to going to your cabin? 🙂 (asking for a friend)

Verbally give your cabin number to the crew.  Unless the passenger is crazy and has a privacy problem with stating their cabin number out loud.  

[Fore on the Floor]

On 1/11/2024 at 7:01 AM, lx200gps said:

Just yesterday we received the official shipping notification, with USPS tracking number, though the tracking number doesn't actually work. Our trip leaves San Pedro on Feb 3.

I thought they didn't ship them to Canada. 

[lx200gps]

55 minutes ago, Fore on the Floor said:

I thought they didn't ship them to Canada. 

Yup, they started sometime in October. Our shipping notification came on Jan 10. I even figured out how to track the shipment. Ours is leaving Singapore and Canada Post naively claims it will be delivered here on Jan 16.

[Daisyloo]

1 hour ago, Fore on the Floor said:

I thought they didn't ship them to Canada. 

Yes, they do now.  We have ours ordered for our next cruise.  

[Outerdog]

On 1/12/2024 at 8:49 AM, DHP1 said:

Go to the bar. 

 

This is good advice for nearly every situation on board.

[jennybenny]

Now if they can only ship worldwide. I mean, Princes makes everyone pay for it themselves, so.... what does it cost them?

[cr8tiv1]

Does Princess currently escort Suite passengers on to the ship at any port?  
 

Only happened once at San Pedro for me.  As a seasoned cruiser, I thought it was a really nice gesture.  Never happened again at any port.

[Steelers36]

On 1/11/2024 at 3:04 PM, SCX22 said:

Princess is creating unnecessary congestion at check-in, so that people will cave into purchasing a package or pay for the shipping. 

 

This Sunday, check-in at San Pedro was a mess.  My friends got there at 11:00 am and the line stretched out to the sidewalk.  Thanks to their heads up, we showed up at 1:30 pm and breezed right through.  We were told at check-in that the ship would be late departing because there were passengers still at the airport waiting to be picked up because there were only 3 coaches reserved and the first set of transfer passengers weren't off loaded the buses until 1:00 pm due them having to stop check-in.  Those 3 coaches were expected to ferry between LAX and San Pedro to pick up hundreds of transfer passengers.

 

This new Green/Blue Lane Princess has implemented isn't efficient and ultimately frustrates passengers.  In addition, it favors passengers from the US and Canada.  Princess should just use the QR code generated in the boarding pass of the App as for it's intention, A BOARDING PASS FOR INITIAL ENTRY ON TO THE SHIP, and leave Medallions in passenger staterooms for collection after embarkation.  It will save them from having to maintain a fulfillment facility in Asia, save them on shipping costs (it's hard to believe that $10 covers the cost of shipping from so far away, even with a shipping contract), and save them on packaging costs (boxes/envelopes).  By not having to pick up Medallions at check-in (speaking for the Blue Lane), port agents will not have to waste time fetching/looking for Medallions.  Check-in will be a lot more efficient and the lines will move a lot faster.  (Note that Holland America and Carnival, which are under the CCL umbrella, don't hand out cruise cards at check-in; they are waiting for passengers in their cabin.)  Royal Caribbean can board their 6000 passenger mega-ships with minimal lines. 

Forget about having to be in the cabin.  I guess it is doable, but how do the other lines log people onto the ship?  Without a Medallion, guests are not able to "ping" into the security system and register on the ship.  Checked-in - yes - but not necessarily on board until all the muster check-ins are done.

 

Why not just go back to the old system?  The novelty of Medallions has worn off.  

 

Old system would make loyalty guests happier.  New guests use the regular line.  Re-institute the priority lines on entry and check-in.  EVERYONE picks up Medallions at the port.  After all, it only takes a few seconds.  Then the individual shipping and timing is gone.  No need to order Medallions (they could still try to upsell accessories thru the App and ship those).  The ship will still get loaded in time.

 

So, someone is going to say what about the lost benefit to all the Plus and Premier buyers?  Well, I could say that PCL added some features without increasing price.  I could say PCL often removes features as money savers.  I could say that any guest ordering up-sell accessories would get free shipping if on the packages and otherwise pays $10 to get the items.  Or even give a small discount to the package folks - 5% for Plus and 10% for Premier. 

 

IMO, the new way is just bad news for long-time guests if you aren't among the early arrivers.

[Outerdog]

34 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

the new way is just bad news for long-time guests if you aren't among the early arrivers.

 

I don't know. These days I just roll up to the terminal around 12:00 and walk right onto the ship. Really just a short fast-moving line at security and that's about it.

 

What really should have worn off for long-time guests is the novelty of rushing to the terminal to be among the first to board. But I suppose my easy boarding routine at noon is dependent upon the herd arriving early, so...

 

 

[blueknight222]

I am in a mini suite on the Enchanted out of Brooklyn NYC in August. It states as a perk, priority embarkation and disembarkation. Is this true? Is there a separate line. Is there certain times that we board?

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, Outerdog said:

 

I don't know. These days I just roll up to the terminal around 12:00 and walk right onto the ship. Really just a short fast-moving line at security and that's about it.

 

What really should have worn off for long-time guests is the novelty of rushing to the terminal to be among the first to board. But I suppose my easy boarding routine at noon is dependent upon the herd arriving early, so...

 

 

It used to be easy for later arrivers pre-Medallion and the recent changes to Green/Blue. 

 

You do have a point in your second paragraph.  If I am not going to Sanctuary, it isn't so critical to arrive early, but it is nice to get settled in (assuming can get into cabin) and at least be on in time for leisurely lunch.