Two people walk into a Princess bar....

[davy jones]

They stand next to each order and each orders a drink.  If you don't hand over the medallion, how are you sure at the time that the correct medallion is charged?

[dreaminofcruisin]

The bartender will likely ask for your cabin number to confirm the correct charge, or ask you to place your medallion on the reader.

You can later confirm on the phone app that you were charged correctly (or not charged if you have the package).

[mtnesterz]

In theory, each one's picture shows up on their screen to tell passengers apart. Also they ask each one's cabin number.

In practice, we attend the PES lounge and have gotten charged the price of an alcoholic drink, and we don't drink alcohol. Others here have mentioned the same experience. Doesn't seem to be a priority to fix this issue. So your question is valid. There is a system problem.

Edited April 10 by mtnesterz

[Musky Ike]

I'll bet hardly anybody complains if their drink charge goes on another's drink plan and neither get charged. Unless that other person is counting toward their limit. 

[memoak]

I have only had this happen once and it did not put me over my limit although I did go to GS to make sure. Our biggest issue is having both of our drinks put on my account which means I sometimes have trouble later in the evening. Because of that we always tell them to put one drink on each account 

Edited April 10 by memoak

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Your photo is on their till or handheld device. Not sure they would actually check it tho.

[insidecabin]

1 hour ago, mtnesterz said:

In theory, each one's picture shows up on their screen to tell passengers apart. Also they ask each one's cabin number.

In practice, we attend the PES lounge and have gotten charged the price of an alcoholic drink, and we don't drink alcohol. Others here have mentioned the same experience. Doesn't seem to be a priority to fix this issue. So your question is valid. There is a system problem.

System problem! they have staff in the loop that where the problem is.

[ontheweb]

Has anyone ever posted a thread with this kind of question before the medallion took over or on the board of another cruise line? The wonderful medallion technology strikes again. 🤦‍♂️

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

Your picture is on their screen. On the Sun Princess they are actually addressing all of us by name as they hand us our drink. Problem solved. 

[partybarbie]

Actually this is an ongoing problem. On the Royal last October, even though both of us had Princess Plus, we were constantly getting charged for other passenger’s drinks. The worst was an entire case of water, sent to a cabin that wasn’t even our cabin. Unfortunately, I missed a charge of $13 on disembarkation day. We ended up just paying it. My time to fight the charge is more valuable. 

[CatMom72]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

Has anyone ever posted a thread with this kind of question before the medallion took over or on the board of another cruise line? The wonderful medallion technology strikes again. 🤦‍♂️

Despite its flaws, I still think the medallion system is far superior to the card system that is used on other cruise lines.  I was traveling with a group of 12 on NCL Joy over NYE, and let me tell you that trying to deal with all those cards at dinner was a NIGHTMARE.  There were some nights I was asked to provide my card twice before I could even get a drink, despite the fact that I had a drink package that covered the cost of said drink.  Ordering another drink?  Be prepared to fork over your card again.  Bottled water?  “Can I see your card once more?”  Sorry, but constantly having to produce that card was a nuisance, especially since NCL does not let you punch a hole in the card and clip it to a lanyard the way Princess used to do in the pre-Medallion era.  On balance, I think the Medallion is much more convenient than the card, especially when the bar staff know how to use it properly.

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

Has anyone ever posted a thread with this kind of question before the medallion took over or on the board of another cruise line? The wonderful medallion technology strikes again. 🤦‍♂️

Yup. Have had it happen back when it was cruise cards and even back when I had to sign a receipt (although that was much rarer).

When they're asking cabin numbers, then inputting multiple drinks at once, things get screwed up. My card was very rarely ran, it was just asking cabin number. Same with medallion - very rare, IME, to have the actual medallion scanned particularly at a busy bar, rather an asked cabin number, and they input manually as they enter the drink order. Transposition happens, drinks get out on wrong account, etc.  

With receipts, it's was rarer, but happened occasionally - and was caught immediately when I would have a receipt to sign for 3 drinks when I ordered two.  

With the card and no receipts, had to go to Guest Services and dispute, generally not an issue...

With the app, I can see a charge on my folio for an incorrect drink (one covered by a package, for instance) and can check drink count any time and know if I've been charged drinks I didn't order..much easier nowadays... 

 

YMMV 

[kywildcatfanone]

3 hours ago, davy jones said:

They stand next to each order and each orders a drink.  If you don't hand over the medallion, how are you sure at the time that the correct medallion is charged?

You don't. That's the beauty of the medallion.  Someone gets billed, it just might not be the person who ordered the drink.  Check your folio daily.

[Arizona Wildcat]

If I have a drink package

Just now, kywildcatfanone said:

You don't. That's the beauty of the medallion.  Someone gets billed, it just might not be the person who ordered the drink.  Check your folio daily.

Is there a reason I would care if fully covered with my drink package?

Completely agree server's taking cabin numbers creates misapplied drinks  but faster service.

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

If I have a drink package

Is there a reason I would care if fully covered with my drink package?

Completely agree server's taking cabin numbers creates misapplied drinks  but faster service.

so, if a person without a package,

[skynight]

The system needs to be tightened up. I was on a recent b2b. Most times in Crooner's and Lido Bar I never even had to say anything, show or scan the medallion. The waiters knew me by name. I did scan each time at the I.C. when ordering specialty coffee drinks. I had the plus fare. If someone's coffee drink was charged to my account I would never know. The same for alcoholic drinks. Unless I maxed out I would not know. I really never had more than 5 or 6 drinks a day so the account could receive lots of drinks without me ever knowing. I did notice sometimes at the I.C. they just gave me the brewed coffee without recording anything. The same at the bar when I ordered a can of soda. I also noticed they always recorded an alcoholic drink. The roaming waiters also recorded everything on their hand helds.

Some ideas.

Better if folios showed beverage usage? Separate page?

Better if plus fare cabin mates who are linked receive a total amount of alcoholic beverages vs individual amounts? 

Edited April 10 by skynight

[donaldsc]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Has anyone ever posted a thread with this kind of question before the medallion took over or on the board of another cruise line? The wonderful medallion technology strikes again. 🤦‍♂️

 

As much as I dislike the whole medallion system we have had several pre-medallion instances where we were charged for items and services that were in correct.  Getting the errors was always a pain.  

 

DON

[dreaminofcruisin]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Has anyone ever posted a thread with this kind of question before the medallion took over or on the board of another cruise line? The wonderful medallion technology strikes again. 🤦‍♂️

 

Yup. We had the package and our number of drinks kept increasing even though it wasn't us ordering. This was back (with a  card), but the app was just getting going and I believe at that time you could see where it was being charged. It was from locations we were not even at. It got so bad that we met with a manager. She said only 1 other person complained about it, so she didn't seem to think it was a problem.....pretty sure she just thought we 'forgot' we had ordered drinks. It was quite annoying. We suspect someone had heard us give our cabin number and decided they would try and use it .... and they did....quite successfully. We wouldn't have cared except they were having a good time and we were afraid we would exceed our 15 at some point.

So...not a problem with the medallion....since it didn't even exist then....

 

I do really wish they would make better use of the medallion technology instead of asking for our cabin number. Some bartenders seem really good at it....others...not so much.

[memoak]

12 minutes ago, skynight said:

The system needs to be tightened up. I was on a recent b2b. Most times in Crooner's and Lido Bar I never even had to say anything, show or scan the medallion. The waiters knew me by name. I did scan each time at the I.C. when ordering specialty coffee drinks. I had the plus fare. If someone's coffee drink was charged to my account I would never know. The same for alcoholic drinks. Unless I maxed out I would not know. I really never had more than 5 or 6 drinks a day so the account could receive lots of drinks without me ever knowing. I did notice sometimes at the I.C. they just gave me the brewed coffee without recording anything. The same at the bar when I ordered a can of soda. I also noticed they always recorded an alcoholic drink. The roaming waiters also recorded everything on their hand helds.

Some ideas.

Better if folios showed beverage usage? Separate page?

Better if plus fare cabin mates who are linked receive a total amount of alcoholic beverages vs individual amounts? 

1. Your app does show how many alcoholic drinks have been put against your package 

 

2. If the made it 30 for two people instead of individually then on a day when my wife is feeling a little peaked and only has say 3 drinks then I could drink 27 drinks. You would not want to see that

[skynight]

14 minutes ago, memoak said:

1. Your app does show how many alcoholic drinks have been put against your package 

 

2. If the made it 30 for two people instead of individually then on a day when my wife is feeling a little peaked and only has say 3 drinks then I could drink 27 drinks. You would not want to see that

1. Where?

2. Part of the problem is that one of the couple orders a drink for each and the two drinks are placed against one individuals account. I don't believe your scenario is realistic. If it is the problem isn't the accounting system.

[memoak]

19 minutes ago, skynight said:

1. Where?

2. Part of the problem is that one of the couple orders a drink for each and the two drinks are placed against one individuals account. I don't believe your scenario is realistic. If it is the problem isn't the accounting system.

On the app look under packages I believe and it will show how many drinks for the day

If you don’t differentiate by individual then it would be possible for 1 person to have 30 drinks. When I was quarantined with Covid 6 months ago and my wife was allowed to come and go. When you are quarantined whether you have a package or not room service drinks are free and not charged to the package so under your scenario she could have gotten 30 drinks. It is not the accounting system it is the bartenders it is faster and easier to put everything on one account.  So we always tell them to put one against each account so that one of us doesn’t max out in the evening

[TRLD]

More of a training issue than system issue. The practice is that they should ask your room number, then verify your picture on the screen using that room number. 

 

Mistakes still happen, just as they used to all the way back to the signed slip days when they went and dug up the signed slips before they would correct it.  Often the errors happen when they do not follow process.

 

Most of the problems with limits is when a party of 2 or more order together and the drinks go on one account. Which again is a training issue.

[jeromep]

I have encountered this before.  Showing up at the same time as others and the bartender having to sort things out.  They do it with ease.  The bartenders get in the habit of asking for your cabin number before putting in your order so they get it on the right account.

 

In theory, if you are looking for a technological solution to this you would have a pin number entry system.  So you'd scan your medallion and enter the pin number you chose when you set up your medallion and then the charge would both go to the right account and require authorization.

[TRLD]

10 minutes ago, jeromep said:

I have encountered this before.  Showing up at the same time as others and the bartender having to sort things out.  They do it with ease.  The bartenders get in the habit of asking for your cabin number before putting in your order so they get it on the right account.

 

In theory, if you are looking for a technological solution to this you would have a pin number entry system.  So you'd scan your medallion and enter the pin number you chose when you set up your medallion and then the charge would both go to the right account and require authorization.

Was just at the Hilton in Papeete. There they ask for your room number, then you write your name on a slip and sign your name. When I checked out I noticed an incorrect charge so they went back and retrieved the signed slip. On the slip was someone else's name and signature. The waitress had entered the wrong room number and did not verify the name. Even under old paper systems mistakes can and do happen.

[jeromep]

10 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Was just at the Hilton in Papeete. There they ask for your room number, then you write your name on a slip and sign your name. When I checked out I noticed an incorrect charge so they went back and retrieved the signed slip. On the slip was someone else's name and signature. The waitress had entered the wrong room number and did not verify the name. Even under old paper systems mistakes can and do happen.

 

Indeed.  And they had to rummage through a bunch of paper to determine that they were wrong.  Very inefficient.

 

Any airtight payments system operates on the concept of something you have and something you know that would then authorize the transaction.  If a transaction at a bar or restaurant on board required you to scan your Medallion (something you have), and enter a pre-established PIN (something you know), that would eliminate just about every unauthorized charge.

 

This is the exact same process as what is used for non-VISA/MC debit card and ATM transactions.  You have to insert or swipe your debit card, and then enter your PIN before the transaction occurs or before you can access the ATM.  This is widely recognized as one of the most secure transaction authorization practices ever conceived.  It is really too bad that the Medallion was not developed with this same attention to securing transactions.