Medallions to replace cruise cards?

While on the CB in Jan., I happened to talk to a casino employee about CB's upcoming drydock in March. Other than the usual maintenance things like carpet replacement, etc., he said they would be installing the necessary technology to implement the use of the medallion system. He said the medallion would be used to open cabin doors, pay for drinks, etc. In other words, it would replace the cruise card. Anyone else heard about this?

Yes, its on their web site. I'm cruising Nov 26, on the Regal and it should be in place on that cruise. I guess its like the Disney Magic Bands...They are suppose to mail them to us prior to boarding. I guess will shall see...

While on the CB in Jan., I happened to talk to a casino employee about CB's upcoming drydock in March. Other than the usual maintenance things like carpet replacement, etc., he said they would be installing the necessary technology to implement the use of the medallion system. He said the medallion would be used to open cabin doors, pay for drinks, etc. In other words, it would replace the cruise card. Anyone else heard about this?

Yep, it is talked about on their website and even tells which ships will have it on which dates. I know it says Regal should have it for my cruise on 11/26/17. [emoji4]

Sent from my SM-G920T1 using Forums mobile app

Yes and you can check it out on YouTube or Princess's web site.

Tony

While on the CB in Jan., I happened to talk to a casino employee about CB's upcoming drydock in March. Other than the usual maintenance things like carpet replacement, etc., he said they would be installing the necessary technology to implement the use of the medallion system. He said the medallion would be used to open cabin doors, pay for drinks, etc. In other words, it would replace the cruise card. Anyone else heard about this?

Been discussed here on CC. There was a long recent thread here on CC about it, can't find it.

Here is the link to the Princess info.

http://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ocean-medallion-class/

When people begin using the Medallions, it will be interesting to see how they like them.

While on the CB in Jan., I happened to talk to a casino employee about CB's upcoming drydock in March. Other than the usual maintenance things like carpet replacement, etc., he said they would be installing the necessary technology to implement the use of the medallion system. He said the medallion would be used to open cabin doors, pay for drinks, etc. In other words, it would replace the cruise card. Anyone else heard about this?

I heard CB will have it sometime March 2018.

When people begin using the Medallions, it will be interesting to see how they like them.

I imagine they will roll out much as the Magic Bands did at WDW. At first, there will be "glitches" which will overwhelm the Passenger Service Desk as passengers cannot open their doors or make charges. And there will be (understandable) huffing and puffing here and elsewhere and the medallions will be cursed and called the greatest mistake of all time. But then, over time, the glitches will recede and people will start to love them. From what I understand, the medallions can either be mounted on a wristband and worn, or simply tucked away in a pocket or purse. Or even hung from a chain. So in that regard, there will be no real reason for people to complain (once the glitches are smoothed over). If you kept your cruise card in your pocket, you can keep your magic horcrux in your pocket. If you wore your card around your neck, you can adorn yourself with your medallion. Life won't change. And perhaps, the medallions will merely supplement cruise cards instead of replacing them altogether, so the skeptics may not have to convert after all.

I just hope that this transition doesn't cost too much. Disney made the conversion for reasons that go way beyond merely updating technology. Data readers spread throughout the property can track guest locations, record favorite destinations, detect purchasing habits, and be used to direct or re-direct staffing needs as necessary. A cruise ship seems so much smaller with far fewer options such that collecting "big data" through the use of RFID chips and readers seems pointless. Disney continues to discover ways to monetize the information it gathers through the use of Magic Bands. I don't see the same return on investment for a cruise line.

The medallions are mailed to you pre cruise and the will be no more checking in at the port. You just arrive and walk on the ship.

Really? How will that work if you are Elite or Platinum members? What if you live in another state part of the year?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

When people begin using the Medallions, it will be interesting to see how they like them.

I have seen pictures suggesting that they can be used as a piece of jewellery.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Interesting?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The medallions are mailed to you pre cruise and the will be no more checking in at the port. You just arrive and walk on the ship.

Won't this cost Princess something to mail the Medallions to us? I thought Princess stopped mailing out the luggage tags as a cost cutting measure now they are spending money for the Medallions. :rolleyes:

Won't this cost Princess something to mail the Medallions to us? I thought Princess stopped mailing out the luggage tags as a cost cutting measure now they are spending money for the Medallions. :rolleyes:

My guess is that they think they'll be able to save more money by cutting check-in staff than it costs to mail the medallions. However, I don't see how this replaces the card as it hasn't done so for Royal. To do so, every port would need to be outfitted with scanners to ensure that you're the one authorized to enter the port to return to the ship.

From what I read at the Princess it will be a different class of travel an upgrade and will not be for all travelers.

Welcome to Ocean Medallion™ Class

Ocean Medallion Class is the next wave of vacation travel, elevating cruising as the world knows it. You will be served by a crew that always understands and delivers exactly what you want, and can enjoy a level of immersion in local cultures that no other vacation can offer

From what I read at the Princess it will be a different class of travel an upgrade and will not be for all travelers.

 

Welcome to Ocean Medallion™ Class

 

I think this confusion results from an unfortunate use of terminology by Princess. I haven't seen anything that suggests that the Medallions are a separate class of passenger. It is supposed to be a different class of cruising altogether, applied ship-wide. Calling this a "Class" and rolling it out soon after the roll out of "Club Class" can do nothing but cause confusion, but I don't think that medallion users are supposed to be a sub-class of overall passengers the way Club Class passengers are.

I think this confusion results from an unfortunate use of terminology by Princess. I haven't seen anything that suggests that the Medallions are a separate class of passenger. It is supposed to be a different class of cruising altogether, applied ship-wide. Calling this a "Class" and rolling it out soon after the roll out of "Club Class" can do nothing but cause confusion, but I don't think that medallion users are supposed to be a sub-class of overall passengers the way Club Class passengers are.

Correct they are referring to a class of ships. like grand class, royal class etc. That is what was explained somewhere else. No extra money although I have booked CB for August on a b2b 7 day w/e caribbbean and the prices are higher than I have previously booked in the past. Will see if we get much price reductions as this is a cruise for 2018....but still odd that is has started out higher than any Caribbean cruise I have done before...coincidence???

I think this confusion results from an unfortunate use of terminology by Princess. I haven't seen anything that suggests that the Medallions are a separate class of passenger. It is supposed to be a different class of cruising altogether, applied ship-wide. Calling this a "Class" and rolling it out soon after the roll out of "Club Class" can do nothing but cause confusion, but I don't think that medallion users are supposed to be a sub-class of overall passengers the way Club Class passengers are.

Correct they are referring to a class of ships. like grand class, royal class etc. That is what was explained somewhere else. No extra money although I have booked CB for August on a b2b 7 day w/e caribbbean and the prices are higher than I have previously booked in the past. Will see if we get much price reductions as this is a cruise for 2018....but still odd that is has started out higher than any Caribbean cruise I have done before...coincidence???

Unfortunate use of terminology is only the tip of the iceberg. Sure, now they have Club Class which refers to a type of accommodation and they have the ship's class like Royal, Grand, and Sun. Now they have Medallion Class which will first be on the Royal Class ships followed by the Grand Class ships. A passenger on a cruise can be on a class of ship with a class of accommodation and they a class of Medallion or not.

Hey, that's pretty classy and pretty confusing.

Try reading THIS THREAD for more information and conjecture than you could possibly want or need regarding the medallions.

Many of you may have received or will be receiving a copy of the Princess Cruises' Circle magazine.

In this recent magazine,there is an article explaining the Medallion Class.

It will debut on the Regal 11/13/17,the Royal 1/19/18 and the Caribbean 3/18/18.

The article explains that in advance of your cruise,the

complimentary,personalized medallion will be shipped to you.

It is a quarter sized disk that may be worn on a wristband,pendant,clip,key chain or in your pocket.

It will track a passengers preferences, payments,unlock a passenger's door and help speed up embarkation ( no explanation as to how this will be accomplished)and help anticipate a passenger's needs.

Using the medallion is not mandatory.

Information on it will be encrypted for privacy concerns.

The medallion can be personalized by choosing a certain color or having an inscription put on it (name,sail date,etc).

I hope this answers some questions.

More info can be found in the magazine on pages 6-9.

I heard CB will have it sometime March 2018.

March 18, 2018. 14 day Circle Caribbean. That's the first cruise where Caribbean Princess will be using the medallions. We're booked on that cruise and looking forward to the new tech. I just wish it was going to be in place on Emerald Princess when we sail in October but so far it's only been announced for Regal, Royal, and Caribbean Princess. Eventually it's supposed to spread throughout the entire Princess fleet and then to the other lines owned by Carnival Corporation. Obviously that will take quite some time to accomplish.

That is old news.

Many of you may have received or will be receiving a copy of the Princess Cruises' Circle magazine.

In this recent magazine,there is an article explaining the Medallion Class.

It will debut on the Regal 11/13/17,the Royal 1/19/18 and the Caribbean 3/18/18.

The article explains that in advance of your cruise,the

complimentary,personalized medallion will be shipped to you.

It is a quarter sized disk that may be worn on a wristband,pendant,clip,key chain or in your pocket.

It will track a passengers preferences, payments,unlock a passenger's door and help speed up embarkation ( no explanation as to how this will be accomplished)and help anticipate a passenger's needs.

Using the medallion is not mandatory.

Information on it will be encrypted for privacy concerns.

The medallion can be personalized by choosing a certain color or having an inscription put on it (name,sail date,etc).

I hope this answers some questions.

More info can be found in the magazine on pages 6-9.

The article does not quite say that. It says you can limit it to "safety only". You would still need it to get into your cabin.

The cost of mailing the medallions will be dwarfed by the additional revenue that they will make by "anticipating your needs and desires". :p

The cost of mailing the medallions will be dwarfed by the additional revenue that they will make by "anticipating your needs and desires". :p

That is the big unknown. Now, when I walk up to a particular bar for the first time on a cruise, I have to place my order for a Guinness as the bartender probably doesn't know me. With a medallion, (assuming the bar has the appropriate device), the bartender will know that at the last bar I visited on a different deck, or perhaps even on my last cruise, my most frequent selection was a Guinness and he will have one ready for me. A neat parlor trick to be sure, but in the end, the revenue derived from my trip to the bar is that single Guinness. Anticipating my needs is not the same thing as increasing my needs.