Get ready for Ocean Medallion Class™

[GUT2407]

Probably be handy not having to juggle what you're carrying to get your card out and get in the cabin, like when Mrs Gut sends me to fetch coffee etc.

[UpcountryTravelers]

I'm on that cruise as well. The entire ship is going to be a Medallion Class ship. Everybody will have a medallion.

 

According to some reports. Others not so much. That's why I said "confusion".

 

 

I was really pleased not only to hear that Princess was getting this first but especially pleased to hear that our cruise on Caribbean Princess next year would have the medallions. The only real downside I see to this whole thing is that it won't be in place on Emerald Princess for our 28 day cruise this fall.

 

Actually, I'm glad they don't have it yet for our Coral Princess cruise this Fall. Give them time to work it out.

 

One thing you can certainly look forward to on your cruise on Caribbean Princess is that the TV system will have to be totally upgraded in order to act as your in-room portal. I would guess that, as a by product of this upgrade, on-demand movies and such will be implemented as they are on Royal and Regal.

 

Now THAT is a real turn-off. Didn't like the TVs on the Royal and Regal. Nowhere near the choices, and missed the map showing exactly where you are. I suppose our TV will stay turned off, but that's OK for the cruise line, as we will be spending more time (and $) OUT of our stateroom.

[caribill]

Most cruise lines haven't yet figured out how to get the toilets to flush properly -- maybe CCL should focus on getting the basics right before continuing to ramp-up the bells and whistles.

 

When the 7000 sensors around the ship sense that you have left the commode, it can automatically flush.

[caribill]

No charge for it. They're hoping it'll spur sales to make up for the installation costs.....like ease of booking tours, specialty dinners, drinks, etc.

It appears as though it'll reduce bookkeeping greatly with much less mistakes.

 

The medallions will not make ordering anything easier. You will still need to use a device with a screen to do that.

 

The medallions will make it easier for staff to find you to deliver that drink.

[GUT2407]

When the 7000 sensors around the ship sense that you have left the commode, it can automatically flush.

 

Went to a dunny last week that did that, no medallion needed.

Edited January 8, 2017 by GUT2407

[caribill]

When I have changed my dining, the maitre d' has gone to

a big paper map of the dining room -- erased my name at

one table, and written it in at another table.

 

Sometimes, he writes the change on a sticker, and I put it

on the back of my cruise card.

 

I don't see this manual system working well with an automated

medallion.

 

That brings up a point.

 

How do you know what dining room and time you are assigned for traditional seating?

 

It will not be printed on the medallion as it was on a cruise card.

 

Also, the cruise cards had your muster station letter on it. The medallion will not have that.

[caribill]

You never know?? You may need one if someone starts hacking your personal information that's on the Medallion. :eek:

Tony

 

There is no personal information stored in the medallion.

 

It has a code the ship's computers use to look up your personal data.

[caribill]

"If someone doesn't want to use the medallion, they don't have to." To me that pretty much says that those people will be able to use an alternative method (probably the "old" cruise card :confused:) perhaps?

 

As other posts have noted, the medallion will not have an alternative such as a cruise card.

 

However you will be able (to use a screen) to opt in/out of a number of its features.

 

So you will have to use a medallion, but not all of the features that come with it.

[ar1950]

...............................Now THAT is a real turn-off. Didn't like the TVs on the Royal and Regal. Nowhere near the choices, and missed the map showing exactly where you are.......................

 

Ok, maybe it is late at night, however, :confused: "Nowhere near the choices, and missed the map showing exactly where you are......". On our Regal cruise there were more TV choices than we could ever watch, plus movies, plus Love Boat reruns, plus music and, plus all of the normal news channels we usually have when in our cabin. Not to mention the location map was always there. We wish all of the Princess ships had the Regal TV setup. YMMV.:)

Edited January 8, 2017 by ar1950

[caribill]

Interestingly, we are already booked on the Caribbean Princess (for the 4th time) on the exact cruise when they introduce the medallions. I would imagine there will be LOTS of first time oopses.

 

Since the CB will be the third ship with the Medallions, they should have the bugs worked out of the system by that time.

 

And we are booked into a basic balcony, not "Medallion Class", whatever that might mean. Lots of conflicting "information" on that term.

 

100% of the cabins are "Medallion Class."

 

However you can return home and boast to friends neighbors and relatives that you cruised in Medallion Class. That will impress them no end.

Edited January 8, 2017 by caribill

[GUT2407]

Ok, maybe it is late at night, however, :confused: "Nowhere near the choices, and missed the map showing exactly where you are......". On our Regal cruise there were more TV choices than we could ever watch, plus movies, plus Love Boat reruns, plus music and, plus all of the normal news channels we usually have when in our cabin. Not to mention the location map was always there. We wish all of the Princess ships had the Regal TV setup. YMMV.:)

 

Yeah puzzled me too.

[ar1950]

100% of the cabins are "Medallion Class."

 

However you can return home and boast to friends neighbors and relatives that you cruised in Medallion Class. That will impress them no end.

 

Unless, they too, have already cruised "in Medallion Class"..........:D

[Thrak]

100% of the cabins are "Medallion Class."

 

However you can return home and boast to friends neighbors and relatives that you cruised in Medallion Class. That will impress them no end.

 

If you really want to impress people take a Sharpie along and color the outer circle of your medallion black. :rolleyes: (Of course I would manage to color outside the lines and it would be really obvious...)

[SoCal Cruiser78]

I know I'm getting older, but this is all just a little too "Big Brother" for me. They wouldn't be implementing the technology if there weren't a profit motive for the company. Many of us cruise to get away from having to sync this and download that. I'm sure Millennials will be fine with it, though, and they are the future of cruising.

Edited January 8, 2017 by SoCal Cruiser78

[linanles]

missed the map showing exactly where you are.

 

We were on Diamond Princess a month ago and I wondered where the map had gone then with a bit of searching I found it under "Apps". Why there I don't know.

[floridalover5623]

How will the toilets digest the medallions?

 

At least they'll know who flushed it. :D

 

Ok, maybe it is late at night, however, :confused: "Nowhere near the choices, and missed the map showing exactly where you are......". On our Regal cruise there were more TV choices than we could ever watch, plus movies, plus Love Boat reruns, plus music and, plus all of the normal news channels we usually have when in our cabin. Not to mention the location map was always there. We wish all of the Princess ships had the Regal TV setup. YMMV.:)

 

Maybe he never turned it on to check. ;)

The only thing I miss is the convenient connection to the HDMI input.:(

[sssteele]

I guess those extra coffee cards will be useless when the medallions go into use.:rolleyes:

Joanie

 

Maybe my post should be removed.

 

I didn't mean to cause an uproar. I do know Disney can keep track of credits for the dining plan on the Magic Bands. Pretty much the same idea.

 

Very sorry

Joanie

Edited January 8, 2017 by sssteele

[latserrof]

I don't see how they can replace the coffee cards because any unused punches are good on your next cruise. Since the Medallion information is not carrying from one cruise to the next, you would still need the card if you didn't use it up.

 

Sorry if I missed it, but how do we know this? Would CCL go to all this effort to gather your data, then abandon it at the end of your cruise?

[latserrof]

Coffee cards will still be needed. I don't see how or why they would be replaced.

 

How?

If CCL can already track your Future Cruise Credit, couldn't they also, even without the meddleon, track your coffee credit? As another poster said, Disney does something similar.

 

Why?

"Simplicity" and to make the medallion all-powerful?

[floridalover5623]

Coffee cards will still be needed. I don't see how or why they would be replaced.

 

How?

If CCL can already track your Future Cruise Credit, couldn't they also, even without the meddleon, track your coffee credit? As another poster said, Disney does something similar.

 

Why?

"Simplicity" and to make the medallion all-powerful?

 

Because people with many old coffee cards from past cruises both unused & partly used would not be in their system. There's no easy way to get the information in the database.

Edited January 8, 2017 by floridalover5623

[diane.in.ny]

Sorry if I missed it, but how do we know this? Would CCL go to all this effort to gather your data, then abandon it at the end of your cruise?

 

I know. It makes sense to send you your next Medallion all coded the way you want. But somewhere I read that isn't the case.

 

Maybe someone knows the right info one way or the other?

[Doug R.]

I know I'm getting older, but this is all just a little too "Big Brother" for me. They wouldn't be implementing the technology if there weren't a profit motive for the company. Many of us cruise to get away from having to sync this and download that. I'm sure Millennials will be fine with it, though, and they are the future of cruising.

 

I'm a certified boomer (1950) and am not fazed in the slightest by tech advances. I am looking forward to a future cruise on a "Medallion Class" ship. I could care less if Princess knows my eating, drinking or bathroom habits for that matter.

 

"Paranoia strikes deep, into your lives it will creep...." Buffalo Springfield lyrics by Stephen Stills (1967)

[floridalover5623]

I'm a certified boomer (1950) and am not fazed in the slightest by tech advances. I am looking forward to a future cruise on a "Medallion Class" ship. I could care less if Princess knows my eating, drinking or bathroom habits for that matter.

 

"Paranoia strikes deep, into your lives it will creep...." Buffalo Springfield lyrics by Stephen Stills (1967)

 

I haven't seen one logical complaint as to why people shouldn't be happy to accept this new technology.

Edited January 8, 2017 by floridalover5623

[shredie]

I haven't seen one logical complaint as to why people shouldn't be happy to accept this new technology.

 

Sometimes logic is in the eye of the beholder. :) I'm going to wait until they get the kinks worked out before I start complaining. ;):p:)

[MGAfhc]

If you really want to impress people take a Sharpie along and color the outer circle of your medallion black. :rolleyes: (Of course I would manage to color outside the lines and it would be really obvious...)

 

It looks like the colored outer band isn't intended to represent loyalty status. From the Princess Medallion Class FAQ:

 

"Can I personalize the Ocean Medallion?

Yes! You can customize your Medallion with a choice of colors. It will also be laser-etched with your name, ship, and sail date."

 

Of course that could change.

Perhaps now pax will have to get out those old loyalty class pins that most people never had a use for. I never did get one for Elite.

Edited January 8, 2017 by MGAfhc