Get ready for Ocean Medallion Class™

[linanles]

As I, Thrak and XBGuy have said previously there should be no personal information stored on the Medallion except for that etched on the outside. It will contain a unique ID number that is read by the system and linked to your information on the database in a computer on the ship. That is where all your information will be stored. This data will then be synchronised with your data on another computer in the Carnival Data Centre either during or at the end of the cruise. This is the principle credit and debit cards work on now.

 

At the end of the cruise the link between your medallion and the database will be erased. Next time you take a Medallion Class cruise they will issue a new medallion with a different stored ID but that will be linked to your data on the main database that will then be synchronised with the data on the ship's computer. Therefore, things like coffee cards or the electronic equivalent and all other personal data will follow you from cruise to cruise.

There is nothing magical about the medallion.

 

Of course they will know what you bought at the shop or the "Art Gallery" last cruise and will hound you with ads for those things on the next cruise. :mad: Just as well you can turn some features off. :)

 

Don't forget we all have a unique Princess/Carnival ID already, our Captain's Circle number and I'm sure a lot of things that we've used our swipe card for before, e.g. purchases, attending muster, boarding and leaving the ship and our photo are already on the current database.

 

Just to reiterate, it is all about the software on the computers not the medallion. The medallion is just a key.

 

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C Clark

[linanles]

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

 

Don't be sorry.

As they say, the only stupid question is the one not asked.

[Thrak]

As far as I know, tho totally not enforced, you aren't actually SUPPOSED to share punches now but they don't care. But could easily be addressed by doing what Disney does with dining credits and apply them to the cabin, not the individual.

 

Incorrect. Punches are fine to share. Fresh-brewed coffee on the other hand is supposed to only be available to the card holder.

 

Sharing punches is similar to sharing a bottle of wine purchased at 40% off under the AIBP. You aren't allowed to share individual drinks (similar to fresh brewed coffee on the coffee card) but you are allowed to share a bottle that you purchase (just like the punches on the card). The only real difference is that many people fudge it with the coffee card and share not only the punches but the fresh brewed coffee as well. The barista may well let the coffee issue slide but the bartender will not let the sharing of the AIBP slide.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Thrak

[linanles]

Sounds great but I think it will only unlock the door - not open it.

You may still need to balance those drinks and cookies while you turn the door handle (and pray your spouse doesn't have the balcony door open so you're enveloped in a wind tunnel when you open it :eek: :p ) .

 

The current door locks are self contained and can only be opened by certain codes that it reads from a swipe card. When an authorised code is read it allows the door handle to be turned and the door opened.

Most centralised electronic access systems work on an electrically operated striker plate, that is the part of the door frame that the tongue of the lock goes over to lock the door. This plate is pulled back into the door frame electrically and the door can be pushed open without having to turn the handle, if there is one.

[UpcountryTravelers]

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.

 

So THAT's where it was??? That's counter-intuitive, no wonder it wasn't found. Why would a TV have "apps" in the first place??

[Pierlesscruisers]

point already covered by Thrak

Edited January 8, 2017 by Pierlesscruisers

[pandora518]

On the one hand it does sound interesting and innovative and perhaps will enhance the cruise experience. On the other hand it is frightening in that your every move will be tracked and stored, so much for privacy. Although I do see somewhere that the passenger may be able to fine tune it a bit.

 

I actually read a different article. http://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/carnival-s-ocean-medallion-class-harnesses-technology-to-personalize-cruising.html .

 

Did anyone notice the evil word "class" in that article? I wonder if there will be an extra charge for Medallion Class, how it will effect elite and platinum boarding benefits, and if only certain cabins will have access to this. Like Club Class. Which I am no way opposed to, at least not until I have experienced it first hand. I just have spent too much time reading the threads with all the club class angst. I guess I will experience in December on the Regal Princess, while enjoying my club class dining.

 

Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is just hard to accept sometimes. I think this one could be a winner as long as the helpful suggestions don't become too obtrusive like all the announcements for the art auctions.

 

It was specifically stated that there would be no upcharge for Medallion class ships, but of course the cost will be baked into the cruise prices.

 

Your cruise card currently tracks you on the ship. That's how they know if you've left and re-entered your room when you've been quarantined, and it's how they add charges to your folio. Ordered a drink in Crooner's? They know you were there. Played the slots in the casino? They know. Got off the ship? They know. This is different only in that you'll get to use it for more useful things, such as summoning a room steward or waiter, keeping in touch with other cruises on the ship, etc. Of course, you'll either have to carry a smartphone or tablet with you, or rely on the promised kiosks and interactive screens throughout the ship (they will likely have lines unless there are lots of them), but I'm looking forward to it. No data is stored on the device itself other than your unique ID number (just like your cruise card); data is stored on their servers, just as it is now.

 

There is a revenue-related angle to it, but not because they're selling you the service: this should be a positive discriminator for CCL.

[beg3yrs]

....

 

Your cruise card currently tracks you on the ship. That's how they know if you've left and re-entered your room when you've been quarantined, ...

 

That's not correct. Today's cruise card is nothing more that a piece of plastic with a magnetic strip on it and it can't be located. If it could, lost cards would be a thing of the past. You'd go to passenger services and they would tell you where your card was.

 

As far as telling if you've been and out of your room, the way that's done is to physically go to your door, connect a special piece of equipment and interrogate the lock electronics. There's no connection between your lock and anything else on the ship.

[diane.in.ny]

Wow, that's bigger than I thought it would be. It sure doesn't look tiny like the article says, but it does come with a plastic band for people sensitive to metal.

 

 

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Based on what I've read, it doesn't "come" with a plastic band. You have to buy it :(

[dtb55]

Based on what I've read, it doesn't "come" with a plastic band. You have to buy it :(

 

 

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7442&et_cid=2875953&et_rid=186914426&et_referrer=Boards

 

Read down to the FAQs under "What if I Have a Metal Allergy."

 

 

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[Woobstr112G]

As I, Thrak and XBGuy have said previously there should be no personal information stored on the Medallion except for that etched on the outside. It will contain a unique ID number that is read by the system and linked to your information on the database in a computer on the ship. That is where all your information will be stored. This data will then be synchronised with your data on another computer in the Carnival Data Centre either during or at the end of the cruise. This is the principle credit and debit cards work on now.

 

At the end of the cruise the link between your medallion and the database will be erased. Next time you take a Medallion Class cruise they will issue a new medallion with a different stored ID but that will be linked to your data on the main database that will then be synchronised with the data on the ship's computer. Therefore, things like coffee cards or the electronic equivalent and all other personal data will follow you from cruise to cruise.

There is nothing magical about the medallion.

 

Of course they will know what you bought at the shop or the "Art Gallery" last cruise and will hound you with ads for those things on the next cruise. :mad: Just as well you can turn some features off. :)

 

Don't forget we all have a unique Princess/Carnival ID already, our Captain's Circle number and I'm sure a lot of things that we've used our swipe card for before, e.g. purchases, attending muster, boarding and leaving the ship and our photo are already on the current database.

 

Just to reiterate, it is all about the software on the computers not the medallion. The medallion is just a key.

 

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C Clark

 

Well stated.....:):):)

 

Bob

[easyboy]

Based on what I've read, it doesn't "come" with a plastic band. You have to buy it :(

Not surprised.:)

[caribill]

I'm 63 and my wife is 65 (1.5 year difference in reality) - definitely not millennials - and we are both looking forward to this - even if it's just for the ease of opening the cabin door when juggling two drinks and a plate of cookies, etc. that will be great. Other features we think will be beneficial are: Stewards knowing when it's a good time to service your cabin, not waiting in a crowded muster room while they try to figure out if everybody is there, not having to wait as long in line while the crew takes a picture of you on boarding, or being able to order a drink (If one takes their phone along - my wife won't but I might) while in the theater. Since Princess messenger doesn't alert one to a message it might be useful to be able to locate one another on the ship without sending a message that is likely to be missed - assuming one even has a phone with them at all.

 

 

a) Stewards will not know it is a good time to service your cabin because of the medallion system. We are often out of the cabin but do not want the cabin serviced at that time. For example, we do not want it serviced while we are at breakfast because we want to be able to get back into the cabin to brush teeth and take what we have set out to bring on a shore excursion.

 

b) You will not need your own smart device to locate another passenger. You can use one of the many public screens that will be around the ship.

[caribill]

So, if somebody does find the lost medallion, he/she cannot

 

--Find their way to Sally's cabin

 

--Open Sally's cabin door and rob her

 

--Order drinks in the Explorer Lounge on Sally's account

 

--Buy a diamond necklace in Facets on Sally's account

 

 

Until a lost medallion is reported lost, it will still be active. Theoretically it could not be used for purchases as when it is so used the picture of the medallion owner is supposed to come up for the staff person to see (just like now when you use your cruise card to get onto the ship). So unless Johnny I. Foundit looks a lot like Sally, the staff person should realize something is not right.

[caribill]

The more I see about this, the more I wonder if they actually licensed this tech or part of it from Disney. It's just way too similar to magic bands to be coincidental.

 

The person heading the development for Princess used to work for Disney.

[caribill]

As far as I know, tho totally not enforced, you aren't actually SUPPOSED to share punches now but they don't care. But could easily be addressed by doing what Disney does with dining credits and apply them to the cabin, not the individual.

 

There is no restriction on sharing punches.

 

You have paid for the 15 punches. No matter who uses them it does not change the costs or the amount of revenue to Princess.

 

Just as when you purchase a bottle of wine with the discount using the AIBP. You can share the contents of that bottle with anybody you want.

[caribill]

In all likelihood you are going to need to enter a PIN to make purchases. Disney does this for the magic bands and I would be surprised if Princess doesn't as well.

 

I hope no PIN is involved.

 

With all the PINs I have to remember now, I (and I assume many others) would have a difficult time remembering a new PIN that will have a lifetime of usually just 7 days or less.

[shredie]

Based on what I've read, it doesn't "come" with a plastic band. You have to buy it :(

 

The plastic band comes with it. If you want to wear it as a pendant, that you have to buy.

[caribill]

 

Your cruise card currently tracks you on the ship. That's how they know if you've left and re-entered your room when you've been quarantined,

 

I do not know if the current door locks are connected to any computer on the ship, but I doubt it and therefore Princess does not know when you enter your room.

 

In any case, there is no way to know with the current system when you leave your room as you do not use your cruise card when you leave.

 

Also with today's system, more than one person can enter a cabin with just one cruise card used, so even if the information did go to a computer, the computer would not know who really entered.

 

(Often when my cabin steward sees me coming down the hall, he/she will use his/her card to unlock the door for me.)

 

Most times now a quarantined person who leaves the room will be detected only when the card is scanned for leaving the ship or maybe making a purchase.

[caribill]

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.

 

 

The only code in a Medallion is a number that goes to a ship's computer and it is the ship's computer than has any information about you.

[caribill]

I hear you.

 

I wonder if they'll include a audible tone to contact other people with the new system. They told me that they were working on something last Nov & it just might be part of it.

 

I doubt the Medallion will have anything to do with that as it has no communication to the user at all.

[caribill]

Wow, that's bigger than I thought it would be. It sure doesn't look tiny like the article says, but it does come with a plastic band for people sensitive to metal.

 

 

 

This writeup says "Tiny in size and massive in ability, the 1.8-ounce Ocean Medallion is the shape of a quarter."

 

Shape of a quarter means round. I guess it is also the shape of a dine, penny, 1 Euro coin, automobile tire, etc.

[dtb55]

...Shape of a quarter means round. I guess it is also the shape of a dine, penny, 1 Euro coin, automobile tire, etc.

 

 

 

LOL!

 

 

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[SoCal Cruiser78]

I'm afraid you may be disappointed as the ability (at least for the crew) to be able to locate all passengers is one of the safety features that can't be disabled...

 

Those who don't want to be located can always "lose" or hide their medallions somewhere else on the ship. I saw some kids at the library the other day handing off their cell phones to a friend who was staying there to study so they could take off to do whatever and their parents' tracking software would think they were studying away. Where there is a will...

[floridalover5623]

The current door locks are self contained and can only be opened by certain codes that it reads from a swipe card. When an authorised code is read it allows the door handle to be turned and the door opened.

Most centralised electronic access systems work on an electrically operated striker plate, that is the part of the door frame that the tongue of the lock goes over to lock the door. This plate is pulled back into the door frame electrically and the door can be pushed open without having to turn the handle, if there is one.

 

It's logical but lets hope they've designed it that way.

 

I doubt the Medallion will have anything to do with that as it has no communication to the user at all.

 

I realize the Medallion won't give the alert but if it's used in conjunction with a smart phone, it could allow for it.