Get ready for Ocean Medallion Class™

[caribill]

 

I am a federal employee and when some of my relatives and friends express fears of "Big Brother" watching, I tell them don't compliment yourself, you ain't that important, but if you are feeling neglected try skipping paying taxes then "big Brother" will be interested. :rolleyes:

 

If you want Big Brother:

 

o Your credit card company knows when you were when as well as how much you spent.

o If you have a loyalty card, your grocery store has a permanent record of everything you have purchased

o If you have an EZPass or similar toll pass on your car, your local government knows exactly what speed you went between two toll areas.

o If you have a cell phone (and it is turned on), the phone company knows exactly when you were when and how you got there.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Ah but how smart will it be? If I sit down in Crooners before dinner I will expect to be asked if I want my regular Pomegranate Martini - unless it's formal night when I'm wearing my blue kaftan and want a matching Blue Martini, or I'm wearing my pale violet evening top and want a Violetta Martini. :D

 

And when I come back to Crooners after dinner, will they know to offer me my favourite after dinner drink, Dom Benedictine?

 

And if you're wearing a multi colored mu-mu I'm assuming you'll want a Mai-Tai instead?! :D

 

"All this and more will be answered on the next episode of SOAP!" - LOL

[OzKiwiJJ]

One thing that springs to mind - waiters will have to carry some sort of device so they can check what each passenger's regular drink is. It sounds like just another layer of hassle for the already busy waiters. Will service actually deteriorate because of this?

[caribill]

 

P.S. For anyone thinking of throwing it in the pool, I'm pretty sure it will be waterproof.

 

Maybe if you do that, security will think you are drowning and quickly respond.

[Astro Flyer]

Bon Voyage, Fank! Happy, happy sails!!!

 

Mahalo Nui Loa! :D

 

Listening to Elua singing some my favorite Hawaiian songs as we prepare for sailaway. We've been fortunate to have seen many of the songs performed by the original performers.

 

Listening to Bruddah Iz's Somewhere Over the Rainbow!

[ar1950]

......................

 

"All this and more will be answered on the next episode of SOAP!" - LOL

 

Showing your age with that quote. :D:):rolleyes:

And, yes, I recognize it so I am as well. ;)

[Lucky TGO]

It may know where your hiding on the turnaround day on a B2B when you don't show up in time and 400 to 600 passengers are waiting for you to show up.:eek:

Tony

[ar1950]

.............. "The Ocean Medallion will be laser-etched with every guest’s name, ship and date of sailing, and provided at no extra cost."

 

Maybe and maybe not. I am sure the cost will be buried in the cruise fare. Someone will need to be paying for all of this new technology. :eek:

Edited January 5, 2017 by ar1950

[likeadisguise]

Personally I would rather see Princess enhance other aspects of their onboard product using technology - especially related to ATD! But that's another thread altogether :o

 

Well, this may give them solid data on the behavior of TD dining folks who crash ATD, so it may actually lead to improvements there, as well!

[Steelers0854]

and can't be hacked either.

 

 

 

Sure it can, just not in the same way. Much easier for someone to steal your car equipped with an old school key then the newer keyless cars with the fobs.

[Steelers0854]

I suspect you will need to be very close to the door to unlock it.

 

 

 

Cars have had similar technology for years, with my car if I try to unlock with my left hand, key in right pocket I need to be facing square on for it to work, side on is no good.

 

 

 

Spot on, not sure what standard they are using, but modern Bluetooth can tell distance and so they can program the doors to only work within a certain distance of the medallion.

[diane.in.ny]

There'll be a system in place to make sure they get it to you in time. And if not, there's a kiosk in the terminal where those who have registered from home but haven't yet received their medallion can simply pick it up.

 

Carolyn

 

So if I don't register from home I get a plain ole cruise card?

[Pam in CA]

Here's a link to the new Princess video announcing the medallion.

[Thrak]

Well, this may give them solid data on the behavior of TD dining folks who crash ATD, so it may actually lead to improvements there, as well!

 

Ohhhhhhhhhhh...... Loud alarm goes off when you try to crash ATD. Perhaps it could be programmed to deliver a 10,000 volt ZAP! Not too likely but it really may be useful for cutting down on dining room hopping.

 

It might also be used to track folks who are on cabin quarantine who don't stay in their cabins.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Thrak

[satxdiver]

Some local high schools tried this a few years ago and I don't know the outcome other than the usual "know nothings" whining about everything from it causes cancer to the ultimate police state. For the schools they could tell who left campus when they were not suppose to and who was hiding in the rest rooms etc and not in class. It served a purpose in keeping track of their students. Given that experience I am not surprised about the whining on here about this "new" concept (actually the technology has existed for decades).

 

For all the complainers, your cell phone tells the system where you are located at any moment and yes, the police have used it to find people. Furthermore it is recorded and can be investigated by the authorities. This "new" concept by Carnival Corp is not new by any means. Think about it while you carry a cell phone.

[linanles]

"The linchpin of the system is a tracking medallion the size of a quarter. Cruise passengers wear it as a pendant, throw it into a purse or place it in a pocket. The medallion uses wireless technologies to communicate with sensors placed around the ship"

 

Sounds like an RFID medallion which just identifies the holder the same as the current swipe card. The difference is that the RFID can be read from a distance. Nothing new in this technology. The smarts aren't in the medallion but in the software on the computer the RFID readers are connected to.

 

This release reminds me of Microsoft Software presentations years ago. If an opposition company announced the release of some new software then Microsoft would start the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) and put on a presentation of their software that would be even better. The presentation was usually for some software that was only in the development stage and what you saw at the presentation was not the actual software but a screen mock up. Invariably when the software was released a lot of the features shown in the presentation were missing. The answer to that was, "oh, that was only the demo". This sounds much the same, some wiz bang features but many are impractical in real life.

[ckl001]

There'll be a system in place to make sure they get it to you in time. And if not, there's a kiosk in the terminal where those who have registered from home but haven't yet received their medallion can simply pick it up.

 

Carolyn

 

thanks for the information. I look forward to trying this out in Feb next year.

 

chez

[ar1950]

...................................

 

This release reminds me of Microsoft Software presentations years ago. If an opposition company announced the release of some new software then Microsoft would start the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) and put on a presentation of their software that would be even better. The presentation was usually for some software that was only in the development stage and what you saw at the presentation was not the actual software but a screen mock up. Invariably when the software was released a lot of the features shown in the presentation were missing. The answer to that was, "oh, that was only the demo". This sounds much the same, some wiz bang features but many are impractical in real life.

 

It always made for good publicity for Microsoft and I suspect it will for Princess as well.

[MSBerliner]

That's where the tracking sensors that "see" the medallion come in, they'll be able to tell where you're sitting.

 

Wow! I've just read that the medallion is not like RFID and cannot be read from a distance? The theatre is rather large, as I recall.

 

Then, how will the waiter find me in a large room?

[MSBerliner]

Oh, oh the first line of my previous post was supposed to be a quote from another person's comment in reply to my original post. Sorrrrrry.

[OzKiwiJJ]

It may know where your hiding on the turnaround day on a B2B when you don't show up in time and 400 to 600 passengers are waiting for you to show up.:eek:

Tony

 

And they'll know instantly which passengers haven't turned up for muster drill. :D

[linanles]

Let's hope the medallions are more reliable than the current swipe cards.

How many times have you been down to reception to have your card re-programmed because it won't open the door?

[ar1950]

Let's hope the medallions are more reliable than the current swipe cards.

How many times have you been down to reception to have your card re-programmed because it won't open the door?

 

No magnetic strip to get erased. Unless it gets stomped on and/or the ship side network doesn't go down it sounds like there is hope for better reliability............ :confused:

Edited January 5, 2017 by ar1950

[easyboy]

Well, many of us asked to have the medallions returned to the MDR. Perhaps Princess got confused.

:):):)

[Cruiser411]

Why did they append 'class' to the name? "Medallion Class" makes it sound as though you have to pay extra. :rolleyes:

 

It sounds like the ships with it will be "Medallion Class" ships. Everyone on a ship so equipped will have a medallion.

 

I'll lock mine in the cabin safe for safe keeping :D

 

It's replacing the cruise card. You'll need it to get into your cabin.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Cruiser411