So when is Celebrity getting wearable tech for passengers like Princess?

[The_Big_M]

As shown, they appear to be ugly and cumbersome...do not want to wear a wi fi device..,

 

The RCL ones are RFID, not Wi-Fi. Not sure which will be the case here.

[Miaminice]

A lot of people here seem to just suppose Celebrity can´t come up with something like this. Maybe they just don´t want to !

 

Personally I applaud it! And no, I do not dislike change! Change is something of my everyday work life.

 

I would not like it for the same reason why I would not be wearing the wristband on Royal, the one on Princess and for sure not wear my seapass card on a lanyard around my neck: I simply do not want to feel like in an all inclusive booze resort, where they did the plastic wristbands long before electronics came up or as if in a herd of sheep. Even less do I want to feel like on a convention.

 

But hey, that´s just me ... if you want to feel like beeing part of something, go ahead. We still work and go on vacation to get away from all that :-)

Edited January 5, 2017 by Miaminice

[OzKiwiJJ]

You don't have to wear it. You can carry it in a handbag or pocket.

[BrendaJ]

I'm a techie and I rather like the idea of being able to locate my travel companions. Ordering a drink from my seat in the showroom or pool deck might be nice if I can't attract the attention of a server. And I'd be less likely to lose something attached to my wrist (I have no desire to wear my key card around my neck). However, they'd have to make it a lot more attractive to convince me to wear it with a fancy outfit.

 

For those who don't like the idea of the cruise line monitoring your actions in the ship, let's face it - with all the security cameras, facial recognition software and key card transactions, they already know who is doing what.

 

Most of us are already walking around the ship with our smartphones - they might as well make them more useful and maybe free up some staff time by automating some simple transactions.

 

There are certainly going to be a lot of technical possibilities through the years, but I'm thinking that retrofitting an existing ship for new tech would be pretty expensive. However, I'd be shocked if Edge class doesn't have some new innovations and I look forward to seeing what they come up with.

 

 

 

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[jules815]

Used the WOW band on Royal's Quantum when it debuted and wasn't very impressed.

 

It did open the door fine, and it was nice not having to remember your card. At bars though the scanner was located behind the bar so we had to remove the band and hand it over to bartender when ordering a drink. Bartenders would have a pile of them there while they made drinks and since they only came in two colors they were all pretty much identical. Always worried that I'd get the right band back.

 

Our last cruise was on RC Harmony and we had the wrist bands too. I still prefer using my card, but it was convenient for getting into the room if you were carrying something (when I remembered I was wearing it). Agree that they were pretty useless at bars or specialty restaurants.

[Ma Bell]

I prefer to choose my own jewelry.;) Also a little too much "Big Brother" for me.

[besberry]

The WOW bands on Anthem were useless. Great for opening cabin doors, but you had to touch the door scanner. They were awful for ordering drinks. The band readers were by the tills, so if you weren't sitting by a till, you had to hand over the band. Much easier to had over the card. The Princess ones look like they can sit in your pocket and would unlock the cabin door when you're in close proximity and sound more useful than the RCI bands. Not sure how ordering drinks would work but, if they were free, I'd happily try one out.

[dkjretired]

You don't have to wear it. You can carry it in a handbag or pocket.

 

Correct but the ones we had in Margaritaville, you had to physically touch the sensor on the door.

[Iamcruzin]

With new technology comes new opportunities for businesses to maximize intrusion into our lives. We have seen that with smart phones, web browsers, social media, and any number of technological advances. Change is not always for the better. I have no problems with the current card system. Don't need the cruise line to develop so-called enhancements to "anticipate" my every move or desire. I prefer to do that for myself.

 

Well said. It's bad enough now that every time I browse amazon or a cruise line site I get a solicitation for the same products when I go on Facebook. Those I can ignore. Alerts and people calling my name can't always be ignored.

[Iamcruzin]

IT doesn't seem to be Celebrity's strong point. I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

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I agree. Talk to me when it's possible to book a specialty restaurant or an excursion on the website with out getting a error message.

[wwcruisers]

I prefer to choose my own jewelry.;) Also a little too much "Big Brother" for me.

 

Totally agree, Ma Bell! Since I am not:

(a) hospitalized (b) on house arrest, or © an under-12 cruiser -- I think that I can manage to keep up with my ship's card! ;)

[cruise pup]

$ 10.00.... not sure I'd want to lose too many...

 

I'm not giddy about, as AtlantaCruiser72 points out, being "tracked" ... maybe just paranoid.

 

 

$10. is still a bargain compared to losing an Apple wireless headphone. ;)

[hcat]

The RCL ones are RFID, not Wi-Fi. Not sure which will be the case here.

 

Ok..not a techie here. But I looked up RFID. Apparently, the exposure is not from what you wear, until it comes in contact with a sensor..,.On a trip to the supermarket which are introducing these systems, that would be for a shorter time than being on a ship with numerous sensors..Just not needed by me.,.

 

On one of our Connie cruises, there were always lines at guest relations for new cards..,they failed to open stateroom doors,,,and folks could not log out at port without a replacement card,,,,not sure Celebrity is ready for hi tech!

[Beanb41]

Not sure I can see any benefit over a seapass card on a lanyard

[caribill]

I saw this on our local news this morning. RCI has had it on some of their ships

 

Are you sure this is the technology that RCI has?

 

There will be 7000 sensors on the Princess ship that the medallion will interact with.

 

You can can order a drink from your cabin and a server will locate you near the pool or in the theater or wherever you will be.

 

You can (using a screen on a personal device such as a smart phone or a ship device) locate where on the ship someone you are traveling with is.

 

Plus a number of other capabilities built into the system.

[caribill]

That was my thought too.

 

When you loose your Key card, they just give you a new one... I wonder what the deal would be when you loose the wearable?

 

Same as with a lost key card. They will give you a new one.

[thinfool]

Same as with a lost key card. They will give you a new one.

 

Likely so, and then, at night, a small herd of specially trained dogs will be loosed to track and recover all of the lost devices. :p

 

Somewhat more seriously....if the tech is as effective as claimed, the ship should be able to tell you...

 

"Mrs. Smith, our system leads us to believe that your Princess ID bracelet is currently in the cabin of the guy that picked you up in the Wheelhouse Bar last night." :cool::rolleyes:

[A Sixth?]

Likely so, and then, at night, a small herd of specially trained dogs will be loosed to track and recover all of the lost devices. :p

 

Somewhat more seriously....if the tech is as effective as claimed, the ship should be able to tell you...

 

"Mrs. Smith, our system leads us to believe that your Princess ID bracelet is currently in the cabin of the guy that picked you up in the Wheelhouse Bar last night." :cool::rolleyes:

 

LOL!!!

 

[SusieV]

I like the idea of being able to order a drink while in the theatre or on the pool deck and not seeing a waiter, but I don't want to wear something and I worry about having something more expensive to lose.

 

I'd be much happier with an optional app to download that is free to use onboard. Something to make spa and specialty reservations and whatnot, even if it flashed advertising at you from the Daily.

[keithm]

Personally I wouldn't be interested in wearing something like that! Only my opinion.

 

 

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If that Icon is a "Westie", then your opinion holds a lot of weight with me & many others!

[suspaul]

Yep, that's our Westie Sadie!

 

 

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[hcat]

Just received an e mail from Princess touting their debut of wristband class travel...big PR push..even a video.

 

Anyone interested can check their website..Reminds me of the big push X made about ordering on tablets for Q sine...that was much ado abt nothing..waiter does it all.

[Merriem]

I would prefer my key card.

 

Agree.

[fshagan]

Used the WOW band on Royal's Quantum when it debuted and wasn't very impressed.

 

It did open the door fine, and it was nice not having to remember your card. At bars though the scanner was located behind the bar so we had to remove the band and hand it over to bartender when ordering a drink. Bartenders would have a pile of them there while they made drinks and since they only came in two colors they were all pretty much identical. Always worried that I'd get the right band back.

 

That seems really awkward. Perhaps they just haven't installed the "pay point" registers that you would tap your wrist device against to confirm the charges.

 

Disney World has RFID bands you wear, and they work pretty well. We never had a problem with one not working, but did talk to people that could not open their doors on the third night, etc. It was convenient for theme park stuff ... instead of digging for that "Fast Pass" ticket you got three hours ago you simply tapped your wrist band against the terminal, it glowed green, and you continued. Or at a food service counter, the terminal showed the amount and you tapped your wrist band to the pay point on the terminal and it approved the charge.

 

The thing is, I don't see how this helps cruise passengers. It might if they give portable "pay point" reading devices to the servers so they can present it to you for you to tap.

 

We just bought RFID blockers for the one credit card we have, the Costco Visa, that has the technology built in to prevent sniffers from gaining our personal information / charging things. Maybe someone will come up with one for these. If not, I'll be bringing some tin foil like I have to use around one of my cars smart keys so the one not foil wrapped will start.

[bookitdanno]

If this is going to be brought to you by the same "tech" team that runs the Celebrity web site, I can totally envision Bob, sitting in the theater, using his wrist band to order a drink, which will then be delivered to Mary in the MDR and billed to the account of Richard, who doesn't drink.

 

This could be one of the great horror shows of all time!