Medallions to replace cruise cards?

[MJSailors]

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.

 

Thank you,I stand corrected.

I just reviewed the article and using the Ocean Compass ,which I understand is the program where you review invitations and book services and excursions through the medallion is not mandatory.

I apologize for any confusion regarding this new device.

I do have a question though,if the medallion is used to open the cabin door,then what does Princess suggest a passenger use in the slot to regulate the lights when entering the cabin ?

I do know that people use cards that are similar in size rather than their cruise card .

Will passengers have to bring their own cards to fit in the slot or will the medallion regulate the cabin

lights?

All this seems a bit complicated to a 60 +.senior who is trying to keep up with the ever changing technology in our world.

[neverbeenhere]

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.

 

 

 

Perhaps you will see:

 

Welcome Mr. Wine, I see you enjoy a nice Guinness perhaps you would like to try the new product from Guinness, Antwerpen Stout .

 

Or perhaps: Our exclusive Guinness product... Guinness Princess of the Sea Stout.:D

 

 

[JimmyVWine]

Perhaps you will see:

 

Welcome Mr. Wine, I see you enjoy a nice Guinness perhaps you would like to try the new product from Guinness, Antwerpen Stout .

 

Or perhaps: Our exclusive Guinness product... Guinness Princess of the Sea Stout.:D

 

 

But if that selection is instead of my regular order instead of in addition to my regular order, the technology reverts to being a mere parlor trick rather than a revenue generator. Perhaps they are counting on others being more easily manipulated.

[caribill]

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.

 

 

No.

 

You will be able to check-in quicker, but you will still have to check-in and show ID.

 

And if you do not have your Medallion when you check in, they will give one to you, but it will not have your name on it. (I do not know if you can then get one with you name on it once you board.)

 

Still to be answered:

 

How you know your table, dining room name and seating time for dinner in Traditional dining as that was info printed on the cruise cards.

[caribill]

Really? How will that work if you are Elite or Platinum members? Not sure what you are asking. It works the same for all status levels, from blue card to black card.

 

What if you live in another state part of the year? If you do not have your personalized Medallion at check-in, they will give you one without your name on it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

see above in red

[notentirelynormal]

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

 

You know, even though I have been Elite for well over 20 years, I simply don't remember ever getting a Princess Cruises' Circle magazine since I've been back in California. I'm thinking it's been around 30 years since I got one. I just assumed they didn't exist any more.

[Musky Ike]

Thank you,I stand corrected.

I just reviewed the article and using the Ocean Compass ,which I understand is the program where you review invitations and book services and excursions through the medallion is not mandatory.

I apologize for any confusion regarding this new device.

I do have a question though,if the medallion is used to open the cabin door,then what does Princess suggest a passenger use in the slot to regulate the lights when entering the cabin ?

I do know that people use cards that are similar in size rather than their cruise card .

Will passengers have to bring their own cards to fit in the slot or will the medallion regulate the cabin

lights?

All this seems a bit complicated to a 60 +.senior who is trying to keep up with the ever changing technology in our world.

 

You bring up good questions. The answers we may not know until implementation. I can only guess that the light controls might be modified to recognize the medallion? Also the casino slot machines? Seems like a lot to modify in the roll-out. Hopefully, this change will make things easier once we get past the initial stress. The only constant in life is change.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Musky Ike

[JimmyVWine]

You bring up good questions. The answers we may not know until implementation. I can only guess that the light controls might be modified to recognize the medallion? Also the casino slot machines? Seems like a lot to modify in the roll-out. Hopefully, this change will make things easier once we get past the initial stress. The only constant in life is change.

 

Correct. A lot of this depends on how advanced Princess wants to get with the roll out. Disney spent almost 2 billion in technological development and implementation with its RFID system and it can do some pretty neat stuff. For example, when you are at the very end of the "It's A Small World" ride, there is a sign board that says "Good Bye" in many different languages. Now, the board has been revised to say good bye to you by name. The RFID reader nearby senses who is in the boat and the sign changes to say "Arrivederci Wine Family!", or "Adios Musky Family". So we know that such things are possible.

 

If Princess chooses to, it could re-wire the cabin light system to become operative whenever it senses your (or perhaps "any") medallion is in the room. When you turn on the TV, it could come on automatically to your most watched channel. When you are seated in the MDR, the waiter might bring you your favorite beverage at the time she hands you your menu instead of taking an initial order. Now, some of this merely replicates the level of service that many have come to know and expect. For example, we all know that Norris (Bimmer09) likes to stake out a favorite bar during a cruise, and he expects the bartender there (whom he will refer to in his Cruise Report as "my good man", and we can hear in our minds his Irish accent as he does so), to remember him and learn his ordering proclivities. So by Day 2, Norris would hope that as he approaches the bar, preparation of his favorite libation will be under way. Cruising has always been a bit unique in this regard. But as ships get bigger and service becomes less personal, perhaps Princess has found a need for RFID technology to take the place of memorization. It might make one a bit sad to think that the Old Fashion that appeared in front of them when they sat down at the bar did so because some bits and bytes told the bartender what to do instead of the bartender finding you so memorable that he naturally remembered your order. But in the end, perhaps it doesn't make a difference.

 

As best as I can tell, the RFID technology will be used to make people say: "Gee. This is really neat. I want to do that again!" as opposed to making people spend more money. Just like the sign at the end of "It's A Small World". Getting greeted by name does not make me spend more money. But it does make me say: "Hey! That's really cool!" and might make me more likely to be a return customer...which in the end makes me spend more money. Now if I could only get the RFID reader to send a message to the control booth to make the Small World song exit my head at the end of the ride!

[flamomo]

Well, darn! I just realized that once it's fully implemented, I will no longer get cruise cards to bring home to add to my collage that is made of all the ones I have acquired on past cruises, and thought I would continue to acquire. I'm reasonably sure those devices won't fit under the glass inside the frame.

That's a bummer!!!

[jkrislc]

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

 

 

Don't forget about the money made from the accessories. Where do you think the pendant, wrist band, and the like are coming from?

[EatonDoolittle]

Well, darn! I just realized that once it's fully implemented, I will no longer get cruise cards to bring home to add to my collage that is made of all the ones I have acquired on past cruises, and thought I would continue to acquire. I'm reasonably sure those devices won't fit under the glass inside the frame.

That's a bummer!!!

 

 

In reading the magazine last night, I realized that I am on the inaugural Caribbean cruise on 3/18/18.

 

First thought - well, that will be kind of cool to have! Immediately followed by:

Second thought- Oh no! No key card for my collection!

 

I'll bet they will maintain access the old school technology for a while, if not forever. No tech rollout is ever completely smooth (CC new format here is a recent example we can all relate to).

This will be a 14 day cruise, can you imagine the mess if all, or part of , those people cannot get into their cabins?

 

I choose to believe that I will somehow still be able to secure a traditional key card once on board.

[msmoger]

Speaking for myself, although we generally order the same libation pre-dinner in Crooners (and our servers have always quickly learned our particular desires in this regard), I definitely want to have the opportunity to vary my request. I do not want the bartender to start any prep until we give the say so.Other than that, I like the general idea of this program.

[Musky Ike]

Well, darn! I just realized that once it's fully implemented, I will no longer get cruise cards to bring home to add to my collage that is made of all the ones I have acquired on past cruises, and thought I would continue to acquire. I'm reasonably sure those devices won't fit under the glass inside the frame.

That's a bummer!!!

I use business card sheets in a three ring binder. I think the medallions will fit in the slips:)

[Musky Ike]

. When you are seated in the MDR, the waiter might bring you your favorite beverage at the time she hands you your menu instead of taking an initial order.

 

 

That would be cool. Making anytime more like traditional where the staff know your preferences.

[Potstech]

I do not want the staff to be guessing what I want on a daily basis. I prefer to mix things up and do things different each day. Drinks and food are are my choices on an as required basis. One day I might want wine for my meal, another a cocktail and another a beer. Or maybe nothing at all. I can live with the use of the medallion but on the lowest capability possible. I am waiting to see the procedure for changing the levels of service with this service.

[JimmyVWine]

That would be cool. Making anytime more like traditional where the staff know your preferences.

I think that is exactly what they are shooting for. With the concession that the days of the 2,000 passenger ship are numbered, the only way to personalize the experience on a 3,500 passenger ship is to rely on technology.

I do not want the staff to be guessing what I want on a daily basis.

The published intent of the upgrade (listed right on the Princess website) states:

Let us make your cruise vacation even better. You don’t need to introduce yourself to your Ocean Medallion Class ship; it knows you already. Your crew? They answer your requests before you even ask them.

While I am sure that individual needs will always be given top priority, the purpose here, on balance, is to get to know the passengers (virtually) based on habits detected from past cruises as well as to detect habits that can be acted upon during the present cruise. In your case, that might leave the crew saying: "Boy! I sure didn't see that coming!", but that could be part of the fun.

 

What I am curious about is whether Princess will be hiring any data analysts to backfill the system with current data that was obtained the old fashioned way. In other words, will Princess pull up my accounts from past cruises to see where I dined, what drinks I ordered, which lounges I went to, etc. That would allow the system to hit the ground running instead of building a new database from scratch. But it also could be a heck of a lot of work. I suppose it depends on how sophisticated their current computer system is.

[Potstech]

:that might leave the crew saying: "Boy! I sure didn't see that coming!", but that could be part of the fun." Or it might be an embarrassment to that crew member as he has to take something back that was not wanted and is made aware of that fact in front of other guests. Not fun for them.

 

As I stated previously will be interesting to see how the program can be changed to meet the desires of the individual guest. Will this be done before the cruise? How? Can it be changed on the cruise? How?

[Ken_W]

There were two uses for the Medallion I found on the PDF file on the Princess website that I found most interesting. The first is "Significantly enhances interactions with crew members andguests (for example, a room attendant or bartender will have the ability to assist you with booking Lotus Spa services or specialty dining reservations.)"

 

Do you think this may leave your room attendant less time to be your room attendant, or your bartender to be less attentive to your drink orders? Staff can already work very hard on a cruise ship and somehow, to me at least, promising to increase their workload makes me wonder. Staff my work in different areas and have different jobs throughout the day, but I think they do better if they concentrate on "the task at hand". (Just my opinion!)

 

The other one is

 

" Locates friends and family around the cruise ship."

 

Great for families, great for security, and potentially life saving in case of a crisis. But the old "I was there and couldn't find you" excuse will no longer work. Also inoperative is "No, I wasn't out in the middle of the dance floor without you. Why would you think that?":rolleyes::confused::o

[Thrak]

No staff member is going to hit you with a drink you didn't order. The waste would be phenomenal. They will have access to your likes and dislikes though. Do you always order your Bloody Mary extra spicy? Do you always ask for 3 olives in your Martini? Do you always want your Gin and Tonic made with Tanqueray? They can have that info without you having to specify it over and over. It will be available to every bartender regardless of venue. My wife likes to frequent the Knitters and Natters group in the morning. I can check from my cabin if she has left there or not before I travel clear across the ship looking for her. I can also order my Bloody Mary the way I want it from my cabin and have it meet me when I catch up to her at that venue.

 

These are some of the things they are talking about as far as knowing your preferences. They aren't just going to assume I want a Bloody Mary and bring me one only to find out I want a Bulleit straight up instead.

[JimmyVWine]

There were two uses for the Medallion I found on the PDF file on the Princess website that I found most interesting. The first is "Significantly enhances interactions with crew members and guests (for example, a room attendant or bartender will have the ability to assist you with booking Lotus Spa services or specialty dining reservations.)" Do you think this may leave your room attendant less time to be your room attendant, or your bartender to be less attentive to your drink orders? Staff can already work very hard on a cruise ship and somehow, to me at least, promising to increase their workload makes me wonder. Staff my work in different areas and have different jobs throughout the day, but I think they do better if they concentrate on "the task at hand". (Just my opinion!)

This is where the rubber will meet the road. If there is one thing that is certain, a company such as Princess (or Disney) is not going to spend big bucks on a new technological system just to make the guest experience better. There has to be a financial advantage to the company. And by far and away, a company's biggest expense is salary/benefits. So a dirty little secret of an initiative such as this is to allow the company to operate with fewer employees. With Disney, it can be subtle. RFID tracking data can show that there are more people in Tomorrowland than there are in Frontierland, so they can deploy Cast Members from one area to the other as needed. Instead of fully staffing two lands, they can fully staff one, and half-staff the other. But which is which? Before they didn't know. Now they have RFID feedback in real time that allows for "on the fly" staffing. 50 people can do what 70 people used to. I never really thought about that in terms of Princess, but the passage you quoted all but shouts in big bold letters that the lines of division of labor will start to blur, and when that happens, staffing can be reduced. Starts to make sense. I don't know how many operators man the DINE Line, but the day may come when they get laid off (or reassigned) and we will be told that room attendants and bartenders are not only there to help make dining reservations--they may become the only way to make reservations. Stuff like that behind the scenes could be a prime reason to forge ahead with this technology.

[XBGuy]

This is where the rubber will meet the road. If there is one thing that is certain, a company such as Princess (or Disney) is not going to spend big bucks on a new technological system just to make the guest experience better. There has to be a financial advantage to the company. And by far and away, a company's biggest expense is salary/benefits. So a dirty little secret of an initiative such as this is to allow the company to operate with fewer employees. With Disney, it can be subtle. RFID tracking data can show that there are more people in Tomorrowland than there are in Frontierland, so they can deploy Cast Members from one area to the other as needed. Instead of fully staffing two lands, they can fully staff one, and half-staff the other. But which is which? Before they didn't know. Now they have RFID feedback in real time that allows for "on the fly" staffing. 50 people can do what 70 people used to. I never really thought about that in terms of Princess, but the passage you quoted all but shouts in big bold letters that the lines of division of labor will start to blur, and when that happens, staffing can be reduced. Starts to make sense. I don't know how many operators man the DINE Line, but the day may come when they get laid off (or reassigned) and we will be told that room attendants and bartenders are not only there to help make dining reservations--they may become the only way to make reservations. Stuff like that behind the scenes could be a prime reason to forge ahead with this technology.

You make a lot of sense, here, Jimmy.

 

I am inclined to agree with you that the DINE telephone line will disappear. If I'm not mistaken, the medallion will interface to the cabin's TV. Obviously, ships that have the medallions will have cabin TVs with significant capabilities. I would imagine that dinner reservations would be made there, along with Room Service orders. I further imagine that if you ask your room steward for assistance in making a dinner reservation, he will point to your TV remote. OK, if he is good, he will use the remote himself to turn on the TV and navigate to the dining reservation page.

 

Alternatively, "Dining Options" could be available on a SmartPhone or Tablet device that the passenger has set up to work in conjunction with the medallion.

 

Princess has also indicated that self-service kiosks that interface with the medallions will be located throughout the ship. I'm sure it will also have a "Dining Options" feature.

 

I'm pretty sure you are correct: the DINE line will disappear.

[Thrak]

Keeping the DINE line would be kind of crazy to do once the medallions are instituted. If one can do it via the TV interface having someone physically answering the phone would be a waste. Same thing with Room Service orders - including breakfast. Why mess with the hang tag for the door (and keep leaving more and more of the dang things every day!) when one could simply put in their order via the TV or other portal.

[Direwolves]

If you want some good information about the Medallions I would suggest looking up Arnold Donald's (Carnival CEO) presentation of the Medallions at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES). It is just over an hour long and I paused it in a few spots to get a better look at the information screens that they showed. From my understanding of things, the passenger can load up as much or as little info onto the Medallion as they choose.

 

Personally, I can see the ships sensors being useful for directing staff to and from the various services based on learned travel patterns and the required levels. A sensor at the theater entrance can tell them what demographic is actually going to see the particular shows and if the passenger leaves during the show. Which in turn can help bring in more appropriate entertainment based on the known demographic that is sign up to take a cruise.

 

Finally, (and I admit this could be a long shot), a few sensors around the pool area(s) could help curb chair hogs by recording the time they were in last in the pool area(s) compared to the time they say they were in the area(s) when someone else (or staff) moves their stuff. No more putting a towel out at 8am, coming back at 2pm and saying they just left for lunch. Granted, they could leave their medallion behind, but given how it is needed in the rest of the ship how dumb would that be.

[NavyVeteran]

Keeping the DINE line would be kind of crazy to do once the medallions are instituted. If one can do it via the TV interface having someone physically answering the phone would be a waste. Same thing with Room Service orders - including breakfast. Why mess with the hang tag for the door (and keep leaving more and more of the dang things every day!) when one could simply put in their order via the TV or other portal.

 

Getting rid of the DINE line would be a mistake. Although many passengers would maker their reservations online, there are some passengers who would prefer to talk with someone on the phone - and I don't think Princess can ignore them. I agree that the number of calls to the DINE line - and therefore the number of people to answer it - would greatly decrease.

[Griller]

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.

I don't see how that will work for late bookings, or back to back bookings, or if you aren't at home for a couple of weeks before the cruise...........

 

I can see it would be useful on board so they could see for example how Anytime Dining is going, peak times etc, line length, there is some Big Brother watching you element to this as well.

Maybe you can put it in a special metal case so it only transmits back when you take it out to open your cabin door or whatever?

 

And as the passenger age on Princess seems to go up with every Princess cruise I go on I wonder how seniors will like this? Many don't like cellphones.

 

Maybe they can just use the things without having to understand them?