Holding Your Card

[southerngoose]

Hi...I'm quickly learning not to assume anything.   I was assuming that everyone is issued a card that is used to unlock the cabin door, charge on board purchases etc.   

 

1. Do we get a card?
2. If you do, how do you hold it?   
3. If I want to wear the card on a lanyard, will they punch a hole in the card for me or do I need to bring a hole punch too?

[OzKiwiJJ]

1. Depending on the ship, you will either get a cruise card or the new Ocean medallion.

2. Since I always carry some sort of handbag I keep my cruise card in that.

3. If it's a card you can get a hole punched at Guest Services onboard if it's not already punched. I understand the medallion comes with some sort of plastic wrist band. This thread has more info on that 

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by OzKiwiJJ

[MrPantsOz]

Some of the cards cannot be punched, bring a plastic sleeve just in case if you are planning on using a lanyard.

[southerngoose]

sigh...I'll have to make a new lanyard with a holder.  

[Kwaj girl]

What would you do with your hotel room  key card? Put it in your pocket!

Edited March 10, 2019 by Kwaj girl

[cherylandtk]

We used to use lanyards in the early years, but the flopping around in the breeze and the getting in the way when you lean over drove me nuts. Now I just use pockets.  YMMV

[joybook]

The other problem I have with the lanyard is that you have to be careful If you are using an iPad as it will demagnetise your card ( I think that is the terminology) and you will have to get a new card so be careful if using an iPad.

 

[Cyn874]

A lot of women's clothing have no pockets. I have several pants that have none. And when you're on a cruise, the ship essentially becomes your home- I don't carry my purse around my house, so I wouldn't carry it around the ship either- especially since everything I need is tied to the card. 

 

Just today, I bought a pretty beaded lanyard and holder from Michael's. The lanyard was $5.99 and I believe the sleeve was around $5 as well. Of course, mine is pretty girly, but I bet you can get some plain ones at places like Wal-mart or Target, as well as Amazon. I think the casino will also give you something for free, but several  years ago on Carnival, they were the stretchy kind and I don't like those at all, so I like to bring my own.

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by Cyn874

[sjcivilady]

I bought a small nice purse that I wear crossbody. I like to carry phone, chapstick, Kleenex, lipstick, comb along with cruise card. I don’t always have pockets. 

[floridalover5623]

4 hours ago, joybook said:

The other problem I have with the lanyard is that you have to be careful If you are using an iPad as it will demagnetise your card ( I think that is the terminology) and you will have to get a new card so be careful if using an iPad.

 

The new cruise cards will not demagnetize like the old ones.

[mevs904]

I have a Vera Bradley lanyard that I use on the ship or sometimes I just use a plain navy blue lanyard that I bought at a dollar store.  We also have several lanyards from our Disney cruises so I will just take the plastic pocket from one of those and clip it onto my other two lanyards.  Thank you Disney!

[tillys mom]

The gift shop on the ship will be selling lanyards. My DH likes to get a new one every cruise to keep with his card as a souvenir. Now we have the medallion lanyard that Princess gave us with our medallion when we boarded ship in January. There is an area in one of the shops that sells all types of medallion “jewelry “ that your medallion will fit into like bracelets, key chains, necklaces, etc. 

[floridalover5623]

You can make your own holder. No need to spend anything. 

Just be a little ingenuitive. 🤔

[EatonDoolittle]

2 hours ago, tillys mom said:

The gift shop on the ship will be selling lanyards. My DH likes to get a new one every cruise to keep with his card as a souvenir. Now we have the medallion lanyard that Princess gave us with our medallion when we boarded ship in January. There is an area in one of the shops that sells all types of medallion “jewelry “ that your medallion will fit into like bracelets, key chains, necklaces, etc. 

 

A bit off topic, but I read somewhere here that the Medallions will fit in an iWatch bracelet.  What is your opinion? 

I saw some very cute colors on Amazon (bootleg, of course), that I am tempted to get, just for fun,  for my December Sky cruise.

Thanks 

[stvandy1]

On 3/10/2019 at 1:00 AM, floridalover5623 said:

The new cruise cards will not demagnetize like the old ones.

Hope you’re right. In 2015 on the Crown Princess, my card in the lanyard desensitized twice. Guest Services had to replace it for me. It was probably caused by my IPAD. 

[Potstech]

Have never had a card denagnetize and I usually carry my Ipad all the time so I can read when I have the chance. 

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, Potstech said:

Have never had a card denagnetize and I usually carry my Ipad all the time so I can read when I have the chance. 

You’re more fortunate than me!  I have an iPad too (with a keyboard) and have had my card demagnetize on numerous occasions.  I keep the card well separated from the device now.

[CruisinFinsUp]

Options are Medallion, RFID card or old style magnetic card.  Depends on which ship you are on and how far along in their conversion to Medallion.    All three do the same thing - open door and charge purchases.  

 

Lots of threads here on Medallion - basically a coin type thing that replaces the card, but if you create an account on a smart device you can do other things.  Check other threads for details. Ships are moving to medallion only at a very slow pace.   

 

Some ships use the new RFID cards, if they are closer to moving to medallion, or in addition to or in place of medallion depending on the ship's point in the conversion (or passenger medical circumstances).  These cannot be punched.  

My daughter was given one of these RFID cards when her card kept not working on Caribbean Princess last July - then she somehow broke the RFID one - pass serv guy was stunned.  He'd not seen that happen before and he said all crew already use the RFID ones even when passengers get the old style magnetic ones.  She's special .... 🙄 but note that the new RFID cards are not perfect either.  And she's cruised lots - she knows to keep her card away from her phone.   

 

Other ships use the old style magnetic cards.  These can be punched.  

 

The onboard ship store sells lanyards with and without pouches, or medallion holders if they use those.  The stores open after sailaway.     The store or passenger services will punch your card for you, if its the old type.  

Otherwise, shop at home at the dollar store or elsewhere.  

 

On Royal a couple years ago our magnetic cards lasted about 3 days before they stopped working (annoying on a 10day cruise!).  The lineups were long for replacements so they must have had a bad batch of cards.  

This March on Crown our magnetic cards lasted the full 10days, except one replaced on day 9.   

So it varies.  

 

Edited March 30, 2019 by cruisintoddler

[TheRabbit]

On 3/9/2019 at 6:05 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

1. Depending on the ship, you will either get a cruise card or the new Ocean medallion.

2. Since I always carry some sort of handbag I keep my cruise card in that.

3. If it's a card you can get a hole punched at Guest Services onboard if it's not already punched. I understand the medallion comes with some sort of plastic wrist band. This thread has more info on that 

 

Comes with a lanyard, not a wrist band. I think in the same thread you linked in there is a discussion on getting fit bit wrist holders and clips.

[voljeep]

7 minutes ago, TheRabbit said:

Comes with a lanyard, not a wrist band. I think in the same thread you linked in there is a discussion on getting fit bit wrist holders and clips.

we ended up getting the clips from Amazon in that thread - looks like they should work ...

[TheRabbit]

5 minutes ago, voljeep said:

we ended up getting the clips from Amazon in that thread - looks like they should work ...

I got the bands as I am not good at making sure the clip stays on. Sounds like a personal problem on my side. LOL

 

I know several people who have gotten the clips.

 

There are pictures and links to amazon for the bands and clips in these other threads on ocean medallion.

[stvandy1]

38 minutes ago, TheRabbit said:

Comes with a lanyard, not a wrist band. I think in the same thread you linked in there is a discussion on getting fit bit wrist holders and clips.

Just got email notification. Our medallion on the Royal Princess are being shipped to the pier. I go on April 6th. I am so getting excited. I was told by the group getting disembarked today that you had to have both medallion and card.

[TheRabbit]

12 minutes ago, stvandy1 said:

Just got email notification. Our medallion on the Royal Princess are being shipped to the pier. I go on April 6th. I am so getting excited. I was told by the group getting disembarked today that you had to have both medallion and card.

Let us know how it went as we get on May 4th.

[AF-1]

I was issued both medallion and key card on Caribbean Princess last month. The medallion came with lanyard and also a plastic sleeve for the cruise card. 

[Potstech]

On 3/30/2019 at 1:04 PM, d9704011 said:

You’re more fortunate than me!  I have an iPad too (with a keyboard) and have had my card demagnetize on numerous occasions.  I keep the card well separated from the device now.

Could it be the keyboard?