Ocean Medallion...The Ultimate Data-Mining Tool.

[UnorigionalName]

53 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Do you really think that they are spending all that money just to improve your cruise experience.  If so, you are very naive.  All businesses spend money only to increase their profits and cruise companies are no different from any other business.

 

DON

 

In general, people spend money on things that they enjoy.  Like Disney, figuring out how to get people to spend more money actually usually makes the enjoy things more.  So yes, they are trying to make more money, but trying to make more money also includes improving the cruise experience.

 

You would think from the CC boards that cruise lines are overall degrading a perfect product and everything is going to hell in a handbasket.

 

But really compared to decades ago, attendance is way up and people seem to *gasp* like the changes and are happier than ever before and spreading the word and getting more first time cruisers.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On 5/3/2019 at 6:22 AM, kywildcatfanone said:

This has been discussed many times, but yes, the reason they are spending all that money on this system is to determine your movements and habits on the ship to better extract more money from your pocket. 

 

That is the goal of every for profit business in any industry.  How do people not know this? 

Agreed. Better for them better for us. 

[hobbyfarmer2]

On 5/3/2019 at 2:23 AM, antsp said:

The medallion does not have gps.  

GPS on the Medallion would be fairly useless on the ship.  GPS tells one where you are on planet Earth, not on the ship.  The Medallion interacts with numerous sensors scattered everywhere on the ship.  Each sensor has an id and its location is known which gives you the location of the Medallion.

[bstrauss3]

On 5/8/2019 at 10:27 AM, MissP22 said:

They possible might have a tool to open it but I know for sure that when my DH's wasn't working after he reboarded & we changed cabins during an intransit trip. 

 

It was in a holder he made at home & wasn't easily removable. As he was trying to get it out, the front of the medallion came off in his hands so they had to give him another one which was from another dept on deck 4.

If you find the battery is replaceable I'll be asking for one as soon as it decreases in range next cruise. 

 

On 5/8/2019 at 9:41 AM, Host CJSKIDS said:

 

They specifically said they replaced the battery and it only took them a minute.  

 

 

https://fccid.io/2ANQX-01042017/Internal-Photos/Internal-Photos-3614296

 

Has photos of the unit and you can see how the shell fits together

[CruiseVA]

8 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Do you really think that they are spending all that money just to improve your cruise experience.  If so, you are very naive.  All businesses spend money only to increase their profits and cruise companies are no different from any other business.

 

DON

OMG - they are using it to make money! Yes, and, since they need to make money, and, I own Carnival stock, that's a good thing, otherwise they'll go out of business.  However, the best way to make money is to make our lives easier & more enjoyable while onboard. They want us to return to their brand. It's not sinister, it's business. So, NO, it's not simply to increase profits, it's to keep us coming back, it's hard to get new customers, but, so much easier to retain current customers - every successful business knows this. 

You are the  naive one.

[Colo Cruiser]

2 minutes ago, CruiseVA said:

OMG - they are using it to make money! Yes, and, since they need to make money, and, I own Carnival stock, that's a good thing, otherwise they'll go out of business.  However, the best way to make money is to make our lives easier & more enjoyable while onboard. They want us to return to their brand. It's not sinister, it's business. So, NO, it's not simply to increase profits, it's to keep us coming back, it's hard to get new customers, but, so much easier to retain current customers - every successful business knows this. 

You are the  naive one.

The Medallion Paranoia abounds on CC.  🤪

[CruiseVA]

Just now, Colo Cruiser said:

The Medallion Paranoia abounds on CC.  🤪

Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get them - LOL!😂

 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 1/6/2020 at 4:51 PM, KnA8361 said:

I just finished reading the majority of these posts and I’m surprised there was virtually no discussion of how the Medallion predictive analytics can improve our cruising experience.

 

Princess will finally be able to evaluate to quality of the acts they book. When they have a show in Explorers Lounge “Sing along with DJ Tommy” and 30 people show up but more than half leave before it’s over, Tommy is not going to have a job for long. Princess will have hard data showing our movement and thus how well the entertainers hold our attention. They will also learn and improve how they sequence entertainment better based on our movement. When the Wheelhouse Bar crowd leaves Karaoke because a “Tribute to Billie Holiday” is up next and heads to the Explorers Lounge for 80’s & 90’s Music Trivia, Next time they’ll schedule to 2 shows in the same venue.

 

Our movement will also help Princess plan shows and events so as to NOT create so much congestion at the elevators. They will have hard data to plan our vacations with so even large ships seem empty.

 

Predictive analytics will tell them I drink a beer every 30 minutes and they’ll send a waiter around 25 minutes after my last order was delivered to see if I need a new one. Personally, I love it when a waiter shows up just as I decided to order another drink and I hate it when my drink is empty and no waiter is in sight.

 

Not only will bad acts be gone we won’t have to move from lounge to lounge and the service will be Just-In-Time.

 

The best way for Princess to monetize the Medallion is through the customer experience and word of mouth advertising to fill every ship.

 

Different strokes I guess.

 

I don't think any of those things are good things or a benefit to me. It sounds like a stifling invasion of privacy.

[donaldsc]

46 minutes ago, CruiseVA said:

OMG - they are using it to make money! Yes, and, since they need to make money, and, I own Carnival stock, that's a good thing, otherwise they'll go out of business.  However, the best way to make money is to make our lives easier & more enjoyable while onboard. They want us to return to their brand. It's not sinister, it's business. So, NO, it's not simply to increase profits, it's to keep us coming back, it's hard to get new customers, but, so much easier to retain current customers - every successful business knows this. 

You are the  naive one.

 

I have no problem w them using the medallion to make money.  The job of a corporation is to maximize profits.  My comment was about the people who have said that the reason that the cruise companies are investing all that money into the system is to improve our cruising experience.  That is pure naivete.  

 

DON

[CruiseVA]

5 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

I have no problem w them using the medallion to make money.  The job of a corporation is to maximize profits.  My comment was about the people who have said that the reason that the cruise companies are investing all that money into the system is to improve our cruising experience.  That is pure naivete.  

 

DON

I agree - it's both - they improve our experience to get us to come back to them. It's not just about pure profit, they are trying to improve our experience which benefits the cruise line AND us.

[2 cruises a year]

On 5/3/2019 at 12:13 PM, shrii said:

I don't like when a waiter gets to know you too well because I may not want my usual drink .I Think they should ask before they make it

 

I agree completely, if a bartender brings me a drink before I ask for it, I send it back, and with a glare and a smile tell them not to rush me, I'll ask when I am ready.  They take the drink, scoop the ice out, and "hide" it.  Two minutes later I ask for a drink and get the same drink.  I smile say thank you.  After that, they might hint, or point to my glass with a questioning look.  I will say, in a bit, thank you, or yes if I am ready. 

But, like you, I do like to mix it up.  Sometimes when we walk up to the bar, the bartender is busy.  I don't interrupt only to have them bring my "regular", they were busy trying to please me.  That is awkward, but I still refuse the drink and ask for what ever I want.  From then on, they at least ask if I want my usual.

They are good, after that they ask, or hint lightly.  And their tip usually goes up, but never down.  You can't penalize them for trying too hard.

[CruiseVA]

We have never had a bartender make us a drink before we asked for it, Medallion or not. We've been asked, would you like your usual Gin & Tonic Mr Chris. This has been our experience pre-Medallion, it has not changed post-Medallion.

Not sure how this has to do with the Medallion???

[2 cruises a year]

On 5/5/2019 at 2:11 PM, SargassoPirate said:

With three cruises booked with Princess next year, and all three using the medallions, I watched the 9 videos on youtube.  I must say, I was whelmed.  The only advantages I can see for She Who Must Be Obeyed and I are perhaps a faster check-in/boarding at the port and opening my cabin door.  

 

If you watch the youtube videos explaining all of the wonderful things that the medallion will allow you to do, notice how the actors are glued to their devices or using the many screens around the ship.  We don't cruise to have our noses stuck to our smartphones - other than reading books on our Kindle app - and have never needed much help navigating our way to the theater.  I've never had any trouble finding someone to take my drink order and find me again.  And I certainly don't need an app on my phone so that I can gamble anywhere on the ship.

 

I equate the medallion to all of the electronic/technology features on new cars today.  Fine while it works and expensive to fix when it doesn't.

 

I guess time will tell, but in the meantime I'll find a nice deck chair on the promenade and enjoy why I cruise - the ocean!

 

Sadly, this is one of the things all data mining leads to, fewer employees.  Pretty soon there will be fewer people to take your drink order.

[KnA8361]

38 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

Different strokes I guess.

 

I don't think any of those things are good things or a benefit to me. It sounds like a stifling invasion of privacy.

The current Cruise Cards already tell Princess when you come and go from your room or the ship, what you drink, buy and if you gamble. The Medallion will do all of that but make it easier for us. The public areas of the ship are exactly that, public and no different than going into a city. None of us should have an expectation of privacy while in public, on land or at sea. Cities place traffic counters on roads all the time to measure the traffic volume and toll road scan your car to automatically collect money from you. When cruising we’re technically not in “public” we are on a privately owned ship so I would expect less privacy in the common areas. Princess didn’t pay millions of dollars to invade your privacy. They developed and installed the Medallion to improve our cruising experience and thereby increase sales/revenue. Like cities counting traffic, if Princess can reduce the congestion at peak times by monitor traffic flows and improve entertainment that’s great. Google Maps only knows about road congestion because every phone in every car is being monitored and tracked in real time. If all the phones are moving at 10mph in a 55mph zone the map is going to show red and sent out alerts with new routes. You can opt out and turn off location tracking on your Apple or Google phone and Princess allows you to do the same with the Medallion (except kids).

 

We seek out a cruise line and pay them to let us play on their ships. Princess is not interested in your personal bathroom or drinking habits unless it poses a risk to others. Princess wants us to have a good time so we’ll come back again and again. I can’t wait for them to have all my data after a few cruises. If I visit the jewelry shop 3 days in a row and didn’t buy anything, I hope they send me a coupon to maybe help me decide Yes, I’ll make that purchase now. I hope after a few cruises I start to get customized patters letting me know shows similar to what I’ve seen before will be at XYZ Lounge tonight.

 

I’m not sure how you could see this as stifling. Remember you are paying Princess to have a good time; all they are trying to do is improve our experience.

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, 2 cruises a year said:

 

I agree completely, if a bartender brings me a drink before I ask for it, I send it back, and with a glare and a smile tell them not to rush me, I'll ask when I am ready.  They take the drink, scoop the ice out, and "hide" it.  Two minutes later I ask for a drink and get the same drink.  I smile say thank you.  After that, they might hint, or point to my glass with a questioning look.  I will say, in a bit, thank you, or yes if I am ready. 

But, like you, I do like to mix it up.  Sometimes when we walk up to the bar, the bartender is busy.  I don't interrupt only to have them bring my "regular", they were busy trying to please me.  That is awkward, but I still refuse the drink and ask for what ever I want.  From then on, they at least ask if I want my usual.

They are good, after that they ask, or hint lightly.  And their tip usually goes up, but never down.  You can't penalize them for trying too hard.

You are thinking to much. I thought you were on a cruise?  🤔

[SargassoPirate]

Perhaps if they would start using the Medallion to combat chair hogs, I would see a value. Require a medallion to check out a towel and then they could track where the chair hog built a nest (towel, flip flop, magazine/paperback) and compare that to the chair hog's location.

 

Build a chair hog nest and go ashore? Bingo. It's gone.

 

Build a chair hog nest and then go to the MDR for breakfast? Bingo. It's gone.

 

Now that would enhance everyone's cruise except the chair hog - and they are inconsiderates anyway.

[Mike45LC]

6 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

Perhaps if they would start using the Medallion to combat chair hogs, I would see a value. Require a medallion to check out a towel and then they could track where the chair hog built a nest (towel, flip flop, magazine/paperback) and compare that to the chair hog's location.

 

Build a chair hog nest and go ashore? Bingo. It's gone.

 

Build a chair hog nest and then go to the MDR for breakfast? Bingo. It's gone.

 

Now that would enhance everyone's cruise except the chair hog - and they are inconsiderates anyway.

Sargossa, I think you hit on a great idea.  They don't need to track towels for it, just install "occupied chair" gizmos to detect if a chair is holding a towel or wrap or … -- kind of like the parking space "available or in use" technology they are now using in parking garages --  and if there is no Medallion at an "occupied" chair for an hour, send a pool boy over to remove the stuff and make the chair available.

 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

10 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

Sargossa, I think you hit on a great idea.  They don't need to track towels for it, just install "occupied chair" gizmos to detect if a chair is holding a towel or wrap or … -- kind of like the parking space "available or in use" technology they are now using in parking garages --  and if there is no Medallion at an "occupied" chair for an hour, send a pool boy over to remove the stuff and make the chair available.

 

Great idea!

[Thrak]

18 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

Different strokes I guess.

 

I don't think any of those things are good things or a benefit to me. It sounds like a stifling invasion of privacy.

 

Princess already has my home address, my phone number, my passport number, my credit card number, etc. They've already "got me". I'm not worried about more data mining via the medallion.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

3 hours ago, Thrak said:

Princess already has my home address, my phone number, my passport number, my credit card number, etc. They've already "got me". I'm not worried about more data mining via the medallion.

 

How about Princess knowing where you eat everyday, whose house you visit, what movie you go see, how much time you spend in a bar, do you or don't you exercise, what time you wake up, when you go to sleep...  just EVERYTHING about you. Way too intrusive for my tastes.

[Thrak]

4 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

How about Princess knowing where you eat everyday, whose house you visit, what movie you go see, how much time you spend in a bar, do you or don't you exercise, what time you wake up, when you go to sleep...  just EVERYTHING about you. Way too intrusive for my tastes.

 

If you are carrying your phone then Google and Facebook (if you use FB) already know most of those things.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

20 hours ago, KnA8361 said:

The current Cruise Cards already tell Princess when you come and go from your room or the ship, what you drink, buy and if you gamble. The Medallion will do all of that but make it easier for us. The public areas of the ship are exactly that, public and no different than going into a city. None of us should have an expectation of privacy while in public, on land or at sea. Cities place traffic counters on roads all the time to measure the traffic volume

 

Cities do place counters on streets that record WHICH car passes over a point, just HOW MANY. That is a huge difference.

 

20 hours ago, KnA8361 said:

Princess didn’t pay millions of dollars to invade your privacy. They developed and installed the Medallion to improve our cruising experience and thereby increase sales/revenue.

 

If you think Princess spent millions to improve your experience and NOT improve their bottom line first and foremost, you are incredibly naive.

 

20 hours ago, KnA8361 said:

Like cities counting traffic, if Princess can reduce the congestion at peak times by monitor traffic flows and improve entertainment that’s great.

 

Princess isn't looking to REDUCE congestion, they want to figure out how to fill every spot with the most people it can and then how to make more money once they have a venue packed.

 

20 hours ago, KnA8361 said:

Princess is not interested in your personal bathroom or drinking habits

 

If they can figure out a way to monetize it they are.

 

20 hours ago, KnA8361 said:

Princess wants us to have a good time so we’ll come back again and again. I can’t wait for them to have all my data after a few cruises. If I visit the jewelry shop 3 days in a row and didn’t buy anything, I hope they send me a coupon to maybe help me decide Yes, I’ll make that purchase now. I hope after a few cruises I start to get customized patters letting me know shows similar to what I’ve seen before will be at XYZ Lounge tonight.

 

You are Princess's ideal sucker

..... er guest. Buying incredibly marked up jewelry on a cruise; even with a 50% off coupon it is overpriced.

 

20 hours ago, KnA8361 said:

I’m not sure how you could see this as stifling. Remember you are paying Princess to have a good time; all they are trying to do is improve our experience.

 

no, No, NO! Princess is trying to squeeze every extra dollar they can out of me. They want to spend the least they can, while not losing business, charging extra for what USED to be included and finding new ways to fleece you.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

14 minutes ago, Thrak said:

If you are carrying your phone then Google and Facebook (if you use FB) already know most of those things.

 

I don't use Facebook, I have all of Google's tracking features turned off and all the apps turned off that use tracking (weather, maps, browser search, etc). When I really want to go private I use proxy servers.

[CruiseVA]

as always it's the extremes. the answer lies in between, yes Princess wants to make as much money as possible, I wouldn't call it fleecing, just basic capitalism.  They are not the evil empire, Carnival is just a corporation that reports to their stockholders, many, like me, are customers. They also want to provide the best possible experience to their customers, to keep us coming back.

[vampiress]

if you are that concerned, i assume you don't have a credit card, a mobile phone, or use the internet.  you are already tracked, and "they" already know what you are going to buy. and i doubt you are protected by just turning off features.  there is tracking you can't turn off.  and you don't even need tracking turned on for them to do basic tracking of you, just your phone pinging towers as you exist through out the day leaves a trail that can be tracked.  really you are going down some tin foil hat path i can not follow you there.

 

 

 

really you are on a closed circuit.  they don't need the medallion to track you, specifically you.  they can do this already with cameras and other means.  i'm not saying you are wrong, they will use this data to better monetize the ship, but i guess i just don't care, because that is how this whole thing works. 

Edited January 10, 2020 by vampiress