I Was Able Opted Out of Medallion

[cruzsnooze]

I disembarked the Caribbean Princess Tuesday. I was given a medallion upon checking in at the dock. Upon boarding i went to guest serves and I opted out of the medallion and was given a regular old fashion black cruise card. I kept it in an RFID sleeve. It functioned exactly like it did before the medallions were initiated. I used it to to disembark the ship in ports and open my cabin door. You merely show the scan bar on the card to the medallion circle on the door and the door unlocks. The same for the casino or shopping on board.  Our friends walked past an art auction and then were thanked for attending and bombarded with marketing for their art. I was happy to avoid any such marketing. You do not need a medallion or a cruise card to use the internet anymore. You post your cabin number and birth date and log in. The speed is wonderful compared to previous useage. You may find the free minutes you get as Platinum or Elite tier are now adequare.  I suggest you check your account balance daily to correct any charged you didn't make. One person I had dinner with told me they had a charge that wasn't theirs, the medallion probably picked up someone's charge that was sitting next to them.

 Many will love the medallion, some won't, I just wanted to post to people that there is a choice. 

[lx200gps]

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to try this in a few weeks on the Regal and ask for a card,  but I'm not optimistic that I'll get lucky as it seems to depend on who you make the request to.  Others here on CC are quite adamant that they were refused a card and told they had to stick with the disc, so it seems there are no firm policies in place from Princess. As you say, a card will fit in a thin RFID wallet better than the Medallion.

 

[rocklinmom]

Thank you for posting this! So glad to know I can opt out of the OM. I prefer the card and don't want the new tech stuff. My teens can play with it instead. 

[stepmor99]

I'm with you...I don't want a medallion. My cruise card is fine for what I enjoy to do on a cruise but I understand the excitement for those who use their cell-phone differently than I. However, I will be diligent about checking my daily charges. Seems like this could be a "glitch" in the touted "Medallion Experience" that Princess is promoting....and I wonder how many erroneous charges are not caught by unsuspecting passengers.....Good to know about the internet speed. As an Elite......the combined 500 minutes for our room will be fine for us without a needed "up-sell" in the technology.

 

Everyone needs to assess their own needs when deciding if Ocean Medallion is right for them. Don't let the cruise line make that decision for them.

[cruzsnooze]

12 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to try this in a few weeks on the Regal and ask for a card,  but I'm not optimistic that I'll get lucky as it seems to depend on who you make the request to.  Others here on CC are quite adamant that they were refused a card and told they had to stick with the disc, so it seems there are no firm policies in place from Princess. As you say, a card will fit in a thin RFID wallet better than the Medallion.

 

They are unable to honor an opt out at the dock. You need to go to guest services which is usually on deck 6. If the crew member says it can't be done just ask for a manager. I did not have to go that far, the crew member at the desk gave me a card instantly. They don't deactivate your medallion that you got at the check in on the dock so just put it in your safe for the duration of the cruise. If you want they can punch a hole in your card and you can use the lanyard from your medallion to wear your card. 

[lx200gps]

4 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

They are unable to honor an opt out at the dock. You need to go to guest services which is usually on deck 6. If the crew member says it can't be done just ask for a manager. I did not have to go that far, the crew member at the desk gave me a card instantly. They don't deactivate your medallion that you got at the check in on the dock so just put it in your safe for the duration of the cruise. If you want they can punch a hole in your card and you can use the lanyard from your medallion to wear your card. 

Thanks for the heads up.  I was going to try the checkin desk first and ask for a card, but I certainly expected it would have to be done at the PSD when we board. And no lanyards for us, the card, if we're lucky and actually get one, will go in a nice slim leather RFID wallet.

 

I'm hoping more folks will chime in here and give us all some RECENT data points on their experience in opting out,  whether or not they were successful, and if so, how did they do it.

[Ombud]

I didn't opt out but when I locked my medallion in the room (it was in the other pants pocket) PSD gave me a regular card. 

[Hlitner]

We agree that its not difficult to opt out of the Medallion.  We recently spent 16 days on the CB where we gave the Medallion the benefit of the doubt and used most of the options.  Yes, we downloaded all the apps, carried our phones everywhere on the ship, and did try to get into the spirit of being Medallionized.   We were unimpressed and saw little advantage other then being able to get through embarkation a little faster.  We met a few other folks who had obtained cruise cards (which do have a hidden RFID chip) and either locked up their Medallion or simply tossed them in the trash.   I am somewhat of a techie but there is a little about the Medallion that impressed.  Many cruisers still do not understand that these Medallions allow Princess to track your every move and use that info as a marketing tool.  For some that might be an advantage but for many others it might be seen as an invasion of privacy.

 

Next month we will be on the Emerald...which has not yet been "Medallionized" and we look forward to getting back to the good ole cruise card.  Having seen the Medallion system in action we can't help but think that Princess got "conned" when they were sold this expensive system.  While I can understand putting the Medallion system on a new-build the benefits just do not seem to justify the huge cost involved in retrofitting existing vessels.

 

Hank

[mek]

I was on the 9/13 Grand Princess sailing and they were changing the door locks during our cruise.  We just swiped our card against the Medallion screen next to our door and it opened - but not as easy as hotel locks that function the same way.

 

If my next Princess cruise is Medallion, I will try to opt out.  I'm only interested in opening my room door, getting off and on the ship, and making an occasional purchase  -  not impressed by anything else the Medallion can do.

Edited September 27, 2019 by mek

[Geoffa30]

So much for progress. No wonder Princess still has the same Crown Grill and Sabatinis restaurants from yesteryear while other lines continue to mix it up. Hopefully one day Princess will be able to innovate / change things without being scuppered by the old guard.

[Doug R.]

Such a pack of technophobes! If you chose not to use the medallion features by using the app the medallion works exactly like the old card that has been canonized by some of you. Nothing to fear at all. I have had to remove erroneous charges on pre-medallion cruises so that dog don't hunt.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Doug R.

[pjrockman]

To each their own.  I really enjoyed the Medallion.

 

There will always be some type of Luddism, or, Ludditism.  Just the way it is.  I am a bit like it when it comes to THE CLOUD!!

 

Safe Journeys, Paul

[Blondilu]

I'm not much into technology.  I always turn my phone off and store it somewhere and could not give a rat's a** about apps or anything that requires that I carry that stupid phone everywhere.  I would much rather look at and talk to people or whatever is going on than stare at that little screen.

 

On my last cruise I put my Medallion in a pocket or on the included lanyard.  Then I behaved exactly as I did before.  Even before the medallion I checked my account often.  The only real difference I saw was the cabin door opened itself.  

 

So, for me, having the medallion instead of the card is much ado about nothing.  

 

 

[Crzn-Life]

The option to get a cruise card has always been available. I don’t understand those that said their request for one was denied. All it takes is a trip to passenger service to request it. I’ve been issued several cards on Medallion cruises because it wasn’t until recently that the Medallion worked in the casino on the 2nd of b2b cruises. 

 

For those concerned about being tracked, go into your privacy settings in the app and change them or go to customer service. Please note too that the Navigators can only help with app issues. You must go to passenger services for Medallion issues. 

 

For those that are concerned about being tracked, they get the same information whether  you buy something with your card or Medallion. 

[Geoffa30]

I cannot see why people are concerned about being tracked. You’re on a ship on the middle of the ocean. What exactly are people doing on their cruise to warrant being worried about being tracked?! It’s not the US government who is doing the tracking.

[Colo Cruiser]

40 minutes ago, Doug R. said:

Such a pack of technophobes! If you chose not to use the medallion features by using the app the medallion works exactly like the old card that has been canonized by some of you. Nothing to fear at all. I have had to remove erroneous charges on pre-medallion cruises so that dog don't hunt.

I agree the paranoia is remarkable.  

[lx200gps]

15 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

I agree the paranoia is remarkable.  

Apparently so is the quickness to hurl pointless insults at those they disagree with. Please try to keep things civil and resist the temptation to denigrate others who hold differing opinions. Thanks very much

 

And lest you think that ALL of us are Luddites, I was writing computer code when the Apollo boys were flying to the moon, and am most assuredly NOT technophobic. I simply have no use for the functionalities and particularly the form factor of the Medallion. 

[Thrak]

52 minutes ago, Blondilu said:

Even before the medallion I checked my account often.

 

I always check my account and since the advent of being able to do so on my phone I check even more often. I've had to have a number of charges corrected even though we have never yet sailed on a Medallion ship.

[birdiebill]

We were on the Regal this last February for 2 weeks; it was a Medallion cruise.  Not all the features were active yet on that cruise, but we boarded with our Medallions.  Embarkation was fast.  Our cruise cards appeared in our stateroom later that day or the next.  We both put the cards in the safe and used just the medallion.  We used it for access to our room, for purchases in the ships retail stores, and for purchases at bars and the coffee bar at the International Cafe.  Those are the exact same uses we would have used the cards for.  We did not carry there medallion on the lanyard.  We put it in the plastic cover and just carried it in a pocket same as we used to carry the card.  We also used it for getting on and off the ship at port calls.  A person does not have to carry a smartphone unless they want to use some of the other features.

[vampiress]

use the medallion or use the card, you are still being tracked. the rfid won't stop you from being tracked.  you are still making transaction with your card, and they still have cameras and staff everywhere monitoring you. 

 

*shrug* if it makes you more comfortable and enjoy your cruise more, fine. 

 

i personally don't care since i know they are tracking me anyway, so the medallion isn't a bother to me.   and i'll need my phone with me anyways so i can take pictures, and listen to my audio books.  not everyone finds technology a hassle.

[Pam in CA]

I personally loved the Medallion. It was so much easier than the cruise card and I enjoyed all the features that were possible. 
 

On the other hand, my car opens with a key fob, my phone and computer are connected to a home network, and I have “Location Services” turned on for many apps on my phone so I know everyone everywhere is already watching/tracking me. Maybe I’m so used to using these at home that the thought of a bartender knowing whether I’m nearby doesn’t faze me. 
 

It’s nice we have options. 

[Hlitner]

Ok, regarding the "tracked" issue this is certainly a debatable sub-topic.  But some of us (especially those that spend weeks or months every year on cruises) get sick and tired of all the onboard marketing.  The Medallions do give Princess a new tool to further enable "targeted marketing" which some do find annoying.  For example, you stop at the art auction (because you need a good laugh) for a minute and later find yourself getting all kinds of marketing garbage from the art folks.  Or you stop in the jewelry shop for a few seconds and then are inundated with promotions.  And it does not stop at disembarkation.  This info is in the Princess computers and can be sold to outside marketing firms.  So if you were to attend a few art auctions (for fun and laughs) you might find yourself getting "pushed" marketing from art houses for the next few years.   Will this happen?  We shall have to wait and see, but Princess did not spend all this money upgrading ships without hoping to get a return on investment.

 

And we used to talk (here on CC) about a fun topic.  Many may have noticed that there is a Medallion sensor in every cabin bathroom.  In theory, Princess can track the amount of time each person spends in their bathroom.  Is the day coming when you get a phone call (in your cabin) from the Medical Center asking if you have a "GI problem" because you have spent too much time in the bathroom?  I know, this is far fetched and I am having some fun.  But then again...……..

 

Or consider another Princess topic which is why on earth they have removed the barrel chairs from all the regular cabins....leaving most cabins with one chair for 2 persons!   Perhaps their research has shown that folks are spending too much time in their cabin (where they are not spending money at the bars and shops).  So lets remove the chairs, wait a few months, and then look at the data to determine if this has helped get folks out of their cabins and spending more money (maximizing onboard revenue).  And if that does prove to be the case....perhaps we should remove the other chair.  Maybe that would drive more ladies to the beauty shop since they would no longer have a chair at their cabin make-up table.   There is simply no end to what can be done with the Medallion location data!

 

Hank

[ontheweb]

Glad to hear as we will be on a Medallion ship this coming summer. No smartphone and no need for anything more than a cruise card.

[Ombud]

Being the adult who often escorts minors on cruises, I want to be able to track them and appreciate that security does so as well. Before the medallion only the ship could do so, now I can do it too but sometimes I get confused as it will say they're in one spot but I look for them there / wrong deck.  Ah well, I'll learn 

[Mike45LC]

I plan to lodge my medallion in the buffet area while I am out and about, so that it will falsely locate me at the buffet, when I attend the art auctions and go to the jewelry stores.  

 

I plan to leave my medallion in my pants pockets on the bed when I go to the bathroom in the cabin, so that Princess will not realize how much time I spend in the WC.  

 

I hope that my RFID wallet will protect me from the erroneous mis-charges from the stores and bars.  If not, my tin-foil hat will protect me!

 

I see no real benefits from the Medallion, but I also doubt that there is much to fear.  I still need to see how far away the door opener will work, and if this is a security concern.  I do not want my cabin door opening up if I walk by the cabin taking laps!