Medallion Packaging

[moodyb1]

So Princess won't give us straws on cruises to be more "environment friendly", but yesterday I received my my medallion for an upcoming cruise on the Ruby that came with a lot of paperwork and boxes that I had to throw away. How "environment friendly" is that?

 

With all the millions spent on preparing for this Medallion technology, doesn't it make sense to make these medallions more than a one-time use? Also, I know that Princess says that it allows for easier check-in, but in the future I will get the medallions at check-in to avoid having all the wasteful materials sent to me at home.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

Arlene 

[Colo Cruiser]

6 minutes ago, moodyb1 said:

So Princess won't give us straws on cruises to be more "environment friendly", but yesterday I received my my medallion for an upcoming cruise on the Ruby that came with a lot of paperwork and boxes that I had to throw away. How "environment friendly" is that?

 

With all the millions spent on preparing for this Medallion technology, doesn't it make sense to make these medallions more than a one-time use? Also, I know that Princess says that it allows for easier check-in, but in the future I will get the medallions at check-in to avoid having all the wasteful materials sent to me at home.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

Arlene 

Try and have a great cruise?   🤔

[skynight]

Very doubtful a system could be worked out which would allow medallions to be be multi-use. Just sit around and brainstorm and I'm sure you can list lots of reasons both hardware related and logistics related.

Many many items come in wasteful packaging, but on land there are more options for disposal than at sea. Also, Princess has been instructed by the courts that they must reduce on board waste streams. You see the results.

[kywildcatfanone]

Those medallions cost them pennies to make, but the data they collect from it is worth millions. 

[Pickels]

there's got to be more pressing, important issues to be concerned with than Medallion Packaging!

[pms4104]

14 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Those medallions cost them pennies to make, but the data they collect from it is worth millions. 

Certainly worth the cost of FedEx from overseas plus customs and duty fees

Edited January 15, 2020 by pms4104

[pms4104]

16 minutes ago, Pickels said:

there's got to be more pressing, important issues to be concerned with than Medallion Packaging!

Not once you put forth your new-found environmental conscience and the related agenda, all likely mandated by the courts

Edited January 15, 2020 by pms4104

[moodyb1]

1 hour ago, skynight said:

Very doubtful a system could be worked out which would allow medallions to be be multi-use. Just sit around and brainstorm and I'm sure you can list lots of reasons both hardware related and logistics related.

Many many items come in wasteful packaging, but on land there are more options for disposal than at sea. Also, Princess has been instructed by the courts that they must reduce on board waste streams. You see the results.

I just wonder how many people re-cycle the materials at home? Landfills are quickly "filling up".

[moodyb1]

1 hour ago, Pickels said:

there's got to be more pressing, important issues to be concerned with than Medallion Packaging!

I think saving the environment is an important issue! Since this is a Princess Forum, I didn't want to bring up national and international issues.

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, moodyb1 said:

So Princess won't give us straws on cruises to be more "environment friendly", but yesterday I received my my medallion for an upcoming cruise on the Ruby that came with a lot of paperwork and boxes that I had to throw away. How "environment friendly" is that?

 

With all the millions spent on preparing for this Medallion technology, doesn't it make sense to make these medallions more than a one-time use? Also, I know that Princess says that it allows for easier check-in, but in the future I will get the medallions at check-in to avoid having all the wasteful materials sent to me at home.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

Arlene 

Sad that your town does not have municipal paper recycling available. Our recycling bin fills up at least 5 times faster than our garbage bin.

[moodyb1]

4 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Sad that your town does not have municipal paper recycling available. Our recycling bin fills up at least 5 times faster than our garbage bin.

Los Angeles does have a recycling programs. In a previous reply, I said that I wonder how many people actually recycle the Medallion paperwork and boxes.

[fishin' musician]

I'm guessing the fancy packaging may cost more the electronic doo dad thingy.  How many glossy boxes?  4?  And they are 10x larger than required... I guess it's an effort to get folks all geeked up the electronic doo dad thingy.

 

But in all fairness it is nice to have the door open up with a cup of coffee in each hand! 

It's too bad the phone app didn't work as well as the door opener.  It sometimes took 10 minutes to load and then it might work on certain parts of the ship.  This was on the Crown, it seem to be better on the Regal last spring. 

Edited January 15, 2020 by fishin' musician

[lx200gps]

26 minutes ago, moodyb1 said:

Los Angeles does have a recycling programs. In a previous reply, I said that I wonder how many people actually recycle the Medallion paperwork and boxes.

I guess it's pretty sad if people do have a recycling program and still dump paper into the garbage. In our case, our town makes it easier for us to recycle paper than throw it into the trash, and my wife and I dump at least 40 lbs a week of recyclable materials into our recycle bin. But to the point at hand, yes, I think Princess is using FAR more silly and wasteful packaging than they need to.  

[purple gangster]

I second Moodyb1's opinion that the packaging which contain the medallions is extremely wasteful.  But to me this brings up the whole issue of the value of the Medallion system. Other than, perhaps, the  ability to locate other members of my party on the ship more easily, I do not see the value of any of the other features.  I believe the money Princess is investing in the Medallion system would have been better spent on refurbishing some of the older ships.  In December I went through the Panama Canal on the Emerald Princess. To say that the ship is "tired" is an understatement. Coincidentally, the ship was in the middle of the conversion to the Medallion, so we had contractors working all over the ship.  So the cabin door opened by "tapping" the cruise card, instead of inserting it into a slot, but none of the other features were implemented.  I am probably going against the conventional wisdom on this board, but my decision on whether to select Princess or a competitor for a particular cruise, will not be swayed toward Princess because of the Medallion system.

[idahospud]

For those who haven't received Medallions yet, here is all the extra packaging the OP is talking about.

[24639]

I am sure the packaging will be reduced at some point and then we can all complain about the cheap packaging.  I love the boxes and have upcycled  them in various ways after throwing the useless parts in the recycle bin. 

[jondfk]

I'm not gonna take the bait regarding packaging but will question the logic of a unique piece of hardware, however inexpensive to produce and ship.  Hasn't anyone at Carnival Corp noticed the rather massive trend towards NFI devices for point of sale purchases?  If I can have my credit card on my watch (phone or tablet) why in the world can't I have a virtual medallion on a piece of hardware I already own and wear every day?  

 

I'm not opposed to Medallion technology, data collection and even tracking.  It's silly though that they have created an entire infrastructure to produce and distribute something that the phone you use to register your medallion details with could securely maintain.  

 

I predict the medallion tokens will live a short life and be replaced with a software equivalent within the first half of this decade.

[Guest arowe6]

13 minutes ago, jondfk said:

I'm not gonna take the bait regarding packaging but will question the logic of a unique piece of hardware, however inexpensive to produce and ship.  Hasn't anyone at Carnival Corp noticed the rather massive trend towards NFI devices for point of sale purchases?  If I can have my credit card on my watch (phone or tablet) why in the world can't I have a virtual medallion on a piece of hardware I already own and wear every day?  

 

I'm not opposed to Medallion technology, data collection and even tracking.  It's silly though that they have created an entire infrastructure to produce and distribute something that the phone you use to register your medallion details with could securely maintain.  

 

I predict the medallion tokens will live a short life and be replaced with a software equivalent within the first half of this decade.

This x 1,000,000. 
 

Agree with you completely, but then the discussion  on these boards starts with “But what if I don’t have a smart phone?” and “I cruise to get away from

technology, not tethered to it.”

So I suppose the medallion is a happy medium (for now) between two extremes..?

 

Andrew 🙂

[kywildcatfanone]

15 minutes ago, arowe6 said:

I'm not gonna take the bait regarding packaging but will question the logic of a unique piece of hardware, however inexpensive to produce and ship.  Hasn't anyone at Carnival Corp noticed the rather massive trend towards NFI devices for point of sale purchases?  If I can have my credit card on my watch (phone or tablet) why in the world can't I have a virtual medallion on a piece of hardware I already own and wear every day?  

 

I'm not opposed to Medallion technology, data collection and even tracking.  It's silly though that they have created an entire infrastructure to produce and distribute something that the phone you use to register your medallion details with could securely maintain.  

 

I predict the medallion tokens will live a short life and be replaced with a software equivalent within the first half of this decade.

Generally I agree with you, but as already pointed out, many people like to put their phone away on the ship.  Now, if they offered an either/or, then it would make sense.  I'm deep into technology, but for the ship, I mostly want to be disconnected.  Don't want to carry my phone around, but they can sync the medallion functionality to an app on the phone, so it could soon go either way.

[Ranger2705]

They make great refrigerator magnets 😁

[Colo Cruiser]

Gimmiktry at it's finest.