Does one HAVE to use the Medallion?

[Zoey]

Don't yell at me....I have read through this forum and the Princess Medallion Class FAQ on the Princess website and I'm still not quite understanding the process. I have a very stressful job which requires all day communications with lots of clients every day. I cruise to escape all communications and electronics. In fact, the first thing I do on a cruise ship is turn my iphone off and lock it in the safe until the night before disembarking when I charge it in the event of problems traveling back home. And I don't take a laptop or my ipad.

 

My questions are 1) do you HAVE to use a cell phone for the Medallion stuff? and 2) if not, the surface of the medallion looks so small how do you even enter information onto it? 

 

I'm getting ready to book a cruise for October or November and I have three options - Princess, Azamara or Celebrity. IF using the Medallion and/or cell phone is an absolute requirement, I am going to eliminate  Princess from the list. 

 

Thanks in advance for your help! 

[topspot]

The actual medallion has an RIF chip in it that opens the door.  You'd need to use that, but you really don't need to use the app.  You do need to put all of your info in prior to boarding, it just makes things a little smoother at the port.  Using the app on the ship allows you to order drinks, but you can do it by going directly to the bar, or asking a server to get you a drink.  You will need to "tap" your medallion to the servers device, that is how they charge your account.

[SargassoPirate]

The only thing I use the Medallion for is to open my cabin door and like the old key card to order a drink at the bar.  The app is so wonky, you probably don't have time to mess with it pre-cruise. Just take your paperwork with you to the pier, and they'll give you a medallion there.

 

At least that's what I do.

[wcflats]

Most of the cruise lines are going to that type of format in one way or another. Direct answer is no however it simplifies things to use it for some functions. To manage some of the stuff you can use your phone,computer or the stateroom TV .

on princess there’s many people and a table staffed with princess employees that will gladly help you with any questions and show you how do those things that you need.

[Rick&Jeannie]

 There's a LOT of confusion in that people associate the app and the medallion as being one and the same.  Not so.  @topspot has pretty well nailed it.  Primary use? Open your cabin door.  Using the app itself on board has *some* advantages (in my opinion) but you can certainly get by without it. 

 

If you have made dinner reservations and have the *medallion* on you then as you walk up to the host/hostess station they "know" who you are...but you can always just tell them your name!  Enjoy your cruise!

Edited July 7, 2022 by Rick&Jeannie

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

@topspot has pretty well nailed it.  Primary use? Open your cabin door.  

Primary use - ordering drinks! 

Everything else is secondary.

[voljeep]

Just go to the online Personalizer on the Princess website from your chosen device pre-cruise.  Fill in as much info as possible, bring passport, etc to cruise port at embarkation.

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

Primary use - ordering drinks! 

Everything else is secondary.

well played

[Zoey]

Thanks everyone! And it's not that I'm worried about figuring out how to use the Medallion, it's really just the cell phone app I don't want to use so I can, like I said, lock it in the safe. I don't have a problem using it for my drinks or opening the door as long as I don't also have to carry my phone around. I guess for now I'll leave Princess on the list. It's Sky Princess I'm looking at. 

[memoak]

23 minutes ago, Zoey said:

Thanks everyone! And it's not that I'm worried about figuring out how to use the Medallion, it's really just the cell phone app I don't want to use so I can, like I said, lock it in the safe. I don't have a problem using it for my drinks or opening the door as long as I don't also have to carry my phone around. I guess for now I'll leave Princess on the list. It's Sky Princess I'm looking at. 

We don’t use our phone for anything on a cruise. Just use the medallion to open door, order drinks at the bar, buy thing in shops and playing the slots. Easy peasy

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, Zoey said:

Thanks everyone! And it's not that I'm worried about figuring out how to use the Medallion, it's really just the cell phone app I don't want to use so I can, like I said, lock it in the safe. I don't have a problem using it for my drinks or opening the door as long as I don't also have to carry my phone around. I guess for now I'll leave Princess on the list. It's Sky Princess I'm looking at. 

And you need the medallion to get off and on the ship. The phone….no.

[MissP22]

Since you've made up your mind that the Medallion is not for you then once on the ship just go to the Pass services desk and turn it in for a cruise card. It doesn't open the door as easily or they won't be able to find you to deliver drinks but at least you won't have to worry about it. 

[ontheweb]

9 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Since you've made up your mind that the Medallion is not for you then once on the ship just go to the Pass services desk and turn it in for a cruise card. It doesn't open the door as easily or they won't be able to find you to deliver drinks but at least you won't have to worry about it. 

Not the OP, but that would be fine with me as long as I can use the card to get on and off the ship.

[PacnGoNow]

3 hours ago, Zoey said:

Don't yell at me....I have read through this forum and the Princess Medallion Class FAQ on the Princess website and I'm still not quite understanding the process. I have a very stressful job which requires all day communications with lots of clients every day. I cruise to escape all communications and electronics. In fact, the first thing I do on a cruise ship is turn my iphone off and lock it in the safe until the night before disembarking when I charge it in the event of problems traveling back home. And I don't take a laptop or my ipad.

 

My questions are 1) do you HAVE to use a cell phone for the Medallion stuff? and 2) if not, the surface of the medallion looks so small how do you even enter information onto it? 

 

I'm getting ready to book a cruise for October or November and I have three options - Princess, Azamara or Celebrity. IF using the Medallion and/or cell phone is an absolute requirement, I am going to eliminate  Princess from the list. 

 

Thanks in advance for your help! 

You don’t enter anything on the medallion.  It’s used just like the old card.  You just keep it in you and walk up to the bar for a drink or coffee and it will identify you and charge it to your room, opens your cabin door and gets you

on/off the ship.  Very simple.  
 

You don’t need your phone.  Put it away if you want. If you want room service, order it on the TV or call room service.

 

 

[JF - retired RRT]

2 hours ago, Zoey said:

Thanks everyone! And it's not that I'm worried about figuring out how to use the Medallion, it's really just the cell phone app I don't want to use so I can, like I said, lock it in the safe. I don't have a problem using it for my drinks or opening the door as long as I don't also have to carry my phone around. I guess for now I'll leave Princess on the list. It's Sky Princess I'm looking at. 

On our April cruise (first time with a medallion)...we used it twice to order drinks for DH. Everything else that we did/needed we accessed the TV. The TV is a LOT easier to use.

One exception to the TV, we like to order coffee/tea to our cabin. The TV order system didn't have plain coffee/tea (only the upgraded stuff $). Had to call room service for that.

[NavyCruiser]

I'm almost like OP.

Once onboard, everything goes into the safe:  Passports, phone, wallet, notebook, watch...

I go cruising to do everything opposite of my life at home:  no work, no phone, no computer/laptop, no schedule...  

& get to do things I don't get to do too much of at home:  (Over)Eat, (Over)Drink, (Over)sleep, nap, cigars, Repeat...

Thus, nothing in my pants/shorts pockets, except flat key card.  

Now, this Medallion might be great for y'all modern techies, but a little thick for me.  

So I can still go to service desk to trade in Medallion for flat key card...?

Edited July 7, 2022 by NavyCruiser

[MissP22]

35 minutes ago, NavyCruiser said:

So I can still go to service desk to trade in Medallion for flat key card...?

You sure can.

It'll still open your cabin door but you'll have to wave your card in front of it so it'll unlatch.

The Medallion will open it from a few cabins away & it'll be unlatched by the time you arrive. 

Oh, without a Medallion your wife wouldn't be able to locate you on the ship. You'll lose that function with only a card. 

That may be what you want anyway. 😄 LOL

Edited July 7, 2022 by MissP22

[NavyCruiser]

10 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

 

Oh, without a Medallion your wife wouldn't be able to locate you on the ship. You'll lose that function with only a card. 

That may be what you want anyway. 😄 LOL

 

Perfect!

Def card then.....!!!

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

You sure can

Are you sure ?

Not possible to get a card on the last cruises I have been on.

I asked at customer services out of interest. I can't see any possible benefit of a card over the Medallion.

[loerie]

We do not own a cell phone and have no intention of getting one.

We will be n the Emerald princess in December for 13 days.How Will this affect us?

we are nothing 83 yrs and not into this digital stuff.please advise.I have an IPad for ema.s and that’s it!

[memoak]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

You sure can.

It'll still open your cabin door but you'll have to wave your card in front of it so it'll unlatch.

The Medallion will open it from a few cabins away & it'll be unlatched by the time you arrive. 

Oh, without a Medallion your wife wouldn't be able to locate you on the ship. You'll lose that function with only a card. 

That may be what you want anyway. 😄 LOL

Also using the medallion you want need to hand your card to the bartender their systems will pick yours up and the just push a button to charge your drink 

[Mike45LC]

37 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Not possible to get a card on the last cruises I have been on.

I asked at customer services out of interest. I can't see any possible benefit of a card over the Medallion.

One benefit of the card key over the Medallion:  The card key does not have a tracking device built into it.   Why does the ship need to keep track of my location? I know they can track me using video monitoring, but they probably don't.  The Medallion insures that they do in fact track me.

 

"Well, they need to track you to be able to deliver food and drink."   No, they do not.  I don't order food or drink using my cell phone (the one time I tried, it was a complete fail).  This aspect of the Medallion is intrusive, in my never humble opinion.

 

[Mike45LC]

28 minutes ago, loerie said:

We do not own a cell phone and have no intention of getting one.

We will be n the Emerald princess in December for 13 days.How Will this affect us?

we are nothing 83 yrs and not into this digital stuff.please advise.I have an IPad for ema.s and that’s it!

If you bring all of your paperwork to the port, the staff at the port can complete your registration at the port.  Or you can have a technologically advanced person with a computer/internet to complete it for you in advance.  

 

Once you are on board the ship, the Medallion is just a small device you carry around with you or wear on a free lanyard that Princess will provide.  It is about the size of three fifty-cent pieces stacked.  That gizmo works as your electronic room key, and as your ID for your ship-board charge account [in the ship's stores, the excursion desk, specialty restaurants, for-fee ice cream and coffees, etc., casino].  It is also your ID for disembarking and re-boarding the ship.  You don't need to do anything with it,, just carry it around and present it upon request.  

 

You certainly do not need a cell phone.

 

[PMGS247]

medallion is just a cruise card in a different shape if that's all you want it to be. App related functionality is entirely optional.

[wowzz]

59 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

The Medallion insures that they do in fact track me.

And why is that an issue?