name on Medallion

[ChemistBabe]

I have a transgender teen.

She is not thrilled about traveling under a passport with her "dead name" on it, but we can't get a new passport easily enough to travel in time.

 

I know the Medallions have the passengers name engraved.  Does anyone know if it is possible to get my child's preferred name on her medallion, or does it have to be her legal name??  She will be really unhappy about having her "dead name" on the medallion, and will be very unhappy to be addressed as such all week!

 

Thanks!

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, ChemistBabe said:

I have a transgender teen.

She is not thrilled about traveling under a passport with her "dead name" on it, but we can't get a new passport easily enough to travel in time.

 

I know the Medallions have the passengers name engraved.  Does anyone know if it is possible to get my child's preferred name on her medallion, or does it have to be her legal name??  She will be really unhappy about having her "dead name" on the medallion, and will be very unhappy to be addressed as such all week!

 

Thanks!

I have no expertise in the area you mention, but the printing engraved on the Medallion is so small, no one actually ever looks at it to read it.  Crew often has smart devices that detect who is nearby and can address by name.  Waiters get to know your name as well as room steward.

 

What I do know is that a guest has a personal profile associated with their CC Member number which is the same number recorded in your booking.  You can login to Princess.com and setup a Preferred Name in Captain Circle profile section.  There is also the Profile info in the MC App. 

 

Since your teen still has a legal name by the sounds of it (let's say John for example), that is going to need to match in the ship security system with passport, etc), but could set the Preferred Name to Mary (for example), and that should be used for informal day-to-day purposes.  My expertise ends there as IDK whether the Preferred Name is used to engrave the Medallion or not.  But that isn't important anyway.  What is important is what the ship's internal system indicates for guest name to ship personnel on their devices and in their system.  

 

Someone else may know more, but you can always call Princess and see if a rep can inform you as to how to get a preferred name used everywhere other than the legal booking purpose. 

 

You might also use the phone tree options to get to an OCEAN rep who work more closely with the MC App and they may know more about how folks are addressed informally versus for security purposes.

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

There's absolutely NOTHING magic about the name that is shown on the medallion.  Assuming you get your medallions in the mail prior to cruise you could scratch that name off or (maybe) paint over it with nail polish or something like that.  Now, this does nothing as far as how Princess lists the name on the account...it will still pop up on their tablets as whatever shows on the booking.  If it's strictly the name on the medallion that is causing concern...easy fix.  If you're trying to shoot for complete wipe of the old name on passport and/or booking....I think you're in for a big hassle being "under the gun" timewise.

Edited November 8, 2022 by Rick&Jeannie

[Kay S]

Being a teenager is trouble enough, but if she is not too shy, she could ask the server (or whomever) to "Please call me Mary."  Any ship staff she encounters regularly will make an effort to do that.  

[Cruise Raider]

5 hours ago, ChemistBabe said:

 

 

I know the Medallions have the passengers name engraved.  Does anyone know if it is possible to get my child's preferred name on her medallion, or does it have to be her legal name??  She will be really unhappy about having her "dead name" on the medallion, and will be very unhappy to be addressed as such all week!

 

Thanks!

 

It isn't really engraved, it's just printed.  It can probably be scraped off if it bothers them that much.  If the medallion cannot be fixed to your liking, just have him/her put it in their pants pocket.  

Plus, there is a preferred name that can be entered into his/her profile.  That's probably what the staff and crew will use when addressing him/her. 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Cruise Raider

[Lizabu]

I’ve heard about people losing their medallion and going to guest services and the issue a new one that even has the name engraved. They could probably do it if you ask. They probably have a way to change the name as it displays too because there was a privacy discussion a few days ago and people travelling solo were saying they could have their name not displayed on the door sign if they asked. I almost think this is a serious enough request that it would be worthwhile to email or call in advance.

[ChemistBabe]

Thank's for your help everyone, I really appreciate it.

I'm glad to hear that at a minimum that I can set her "preferred name" to her preferred name!!

 

 

[tonit964]

6 hours ago, ChemistBabe said:

I have a transgender teen.

She is not thrilled about traveling under a passport with her "dead name" on it, but we can't get a new passport easily enough to travel in time.

 

I know the Medallions have the passengers name engraved.  Does anyone know if it is possible to get my child's preferred name on her medallion, or does it have to be her legal name??  She will be really unhappy about having her "dead name" on the medallion, and will be very unhappy to be addressed as such all week!

 

Thanks!

My brother got his medallion changed at guest services from his passport name of Steven to Steve which is his preferred name and what he goes by. 
 

She should have no problem getting her medallion changed to her preferred name.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!
 

[Arizona Wildcat]

My medallion stays in a pocket.  I use my middle name.  Do not have a first name.  Princess will only put my "first name " on my medallion.   Gave up fighting.  Not worth it.

[Kay S]

1 hour ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

My medallion stays in a pocket.  I use my middle name.  Do not have a first name.  Princess will only put my "first name " on my medallion.   Gave up fighting.  Not worth it.

Our company adopted some annoying software a few years ago that would not issue a paycheck to anyone without a middle initial.  A colleague without a middle name decided to call his 90 year old mother and ask her for one.  Then he got his paycheck.

[travelin.sisters]

Unfortunately, in my experience, adding a preferred name has no effect on what crew calls you,what shows up on your door screens, or on the screens around the ship. Your teen may need to ask people to use their preferred name/gender &  see their other name throughout the ship.

[RLK33853]

My wife goes by a name other than her given name (which is just the initial E). 

 

It has been our experience that Princess will not entertain changing the name prior to boarding.  After we explain the situation each cruise to Passenger Services, it's a crapshoot when they make her a new Medallion.  Sometimes they make her new Medallion with the Preferred name AND they change it on the Medallion system.  Other times they don't change the system and she is continually greeted with "what can we do for you Mrs E". 

 

Regular servers and your cabin steward quickly learn your preferred name either way - but staff you don't know are in a tough spot if the system doesn't get changed.

 

Basically it can be done, and if you explain your unique situation they should do it properly.  Good luck.

[mjmalino]

I cannot help with the engraving, however, if they go into their medallion app, then under  "Profile", then "My account", then "Personal Information" there is a place to signify a "preferred name". I found on our last cruise that the crew was very good about addressing me as my preferred name. 

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

2 hours ago, mjmalino said:

I cannot help with the engraving, however, if they go into their medallion app, then under  "Profile", then "My account", then "Personal Information" there is a place to signify a "preferred name". I found on our last cruise that the crew was very good about addressing me as my preferred name. 

 

while this is true, the Save button under it is inactive and will not let me save the preferred name. Believe me, both my DH and I have unpronounceable names and would gladly go by our preferred names onboard. Staff doesn't even bother with our names, unless they are from the same countries and can actually pronounce them (which happens, but not a lot).

 

ETA: I had to refill all the emergency and other personal information in order to add a preferred name. Used the web version of the app.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Itchy&Scratchy

[alessia2050]

Hey,
I know I might be a bit late.

I wrote an article on Cruise Critic giving tips for trans passengers:

Tips for Trans Cruisers - Cruise Critic

Also this is the statement from Princess press office:

'Regarding the Medallion itself, it is an official identifier that has to match a guest’s passport for security purposes. 

 

Within the profile guests can select the preferred name that appears on public displays, portals and crew’s tablets.'

I will update you when I go on Sky Princess in one month. (I am trans myself and I will monitor how it works and what happens etc) 

Let me know if you have any other questions. 

 

[ChemistBabe]

3 minutes ago, alessia2050 said:

Hey,
I know I might be a bit late.

I wrote an article on Cruise Critic giving tips for trans passengers:

Tips for Trans Cruisers - Cruise Critic

Also this is the statement from Princess press office:

'Regarding the Medallion itself, it is an official identifier that has to match a guest’s passport for security purposes. 

 

Within the profile guests can select the preferred name that appears on public displays, portals and crew’s tablets.'

I will update you when I go on Sky Princess in one month. (I am trans myself and I will monitor how it works and what happens etc) 

Let me know if you have any other questions. 

 

Thank you for your help!  I'd love to hear how it goes.  

 

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

12 hours ago, alessia2050 said:

Within the profile guests can select the preferred name that appears on public displays, portals and crew’s tablets.'

 

I don't recall that it did on our Nov 2022 Princess cruise.

[alessia2050]

Thanks, I will raise this with the press office at Princess Cruises as I want to make sure that the informaiton in the article is as accurate as possible. Did the preferred name feautre do anything really? 
 

Edited April 24, 2023 by alessia2050
added press office name

[Itchy&Scratchy]

8 minutes ago, alessia2050 said:

Did the preferred name feature do anything really? 

I do not recall seeing my preferred name anywhere.

They called out my coffee orders with my actual name, until I started asking the IC lady to write my preferred name on the receipt. She was there every morning, so she remembered. They didn't write the names on the cups like they do on RCI ships.

 

Same with the MDR hostess - she addressed me by my actual name every evening, but she really liked my name, so it's ok. We have a somewhat different issue with our names - they are foreign and hard to say, so we both have much easier Anglicized nicknames which we use in every day life. So, if the crew member is from our countries of origin and can actually pronounce our names - great, but not many can. 

 

So, I think that the crew rarely needs to use the names in the system, and if it is more or less repetitive, like the International cafe or the same MDR hostess situation - it's easy enough to ask/tell them to use your preferred name and they should oblige, unless they forget. Which they try very hard not to.

 

However, I agree, it would be great if the system worked properly and actually displayed your preferred name to begin with.

[travelin.sisters]

On 4/24/2023 at 10:29 AM, alessia2050 said:

Thanks, I will raise this with the press office at Princess Cruises as I want to make sure that the informaiton in the article is as accurate as possible. Did the preferred name feautre do anything really? 
 

I know my preferred name showed on the Happy Birthday greeting on the screen in the elevator space, I don't remember if it showed up on the screen by the cabin door or if it was my legal name, my cabin steward always used my preferred name, but that may have been because I told it to him on the first day 

[mimiroks]

Hi I am trans and just went on a princess cruise as of March in 2024 and I was told in no uncertain terms on the cruise by the guest services that there is no preferred name system and that you have to go by your legal name. Of course, the option to correct staff probably would have still been open to me but after trying to set a preferred name beforehand (I could not find any section in the app or online) and being expressly denied on the cruise itself I didn't feel comfortable doing so. I don't know if their system has changed recently but I just want to put this here so others aren't blindsided like I was