Fob or not

[Potstech]

Princess already have cameras watching and microphones recording everything you do on board. Even private conversations between husband and wife are being recorded. With the Medallion they probably know what you're thinking before you do.

 

And the black helicopters will come in the middle of the night and take you to the naughty island when you say something nasty to your spouse. Microphones? Yea right. OK and you can show this how?

[Hlitner]

If you read the Princess FAQs on the Medallion it says.,,and I quote...

"While you must carry a Medallion while onboard, it’s up to you how much or how little you want to take advantage of the full experience."

 

So although you could request a key card...you "must" still carry the Medallion. DW points out (to me) that this can be a problem for some women (such as DW) who may not have any pockets...and chooses not to carry a purse (DW seldom carries a purse when onboard a ship). With a card, she can slip it into her Kindle case but a button-like Medallion is not going to work.

 

As to knowing where you are, the cards are magnetic and only work when used. But a Medallion has a RFID chip which can be read by sensors as you walk around the ship. So, yes, if the cruise line wanted to track your whereabouts,,,it would be possible.

 

Hank

P.S. The Oscar Oscar Oscar post made me laugh. Yeah, somebody will do it

[PghCruiseGrrrl]

I don't doubt that someone has the ability to monitor me every moment of every day. I'm not a conspiracy nut, I just think it is the world we live in. I don't let it bother me for 2 reasons:

1. I can't do anything about it.

2. I have nothing to hide.

 

Princess already knows where I go and what I like to do on their ships. If this helps make my vacation more enjoyable and easier, I'm all for it.

[Pierlesscruisers]

I don't doubt that someone has the ability to monitor me every moment of every day. I'm not a conspiracy nut, I just think it is the world we live in. I don't let it bother me for 2 reasons:

1. I can't do anything about it.

2. I have nothing to hide.

 

Princess already knows where I go and what I like to do on their ships. If this helps make my vacation more enjoyable and easier, I'm all for it.

 

Hear, hear!! How dare you have the nerve to actually inject common sense into this subject!!! :eek::eek: Now, aren't you ashamed of yourself? ;)

 

Tom

[cruzsnooze]

If you read the Princess FAQs on the Medallion it says.,,and I quote...

"While you must carry a Medallion while onboard, it’s up to you how much or how little you want to take advantage of the full experience."

 

So although you could request a key card...you "must" still carry the Medallion. DW points out (to me) that this can be a problem for some women (such as DW) who may not have any pockets...and chooses not to carry a purse (DW seldom carries a purse when onboard a ship). With a card, she can slip it into her Kindle case but a button-like Medallion is not going to work.

Since I won't carry the medallion how will they know where to find me? :p

[caribill]

As to knowing where you are, the cards are magnetic and only work when used. But a Medallion has a RFID chip which can be read by sensors as you walk around the ship. So, yes, if the cruise line wanted to track your whereabouts,,,it would be possible.

 

 

The old cruise cards have the magnetic technology.

 

The new cruise cards, such as those used on the Majestic, use technology similar to the Medallion and have to be placed near the lock to unlock the cabin, not inserted into a slot.

[Womble99]

The old cruise cards have the magnetic technology.

 

The new cruise cards, such as those used on the Majestic, use technology similar to the Medallion and have to be placed near the lock to unlock the cabin, not inserted into a slot.

 

I guess people will feel more comfortable on the new medallion ships with their medallion in the shape of an old cruise card, you realise that is what is going to happen? The tech isn't going away after they have invested so much, but if it makes people more comfortable to transition to it by making it look familiar for a while that is a pretty low cost option.

[pablo222]

If you read the Princess FAQs on the Medallion it says.,,and I quote...

"While you must carry a Medallion while onboard, it’s up to you how much or how little you want to take advantage of the full experience."

 

'Must' is a pretty strong word to direct at people on vacation.

 

Will there be checkpoints to ensure compliance?

 

This will probably turn out to be like most princess rules, "you must",

but if you don't, nothing will happen...

[Globehoppers]

But it does not have to be a current cruise card. Any card works so we have old ones, cruise or from somewhere else that we keep so we can just leave them in the slot or nearby.

 

Last cruise on Royal the room attendant placed cardboard cards in all the rooms... Its a pain for them, as well.

[Pierlesscruisers]

'Must' is a pretty strong word to direct at people on vacation.

 

Will there be checkpoints to ensure compliance?

 

This will probably turn out to be like most princess rules, "you must",

but if you don't, nothing will happen...

 

It may be a strong word, but just as there are with everything in life, there are already "musts" associated with cruising. You "must" have your cruise card with you to leave the ship while in port. (Notice I didn't say back on the ship because if you lose your cruise card while off the ship, you will be escorted back on, so technically you can get back on without it.) You "must" put your luggage out prior to the morning of disembarkation if you don't want to carry them off yourself. You "must" use your cruise card to purchase something on the ship. And there are others. Are their checkpoints? Yep, where ever you purchase something, leave the ship, etc. And last, but certainly not least, try getting on your cruise without the proper documentation. I recently saw 23 people out of a group of 25 denied boarding on a cruise to Alaska because they didn't have the Canadian visa that they "must" have. So, like everything else in life there are some "musts" that must be complied with or something, usually bad, will happen, whether it's on a cruise or something else. Is it worth the risk to take a chance that a "must" can be ignored and nothing will happen? Not to my way of thinking, but you may be willing to take a risk that I'm not willing to take. Good luck with that!

 

Tom

[elfinmagic]

Since I won't carry the medallion how will they know where to find me? :p

 

Well they will know you are not in your room because you will not be able to get in without the medallion!

[pablo222]

It may be a strong word, but just as there are with everything in life, there are already "musts" associated with cruising. You "must" have your cruise card with you to leave the ship while in port. (Notice I didn't say back on the ship because if you lose your cruise card while off the ship, you will be escorted back on, so technically you can get back on without it.) You "must" put your luggage out prior to the morning of disembarkation if you don't want to carry them off yourself. You "must" use your cruise card to purchase something on the ship.

 

 

The items you mentioned all have enforcement.

 

If you try and leave the ship without your cruise card, you will be stopped.

If you try and buy something in the shops without your cruise card, you won't be able to.

(although technically you can use a credit card directly in some of the shops)

 

What's the enforcement of "you must carry the medallion" on the ship?

[cruzsnooze]

Well they will know you are not in your room because you will not be able to get in without the medallion!

You can get a regular cruise card too. I was told when I made my booking that both methods will be used to enter a cabin because they are not removing the card system. That of course probably will change in the future.

[caribill]

You can get a regular cruise card too. I was told when I made my booking that both methods will be used to enter a cabin because they are not removing the card system. That of course probably will change in the future.

 

You will not get the regular cruise card you are used to.

 

You will get a similar one that has electronics in it that can open your cabin, get you off/on the ship, etc. like the old card. You will open up your cabin door by putting it near the lock, not inserting it into a slot. Many hotels use this type card as a room "key" now.

[DRPWDunIL]

Having much experience with the MagicBand technology at Walt Disney World, it sounds to me like Princess is doing a good job with this roll out so far. There will be glitches. We LOVE the MagicBands which work on similar RFID technology. We have bracelets, but I can understand preference for many other ways to carry a Medallion. Princess is offering these options which is good. With the bracelets we have used you never have to fumble with a key, dig for your guest card, check off your name on a list for a reservation, claim your individual photos by hand that are taken by photographers, or ever use a park ticket. They also are used for airport transfers to and from the resorts. YES, there are some privacy issues that some may be concerned about but the travel industry already keeps almost all of this information on you anyway--you just don't know it. This is how upsells are often decided, I suspect move overs are decided using this data, and particular enticements may also be offered. For convenience, I'm sure I'll love the Medallion experience though our ship will not yet be outfitted until after our cruise.

[DnD_Cruisin]

Having much experience with the MagicBand technology at Walt Disney World, it sounds to me like Princess is doing a good job with this roll out so far. There will be glitches. We LOVE the MagicBands which work on similar RFID technology. We have bracelets, but I can understand preference for many other ways to carry a Medallion. Princess is offering these options which is good. With the bracelets we have used you never have to fumble with a key, dig for your guest card, check off your name on a list for a reservation, claim your individual photos by hand that are taken by photographers, or ever use a park ticket. They also are used for airport transfers to and from the resorts. YES, there are some privacy issues that some may be concerned about but the travel industry already keeps almost all of this information on you anyway--you just don't know it. This is how upsells are often decided, I suspect move overs are decided using this data, and particular enticements may also be offered. For convenience, I'm sure I'll love the Medallion experience though our ship will not yet be outfitted until after our cruise.

Considering that the leaders of this program were previously the architects at Disney it bodes well for the Carnival roll out.

 

I am truly excited about this new program. I had been debating on HAL vs Princess for the past year because I wanted more than what we now get from CCL. This program was the deciding factor. So much so that we cancelled a land based vacation and booked the Crown for our anniversary trip.

 

Personally I feel the privacy concerns are overblown. Every time I read a comment about it in this thread, I couldn't help it but I was visualizing the poster as the John Malkovich character in RED.

 

Sent from my SM-G920T using Forums mobile app

Edited July 28, 2017 by DnD_Cruisin

[cruzsnooze]

You will not get the regular cruise card you are used to.

 

You will get a similar one that has electronics in it that can open your cabin, get you off/on the ship, etc. like the old card. You will open up your cabin door by putting it near the lock, not inserting it into a slot. Many hotels use this type card as a room "key" now.

That's not what I was told. I was told the OLD key card system is too expensive to remove and will stay intact in addtion to the new system. Now we all know the reps are 100% accurate :)

If it becomes mandatory to carry only a medallion I will use an RFID wallet. After my next several cruise booked with Princess I'm using Viking Ocean and Azamara cruises anyway. I prefer a smaller ship with more amenities.

[Pierlesscruisers]

That's not what I was told. I was told the OLD key card system is too expensive to remove and will stay intact in addtion to the new system. Now we all know the reps are 100% accurate :)

If it becomes mandatory to carry only a medallion I will use an RFID wallet. After my next several cruise booked with Princess I'm using Viking Ocean and Azamara cruises anyway. I prefer a smaller ship with more amenities.

 

The only thing that I saw about using the cruise card was that it would be available at the start of the Medallion program as an alternative to the Medallion. No mention was made in the document I saw about it not being the same as the old one, it just said that you would be able to use the cruise card in lieu of the Medallion. Since the first sailing with the new system won't even be until November, I suspect that any accurate knowledge of such similarities or differences between the "old" cruise card use and the "new" cruise card use is only in the mind of the person saying it. And, yes, I do include what I just said in that statement. Nobody knows for sure!!

 

 

Tom

[Warrior Princess]

We have found on some ships if you are a regular they remember your preference. This is good customer service. If I am on a ship with this new system I will put it secure on a zip pocket in my bag. Last 2 Princess cruises we have had minor problems so will not hesitate to see purser if we have problems on Crown. Elite after this so expect good service or we switch cruise lines without question. Feel lately letting passengers down.

[PghCruiseGrrrl]

Hear, hear!! How dare you have the nerve to actually inject common sense into this subject!!! :eek::eek: Now, aren't you ashamed of yourself? ;)

 

Tom

Horribly ashamed. Now just ask Princess where I am so you can come berate me in person. If it is in the morning they will probably tell you to look for me by Outriggers, afternoon, Skyvue, evening, Vines or Crooners. 😁

 

But really, how many people that complained about when Princess stopped mailing out boarding passes and they had to print them are now complaining about the medillion? Guess what, you don't have to print your boarding passes anymore! If you complain about the shows in the Princess Theatre being old and tired, they will see people aren't attending them and update them!

[Iamcruzin]

But really, how many people that complained about when Princess stopped mailing out boarding passes and they had to print them are now complaining about the medillion? Guess what, you don't have to print your boarding passes anymore! If you complain about the shows in the Princess Theatre being old and tired, they will see people aren't attending them and update them!

 

 

 

Complaining? Just wait until this is up and running and people start complaining that the medallion passengers were approached for a drink order before the card holders.

[pablo222]

That's not what I was told. I was told the OLD key card system is too expensive to remove and will stay intact in addtion to the new system.

 

I would think the rfid mechanism would simply replace the magnetic card mechanism.

 

No one will really know until the first revenue cruise.

 

[DnD_Cruisin]

I would think the rfid mechanism would simply replace the magnetic card mechanism.

 

No one will really know until the first revenue cruise.

 

My guess is you are correct.

 

IMO the cost to retrofit the existing mechanism would be greater in cost and time.

 

But as Tom and others have pointed out... We won't know till Nov.

 

Sent from my SM-G920T using Forums mobile app

[ggprincess2004]

If you don't want the Medallion to know how long you are in the bathroom, leave it on your night table....

 

And frankly, if a bartender wants to anticipate my next drink choice, good luck.....mood of the moment for me. Got water?

 

But I do think there is merit in it (with the exception of someone who decides to toss their medallion overboard for fun) in that in the event of an emergency the crew can more easily locate almost all the passengers quickly.

 

Hopefully there is a way to put it on the lanyards we have been using to keep our cruise cards convenient.

[pablo222]

Hopefully there is a way to put it on the lanyards we have been using to keep our cruise cards convenient.

 

CruiseCritic luggage tag holder? Many people probably have one, or a different brand.

 

I don't think this is a very good price, but it's not the princess $10, either.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Rocclo-Waterproof-Holder-Vertical-10-pack/dp/B00WHN6D2C/ref=sr_1_7?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1501349967&sr=1-7&keywords=badge%2Bholder&th=1