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OCEAN MEDALLION


JoRoy218
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Just received an email from Princess that our Ocean Medallions for the 12/9 Canal cruise on CB are on the way.  Thought it’s interesting that they’re coming from Singapore via DHL. Guess it’s all a matter of cost. 

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1 hour ago, JoRoy218 said:

Just received an email from Princess that our Ocean Medallions for the 12/9 Canal cruise on CB are on the way.  Thought it’s interesting that they’re coming from Singapore via DHL. Guess it’s all a matter of cost. 

At least you are getting them.  

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Read on other threads that is the point of manufacture/programming. Figure from info on web, there are about 45,000 pax possible at any one time on Princess' ships. That is a LOT of OM discs to produce and distribute. I guess they found a place in Singapore that could handle that number.

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Just now, Mike45LC said:

I have no intention of using the Medallion.  As long as they offer a normal cruise card, that will be my choice.  When they stop offering cards, I'll keep my Medallion in a RFID-shielded wallet.

They actually do have both.  In fact, on the Regal (as of 2 weeks ago) those in cabins with the OM had to also carry their cruise card (which also contains a chip) since their OM was worthless for anything other then unlocking their cabin door.  On ships where everything is functional, you would theoretically not need a card.  But when we were chatting with a Guest Relations rep on the Regal I asked what would happen if somebody did not want to use a Medallion.  He told me that Guest Relations would simply give them a chipped cruise card (all the cards now contain chips) which they could use instead of the OM.   Princess is really getting carried away with onboard sensors.  While on the Regal we noticed the the company that installed the elevators (Kone) has several employees on our ship installing new sensors in the waiting areas near elevators.  When I asked them about the sensors they told me that they would help keep track people movement in the area outside the elevators.  This information could theoretically be tied into the elevator control system resulting in better sequencing of the elevators.  I will not tell you want was said when I asked if this really worked....but suffice it to say that it resulted in several smiles.

 

Hank

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2 hours ago, JoRoy218 said:

Just received an email from Princess that our Ocean Medallions for the 12/9 Canal cruise on CB are on the way.  Thought it’s interesting that they’re coming from Singapore via DHL. Guess it’s all a matter of cost. 

 

 If you’re experience is like mine, they will arrive quickly. Ours left Singapore last Friday and arrived in Texas yesterday (Monday). Also DHL. 

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41 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

I have no intention of using the Medallion.  As long as they offer a normal cruise card, that will be my choice.  When they stop offering cards, I'll keep my Medallion in a RFID-shielded wallet.

You will have to use that wallet. From other posts the actual door locks have been swapped out. There is no slot for a card in the new set up. The OM has two separate chips that do specific jobs. One of them is for location and unlocking cabin from several feet. If opting out of the OM, the card issued is used like the old cruise card as far as making purchases. It has a VERY low powered chip for unlocking the door, has to physically be placed on the screen by the door. 

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4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

When I asked them about the sensors they told me that they would help keep track people movement in the area outside the elevators.  This information could theoretically be tied into the elevator control system resulting in better sequencing of the elevators.  I will not tell you want was said when I asked if this really worked....but suffice it to say that it resulted in several smiles.

  

With 4 or 8 elevators next to each other and having a much better guess at which deck guests will want to go to, I'm convinced elevators can be more efficient and even nicer to the guests. If one elevator is bringing someone from deck A to Lido, and rightly "guesses" that another 7 people on deck 3 want to go up just to deck 4 for dinner, it should probably simply skip deck 3 and return later. The actual movement is very cheap (measured in time) compared to people going in and out. It's also more convenient, and less time-consuming for guests to not have to find their way out if they're in the back and want to leave while everyone else want to stay.

 

Anyway, I'm not convinced that asking peope installing sensors is the best way to find out if it would work or not. And I'm sure that the people who sold this to the cruise line showed enough evidence to at least give it a try.

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On 11/20/2018 at 3:48 PM, jlp20 said:

You will have to use that wallet. From other posts the actual door locks have been swapped out. There is no slot for a card in the new set up. The OM has two separate chips that do specific jobs. One of them is for location and unlocking cabin from several feet. If opting out of the OM, the card issued is used like the old cruise card as far as making purchases. It has a VERY low powered chip for unlocking the door, has to physically be placed on the screen by the door. 

Just don't lose the Medallion or anyone who finds it has access to your cabin until your report it missing.

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On 11/21/2018 at 12:49 AM, AmazedByCruising said:

  

With 4 or 8 elevators next to each other and having a much better guess at which deck guests will want to go to, I'm convinced elevators can be more efficient and even nicer to the guests. If one elevator is bringing someone from deck A to Lido, and rightly "guesses" that another 7 people on deck 3 want to go up just to deck 4 for dinner, it should probably simply skip deck 3 and return later. The actual movement is very cheap (measured in time) compared to people going in and out. It's also more convenient, and less time-consuming for guests to not have to find their way out if they're in the back and want to leave while everyone else want to stay.

 

Anyway, I'm not convinced that asking peope installing sensors is the best way to find out if it would work or not. And I'm sure that the people who sold this to the cruise line showed enough evidence to at least give it a try.

We were on the Carnival Horizon in April and they had a new elevator system with no buttons inside.  You pressed a button to call the elevator then indicated which floor you required and the system then told you which elevator to go to.  This seems a simpler system (for the elevators if not the users) to get the same effect.

 

We did experience quite a few people not knowing how to work them though, despite the TV screens with instructions on repeat.  My 3 year old son loved it 

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20 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

No different than losing a cruise card.

There's a huge difference in losing your cruise card. On the card there's no cabin number but the with the Medallion it give the person the cabin number & even directions on how to get there.

It also lets you know if your cabin mate is in the cabin or not.

Not good at all.

This will require a major software change ASAP.

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1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

There's a huge difference in losing your cruise card. On the card there's no cabin number but the with the Medallion it give the person the cabin number & even directions on how to get there.

It also lets you know if your cabin mate is in the cabin or not.

Not good at all.

This will require a major software change ASAP.

 

Huh??   Where did you hear that?

 

The cabin number is not displayed on the medallion.

 

If you are thinking that an evil-doer can walk up to a public kiosk and ask for directions to the cabin associated with a found medallion that he is now carrying, I am of the opinion that the Princess/CCL IT and Security departments are a little smarter than most Cruise Critic participants think.  Yes, I believe that one of the features of the new system is that you could use a public kiosk to get directions to various shipboard destinations--including cabins.  However, I can't believe there is a "Go Home" button (like in my car's navigation system) on these kiosks.  I have to believe that the user would have to enter the cabin number.  Specifically, that would be the cabin number that is not displayed on the medallion.

 

In my view is is exactly the same as if the evil-doer had found a cruise card.

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23 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

 

Huh??   Where did you hear that?

 

The cabin number is not displayed on the medallion.

 

If you are thinking that an evil-doer can walk up to a public kiosk and ask for directions to the cabin associated with a found medallion that he is now carrying, I am of the opinion that the Princess/CCL IT and Security departments are a little smarter than most Cruise Critic participants think.  Yes, I believe that one of the features of the new system is that you could use a public kiosk to get directions to various shipboard destinations--including cabins.  However, I can't believe there is a "Go Home" button (like in my car's navigation system) on these kiosks.  I have to believe that the user would have to enter the cabin number.  Specifically, that would be the cabin number that is not displayed on the medallion.

 

In my view is is exactly the same as if the evil-doer had found a cruise card.

lol I agree.........         wow.   

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18 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

lol          The paranoia runs deep.   

Now that Princess has successfully marketed their mostly non-existent Medallion (which is of minimum value to the cruiser) we have heard that they will soon start selling pieces of the Brooklyn Bridge in the shop right next to the booze.  By the way, when we priced-out the cost of some basic VSOP Cognac on the Regal, it was about the same price as it is in PA where we have an 18% booze tax (included in the price of the booze) plus an additional 6% tax.  And we heard that our State Liquor Stores will soon be giving away Medallions that will unlock the door to the liquor stores during normal hours.

 

Hank

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5 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

No different than losing a cruise card.

Just a couple of major differences. OM only works ON THE SHIP. Be it a bar or shop, when OM is used your photo appears on their screen. 

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15 minutes ago, jlp20 said:

Just a couple of major differences. OM only works ON THE SHIP. Be it a bar or shop, when OM is used your photo appears on their screen. 

How so?

Cruise card only works on the ship.   🤔

(I guess I have never tried it for gas.)

When you use your cruise card at a bar or shop your photo appears on their screen.  🤔

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10 hours ago, colville2002 said:

We were on the Carnival Horizon in April and they had a new elevator system with no buttons inside.  You pressed a button to call the elevator then indicated which floor you required and the system then told you which elevator to go to.  This seems a simpler system (for the elevators if not the users) to get the same effect.

 

We did experience quite a few people not knowing how to work them though, despite the TV screens with instructions on repeat.  My 3 year old son loved it 

 

That's definitely simpler but when people don't understand what they're expected to do, I can see how that leads to problems. The TV screens were probably added later because of those.   

 

Maybe they should also have kept the buttons inside for "normal" operation.

 

Did guests understand after a few days into the cruise? 

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Just now, AmazedByCruising said:

 

That's definitely simpler but when people don't understand what they're expected to do, I can see how that leads to problems. The TV screens were probably added later because of those.   

 

Maybe they should also have kept the buttons inside for "normal" operation.

 

Did guests understand after a few days into the cruise? 

 

We were on the inaugural cruise so TVs were there from the start but perhaps discovered in testing! I think people did get used to it but I do recall a few times still with people jumping in then asking if it was going to their floor. 

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21 hours ago, colville2002 said:

We were on the Carnival Horizon in April and they had a new elevator system with no buttons inside.  You pressed a button to call the elevator then indicated which floor you required and the system then told you which elevator to go to.  This seems a simpler system (for the elevators if not the users) to get the same effect.

 

 

Have you ever been on an elevator and realized that you want to change which floor you are going to? If so, all you had to do was press the button for the new floor.

 

Seems that with the Carnival system if you want to change which floor you must first go to the original floor, get off of the elevator, push the button and indicate what floor you want and then wait for a new elevator to arrive. Wow, what an improvement!

 

Most of the problems with Princess elevators can be solved with some better programming:

In a number of cases the elevators in one bank are called with different buttons. The real life result is that people press both buttons in hopes of getting the first one to arrive. However, the call for the second elevator remains active and it arrives only to find nobody wants to get on it. Change the system so that one button applies to all elevators in the bank. This will eliminate the unnecessary stops by a second elevator.

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On 11/23/2018 at 1:59 PM, XBGuy said:

 

Huh??   Where did you hear that?

 

The cabin number is not displayed on the medallion.

 

If you are thinking that an evil-doer can walk up to a public kiosk and ask for directions to the cabin associated with a found medallion that he is now carrying, I am of the opinion that the Princess/CCL IT and Security departments are a little smarter than most Cruise Critic participants think.  Yes, I believe that one of the features of the new system is that you could use a public kiosk to get directions to various shipboard destinations--including cabins.  However, I can't believe there is a "Go Home" button (like in my car's navigation system) on these kiosks.  I have to believe that the user would have to enter the cabin number.  Specifically, that would be the cabin number that is not displayed on the medallion.

 

In my view is is exactly the same as if the evil-doer had found a cruise card.

The cabin number, as you say, is not printed on the Medallion but anyone with the Medallion in their possession can walk up to on of the select location boards on the ship & get your cabin number even with specific instructions on how to get there.

I take it that you haven't used the new system yet.

 

I explained it to the people at the PSD & they didn't think it any problem. I then asked if they were going to begin printing the cabin number on the cards also which they said, no since it would present a security problem.

 

They also didn't think it presented any problem since when you lose it the Medallion can be cancelled & reissued but would look into it. 

Although there is no "go home" button on the boards, only your cabin location and you can also check if if your cabin mate is in there.

Point of the story is, DON'T lose your Medallion and if you do you had better report it lost ASAP if lost.

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