Senior citizens, Medallions, the app, and phones - do you need a smart phone?

[BuckeyeMark]

I'll be traveling later with some friends who are ... well ... more senior. They don't want to mess with the Medallion app.  Can I tell them that once they get on the ship - and our TA says she can get them Ocean Ready - they don't need to worry about any app? Put your phone in the stateroom safe and turn it off.  No need for it unless you want to order yourself some food/drink, find someone on the ship, text someone etc. But for getting off the boat on port days and getting into your room - if you have the physical Medallion you don't need your phone.  Is this correct?

[NoWhiners]

Yes, you are correct. You don't have to use the app at all, but I think if you want to reserve at the specialty restaurants before you board, you will need it. Once you're on, not required except as you noted.

 

Put away the phones, relax and enjoy the cruise!

[PacnGoNow]

19 minutes ago, BuckeyeMark said:

I'll be traveling later with some friends who are ... well ... more senior. They don't want to mess with the Medallion app.  Can I tell them that once they get on the ship - and our TA says she can get them Ocean Ready - they don't need to worry about any app? Put your phone in the stateroom safe and turn it off.  No need for it unless you want to order yourself some food/drink, find someone on the ship, text someone etc. But for getting off the boat on port days and getting into your room - if you have the physical Medallion you don't need your phone.  Is this correct?

Correct.  
 

 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

When we were on our 18 day PC cruise, we never used our Medallion app for anything other than to check our account status. When we wanted a drink, whether it was a glass of wine, bottled water or a triple Baileys, we walked up to the bar and ordered it. But we were also in club class dining, so we didn’t need to make any evening MDR reservations.

[PacnGoNow]

2 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

I'll be traveling later with some friends who are ... well ... more senior. They don't want to mess with the Medallion app.  Can I tell them that once they get on the ship - and our TA says she can get them Ocean Ready - they don't need to worry about any app? Put your phone in the stateroom safe and turn it off.  No need for it unless you want to order yourself some food/drink, find someone on the ship, text someone etc. But for getting off the boat on port days and getting into your room - if you have the physical Medallion you don't need your phone.  Is this correct?

You can call the dine line from the cabin and they can make reservations for different DR’s or specialty for you.  Or, change reservations.  You don’t have to use your phone. 

[jinpasco]

We keep our phones in the safe too. It's vacation !  We were able to do reservations and dining changes in the tv. Easy.

 

[Loveh2ofl]

5 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

You can call the dine line from the cabin and they can make reservations for different DR’s or specialty for you.  Or, change reservations.  You don’t have to use your phone. 

You can use your cabin's tv and make reservations, change reservations, order room service etc.  Don't need to call.

[PacnGoNow]

8 hours ago, Loveh2ofl said:

You can use your cabin's tv and make reservations, change reservations, order room service etc.  Don't need to call.

Yes, thanks.  We just called, was easier. 
I normally used my phone, but some things you can’t do on the App or TV.

Especially, if there was a problem with a reservation.  The dine line would fix it.

 

You couldn’t order iced tea with lunch, which was free, along with other items.

 I hope they have fixed some of the quirks since March.

 

[Daniel A]

18 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

I'll be traveling later with some friends who are ... well ... more senior. They don't want to mess with the Medallion app.  Can I tell them that once they get on the ship - and our TA says she can get them Ocean Ready - they don't need to worry about any app? Put your phone in the stateroom safe and turn it off.  No need for it unless you want to order yourself some food/drink, find someone on the ship, text someone etc. But for getting off the boat on port days and getting into your room - if you have the physical Medallion you don't need your phone.  Is this correct?

Maybe somebody can give an update on this, but it used to be that if your friends didn't want to use the physical Medallion they could get an old-fashioned cruise card at the Passenger Services Desk once they are onboard.

[BabySarge]

We were on the Emerald Princess in January and February and found no need to use anything other than the medallion, a smile, wave of the hand, and the basic please and thank you when ordering our drinks from the bar staff.  Pretty much every lounge we went into still had at least one or two roving servers asking if anyone wanted anything to drink.  Only place it might be more difficult would be by the pool area but even there with a bit of patience you could still flag someone down. While my DH (79) does have a smartphone and mostly knows how to use it he still prefers, even at home, to use it as a paperweight; he is an absolute whiz with the TV remote however and was able to order room service for himself just using that.  

[cruzsnooze]

20 hours ago, BuckeyeMark said:

I'll be traveling later with some friends who are ... well ... more senior. They don't want to mess with the Medallion app.  Can I tell them that once they get on the ship - and our TA says she can get them Ocean Ready - they don't need to worry about any app? Put your phone in the stateroom safe and turn it off.  No need for it unless you want to order yourself some food/drink, find someone on the ship, text someone etc. But for getting off the boat on port days and getting into your room - if you have the physical Medallion you don't need your phone.  Is this correct?

I have sailed 3 times without an APP and twice without a medallion, I got a regular cruise card. The cruise card unlocks the cabin door just like the medallion and you use it to get off at port just like the medallion. You can do most things on your TV.  

[DCThunder]

If you want to play the Ocean Sports Book, you do need the app to place a bet.

[MissP22]

I liked the ability to continue to watch one of their in room movies on my phone while waiting for a show to begin in the theater. 

I probably used it more on the ship then at home since taking loads of pictures means I don't have to carry my camera all the time.

It's not for everyone I suppose.