Facial Recognition Discontinued??

[napunani]

After a 7 years hiatus, we just booked 2 cruises with Princess, so we are new to the Medallion and APP concept.  So does this mean that facial recognition has been replaced by the Medallion? Or by the Princess APP?  Or both?   I understand the Medallion is the cabin "key" now along with other features, but haven't read anything about ship access/facial recognition.

TIA

[d9704011]

11 minutes ago, napunani said:

After a 7 years hiatus, we just booked 2 cruises with Princess, so we are new to the Medallion and APP concept.  So does this mean that facial recognition has been replaced by the Medallion? Or by the Princess APP?  Or both?   I understand the Medallion is the cabin "key" now along with other features, but haven't read anything about ship access/facial recognition.

TIA

You will be asked to upload a photo of yourself once you begin populating the Princess app.

[capriccio]

23 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

You will be asked to upload a photo of yourself once you begin populating the Princess app.

If that picture turns out to be insufficient for whatever reason, they will take it again at the embarkation which takes just seconds.

[skynight]

The medallion itself is has no features. It's just an RFD device with a code that identifies you. It's not that much different then the previous cruise card. When you approach your cabin the door will unlock.

All the detailed data that you previously entered pre-cruise can now be entered on the app. There is also a web version. There are all kinds of on board features that you can choose to use or not to use. You can choose to carry your phone or smart device around with you or leave it in the cabin safe, it's up to you. 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, napunani said:

After a 7 years hiatus, we just booked 2 cruises with Princess, so we are new to the Medallion and APP concept.  So does this mean that facial recognition has been replaced by the Medallion? Or by the Princess APP?  Or both?   I understand the Medallion is the cabin "key" now along with other features, but haven't read anything about ship access/facial recognition.

TIA

I think that is a different line. Princess never mentioned facial recognition. 

 

I think RCCL is using facial recognition https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/royal-caribbean-to-roll-out-facial-recognition-technology-for-disembarkation-in-select-ports

[beg3yrs]

2 hours ago, napunani said:

After a 7 years hiatus, we just booked 2 cruises with Princess, so we are new to the Medallion and APP concept.  So does this mean that facial recognition has been replaced by the Medallion? Or by the Princess APP?  Or both?   I understand the Medallion is the cabin "key" now along with other features, but haven't read anything about ship access/facial recognition.

TIA

 

25 minutes ago, Coral said:

I think that is a different line. Princess never mentioned facial recognition. 

 

I think RCCL is using facial recognition https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/royal-caribbean-to-roll-out-facial-recognition-technology-for-disembarkation-in-select-ports

Exactly. The only use I know of for facial recognition on Princess is with the photography staff. There it's used to easily identify you and show you all the photos you are in. Even that capability wasn't around seven years ago.

[Coral]

1 minute ago, beg3yrs said:

 

Exactly. The only use I know of for facial recognition on Princess is with the photography staff. There it's used to easily identify you and show you all the photos you are in. Even that capability wasn't around seven years ago.

Someone I know took part in RCCL's beta facial recognition program years ago and said it was amazing compared to what Princess was doing.

[MissP22]

The only place that utilizes facial recognition onboard the ship is in the photo dept., and sometimes that isn't 100% reliable. 

[minnesotasisu]

you may be thinking of the facial recognition that is utilized by US border patrol when you disembark in a US port instead of having to show your passport.

[napunani]

May I clarify...in the past, photos were taken of each passenger at the embarkation.  Somehow it synced with your plastic passenger card, so when you left/returned to the ship and scanned your plastic passenger card, ship security saw your pic (head shot) on their monitors.   I believe "d9704011" response addressed.  Thanks!

[jagoffee]

39 minutes ago, napunani said:

May I clarify...in the past, photos were taken of each passenger at the embarkation.  Somehow it synced with your plastic passenger card, so when you left/returned to the ship and scanned your plastic passenger card, ship security saw your pic (head shot) on their monitors.   I believe "d9704011" response addressed.  Thanks!

Works exactly the same with the medallion.  Instead of scanning your card it scans your Medallion  and the person manning the station see your picture on their screen.  They manually recognize you.

[Clek]

Your door using facial recognition too. It will only unlock your door if your medallion matches your face. You cannot use your spouse's medallion to get in your room only yours.

[TRLD]

10 minutes ago, Clek said:

Your door using facial recognition too. It will only unlock your door if your medallion matches your face. You cannot use your spouse's medallion to get in your room only yours.

Not on any Princess ship I have been on. Usually the door will unlock when you are several feet down the hallway and approaching. We have mistakenly exchanged medallions and they have unlocked the door just fine.

[nasa1974]

4 hours ago, Coral said:

I think that is a different line. Princess never mentioned facial recognition. 

 

I think RCCL is using facial recognition https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/royal-caribbean-to-roll-out-facial-recognition-technology-for-disembarkation-in-select-ports

RCCL uses facial recognition for their app, so you don't have to type in your information every time you open the app. I don't remember facial recognition for disembarkation in Miami when I got off the Oasis last March. But then again, I was just following everyone off the ship. I've used it a few times with Customs.

[Clek]

30 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Not on any Princess ship I have been on. Usually the door will unlock when you are several feet down the hallway and approaching. We have mistakenly exchanged medallions and they have unlocked the door just fine.

We had friends trade medallions and their would not open.

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, nasa1974 said:

RCCL uses facial recognition for their app, so you don't have to type in your information every time you open the app. I don't remember facial recognition for disembarkation in Miami when I got off the Oasis last March. But then again, I was just following everyone off the ship. I've used it a few times with Customs.

My friend used it on the ship. It was in beta form at that time so I don't remember the details. I haven't sailed RCCL for a long time. I just remember my friend thinking it was better than the Medallion Princess was using.

[d9704011]

8 minutes ago, Clek said:

We had friends trade medallions and their would not open.

Maybe they went to the wrong doors.

[beg3yrs]

1 hour ago, Clek said:

Your door using facial recognition too. It will only unlock your door if your medallion matches your face. You cannot use your spouse's medallion to get in your room only yours.

Not sure if this is really the case but it's not all that far-fetched. The monitors at each door are actually Samsung tablets. You can even see the opening for the rear-facing camera. The technology is there, just don't know first-hand if they're using FR.

[beg3yrs]

2 hours ago, napunani said:

May I clarify...in the past, photos were taken of each passenger at the embarkation.  Somehow it synced with your plastic passenger card, so when you left/returned to the ship and scanned your plastic passenger card, ship security saw your pic (head shot) on their monitors.   I believe "d9704011" response addressed.  Thanks!

Ha! So you actually mean biological facial recognition. Still uses a human to recognize the faces!

[TRLD]

3 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

Not sure if this is really the case but it's not all that far-fetched. The monitors at each door are actually Samsung tablets. You can even see the opening for the rear-facing camera. The technology is there, just don't know first-hand if they're using FR.

However most of the time the door unlocks as soon as te medallion gets within 10 to 15 feet of the door. A time when the monitors are not even in site. For face recognition one would have to be in fairly close proximity to the camera. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

6 hours ago, Clek said:

Your door using facial recognition too. It will only unlock your door if your medallion matches your face. You cannot use your spouse's medallion to get in your room only yours.

I surely hope you are attempting some humor here.  Because if you're really serious with your reply you couldn't be further from the truth.  You absolutely CAN use your cabin mate's medallion to get in the door.

 

[TheMichael]

5 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

RCCL uses facial recognition for their app, so you don't have to type in your information every time you open the app. ]

 

They use your phone's facial recognition for that - the info, at least on an iPhone, is kept solely on your phone, isn't shared with any app provider, and uses an infrared projector/camera combo to "map" your features for authentication. The app asks the phone, "is this user legit?" and the phone does the scan, matches it to its "map" and tells the app "yep" or "nope."

 

I know that on our HAL Alaska cruise, we needed to "smile for the camera" when we embarked, and again at least once when returning from port. Not sure how much true "facial recognition" was involved there.

 

Princess's current "facial recognition" is when you buy a drink or espresso, the bartender looks at his tablet and sees the photo you added to your Medallion and says to himself, "I recognize that face." 

[beg3yrs]

27 minutes ago, TheMichael said:

Princess's current "facial recognition" is when you buy a drink or espresso, the bartender looks at his tablet and sees the photo you added to your Medallion and says to himself, "I recognize that face." 

Aha! That explains many of the incorrect charges. Unfamiliar old people with gray hair all look the same to young people!

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, TheMichael said:

 

They use your phone's facial recognition for that - the info, at least on an iPhone, is kept solely on your phone, isn't shared with any app provider, and uses an infrared projector/camera combo to "map" your features for authentication. The app asks the phone, "is this user legit?" and the phone does the scan, matches it to its "map" and tells the app "yep" or "nope."

 

I know that on our HAL Alaska cruise, we needed to "smile for the camera" when we embarked, and again at least once when returning from port. Not sure how much true "facial recognition" was involved there.

 

Princess's current "facial recognition" is when you buy a drink or espresso, the bartender looks at his tablet and sees the photo you added to your Medallion and says to himself, "I recognize that face." 

Not even that. Early in the restart they would use the pictures and make the charge. That led to too many errors. Lately the procedure is to confirm cabin number, and not just depend upon the picture.

[TheMichael]

43 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Not even that. Early in the restart they would use the pictures and make the charge. That led to too many errors. Lately the procedure is to confirm cabin number, and not just depend upon the picture.

 

Early in the cruise, yeah (or they'll ask, "TheMichael?") After they've seen me a few times they practically start making my drink when I walk up.