New MAGIC Bands are coming to RCCL

So are SeaPass cards. I just don't like the idea of RFID chips tracking me all over the ship - I read "1984!"

No one in the history of Earth has ever put a RFID chip in a card format. Ever.

Now, if you'll step over here... I've got this great bridge to sell you. They call it the "Brooklyn Bridge" now, but for a small investment I can make it the "Caribbeansunrise Bridge" just for you.

That is an interesting point on what we will need ashore as no name or anything is on it for what I can see

 

Have to just wait and see

What do Disney do ashore

 

 

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Interesting thought.

No one in the history of Earth has ever put a RFID chip in a card format. Ever.

 

 

Now, if you'll step over here... I've got this great bridge to sell you. They call it the "Brooklyn Bridge" now, but for a small investment I can make it the "Caribbeansunrise Bridge" just for you.

Leave the Brooklyn Bridge alone. Too many people have been messing with it lately.

The bands are 2.00 dollars, and when you order it, they will place it in your room. You have the choice between the traditional sea pass or the band

Ok good to know.

As opposed to charging a few thousand dollars for a cruise and having you make up your own luggage tags?

I agree that is quite sad. :(:(

While I love the ding when boarding, that disembarkment ding on the last day is the saddest sound in the world!:(

I used to think that way until the time on Oasis that I got the "bong" just as I was about to step off of the ship that sent me to guest services. I was not a happy sailor at all that morning.

I used to think that way until the time on Oasis that I got the "bong" just as I was about to step off of the ship that sent me to guest services. I was not a happy sailor at all that morning.

It's also fun when you get the "bong" that requires you to have a special interview with the CBP people.:rolleyes:

The bong is even worse after you woke up at 3am with a flashing message light telling you to come to Guest Services, went to Guest Services, stood in line to be told there was no problem, sorry for the inconvenience and then get bonged and sent to Guest Services to stand in line again :(

I have a feeling that while Disney pulled this off almost flawlessly, RCI would mess it up somehow. Just like what will happen to every non physical 'innovation' aboard Quantum.

Oh, come on. RCI would never screw up anything related to IT. Never!

;)

Oh, come on. RCI would never screw up anything related to IT. Never!

 

;)

Hehe. Quantum is not looking great to me...RCI us making SUCH a huge deal out of it. I can think of a way everything can fail:

DD--A flop.

Ifly--fans turn off, bang! ;)

Virtual balconies--really lame/unrealistic. I think while good in theory, Disneys virtual portholes are a better idea. A balcony sized screen us a little startling.

Two70 is probably one of the colkest ideas on the ship however.

The North Star seems like it could create long lines--the Aquaduck on the Disney Dream has 1hr long lines!!!

Yes you can and they give a hard time to use it especially if you don't want to scan your finger! If you want to show ID they keep saying you cannot, but you can and it was a horrible experience there a month ago. Not going back and I've been going since the park opened and an annual pass holder many many times.

Walt Disney World absolutely does not give you a hard time for using a card instead of a MagicBand at the admission gates or FastPass+ return scanners. Any guest staying offsite who isn't an annual passholder will only have an RFID enabled admission card/ticket. Probably 10,000+ people each day use cards instead of MagicBands. None of them are given a hard time for it.

Of course they give you a hard time for wanting to show ID and not do the finger scan... you aren't wanting to use the system as designed and you are holding up other guests in the process. The finger scan is not a fingerprint. It takes several size measurements of your fingertip to compare it against those same measurements taken the first time you scanned just to make sure you are you. Out of the 50,000+ guests who walk through Walt Disney World admission gates every day, I bet I can count on one hand the number of people who refuse to scan their fingers due to fears of the black helicopters.

They made me sick of it all and their new fast pass even shows the holders name. when they shouted out a young child's name at Disney to carry a stupid lanyard to time their line - that was it. Too much tracking and privacy issues. All the computers tracking Disney has and they have to yell out a 5 yr olds name to carry a lanyard to time a line? I'm finished with them. I read the RCCL article yesterday of the RFID and new robot bartender. I won't be going there either.

They use the name to personally greet you. How horrible to have to be called by your name.

As for the lanyard to time the line, my 6 and 7 year olds fight over who gets to carry it whenever we are requested to do so. They think it is a big privilege and responsibility to be helping out the other guests by helping to get an accurate wait time.

As for the robot bartender on Quantum, it is a novelty at one bar. They aren't looking to replace every bartender on every ship with a robot. People complaining about the robot bartender would be like if people complained when Norwegian Cruise Lines announced there would be an ice bar on Epic: "I'm never sailing on another Norwegian ship again... their bars are all going to be made out of ice and too cold for me!"

They only give the lanyard to the people who go in the non-fast pass line. They don't yell at anyone, nor by name to take them. They ask you if you would take one at the entry point of the ride for the ride.

 

I know this as I have done this twice in two days, as I am at Disney now. It was more likely an unhappy parent who yelled at their child by name, because they didn't take it. If that worker did as you said, I don't think they would be a cast member for two long.

 

On a side note, there are still people using the old style cards for their fast pass plus and park entry. There are also a lot of people not wearing them at all, perhaps they are just there for the day. It is an option if you ever want to go back.

I don't agree with much else sept10dsm posted about Walt Disney World, but they certainly could have been correct about someone in FastPass+ return being given a lanyard to track the wait time. While they regularly send them through the standby line to make sure the posted wait time of the attraction is accurate, they will occasionally send a lanyard through the FP+ return line to confirm how long guests are waiting from the first scanner to the ride vehicle. They will typically do this on rides which have a high volume of FP+ return (like Toy Story Midway Mania and Space Mountain), although we've been asked to carry them when doing short FP+ return lines like the Barnstormer.

I do agree with everything else you posted, as it mirrors what I've said in other posts as well.

10,000+ offsite guests at Walt Disney World every day use cards instead of MagicBands to enter the park and return to the FP+ line. Nobody is giving them a hard time.

Nobody is being yelled at to carry lanyards to check wait times. You are politely asked. If you refuse for whatever reason, they just give it to the person behind you.

I have a feeling that while Disney pulled this off almost flawlessly, RCI would mess it up somehow. Just like what will happen to every non physical 'innovation' aboard Quantum.

I think Disney has it working well now but from everything I recall reading in the local papers it was far from a flawless rollout. Took much longer and cost much more than originally projected, etc.

Oh, come on. RCI would never screw up anything related to IT. Never!

 

;)

Combining Disney's teething problems with RCI's crack IT reputation and I am glad I wont be seeing this for a while yet. Sounds like Freedom in '15 might be my first exposure, hopefully they have the bugs out by then ...

We used the Magic Bands at Disney for everything....all purchases went on our credit card. Meals, drinks, gift shops...everything. Completely cashless.

I immediately liked the concept, just like a sea pass card...problem was, at Disney, you paid for everything...EVERYTHING!..and it added up quickly. The band made it too easy as opposed to checking how much $$ you had on you....

That is my biggest fear with RCI, that they could go to a "Pay as you Go" system, and not all inclusive.

I did not wear the band all the time, just when I knew I would be using it frequently...otherwise I kept it in my pocket and handed it to servers, bartenders, etc, to scan it.

I'm afraid it will slow down the process of getting on/off the ship.

Right now, as everyone knows, all they do is insert your card in/out and keep the line moving.

With the bands, you have to hold it to the scanner, and wait maybe 5 seconds for it to to read it. Then you have to put your finger on the scanner...and maybe one out of every 15 did not do it correctly, and a CM had to intervene.....you have to hold it perfectly to the scanner.

I know I am only taking about seconds more per person, but think about it...everyone getting on the ship at a port, having to stop and pause at the scanner instead of keeping the line moving briskly as it does now.

I did glanced at the monitors at Disney when my band was scanned, and a Icon appeared where my Photo would have been....so maybe RCI will continue with the photo's rather than the finger scan...

I'm afraid it will slow down the process of getting on/off the ship.

Right now, as everyone knows, all they do is insert your card in/out and keep the line moving.

With the bands, you have to hold it to the scanner, and wait maybe 5 seconds for it to to read it. Then you have to put your finger on the scanner...and maybe one out of every 15 did not do it correctly, and a CM had to intervene.....you have to hold it perfectly to the scanner.

 

I know I am only taking about seconds more per person, but think about it...everyone getting on the ship at a port, having to stop and pause at the scanner instead of keeping the line moving briskly as it does now.

 

I did glanced at the monitors at Disney when my band was scanned, and a Icon appeared where my Photo would have been....so maybe RCI will continue with the photo's rather than the finger scan...

Disney has required a finger scan for 10 years now to verify the holder of the admission card is the original owner. That was started long before they even came up with the idea of MagicBands. With the rollout of MagicBands and RFID admission cards, they continued to use the finger measurement as this identification. The finger scan is not integral to the technology. Disney could go to taking pictures of everyone and have the cast members look at your picture on the screen if they wanted to do that instead.

RoyalCaribbean has used a photo as the primary identifier to confirm the holder of the SeaPass card is the owner of that card. I don't see that changing or see them going to a finger scan. The photograph matching, frankly, is much less likely to falsely allow someone through. So when getting on/off the ship you'll hold your card or band against a reader and your picture will popup for security to verify you are you (just like it does today). Really shouldn't take more or less time than sliding a magnetic card into a reader now and confirming your picture is you. The actual RFID read takes less than a second.

I have been following along with the Magic Bands and think this might be a nice change, only thing I can see, is with the Card you can always put in your purse or pocket during Formal night. I certainly wouldn't want to be wearing them during Formal Night, so it would go in my purse as the card would.

If the bands are removable, I think they'd be pretty convenient. As others have said on here, I'm sure this is the way of the future. In 10 years the cards will have gone the way of metal room keys.

Can't wait to get the new tan line from the bracelet! :mad:

Disney does this now and you have the option of the wrist band or conventional room card.

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So just quantum is using bands.

No one in the history of Earth has ever put a RFID chip in a card format. Ever.

 

 

Now, if you'll step over here... I've got this great bridge to sell you. They call it the "Brooklyn Bridge" now, but for a small investment I can make it the "Caribbeansunrise Bridge" just for you.

Just because they are paranoid doesn't mean there isn't someone out to get them:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/june/money/credit-card-fraud/rfid-credit-cards/index.htm

No one in the history of Earth has ever put a RFID chip in a card format. Ever.

 

 

Now, if you'll step over here... I've got this great bridge to sell you. They call it the "Brooklyn Bridge" now, but for a small investment I can make it the "Caribbeansunrise Bridge" just for you.

I guess you can't believe anything you read on the Internet.

http://www.lowcards.com/credit-cards-rfid-13517

The RFID chip in my work ID card stopped allowing me access to the building because you said it was not possible. Ouch!

It's possible you meant something else entirely?

I will certainly be buying one. The function that most appeals to me is the electric shock it omits to stop me, after having a few too many drinks, trying to step outside for some fresh air...............on my virtual balcony.

 

If rumours are to be believed some smart IT entrepreneurs have developed some handy aftermarket additions that can be downloaded onto the bands.

 

*PAS (photographer avoidance system)

 

*Automatic credit refusal system that can detect and block your wife's band when in the proximity of so called on board sales.

 

*Virtual Tux. Creates an aura around the body giving the impression that the wearer of the band is attired in formal gear even when they are wearing shorts and bare feet. Only fools cannot see this aura.

 

*Tipping BS detection. Emits a loud beeping sound when in the presence of a person happily talking about how they always waste hours of their time standing in line to remove their auto grats just so that they can personally tip the same people more in cash.

 

*Port shopping BS warning. A predictive application that emits loudly the words " because I get commission" at the exact time that the port shopping hostess mentions the reason why passengers should purchase merchandise from the stores in port replacing words such as bargain, value, wont get cheaper anywhere else or the like during the port shopping talk.

You know....Woodyren.. I do believe your on to something here.

But I am going to opt for the Superband!

IT has even more options to ensure I have a great holiday.

--The band emits a signal that will bring my ship board account to zero every time I walk past the Purser's desk.

--The band emits a very uncomfortable dog whistle type sound that only seat savers and pool chair hogs can hear.

--Rude people will hear this too... but louder!

-- D+ and above that talk too much and other braggarts and other blow hearts will be silenced within 10 feet of the band wearer.

--Rude and pushy cruisers who rush the elevators will be backed out by a force emitted from the wrist band.

The use of wrist bands is getting more attractive!

So just quantum is using bands.

Yes, Quantum is the only ship that will have the advanced technology to use them. They are completely optional and will have a nominal fee. I believe $2.00 was the figure posted.

I have been following along with the Magic Bands and think this might be a nice change, only thing I can see, is with the Card you can always put in your purse or pocket during Formal night. I certainly wouldn't want to be wearing them during Formal Night, so it would go in my purse as the card would.

There is no Formal Night on Quantum.