Outerdog

Just now, SLWalker said:

If I purchase Ocean Now but do not purchase wifi, would I still be able to order with the Princess App?

Yes. The ship's wifi network supports the Princess App. Connecting your device to MedallionNet wifi costs nothing and will give you access to OceanNow ordering, among other things (locate shipmates, events calendar, etc etc).

If you did choose to purchase internet, you would connect your devices to the same MedallionNet access point and follow the prompts. Once connected, your device will function as if connected to any standard wifi with internet access. 

8 minutes ago, Pushka said:

So the medallion is waterproof then?  If looking on Amazon for accessories, do they specifically sell the medallion size or should we search for the Apple AirTag size. Is there a different medallion for each cruise you take? 

More or less waterproof. Water resistant is probably the correct term.

Look for Apple AirTag accessories. Perfect fit.

Yes, you receive a new medallion for each cruise.

52 minutes ago, rodndonna said:

I'll throw my medallion question in ...

 

What are the options for attachment? Can I generally attach it through a typical wristband or a small clip (on a lanyard).

 

Don't want to splurge on the Medallion specific items for carrying in case we don't sail on Princess again in the future.

I use a little rubber-ish Apple AirTag holder. The rubber-ish holder helps keep it inside a pocket (think loose shorts and whatnot). I attach it to a lanyard when embarking and disembarking the ship, but otherwise just leave it in my pocket while onboard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09468VZ5W/

1 minute ago, IndyKid said:

And at many places when you disembark they use facial recognition, no need to stop and talk to a customs and immigration officer. 

The facial recognition used by US CPB has nothing to do with the Medallion. 

Do not confuse the Medallion - a little coin-sized device - with the Medallion App or anything else called Medallion. The Medallion itself doesn't store any information. It stores a number only that references a record on a server containing all of the same information as before.

Be cautious when reading tales from passengers who had a one-off experience. Yes, the bartenders can make mistakes, but overall charging the correct Medallion is what happens 99% of the time.

Why would your photo not match? Not match what? Your appearance? 

57 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

but seriously, don't you think that there might be a market for bigger inside cabins for people that love the inside experience but want more space.

This is like 10 people.

It turns out, back in reality, people in the market for bigger cabins and can afford them also want things like windows and balcony doors. Sometimes two balcony doors.

Most of the responses in favor of inside cabins are from folks with budget constraints (self-imposed or otherwise). One can sleep in and be "cozy" in a balcony cabin and do whatever else folks attribute as exclusive to insides, I assure you.

All of my cruises to Alaska (10 so far) have been in mid-September. As stated, layers. In port: t-shirt, button down, hoodie, raincoat, jeans, boots. Weather will vary from sunny 70F to rainy 55F.

Northern Lights: nah, not really in Southeast Alaska. I've seen them once, at 4AM, in Skagway, and they were very faint. If your itinerary takes you to Whittier, Anchorage, Denali, etc., then the likelihood of seeing the lights goes up a little bit. Check this out: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast

Wildlife: from the ship, or? From the ship, you are likely to see migrating whales, eagles, sea lions. There are any number of excursions promising wildlife experiences viewing whales, eagles, and bears.

Random photos from around Sep 19, 2023:

Endicott Arm (bright and sunny all day)

Skagway (a little wet)

Juneau (rainy day, many tours/excursions cancelled this day)

Ketchikan (dry enough for the lumberjack nonsense)

Strong late-day Howard Hughes vibes here...

45 minutes ago, Jadn13 said:

Much of the service is as much keeping your room tidy as it is preparing for the next cruise.

This.

It's not just "cleaning". It's maintenance, too. Not maintenance as in "leaky pipe" maintenance. But maintenance as in keeping up on dusting, vacuuming, etc.

OP, you don't decline housekeeping. You, as has been pointed out, hook up with your room stew who will make every effort to accommodate your wishes while keeping up with their responsibilities to maintain the ship.

2 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

really? On my cruises it always listed all the names. 

They stopped showing last names on the screens recently. Like within the last few months, maybe a little more.

14 minutes ago, CruiseMob said:

I have my first cruise with medallion coming up. If I had known a key card was still an option I may have opted for it instead. My concerns with the medallion have to do with its proximity based unlocking of cabin door. Sounds like a great idea if you have your hands full, but a couple of scenarios concern me.

 

1) It used to be if you lost your card, no worries. Someone finding the card would have to insert it in each door to see where it fit, which would look really suspicious. Now someone can just walk the decks slowly past the doors and hear the door unlock and see the panel. Yes I know, once reported the old one can be disabled, but there is still a window of risk.

 

2) When walking alone, maybe late at night, back to your cabin, if you are uncomfortable someone is following you, you could just keep walking to public/populated place and no one would know your stateroom. Now they may be able to determine which stateroom is yours as you walk past.

 

People can scoff, but cruises are like little cities and bad things unfortunately can and do still happen.

You're right. It would be safer to stay home. I mean, come on now. You're really reaching here. There's a "window of risk" in everything we do.

Say a ship is 1,000 feet long. There are 12 passenger decks. Port and starboard sides. 12,000 feet to traverse, round about 2.5 miles. Without security noticing some weirdo walking every deck. I could lose my keys at the supermarket and be victimized in a comparable scenario at home. Someone could find me keys, locate my car, find the registration, drive to my house, steal my stuff, all before the ~50 minutes it would take the average person to walk the ship searching for my cabin.

27 minutes ago, Gail & Dan said:

What’s wrong with the app? 

Nothing really. It flakes out on various things from time to time, but mostly works just fine, like everything tech.

Some people just don't like new stuff and some people like to complain that all this "new stuff" impedes their ability to relax and enjoy themselves somehow. The medallion is essentially a key card and the app is not required for anything at all, so, what other conclusion can be drawn?

24 minutes ago, Wanderfully said:

What used to be a fun interaction, a smile directed at a crew member with our drink request, a smile returned and some banter is now reduced to a crew member having to add an extra layer of servitude

Sorry, but based on my experiences, you've overstated this quite a bit. Those "fun" interactions are still there. You'll find them when you interact outside of placing an order while spending time at their bar or in their section. 

This level of "servitude" you describe has always been there anyway. All that doting in the dining room, for example, has taken place for decades without the Medallion.

The Medallions also have some benefit for crew that you're overlooking. The room stews come to mind. The system tells them who's in and out of their cabins. Imagine they can complete their work more efficiently without bothering people with needless knocks on doors. Ever walk into your cabin to find the stew making the bed? It can be an awkward and uncomfortable interaction. Haven't had that happen with the Medallions. The stews can see your patterns and adapt.

The "talking and interacting more" with the crew hasn't gone anywhere with the addition of the Medallions. 

Here's to happy interactions!  Cheers!

Generally, yes. 

I've been in a number of forward balcony cabins and suites. Never have we been denied access or had doors locked preventing access. The usual bits about light pollution concerns for the bridge always apply, of course.

As to whether or not you can actually enjoy it out there while underway is entirely dependent on weather conditions and the ship's heading.

If my customers paid me cash for listings and A+ ratings, I wouldn't bad mouth them either... just sayin'.

Look into booking with a tour operator outside the cruise line. Folks could give you better advice if you were specific as to the excursions you're interested in.

Aside from that, get with the Shorex desk when you board. Those people can make things happen.

3 hours ago, greenbeanie said:

My husband suggests, after receiving the refunds, lodge a complaint with the BBB.

No one cares about the BBB. It's not 1952 anymore.

6 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

2) someone plugged a 110v device into a 220v outlet.

Bingo.

20 minutes ago, KarmaCruisers said:

that outlet actually smoked my fan because apprenrly it was a 110v…but the amps were only like 2amps (instead of a typical 110v outlet being 15amps)

That's not how any of it works.

An outlet doesn't just have amps. A load plugged into it draws current (amps) based on the resistivity of the device.

I = V / R

Unless the fan you brought along on your cruise looked something like this

20 hours ago, cnice515 said:

I would have to believe it would be okay to bring one?

The problem here appears to be the ineptitude of the security staff at San Pedro, not whether or not the fan was allowed on board (it is).

Keep us posted with up-to-the-minute developments in this breaking story.

15 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

I am still not sure why people insist on bringing anything onboard that they’ve deemed to be not allowed.  
oh well, it is what it is!  

But they are allowed.

I guess coming off quick with the classic cruise critic snark is more important than accuracy. It is what it is.

12 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Your link brings up the front page of a cruise...not an excursion.

Let me walk you through it.

We've done it once a couple years ago, on Grand actually. It's probably still up in the buffet. Nowhere else to really put it. It was solid. Good food, they give you a bib and you pig out on seafood/crab. We left full. I would do it again if the mood strikes.

1. Port versus starboard makes next to no difference.

2. See images.

3. Soot has been observed, yes. Soot has been observed on many ships. See image.

Image credit to other CC posters via Google search.