Rudester

1 hour ago, brisalta said:

 

Did you test this by removing the magnet from the medallion and leaving the magnet in your cabin and then attempting to activate various devices via the medallion in the casino, etc.?

There is no way to open the medallion without damaging it, something I wouldn't want to do prior to final disembarkation. 

7 minutes ago, framer said:

There is a stock 2032 coin battery in each one also.  Couldn't resist cutting it open. 

 

framer

Good to know. I would have thought that they would just use a passive RFID chip, like the stores use for inventory control.

29 minutes ago, TupeloHoney said:

I'm surprised there is a magnet in it without a warning to passengers.  I would imagine many passengers have medical devices that should be kept away from magnets.  My daughter is one of them!

The magnet is not very strong. I don't think it would affect a medical device.

We cruised Mexico on Royal Princess during Christmas with the family. This was our first Medallion cruise. During the cruise, my grandson discovered that the Medallion was magnetic and asked me why.  Well, I didn't know why at the time and the engineer in me was puzzled. I am sure that Carnival (Princess parent company) wouldn't incur the cost of a magnet inside every medallion, unless there was a good reason for it. Not knowing the answer bugged me and my subconscious mind went to work on finding the answer. It finally hit me!

During the cruise, the sensor by our cabin door would detect my wife's, or my medallion from a good 15 or 20 feet away and unlock the door. Creepy!  Now, imagine you were atone of the many portals (the big color screens scattered throughout the ship), looking for your mate, or the nearest restaurant, or imagine that your are in the casino playing your favorite slots. If the portals and slot machines used the same sensor as used for detecting you as you approach the cabin, all hell would break lose when another passenger walked by. So, the sensors in the portals and slot machines do not detect from far away and instead use a magnetic switch to detect and read your medallion. That way a nearby passenger's medallion won't interfere.  That is why your medallion has a tiny magnet inside. Mystery solved!