Denali2003

11 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Any more questions let me know; I will be glad to help.  I enjoyed using the medallion; I enjoyed the digital touch screen by all the elevators.  

I have another question.  On some of the ships there were these kiosks where you could swipe your card and get a print out of all charges that you've made on the ship.  How do you get that with the Medallion?

1 hour ago, Asquare said:

Tracking could help the cruise line figure out where there are problems in their public areas for example do too many people congregate in one area at a given time causing a jam...could they spread events through out the ship to avoid that.  It could help identify popular or unpopular venues.  The problem is that the tracking is not anonymous and will we now be subject to targeted advertising from various stores on ship.  "Mr.. Smith, we saw your wife lingering over by the jewelry store; perhaps we could help you chose something special for her."  

Personally, I am excited to use the new technology; especially the Ocean Compass.  I also like the idea that you can order a drink and have it delivered to you anywhere on the ship.  I hope that this does not cause people to treat the wait staff like delivery robots but instead speeds up service.  

That's what I'm afraid of.  You won't be able to walk 2 feet on Decks 5-7 without being bombarded with people trying to sell you something, just because you walked into a store just to look around.  I always look in the stores.  Don't buy anything, I just look around and see what they charge for certain things.  On one cruise they had a price tag of $142 for a bathing suit  😲 It wasn't fancy, just a plain blue one like you would see at Wal-Mart for $25.

As far as ordering drinks, does that apply to specialty coffees?  For example, can you be in the Horizon Court eating breakfast, then decide you want a Latte or something, can you order it and have it delivered to the HC?  Or if you're in the Vista Lounge in the afternoon and want a "pick me up" of caffeine, can you have coffee and/or tea delivered there?

I know I ask A LOT of questions.  My brain thinks in the future.  It can be annoying for some people.  Sorry.

Does anyone know if they track every where you go to on the ship and how often?  For example, will they know how many times you went into the gift shop just to look around?  Or how many times you walked through the casino and did not gamble?  How many shows you went to?  

49 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Denali2003, some of what you mention is correct.  If you walk into a bar and you order a drink thru the ocean now app; you name and picture will appear on the screen; that way the waitstaff can see your picture;; then look for you in the bar to deliver your drink. This works in bars, at the pool, etc.  In the dining room; unless your order food or drink from your app; your name, picture, etc does not appear to dining room staff.  I sailed on Caribbean Princess in Feb. This ship was full ocean medallion; meaning your medallion worked everywhere.

I was watching a video of the medallion (done by Princess) and a woman said she walked up to a bar and they said her name.  She did not mention in the video if she had already ordered the drink or if her info just randomly popped up.

So, if you're just walking through, your info doesn't just pop up for the bartender to see?  When you walk up to a bar and order a drink, do you have to give them your medallion, just like we did for the cruise card?  Or will their tablet / computer automatically "scan" your medallion without giving it to them?  I guess this is where I am the most confused.  Sorry for rambling on about this.  I like to know what to expect before getting there.  We will be on the Sky this Winter.  

Thank you for confirming about the dining room.  That could get embarrassing, especially for people with restrictions.

I heard that with the Medallion, when you walk in to a bar, your picture, name & cabin # will pop up on the bartender's screen.  Does this happen if you are just walking past the bar?  For example, if I want to take a picture in one of the bars, will the bartenders call out my name and say HI?  IMHO, I think that's rude and will get old after a while.  Especially for people like me who like to take pictures around the ship.

I also heard that the waitstaff in the dining rooms will also have all of your information.  Do they carry around a tablet of some kind and everyone who is at the table, their information pops up?  If you have some dietary restrictions, I certainly hope they don't say out loud "so, Ms or Mr [so and so] I see you have "such & such" restrictions.  Especially if you are sharing a table with 8 other strangers.  

14 hours ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

I put a sticky on top about the medallions so hopefully we can't put all the questions and answers into one place!

Never mind, found it.

Ep010835 -- Thank you so much for your help.  The videos gave me great information.  I'm a bit creeped out about when you walk up to a bar and the bartender will know your name (without me giving it to them).  I like the fact that you can find your cruise mates easily!  I did notice that the color of the medallion represents your status (1st time, Ruby, Platinum, Elite).  I also like that I don't have to carry my cell phone around.  We did that on our last cruise, just because we were using the "at" Sea app to send messages to our cruise mates.  

Does it take longer to board (when coming & going from a port) using the Medallion?  I saw that you have to put your medallion up against something and wait for the light to turn green.

DH & I will be taking our first Medallion cruise in Dec on the SKY Princess!!!  I have a few questions for people who have used them.

#1 - what kind of "holder" do you automatically get?  (ie, bracelet, lanyard, necklace, etc)

#2 - if you want a nicer one, I assume you have to buy it.  How much do they cost?

#3 - Someone mentioned above that you can find the people you are cruising with.  How exactly does that work?

#4 - I will be getting the Soda Package, I'm assuming my medallion will just be scanned, correct?

#5 - Do you have to sync your medallion to your cell phone?

Thank you 

I have a non-food question about Kauai. How much would a taxi be from the cruise port to Kapaa?

How much would a taxi be from the cruise port in Kauai to Kapa'a?

Hello. We will be on the Star Princess for a 15 day Hawaiian cruise in October. Our ship will be in Oahu from 7am - 11pm. DH & I would love to have dinner on the island. Any suggestions? We are looking for something by the water with great views, good food - but not expensive, and Vegetarian options.

Thank you for your help.

Do all of the ship's Sanctuaries have the cabanas? If so, how much are those for a full day?

Would be nice to have ships have an overnight on at least 1 of the islands. Would give passengers more time and be able to see the island at night.

That's the only thing I wish ships would do - leave some ports later in the evening (especially if the next port is not far away) so we can experience the night life.

I know in Venice, Italy the night life is SO different than day time. Most of the tourists are gone. It's peaceful, magical, almost unreal, beautiful!

I don't know. We are going on Princess.

I just really looked at my cruise itinerary. We will be on Kauai on a Saturday. The Chocolate Farm is only open Mon-Fri. :( I'm very disappointed.

Hello! I know the ship docks in Nawiliwili (Kauai) -- but I have been seeing quite a bit of things to see & do in Kapa'a. Including the Chocolate Farm. Has anyone ever been there? How much would a taxi or shuttle cost to get there?

A cross fitter, a vegen, and a owner of a rescued dog are all introduced to each other. Who gets the first word in?

 

Oh, and pick the veal it was incredible the other week on the Pacific Princess.[/quote]*raises hand* -- Vegetarian & Dog Rescuer here! :D

The Sabatini's Tratoria menu is on the Princess web site.

 

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/sabatinis-trattoria/sabatinis-trattoria-main-menu.pdf

 

We tried it on the Grand Princess last September. We enjoyed it but have this word of caution: Pace yourself. On our second visit, Mrs. XBGuy declined the pasta course completely.

Hello. I heard that Sabitini's has a new menu. Does anyone have any photos of it? DH & I will be on the Star RT Hawaii in October and are thinking of going to Sabitini's.

Thank you

I hope it's fixed soon too. We already bought tickets for the tour in October. There's still a lot of time, I just feel bad for those who don't have that kind of time left.

Where can I find a list of spa treatments that the ships offer? I looked on Princess' website, but the treatments are not listed.

When I first looked at the prices for the Queen Mary hotel they looked good. Until I put my dates in, then the prices went UP. So, we won't be staying there. Thought it would be interesting.

Thankfully we have time to make a final decision.

Is staying in Long Beach ideal? We saw that the Queen Mary is a hotel. That would be interesting to stay on - prior to a cruise.

Opinions?

We were on the ABC cruise right before dry dock also. Did not see or hear any renovations going on. The only thing we did see was that the Sanctuary pool was closed.

Does anyone have any pictures of the finished renovations?

We were on the Crown in March - last cruise before their 2 week dry dock. Does anyone know what changes they made? Any pictures?