Medallions to replace cruise cards?

[caribill]

I had not seen that statement. Maybe face recognition software also? Even without a secondary ID check, a lost medallion would be no worse than a lost cruise card. Unless you want to loan your medallion to someone from another cabin to get into your room for some reason, this would seem to be a good idea.

 

Facial recognition software for entering your cabin? I doubt it.

 

 

statement is at http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how...?siteid=yhoof2

Edited March 10, 2017 by caribill

[caribill]

But it probably won't be a waiter. One of the benefits of using medallion data to "take attendance" at various venues is to redistribute the workforce in real time. Right now, the ship assigns crew members to venues based on projected need. In the future, it will probably be based on actual need. So slower venues can afford to "lend" crew members to other busier venues so that the original staff is not overburdened. "Looks like the IC is empty right now. Have Ingrid head over to the exit of the MDR with a tablet and ask departing diners if there is anything they need." a) How will it be determined that Ingrid is not busy at the moment and who will notify her? Seems to me this will take added supervision to make these decisions and notifications. b) The person wanting to make that spa reservation probably wants to make it while waiting for the next course to be served in the dining room, not on the way out when wanting to go to another venue on the ship.

 

 

"Wow. The Neptune Pool area is packed. Send a couple of servers from the Outrigger area over to that area for a while." Again I see a need for supervisors to decide which servers are available and to notify them.

 

see above in red

 

Now one great use for the Medallion would be if you can give notification to the ship's photographers as they approach you that you do not want them to take your photo. That could speed up disembarkation at ports and eliminate interruptions at dinner.

Edited March 10, 2017 by caribill

[caribill]

Yes, I presume we would be given that information before or at check in. As you enter the dining room the system will know the table you are assigned so wait staff can easily direct you. It would also know if you are assigned traditional and trying to crash anytime:)

 

Think of all the posts there have been on Cruise Critic telling people who want to be sure that all of their group has been assigned to the same dining room table. The advice has been to make sure after embarkation that everyone's cruise card has the same table assigned.

 

I guess now the advice will be to gather the group together some time the first afternoon and go to the dining room together to find out what the system says.

 

For those in traditional dining, the cruise card has on it the time for dinner. Since it is rarely the time shown in the Personalizer, passengers will need to know what time they should be at the dining room. "Check the Patter" is not the right answer. Neither is "find a digital device and look it up".

[caribill]

I'm sure they'll be a paper in your cruise docs telling you which DR to go to.

 

What cruise docs?

 

The dining assignments are usually made about two days before the cruise, long after most people have printed out their cruise docs available in the personalizer.

[caribill]

Sorry but I have never been charged more to make an airlines reservation just to talk to an agent. Everytime I use a kiosk I then have to talk to an another agent to finish checking in and to board the plane. I never use an airline app to get from A to Z and I travel quite often. Sorry about that.

 

Just to talk to an agent, no charge.

 

But to actually make a reservation over the phone with most USA airlines there is service charge.

 

 

For example American Airlines charges (per person) $25 for domestic travel and $35 for a international travel.

 

United says "Service charges for ticketing with a United representative in the 50 United States and Canada are $25 by phone, $30 at a City Ticket Office and $50 in person at the airport."

[caribill]

Electronic distribution of information is more immediate, better able to account for late changes, and even better for the environment.

 

If the Medallion will eliminate all of the paper ads each evening for art auctions and spa services, then I am all for it.

[caribill]

This may have been asked before but what if I leave home before receiving the Medallions? Where will I get them from? Pass Services desk?

I'm assuming I'll board just like in the past with printed boarding passes- just without any Medallion.

 

The boarding pass was only to get into the check-in building at the port and to give to the check-in clerk. It was never used to actually board the ship.

 

If you arrive at the port without your Medallion, you will be given a medallion at check in. I suspect it will not have your name on it. Possibly once onboard passenger services can give you one with your name on it.

[floridalover5623]

What cruise docs?

 

The dining assignments are usually made about two days before the cruise, long after most people have printed out their cruise docs available in the personalizer.

By cruise docs, I was talking about the information received with your Medallion at home. It has to have you dining assignment in the packet somewhere.

[GUT2407]

If the Medallion will eliminate all of the paper ads each evening for art auctions and spa services, then I am all for it.

But I've no reason to think it will.

[floridalover5623]

But I've no reason to think it will.

On a recent cruise I don't think we received 4 ad's in our mail slot in 14 days. They've really cut down from past years.

[Potstech]

Just to talk to an agent, no charge.

 

But to actually make a reservation over the phone with most USA airlines there is service charge.

 

 

For example American Airlines charges (per person) $25 for domestic travel and $35 for a international travel.

 

United says "Service charges for ticketing with a United representative in the 50 United States and Canada are $25 by phone, $30 at a City Ticket Office and $50 in person at the airport."

 

Just flew on United and Air Canada. Made reservations several months ago. Prices charged were same as listed on line. Have also used American Airlines with no additional charges.

[bUU]

I think Spirit Airlines was planning on adding a charge for working with live agent. There may have been some blow back on that, so they turned toward some other surcharges to apply.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[latserrof]

O...M...G... You are using logic and common sense. (Sorry. ;))

 

 

I agree totally with what you are saying. This technology has the potential to allow exactly what you are describing. People are freaking out about Princess knowing where they are and what they are doing. You are describing how that access can actually be of huge benefit to the passengers (as well as to the staff). Many thanks. :cool:

I don't see a "huge" benefit. I value my privacy; is that "freaking out?"

[bUU]

Such devices don't compromise privacy any more than the data you provide to the service providers, anyway, pervasive video cameras, etc.

[Thrak]

I don't see a "huge" benefit. I value my privacy; is that "freaking out?"

 

I hope you never visit London. There are cameras everywhere. You are on video no matter where you go in that city. You don't really need to visit a place like that though as anybody who has a Facebook account has given up all claim to privacy of any kind.

[bUU]

Every time you unlock your cabin door it is probably logged, at least in a buffer. Surely, every embarkation and disembarkation is logged. Every onboard purchase is logged. And so on.

[latserrof]

I hope you never visit London. There are cameras everywhere. You are on video no matter where you go in that city. You don't really need to visit a place like that though as anybody who has a Facebook account has given up all claim to privacy of any kind.

Love London. But for me, there's a difference between London taking my anonymous photo (or video) in a public place for a valid public interest (security), vs. CCL requiring a customer to carry a person-specific tracking device for commercial purpose.

 

And so far, I've been able to avoid Facebook, which, like the CCL medallion, doesn't offer me enough benefit to want to become their commercial pawn.

[bUU]

Love London. But for me, there's a difference between London taking my anonymous photo (or video) in a public place for a valid public interest (security), vs. CCL requiring a customer to carry a person-specific tracking device for commercial purpose.

How do you figure? Municipalities track you without your assent. Going to vote, going to the store, going to pick your daughter to at school... Oh yeah, they are tracking HER too.

 

And by the way: Photos are not anonymous.

 

Meanwhile, you CHOOSE to go on a cruise. It isn't something that you have to do. It isn't you exercising your rights as a citizen.

[latserrof]

Municipalities track you without your assent. Going to vote, going to the store, going to pick your daughter to at school... Oh yeah, they are tracking HER too.

 

Wow, I didn't even know I have a daughter! If I call my municipality, can they tell me where she is right now? Aboard, CCL could.

 

Public interest vs. private enterprise.

[bUU]

Involuntary vs. voluntary.

[Thrak]

It's totally voluntary to cruise on a ship with medallion tech. If you don't like it then simply book on a different ship or don't cruise.

 

The closest I come to social media is forums such as this and this is pretty much the only one I frequent these days. I'm still tracked. There are traffic control cameras on most streetlight crossings anymore. Not the red light cameras but the little ones up high. Those can track me as well. CCL doesn't really care if it is you in the theater or in Wheelhouse. They just care how many there are in the venue. The only reason they care about an individual is if they actually need to find out where you are in case of an emergency or in case someone fails to report for disembarkation during a turn over on a B2B or something of that sort. We waited most of an hour in Alaska while they repeatedly asked for a couple of Chinese ladies to check in. They called their names and cabin numbers repeatedly but got no response until they finally got a Chinese speaking passenger to make the announcement. The passengers had been there all along but just ignored the message. If there had been medallion tech on the cruise it never would have been an issue and we could have sailed on time.

[caribill]

By cruise docs, I was talking about the information received with your Medallion at home. It has to have you dining assignment in the packet somewhere.

I doubt it unless they totally change the way they do the assignments.

 

 

Now it is done just a couple of days before the cruise starts, later than when the Medallion is sent out.

[Thrak]

So much speculation. When Regal sails on November 13 we can get actual user input but, until then, it's speculation. We know what we have been told but won't know how things actually work until someone has sailed on a ship with the medallion technology.

[latserrof]

CCL doesn't really care if it is you in the theater or in Wheelhouse. They just care how many there are in the venue. The only reason they care about an individual is if they actually need to find out where you are in case of an emergency or in case someone fails to report for disembarkation during a turn over on a B2B or something of that sort.

 

How do we know what CCL does or does not care about? Is it not possible that CCL will use its data to tailor its marketing to individuals? For instance, if CCL knows that you attend a show every night, it might pitch you future cruises with "a great new theatrical line-up." Or the guy who spends all his time in the bar might get pitched the great drink package. Even within a cruise, CCL could identify those passengers who haven't yet set foot in the spa, then track them down and offer them a free tour and a spa package. Who knows what use CCL will make of its data? Even CCL will probably think of new ways to use it in the future.

[Thrak]

So why would I care? If I love the shows then, by all means, tell me about the latest and greatest shows I may want to see. If there is a special on the AIBP (such as the recent Sip and Sail promo) then I want to know about it. If I decide it's too much jive I can always opt out of getting the info or even filter the incoming mail so I never see it.