Princess Cruises Innovative Technology

The Ocean Medallion is a wearable device that is being used in place of the cruise card, on some of Princess’s ships, Ruby Princess being one of them to start, with a view to this innovative technology being rolled out on all of their ships.

It is approximately the size of a 10 cent piece and is worn in a number of accessories, including pendants, bracelets, sports bands and clips. This waterproof device is interactive for guests and staff alike.

The medallion is given to you at check-in, the same as a cruise card. You will need to download the MedallionClass App through your app store on your phone before sailing. Once downloaded, follow the instructions to create your Ocean Profile. The features on the app that I enjoyed the most was firstly the ease of access to my stateroom. The medallion recognises you as you approach your cabin and automatically opens your cabin door. 

The WiFi connectivity called MedallionNet is reliable and incredibly fast, often better than land-like connectivity. Allows you to stream shows, movies and sport easily and anywhere on the ship. A bonus with this offering is that you can make voice and video calls too. A good thing with this also is that the bandwidth doesn’t vary depending on what plan you purchase, it’s all great.  You can pre-purchase this package through your cruise personaliser or get it once onboard.

Another wonderful feature was being able to locate my friends on the ship. You are able to see their location on your phone and even message them through the app. I was also able to order a drink from my sunbed while lying around the pool. The waiter then brought the drink to me, very spoilt! Another great feature of the Medallion for staff is that they are able to recognise when you have left your cabin, making it easier for them to service your room. They can then be more efficient with their time and don’t have to constantly interrupt guests to see if they can make up your room.

The medallion is a great new concept to make customers onboard experience smoother sailing, pardon the pun. While I didn’t use all of its features, the ones I did were great!