How to use your Princess Cruises Ocean Medallion
It’s so exciting when your Princess Medallions arrive! Can you feel the love?
We recently had the pleasure of sailing with Princess Cruises, which features Medallion technology on their MedallionClass ships. Below are my thoughts on the experience.
Two words come to mind when I think of this technology: game changer. The days of traditional key cards are now behind us with Princess Cruises. Guests receive complimentary Medallions, which are delivered either by mail or available at the cruise port, complete with a convenient lanyard. We chose to have ours shipped in advance. Furthermore, customization options for Medallions are offered for a small fee.
From the moment you step foot at the cruise port until debarkation day, everything ran much smoother thanks to my Ocean Medallion. You might be wondering—how can this little, quarter-sized Medallion make such a big difference in your cruise experience? Well, I’m here to share my personal experiences and show you why it’s worth it. And just to be clear, this is not sponsored by Princess Cruises.
These Ocean Medallions are versatile, wearable devices that can be used as a bracelet, lanyard, or piece of jewelry. Waterproof and resistant to heat, sand, and salt, they are designed to withstand the elements while offering a variety of features that enhance the cruise experience. Below are some of the key benefits we enjoyed during our journey:
Expedited Boarding:
The Medallion streamlines the embarkation process by directly linking to your booking and personal identification, resulting in a much faster check-in compared to traditional methods. After booking your cruise, you can easily upload your travel documents through the app, which will be securely connected to your Medallion for a seamless experience.
Once you've completed the required OceanReady Check-In process online, you’ll have the option to have your Medallion shipped directly to your home, allowing you to breeze through check-in via the Green Lane. Alternatively, you can choose to pick it up at the port and use the Blue Lane.
For the most efficient experience, I highly recommend selecting the Green Lane. Please note that a small shipping fee applies unless you upgrade to a premium package, in which case the fee is waived.
Embarkation and disembarkation at all ports of call are equally straightforward and hassle-free.
Your Medallion color reflects your loyalty member status
Keyless Stateroom Access:
The Medallion serves as your room key, allowing you to unlock your stateroom door without the need for a physical keycard. As you approach, the screen outside the door will greet you with a personalized message, welcoming you back by name, and unlock the door. The system recognizes your Medallion when you're approximately 10-15 feet away, making it a seamless and convenient experience. No more fumbling to find your room key.
OceanNow® delivery:
OceanNow is a convenient delivery service offered on Princess Cruises, allowing passengers to easily order food, drinks, and other items—such as extra towels—through the ship's app. Using Medallion Technology, the service pinpoints your location and delivers directly to you, no matter where you are on the ship.
Stay Connected:
MedallionNet® allows guests to stay connected with fast, reliable internet access anywhere on board. Whether you're sending text messages, making video calls, sharing photos, or checking your email, you can stay in touch with loved ones. You can also stream your favorite shows, movies, music, and sports without interruption. Plus, the Princess app offers an additional chat feature, making it easy to send messages throughout your journey.
Cashless Payments:
Whether it's food, drinks, souvenirs or even laundry tokens, MedallionPay™ makes it easy with completely contactless payments. Crew members will then confirm your identity, based on your uploaded photo and location. Don't worry—your Medallion device does not store any personal information, so if it’s lost, your data remains secure.
Navigation:
Using the Princess Cruises app on our phones or one of the many convenient digital touch screens throughout the ship, we were easily able to find various destinations and track each other's locations. One special touch that I really appreciated was how the ship’s touch screens would recognize us as we approached and display a personalized birthday message, since I had noted my birthday during online check in.
Other benefits:
There are other great features as well. One that stood out was how our room steward could see that we had chosen to stay in our cabin for the sail away and brought us complimentary champagne to celebrate. He also kept track of our schedule, so he was able to plan the best times to clean our room without interrupting us.
Ready to Set Sail?
Whether you're dreaming of a tropical getaway or exploring far-off destinations, cruising offers an exciting and unforgettable way to travel. By using the information that I've shared, you're one step closer to making your next voyage a breeze. If you need help fine-tuning your plans or have questions about booking the perfect cruise, I’m here to help. Let’s work together to create the ultimate getaway that matches your style, preferences, and budget!
Happy sailing, and remember—your adventure is just a click away. Bon voyage!
