Your waiter instantly knows your name and what you like to drink. Your cabin door swings open as soon as it senses you are outside. And on some ships, you’ll be connected to the fastest internet at sea.
The Ruby Princess is due to arrive in Sydney on February 8th and will proudly debut the latest in cruise ship technology: the OceanMedallion. It will make for faster and more personal service, says the line.
In an exclusive interview with creator, John Padgett, we discovered all the innovative ways this new gadget will take cruising to a smart and user-friendly new level.
Thanks to satellite technology now being used by the OceanMedallion, I am able to chat directly with US based creator, while he is on a cruise ship in the middle of the Bahamas on board the Sky Princess.
โWe are keeping the original DNA of the Princess Cruises brand and simply taking that service to a whole new level, with technology โ this isn’t a change, but rather a magnification of the things that Princess Cruises does best. This is an enhancement of the personal service that the cruise line already provides,โ Mr Padgett says.
But while the Ruby Princess will be the first to bring the OceanMedallion to our shores, we are still a year away before it is here to stay when the Princess Regal arrives to call Australia home.
So, what is it?
Itโs an unassuming little gadget. The OceanMedallion looks exactly like that โ a medallion. Itโs a small gadget the size of a coin that can be worn around the neck, or as a bracelet, and it carries an enormous array of personal data for each passenger that makes the on board experience more user friendly.
โEverything across your day becomes easier,โ explains Padgett. โFrom your arrival on board the ship โ this experience is faster with the OceanMeallion. All the guest profiles are created, making each experience easier because we already know what you want. Your cabin door opens automatically when you approach, no key cards are required,โ Padgett says.
He goes on, โYou are greeted by name and the staff know your coffee preference, they know when your birthday is, thereโs no signing or payment across the ship, itโs all attached to your medallion. You can reserve your spot in the restaurants, even select your movie preferences.โ
So, while many travellers say a holiday is about escaping technology, Padgett is quick to point out that this is an invention aimed at bringing more personal time for holiday-makers.
โWe are making sure vacation time is used wisely. We are maximising vacations by making everything simple. It takes away friction and allows passengers to better connect across the experience โ connect with each other and connect with their experiences, without having to fuss with the minor details,โ Padgett says.
โFrom entertainment, to bars, and even casinos, everything works universally within the medallion to make your holiday more personalised. Think of it as an elite level vacation, with personalised service,โ Padgett explains.
The upside is that you can leave all your other digital devices behind. Thereโs no charging, you can pop it on and then forget about it.
Padgett says the device is designed to be non-intrusive. โWe will have some guests who say โI never used my medallionโโฆ but they used it a fair amount of the timeโฆ in fact they used it the entire time, but with no idea.โ
Once the OceanMedallion arrives in Australia, passengers can relax in the knowledge that the new technology experience is going to be consistent across every Princess Cruises ship and the experience is going to be universally the same.
Padgett is quick to point out that this style of technology is perfect for the cruise ship market.
โA cruise ship gave me a unique opportunity to integrate this medallion โ taking personalised services to the next level. Cruise ships are the perfect platform, since they are like a floating city.โ
So with the OceanMedallion already up and running, for Padgett, the next stage of development has become the new focus. This means integrating the Medallion technology into opportunities that extend beyond the ship.
โTrains, lodges, land-based experiences, the princess private island in Bahamasโฆ the next step is about using the medallion on the island itself and bringing this elite level of personalised guest services into a total expansion,โ Padgett reveals.
At this stage, there is no comparison to anything else on land, where everything is on demand.
But for those of us who still enjoy spontaneity and freedom of choiceโฆPadgett says that is covered too. โThereโs no rigidity to it at all,โ he says. โThe spontaneity is all still there. Itโs adaptable. When your waiter approaches you, he will ask if you would like another one of those margheritas you had yesterdayโฆ or would you like to try the strawberry dacquiri that your husband said was delicious?โ
Just to test the Medallionโs level of adaptabilityโฆ Padgett agrees, you should have one of each.
We went on the ruby Princess around the Mediterranean and people caught nurovirus on board
There was no hand wash on ship and cleanliness was not there
The ship before we got on board was cleaned as people were sick onboard but still no one told us
My wife had to have her appendix removed due to the nurovirus
Princess cruises did nothing for us and did not care
I would not get on board this ship
Be warned
We were on the Royal during the fit out of the medallion system. My medallion was a dud. It almost worked once but that was it. For me it is just a gimmick. Princess would do well to give the bracelets or pendants away rather than force people to purchase them if they don’t like the feeling of a rectangle of hard, acute edged plastic against their skin (probably 2-3 times the size of a cruise card). With the main benefit being that staff will know your drink preferences, which has never ever been an issue, I cannot understand why money is being spent on the system. Now that drink prices have entered the upper stratosphere, I doubt they will pay for themselves.
Devastation aptly describes this tragedy! However, everything we do is by choice. To digress for a moment; in Darwin & Queensland, signs are numerous; beware of Crocodiles. Yet people (and tourists) still chance their luck by swimming in rivers & waterholes? Some not to return!
If you want a thrill seeking adventure on an island that is declared โan active volcanoโ by Authorities then you must assess the risk. I would not have taken that tour!
I feel the sadness for those who have lost loved ones, having lost our son 11 years ago, but reiterate; everything we do is by choice.
I am concerned re the privacy aspect of the Ocean medalianas per the newer Princess ships.
I had the experience on board a P & O ship whereby the waiter in one of tne restaurants pulled up my photo witn name, my full name all middle names as per my passport and date of birth. This is not acceptable, I would not give a waiter in a local restaurant that information and runs the risk of identity fraud.