Carnival Corp. said that when the Ocean Medallion makes its
debut on the Regal Princess in mid-November, the wearable technology will be
available to a limited number of guests only.
That's a change from the previous plan to introduce the electronic
personalization technology to the whole ship.
The Medallion is an electronic disc that interacts with
thousands of sensors retrofitted to the ship, allowing guests that use it to
open cabin doors, pay for merchandise, play interactive games and ask for delivery
of items such as drinks anywhere on the ship. The disc can be worn in a
wristband or as a pendant.
Carnival spokeswoman Claire West said that while the
installation of the Ocean Medallion systems and framework is on schedule, it
will now be activated in phases "to ensure a successful implementation
that results in experience excellence."
The Medallion, which works in tandem with a smart phone app,
has been in development for two years. Carnival Corp. called it "very
sophisticated technology that hasn't existed prior to now. It also involves
extensive modifications to our onboard operations combined with new training
for our crew."
So, to get up and running, the Ocean Medallion experience
will only be available to a select number of guests on each cruise. "This
approach will allow us to receive continuous feedback from a controlled number
of guests and crew while the ship is in service," West said.
During a preview period that will run into spring 2018,
Ocean Medallion features on Regal Princess will be activated by adding groups
of staterooms in phases versus activating the entire ship at one time.