Is Wearable Technology replacing Key Cards on Cruise Ships?

Princess' Medallion Wearable "keycard"

I WOULD have thought the answer to this question would be easy, and a resounding yes! The technology was introduced (in my opinion very successfully) by Princess Cruise Lines in 2019. My first exposure to "resort" wearable technology was when one of my partners and her family did their first Disney World trip several years back. She came into my office to show me the package she had received from Disney World, including 4 color-coded wristbands, appropriately called "Magic Bands"). The two for their children could be "dumbed down" appropriately, but the bands she and her husband wore had their credit card information embedded. The idea was to have identification and the convenience of not having to carry a lot of cards and I.D. around. Great idea. Great adoption of technology.

Cool! Or scary. You decide.

IT WASN'T until several years later that we booked a cruise on one of Princess' big new ships (The Regal Princess) that we saw it - rather newly (2019) - introduced into cruising. At first launched only on the larger, newer ships, Princess' Medallion is now integrated into all its cruise ships. Similar in size to Apple and Samsungs "smart tags," the medallion is - I believe - a home run (interestingly one of the principal "players" in the development of the Disney Magic Band is now a principal in the ongoing development of the Medallion). The medallion form factor was well thought out. Princess sells several different accessories to use the medallion. On Amazon, there are 100's more of a number of different styles of holder. You can just keep it in your pocket (thought my concern was that it might easily get lost or misplaced). The clearly most popular items are wristbands (from a utility-oriented rubber/plastic on to fancy bracelets - now offered by third parties on Amazon and the like - you can even get an adaptor to add the medallion to your own watch, though that seems like a lot of bulk to me). There was also a necklace and a pin or brooch style holder, and some third parties on Amazon sell an attachment to the back of your smartphone. My own favorite, which I purchased soon after we boarded, is a little popout belt clip (which worked great on my pocket cuff or waistband, even though I rarely wear a belt).

Belt-clip Style Holder for Princess Medallion

NEARLY ALL cruise lines have an "app" these days. Some are better than others, but in general, our experience with them hasn't been great. When they do work they are helpful. Again, I found the Princess app to be the best - in conjunction with the Medallion. Celebrity's app is supposed to facilitate communication on board. Our experience has been that using What's App on wife has been the most reliable.

the medallion is - I believe - a home run

THE INNOVATION of wearable technology takes the digital cruising experience to a different level. While maybe a little bit "2001" scary (for those who get the reference), it really pretty cool. When we are onboard, it is not unusual for my wife and I to have different schedules. Using the app on my smartphone and the medallion, it was much easier for us to keep track of where to find each other. With a glance, I could see whether she was in the room, in the buffet, in the theatre, in a bar, or by the pool (and vice-versa, of course). The (potentially disturbing - but it really doesn't bother us a bit) part is that ship personnel can also find you. In practice, that's really cool. Say you really want a slice of pizza, or a burger from the pool grill. You can order it on the app. Or, you can order it in person and then find out your shipmates are somewhere else on the ship. No need to wait. They will find you and bring it to you! We did have one wierdly unnerving experience. We decided to make reservations in one of the specialty restaurants one day, so we walked to the restaurant (which wasn't yet open as it was early afternoon) and as we approached a person came out and addressed us. By name! They saw us (and our medallions) coming. Cool! Or scary. You decide.

THESE WEARABLES completely replace the keycard concept and are used to unlock your stateroom also. Since the introduction of the Princess Medallion, a few other cruise lines have followed suit. Sort of. In my view, none of them are particularly well executed. I have no idea why.

I would have thought the answer to this question would be . . . a resounding yes!

THERE ARE, of course controls. You can select on the app who can see your medallion and who cannot. Certain information is protected. The possibilities, though, much like the current emphasis on "AI," are mind-boggling. For example, the cruise ship personnel can determine your music preferences, drink preferences, know about allergies and other things.

THE CONCEPT is not without concerns and even detractors. One major concern is how this chip effects a person's privacy. One article points out that with this technology, it is possible to track where a person is, how long they were there, and even who they were with. I guess that is not a whole lot different than similar concerns about GPS tracking in modern smart phones. Like it or not, much of this technology as become part of our everyday existence. It does, however, give rise to the admonition to be thoughtful about its use and who you might share it with. I would not have any concern about adding folks I am with on the ship who I trust, but I think it is wise to be careful just how widely you share.

CONCERNS ASIDE, other cruise lines are - however reluctantly - jumping on the bandwagon: the following is a short description of each line I am aware of and how their wearable technology is implemented:

Virgin Voyages

"The Band" is a bracelet with a gray-colored piece on the band. That piece functions are limited to unlocking your stateroom, "badging" you on and off the ship, and onboard purchases (so mostly identical to and a replacement of the keycard concept). Surprising to me for such a tech-forward company (and their app is much more sophisticated).

Disney

It stands to reason, following on the Magic Band, that Disney would have something like this. The "Disney Band" is essentially a Magic Band that is waterproof. Either of the bands can be used on a Disney Cruise Ship or a Disney Resort (which means if you already have a Disney Band, it can be used on the Cruise ship, though I am not sure how it is programmed and activated). Like the Virgin band, it has limited functionality, though it does have a programmed feature that vibrates on the wrist for certain activities (e.g., fireworks).

Royal Caribbean

The Wow Band is RCL's offereing. Once again its functionality is limited. In this case it may be the most limited of the bunch. It will work for unlucking your stateroom and for onboard purchases. However, you still need a keycard to get on and off the ship! It is optional and comes at a cost of $10.00, and it is only available on select RCL ships. Again, surprising to me that the technology is so limited given Princess' rollout some years back, the current technology universe, and the prominence of the cruise line. According to one online source, RCL has no plans to expand the capability of this device.

MSC

"MSC For Me" is MSC's App. A wearable wristband is available, but once again, only on select ships, and for an additional cost (the wristband cost is $5.00, but it is unclear whether the service to connect and use it involves yet an additional charge). The wristbant is kind of sleek, but at the same time bulky looking. It does appear to provide location information (similar to the Medallion).

Viking

We know Viking has deployed some wrist bracelet wearable technology on some of its ocean ships, but current information is limited.

ONE OF the YouTube cruise sites I follow does a regular "survey" question and a recent one was what you would like to see on cruises in 2025. A fair number of responders said they would like to see something like the Medallion implemented on other cruise lines. It has been 7 plus years since the (in my view, very successful) Medallion program was first introduced. As the above summaries demonstrate, not one ship line has done anything really close to the Princess program. Why not? It certainly confounds me. At this point, I would have to answer the question posed by the blog title: No!