O·C·E·A·N™ — One Cruise Experience Access Network™

It's not exactly commonplace to see executives from a cruise line hanging out on the floor of one the biggest annual tech gatherings around. But Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) CEO Arnold Donald certainly has a good reason for setting sail to the Consumer Electronics Show this year to give a keynote address: his company is about to upend how people experience a cruise vacation. Carnival, the world's largest cruise line, will take the wraps off its new medallion technology at CES. The quarter-sized disk made of burnished aluminum essentially turns the hulking vessel into a smart ship. The medallion will be provided to passengers before they get on the ship and it will serve multiple purposes. 1

It takes quite a revolutionary announcement to score a keynote speaker spot at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, beginning today in Las Vegas. That’s where Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald will be, in the spotlight discussing a next-generation wearable device that aims to use technology and personalization to create a high-end, tailored premium vacation experience for every guest, not just the luxury suite elite. The company unveiled the Ocean Medallion, a 1.8-ounce disc chock full of enough technology to change a passenger’s experience from their first attempt at trip planning to their last minutes at sea and beyond. Everything from express check-in, ordering food and beverage on demand, booking shore excursions instantly, playing interactive games and personalized entertainment will be all be done from this quarter-sized marvel. 2

Carnival Corp., the operator of cruise lines including its namesake, Princess, and Holland America, unveiled the new concierge technology at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas on Wednesday. It's scheduled to debut on the Regal Princess cruise ship in November. 3

The Regal Princess is the largest cruise ship in Carnival Corporation’s fleet, a behemoth that is nearly a quarter of a mile long and weighs 144,000 tons. It carries 3,560 guests and a crew of 1,346. Passengers can dine in celebrity chef Curtis Stone’s restaurant, play on a full-size basketball court, and stroll along a 60-foot glass walkway 128 feet above the ocean. And later this year, they’ll carry the company’s Ocean Medallion technology, a small wearable that provides a truly seamless experience at sea.

The same minds behind Disney’s Magic Band designed the Ocean Medallion to bring cruises into the future. 4

LAS VEGAS — When Carnival CEO Arnold Donald takes the stage at CES 2017 in Las Vegas on Thursday to deliver the opening keynote, it will be one of the few times in the event’s 50-year history that someone from outside the tech world gets top billing at the biggest gadget event of the year. Donald plans to talk about how connected devices can change your life, and his company is putting its money where its mouth is. Carnival is launching a small next-generation wearable that’s supposed to make your leisure time more leisurely and streamline everything you do on board the ship. It’s called the Ocean Medallion, and it’s no bigger than a quarter. You can wear it on your wrist or as a pendant on a chain, or even just slipped into the pocket of your jeans. No matter where you put it, it’s always working. 5

Rollout Part #1: 13/November/2017 — 18/March/2018

Regal Princess — 13/November/2017 Royal Class 3,560 | 1,346

Royal Princess — 19/January/2018 Royal Class 3,560 | 1,346

Caribbean Princess — 18/March/2018 Grand Class 3,140 | 1, 200

Rollout Part #2: 16/May/2018 —
Island Princess — 16/May/2018 Coral Class 2,200 | 900

Miami-based Carnival plans to expand the setup to all other Princess ships in the next several years and eventually to other vessels. Carnival, the world's largest leisure travel company, owns more than 100 ships across 10 brands. 3

O·C·E·A·N™ FEATURES

Ocean Medallion™ — Holds your unique digital identity and communicates with readers throughout each ship and in select ports.

Ocean Ready™ — Speed up embarkation as travel documentation will be added to the guest profile in advance, also unlocks the guest’s stateroom door.

Ocean Navigate — Helps you find your way, so you’ll never be lost

Ocean Compass™ — Guides you throughout your vacation experience.

Ocean Concierge — Builds an experience that’s personalized just for you by sending you suggestions and invitations to events and activities based on preferences they have indicated in their guest profile.

HERE & NOW™ — allows you to place food and beverage orders and have them delivered to your current location.

THERE & THEN™ — lets you place a beverage order and have it delivered to where you plan to be at a designated time.

The burnished aluminum disc can be worn on a wristband, a pendant, a necklace or carried in a pocket, and will enable passengers to perform actions instantly that were once cumbersome and time-consuming tasks. Each Medallion is engraved with the passenger's name and embarkation date. Officials hope the disc will become a fashion statement and will offer high-end accessory options for purchase. The standard Ocean Medallion will be sent to all passengers free of charge. 2

Each Medallion is connected to a specific guest—it has your name carved into it—and interacts with 7,000 sensors connected by 72 miles of cable and distributed throughout the ship’s 19 decks. That entire tech tracks where you are, what you’re doing, and what you might want to do next. Medallions work in conjunction with something Carnival calls the Ocean Compass, a network of 55-inch high-res screens—4,000 in all—that provide personalized recommendations. 4

O·C·E·A·N™ Took about two years to develop -- is the brainchild of John Padgett, who joined Carnival in 2014 as its first-ever chief customer experience officer. Padgett was the driving force behind Disney's widely acclaimed MagicBand, an all-in-one wrist device that serves as a room key, charge card and fast pass check-in device. 1

Also VP of Design and Technology Michael Jungen, both were at the forefront of developing and introducing the MagicBand during their tenures working for the Walt Disney Corporation. 2

"There are no wires. There is no charging," Padgett said. "It doesn't require a guest or consumer to do anything specific." 3

17/February/2017

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/16426-island-princess-to-get-ocean-medallion-technology.html

http://www./news/news.cfm?ID=7543 2:45 PM

http://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/princess-cruises-to-debut-ocean-medallion-class-fall 4:28 PM

O·C·E·A·N™ IN THE NEWS—PRINCESS CRUISES SITE

Carnival launches medallions that replace keys, wallets, tickets — 5

Jennifer Jolly, Special for USA TODAY

Published 12:06 A.M. ET 4/January/2017

Updated 10:43 A.M. ET 4/January/2017

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2017/01/04/carnival-launches-medallions-replace-keys-wallets-tickets/96132642/

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