Princess MedallionClass Review

How it Works and Why the Cruise Industry is Following

What Is Princess MedallionClass?

Let’s clear this up first — because the terminology can get confusing. MedallionClass is Princess Cruises’ fully integrated, contactless cruise experience. The Medallion is the small wearable device that powers it.

Think of MedallionClass as the system…and the Medallion as the key that unlocks it. Princess designed MedallionClass to create a more personalized, frictionless cruise — from embarkation to cabin entry to ordering food anywhere onboard.

And it all runs through a small, quarter-sized device you wear around your neck.

What Is the Princess Medallion?

The Princess Medallion itself is a small circular pendant (about the size of a quarter) that comes with a lanyard. You can wear it around your neck, clip it to clothing, or use a bracelet accessory — but it’s meant to be worn.

It replaces the traditional cruise keycard and does far more than just open your door.

The Medallion:

• Unlocks your stateroom automatically as you approach
• Serves as your onboard payment method
• Instantly tells staff what packages or loyalty benefits you have
• Allows crew to locate you onboard for food and drink delivery
• Helps you track family or travel companions through the app
• Powers MedallionNet Wi-Fi connectivity

Yes — it tracks your location onboard, but in practice, that’s what allows your drink to find you at the pool without you having to wave someone down.

Princess typically ships guests their Medallions 10–25 days before sailing. If you book late or have a pending cabin assignment (like we did), you simply pick it up at the port. Ours was waiting for us at embarkation — quick, easy, and seamless.

Our Princess Context (Why This Was a True Test)

My wife and I cruised with Princess years ago on an Alaska sailing — long before MedallionClass even existed.

Back then, cruising felt traditional. Keycards in your pocket. Standing in line at the bar. Swiping into your cabin. Repeating your cabin number no less than 100 times.  Perfectly fine — but very analog.

So when we boarded the Diamond Princess for our recent Southeast Asia itinerary, this wasn’t just testing a new gadget, but it was about experiencing how much Princess cruising has evolved.

If you’re curious how the ship itself stacked up — from dining to entertainment to overall atmosphere — you can read our full Diamond Princess review, where we break down everything beyond just the technology.

But from a pure convenience standpoint? The difference between “old Princess” and MedallionClass Princess was noticeable immediately during our recent Southeast Asia sailing aboard the Diamond Princess. This was our first time fully experiencing MedallionClass in action.

Let’s just say… I get the hype now.

The 6 Things MedallionClass Does Really Well

Loyalty Recognition (Captain’s Circle Levels)

Medallions are color coded based on your Captain’s Circle status:

• Gold – After your first cruise
• Ruby – After 3 cruises or 30 cruise days
• Platinum – After 5 cruises or 50 cruise days
• Elite – After 15 cruises or 150 cruise days

It’s subtle — but it matters.

Your Medallion instantly signals to the staff what benefits you’re entitled to, without awkward explanations. Check out the Captain’s Circle Membership Benefits document.

Disembarking and Embarking the Ship

As a long-time cruiser, I didn’t expect this to impress me, but it did. When embarking the ship after a long day ashore, the Medallion is scanned automatically as you walk back onto the ship.

After long days exploring places like Hong Kong or navigating Three Very Different Vietnam port cities, the last thing you want is to fumble for a keycard at the gangway. The Medallion made stepping back onboard feel effortless — which you especially appreciate when you’re hot, humid, and ready for air conditioning.

Small detail with a big impact.

Unlocking Your Cabin Door

About 3–4 feet before reaching your cabin door, the handle light turns green and unlocks automatically. No card swiping, and no awkward juggling of two morning coffees and a danish.

It feels futuristic the first time — and completely normal by day two.

Oceans Now: Ordering Anywhere

Using the Princess app, you can order food or drinks and have them delivered anywhere onboard, based on the location of your Medallion.

We really wanted to see if this was as good as advertised, so we tested it in:

• Our cabin
• Poolside
• The theater
• Our go-to quiet lounge that had no food service

And yes, it just works.

Locating Friends and Family

If you are traveling with others, you can track members of your travel party through the app — similar to the “Find My” feature on an iPhone.

I would say it’s ideal for larger groups and multigenerational trips, though my wife and I used it often just to find each other.  Actually, I think my wife just used it to see if I was really shooting video throughout the ship, or if I was actually hitting up the late-morning, mid-day, or late-night buffet.

Payments and Personalized Service

The Medallion is great for all of your payment needs, as well as for receiving personalized service. When you walk up to a bar, the staff already knows:

• Your name
• What you look like (based on your uploaded photo)
• Which beverage package you have purchased (if any)

The first time I walked up to a bar on day 1, I was greeted by name without saying a word? Impressive.

It removes friction from every interaction, and from a business standpoint for Princess — it’s brilliant!

Is MedallionClass Worth the Hype?

Short answer? Yes.

Who Will Love It

• Tech-friendly cruisers
• Loyalty members
• Multigenerational families
• Anyone who values smooth logistics

If you’re someone who appreciates systems that reduce friction and eliminate small inefficiencies (hello, fellow overthinkers), MedallionClass will likely feel like a breath of fresh air. We’ve talked before about why Cruising is Perfect for Overthinkers — and this kind of built-in convenience only strengthens that case.

The Bigger Industry Picture

Princess may have been one of the first to implement a fully integrated wearable system at scale, but they won’t be the last.

Other cruise lines are now adopting similar wearable technology — wristbands and NFC-enabled devices for cabin access and payments.

• MSC Cruises offers its MSC for Me wristband on select ships
• Royal Caribbean uses WOW Bands for cabin access and onboard purchases on some ships
• Virgin Voyages features “The Band” for access and payments
• Disney Cruise Line has optional MagicBands

All of these allow some level of hands-free cabin entry and onboard spending.

But what still sets Princess apart — at least for now — is how deeply integrated MedallionClass feels. It’s not just a wearable, but it’s a fully connected ecosystem that ties together:

• Personalized service
• On-demand delivery
• Loyalty recognition
• Location services
• And Wi-Fi connectivity (MedallionNet)

In other words, while others are adopting the hardware…Princess has built the software experience around it. And after experiencing it firsthand aboard the Diamond Princess, I understand why.

Note: NFC = Near Field Communication.  Think of ApplePay / Google Pay, Hotel keycards, Contactless credit cards.

This was the one port where history, culture, and beauty all aligned, and for us, it became the most memorable stop in Vietnam.

Final Verdict from MAK’n Waves

Is MedallionClass a gimmick? No. I feel it’s one of the smartest cruise innovations currently at sea.

But here’s the most important part: At the end of the day, MedallionClass works because it supports — not replaces — the people onboard. As we shared in our Cabin Steward Insights article, cruising is still about human connection. The tech just smooths the edges.

The Medallion doesn’t change cruising, it simply makes cruising smoother. And increasingly, the rest of the industry seems to agree.

And that reality stayed with us long after the excursions ended and the ship sailed on.

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