Caribbean Princess Sea Day, September 3, 2018

Hello from the balcony of Caribbean Princess.

Well, it looks like the storm that chased us away from Princess Cays yesterday is now Tropical Storm Gordon and is hitting Florida as we speak. And Tropical Storm Florence is gaining strength as she moves in from the Atlantic. It appears we will be dodging both; although if we decide to stay for one more cruise we may see some impact.

This week is also the one year anniversary of Hurricane Irma hitting the Caribbean. We will visiting two of the islands devastated by her - St. Thomas and St. Maarten - in the next couple days. It's a bit somber for us. We were on both islands before the hurricane and then revisited them two cruises back so we know the destruction that still remains. We also remember visiting New Orleans less than a year after Katrina. It's not easy to start over.

Today was another work day for me. I did take a little break where I learned something new. Towel animals! Our cabin steward was kind enough to show me how to make some so I can turn around and show you in a future Tutorial Tuesday video. I still need some lots of practice before I can show them off but I am pleased with the little doggie I made.

Tonight is formal night and we won't be joining the dressed up folks. We are planning on going to Planks for dinner instead. We'll be wearing the nicest clothes we have with us, which means we will actually wear pants and not shorts for a change. I'll do a separate post when we get back from dinner.

Medallion™ Update:
To make the progression of the roll-out more clear I've grouped the posts by week. Today we're talking about MedallionNet™.

 You can find the post here on the Sept 1-8 update page.
August 18-25 updates can be found here.
August 25-Sept 1 updates can found here.

Encouraging Word Money Pocket Drop Off:

Left at Salty Dog Grill.

Tomorrow is St. Thomas. Since we didn't stop in Princess Cays we are arriving earlier than planned. We now will be there from 8:00 am to 9:30 pm. Yay and double yay!

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen.

Caribbean Princess at (NOT) Princess Cays

We had a stormy day and never made it to Princess Cays today. So no snorkeling for me. Boo hoo. But a big plus is that we will be arriving in St. Thomas on Tuesday in the morning instead of the afternoon. Longer is always better! Another plus was that I needed some extra time today to work. And boy, I've been working. Filming and writing and photos around the ship and voiceovers. Other than out to take pictures I've sequestered myself in the cabin. Hubby even brought me breakfast and lunch so I could keep working. I found out that audio recording doesn't work so great in a big metal cruise ship cabin with a hand held tape recorder. Nothing like my professional quality equipment at home. Oh, well.

Only one other thing worth mentioning today. I received a call about a letter I had sent to Princess a couple days back about the gals smoking on the balcony next to us. When I reported it they had sent someone up, but the ladies had their privacy sign out. Princess policy is that if a guest has their privacy sign out, they can't be disturbed - even if they are smoking. I had shared that these gals had their privacy sign out most of the time. (They are the ones who refused to pay gratuities and thought if the steward never entered their cabin they wouldn't have to.) In my letter to Princess, and again on the phone today, I had encouraged them to revisit their privacy sign policy, particularly when passenger safety is as stake. These ladies could smoke every day and nothing done about it because they kept their privacy sign out.

Not long after that call today a bouquet of flowers arrived. Now I don't know if they had to do with the issue or are from someone else - the card just said enjoy the rest of your cruise - but it was a kind gesture either way.

Medallion™ Update:
To make the progression of the roll-out more clear I've grouped the posts by week. 
The Sept 1-8 update page is here.
August 18-25 updates can be found here.
August 25-Sept 1 updates can found here.

I also did a new video today of updated information.

The one above has hubby in it, but I did one just of him down below. With him being disabled, the Medallion has made his cruise vacation even better. Take a look.

Encouraging Word Money Pocket Drop Off:
In the Piazza.

Another sea day is up tomorrow. Thanks goodness because I've got more work to do.
As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen.

Medallion Class™ and Ocean Medallion™ Updates on the Caribbean Princess

If you're looking for Medallion Class™ and Ocean Medallion™ Updates on the Caribbean Princess for the week of September 1-8, 2018, here ya go!

September 7
Today is a day for me to catch up on all the things I’ve forgotten to mention.

*First up, I see Medallions around passengers’ necks everywhere I go. The first week we were here there were a few but now it seems like everyone has them. I know they all don’t, but they will very soon!

*This past week I learned how unusual the construction happening around here is. Most often when modifications are made on ships they occur during dry dock. On Caribbean Princess they are occurring while the ship is still in service. That comes with challenges. You may have seen in the news about passengers on another cruise line having big time construction happening while they were sailing. It was loud, messy, and disruptive. The folks working around this ship are conscientious about when and where they are working and the impact the construction may have on passengers. While some work is being done when passengers are nearby, mostly the workers are like Santa’s little elves working their magic when we can’t see it. One day a wall is empty and the next it’s something completely different. And the welding? It’s only happening when docked in port with firemen on hand with fire extinguishers. 

*I’ve spoken to both cabin stewards and supervisors about how the Medallion will help both the passenger and the crew. Currently, the Medallion only opens the door. Like I’ve mentioned before, the stewards will soon have a tablet. With that he will be able to prioritize cleaning of cabins because he’ll be able to tell if you are in the cabin, or at lunch, or off the ship in port. At some point we can let the stewards know (through the technology) if we need more ice or additional towels, or any of those other things passengers sometimes ask for. 

*There are several Ocean™ things popping up when logging into your device. Here are some screen captures. 

Some are coming soon items. I'll be downloading the ones I can and will have screen captures of the steps involved in the next couple days.

*I had a question come in today about whether you have to stand at the screens to play games in Churchill’s or if you could use your own device. (Kevin, I couldn’t get the response to go through to you so I’m answering it here.) This answer applies to all the Ocean Casino screens around the ship. If you want to use the big screens you'll need to stand there, but you'll also be able to use your own device. When functional, the Ocean Casino app can be downloaded and used on your device anywhere around the ship. When the ship is in international waters you can wager and when it isn't you can use it in practice mode. 

And one more screen capture. You know when you’re on MedallionNet too much when you wind up online during one of their rare maintenance times. I know it’s rare because I’m on the Internet A LOT (much more than I should, but hey I’m a blogger) and it’s the only time I’ve seen the maintenance screen.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen. 

September 6
I made it back to Churchill's today and found work was completed. I guess hubby was right. (Darn, I don't like when that happens.) There are two screens on the port side wall. These screens will soon be lit and will have the Ocean Casino games available. No need to stop smoking your cigar and leave Churchill's to play Ocean Casino games - the games are coming to you.

Some exciting things are happening in the Ocean Front area. That's the area between the photo gallery and Club Fusion on Deck 7. The desk is looking about ready to be put into use.

On the opposite wall we now have all kinds of optional accessories on display.

We have sports bands, bracelets, and pendants. I've seen the Captain and officers wearing the sports bands.

Both the bracelets and pendants come in gold and silver tones.

We have plastic casings similar to the ones passengers received at check-in. While everyone received blue ones at check-in, these on display are color coded according to your loyalty level. Would have helped keep the lady staring me down in the elevator the other day from knowing exactly how many cruises I've been on. (I told that story in yesterday's post, it's right below if you're interested.)

We also have clips. I've seen some of the Ocean Medallion folks wearing these around the ship.

 

They also have a box - I'm guessing it's the box the Medallion will be sent to your home in? Not sure.

There are no prices listed yet, and I don't know when things will be available for purchase. I do hope soon because I'd sure like to try out some of the accessories. I just can't do one more cruise with this dang lanyard around my neck.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen. 

September 5
Today I'm addressing a few of the questions and comments you've been sending my way. 

I talked to the Princess rep about if my Panama Canal sailing on the Caribbean Princess is a Medallion ship and she said no. I told her people on the ship said they had Medallions and she said, “Nobody should be posting anything about Medallion.“

A couple things on this one. First, the reps don’t yet have the information on Medallion. Not all passenger cabins on the ship have Medallions yet so it would be a bit premature for Princess to announce a Medallion cruise before all decks have been covered. (They are almost there!) The customer service reps will be getting the information and be able to speak about it soon. Secondly, before the internet and social media, companies who were in the process of changing things could keep it secret. We didn’t have phones to snap photos and tweet and text and post to Facebook. That’s changed. People want to know what ‘s going on and there is always someone who is more than willing to share what they know. For me, having been on the ship for three weeks, it has been fascinating to watch the early stages of the roll-out and the changes occurring daily. I’m happy to be able to share what I’ve learned and I haven’t come across anyone on the ship who is trying to keep it a secret. 

You said Aloha deck cabins have Medallions but I’m getting on the ship next week and mine hasn’t come in the mail yet. Are they mailing them or do you get them at check in?  Currently they are handing them out at check in. Not all decks have them yet, but will soon. And eventually, yes, they will be mailed to you if you wish. 

I’m Platinum. Will I get the wifi free or will I have to pay for it? The free MedallionNet offering for Platinum and Elite loyalty members is for a limited time only. No guarantee that it will be free on your sailing. 

I saw the picture of those slots on the wall. They really are free to play in port? Yes, but remember it is “practice mode” so you’re not playing with real money and not winning real money. If the casino is closed, the games will be in practice mode. If the ship is at sea and the casino is open, Ocean Casino games will accept wagers.

Do Medallion cabins get cruise cards, too? Yep. Currently you still need your cruise card to embark and disembark the ship as well as for muster drill.

Do I have to use the Medallion or can I keep using my cruise card? Medallion use is not required.

Have more questions? As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen. 


September 4
I’ve mentioned this before but I just can’t stand wearing a lanyard. It’s not the lanyard itself that bugs me, but what other people do around me when I’m using it. I don’t like getting the stink eye. I don’t like being judged. And I don’t like people looking at my card, looking at me, and looking at my card again. It happens more often than you might imagine.

It happened again just yesterday in the elevator. An older lady saw my black (Elite) card. Then she looked at me. Then she looked hard – really hard – at the number of cruises on my card. I could see her mind spinning, trying to figure out how someone looking like me (younger, chunkier, wearing shorts and a tshirt) could even be in her “Elite” group. The judgement eyes were upon me. Big time.

Now I know some folks like flashing that black card. Wear it with pride, even. I’m not one of them. All these years I’ve kept mine tucked into my pocket for no one to see. But now with my Medallion, it won’t work when tucked into my jean shorts so I’m having to wear the lanyard. Currently I can't use the Medallion  to get on and off the ship so I'm having to keep my card with me too. I'm told eventually folks traveling on Caribbean Princess will be able to use the Medallion for port visits. Just not yet.

But let’s look at the difference in the information on the card versus the Medallion. For privacy I did hide a couple of items.

On the card we have the name of the ship, sail dates, muster station, and loyalty status. My name. Dining choice. If we had traditional dining it would also have the dining room name, time, and a specific table number. In the right hand corner is a four digit portfolio number tied to our room for charges around the ship. (It starts with a 1 but I’ve hidden it.) Then in the bottom right hand corner is the number of cruises with Princess. I never, ever share this information with anyone, but I am making an exception right now to show what I'm talking about. That bottom right number is the one the lady was trying so hard to read. 

Do we really need all this information on a card hanging around our necks? Actually, nope. Did you know by law there are only three things required on a card (or in this case, a Medallion)? I didn’t, but now I do. All that is required is a passenger’s legal name. The sail date. And the ship name. That’s it. That’s all. Nothing else. So that’s all you see on the Medallion. No extra clutter. And no worries about some lady staring me down in the elevator.


Construction update: Hubby went to check out Churchill’s and told me there was a lot going on in there with construction tools and panels. I went down there this evening and couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. It was all cleaned up and I couldn’t tell where they had been working. They are either really good about cleaning up and hiding things or I had way too much to drink. Could be a little both.

September 3
Two words (or is it a hyphenated word?): MEDALLION NET. 

You know how the internet on the other Princess ships is so…well…problematic? How it takes two or three or four minutes just to get logged on? How you have to wait and wait and wait for pages to load? How it randomly disconnects in the middle of what you're doing, and then when you finally get logged back on it has used up six or seven more of your minutes? If you’re like me, you routinely experience quirks making your allotted minutes just tick away.

Not on the Caribbean Princess. MedallionNet is not like anything I’ve seen before (other than my high-speed internet at home). This ship’s internet is even better than hotels. In a hotel they have access points around the building for guest use. Here, they have access points around the ship but also in every single stateroom cabin. The blazing speed and quality of connection is truly unbelievable for a cruise ship. Now you log on and BAM you are surfing like you would at home. It is amazing! And it’s unlimited. No more have to ration minutes so you have enough at the end to print those boarding passes for your flight home. 

If you’re not platinum or elite you can purchase it per day for $19.99 or purchase a package for the entire cruise with a per day price of $9.99. Right now it is free for platinum and elites. That’s not lasting for long though. The free access for platinum and elite will be ending soon - like really, really soon. The folks I’ve talked to don’t yet know (or aren’t sharing) the details of what the package will look like for platinum and elites. But it’s worth paying for. After having been on 15 different cruise ships, there is nothing like the internet on this ship.

Some construction updates:

A couple days back the wall across from shore excursions looked like this:

 Today we have a screen installed and Ocean Front added to the top.

Word on the street is that some work will be happening on a wall in Churchill’s while we’re in port tomorrow. Check back tomorrow for more info.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen.

September 2

I did a video update today. Hope you find it informative!

While hubby is in the one above, I also put his section down below. 

September 1

I was lucky enough to get back to the ship in time before John Padgett and the rest of the corporate crew had left the ship. I again asked tons of questions. They are so very accommodating! I'll continue to share what I've learned throughout the week.

One thing that will be changing soon is the Ocean Front area. Remember the picture I took yesterday of this new, beautiful area?

This is the area on Deck 7 between the photo gallery and Club Fusion. It's now called Ocean Front and will be staffed by Navigators. Navigators are staff members who will be helping passengers through the Medallion roll-out and support them as the ship progresses to a full-blown Medallion Class Implementation. I wish I could be on for another week or two because that's when it'll be operational. So sorry I'm going to miss it.

As for Medallion decks, we have Lido, Riviera, Aloha, Baja, and Caribe. Folks in these cabins received their Medallions at check in and were invited to an informational meeting in Explorers today. The plan is for Dolphin deck to have their Medallions delivered to their cabins sometime during this cruise. 

Check back tomorrow for another Medallion Class update.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen.

Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Caribbean Princess - Embarkation Day

Well, third time was the charm for 5 O'Clock Charlie's. If you remember, two weeks ago hubby had a fall in the airport and we couldn't go. Here's the story of that Un-Adventure Day. Then last week we got stuck in Panera Bread for a good chunk of the day because of severe thunderstorms. Here's the story of that drenching day. So today, we were going to go no matter what.

We walked from the port (I love being docked at Pier 2!) to the bus stop and caught the Sun Trolley down to Bubba Gumps. It opened earlier than Charlie's so we ate at Bubba Gumps and watched the weather.

And then at exactly noon we walked right next door to 5 O'Clock Charlie's.

And were greeted by Lee, our favorite bartender who remembered us from previous visits. Before she even made me a Rocket Pop drink, she grabbed her wallet and pulled something out to show me.

Like I've said before, over the last several years I’ve been giving away dollar bills with notes of encouragement. I’ve left them in restrooms and airplane magazines and sugar containers. I’ve left them in windowsills and tip jars and hotel room drawers. I’ve left them on buses and taxis and trains and cruise ships. Sometimes I place one somewhere once a day and other days I drop them off multiple times.

5 O'Clock Charlie's is a place I've left them more than once. During one visit quite a while ago Lee figured out I was the one leaving them in the restroom because they only showed up there when I was there.

So guess what Lee pulled out of her wallet to show me today? One of those encouraging word money pockets she had found from long ago. All this time she's kept it in her wallet. It's looking a little rough around the edges now, but how amazing is that? I had brought one to drop off again today but after finding how important it was to her I went ahead and just gave the new one to her.

And what makes getting to 5 O'Clock Charlie's even more special is that Lee told us today that the bar is closing this month. If we hadn't made our way down there we would never have seen her for the last time. Or learned how important an encouraging note had been to her all this time. 

Life is just flippin' awesome. It was a good day.

Now we're back on the ship with one last go at it.

It's always depressing when we take our last cruise. While most folks are just arriving for their one week vacation we are downtrodden about only getting three weeks on the ship. If we could find a way to stay on the ship one more cruise after this one, we would. Heck, I have no where to go!

Medallion™ Update:
I've moved my updates to make the progression of the roll-out more clear. Today I had more super-informative conversations with the folks running the Medallion roll-out. I always learn so much from them. I'll keep sharing with you throughout the week.

August 18-25 updates can be found here.

August 25-Sept 1 updates can found here.

Sept 1-8 updates can be found here.

Encouraging Word Money Pocket Drop Off:
Left at Bubba Gumps at lunch. And then of course, the one for Lee. (I didn't take a photo of that one.)

Tomorrow we're back in Princess Cays. I'm a going a-snorkelin'!

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen.

Caribbean Princess Sea Day, August 31

Hubby and I are people watchers (and listeners). Here are just a few of the comments we've heard over the past two days:

"This is bull sh**. Even hotels have free wi-fi."

"There is no way I'm paying thirteen dollars a day for him to clean my room twice a day."

"The food is terrible on this ship."

"I hate this itinerary. It's too hot."

"Carnival is better than Princess."

"I can't wait to get off this boat."

These comments clearly demonstrate how crucial it is to make sure you've researched the cruise line, ship, and itinerary before booking a cruise. Not all cruise lines are a good fit for all people. And not all people are a good fit for a cruise.

Like our neighbors this cruise. They have already refused to pay the gratuities, they smoke on their balcony (yes, we reported it), leave their dirty dishes in the hallway, and throw their dirty towels outside our cabin. And these aren't kids doing this - these are two middle-aged ladies. Come on, people.

We've traveled enough to know nothing is ever perfect and also know a trip is what you make of it. If you look for problems you will find them; if you look for the good you'll find it. We choose to look for the good.

Another pretty sunrise

Not much else going on for us today. I went to the crafting session, hubby has been out and about visiting with crew, and I did some writing. We're on for another leg of the journey so no packing tonight for us. Our cabin doesn't ever get messy, but after two weeks on the ship we wound up with a junk drawer. You know, like a junk drawer at home. A camera battery charger, directions for my tape recorder, a butter knife and a napkin, pillow chocolates, some straws, a sugar packet, a few loose dollar bills, an encouraging word money pocket, a pen, fingernail polish, crackers, sunglasses, and the drops for the snorkel mask were all thrown in there together. Oh yeah, and a pair of socks and undies. All nice and neat now!

Medallion™ Update:
I've combined my updates to make the progression of the roll-out more clear. 
August 18-25 updates can be found here.
August 25-Sept 1 updates can found here. I added a picture today of the progress of the area near the photo gallery. Sure is looking pretty.
Sept 1-8 updates can be found here.

Encouraging Word Money Pocket Drop Off:
Left in the buffet seating at lunch.

Tomorrow we're back in Ft. Lauderdale for turnaround. We are hoping the third time's the charm in our attempt to get to 5 O'Clock Charlie's.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments, please click on the envelope icon at the top right of this screen.

Caribbean Princess in Cozumel

Hello from Cozumel!

Man, I love this itinerary and I love Cozumel. It's one of my favorite ports, for sure.

It was a pretty sail in.

 

We didn't get to dock right away. The current was strong and the Captain had to stop the process and attempt again. Cozumel is a port we've had problems with before with wind and cancelled excursions and multiple attempts at docking so we weren't too worried about hearing his announcement. One more crack at it and he had us in.

The worst part of Cozumel is the walk through the Dufry duty-free shop, of course. You must walk through the length of the entire store to get anywhere. (Although today they are doing construction in one end so it wasn't the whole store. Woo hoo!) If you're a crew member you get to bypass the store. If you're one of the first folks off the ship you can sometimes bypass it, too. When a ship first gets into port the store can't handle the hundreds of people all at once so they let you use the outside sidewalk. But soon the gate closes and you're stuck going through the store again.

If you are having to go through the store here are a few tips:
*Don't dawdle or you'll either have a crowd pushing you from behind on their way out the door or you'll have a store worker making a bee line to you to try and get you to make a purchase.
*Walk with a purpose
*Be prepared to say no more than once.
*Be ready to dodge the throngs of people making their way through.

But once you get through it is a bit better, but not totally. The folks working in the stores inside the port area will also be calling you over to buy again and again and again.

And one more thing to know about Cozumel - you must present your bags, backpacks and purses to the dogs to sniff. So don't bring fresh foods off the ship. You will be caught!

Cozumel is a port we've been to a lot. I mean A LOT. Enough where I even have a top 5 list for Cozumel. That list is here. Hubby's limitations keep him from experiencing everything the port has to offer but we have two things we do again and again that work for him.

Our first stop is always the Money Bar. Snorkeling for me and eating and drinking for hubby. (Their menu is here.) I spent several hours in the water today finding all kinds of things to look at. I wish I had a new underwater camera so I could share everything I saw. So amazing!

Instead you get two of my best photos of the day from Money Bar.

I'm planning on doing a separate write-up for Money Bar and their facilities for one of my Wanderlust Wednesdays so I won't add a ton of water and lounger and food pics yet.

Our other must-stop is Pancho's Backyard.  Their banana leaf wrapped tamales are to die for! All aboard wasn't until 8:30 tonight so we ate there for dinner. Unfortunately, the tamales we love were on their lunch menu. Darn. But we sure love being able to stay in port late and come back after dark.

The umpteenth perfect day.

Medallion™ Update:
I've combined my updates to make the progression of the roll-out more clear. 
August 18-25 updates can be found here.
August 25-Sept 1 updates can found here. 
Sept 1-8 updates can be found here.

Encouraging Word Money Pocket Drop Off:
Left in the restroom at the Money Bar.

Tomorrow is a sea day on our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. Boo hoo. So glad we have another week to go

Medallion Class™ and Ocean Medallion™ Updates on the Caribbean Princess

If you're looking for Medallion Class™ and Ocean Medallion™ Updates on the Caribbean Princess for the week of August 25-September 1, 2018, here ya go!

August 31

I don't know why but the Medallion Internet is still letting me run two devices at once. So totally awesome! I can work so much more efficiently.

And the area beside the photo gallery is looking pretty darn nice.

Tomorrow a new cruise starts so it'll be interesting to hear the feedback from the new passengers.

August 30

My Medallion is consistently letting me into the cabin without having to place it up to the sensor. I'm so happy about that!

While right now it's a glorified cabin key, in the future the plan is to have it provide more timely cabin service for passengers. According to John Padgett, eventually the cabin steward will be able to see if you're on your way to the cabin or even if you're off the ship. You know those times when you show up to your cabin and the steward is still cleaning it? Well, with the Medallion the steward will know your proximity and be able to prioritize the cabins depending on your location. Interesting, huh? I'm not sure on the timeline for this feature.

August 29

We're not purchasing anything from the bar this trip, but one of the things we like about bar stewards and bartenders is how quickly they get to know you and know your preferences. When I met a few days ago with John Padgett, the Chief Experience and Innovation Officer for the Carnival Corporation (the guy heading up the Medallion experience) he mentioned one of the plusses of the Medallion will be the speeding up of the get-to-know-you back and forth with bartenders. It usually takes a couple days for them to get to know you and your drink preference, but with Medallion your drink preferences and photo and name will pop up on the bartender/bar steward's tablet. John said they will know who you are and what you like from day one.

It's worth mentioning this again too...I love this fast, unlimited Internet! We have a three ship-hop trip coming up in November and December (the Crown Princess, Royal Princess, and Grand Princess) and I am sure going to miss what we've experienced here.

But I do have a little fluke happening with my Internet login. A great fluke, for sure. The unlimited is one device per person. When you log into the second device, it boots you from the first device. But these last couple days it has been letting me keep the connection on both devices. Yay! With me uploading videos and doing the blog and uploading Princess Patters and photos as well as checking email (and with some of those things happening all at the same time) it just simply ROCKS for me. Hope it keeps up for me!

August 28

I can still get in my cabin without having to put my Medallion up to the sensor. Two days in a row. Yay! And last night I was able to use it on slot machines. The only place I can think of where I'm still using the key card is for getting on and off the ship. Otherwise it's all with the Medallion. The working Medallion. Progress!

We now have cabins on Lido, Riviera, Aloha, and Baja decks with Medallions. See a pattern? From the top on down. Caribe, you're up next. The roll-out is now happening mid-cruise for each deck instead of at embarkation. I'm sure it's saving time for them to be delivered to cabins instead of having the check-in folks on shore trying to explain them to passengers.

And a bit of construction news. Last night I was down at the construction section of Deck 7. Last week it looked like this:

Then this:

Now this. Screen are lit!

On it's way to look like this, right?

Nope. I talked to the contractors working on the area (nice guys, by the way) and they said there has been a change to the design. Instead of the blue background it will be changed to some type of big photo/picture background. They tell me I should be able to see the new design soon. 

August 27

It worked, it worked! When we came back to the ship I was able to get into my cabin without holding it up to the sensor. Lanyard around my neck, walked up to the door, and (surprise!)  it unlocked. Woo hoo! On other ships when there is a problem with the door lock someone is dispatched to come and look at it. But when I spoke with John Padgett over the weekend he shared that all the door issues can be handled off-site. They can even program how far away from the door you need to be for it to unlock. By default it's programmed to unlock when you are six feet away. But if you'd rather it be two feet away it can be adjusted for you. Amazing. Anyway, thank you to the person fixing my Medallion issue, wherever you were located!

August 26

One of the things I talked with John Padgett about yesterday was the construction happening in the area between the photo gallery and Club Fusion.

Last cruise the area looked like this:

And today it looks like this. Looking pretty fancy.

 Last cruise the wall opposite the windows by the photo gallery looked like this:

And now looks like this:

I was so excited to see something besides construction panels!

Those areas will eventually turn into this:

So here's what I (kind of) know about that area. Currently there is an app that can be downloaded onto your device called Play Ocean. 

On this app you can find casino-type games that can be played for free. It's my understanding that these newly installed screens in the photos shown above will also have these type of casino games available. Passengers will be able to play for free, and when the casino is open, be able to wager real money. A gaming experience without going into the casino. Sounds interesting.

Not so interesting is the problem I continue to have with my Medallion. I was hoping by now to be able to get into the cabin without having to place it up to the sensor. If you remember, I suspected it had to do with my titanium knees and shoulder screws. John Padgett said nope. So I've gone to wearing the lanyard (and boy, I dislike lanyards) to see if having it out and around my neck would help me open the door. Well...uh...no. I still have to hold it up to the sensor and rub it and hold it up again and wave it around before it recognizes me and unlocks the door.

But as soon as hubby comes down the hallway, BOOM, it unlocks! I spent a frustrating chunk of time at Passenger Services desk trying to explain the issue but to no avail. The gal kept asking if I needed the distance shortened, and I kept explaining I don't even have any kind of distance right now. I explained I have to place it on the sensor and hold it and move it to even get it to recognize me. In the end my name went on a list with other passengers with issues. I still can't figure out how it works great for hubby and sucks for me. No fair.

Yet it worked when I bought hubby two of the 2 for $20 tshirts. The gal did have to look at my card as well to confirm I was Elite and then manually enter the 10% discount before I could place the Medallion on the sensor.

August 25

Right now we have Lido, Riviera, and Aloha decks with the Medallions. Decks will continue to be rolled out one by one over the next few weeks. Currently we can use the Medallion to open our cabins, pay in the shops and bars, as well as wager with in the casino. (Those without Medallions can do the same, but just with the cruise card instead.) Soon, the Medallion will be able to be used for embarkation and disembarkation. They are working hard at making it a thoughtful and seamless roll-out so they aren't rushing to make it all happen at once. Stayed tuned and I'll get more info to you as the week goes along.