Princess MedallionClass Explained: What It Does, What It Doesn’t, And How To Use It

The center of the MedallionClass experience is your Medallion, a quarter-sized wearable device that helps personalize parts of your cruise. It can help with boarding, stateroom entry, onboard purchases, food and drink ordering, and locating travel companions who choose to share their location.

Think of it like a cruise card replacement, but with more features.

Instead of swiping or tapping a room key card everywhere, the Medallion connects with the ship’s systems as you move around. It can unlock your cabin door, help crew identify you for service, allow onboard purchases, and work with the Princess Cruises app for onboard tools.

That does not mean you need to be a tech expert to cruise with Princess.

But it does mean there are a few things worth understanding before you board.

In real-life terms, your Medallion can be used for:

• Unlocking your stateroom door
• Making onboard purchases
• Boarding and disembarking the ship
• Helping crew identify you for service
• Ordering food and drinks through the app
• Locating travel companions who choose to share their location
• Supporting a faster check-in and boarding process when set up ahead of time

For most people, the biggest day-to-day uses will be getting into the cabin, buying drinks or extras, getting on and off the ship, and using app-based features onboard.

The Medallion itself is part of the Princess cruise experience. Where costs can come in is with accessories, customization, shipping, Wi-Fi, packages, and anything you purchase onboard.

Princess sells accessories and customization options if you want to wear the Medallion as a bracelet, clip, pendant, sports band, or another style. You do not need to buy fancy accessories for it to work.

A basic lanyard or standard holder may be perfectly fine. Some people like accessories because they make the Medallion easier to wear around the ship, pool, or port. Others would rather keep things simple and avoid another cruise upsell.

That is really the theme here: The Medallion is useful, but you do not need to overbuy around it.

Before your cruise, the app helps with OceanReady steps such as check-in, travel documents, security photo, dining preferences, and other pre-cruise information.

Once onboard, the app can be used for things like:

• Viewing ship information
• Checking daily activities
• Ordering food and drinks
• Finding travel companions
• Managing dining
• Viewing account information
• Accessing Wi-Fi options
• Using onboard features tied to the Medallion

This is where some people love the system and some people get frustrated.

When it works well, it can make the cruise feel easier. When the app is glitchy, slow, or confusing, it can feel like one more thing to deal with when you are just trying to relax.

Our advice would be to set up as much as possible before the cruise and avoid waiting until embarkation day to figure it all out.

OceanReady helps you get ready before boarding. You may be asked to complete steps like entering travel document information, adding a security photo, setting up payment, confirming personal details, and reviewing required information.

The more you complete ahead of time, the smoother embarkation should be.

That does not mean every cruise will be perfectly seamless. Cruise terminals, timing, crowd levels, document issues, and app glitches can still create delays. But doing the OceanReady steps early gives you the best chance of avoiding unnecessary problems at the port.

As you approach your cabin door, the system can recognize your Medallion and unlock the door. You do not have to pull out a card, tap a reader, or swipe anything.

This is one of those features that sounds minor until you are carrying coffee, bags, towels, or half your embarkation-day luggage.

That said, it is still technology.

Sometimes you may need to stand close enough to the door, wait a moment, or make sure your Medallion is positioned where the system can read it. It is convenient, but it is not magic.

This can be especially useful if you are sitting somewhere comfortable and do not want to get up to stand in line.

But this is also an area where expectations matter.

Delivery may depend on where you are, what is available, how busy the ship is, and whether the app is working smoothly. It may be great sometimes and less impressive other times.

Our general mindset would be: Use it when it adds convenience, but do not build your whole cruise around it.

If delivery is slow, go to the bar. If the app is acting up, ask a crew member. If something does not show up, do not let it ruin the day.

This can be helpful for families, couples, or groups who split up during the day. Instead of texting “Where are you?” repeatedly, you may be able to see where someone is on the ship.

That could be useful if one person is at the pool, another is at trivia, someone is in the casino, and someone else wandered off for coffee.

But it also depends on everyone being comfortable with the feature.

Some people love the convenience. Others may not want to be trackable at all times. That is a personal preference, and it is worth discussing before the cruise if you are traveling with a group.

Princess has onboard Wi-Fi available through MedallionNet, and Wi-Fi is also included with Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages.

This is where MedallionClass, Wi-Fi, and package decisions start to overlap.

If you buy Princess Plus or Princess Premier, Wi-Fi is included as part of the package. If you do not buy one of those packages, you may be able to purchase Wi-Fi separately.

That makes Wi-Fi one of the biggest factors in deciding whether Princess Plus or Premier makes sense.

If you were going to buy Wi-Fi anyway, drink some beverages, and pay crew appreciation, Princess Plus may be easier to justify. If you do not care about Wi-Fi or drinks, the package math changes quickly.

The MedallionClass experience is part of the Princess cruise experience. The packages affect extras like drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining, casual dining, photos, and other benefits depending on the package.

That distinction matters.

Some people hear about MedallionClass and assume they need a package to use it. You do not. But if you want Wi-Fi, drinks, and bundled extras, then Plus or Premier may be worth comparing.

The best parts are usually the simple ones:

• Unlocking your cabin without digging for a card
• Making onboard purchases easily
• Getting on and off the ship
• Finding people in your group
• Ordering drinks or food in certain locations
• Having a more personalized onboard experience

The biggest benefit is convenience.

It reduces the number of little things you have to think about during the cruise. You are still cruising the same way, but some small friction points are removed.

The Medallion does not guarantee perfect Wi-Fi. It does not mean food and drink delivery will always be fast. It does not prevent app glitches. It does not mean every passenger will enjoy using their phone more during vacation.

It is also not a reason by itself to book Princess.

It is a nice onboard system, but the bigger reasons to choose Princess should still be the ship, itinerary, pricing, onboard vibe, dining, service, and overall fit for your travel style.

The Medallion is a tool.

A useful tool, but still just a tool.

Before your cruise, download the Princess Cruises app, log in, connect your booking, and complete as many OceanReady steps as possible. Check your travel documents, upload what is needed, add your payment method, and review your arrival information.

Also think through how you want to wear the Medallion.

You do not need to buy expensive accessories, but you do want a plan. A lanyard, clip, wristband, or basic holder can make a difference depending on how you like to travel.

If you are traveling with family or friends, talk about location sharing before the cruise. Some people may love the idea. Others may not.

And if Wi-Fi matters to you, compare the cost of buying Wi-Fi separately with the cost of Princess Plus or Premier.

Make sure your Medallion opens your cabin door. Check that your onboard account looks right. Test the app before you actually need it. If you purchased Wi-Fi or a package, confirm that everything is showing correctly.

Then use the system where it helps.

Try ordering a drink. Check the daily schedule. Use ship navigation. See if the locator feature is useful for your group.

But do not spend your whole first day buried in the app.

One of the easiest ways to overcomplicate a cruise is to try to master everything immediately. Learn the important parts, ask questions when needed, and then get back to enjoying the ship.

Embarkation day is when people are excited, rushed, trying to board, dealing with luggage, and figuring out lunch. It is not the ideal time to troubleshoot logins, documents, payment methods, or app settings.

Another mistake is assuming the app will replace basic cruise common sense.

If something is not working, ask a crew member. If food delivery is taking too long, go get something. If the app schedule seems confusing, look for printed materials, screens, or Guest Services.

And finally, do not buy accessories or packages just because Princess offers them.

Buy them if they solve a problem or add value for how you actually travel.

You may especially appreciate MedallionClass if you:

• Like using apps while traveling
• Want easier cabin access
• Travel with family or a group
• Plan to use Wi-Fi
• Like ordering drinks or snacks without always going to the bar
• Appreciate a more tech-forward cruise experience

It may feel less important if you prefer to put your phone away, avoid Wi-Fi, and keep your cruise as low-tech as possible.

That does not mean Princess is a bad fit. It just means you may use fewer Medallion features.