Passengers on Princess Medallion Class cruise ships can now use their Princess Medallion NFC-enabled wearable device to make contactless payments at on-shore merchants that support leisure travel giant Carnival Corporation’s Medallion Pay payments service.

Carnival Corporation brand Princess Cruises has expanded the service that allows passengers to use the wearable device to make purchases on board ship to retail outlets, restaurants and other merchants at its ports of call in the Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska.

Passengers will also receive a 7% shipboard credit for shoreside purchases made using credit cards linked to Medallion Pay.

“Previously exclusive to purchases made on board a Princess Medallion Class ship, Medallion Pay expands the safety and convenience of contactless payment into ports, allowing guests to leave their wallets and smartphone in their stateroom safes and use their Medallion to shop with added security in stores displaying the Medallion Pay seal in their storefronts,” Princess Cruises says.

“Medallion Pay currently is available in St Thomas, Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta, with more destinations and merchants being added in the near future, including extensions into all Alaska ports Princess ships call on.

“Among prominent merchants now accepting Medallion Pay are Diamonds International and Cariloha, as well as more than 65 other retailers, from restaurants, bars, souvenir stores and jewellers to museums and excursion operators.”

Carnival Corporation launched its NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled Medallion wearable device in January 2017. In addition to allowing passengers to make payments, it enables them to access services, including boarding without checking in, unlocking cabins, accessing personalised entertaining and ordering food and drinks.

The company also published a 12-page paper — available from the NFCW Knowledge Centre — explaining how the Medallion was conceived and designed to act as a guest’s key to a wide range of personalised, next generation services in October 2017.

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