However, if you show up just 10-15 minutes before these events, you will likely find few, if any, other guests waiting and first shot at even the most popular activities. If you're in a suite, you don't need to pay extra for this package too. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Weird. In addition to being able to use your drink package benefits nearly anywhere onboard your ship, Royal Caribbean also extends the benefit to Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas and Labadee in Haiti. Her whole family, including the oceanview cabin guests, were permitted to stand in the suite line. Guests should arrive at the terminal within the arrival time slot you selected during Royal App check-in. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! In most cases, you should be able to save at least $10 per person compared to dinner (if not more). Answer (1 of 9): It is becoming more common to have a check-in time on your boarding pass. To save time and money, you really should pre-book beverage packages, dining packages, internet packages and more. Like what you see? . My kids wear their bathing suits onto the ship underneath their clothes. A second way to grab an early port arrival time is by purchasing The Key. No reservations needed, just walk on in and be seated. If you are wondering what time constitutes, "early", we are talking about sometime between 10am and 11:30am. Royal Caribbean is inviting select guests to try out a new way to board the ship that aims to improve the embarkation, The first day of your Royal Caribbean cruise should be the start of an amazing vacation, so be sure to avoid these, The first day of your Royal Caribbean cruise is areallyfun moment in any cruise fan's vacation, because it is when, The first day of your cruise is such an awesome feeling, and I have some great tips for making it as super smooth as, Embarkation day on any Royal Caribbean cruise is an exciting and busy day, and it appears Royal Caribbean is trying to, When your Royal Caribbean cruise ship begins to sail away from port and your cruise actually begins, you will probably. I dont think I need to mention how this would slow down your boarding process, but its a key element to remember when cruising. If you ever wanted to see what the suite life was all about I recommend booking a short 3 day cruise. Having an extra day or two provides a buffer to account for travel delays. If someone cancels their cruise, their check-in time goes back into the system for someone else to grab. This way youre paying about half the price of a week-long cruise and you can test the waters. Over the course of a 7-night cruise, those savings add up quickly! Carnival allows you to check-in 14 days before the cruise date, for Royal Caribbean its 45 days, and for Norwegian Cruise Line you can check in 21 days before a sailing. We have spent years sharing tips, secrets and strategies on this blog about taking a better and more fun Royal Caribbean cruise, and we discovered there is one common thread among so many of our best tips: being early. In many cases, Royal Caribbean promises a discount on select pre-cruise purchases compared to the price onboard. Your stateroom walls are made of metal, and that means you can stick a magnet on any of them (even the ceiling). You'll need to buy The Key for every guest in the cabin (age 6 and above) for every night of the cruise. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. When we say "early", we mean booking your cruise 12, 18 or even 24 months before the sail date. Those who arrive early will not be able to begin boarding, and those who arrive late will need to wait until we are able to work them into another group. In general, on a cruise with RCI, you can change 1 bane, no problem, as long as at least one original guest stays . Then, the dads in our group took the kids to the pool so that they could swim in virtually empty swimming areas. So the earlier you book your cruise, the more stateroom inventory you will have and if freshman year high school economics taught me anything, it is that supply and demand plays a big part in pricing. By planning to arrive to your departure port at least one day early, you assure yourself that a travel delay will not impact your ability to get on your cruise. When should I arrive at the cruise port terminal? | Royal Caribbean Cruises I will absolutely think twice about taking a cruise from San Juan again, and RCCL as well for that matter. From sunny Aruba to, If you are at least a Diamond member or above in Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, here is a great way to, Taking a Royal Caribbean cruise is a great family vacation because of all the great things to see and do onboard. 50 Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips and Tricks The porter told us our luggage should be in our cabin fairly early since we were some of the first to arrive at the ship. These are the times of year when demand is less for cruises to certain regions. Arrive early. You may also want to pack a dinner outfit, especially if you . If not, just leave blank, How being early is the secret to the best Royal Caribbean cruise, from start to finish, purchase the drink package of your choice online, 5 Royal Caribbean things you had no idea existed. The plan offered is called the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program, and it provides the following coverage: $25k Emergency Travel Medical Insurance. Posted January 23, 2012. Follow along on this incredible voyage! Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. Want to get an idea of what entertainment, activities and things to do (along with times) will be offered on your cruise? What time can you board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship? Royal Caribbean Travel Insurance - AARDY It's the rule that you can only bring liquids three ounces or less in a one quart plastic bag, with one bag per passenger. The cruise line can have an impact as some lines have different embarkation . Yes, a suite is more expensive. From a bag getting lost in transit to flight cancellations, its always better to be protected than to not have insurance when you need it most. When we say "early", it essentially means as early as you can. or "How do I get the lowest price?" The only trouble is you may get hooked on it, and then you will have to come up with the cash for the next cruise. We'll walk you through a typical cruise embarkation day and the cruise ship boarding process, and give you some cruise embarkation tips to make sure your first day on the ship goes as smooth as butter. Regardless of which day you choose, some specialty restaurants offer a lunch discount compared to dinner. Test out the TV, the toilet and the lights; check for bed bugs; sanitize anything you need to. For just a few dollars, you can make the embarkation and disembarkation process significantly easier. Book entertainment and dining as soon as possible. You can view all the shore excursions available by logging into Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner and browsing the shore excursions by port. But how early can you board the cruise ship? 19 things you should do on embarkation day, 7 reasons you should splurge for a suite on a cruise, loyalty programs on 8 different cruise lines, 10 biggest tipping mistakes cruisers make, 13 Biggest Mistakes Made by Carnival Cruise Passengers [Carnival Tips], Royal Caribbean Updates Perks in Loyalty Program, Carnival to Send Newly Upgraded Ship on 14-Day Transatlantic Cruise, 7 Reasons You Should Never Fly on Cruise Day, 19 Things You Should Do on Cruise Embarkation Day in 2023, Ultimate List of Shuttles From Orlando Airport (MCO) to Port Canaveral, Best Galveston Cruise Parking Tips, Rates & Locations [Read Before Cruise], Carnival Bringing a Fourth Cruise Ship to Galveston, Texas, Carry-on bag drop off in the main dining room. On all ships, check for entertainment reservations once onboard the ship via the Royal Caribbean app. (+1 345) 244 2431. Check-in opens up 45 days before your cruise begins. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. In short, the app is tied to so much of the cruise experience now. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. For obvious reasons the early times are taken first. Once you are ready to begin, completing the Royal Caribbean online check in takes very little time. The Windjammer is the go-to spot for most when they get onboard their Royal Caribbean ship for lunch, but there are good alternatives that are less crowded. Each cruiser scanned his/her SetSail Pass (from the Royal Caribbean app) and was permitted to board the ship. Questions are often worded like, "How do I get a deal? At 10:00, the doors to the terminal opened, and the suite guests were escorted to an elevator that took us to a separate security line. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Instead of arriving to your departure city on the day of your cruise, get in early! If you dont plan on using the pools, you may not need nearly as many items as we do. Take advantage of the opportunity to get tickets and not be stuck in a line waiting to enter the theater or worse, miss out on the show completely. For instance, although medical marijuana may be legal in parts of the United States, it is not allowed in most part of the Caribbean, and therefore will not be permitted on the ship. By pre-purchasing certain items, you can pay off parts of the cruise months or years in advance, allowing you to reduce the cruise bill at the conclusion of your cruise. This is the perfect time to make dining changes/requests, book activities and specialty restaurants, secure shore excursions, etc. Laundry costs extra, but it may save you money compared to paying to check an extra bag at the airport. These programs often offer other perks as well that are usually only reserved for suite passengers. And the earlier check-in time you have, the sooner you get to get onboard the ship and start vacation. The helipad onis located on the bow (front)of the ship and during sailaway, Royal Caribbean permits guests access to the helipad. As time progress, more and more staterooms are reserved and stateroom inventory drops, so the price increases conversely. The price of the September 13, 2024 cruise on the Serenade of the Seas ranges from $690 for an inside cabin to $1,963 for a suite. Been a while since I've been on Royal Caribbean and we are sailing tomorrow out of Miami. Whether the first day or the last day of your cruise, be sure to grab a porter to make things easier on yourself. If you want to find the best prices for the spa on your cruise, consider booking things on port days, or early in the morning or late at night for the best prices. There is no way to know in absolute terms what your upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise will or will not offer, but Royal Caribbean insiders will consult past Cruise Compass' to see what was available on those similar sailings to get an idea of what to expect. You can change in a public restroom, and towels are available at the pool area to use. Required fields are marked *, document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a0f9c8c1261d574f1224454f4fa00eeb" );document.getElementById("d5aa0859c9").setAttribute( "id", "comment" );Comment *. This fish feature is prominently present on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools' Day postcards. Royal Caribbean offers all guests the option to bring their own luggage (rather than have their luggage delivered to the terminal) and leave the ship anytime once customs officials clear the ship. We arrived on time (1pm) and waited over three hours to board. In the morning, there is an omelet station available. Also, since your cruise will likely take you to foreign countries, its crucial to have a passport with you. The best reason to use an agent is to save you time, because they are the ones sitting on hold when calling Royal Caribbean. Try to get on the ship as soon as you can (in other words, get inline at the port early or get to the airport to the Royal Caribbean desk early to get the first transfer to the pier). Keep in mind that travel agents are paid by Royal Caribbean, so there is no additional cost to you to use their services. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. In the weeks leading up to your cruise, be sure to complete online check-in. There are two problems with buying The Key for an early check-in. The benefit of doing this is you get to "meet" other people on your sailing, which may result in new friendships, or saving money on a shore excursion or other activity that has a group discount. Other families, like mine, like to get the process started as soon as possible. Please plan your arrival accordingly to avoid the possibility of not being permitted to sail. You really do not want to bethat personin the airport losing their mind because the latest delay means the entire vacation is in jeopardy. Hi there! You simply keep your luggage in your room (instead of placing it in the hallway on the last evening of the cruise) and then when the ship is cleared by Customs agents, you take your own luggage and disembark the ship. Arrived to the port at 10:30. Did you know Royal Caribbean offers extra onboard credit if you own at least a certain amount of Royal Caribbean Group stock? Unless you've really got money to blow, don't know how people make the decision to go to Caribbean/offshore schools anymore.Foundation year 1 (FY1) doctors told The BMJ that they had asked the trust to consider increasing medical locum shift pay rates from 24 an hour for social hours and 29 for unsocial hours to match those provided for . You'll want to do this as early as you can in order to get an early check-in time and avoid wasting time in the cruise terminal. This is basically a forum for discussing your exact sailing with other people booked on it too. When you purchase anything before your cruise via the Cruise Planner site, you will be required to pay for it at the time of purchase. Here are 7 proven ways to board your cruise ship faster on embarkation day. A number of factors affect when you can embark a cruise ship. There are plenty of ways to improve one's cruise, but if you remember a single mantra for your cruise, it should be simply to be early. Save time on your cruise by getting your kids signed up for Royal Caribbean's complimentary kids programming on the first day of the cruise. To redeem this benefit, you just need to email[emailprotected]withyour name, address, confirmation number, ship and sailing date along with a copy of your shareholder proxy card or a current brokerage statement showing proof of share ownership. A Royal Caribbean employee came over to our large group and checked in each party using her tablet. This is not only a great opportunity for your kids to become familiar with the kids club, but also save time later so all you have to do when the club opens up is drop them off and be done. Two brothers started Cruise Fever in 2011 when they decided they couldn't stop cruising so they might as well write about it. Can I Get Off a Cruise Early in Another Port? (Partial Cruises) Since your luggage isnt guaranteed to arrive in your room before dinner, youll want to make sure you have everything you need ahead of time. Related: A look inside Regent's most expensive cruise ship. Fax: +1 345 946 8825. Your email address will not be published. This option may not beviable for everyone because families and large groups may find lugging all their stuff from the stateroom to the terminal is not practical. About a week before the cruise, the Suite Concierge will email suite guests with an introduction and outline basic suite policies, including a flexible arrival policy, where suite guests can arrive one hour before or after their check-in time. How to book My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean All rights reserved. A passenger can't sail from one U.S. port and get off at another U.S. port (even for the day) without the trip including a foreign port of call in the itinerary. I am a stay-at-home mom with an amazing husband and two little girls who keep me busy with gymnastics, soccer, and swimming. There, crewmembers will typically check you in via . One of the best mantras for cruise planning is book as early as you can in order to get the lowest price. Royal Caribbean asks its guests to arrive within their check-in window to avoid crowding in the terminal. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. While Royal Caribbean maintains a core experience across all ships, each vessel has its own list of amenities and activities, and even ships within the same Royal Caribbean ship class can vary. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. If you are concerned about the drink package price dropping, take solace in the fact you can always cancel and rebook with no penalty! I wont go into every perk these loyalty programs offer, but you can check out our comparison of the loyalty programs on 8 different cruise lines. Plus, the Royal Caribbean app will have all of the activities for the day listed so that you can easily reference it during your sailing. Downloading the app before you get on your ship means you'll be able to easily and quickly download it and set it up before you step aboard. Be the first to write a review! There are also two different times to consider: what time can you board your ship and what time can you arrive at the port to check-in. Venue: The Artground Date: 4 - 12 Mar 2023 Fee: $18 per pax (Weekday), $20 per pax (Weekend). When you make purchases onboard your cruise, at the end of the cruise you get a final bill with all of the charges tallied up. For your return home, you have the ability to select the flight that best suits your schedule. Members also get invitations to special events, like behind-the-scenes tours of the ship. We will be flying out . Believe me, searching for documents in your luggage is not only time-consuming but also frustrating. Boarding Requirements FAQ | Royal Caribbean Cruises By going on embarkation day, not only will you likely have a short wait but you may be able to re-ride a number of times! Usually, guests who book The Key are allowed to check-in with the first group (an exact time will be emailed later). When it comes to travel, there are always going to be certain factors involved in the trip that you have no control over: weather, canceled flights, flat tires, and Michael Poole. That means if a couple buys The Key for a 7 day cruise it will cost at least $350. (He was right!) How early can I board my Royal Caribbean cruise? If you're reading this at home, you're still better off booking a cruise now, rather than waiting to book onboard your ship. Naturally everyone thinks of the main dining room for dinner, but did you know it is often open forlunch (and breakfast) too? (Make sure you watched and marked off the Safety video in the app the morning of your cruise.). You can bring soda, water, energy drinks and any other non-alcoholic beverages. Cruise ships will usually begin boarding approximately four hours before the scheduled departure time, typically around 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Changing one guest name - Royal Caribbean - Cruises Forum However, I highly recommend traveling with a passport. Holland American Line: Mariner Society . Do you know about when you'd like to sail? While frustrating to not have the rules enforced across the board, we still recommend adhering to the check-in time window to avoid any possible denial of boarding until later. Porters are available to assist with your luggage. You have a lot more going on there than a basic name change for the cruise, and thus really need to talk to whomever it is you booked through. Royal Caribbean is quite understanding about schedules, and if you need to get off the ship sooner, they are usually very accommodating. We know youre eager to arrive at the cruise port for your Royal Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbean's fitness center has separate showers for men and women that is complimentary to use. Since we were in a suite, we were able to stand in the super short line on the right. If you want a ship with a Broadway show, book Oasis or Harmony of the Seas, but skip Wonder of the Seas. Try your best to adhere to the check-in time, but they will still admit you for check-in if you were to arrive later. Set . We have found in the US on a standard turn around that you can board a RCL ship starting around 11:30 but . How to Get on Your Cruise Ship As Early as Possible: 7 Ways Examined Serenade April 2- How early can u really board? - Royal Caribbean In many ports, porters have a special line for Customs that allows you to get through it all faster. That seems like a lot to save an hour or two on embarkation day. This means you can still be on Royal Caribbean's wifi and use the app, but avoid a huge bill. DON'T assume your cabin is pristine and in working order, if you tend to worry about such things. Things I've tried on Royal Caribbean that I won't do again, The worst cruise mistakes our readers have made on a ship. Royal Caribbean shore excursions are fully refundable if your ship cannot dock at a scheduled port. Norwegians priority program offers everything from faster embarkation to quicker tendering, and even a faster debarkation process. One mistake a lot of new cruisers make is to book the cheapest cruise they can find because they assume the ships are more less all the same. Here are some of the benefits included with this program: Carnival Cruise Line: Faster to the Fun (FTTF). For lunch and dinner, you can find a rotating set of options that include pasta, stir-fry, crepes and more. Passengers who booked by March 31, 2022, for cruises departing on or before Sept. 30, 2022, are protected by Royal Caribbean's Cruise With Confidence policy, which entitles them to 100% of the cruise fare paid in the form of FCC if they cancel for any reason. What to Expect on a Cruise: Boarding a Cruise Ship - Cruise Critic Packing your cruise day bag is important so that you have everything you need for your first day. And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. Depending on your disembarkation time and port, the time needed to arrive at the airport will vary. Each ship is packed with adventures . Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. If you dont have extra room in the budget, the first point in this article will help the most.