For lunch and dinner, you can find a rotating set of options that include pasta, stir-fry, crepes and more. For groups traveling with more than two people per room, however, a new policy could allow groups to bring . This was a huge relief from the typical check-in desk with long check-in lines we have experienced in the past. Many cruise lines allow you to pay a little extra for priority access to the ship. You really do not want to bethat personin the airport losing their mind because the latest delay means the entire vacation is in jeopardy. Jon can be reached at. Here are my tips for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner. 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. Plus, the agents at the port wont have to take the extra time to verify your birth certificate. The common thread among these times is it is when others are unable or unwilling to go to the spa, so prices tend to be better. So if youve been delaying getting your passport renewed and dont have a trip planned any time soon, Id recommend getting that taken care of. Remington Premier Copper 12 Gauge 3 Inch 1550 FPS 1 Ounce . Scoring an Early Boarding Time on Royal Caribbean If you followed our previous advice about arriving to your port city early, then likely your hotel will have a check-out time in the early part of the morning, which is the perfect excuse to head to the cruise port. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean International allows cruisers to choose a port arrival time during online check-in. You start getting benefits after just one cruise, and you never lose your status. You can save and come back to the process at a later time. The online check-in process is super simple and consists of filling out personal information among other tasks. Naturally everyone thinks of the main dining room for dinner, but did you know it is often open forlunch (and breakfast) too? The same is true for beer . . Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. If you dont want to spend all morning waiting in lines, or if you just wish you could speed things up, this post is for you. All Oasis-class ships offer this option, but many guests are unaware that breakfast is served here, nor that it is included with your cruise fare (Johnny Rockets has a cover charge for lunch and dinner). The day your cruise begins is full of excitement, and naturally, you may be wondering what time you can board the ship. And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Quick tip: You should always keep one bag with you. Kids get special pricing at a specialty restaurant, so buy dining packages only for the adults. When you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have a choice of places to eat throughout the day. Norwegians priority program offers everything from faster embarkation to quicker tendering, and even a faster debarkation process. Some families prefer to arrive in the afternoon, so they dont have to navigate crowds at the terminal. The earlier you can book, the best chance you will have at getting a good price on your cruise. Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? Norwegians priority access program includes: Other cruise lines have some sort of priority-access program as well. This was super fast and easy as the Muster Stations were all clearly labeled and close to where we walked onto the ship. So, make sure you keep everything within reach and enjoy a smooth boarding process. Exclusive access to time slots for rock climbing, FlowRider etc. The simplest and easiest way to get on the ship faster is taking care of the check-in process early. Read More Ultimate Guide to Royal Caribbeans Junior SuitesContinue, Read More Honest Review of Perfect Day at CocoCayContinue, Read More Free Printable Cruise Packing List (with Tips)Continue, Read More Guide to Royal Caribbean Ship Classes (2023)Continue, Read More Easy Guide to Royal Caribbean Online Check InContinue, Read More Honest Review of Oasis of the SeasContinue, Your email address will not be published. In this post, we will walk you through the whole embarkation process so that youre prepared for your first day on board. Ideally, you want other staterooms on either deck and not public venues like pools, restaurants or other public venues. So which food is included and which cost extra? After having paused this program during the cruise re-openings , Carnival is now offering Faster to the Fun again. Search Now Called RCL this morning and got a weird / rude response when asking about what time I can board the ship. This means you can get extra value from your drink package purchase while anywhere in these private destinations. The plan offered is called the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program, and it provides the following coverage: $25k Emergency Travel Medical Insurance. Prepare For Your Cruise: Departure Day - Norwegian Cruise Line The actual times, however, will vary by sailing. Welcome aboard! ", "When is the best time to book a cruise?" And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. Did you know Royal Caribbean offers extra onboard credit if you own at least a certain amount of Royal Caribbean Group stock? Learn the cruise secrets most people don't know and cruise like a boss. Follow along on this incredible voyage! A. All rights reserved. Here are some of the benefits included with this program: Carnival Cruise Line: Faster to the Fun (FTTF). Holland American Line: Mariner Society . Firearms and ammunition, including plastic replicas and toys, Sharp objects like knives and scissors(scissors with a blade length of less than 4 inches are allowed), Coffee makers, clothes irons, travel steamers and hot plates, Alcoholic beverages like beer, selter, or hard liquor. Read more: 10 biggest tipping mistakes cruisers make. I pack my kids undergarments for them to put on after they swim. You'll want to include all of your valuables, medications, and documentation. If you dont have extra room in the budget, the first point in this article will help the most. For obvious reasons the early times are taken first. Whether the first day or the last day of your cruise, be sure to grab a porter to make things easier on yourself. Now, if youre planning to embark on a closed-loop itinerary that starts and ends in the United States, you can use your birth certificate and legal name change documentation to board. Each ship is packed with adventures . 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. Instead of arriving to your departure city on the day of your cruise, get in early! Hi there! 90% refund of cruise credits if you Cancel for Any Reason. Priority line at ship attractions and water slides during regular hours. In addition, Royal Caribbean has onboard laundry services you can use to make wearing the same clothes later in the cruise more practical. If you ever wanted to see what the suite life was all about I recommend booking a short 3 day cruise. Royal Caribbean does not charge for its shows, nor does it charge for advanced reservations. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. On sea days, the main dining room is open for lunch and it serves up a different menu of options than what is offered during dinner. So the best way to learn about what is offered on your cruise is to check out a past Cruise Compass. After all, if you want to jump in that pool as soon as you get on the ship you might as well be prepared. The drink packages have become quite popular with guests, but Royal Caribbean rewards guests that purchase their drink package early with a discount. The best reason to use an agent is to save you time, because they are the ones sitting on hold when calling Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean typically allows cruisers to choose arrival times in thirty-minute blocks as shown in the image below. Our driver dropped us off with the porters at the terminal who checked that all of our bags held luggage tags, which we had printed from our online account. In general, Royal Caribbean's cruise fares are priced the least the further out you go, and as the sail date approaches, prices start to creep up as the supply of staterooms on a sailing begin to get booked up. But if you opt to drag your suitcases all through the terminal and onto the ship youre just slowing down the entire process. Tasks such as repricing, making special requests, dealing with weather events and more are why I use a travel agent every single I book a cruise. You'll need to buy The Key for every guest in the cabin (age 6 and above) for every night of the cruise. Once you're cleared to board, you will follow a gangway (elevated ramps) up to the ship. We completed our Muster Drill requirements immediately after boarding. The benefits wont always be the same, and you have to fill out a form and wait for approval. No reservations needed, just walk on in and be seated. Lunch and drink package 3. If you have a cruise booked with Royal Caribbean, you can typically check-in around 45 days before your sail date. (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean) You are staying in a suite. Guests can choose boarding times in the afternoon or earlier times of 10:30 or 11:00. Love Cruise Fever?Sign Up to Our FREE Newsletter! Royal Caribbean's app is a must-have for your cruise, so make sure to download it before your cruise. By having a reservation, you will be seated faster. On all ships, check for entertainment reservations once onboard the ship via the Royal Caribbean app. But if you're at home, it's still a good idea to book as early as you can to lock in the lowest price. This frees up storage space in your closets and drawers for other things. I'm not sure RCL has started that. How soon can you board a cruise ship before departure? 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Many guests are curious how early they can board a Royal Caribbean ship on embarkation day, so here is a guide for what to expect. The first time I booked a suite was on Celebrity Silhouette. Lets look at what some of these early-access programs offer. Once logged in, navigate toOnboard Activitiesand select the show you wish to reserve. We have found in the US on a standard turn around that you can board a RCL ship starting around 11:30 but . #4 Check into your cruise as soon as you can Royal Caribbean now enforces its check-in times, so be sure to check-in for your cruise as soon as check-in opens. In addition to that you get to the best locations on the ship, personalized service, exclusive amenities, and other complimentary perks. . Oasis Class ships offer outside dining is also available onCentral Park and Boardwalk neighborhoods. Cayman Islands: Who's Who & Business Guide. Easy Guide to Royal Caribbean Online Check In 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. We make sure to pack several items in our backpack, which I will include below: Youll notice that many of the items listed above are needed because our kids swim on embarkation day. And in that case theres nothing you can do but sit back and make the best of it. 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. 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. Employees come over to make you show that you are in a suite. One of the best mantras for cruise planning is book as early as you can in order to get the lowest price. No one wants to think worst case scenario, but you're probably better off buying a travel insurance plan for your cruise than risking not having it. Serenade of the Seas September 13, 2024 Cruise & Port Map As for Royal Caribbean opening up additional earlier times, it's not usually the case. And the price you paid for the cruise is the same whether you get onboard at 11am or 2pm, so may as well get the most time possible. Onboard Shows and Tickets FAQs | Royal Caribbean Cruises Unlike Traditional Dining, you will not be seated at the same table . Weird. Tipping hard working crew members is a must-do, but double check the bill that it's not already included. It is wholly owned by parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. How early can you board the ship? - Cruise Critic Community Royal Caribbean sales promotions will come and go, but if you talk to folks who book their cruises very early, they will tell you that booking super-early beats most sales offers. We will be flying out . The key is to understand what the ship you're booking has and doesn't have so there's no disappointment later. 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. Commonly it is expected to tip somewhere around $1-$2 per bag. 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. It'll guide you to aim and take the picture. I've been seeing some comments about show reservations being sold out by the time people boarded, that is the main reason why I was wondering if Royal Caribbean is really that strict or if it's likely they might let us on earlier. Additionally, a cruise vacation, like any other type of travel, poses a risk for trip interruption, delays, and other unexpected issues. Talk to a few agents and feel them out for their knowledge of the product and when you find one that you are comfortable with, leverage their knowledge and expertiseand book with them. 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. Entertainment is typically included in your cruise fare but on the largest ships, you are required to make reservations. Be sure to pack these items in your carry-on luggage, and not your checked luggage. The cruise line can have an impact as some lines have different embarkation . For a full list of items that my family and I pack on a cruise vacation, you can check out my Cruise Packing List article. Once you get onboard and connect to the ship's wifi, it will ask you if you want to just use the app. Just one of the perks of being a suite guest on a cruise ship is having priority access. You Could Soon Bring More Wine on Royal Caribbean Cruises But Here's Posted January 23, 2012. 12. long pause. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. Once onboard, cancellations must be made at least 4 hours prior to show time. But given that you must make many decisions during the booking process, it can pay to use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises to help you arrange things. Having an extra day or two provides a buffer to account for travel delays. You're probably wondering what to expect on the day you board the ship. It was 6 years ago and I still remember my waiters name. This includes accepting the cruise contract, answering the health questions, and choosing your boarding time. They offer guests the option to drink as much as they want on their cruise for a fixed price. The boarding process for the 1/8 Adventure of the Seas cruise to the S. Caribbean was horrible. Since these are Royal Caribbean cruise tips that apply primarily to just this cruise line, it's meant to provide advice that almost anyone sailing with Royal Caribbean can use right away. Cruise lines want you to be loyal to them, so ranking up your loyalty tier is a great way to get faster boarding times in addition to a ton of other perks. 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.