how early can i board my royal caribbean cruise
View All Cruises 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 didnt even have to get off the couch. This is by far the least crowded time to swim on the cruise ship. One of the best cruise ship cabin hacks is to bring magnets with you on your cruise. In this post, we will walk you through the whole embarkation process so that youre prepared for your first day on board. You can save and come back to the process at a later time. Either way, you should have plenty of time to enjoy all the entertainment and activities onboard the ship. Guests who were sailing in Star Class and had access to a Royal Genie were permitted to move to the front of the line in order to receive the priority boarding that was included in their suite perks. Printed Set Sail Pass this morning for April 2nd Sailing of the Serenade of the Seas, out of San Juan. These nifty little secrets can save money, time or both, and so I wanted to whittle them down to thebestRoyal Caribbean tips and tricks in hopes of savingyoutime and money! Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. Things like medications, documents, passports, and even a bathing suit and some sunscreen can be kept in this bag. By completing online check-in early, you will have the best choice of check-in times. By arriving early, you will beat the big crowds that descend upon the cruise terminal later in the day, and you also get the added benefit of having some extra time onboard the ship. Just like dining, you can reserve shows in advance by going to Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site. Keep in mind that other factors may effect your boarding time. It wasn't nearly as easy as usual. Its also important to note that theres no best time to board the Royal Caribbean ship. I booked my Symphony of the Seas cruise five months in advance of my February sail date. Some families prefer to arrive in the afternoon, so they dont have to navigate crowds at the terminal. While you can book shore excursions onboard your ship, the lines at the shore excursion desk can often be quite long and doing your research from home gives you plenty of time to compare different options and learn what each port offers. 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. If you buy heavy duty magnets with hooks, you can use these magnets to store certain items. Today, we, While I absolutely love cruising and traveling, we all know that sometimes things dont go exactly as we planned., We all make mistakes, including when on a cruise ship. 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. The menu can vary from lunch to dinner, but the experience is still the same. A number of factors affect when you can embark a cruise ship. Once we walked to the entrance of Terminal Building A, we saw two separate lines: a LONG line on the left and a short line on the right. It can feel like torture if you have to wait a long time to board your ship. Each stateroom may bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne, as long as one guest is of legal drinking age. 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. These are not the times you actually board the ship. In short, the app is tied to so much of the cruise experience now. Aurea is the most expensive options and could cost anywhere from $150 to $600 more than the lowest cost experience. The Aurea experience provides much more than just priority access and luggage drop off, also including access to the Top Exclusive Solarium, access to the thermal suite, discounted drink package rates, free delivery of room service and more. For example, a 7 day cruise with the Bella experience will earn you 500 points, while that same cruise with the Aurea experience will net you 1,000 points. Rope dropping is also a great strategy for the sort of activities that quickly generate a line. Here are some of the benefits included with this program: Carnival Cruise Line: Faster to the Fun (FTTF). Royal Caribbean shore excursions are fully refundable if your ship cannot dock at a scheduled port. Children between the ages of 0-5 are complimentary and ages 6-12 are $10 per child at any specialty restaurant. Once you're cleared to board, you will follow a gangway (elevated ramps) up to the ship. Did you know Royal Caribbean offers extra onboard credit if you own at least a certain amount of Royal Caribbean Group stock? You can then save this information and complete the rest of the check-in process at a later date. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Before the cruise, guests may change the show/ti. Laundry costs extra, but it may save you money compared to paying to check an extra bag at the airport. In addition to the drink package, a wifi package also works while at CocoCay. This is a 9 night cruise and price per night is noted below for each cabin type. The NextCruise office offers incentives to book another cruise while you're still onboard. Royal Caribbean puts its itineraries on sale as much as two years in advance of the sailing, and while that may be too far in advance for many to plan vacations, the earlier you can book the cruise, the better for that bottom line price. 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. 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. 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. 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. In that case, keep in mind the luggage tags you will be provided with can be swapped out at Guest Services for a luggage tag with an earlier disembarkation time. 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. 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. Our next RCL isn't until December 2016. And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. On all ships, check for entertainment reservations once onboard the ship via the Royal Caribbean app. 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. The FCC . Find answers to your questions about all the requirements to board a Royal Caribbean Cruise. The key is to understand what the ship you're booking has and doesn't have so there's no disappointment later. VIP access to shows in Main theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B, and Two70, Surf & Stream high-speed internet package, Special breakfast on debarkation day and choice of departure time, Dedicated phone number for guest services, Expedited water shuttle from ship to shore, Daily Complimentary Standard Room Service Breakfast, $50 Spa Discount per person (Port Days Only). If you ever wanted to see what the suite life was all about I recommend booking a short 3 day cruise. Royal Caribbean offers a wide variety of things to do, services, and benefits to all guests that it can be easy to, We love a little intrigue as much as the next person, but nothing beats finding out about a secret, right? Over the course of a 7-night cruise, those savings add up quickly! Hi there! What time to arrive at the port. Since the online check-in time usually opens up at midnight (EST) 45 days before your cruise, youll want to login at this time. Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? Do you know about when you'd like to sail? The helipad onis located on the bow (front)of the ship and during sailaway, Royal Caribbean permits guests access to the helipad. For your return home, you have the ability to select the flight that best suits your schedule. (Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas). Follow along on this incredible voyage! We will be flying out . Getting an early arrival slot means that you can board the ship earlier than . Royal Caribbean does not charge for its shows, nor does it charge for advanced reservations. Lots of passengers arrive early, standing in line for the opportunity to board early and be among the first on the ship. For obvious reasons the early times are taken first. Like what you see? Depending on the length of your sailing, you can get up to $250 onboard credit. 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. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of this page for more details.). 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. 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. Royal Caribbean offers a lot of shore excursions in every port and on top of that, you can also consider shore excursions through third party groups to further expand your options. We enjoy being on the ship early to take advantage of as much time on board as possible. For groups traveling with more than two people per room, however, a new policy could allow groups to bring . This provides the ability to break up the total cost of the cruise. Royal Caribbean has The Key, Carnival has Faster to the Fun, and Norwegian has the Priority Access Pass. The cruise line can have an impact as some lines have different embarkation . Youll also find that the water slides dont have long lines at this time on embarkation day. 19. Here are the 8 easy strategies I used to save money on my Royal Caribbean cruise that you can use too. Its important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. Whether its a backpack or carry-on, always keep a few things with you that you may need in the event your large bags are delayed in getting to your cabin. Royal Caribbean may send you an email about boarding times, but those are mostly suggestions and not enforced at all. 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. Just turn airplane mode once you get onboard the ship. Depending on when you go to select a time, there will be variety of 30 minute windows for you to choose from. If you can check in using the cruise lines app or website the very first day you have a better chance of having an early boarding time. Then, we walked right into the suite waiting area. Weird. The difference is booking onboard will get you extra onboard credit and reduced deposit. 1. 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. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? 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. Set . Check-in opens up 45 days before your cruise begins. The reason is Royal Caribbean cruise fares are very erratic, and can change at a moment's notice. Royal Caribbean typically allows cruisers to choose arrival times in thirty-minute blocks as shown in the image below. 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. Guests should arrive at the terminal within the arrival time slot you selected during Royal App check-in. This makes it easy to undress them poolside, and they can hop right in. The person didnt even ask for the ship name or location and gave monosyllabic responses. Note: You dont have to complete the entire check-in process in most cases. It has grown into a website full of information on family vacation tips, kid friendly activities, homeschooling organization hacks, and so much more! Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. This buffet wasnt crowded at all during these early hours, and it offered a large variety of food for our big travel group. #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. If you're flying to your cruise, take heed of what happened today as an important reminder of what not to do, We have a quick tip to share on how you can save money on your next Royal Caribbean cruise before you ever set foot on, The Royal Caribbean Blog staff collectively spent over 270 nights on Royal Caribbean ships in 2022. Don't book a cabin one deck above or below a public space, such as a pool, dining room, or bar. Embark's office is located in an industrial chic building in Boston's Seaport District. 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. The boarding process for the 1/8 Adventure of the Seas cruise to the S. Caribbean was horrible. In fact, Day One has the makings to be as memorable as every other day of your getaway. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6% of the total worldwide share of the cruise market by passengers as of 2021. If a ship sails a journey to a "nearby" foreign port, a passenger still can't leave the ship permanently at a different U.S. port than the embarkation point (nearby foreign . Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Once onboard, cancellations must be made at least 4 hours prior to show time. Too many parents are unaware of the open house and waste time signing their kids up as the evening session is set to begin. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. 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 . One of the best ways to stay informed with what's happening on your sailing is to join a roll call for your sailing. You'll want to include all of your valuables, medications, and documentation. Sure, you can book a Royal Caribbean cruise on your own, directly through the line's website. It was 6 years ago and I still remember my waiters name. While you may want to save the added expense,regular medical insurance will not usually cover medical services onboard or in port. Set Sail pass states that boarding begins at 2:00 PM. Complimentary Canaps (a French hors doeuvre) on second day. Priority line at ship attractions and water slides during regular hours. 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. Getting on the ship for us is also the point when the cruise 'starts'. 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. 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. Third party shore excursions can offer more personalized tours at a lower price. Peak dinner time is between 6:30pm and 8:00pm, so if you plan to dine during these times, reservations are so important. Through our past experiences, on many different lines, we have boarded closer to 11:00. Many cruise lines allow you to pay a little extra for priority access to the ship. However, once you finally arrive at the port and board the ship, all your worries are washed away. On Voyager, Freedom or Radiance class ships, be sure to visit the helipad for my favorite sailaway spot. Two restaurants that always offer a cheaper lunch price than dinner are Chops Grille and Giovanni's Italian Kitchen. There's an impressive amount of discounts and benefits included in Royal Caribbean's loyalty program that you should absolutely know about in advance. 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. 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. You should always check with the cruise line to see what is not allowed on their ships. In general, on a cruise with RCI, you can change 1 bane, no problem, as long as at least one original guest stays . Having an extra day or two provides a buffer to account for travel delays. You really do not want to bethat personin the airport losing their mind because the latest delay means the entire vacation is in jeopardy. (+1 345) 244 2431. 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. The same is true for beer . And after hopping aboard I was invited to a special lounge for suite guests with all kinds of complimentary foods and beverages. 2023 Mom's Plan-it Vacation Blog - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP, Ultimate Guide to Royal Caribbeans Junior Suites, Free Printable Cruise Packing List (with Tips), Guide to Royal Caribbean Ship Classes (2023), Easy Guide to Royal Caribbean Online Check In. If not, just leave blank. Taking the time to purchase anything onboard does not take very much time, but every little bit helps, and some purchases on the first day of the cruise can require waiting in a line, such as drink packages. It May be Time for Some Royal Caribbean Elites to Reconsider Paying for Drink Packages frequentfloaters.com - Marshall Jackson Cruise line drink packages and whether or not you should buy one are a subject of sometimes intense debate among frequent floaters. We have found in the US on a standard turn around that you can board a RCL ship starting around 11:30 but . Additionally, a cruise vacation, like any other type of travel, poses a risk for trip interruption, delays, and other unexpected issues. 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. A second way to grab an early port arrival time is by purchasing The Key. Porters are available to assist with your luggage. Royal Caribbean now enforces its check-in times, so be sure to check-in for your cruise as soon as check-in opens. If your schedule allows, the best time to cruise when prices are the lowest are in the off-season and shoulder seasons. You're probably wondering what to expect on the day you board the ship. 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. When we say "early", it essentially means as early as you can. The exact benefits you get depend on which tier of Crown and Anchor Society you belong to. Your loyalty status doesnt reset at the end of the year. 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. {{alert.title}} {{notification.title}} {{notification . So the best way to learn about what is offered on your cruise is to check out a past Cruise Compass. Share them in our comments on this post. Yes, a suite is more expensive. The price for The Key varies by sailing, but prices start at $25 per guest for each day of the cruise. 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. 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. The concept is simple: pay a few bucks and skip the lines. Once you get onboard and connect to the ship's wifi, it will ask you if you want to just use the app. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Have you heard about Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages? If you are wondering what time constitutes, "early", we are talking about sometime between 10am and 11:30am. Its not a lengthy process but should you need to stop along the way to gather a piece of information, do not worry. Ideally, you'll book a cruise at NextCruise while on a sailing when struck with the inspiration to book another cruise. 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. There is a lot that goes into a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation, from your cruise fare (and the slew of discounts available), to dining, shore excursions, air travel and more. Its recommended to have travel insurance. This includes your passport, boarding pass, and any other necessary paperwork. You may also want to pack a dinner outfit, especially if you . 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! Like what you see? You dont want to find yourself stuck in a foreign land without your passport in a worst-case scenario. (The porters also have luggage tags in case you forget to print yours.). Click on the person icon, and it should fire up the camera again. The rule is a thorn in the side of many travelers. (Sponsored). Corkscrews will be provided for guests to enjoy their drinks in their stateroom. 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. Guests may be able to check in earlier but will usually not be able to embark until this time. and the answer to them all is simple: book your cruise as early as you can. 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). This large room consisted of plenty of seating options, refreshments, and restrooms. 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. Embarkation day is often full of a lot of chaos and stress, especially if you are a first time cruiser. Guests can use onboard credit towards purchasing Royal Caribbean'sshore excursions if they book onboard. 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. This online check-in is when you choose your port arrival time. Note that boarding did come to a stop at one point. What you want to do is look at what the ship you're considering has to do onboard, and ensure it has the most important options that you want to experience. Royal Caribbean International has notified guests booked aboard several Allure of the Seas cruises to adjust their boarding times . Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring up to 12 bottles/cans of non-alcoholic beverages per stateroomwith them on embarkation day. You will not have to start over! 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. This was super fast and easy as the Muster Stations were all clearly labeled and close to where we walked onto the ship. Here are some basic considerations. Easier said than done, but you probably won't need all the clothes, shoes, and outfits you think you might need on a Royal Caribbean cruise. I wrote about this in the post on 19 things you should do on embarkation day. All rights reserved. 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 can bring soda, water, energy drinks and any other non-alcoholic beverages. We know youre eager to arrive at the cruise port for your Royal Caribbean cruise. This includes accepting the cruise contract, answering the health questions, and choosing your boarding time. How to Get on Your Cruise Ship As Early as Possible: 7 We hate spam as much as lounge chair hogs. Johnny Rockets tends to be not very crowded for breakfast, because many guests are unaware of this option, and it also has a large seating capacity (indoor and outdoor seating options). One of my favorite benefits was having access to an amazing restaurant that was reserved for suite guests only. The Key is an optional add-on you can purchase to get VIP benefits, including an early check-in time. Like what you see? Once at the Muster Station, you just scan your SetSail Pass. When I tried to check in for my May 2022 cruise, this step was the only glitchy part of the whole process. We also use the hairbrush for the kids hair after swimming. In the weeks leading up to your cruise, be sure to complete online check-in. . Want to know one of the best tips for avoiding the worst cruise ship cabins? In short, to save time and money, use a good travel agent. 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. But did you know if you wait to book your drink package onboard the ship you will be overpaying for it? So if you have an early flight and can carry all your bags, then you can be among the first to get off the ship. There, crewmembers will typically check you in via . 12. long pause. Our $2,179.98 cruise has an insurance cost of $138 if bought through Royal Caribbean. Because so many guests are just getting onboard and acclimated to the new ship, many guests are unaware of where the headline attractions are or that they are open on embarkation day. Be the first to write a review! 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. If you can cruise during these times, there are some truly low prices to enjoy. The biggest key is being prepared and knowing when you should or shouldnt pay extra to get on board faster. What you want to do is log onto the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's website and purchase the drink package of your choice online. (He was right!) Unfortunately, there's no wifi coverage in Labadee. If you want to have a hassle-free boarding process, its important to stay organized and keep all your important documents organized and easily accessible.