For just a few dollars, you can make the embarkation and disembarkation process significantly easier. It can, however, still use its WiFi and Bluetooth connections to stay connected, if you so choose. The larger the group, the more important having a reservation is to limiting the wait times. Laundry costs extra, but it may save you money compared to paying to check an extra bag at the airport. 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. The key is to understand what the ship you're booking has and doesn't have so there's no disappointment later. An an example, if you have kids and water slides are a must-do, then skip the Vision Class ships and Explorer of the Seas. As an added bonus, by arriving to your embarkation port at least a day early, that means you get to start your vacation sooner! The price will be different depending on which port youre sailing from $59.95 in Miami to $129.95 in Seattle. Have you heard about Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages? This large room consisted of plenty of seating options, refreshments, and restrooms. 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. 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. Love Cruise Fever?Sign Up to Our FREE Newsletter! If you're on the fence about buying a Royal Caribbean drink package, keep in mind you can use them at Royal Caribbean's private islands. 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. Note: MSC Cruises has a status match program, so you can carry over some of the perks you have with another cruise line. It'll guide you to aim and take the picture. And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. Prior to sailing, guests may change or cancel their show reservations online up to 4 days prior to their cruise start date. Re: Changing one guest name - Royal Caribbean. 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. So, make sure you keep everything within reach and enjoy a smooth boarding process. The reason is Royal Caribbean cruise fares are very erratic, and can change at a moment's notice. Aurea is the most expensive options and could cost anywhere from $150 to $600 more than the lowest cost experience. Unvaccinated travellers age 5 and You start getting benefits after just one cruise, and you never lose your status. This includes accepting the cruise contract, answering the health questions, and choosing your boarding time. Sounds great, right? However, I highly recommend traveling with a passport. Here is a list of a few prohibited things Royal Caribbean has on their website: If you try to bring any of these things onto your cruise ship you will not only get the items confiscated, you could also be in some trouble with the law. In many ports, porters have a special line for Customs that allows you to get through it all faster. Inside a tree trunk, a forest nymph spends its day. Here are 7 proven ways to board your cruise ship faster on embarkation day. Norwegians priority access program includes: Other cruise lines have some sort of priority-access program as well. In the weeks leading up to your cruise, be sure to complete online check-in. 1. 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. Many newspapers also spread a false story on April Fish Day, and a subtle reference to a fish is sometimes given as a clue to . *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean) You are staying in a suite. In addition to that you get to the best locations on the ship, personalized service, exclusive amenities, and other complimentary perks. Look up your specific cruise line to see exactly how early you can check in and then set an alarm or reminder on your phone for that date. Guests can choose boarding times in the afternoon or earlier times of 10:30 or 11:00. This frees up storage space in your closets and drawers for other things. Previously, Royal Caribbean permitted a maximum of two 750-milliliter bottles per room. Over the course of a 7-night cruise, those savings add up quickly! This means you can still be on Royal Caribbean's wifi and use the app, but avoid a huge bill. 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. The Key is an optional add-on you can purchase to get VIP benefits, including an early check-in time. That means if a couple buys The Key for a 7 day cruise it will cost at least $350. $50k Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance. 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! I use the Ziploc bag to hold wet swimsuits until our room is ready, so you wont need this item if you dont have a wet bathing suit to store. Guests should arrive at the terminal within the arrival time slot you selected during Royal App check-in. The exact amount of the discount will vary from sailing to sailing, but in general, the savings of booking a drink package online before a cruise can be as much as over $10 per person, per day compared to booking it onboard. 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? 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. On my most recent cruise on Oasis of the Seas, my family and I had junior suites booked with a 10:30 am port arrival time. Jon lives in the foothills of North Carolina and wishes there were a cruise port that far inland. I'm Shari. The menu can vary from lunch to dinner, but the experience is still the same. [Subscribe fo. If you ever wanted to see what the suite life was all about I recommend booking a short 3 day cruise. I pack sunscreen to apply before swimming, and we carry on other essentials that we need before dinner. Naturally everyone thinks of the main dining room for dinner, but did you know it is often open forlunch (and breakfast) too? DON'T assume your cabin is pristine and in working order, if you tend to worry about such things. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. We will be flying out . 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. 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. Be sure to check it. This makes it easy to undress them poolside, and they can hop right in. Royal Caribbean's suite accommodations include a variety of VIP perks, some of which overlap with The Key. 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. Complimentary Canaps (a French hors doeuvre) on second day. In addition to the non-alcoholic beverages, you can also bring up to two bottles of wine per stateroom. If your cruise leaves at a different time than this, check with your cruise line to see what time embarkation begins. 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 does not post or publish Cruise Compasses for upcoming sailings in advance. Exclusive access to time slots for rock climbing, FlowRider etc. Through our past experiences, on many different lines, we have boarded closer to 11:00. 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. Note: You dont have to complete the entire check-in process in most cases. However, the cruise terminal in Miami did not open its doors until 10:00 am. Once you are ready to begin, completing the Royal Caribbean online check in takes very little time. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. 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. When you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have a choice of places to eat throughout the day. And the earlier check-in time you have, the sooner you get to get onboard the ship and start vacation. 10 tips to help you improve your cruise vacation. How to Get on Your Cruise Ship As Early as Possible: 7 We hate spam as much as lounge chair hogs. Many people here, I think, . 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. Lots of passengers arrive early, standing in line for the opportunity to board early and be among the first on the ship. Don't book a cabin one deck above or below a public space, such as a pool, dining room, or bar. Unlike Traditional Dining, you will not be seated at the same table . The price you pay for the cruise is the same whether you board at noon or 2pm, so you may as well get the extra two hours of fun! In fact, most people don't use these showers, so there's a good chance they are unoccupied when you would need it, especially in the evening. The price for The Key varies by sailing, but prices start at $25 per guest for each day of the cruise. The FCC . And loyalty perks usually involve priority access to the ship. Once you get onboard and connect to the ship's wifi, it will ask you if you want to just use the app. 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. While making a mistake is bound to happen, we can learn from, The proverb, "experience is the best teacher" is a famous proverb ofJulius Caesar, and it applies to so many aspects, While I can't come up with a formula for the perfect cruise for every single person, I can suggest some easy ways to. $250 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 14 or more nights, $100 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 6 to 13 nights, $50 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 5 nights or less. If you selected my-time dining you will want to select your preferred time as the most popular times book up fast. If you do not complete check-in online, you will be required to complete this process at the pier at least two hours prior to the published sailing time. 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. Things I've tried on Royal Caribbean that I won't do again, The worst cruise mistakes our readers have made on a ship. If you encounter problems using Online Check-in, please contact Carnival. While you may want to save the added expense,regular medical insurance will not usually cover medical services onboard or in port. Depending on when you go to select a time, there will be variety of 30 minute windows for you to choose from. That's my quick take on the new boarding process for Adventure of the Seas -- the first Royal Caribbean ship to restart operations in North America.. From the moment I began the process on Saturday in Nassau, Bahamas, in advance of the vessel's first sailing in 15 months to the time I stepped into my cabin, almost exactly one . Using a travel agent simplifies this entire process. Two restaurants that always offer a cheaper lunch price than dinner are Chops Grille and Giovanni's Italian Kitchen. 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. You can change in a public restroom, and towels are available at the pool area to use. After having paused this program during the cruise re-openings , Carnival is now offering Faster to the Fun again. In addition, Royal Caribbean has onboard laundry services you can use to make wearing the same clothes later in the cruise more practical. But how early can you board the cruise ship? Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. By completing online check-in early, you will have the best choice of check-in times. Be sure to look up all your benefits, and ensure you use the most lucrative Crown and Anchor Society perks during your sailing so you can reap the best rewards! Note that boarding did come to a stop at one point. 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). 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. 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. The plan offered is called the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program, and it provides the following coverage: $25k Emergency Travel Medical Insurance. Due to government regulations requiring cruise lines to submit final departure manifests at least 60 minutes prior to sailing, guests are requested to complete Check-in no later than 3 days prior to their cruise. While showing up early can be a problem, coming in later is not as much of a concern. This is a great spot to see the port as you leave, especially for those that do not have a balcony stateroom or simply want something a little different. And the earlier check-in time you have, the sooner you get to get onboard the ship and start vacation. The last day of your cruise is never fun, and regardless of how many times you cruise, it never gets any less depressing. 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. 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. Be among the first to check in and it will feel like youre getting priority access at the terminal. To be honest, your embarkation day usually starts . Cruise fares tend to be lower the sooner you book. 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. You're probably wondering what to expect on the day you board the ship.