how early can i board my royal caribbean cruise

Royal Caribbean is quite understanding about schedules, and if you need to get off the ship sooner, they are usually very accommodating. 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. How early can you board the ship? - Cruise Critic Community Any money saved is always welcome! So, continue reading below to find out everything you need to know about how to get an early boarding time on Royal Caribbean, so you can get started on your vacation as soon as possible! Cayman Islands: Who's Who & Business Guide. The Windjammer on Radiance and Quantum class ships offers an area at the rear of the ship to enjoy any meal with a fantastic view of the ship's wake. Suite guests still need to get a check-in time for their sailing, butusuallythey will be give more flexibility in their times. People often wonder what is the cheapest month to go on a cruise, and the key is cruise when others cannot. If you want to try Sky Pad, FlowRider, rock climbing wall or zipline, take advantage of lower waits on the first day of the cruise. Your email address will not be published. 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. So the best way to learn about what is offered on your cruise is to check out a past Cruise Compass. If you are sailing on an Oasis or Quantum Class ship, you can pre-book shows in advance, such as the Broadway musicals or ice shows. Many cruise lines allow you to pay a little extra for priority access to the ship. Get Cruise Savvy with our FREE Newsletter! Royal Caribbean warns there could be a delay in beginning the check-in procedure if you're late, but you will still be able to get to 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. For everyone's sanity, this rule does not apply to cruise ships. Instead of arriving to your departure city on the day of your cruise, get in early! Those who arrive early will not be able to begin boarding, and those who arrive late will . When you complete online check-in, you will be assigned a check-in time. If you subscribe to the theory that time is money, then you definitely want to arrive to your embarkation port early. Priority access off the ship to the shore in port. You don't plan to take advantage of its . [Subscribe fo. What time can you board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship? My Tips for Using the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner 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. 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. We know youre eager to arrive at the cruise port for your Royal Caribbean cruise. Previously, Royal Caribbean permitted a maximum of two 750-milliliter bottles per room. Our hotel (Intercontinental Miami) was a short 15-minute drive to the Port of Miami. Photo Credit: NAN728 / Shutterstock. Guests should arrive at the terminal within the arrival time slot you selected during Royal App check-in. Her whole family, including the oceanview cabin guests, were permitted to stand in the suite line. 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. Club Orange by Holland America Line offers passengers priority access to exclusive perks and amenities, including priority check-in, stateroom upgrades, and an intimate dining venue on select ships. How to book My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean or "How do I get the lowest price?" 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. 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. Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring up to 12 bottles/cans of non-alcoholic beverages per stateroomwith them on embarkation day. Our $2,179.98 cruise has an insurance cost of $138 if bought through Royal Caribbean. These are not the times you actually board the ship. 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. Depending on the arrival time you chose during online check-in, you can show up at the cruise terminal as early as 10:00 am for your cruise vacation. But it wasn't a nightmare either. Share them in our comments on this post. We didnt even have to get off the couch. 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 . The faster you get on the cruise ship on embarkation day, the sooner you can start enjoying your vacation. An inside cabin will cost $76 per night, an ocean view cabin will cost $101 per night, a balcony cabin will cost $134 per night, and a . 90% refund of cruise credits if you Cancel for Any Reason. This was super fast and easy as the Muster Stations were all clearly labeled and close to where we walked onto the ship. Members also get invitations to special events, like behind-the-scenes tours of the ship. 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. 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. Please plan your arrival accordingly to avoid the possibility of not being permitted to sail. And it may seem way out of your budget. 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. There are two problems with buying The Key for an early check-in. Booked my cruise early. Some families prefer to arrive in the afternoon, so they dont have to navigate crowds at the terminal. 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. Exclusive access to time slots for rock climbing, FlowRider etc. It'll guide you to aim and take the picture. If you're in a suite, you don't need to pay extra for this package too. But I have a helpful suggestion. Embarkation day is often full of a lot of chaos and stress, especially if you are a first time cruiser. . I'm Shari. 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. When I tried on my Android / Pixel 6 Pro, I had to hit the button a bunch of times to take a picture . Royal Caribbean's app is a must-have for your cruise, so make sure to download it before your cruise. How to Complete Check-In. Norwegian Cruise Line - Wikipedia The NextCruise office offers incentives to book another cruise while you're still onboard. That is a question for Royal Caribbean. Been a while since I've been on Royal Caribbean and we are sailing tomorrow out of Miami. Yes, a suite is more expensive. Note that boarding did come to a stop at one point. (Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas). 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. 50 Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips and Tricks 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. Love Cruise Fever?Sign Up to Our FREE Newsletter! Possible pranks include attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed. The result is far fewer guests in the pools, hot tubs and water slides than at any other time on your cruise. Once you board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, youll want to take care of a few chores. 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. 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. How early can I board my Royal Caribbean cruise? He also directed us on exactly where to go and made certain we understood we needed passports/identification documents. If you are in My Time Dining for dinner, your best strategy is to make reservations either before the cruise, or during the cruise. Can anyone who has recently been on the Serenade rec. In addition, Royal Caribbean has onboard laundry services you can use to make wearing the same clothes later in the cruise more practical. Here are 7 proven ways to board your cruise ship faster on embarkation day. If you selected my-time dining you will want to select your preferred time as the most popular times book up fast. Ideally, you'll book a cruise at NextCruise while on a sailing when struck with the inspiration to book another cruise. Read more: 7 reasons you should splurge for a suite on a cruise. (He was right!) There's no way to know that's happened without checking manually. When we say "early", it essentially means as early as you can. A Royal Loft Suite on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. Since the online check-in time usually opens up at midnight (EST) 45 days before your cruise, youll want to login at this time. The cost is $129 for a 3-5 day cruise and $199 for a 6-9 day cruise with higher rates for longer voyages. 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. Ren de Lambert (@RenedeLambert) on Flipboard . The open house is when you can go to meet the staff, register your kids, and ask any questions. 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. Read a past Cruise Compass! If you encounter problems using Online Check-in, please contact Carnival. 19. Boarding Question?? 1st Cruise - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise . Whether this is your first cruise or youre a seasoned pro, we hope you have a great trip! To be honest, your embarkation day usually starts . If your cruise leaves at a different time than this, check with your cruise line to see what time embarkation begins. The concept is simple: pay a few bucks and skip the lines. What's the Earliest You Should Schedule a Flight After a Cruise? 1. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. If that statement does not make a whole lot of sense yet, check out the five steps we outlined in this post to demonstrate why being early will help you have a great 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. While showing up early can be a problem, coming in later is not as much of a concern. 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're probably wondering what to expect on the day you board the ship. However, the earlier your arrival time, the sooner you are usually able to embark on the ship. Nor do they publish their entertainment schedules prior to a cruise. In short, the app is tied to so much of the cruise experience now. Thanked the person politely and hung-up. 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. The plan offered is called the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program, and it provides the following coverage: $25k Emergency Travel Medical Insurance. In the weeks leading up to your cruise, be sure to complete online check-in. Each stateroom may bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne, as long as one guest is of legal drinking age. Serenade of the Seas September 13, 2024 Cruise & Port Map Do you know about when you'd like to sail? With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! On all ships, check for entertainment reservations once onboard the ship via the Royal Caribbean app. Peak dinner time is between 6:30pm and 8:00pm, so if you plan to dine during these times, reservations are so important. When we say "early", we mean booking your cruise 12, 18 or even 24 months before the sail date. This means the terminal will open up . Over the course of a 7-night cruise, those savings add up quickly! It can feel like torture if you have to wait a long time to board your ship. For assistance in navigating Online Check-in or questions on how to fill out the information - contact your travel agent or if booked directly, contact our Service Specialists at 800 327-5782, Monday through Friday, 9:00am-10:00pm ET and Saturday and Sunday, 9:00am-6:00pm . Welcome aboard! This allows us to keep our things organized and within easy access. Commonly it is expected to tip somewhere around $1-$2 per bag. Before you book a room, look at the ship's deck plans and look what is above and below your stateroom. Laundry costs extra, but it may save you money compared to paying to check an extra bag at the airport. One of the best parts? Be sure to pack these items in your carry-on luggage, and not your checked luggage. Having an extra day or two provides a buffer to account for travel delays. If you get on the ship early you will find this is one of the best times to enjoy the cruise ship pools without any crowds. I would love to hearyourtips and tricks! They also re-wear their embarkation clothes since this first day is typically not dressy at all. Sounds great, right? We will be flying out . A second way to grab an early port arrival time is by purchasing The Key. I booked my Symphony of the Seas cruise five months in advance of my February sail date. Please note:All guests must be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time or you will not be permitted to sail. Booking a suite has more advantages than you may think. 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. Its important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. Whether the first day or the last day of your cruise, be sure to grab a porter to make things easier on yourself. Either way, you should have plenty of time to enjoy all the entertainment and activities onboard the ship. The exact benefits you get depend on which tier of Crown and Anchor Society you belong to. One of the best mantras for cruise planning is book as early as you can in order to get the lowest price. (Sponsored). 35 Royal Caribbean cruise tips and tricks that will make your voyage While you may want to save the added expense,regular medical insurance will not usually cover medical services onboard or in port. Packing your cruise day bag is important so that you have everything you need for your first day. Dress codes look imposing, and you might feel like you need to have more outfit changes in a single day than most celebrities at an awards ceremony, but the reality is it's not nearly that stringent. 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. 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. You dont want to find yourself stuck in a foreign land without your passport in a worst-case scenario. 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. So, anyone in the wrong line was asked to move. Not only can a porter help take a load off of you, they can greatly assist with disembarkation and getting you through the terminal faster. 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. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of this page for more details.). Find answers to your questions about all the requirements to board a Royal Caribbean Cruise. 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 actual times, however, will vary by sailing. The Key program by Royal Caribbean offers priority access at the terminal, baggage delivery to stateroom, welcome lunch from Chops Grille, VIP show access, and priority departure. Your loyalty status doesnt reset at the end of the year.