Cayman Islands: Who's Who & Business Guide. Getting an early arrival slot means that you can board the ship earlier than . If you buy heavy duty magnets with hooks, you can use these magnets to store certain items. Suite guests still need to get a check-in time for their sailing, butusuallythey will be give more flexibility in their times. 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. Depending on the length of your sailing, you can get up to $250 onboard credit. You will be able to see the exact times that My Time Dining is offered each evening once you book your cruise. The best reason to use an agent is to save you time, because they are the ones sitting on hold when calling Royal Caribbean. Exclusive access to time slots for rock climbing, FlowRider etc. I didnt even have a chance to sit down in the Port Everglades terminal before I was welcomed onto the ship. One of my favorite benefits was having access to an amazing restaurant that was reserved for suite guests only. Royal Caribbean sells its cruises largely based on the concept of supply and demand. Arrived to the port at 10:30. If you want a ship with a Broadway show, book Oasis or Harmony of the Seas, but skip Wonder of the Seas. Royal Caribbean shore excursions are fully refundable if your ship cannot dock at a scheduled port. Search Multiple Sites at Once Learn the cruise secrets most people don't know and cruise like a boss. When you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have a choice of places to eat throughout the day. There are a few tricks to scoring early arrival times if you are eager to be one of the first passengers on the ship. $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. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of this page for more details.). Arrive early. 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. If you are concerned about the drink package price dropping, take solace in the fact you can always cancel and rebook with no penalty! What time to arrive at the port. Read more: 7 reasons you should splurge for a suite on a cruise. Called RCL this morning and got a weird / rude response when asking about what time I can board the ship. This includes your passport, boarding pass, and any other necessary paperwork. Did you know that Johnny Rockets is complimentary for breakfast on Oasis Class ships? 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. 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. 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. However, the cruise terminal in Miami did not open its doors until 10:00 am. By completing online check-in early, you will have the best choice of check-in times. Sure, you can book a Royal Caribbean cruise on your own, directly through the line's website. Royal Caribbean shore excursions guarantee your return to the ship, even if the excursion is delayed. Comment below to share your tips with us! On cruise day, everyone is excited to board. Youll also find a free printable cruise packing list! By completing online check-in early, you will have the best choice of check-in times. In addition, these roll calls are helpful because someone might spot a change or announcement before you, which can greatly benefit you by getting ahead of the pack. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. 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. And loyalty perks usually involve priority access to the ship. If getting onto your cruise ship as early as possible is important to you these tips above should help. When you complete online check-in, you will be assigned a check-in time. 12. long pause. There is no question that if you want to get the lowest price on a cruise, book it as early as you can. The difference is booking onboard will get you extra onboard credit and reduced deposit. 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. Royal Caribbean is quite understanding about schedules, and if you need to get off the ship sooner, they are usually very accommodating. In that post, we provide tips for staying organized and packing for your trip. . You can use it to check-into your cruise (more on that in the next tip), book entertainment, shore excursions and packages. Due to government regulations requiring cruise lines to submit final departure . One of the Royal Caribbean suite perks is that suite guests are permitted to enter the terminal one hour before their official port arrival time. Did you know Royal Caribbean offers extra onboard credit if you own at least a certain amount of Royal Caribbean Group stock? The last day of your cruise is never fun, and regardless of how many times you cruise, it never gets any less depressing. The same is true for beer . While showing up early can be a problem, coming in later is not as much of a concern. I wrote about this in the post on 19 things you should do on embarkation day. Your fellow guests won't notice you wore that pair of jeans or dress from night two. Its important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. 1. Jon got hooked on cruising after his first cruise on his honeymoon, and today he is always looking for cruise deals and reading information about the cruise industry. When we say "early", we mean booking your cruise 12, 18 or even 24 months before the sail date. Plus, the agents at the port wont have to take the extra time to verify your birth certificate. Adventure Ocean will be open on the first evening of your cruise, but they have an open house on embarkation day in the afternoon too. You will then go straight to the section on choosing your arrival time and pick the one you want. If your stateroom shower is occupied by a family member, you could go to the gym and shower there instead. If you ask seasoned travelers how they get around these obstacles, the answer is often to give yourself more time. Call (225) 687-7590 or what can i bring on a cruise royal caribbean today! 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. I'm not sure RCL has started that. You're probably wondering what to expect on the day you board the ship. The person didnt even ask for the ship name or location and gave monosyllabic responses. 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. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? In addition to the non-alcoholic beverages, you can also bring up to two bottles of wine per stateroom. He also directed us on exactly where to go and made certain we understood we needed passports/identification documents. We didnt even have to get off the couch. As long as the cruise line doesnt make a drastic change to their program you will keep reaping the rewards for every cruise. Known. When you make a reservation for a restaurant onboard, let your server know the adults have dining packages, but kids don't and you will get a better price than if you bought the dining package for everyone. While this isnt necessarily the time in which you will board the ship, it is a good indicator of when you will be allowed to embark. Any money saved is always welcome! I booked my Symphony of the Seas cruise five months in advance of my February sail date. The Key is an optional add-on you can purchase to get VIP benefits, including an early check-in time. 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. So the best way to learn about what is offered on your cruise is to check out a past Cruise Compass. Every cruise line has its own procedure for when they open up the check-in process. Its just easier and faster. Norwegians priority program offers everything from faster embarkation to quicker tendering, and even a faster debarkation process. 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! Thanked the person politely and hung-up. It wasn't nearly as easy as usual. Many cruise lines allow you to pay a little extra for priority access to the ship. Read a past Cruise Compass! With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! No reservations needed, just walk on in and be seated. Be among the first to check in and it will feel like youre getting priority access at the terminal. We completed our Muster Drill requirements immediately after boarding. If you choose to fly ChoiceAir, Royal Caribbean automatically displays only the airline schedules that will enable you to meet your cruise. Questions are often worded like, "How do I get a deal? Oasis Class ships offer outside dining is also available onCentral Park and Boardwalk neighborhoods. And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. If you dont have extra room in the budget, the first point in this article will help the most. 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. Additionally, a cruise vacation, like any other type of travel, poses a risk for trip interruption, delays, and other unexpected issues. 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. This way youre paying about half the price of a week-long cruise and you can test the waters. Once logged in, navigate toOnboard Activitiesand select the show you wish to reserve. If you are on a Radiance or Quantum Class ship, be sure to enjoy your meals outside while at the Windjammer. Here are some of the benefits included with this program: Carnival Cruise Line: Faster to the Fun (FTTF). The helipad onis located on the bow (front)of the ship and during sailaway, Royal Caribbean permits guests access to the helipad. Royal Caribbean's suite accommodations include a variety of VIP perks, some of which overlap with The Key. The concept is simple: pay a few bucks and skip the lines. Video: Royal Caribbean food secrets Discounts, tips and more! 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. Several years ago, I decided to start this blog to document our family trips. People often wonder what is the cheapest month to go on a cruise, and the key is cruise when others cannot. At 11:00, crew members instructed all of the suite guests to form a line. (+1 345) 244 2431. 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. If you're reading this at home, you're still better off booking a cruise now, rather than waiting to book onboard your ship. A second way to grab an early port arrival time is by purchasing The Key. I see some people skip this step because they want to save a few bucks on tipping. If you subscribe to the theory that time is money, then you definitely want to arrive to your embarkation port early. Set . 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. 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. In most cases, you should be able to save at least $10 per person compared to dinner (if not more). 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. In many cases, Royal Caribbean promises a discount on select pre-cruise purchases compared to the price onboard. This allows us to keep our things organized and within easy access. 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. Get Cruise Savvy with our FREE Newsletter! All Guests must board the ship no later than 4:00 pm. 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. Norwegian Cruise Line: Priority Access Pass. Please plan your arrival accordingly to avoid the possibility of not being permitted to sail. Test out the TV, the toilet and the lights; check for bed bugs; sanitize anything you need to. Royal Caribbean International has notified guests booked aboard several Allure of the Seas cruises to adjust their boarding times . One of the best parts? 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. Share them in our comments on this post. Corkscrews will be provided for guests to enjoy their drinks in their stateroom. So, how do you secure an early arrival time so that you can board the ship as soon as possible? Search Now If you are in My Time Dining for dinner, your best strategy is to make reservations either before the cruise, or during the cruise. Not only are the dress codes quite liberal, you can also re-use the same clothes on the same sailing. By having a reservation, you will be seated faster. The Online Check-in Process is a 4 step process and Royal Caribbean will walk you through it step by step. 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. Sounds great, right? Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Yes, a suite is more expensive. The earlier you can book, the best chance you will have at getting a good price on your cruise. Book entertainment and dining as soon as possible. Its also important to note that theres no best time to board the Royal Caribbean ship. For just a few dollars, you can make the embarkation and disembarkation process significantly easier. 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. If you'd like to arrive at that time, go right ahead! All E-Docs will be available up to 21 days prior to departure, provided full payment has been received and Online Check-In has been completed. You can view all the shore excursions available by logging into Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner and browsing the shore excursions by port. 10 tips to help you improve your cruise vacation. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 . Be sure to pack these items in your carry-on luggage, and not your checked luggage. If someone cancels their cruise, their check-in time goes back into the system for someone else to grab. 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). After having paused this program during the cruise re-openings , Carnival is now offering Faster to the Fun again. Here are some basic considerations. Royal Caribbean's app is a must-have for your cruise, so make sure to download it before your cruise. But I have a helpful suggestion. Other families, like mine, like to get the process started as soon as possible. This is a 9 night cruise and price per night is noted below for each cabin type. This is by far the least crowded time to swim on the cruise ship. 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 . Do you know about when you'd like to sail? There are two problems with buying The Key for an early check-in. You can bring soda, water, energy drinks and any other non-alcoholic beverages. 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. Lets look at what some of these early-access programs offer. You can enjoy a lineup of adventures on a Royal Caribbean cruise from Day One, like the North Star observation capsule, ice skating and more. In the morning, there is an omelet station available. Believe me, searching for documents in your luggage is not only time-consuming but also frustrating. Note that boarding did come to a stop at one point. 1. In short, the app is tied to so much of the cruise experience now. By the way, there are still delays in the passport renewal process. Re: Changing one guest name - Royal Caribbean. Instant Real Time Pricing When we say "early", it essentially means as early as you can. I pack sunscreen to apply before swimming, and we carry on other essentials that we need before dinner. If you ever wanted to see what the suite life was all about I recommend booking a short 3 day cruise. Royal Caribbean typically allows cruisers to choose arrival times in thirty-minute blocks as shown in the image below. 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. Your stateroom walls are made of metal, and that means you can stick a magnet on any of them (even the ceiling). We arrived on time (1pm) and waited over three hours to board. Some specialty restaurants will cost less if you eat there for lunch. The cruise line can have an impact as some lines have different embarkation . Each cruiser scanned his/her SetSail Pass (from the Royal Caribbean app) and was permitted to board the ship. 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. The day your cruise begins is full of excitement, and naturally, you may be wondering what time you can board the ship. The benefits wont always be the same, and you have to fill out a form and wait for approval. Instead of arriving to your departure city on the day of your cruise, get in early! We found our SeaPass cards in the room, which are used during the cruise as your room key, identification, credit card, etc. 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. Second, you're spending extra money for a benefit that is not cheap. Quick tip: You should always keep one bag with you. Unlike Traditional Dining, you will not be seated at the same table . You can read more about me here- Meet Shari. Things like hats, coverups, important paperwork and more would be ideal. Don't book a cabin one deck above or below a public space, such as a pool, dining room, or bar. 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. In addition to that you get to the best locations on the ship, personalized service, exclusive amenities, and other complimentary perks. How early can I board my Royal Caribbean cruise? Third party shore excursions can offer more personalized tours at a lower price. [Subscribe fo. You should always let the cruise terminal porters take your large bags for you. Norwegians priority access program includes: Other cruise lines have some sort of priority-access program as well. In general, on a cruise with RCI, you can change 1 bane, no problem, as long as at least one original guest stays . Getting on the ship for us is also the point when the cruise 'starts'. Your vacation time is limited, so do not waste it waiting to buy a drink package. 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. Keep in mind that other factors may effect your boarding time. Perhaps one of the most common questions we receive on Royal Caribbean Blog is about how to save money and get the best possible price for a Royal Caribbean cruise. This was a huge relief from the typical check-in desk with long check-in lines we have experienced in the past. Freshly cooked food is always the best, and there are cooking stations available in the Windjammer that serve up some really tasty options. Embark's office is located in an industrial chic building in Boston's Seaport District. If you are flying to your cruise port, be sure to fly in at least one day before the cruise is scheduled to depart to protect against a travel delay. This was a really fast process that took less than five minutes. If it is, you should feel confident that the proper gratuity is being given to that crew member. 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. Your email address will not be published. Since we were in a suite, we were able to stand in the super short line on the right. For your return home, you have the ability to select the flight that best suits your schedule. Simply check in on the very day availability opens. 90% refund of cruise credits if you Cancel for Any Reason. You should always check with the cruise line to see what is not allowed on their ships. 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. This means you can get extra value from your drink package purchase while anywhere in these private destinations. Note: You dont have to complete the entire check-in process in most cases. This large room consisted of plenty of seating options, refreshments, and restrooms. Youll also find that the water slides dont have long lines at this time on embarkation day. And in that case theres nothing you can do but sit back and make the best of it. NATURI - A Sound Installation & Performance. 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. Aurea is the most expensive options and could cost anywhere from $150 to $600 more than the lowest cost experience. Be the first to write a review! As an added bonus, by arriving to your embarkation port at least a day early, that means you get to start your vacation sooner! 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. If you're in a suite, you don't need to pay extra for this package too. 2. We have found in the US on a standard turn around that you can board a RCL ship starting around 11:30 but . If you wait weeks or months to book a cruise onboard, the price of the cruise may increase and negate any savings you'd receive from the extra onboard credit. Usually, guests who book The Key are allowed to check-in with the first group (an exact time will be emailed later). Unfortunately, there's no wifi coverage in Labadee. Her whole family, including the oceanview cabin guests, were permitted to stand in the suite line.