The cost is $129 for a 3-5 day cruise and $199 for a 6-9 day cruise with higher rates for longer voyages. Adventure Embarkation - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic While buying stock in any company should be based on solid financial planning, if you happen to own at least 100 shares of Royal Caribbean Group stock, you can qualify for bonus credit to spend on your cruise. In fact, Day One has the makings to be as memorable as every other day of your getaway. You can actually get hundreds of dollars of onboard credit by simply booking onboard, but the exact amount depends on how long a sailing you book and in which stateroom category. When I tried on my Android / Pixel 6 Pro, I had to hit the button a bunch of times to take a picture . Set Sail pass states that boarding begins at 2:00 PM. There are two problems with buying The Key for an early check-in. For Bahamian and Caribbean cruises, check-in registration begins at 11:00 am and embarkation begins at 1:00 pm. You should always check with the cruise line to see what is not allowed on their ships. Hi there! However, once you finally arrive at the port and board the ship, all your worries are washed away. Powered by Cruiseline.com. You can change in a public restroom, and towels are available at the pool area to use. 1. [Subscribe fo. And in that case theres nothing you can do but sit back and make the best of it. The exact benefits you get depend on which tier of Crown and Anchor Society you belong to. The cruise line can have an impact as some lines have different embarkation . Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. 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. 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. We also use the hairbrush for the kids hair after swimming. That being said, my sister had a junior suite AND an oceanview room booked. 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. Did you know Royal Caribbean offers extra onboard credit if you own at least a certain amount of Royal Caribbean Group stock? 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. 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. These are the times of year when demand is less for cruises to certain regions. You will not have to start over! One of the best ways to stay informed with what's happening on your sailing is to join a roll call for your sailing. Check with the Windjammer wait staff for a schedule of options. So the best way to learn about what is offered on your cruise is to check out a past Cruise Compass. The earlier you can book, the best chance you will have at getting a good price on your cruise. Want to know one of the best tips for avoiding the worst cruise ship cabins? Then, the dads in our group took the kids to the pool so that they could swim in virtually empty swimming areas. We know youre eager to arrive at the cruise port for your Royal Caribbean cruise. This buffet wasnt crowded at all during these early hours, and it offered a large variety of food for our big travel group. Our hotel (Intercontinental Miami) was a short 15-minute drive to the Port of Miami. This was a huge relief from the typical check-in desk with long check-in lines we have experienced in the past. So, how do you secure an early arrival time so that you can board the ship as soon as possible? Every cruise line has its own procedure for when they open up the check-in process. Online Check-in and Arrival Appointment | Carnival Cruise Line 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. Holland American Line: Mariner Society . You can view all the shore excursions available by logging into Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner and browsing the shore excursions by port. We enjoy being on the ship early to take advantage of as much time on board as possible. Any money saved is always welcome! (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean) You are staying in a suite. Even if you have an international cell phone plan, cruise ship cellular coverage is rarely included. 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. Guests who pay for this upgraded status typically receive priority access upon arrival on embarkation day. Been a while since I've been on Royal Caribbean and we are sailing tomorrow out of Miami. Weird. The Online Check-in Process is a 4 step process and Royal Caribbean will walk you through it step by step. Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. But I have a helpful suggestion. 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. Rope dropping is also a great strategy for the sort of activities that quickly generate a line. Most cruise ships will . Entertainment is typically included in your cruise fare but on the largest ships, you are required to make reservations. 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 rooms then opened up at around 1:00 that afternoon. If you dont plan on using the pools, you may not need nearly as many items as we do. 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. Royal Caribbean does not post or publish Cruise Compasses for upcoming sailings in advance. The larger the group, the more important having a reservation is to limiting the wait times. 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. 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. The price of the cruise is the same whether you book at home or onboard. HOW EARLY CAN I BOARD THE SHIP? Guests can choose boarding times in the afternoon or earlier times of 10:30 or 11:00. Often this comes down to the ports of call being visited by the cruise line. 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. Booking a suite has more advantages than you may think. Knowing this, we decided to reserve a shuttle service to pick us up at our Miami hotel at 9:30 on embarkation day. We have found in the US on a standard turn around that you can board a RCL ship starting around 11:30 but . 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. If you'd like to arrive at that time, go right ahead! 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. How Early Can You Board a Cruise Ship? - Cruise Line Guide How being early is the secret to the best Royal Caribbean cruise, from 10 tips to help you improve your cruise vacation. 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. Arrived to the port at 10:30. And if this gets delayed it will also impact when you can embark. The First Day on a Royal Caribbean Cruise If your schedule allows, the best time to cruise when prices are the lowest are in the off-season and shoulder seasons. No reservations needed, just walk on in and be seated. When you get the receipt to sign, look for the line item that indicates if an automatic 18% gratuity is already included. Packing your cruise day bag is important so that you have everything you need for your first day. But it wasn't a nightmare either. Believe me, searching for documents in your luggage is not only time-consuming but also frustrating. Royal Caribbean's fitness center has separate showers for men and women that is complimentary to use. and the answer to them all is simple: book your cruise as early as you can. Corkscrews will be provided for guests to enjoy their drinks in their stateroom. Sounds great, right? Two restaurants that always offer a cheaper lunch price than dinner are Chops Grille and Giovanni's Italian Kitchen. $50k Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance. Boarding Time Adjustments for Royal Caribbean Ship The Key is an optional add-on you can purchase to get VIP benefits, including an early check-in time. 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. Disney Cruise Line Frequently Asked Questions - Dreams Unlimited Travel However, the cruise terminal in Miami did not open its doors until 10:00 am. Here are my tips for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner. A Royal Caribbean employee came over to our large group and checked in each party using her tablet. 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. Employees come over to make you show that you are in a suite. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? The key is to understand what the ship you're booking has and doesn't have so there's no disappointment later. We found our SeaPass cards in the room, which are used during the cruise as your room key, identification, credit card, etc. We will also provide tips for scoring the earliest boarding time on Royal Caribbean based on our recent experience on the Oasis of the Seas at the cruise terminal in Port of Miami. my last NCL cruise was out of tamp. Get Cruise Savvy with our FREE Newsletter! 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. An intangible benefit to pre-purchasing anything is it saves you time onboard from doing the exact same thing, which means more vacation time back to you. My kids wear their bathing suits onto the ship underneath their clothes. Just one of the perks of being a suite guest on a cruise ship is having priority access. Before the cruise, guests may change the show/ti. Have you heard about Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages? 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. If you plan on visiting the pool deck, you'll want a bathing suit, sunscreen, and other pool essentials. By having a reservation, you will be seated faster. In the weeks leading up to your cruise, be sure to complete online check-in. Tipping hard working crew members is a must-do, but double check the bill that it's not already included. Note: You dont have to complete the entire check-in process in most cases. I see some people skip this step because they want to save a few bucks on tipping. Unvaccinated travellers age 5 and Check-in opens up 45 days before your cruise begins. Love Cruise Fever?Sign Up to Our FREE Newsletter! At 11:00, crew members instructed all of the suite guests to form a line. Unless you've really got money to blow, don't know how people make the decision to go to Caribbean/offshore schools anymore.Foundation year 1 (FY1) doctors told The BMJ that they had asked the trust to consider increasing medical locum shift pay rates from 24 an hour for social hours and 29 for unsocial hours to match those provided for . So, anyone in the wrong line was asked to move. Once you board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, youll want to take care of a few chores. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of this page for more details.). If getting onto your cruise ship as early as possible is important to you these tips above should help. A number of factors affect when you can embark a cruise ship. One of my favorite benefits was having access to an amazing restaurant that was reserved for suite guests only. When can you board royal caribbean symphony? - JacAnswers 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. Some days it's sunny, some days it's stormy, some days it's just . Just like dining, you can reserve shows in advance by going to Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site. However, if you show up just 10-15 minutes before these events, you will likely find few, if any, other guests waiting and first shot at even the most popular activities. Norwegian Cruise Line - Wikipedia Lets look at what some of these early-access programs offer. Readers share: Whats the best piece of cruise advice you have ever received? In addition, Royal Caribbean has onboard laundry services you can use to make wearing the same clothes later in the cruise more practical. Don't worry, you don't need to buy an internet package to use the Royal Caribbean app. Be among the first to check in and it will feel like youre getting priority access at the terminal. Royal Caribbean typically allows cruisers to choose arrival times in thirty-minute blocks as shown in the image below. If guests wish to enjoy their wine or champagne in our dining or bar venues, there will be a corkage fee applied. This large room consisted of plenty of seating options, refreshments, and restrooms. In many cases, Royal Caribbean promises a discount on select pre-cruise purchases compared to the price onboard. And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. 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. Before you book a room, look at the ship's deck plans and look what is above and below your stateroom. All rights reserved. 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. Once onboard, cancellations must be made at least 4 hours prior to show time. Plus, the Royal Caribbean app will have all of the activities for the day listed so that you can easily reference it during your sailing. Embarkation day is often full of a lot of chaos and stress, especially if you are a first time cruiser. Some specialty restaurants will cost less if you eat there for lunch. It has grown into a website full of information on family vacation tips, kid friendly activities, homeschooling organization hacks, and so much more! There, crewmembers will typically check you in via . Children between the ages of 0-5 are complimentary and ages 6-12 are $10 per child at any specialty restaurant. 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. 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. There is no question that if you want to get the lowest price on a cruise, book it as early as you can. Peak dinner time is between 6:30pm and 8:00pm, so if you plan to dine during these times, reservations are so important. As time progress, more and more staterooms are reserved and stateroom inventory drops, so the price increases conversely. 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. Heres what The Key is (and why some cruisers like it), Royal Caribbean testing expedited boarding, Video: Mistakes to avoid on the first day of your cruise, What to expect on embarkation day on a Royal Caribbean cruise, The best spot for sailaway on every Royal Caribbean cruise ship. 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. 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. 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 completed our Muster Drill requirements immediately after boarding. After having paused this program during the cruise re-openings , Carnival is now offering Faster to the Fun again. Inside a tree trunk, a forest nymph spends its day. Unlimited food and posh amenities await you, and its only feet away when youre in the cruise terminal. You can then save this information and complete the rest of the check-in process at a later date. I pack my kids undergarments for them to put on after they swim. Jon can be reached at. Welcome aboard! Arrive early. You don't plan to take advantage of its . The Key, Royal Caribbean's Priority Program - Cruise Critic 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). These are not the times you actually board the ship. The benefits wont always be the same, and you have to fill out a form and wait for approval. When you get the terminal, be sure to tell the pier agent you are staying in a suite so you can be directed to the right place. Royal Caribbean now enforces its check-in times, so be sure to check-in for your cruise as soon as check-in opens. Youll also find a free printable cruise packing list! 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. Unsubscribe whenever you want. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. Moreover, the onboard credit is stackable with other discounts Royal Caribbean is offering at the time! Would rather get to port early and board than hang out in a hotel room. This allows us to keep our things organized and within easy access. Lunch and drink package 3. The boarding process for the 1/8 Adventure of the Seas cruise to the S. Caribbean was horrible. I'm Shari. 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. Guests can choose boarding times in the afternoon or earlier times of 10:30 or 11:00. Related: A look inside Regent's most expensive cruise ship. Regardless of which day you choose, some specialty restaurants offer a lunch discount compared to dinner. Royal Caribbean cruises that depart from the United States will often open the cruise terminal for check-in sometime between 9am and 10am. This is by far the least crowded time to swim on the cruise ship. Onboard Shows and Tickets FAQs | Royal Caribbean Cruises To ensure that your price remains the lowest, SEMA will price-match This includes accepting the cruise contract, answering the health questions, and choosing your boarding time. It's important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. Once at the Muster Station, you just scan your SetSail Pass. 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. 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. 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. The best reason to use an agent is to save you time, because they are the ones sitting on hold when calling Royal Caribbean. DON'T MISS: One Key Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package Tip Cruisers Need to know Royal Caribbean does not allow passengers to bring hard liquor on board its ships. The rule is a thorn in the side of many travelers. A really common mistake is for passengers to leave their phone on like normal, and come home to a monster bill because of hefty roaming charges. 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. Is Royal Caribbean's "priority access - Maximize your travel. The earliest that guests can board a cruise is between 4-5 hours before the ship is scheduled to sail away. That is a question for Royal Caribbean. The open house is when you can go to meet the staff, register your kids, and ask any questions. What to Expect on a Cruise: Boarding a Cruise Ship - Cruise Critic 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. 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. 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. This includes your passport, boarding pass, and any other necessary paperwork. Check-in opens up 45 days before your cruise begins. If you dont have extra room in the budget, the first point in this article will help the most. 12 Gauge Slug WoundFigure 2AB Pirogoffs forefoot amputation was Questions are often worded like, "How do I get a deal? They also re-wear their embarkation clothes since this first day is typically not dressy at all. 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. Royal Caribbean International allows cruisers to choose a port arrival time during online check-in. You can read more about me here- Meet Shari. If you have an adult in your room that does not drink (much) alcohol, you can get around this rule by calling Royal Caribbean and requesting that person get the Royal Refreshment package. My Tips for Using the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner When you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have a choice of places to eat throughout the day. The embarkation process is stressful enough without adding in the guy behind you asking you to hurry things up in the most colorful of ways. 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. If your cruise leaves at a different time than this, check with your cruise line to see what time embarkation begins. Through our past experiences, on many different lines, we have boarded closer to 11:00. 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.