After combing through my notes, here's the best tips and tricks for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. (Make sure you watched and marked off the Safety video in the app the morning of your cruise.). Packing your cruise day bag is important so that you have everything you need for your first day. 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. 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. Royal Caribbean's suite accommodations include a variety of VIP perks, some of which overlap with The Key. In short, to save time and money, use a good travel agent. 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). Modified Date: Jan 6, 2023. Just one of the perks of being a suite guest on a cruise ship is having priority access. The "3-1-1" rule is ubiquitous in airports. This was super fast and easy as the Muster Stations were all clearly labeled and close to where we walked onto the ship. Note that boarding did come to a stop at one point. Unlike Traditional Dining, you will not be seated at the same table . 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. When we say "early", we mean booking your cruise 12, 18 or even 24 months before the sail date. You can view all the shore excursions available by logging into Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner and browsing the shore excursions by port. By the way, there are still delays in the passport renewal process. 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. Norwegian Cruise Line: Priority Access Pass. 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. My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. If your schedule allows, the best time to cruise when prices are the lowest are in the off-season and shoulder seasons. 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. Your email address will not be published. In that post, we provide tips for staying organized and packing for your trip. Royal Caribbean cruises that depart from the United States will often open the cruise terminal for check-in sometime between 9am and 10am. 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). 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. That being said, my sister had a junior suite AND an oceanview room booked. 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. Your vacation time is limited, so do not waste it waiting to buy a drink package. The NextCruise office offers incentives to book another cruise while you're still onboard. 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. 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. Be sure to check it. Before the cruise, guests may change the show/ti. We fly in early enough to explore the port city if we want to prior to embarkation day. Tipping hard working crew members is a must-do, but double check the bill that it's not already included. We enjoy being on the ship early to take advantage of as much time on board as possible. 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. 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. Search Multiple Sites at Once Each cruiser scanned his/her SetSail Pass (from the Royal Caribbean app) and was permitted to board the ship. I wrote about this in the post on 19 things you should do on embarkation day. However, once you finally arrive at the port and board the ship, all your worries are washed away. I'm Shari. and the answer to them all is simple: book your cruise as early as you can. In this post, we will walk you through the whole embarkation process so that youre prepared for your first day on board. Royal Caribbean may send you an email about boarding times, but those are mostly suggestions and not enforced at all. 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! If your cruise leaves at a different time than this, check with your cruise line to see what time embarkation begins. 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. Lets look at what some of these early-access programs offer. Laundry costs extra, but it may save you money compared to paying to check an extra bag at the airport. 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. Its recommended to have travel insurance. 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. A second way to grab an early port arrival time is by purchasing The Key. Exclusive access to time slots for rock climbing, FlowRider etc. In the morning, there is an omelet station available. Quick tip: You should always keep one bag with you. We arrived on time (1pm) and waited over three hours to board. 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. 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! 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. We like to carry a backpack onboard the ship on embarkation day. Video: Royal Caribbean food secrets Discounts, tips and more! Getting an early arrival slot means that you can board the ship earlier than . Two restaurants that always offer a cheaper lunch price than dinner are Chops Grille and Giovanni's Italian Kitchen. As long as the cruise line doesnt make a drastic change to their program you will keep reaping the rewards for every cruise. 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. It has grown into a website full of information on family vacation tips, kid friendly activities, homeschooling organization hacks, and so much more! Set Sail pass states that boarding begins at 2:00 PM. We also use the hairbrush for the kids hair after swimming. Search Now If you followed our previous advice about arriving to your port city early, then likely your hotel will have a check-out time in the early part of the morning, which is the perfect excuse to head to the cruise port. 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. As an added bonus, by arriving to your embarkation port at least a day early, that means you get to start your vacation sooner! In short, the app is tied to so much of the cruise experience now. We were technically allowed to arrive an hour before this 10:30 slot since we were suite guests. #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. Arrived to the port at 10:30. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of this page for more details.). The last day of your cruise is never fun, and regardless of how many times you cruise, it never gets any less depressing. 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. Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. Corkscrews will be provided for guests to enjoy their drinks in their stateroom. For groups traveling with more than two people per room, however, a new policy could allow groups to bring . Check with the Windjammer wait staff for a schedule of options. 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. Believe me, searching for documents in your luggage is not only time-consuming but also frustrating. Venue: The Artground Date: 4 - 12 Mar 2023 Fee: $18 per pax (Weekday), $20 per pax (Weekend). If you ask seasoned travelers how they get around these obstacles, the answer is often to give yourself more time. Jon lives in the foothills of North Carolina and wishes there were a cruise port that far inland. 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. The result is far fewer guests in the pools, hot tubs and water slides than at any other time on your cruise. We will be flying out . You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. And again, this just slows down that quick embarkation process. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. I am a stay-at-home mom with an amazing husband and two little girls who keep me busy with gymnastics, soccer, and swimming. 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. What time to arrive at the port. Either way, you should have plenty of time to enjoy all the entertainment and activities onboard the ship. Nor do they publish their entertainment schedules prior to a cruise. But if you opt to drag your suitcases all through the terminal and onto the ship youre just slowing down the entire process. NATURI - A Sound Installation & Performance. This buffet wasnt crowded at all during these early hours, and it offered a large variety of food for our big travel group. Things like medications, documents, passports, and even a bathing suit and some sunscreen can be kept in this bag. Avoid a huge cell phone bill by putting your phone into airplane mode while on your cruise. Depending on when you go to select a time, there will be variety of 30 minute windows for you to choose from. Its important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. Every cruise line has its own procedure for when they open up the check-in process. 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. Read more: 10 biggest tipping mistakes cruisers make. So many aspects of the cruise experience, from saving money to saving time, can be greatly improved if you embrace the idea of doing it all early. Your loyalty status doesnt reset at the end of the year. The same is true for beer . (Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas). Share them in our comments on this post. The menu can vary from lunch to dinner, but the experience is still the same. There are a few tricks to scoring early arrival times if you are eager to be one of the first passengers on the ship. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Inside a tree trunk, a forest nymph spends its day. All sent to your inbox. Once you're cleared to board, you will follow a gangway (elevated ramps) up to the ship. And the earlier check-in time you have, the sooner you get to get onboard the ship and start vacation. 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. 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. If guests wish to enjoy their wine or champagne in our dining or bar venues, there will be a corkage fee applied. The moms in our group then ran errands to take care of some items. The cost is $129 for a 3-5 day cruise and $199 for a 6-9 day cruise with higher rates for longer voyages. 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! 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. 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. Check-in opens up 45 days before your cruise begins. 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. 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. If you believe in the, "rip the Band-Aid off quickly" theory of life, than disembarking your ship early will likely result in a shorter wait. Over the course of a 7-night cruise, those savings add up quickly! 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. Note: MSC Cruises has a status match program, so you can carry over some of the perks you have with another cruise line. 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. 19. 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. Some specialty restaurants will cost less if you eat there for lunch. Once onboard, cancellations must be made at least 4 hours prior to show time. I will absolutely think twice about taking a cruise from San Juan again, and RCCL as well for that matter. 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. And the earlier check-in time you have, the sooner you get to get onboard the ship and start vacation. When you make purchases onboard your cruise, at the end of the cruise you get a final bill with all of the charges tallied up. Once you board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, youll want to take care of a few chores. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. This is a 9 night cruise and price per night is noted below for each cabin type. By having a reservation, you will be seated faster. In addition to that you get to the best locations on the ship, personalized service, exclusive amenities, and other complimentary perks. Do you have Cruise Fever too? Not only are the dress codes quite liberal, you can also re-use the same clothes on the same sailing. For Bahamian and Caribbean cruises, check-in registration begins at 11:00 am and embarkation begins at 1:00 pm. Embarkation day is often full of a lot of chaos and stress, especially if you are a first time cruiser. Knowing this, we decided to reserve a shuttle service to pick us up at our Miami hotel at 9:30 on embarkation day. 2) Take a security photo. This large room consisted of plenty of seating options, refreshments, and restrooms. Oasis Class ships offer outside dining is also available onCentral Park and Boardwalk neighborhoods. Those who arrive early will not be able to begin boarding, and those who arrive late will . That means if a couple buys The Key for a 7 day cruise it will cost at least $350. All Guests must board the ship no later than 4:00 pm. Guests who pay for this upgraded status typically receive priority access upon arrival on embarkation day. Things like hats, coverups, important paperwork and more would be ideal. 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. 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. But how early can you board the cruise ship? 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. 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 have a cruise booked with Royal Caribbean, you can typically check-in around 45 days before your sail date. Did you know if one adult elects to buy the unlimited alcohol package, all other adults in the same room have to get it too? This online check-in is when you choose your port arrival time. 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. Additionally, a cruise vacation, like any other type of travel, poses a risk for trip interruption, delays, and other unexpected issues. 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. 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. I pack sunscreen to apply before swimming, and we carry on other essentials that we need before dinner. The reason is Royal Caribbean cruise fares are very erratic, and can change at a moment's notice. 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. If you are on a Radiance or Quantum Class ship, be sure to enjoy your meals outside while at the Windjammer. This is the perfect time to make dining changes/requests, book activities and specialty restaurants, secure shore excursions, etc. HOW EARLY CAN I BOARD THE SHIP? Generally speaking, the best price for a Royal Caribbean cruise can be found when booked many months in advance. Arrive early. But I have a helpful suggestion. Remember, if your suitcase will not fit through the x-rays at the security check-point you will have to employ the services of the porter anyway. Freshly cooked food is always the best, and there are cooking stations available in the Windjammer that serve up some really tasty options. You'll want to do this as early as you can in order to get an early check-in time and avoid wasting time in the cruise terminal. Our family chose to eat lunch at Windjammer Marketplace after boarding. First, we recommend choosing your port arrival time before completing anything else during online check in. The earlier you arrive on embarkation day, the earlier you will board the ship. The day your cruise begins is full of excitement, and naturally, you may be wondering what time you can board the ship. 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. It wasn't nearly as easy as usual. And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. In fact, Day One has the makings to be as memorable as every other day of your getaway. Whether the first day or the last day of your cruise, be sure to grab a porter to make things easier on yourself. On all ships, check for entertainment reservations once onboard the ship via the Royal Caribbean app.