This is basically a forum for discussing your exact sailing with other people booked on it too. Royal Caribbean cruises that depart from the United States will often open the cruise terminal for check-in sometime between 9am and 10am. 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. Nor do they publish their entertainment schedules prior to a cruise. For a full list of items that my family and I pack on a cruise vacation, you can check out my Cruise Packing List article. 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. Thanked the person politely and hung-up. Sounds great, right? So which food is included and which cost extra? 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. This buffet wasnt crowded at all during these early hours, and it offered a large variety of food for our big travel group. ", "When is the best time to book a cruise?" We arrived on time (1pm) and waited over three hours to board. Exclusive a la carte breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on . We like to carry a backpack onboard the ship on embarkation day. Second, you're spending extra money for a benefit that is not cheap. 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 . Royal Caribbean has The Key, Carnival has Faster to the Fun, and Norwegian has the Priority Access Pass. Some families prefer to arrive in the afternoon, so they dont have to navigate crowds at the terminal. He also directed us on exactly where to go and made certain we understood we needed passports/identification documents. A second way to grab an early port arrival time is by purchasing The Key. For some folks, that may sound like lunacy to plan a vacation up to two years in advance, but the fact of the matter is employing this strategy is the key to getting a really great price. Downloading the app before you get on your ship means you'll be able to easily and quickly download it and set it up before you step aboard. Things I've tried on Royal Caribbean that I won't do again, The worst cruise mistakes our readers have made on a ship. The benefits wont always be the same, and you have to fill out a form and wait for approval. I didnt even have a chance to sit down in the Port Everglades terminal before I was welcomed onto the ship. Smart cruise advice, cruise deals, and breaking news. 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. There's an impressive amount of discounts and benefits included in Royal Caribbean's loyalty program that you should absolutely know about in advance. Too many parents are unaware of the open house and waste time signing their kids up as the evening session is set to begin. 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. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Related: A look inside Regent's most expensive cruise ship. 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? 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. This is a 9 night cruise and price per night is noted below for each cabin type. Once you're cleared to board, you will follow a gangway (elevated ramps) up to the ship. 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. And loyalty perks usually involve priority access to the ship. The Key is an optional add-on you can purchase to get VIP benefits, including an early check-in time. 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. Often this comes down to the ports of call being visited by the cruise line. Ideally, you'll book a cruise at NextCruise while on a sailing when struck with the inspiration to book another cruise. 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. 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. On Voyager, Freedom or Radiance class ships, be sure to visit the helipad for my favorite sailaway spot. Set . When you complete online check-in, you will be assigned a check-in time. 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. 12. long pause. When you purchase a drink at a bar, a service at the spa, or almost anything else onboard, there's likely an automatic gratuity included with your bill. As for Royal Caribbean opening up additional earlier times, it's not usually the case. Find answers to your questions about all the requirements to board a Royal Caribbean Cruise. You may also want to pack a dinner outfit, especially if you . Peak dinner time is between 6:30pm and 8:00pm, so if you plan to dine during these times, reservations are so important. We completed our Muster Drill requirements immediately after boarding. The earliest that guests can board a cruise is between 4-5 hours before the ship is scheduled to sail away. While you may want to save the added expense,regular medical insurance will not usually cover medical services onboard or in port. If you are in My Time Dining for dinner, your best strategy is to make reservations either before the cruise, or during the cruise. my last NCL cruise was out of tamp. The drink packages have become quite popular with guests, but Royal Caribbean rewards guests that purchase their drink package early with a discount. Guests can choose boarding times in the afternoon or earlier times of 10:30 or 11:00. Looking for the Best Cruise Deals? Quick tip: You should always keep one bag with you. Your stateroom walls are made of metal, and that means you can stick a magnet on any of them (even the ceiling). If your cruise leaves at a different time than this, check with your cruise line to see what time embarkation begins. If you ever wanted to see what the suite life was all about I recommend booking a short 3 day cruise. (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean) You are staying in a suite. If you buy heavy duty magnets with hooks, you can use these magnets to store certain items. But it wasn't a nightmare either. 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. Like what you see? 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. Read more: 7 reasons you should splurge for a suite on a cruise. There are plenty of ways to improve one's cruise, but if you remember a single mantra for your cruise, it should be simply to be early. Her whole family, including the oceanview cabin guests, were permitted to stand in the suite line. The best reason to use an agent is to save you time, because they are the ones sitting on hold when calling Royal Caribbean. Its important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. But did you know if you wait to book your drink package onboard the ship you will be overpaying for it? Most cruise terminals enforce the boarding times, but occasionally you find situations where a particular pier agent doesn't pay attention to the check-in time or say anything about it. When I tried on my Android / Pixel 6 Pro, I had to hit the button a bunch of times to take a picture . The person didnt even ask for the ship name or location and gave monosyllabic responses. We have an entire forum dedicated to Royal Caribbean roll calls on our message boards that is totally free to use! Employees come over to make you show that you are in a suite. 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! 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. 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. Third party shore excursions can offer more personalized tours at a lower price. $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. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Here are the 8 easy strategies I used to save money on my Royal Caribbean cruise that you can use too. We were technically allowed to arrive an hour before this 10:30 slot since we were suite guests. 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. Holland American Line: Mariner Society . Generally speaking, the best price for a Royal Caribbean cruise can be found when booked many months in advance. This means you can get extra value from your drink package purchase while anywhere in these private destinations. 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. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? Its not a lengthy process but should you need to stop along the way to gather a piece of information, do not worry. 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. 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. Unfortunately, there's no wifi coverage in Labadee. 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. 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. Many cruise lines allow you to pay a little extra for priority access to the ship. First, if you miss The Key check-in window, you have to fall back to whatever time you had before. To save time and money, you really should pre-book beverage packages, dining packages, internet packages and more. Porters are available to assist with your luggage. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. However, the cruise terminal in Miami did not open its doors until 10:00 am. View All Cruises 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. or "How do I get the lowest price?" You can then save this information and complete the rest of the check-in process at a later date. Known. Children between the ages of 0-5 are complimentary and ages 6-12 are $10 per child at any specialty restaurant. You can use it to check-into your cruise (more on that in the next tip), book entertainment, shore excursions and packages. Previously, Royal Caribbean permitted a maximum of two 750-milliliter bottles per room. 10 tips to help you improve your cruise vacation. Depending on when you go to select a time, there will be variety of 30 minute windows . 2) Take a security photo. The exact benefits you get depend on which tier of Crown and Anchor Society you belong to. 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. This includes accepting the cruise contract, answering the health questions, and choosing your boarding time. 1. Royal Caribbean shore excursions guarantee your return to the ship, even if the excursion is delayed. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. #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. When you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have a choice of places to eat throughout the day. Most people go on vacation based around their school or work schedules. If guests wish to enjoy their wine or champagne in our dining or bar venues, there will be a corkage fee applied. 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. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. 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. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? In most cases, you should be able to save at least $10 per person compared to dinner (if not more). It was 6 years ago and I still remember my waiters name. Call (225) 687-7590 or what can i bring on a cruise royal caribbean today! Not only will buying your drink packages online save you money, it will also save you time because typically there can be lines to purchase the drink packages onboard the ship. If you choose to fly ChoiceAir, Royal Caribbean automatically displays only the airline schedules that will enable you to meet your cruise. By the way, there are still delays in the passport renewal process. In the weeks leading up to your cruise, be sure to complete online check-in. 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. Check-in opens up 45 days before your cruise begins. If it is, you should feel confident that the proper gratuity is being given to that crew member. Would rather get to port early and board than hang out in a hotel room. You will then go straight to the section on choosing your arrival time and pick the one you want. Not only are the dress codes quite liberal, you can also re-use the same clothes on the same sailing. You should always let the cruise terminal porters take your large bags for you. A Royal Loft Suite on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. This large room consisted of plenty of seating options, refreshments, and restrooms. It can, however, still use its WiFi and Bluetooth connections to stay connected, if you so choose. Things like weapons, candles, and irons are on the list of things NOT to bring. 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. 1. At 11:00, crew members instructed all of the suite guests to form a line. Like what you see? 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. This fish feature is prominently present on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools' Day postcards. 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 . 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. Unsubscribe whenever you want. 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. The difference is booking onboard will get you extra onboard credit and reduced deposit. Unlimited food and posh amenities await you, and its only feet away when youre in the cruise terminal. Embarkation day is often full of a lot of chaos and stress, especially if you are a first time cruiser. So, how do you secure an early arrival time so that you can board the ship as soon as possible? The result is far fewer guests in the pools, hot tubs and water slides than at any other time on your cruise. Getting on the ship for us is also the point when the cruise 'starts'. And if this gets delayed it will also impact when you can embark. You will not have to start over! Several years ago, I decided to start this blog to document our family trips. 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. 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 . Then, the dads in our group took the kids to the pool so that they could swim in virtually empty swimming areas. 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. The concept is simple: pay a few bucks and skip the lines. We didnt even have to get off the couch. 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. All rights reserved. Complimentary Canaps (a French hors doeuvre) on second day. Youll also find that the water slides dont have long lines at this time on embarkation day. They also re-wear their embarkation clothes since this first day is typically not dressy at all. Guests should arrive at the terminal within the arrival time slot you selected during Royal App check-in. 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. MSC Cruises has three experiences to choose from: Bella, Fantastica, and Aurea. 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. 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.
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