One of the best cruise ship cabin hacks is to bring magnets with you on your cruise. Jon can be reached at. We like to carry a backpack onboard the ship on embarkation day. Cruise ships have to receive clearance from port authorities in order to be able to allow passengers from the previous cruise off the ship. When we say "early", we mean booking your cruise 12, 18 or even 24 months before the sail date. Some days it's sunny, some days it's stormy, some days it's just . 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. (+1 345) 244 2431. Also, since your cruise will likely take you to foreign countries, its crucial to have a passport with you. What time to arrive at the port. At 11:00, crew members instructed all of the suite guests to form a line. The tours and excursions available to book in the ports your cruise will visit are many, so take advantage of the resources online to find the perfect tour before your cruise begins. This is basically a forum for discussing your exact sailing with other people booked on it too. Venue: The Artground Date: 4 - 12 Mar 2023 Fee: $18 per pax (Weekday), $20 per pax (Weekend). The reason is Royal Caribbean cruise fares are very erratic, and can change at a moment's notice. 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. You may also want to pack a dinner outfit, especially if you . Once you get onboard and connect to the ship's wifi, it will ask you if you want to just use the app. Our next RCL isn't until December 2016. The Windjammer is the go-to spot for most when they get onboard their Royal Caribbean ship for lunch, but there are good alternatives that are less crowded. Click on the person icon, and it should fire up the camera again. All rights reserved. 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. Aurea is the most expensive options and could cost anywhere from $150 to $600 more than the lowest cost experience. By having a reservation, you will be seated faster. Youll also find a free printable cruise packing list! This includes accepting the cruise contract, answering the health questions, and choosing your boarding time. Test out the TV, the toilet and the lights; check for bed bugs; sanitize anything you need to. I use the Ziploc bag to hold wet swimsuits until our room is ready, so you wont need this item if you dont have a wet bathing suit to store. They offer guests the option to drink as much as they want on their cruise for a fixed price. If you have a cruise booked with Royal Caribbean, you can typically check-in around 45 days before your sail date. And the earlier check-in time you have, the sooner you get to get onboard the ship and start vacation. Passengers who booked by March 31, 2022, for cruises departing on or before Sept. 30, 2022, are protected by Royal Caribbean's Cruise With Confidence policy, which entitles them to 100% of the cruise fare paid in the form of FCC if they cancel for any reason. Royal Caribbean typically allows cruisers to choose arrival times in thirty-minute blocks as shown in the image below. 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. Things I've tried on Royal Caribbean that I won't do again, The worst cruise mistakes our readers have made on a ship. On Voyager, Freedom or Radiance class ships, be sure to visit the helipad for my favorite sailaway spot. In most cases, you should be able to save at least $10 per person compared to dinner (if not more). It's important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. This didnt take long at all, and our whole group was onboard the ship shortly after 11:00. How early can I board my Royal Caribbean cruise? 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. 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! 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. Royal Caribbean typically allows cruisers to choose arrival times in thirty-minute blocks as shown in the image below. It can feel like torture if you have to wait a long time to board your ship. That being said, my sister had a junior suite AND an oceanview room booked. The day your cruise begins is full of excitement, and naturally, you may be wondering what time you can board the ship. Third party shore excursions can offer more personalized tours at a lower price. In addition to being able to use your drink package benefits nearly anywhere onboard your ship, Royal Caribbean also extends the benefit to Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas and Labadee in Haiti. 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. The actual times, however, will vary by sailing. By pre-purchasing certain items, you can pay off parts of the cruise months or years in advance, allowing you to reduce the cruise bill at the conclusion of your cruise. This includes your passport, boarding pass, and any other necessary paperwork. It May be Time for Some Royal Caribbean Elites to Reconsider Paying for Drink Packages frequentfloaters.com - Marshall Jackson Cruise line drink packages and whether or not you should buy one are a subject of sometimes intense debate among frequent floaters. In addition to that you get to the best locations on the ship, personalized service, exclusive amenities, and other complimentary perks. 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. Previously, Royal Caribbean permitted a maximum of two 750-milliliter bottles per room. 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. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. Do you have Cruise Fever too? Photo Credit: NAN728 / Shutterstock. Depending on when you go to select a time, there will be variety of 30 minute windows . Once logged in, navigate toOnboard Activitiesand select the show you wish to reserve. 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. Fax: +1 345 946 8825. There is no question that if you want to get the lowest price on a cruise, book it as early as you can. Its important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. Guests can choose boarding times in the afternoon or earlier times of 10:30 or 11:00. From sunny Aruba to, If you are at least a Diamond member or above in Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, here is a great way to, Taking a Royal Caribbean cruise is a great family vacation because of all the great things to see and do onboard. If you ask seasoned travelers how they get around these obstacles, the answer is often to give yourself more 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. Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. But it wasn't a nightmare either. Complimentary Canaps (a French hors doeuvre) on second day. TX Royal Caribbean Directions to . 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. Not only can a porter help take a load off of you, they can greatly assist with disembarkation and getting you through the terminal faster. Here is a list of several cruise lines that offer priority boarding when you gain loyalty status and what it takes to get there: Most of the time if you have priority boarding you will also have priority disembarkation included as well. 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). 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. Since 2021, Royal Caribbean has mostly been enforcing check-in times, so it's important to get a good time as early as you can. Royal Caribbean's suite accommodations include a variety of VIP perks, some of which overlap with The Key. You can save and come back to the process at a later time. So, how do you secure an early arrival time so that you can board the ship as soon as possible? And in many cases, the port you are departing from has its own cultural and historical attractions that you can explore. As for Royal Caribbean opening up additional earlier times, it's not usually the case. 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. The result is far fewer guests in the pools, hot tubs and water slides than at any other time on your cruise. Royal Caribbean shore excursions guarantee your return to the ship, even if the excursion is delayed. If not, just leave blank. Most cruise ships will . 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. If you are in My Time Dining for dinner, your best strategy is to make reservations either before the cruise, or during the cruise. Cayman Islands: Who's Who & Business Guide. In short, to save time and money, use a good travel agent. Did you know that Johnny Rockets is complimentary for breakfast on Oasis Class ships? Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The same is true for beer . Answer (1 of 9): It is becoming more common to have a check-in time on your boarding pass. 12. long pause. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? For everyone's sanity, this rule does not apply to cruise ships. Set . After all, if you want to jump in that pool as soon as you get on the ship you might as well be prepared. Keep in mind the differences between Royal Caribbean's shore excursions and third party shore excursions. 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. 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. Royal Caribbean is quite understanding about schedules, and if you need to get off the ship sooner, they are usually very accommodating. 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. Book entertainment and dining as soon as possible. Most people go on vacation based around their school or work schedules. If you are concerned about the drink package price dropping, take solace in the fact you can always cancel and rebook with no penalty! Guests may be able to check in earlier but will usually not be able to embark until this time. 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. One of the best ways to stay informed with what's happening on your sailing is to join a roll call for your sailing. The first time I booked a suite was on Celebrity Silhouette. You can then save this information and complete the rest of the check-in process at a later date. Here are some of the benefits included with this program: Carnival Cruise Line: Faster to the Fun (FTTF). Every cruise line has its own procedure for when they open up the check-in process. If youre still not satisfied you can pay extra for the priority access some cruise lines offer. 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. Thanked the person politely and hung-up. If you're reading this at home, you're still better off booking a cruise now, rather than waiting to book onboard your ship. Laundry costs extra, but it may save you money compared to paying to check an extra bag at the airport. You'll want to include all of your valuables, medications, and documentation. As time progress, more and more staterooms are reserved and stateroom inventory drops, so the price increases conversely. The plan offered is called the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program, and it provides the following coverage: $25k Emergency Travel Medical Insurance. 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. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. Generally speaking, the best price for a Royal Caribbean cruise can be found when booked many months in advance. We arrived on time (1pm) and waited over three hours to board. Having an extra day or two provides a buffer to account for travel delays. While showing up early can be a problem, coming in later is not as much of a concern. On a cruise, your vacation starts as soon as you set foot on your cruise ship. The drink packages have become quite popular with guests, but Royal Caribbean rewards guests that purchase their drink package early with a discount. my last NCL cruise was out of tamp. Even if you have an international cell phone plan, cruise ship cellular coverage is rarely included. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. 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. (He was right!) Read a past Cruise Compass! In general, on a cruise with RCI, you can change 1 bane, no problem, as long as at least one original guest stays . Having an extra day or two provides a buffer to account for travel delays.