Too many parents are unaware of the open house and waste time signing their kids up as the evening session is set to begin. 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 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. Cruise fares tend to be lower the sooner you book. You really do not want to bethat personin the airport losing their mind because the latest delay means the entire vacation is in jeopardy. 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. The larger the group, the more important having a reservation is to limiting the wait times. This means you can still be on Royal Caribbean's wifi and use the app, but avoid a huge bill. 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. HOW EARLY CAN I BOARD THE SHIP? Each cruise line has their own list of prohibited items, so just make sure you follow those instructions and avoid being pulled to the side by security at the cruise terminal. 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. $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. If you ever wanted to see what the suite life was all about I recommend booking a short 3 day cruise. I am a stay-at-home mom with an amazing husband and two little girls who keep me busy with gymnastics, soccer, and swimming. 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. 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. I didnt even have a chance to sit down in the Port Everglades terminal before I was welcomed onto the ship. 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. Third party shore excursions can offer more personalized tours at a lower price. However, I highly recommend traveling with a passport. Note: You dont have to complete the entire check-in process in most cases. 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. Do you have Cruise Fever too? You simply keep your luggage in your room (instead of placing it in the hallway on the last evening of the cruise) and then when the ship is cleared by Customs agents, you take your own luggage and disembark the ship. 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. If you plan on visiting the pool deck, you'll want a bathing suit, sunscreen, and other pool essentials. We will be flying out . 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With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Lets look at what some of these early-access programs offer. On cruise day, everyone is excited to board. 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. By the way, there are still delays in the passport renewal process. Our next RCL isn't until December 2016. Priority access off the ship to the shore in port. Nor do they publish their entertainment schedules prior to a cruise. Quick tip: You should always keep one bag with you. 2011-2023, Cruise Fever . The reason is Royal Caribbean cruise fares are very erratic, and can change at a moment's notice. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of this page for more details.). By having a reservation, you will be seated faster. The biggest key is being prepared and knowing when you should or shouldnt pay extra to get on board faster. The NextCruise office offers incentives to book another cruise while you're still onboard. 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. Instant Real Time Pricing Royal Caribbean sales promotions will come and go, but if you talk to folks who book their cruises very early, they will tell you that booking super-early beats most sales offers. 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. Sure, you can book a Royal Caribbean cruise on your own, directly through the line's website. In this post, we will walk you through the whole embarkation process so that youre prepared for your first day on board. 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? 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. The last day of your cruise is never fun, and regardless of how many times you cruise, it never gets any less depressing. So, how do you secure an early arrival time so that you can board the ship as soon as possible? 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. 12. long pause. All Oasis-class ships offer this option, but many guests are unaware that breakfast is served here, nor that it is included with your cruise fare (Johnny Rockets has a cover charge for lunch and dinner). 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. 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. {{alert.title}} {{notification.title}} {{notification . The moms in our group then ran errands to take care of some items. If you subscribe to the theory that time is money, then you definitely want to arrive to your embarkation port early. Things like medications, documents, passports, and even a bathing suit and some sunscreen can be kept in this bag. 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. The online check-in process is super simple and consists of filling out personal information among other tasks. This includes your passport, boarding pass, and any other necessary paperwork. Search Multiple Sites at Once (The porters also have luggage tags in case you forget to print yours.). We have found in the US on a standard turn around that you can board a RCL ship starting around 11:30 but . Getting an early arrival slot means that you can board the ship earlier than . View All Cruises Royal Caribbean has The Key, Carnival has Faster to the Fun, and Norwegian has the Priority Access Pass. This is basically a forum for discussing your exact sailing with other people booked on it too. Some days it's sunny, some days it's stormy, some days it's just . That is a question for Royal Caribbean. You should always check with the cruise line to see what is not allowed on their ships. (This post may contain affiliate links. First, if you miss The Key check-in window, you have to fall back to whatever time you had before. Depending on your disembarkation time and port, the time needed to arrive at the airport will vary. In addition, Royal Caribbean has onboard laundry services you can use to make wearing the same clothes later in the cruise more practical. Smart cruise advice, cruise deals, and breaking news. NATURI - A Sound Installation & Performance. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. It was 6 years ago and I still remember my waiters name. Moreover, the onboard credit is stackable with other discounts Royal Caribbean is offering at the time! To be honest, your embarkation day usually starts . 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. 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. But did you know if you wait to book your drink package onboard the ship you will be overpaying for it? Royal Caribbean puts its itineraries on sale as much as two years in advance of the sailing, and while that may be too far in advance for many to plan vacations, the earlier you can book the cruise, the better for that bottom line price. 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. 2) Take a security photo. Our family chose to eat lunch at Windjammer Marketplace after boarding. All rights reserved. And if this gets delayed it will also impact when you can embark. Like what you see? These programs often offer other perks as well that are usually only reserved for suite passengers. Guests should arrive at the terminal within the arrival time slot you selected during Royal App check-in. This provides the ability to break up the total cost of the cruise. Its just easier and faster. 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. So, make sure you keep everything within reach and enjoy a smooth boarding process. Can anyone who has recently been on the Serenade rec. Book entertainment and dining as soon as possible. This means the terminal will open up . Want to get an idea of what entertainment, activities and things to do (along with times) will be offered on 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. That seems like a lot to save an hour or two on embarkation day. 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. 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. Guests who pay for this upgraded status typically receive priority access upon arrival on embarkation day. If you buy heavy duty magnets with hooks, you can use these magnets to store certain items. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Using a travel agent simplifies this entire process. If your cruise leaves at a different time than this, check with your cruise line to see what time embarkation begins. You start getting benefits after just one cruise, and you never lose your status. There arediscounts, vouchers, and even freebies anyone can take advantage of once onboard. But if you opt to drag your suitcases all through the terminal and onto the ship youre just slowing down the entire process. 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. We have an entire forum dedicated to Royal Caribbean roll calls on our message boards that is totally free to use! One of the best ways to stay informed with what's happening on your sailing is to join a roll call for your sailing. Like what you see? As an added bonus, by arriving to your embarkation port at least a day early, that means you get to start your vacation sooner! Depending on the length of your sailing, you can get up to $250 onboard credit. This fish feature is prominently present on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools' Day postcards. The earlier you can book, the best chance you will have at getting a good price on your cruise. If not, just leave blank, How being early is the secret to the best Royal Caribbean cruise, from start to finish, purchase the drink package of your choice online, 5 Royal Caribbean things you had no idea existed. 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. Commonly it is expected to tip somewhere around $1-$2 per bag. 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. Norwegian Cruise Line: Priority Access Pass. Thanked the person politely and hung-up. This frees up storage space in your closets and drawers for other things. This way youre paying about half the price of a week-long cruise and you can test the waters. One of the best cruise ship cabin hacks is to bring magnets with you on your cruise. All rights reserved. Be the first to write a review! 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. On a cruise, your vacation starts as soon as you set foot on your cruise ship. Once onboard, cancellations must be made at least 4 hours prior to show time. The right slugs can turn a 12 gauge shotgun into a. 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. A number of factors affect when you can embark a cruise ship. Having an extra day or two provides a buffer to account for travel delays. Once at the Muster Station, you just scan your SetSail Pass. Kids get special pricing at a specialty restaurant, so buy dining packages only for the adults. When you purchase anything before your cruise via the Cruise Planner site, you will be required to pay for it at the time of purchase. Just know that with some of the tips above you will still be able to get on the ship before most of the other passengers.