If getting onto your cruise ship as early as possible is important to you these tips above should help. Would rather get to port early and board than hang out in a hotel room. Exclusive a la carte breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on . $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. We were technically allowed to arrive an hour before this 10:30 slot since we were suite guests. 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. The price will be different depending on which port youre sailing from $59.95 in Miami to $129.95 in Seattle. HOW EARLY CAN I BOARD THE SHIP? Two brothers started Cruise Fever in 2011 when they decided they couldn't stop cruising so they might as well write about it. Sounds great, right? Norwegians priority program offers everything from faster embarkation to quicker tendering, and even a faster debarkation process. Through our past experiences, on many different lines, we have boarded closer to 11:00. 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. 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? So the best way to learn about what is offered on your cruise is to check out a past Cruise Compass. Follow along on this incredible voyage! At 11:00, crew members instructed all of the suite guests to form a line. Royal Caribbean may send you an email about boarding times, but those are mostly suggestions and not enforced at all. But I have a helpful suggestion. Royal Caribbean International has notified guests booked aboard several Allure of the Seas cruises to adjust their boarding times . Corkscrews will be provided for guests to enjoy their drinks in their stateroom. 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. For lunch and dinner, you can find a rotating set of options that include pasta, stir-fry, crepes and more. 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. Nor do they publish their entertainment schedules prior to a cruise. Once you're cleared to board, you will follow a gangway (elevated ramps) up to the ship. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. There is no question that if you want to get the lowest price on a cruise, book it as early as you can. In many cases, Royal Caribbean promises a discount on select pre-cruise purchases compared to the price onboard. Even if you have an international cell phone plan, cruise ship cellular coverage is rarely included. Jon can be reached at. Naturally everyone thinks of the main dining room for dinner, but did you know it is often open forlunch (and breakfast) too? 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. Guests can choose boarding times in the afternoon or earlier times of 10:30 or 11:00. This means you can get extra value from your drink package purchase while anywhere in these private destinations. How to Complete Check-In. 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. This buffet wasnt crowded at all during these early hours, and it offered a large variety of food for our big travel group. For everyone's sanity, this rule does not apply to cruise ships. Peak dinner time is between 6:30pm and 8:00pm, so if you plan to dine during these times, reservations are so important. Unvaccinated travellers age 5 and 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. Depending on when you go to select a time, there will be variety of 30 minute windows . Here are some of the benefits included with this program: Carnival Cruise Line: Faster to the Fun (FTTF). The total cost of my cruise for two guests, including gratuities, taxes, and fees, was $1656. Our $2,179.98 cruise has an insurance cost of $138 if bought through Royal Caribbean. Using a travel agent simplifies this entire process. Many people here, I think, . The drink packages have become quite popular with guests, but Royal Caribbean rewards guests that purchase their drink package early with a discount. 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. This online check-in is when you choose your port arrival time. This fish feature is prominently present on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools' Day postcards. 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. In the weeks leading up to your cruise, be sure to complete online check-in. These are not the times you actually board the ship. Simply check in on the very day availability opens. Perhaps one of the most common questions we receive on Royal Caribbean Blog is about how to save money and get the best possible price for a Royal Caribbean cruise. You can bring soda, water, energy drinks and any other non-alcoholic beverages. 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. Have you heard about Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages? My Time Dining usually begins around 6:00pm and lasts until 9:30pm, giving you a wide range of times to choose from. And if this gets delayed it will also impact when you can embark. 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. If you are in My Time Dining for dinner, your best strategy is to make reservations either before the cruise, or during the cruise. At 10:00, the doors to the terminal opened, and the suite guests were escorted to an elevator that took us to a separate security line. When you get the receipt to sign, look for the line item that indicates if an automatic 18% gratuity is already included. All E-Docs will be available up to 21 days prior to departure, provided full payment has been received and Online Check-In has been completed. However, once you finally arrive at the port and board the ship, all your worries are washed away. Royal Caribbean asks its guests to arrive within their check-in window to avoid crowding in the terminal. This is by far the least crowded time to swim on the cruise ship. Too many parents are unaware of the open house and waste time signing their kids up as the evening session is set to begin. The earlier you arrive on embarkation day, the earlier you will board the ship. You can even start using your drink packages right away to help you get into vacation mode even faster! 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. . Ideally, you want other staterooms on either deck and not public venues like pools, restaurants or other public venues. On embarkation day, the pools are open so be sure to pack a bathing suit in your carry-on luggage so that you can enjoy them with less crowds! Royal Caribbean International allows cruisers to choose a port arrival time during online check-in. 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. Hi there! Save time on your cruise by getting your kids signed up for Royal Caribbean's complimentary kids programming on the first day of the cruise. Theirservices are complimentary, although a tip is expected for their trouble. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! 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. Cruise ships have to receive clearance from port authorities in order to be able to allow passengers from the previous cruise off the ship. 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 . Here are the 8 easy strategies I used to save money on my Royal Caribbean cruise that you can use too. Once onboard, cancellations must be made at least 4 hours prior to show time. On a cruise, your vacation starts as soon as you set foot on your cruise ship. Cruise lines offer several boarding times and can only allow for so many in each slot. Having an extra day or two provides a buffer to account for travel delays. Norwegians priority access program includes: Other cruise lines have some sort of priority-access program as well. It was 6 years ago and I still remember my waiters name. The right slugs can turn a 12 gauge shotgun into a. After all, if you want to jump in that pool as soon as you get on the ship you might as well be prepared. After combing through my notes, here's the best tips and tricks for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. Then, the dads in our group took the kids to the pool so that they could swim in virtually empty swimming areas. You start getting benefits after just one cruise, and you never lose your status. Be sure to look up all your benefits, and ensure you use the most lucrative Crown and Anchor Society perks during your sailing so you can reap the best rewards! 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. Embark's office is located in an industrial chic building in Boston's Seaport District. 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 . Each stateroom may bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine or champagne, as long as one guest is of legal drinking age. This was a huge relief from the typical check-in desk with long check-in lines we have experienced in the past. Be the first to write a review! As an added bonus, by arriving to your embarkation port at least a day early, that means you get to start your vacation sooner! I dont think I need to mention how this would slow down your boarding process, but its a key element to remember when cruising. Sure, you can book a Royal Caribbean cruise on your own, directly through the line's website. If you selected my-time dining you will want to select your preferred time as the most popular times book up fast. NATURI - A Sound Installation & Performance. 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. Not only are the dress codes quite liberal, you can also re-use the same clothes on the same sailing. Second, you're spending extra money for a benefit that is not cheap. 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. Previously, Royal Caribbean permitted a maximum of two 750-milliliter bottles per room. Video: Royal Caribbean food secrets Discounts, tips and more! Our rooms then opened up at around 1:00 that afternoon. Before the cruise, guests may change the show/ti. If not, just leave blank, 40 BEST Royal Caribbean tips, tricks & hidden secrets, what is the cheapest month to go on a cruise, Royal Caribbean offers extra onboard credit if you own at least a certain amount of Royal Caribbean Group stock, entire forum dedicated to Royal Caribbean roll calls, Royal Caribbean has onboard laundry services, ensure you use the most lucrative Crown and Anchor Society perks, booking a cruise now, rather than waiting to book onboard your ship, The FAA system outage reminded us why you shouldn't violate 1 of the biggest unwritten rules about cruise planning, How to save at least $22 (and likely a lot more) off your next Royal Caribbean cruise right now, 10 cruise ship tips that worked for our Royal Caribbean Blog staffers in 2022, Cruise hack: Maximize Voom internet discount for Diamond members or above, 20 Royal Caribbean tips for a better cruise, 23 Do's and Don'ts for your Royal Caribbean cruise in 2023. Porters are available to assist with your luggage. A Royal Caribbean cruise is hands down my favorite type of vacation, and with so many years of going cruising, I have come across a lot of tricks and tips that really enhance my cruise. In this post, we will walk you through the whole embarkation process so that youre prepared for your first day on board. Possible pranks include attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed. It can feel like torture if you have to wait a long time to board your ship. Holland American Line: Mariner Society . You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. We have an entire forum dedicated to Royal Caribbean roll calls on our message boards that is totally free to use! 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. . Depending on when you go to select a time, there will be variety of 30 minute windows for you to choose from.