Royal's unannounced new online check-in policy

[PCWalton1]

Morning all,

 

Yesterday I made final payment on our upcoming May 16th Jewel cruise. Today a received an email from RCCL:

 

Congratulations! Your SetSail Pass is now ready to be printed.

 

Your SetSail Pass indicates that you successfully completed the Online Check-In process for you and those guests listed on the pass. And, because you already checked in online, when you arrive at the pier you won’t have to spend time filling out forms, which means you get a jump start on your vacation!

 

To view and print your SetSail Pass, click on the link below and enter the required information:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/onlinecheckin

 

When you arrive at the pier, present the following for validation:

 

- Your Signed SetSail Pass

- Passport or Citizenship Documents

- Credit card you used to register online.

 

All guests listed on the SetSail Pass must be present to board. Any minors under the age of 21 must be accompanied by an adult 21 and older in order to board.

 

Thanks for choosing Royal Caribbean International.

 

However if I go online I not only cannot print the setsail pass I can't even look up or change all the check-in information I put in previously. In addition there is this error.

 

Online Check-in will be available 90 days prior to your sail date. Please try again during that time.

 

So I called Royal to see what the problem was. The call taker told me they were informed the policy had changed several weeks ago and you cannot access the online section until 90 days before the cruise.

 

Ok ROYAL, did it cross your minds that maybe, just maybe you might want to communicate that to your customers? Or at the very least, let the rest of your company know so they don't send out email telling us to print our setsail passes when we can't actually do that?

 

OK, stepping down off my soapbox, thank you all for listening. :)

 

[impatientlywaiting]

Our last two cruises (2014 and 2013) we weren't able to check in on-line and print our Set Sail Pass until 45 days before cruise date. We didn't get an email until that time either. Earlier this week I got the email from RCCL that it was time to check in on-line and print our Set Sail Pass/luggage tags which was 45 days from sail date.

[flowers44]

I don't like this new way of doing things, not that that matters to RCCI. Part of the fun of reserving a cruise was doing the online check in early. It always made me feel like the cruise was closer to happening. Oh well, I guess you can't fight city hall. I will have to wait almost until final payment is due to do my online check in.

[spookwife]

doesn't bug me either way.. I won't print until about 2 weeks out so I do not misplace the paperwork. I start my packing and organizing about then so I clear a space on my craft table for documentation folders.

[PCWalton1]

doesn't bug me either way.. I won't print until about 2 weeks out so I do not misplace the paperwork. I start my packing and organizing about then so I clear a space on my craft table for documentation folders.

 

I put together a folder for each cruise when we first book because I would routinely misplace papers. :o

I don't really care when I can print it, I just found it annoying to get an email telling me to print the setsail pass but I can't and I wasted the time trying.

[boewok]

With all the things the IT folks should be working on, this must have been the most important to them. What difference does it make when I start the on-line check-in? Barb

[COCKYMARK]

Why do you need to do it so far in advance? 90 days is plenty!

[cb at sea]

First..you don't NEED to do any "online" stuff to board. And, you don't NEED to print anything.... It's not a big deal!

[BekkaW]

First..you don't NEED to do any "online" stuff to board. And, you don't NEED to print anything.... It's not a big deal!

 

I'm sure PCWalton understands that. As he has clearly stated the issue is that Royal sends an email telling you to do something that their own policy actually prevents you from doing! How ridiculous!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I have always filled out the paperwork early. I had some extra time today so thought I would do it today for our May cruise. I've had it paid off for awhile now. I never got an e-mail saying that I could, or couldn't. I was surprised to see that same message. I'm glad to see it's not just me. I understood the confusion that Bill was referencing.

[Az's Cruising Nana]

Kind of like our April 23rd Jewel cruise. We have been getting emails to enhance our cruise experience. Sign up for excursions. However going into our cruise planner all excursions are not fully loaded. In fact day 4 Dominica does not exist. Going in generically there really are dozens . Don't even get me started on calling the excursion desk ..... we are less then 90.days out. .Point being when you reserve a cabin I think you get put in the computer system becoming victim to all the random robot emails for your cruise pertinent or not. No wonder we are all confused and frustrated.

[kyriecat]

Since I am not sailing until June, I haven't made my final payment or tried to complete any online check in. However, I do understand Az's Cruising Nana's frustration with all the "robot emails." My group signed up for My Time Dining when we booked and every 2-3 weeks for the past 8 months, I get an email from RC reminding me to reserve my dining times. However, when I go to the cruise planner and try to do so, I get an error message "Sorry, we cannot reserve this right now. Please try again onboard the ship."

 

It seems pointless for RC to keep sending me emails about reserving a dining time when their system won't let me. I'd rather have a single email sent once reservations are actually open.

 

I realize that we don't have to make reservations before we board, but we are a group of 8 with a couple young children. I'd like to have reservations for a couple nights so we can all eat together at a time early enough to prevent the younger ones from getting cranky during the meal.

[cindyscruise]

I definitely agree. We keep getting emails to book for our Sept cruise but when I go there it says 90 days in advance. I like getting the online stuff done early. Makes the cruise a reality for me then I start a folder with all the paperwork etc. But I understand why they want to wait until final payment now. people cancel cruises and this way they don't have to remove the information from their system. Everyone is unique and I wish others on this board would understand that. I don't NEED to print my stuff early I just like to. Others are last minute people and wait until the end. To each his own. What right would I have to criticize anyone for what they like to do. Hey - Hard for those on this board to believe but some people even hate cruising.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I have been getting e-mails for our Oasis cruise in May for a year and not a one for our Jewel cruise in October. Is that because the Oasis was booked directly with RCI and the Jewel through a TA? I usually book through a TA and have never had the number of e-mails that I am getting for the Oasis. I have been ignoring them lately. I hope I'm not missing something really important!

Edited February 3, 2015 by Sunny AZ Girl

[Desert Cruizers]

I have always filled our Set Sail out early, it really doesn't matter, just ones preferance. Ours is complete but as Bill stated, now one can't go back in and edit or recheck what was done.

[TubbyMrT]

RCCL's computerized reservation systems leave a lot to be desired. The web site is bad. What goes on behind the scenes is even worse. I cringe when I type in my passport or charge card numbers.

[WeighAnchor]

RCCL's computerized reservation systems leave a lot to be desired. The web site is bad. What goes on behind the scenes is even worse. I cringe when I type in my passport or charge card numbers.

Okay, I am reviving an old thread. :)

 

I went searching for answers today when I fell victim to the changeover to the 90 day rule. Our last cruise we took (in May) was booked only 45 days out and I didn't notice the change.

 

But to add to your comment about the how bad the reservations system is; the thing I hate most is that if you don't exit out of the reservation properly, it locks you out of the reservation for 20-30 minutes (e.g. you accidentally close the browser window).

Edited August 30, 2015 by WeighAnchor

[dreday3]

So, um, when can you check in online? My 90 days is tomorrow and I'm excited to check in! :p

[Clarea]

So, um, when can you check in online? My 90 days is tomorrow and I'm excited to check in! :p

I don't know what's going on. One time we tried to check-in at 120 days, and it told us we had to wait until 90 days before the cruise. I had another cruise about 150 days out and it let me check in for that one. Welcome to the world of Royal IT - never a dull moment.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

This thread reminded me that I had better get going and do my on line check in for our Nov Serenade cruise, so i grabbed the file and started the process.

When filling out the arrival and departure info it kept rejecting the info...hmmmm. :confused:

 

Tried several times, still rejecting...well DUH....we have 2 different Serenade cruises booked and I grabbed the wrong Serenade file. Once I got the right file it was done in no time!

 

All better now.....thanks for posting this reminder!

 

***

[Eng23]

kyriecat

 

"My group signed up for My Time Dining when we booked and every 2-3 weeks for the past 8 months, I get an email from RC reminding me to reserve my dining times. However, when I go to the cruise planner and try to do so, I get an error message "Sorry, we cannot reserve this right now. Please try again onboard the ship."

 

I have had the same issue. Just today I received an email to make my dining arrangements and I still get that same message. A call to Royal and their rep tells me "oh the dining has not been loaded into the system yet". Try again at 60 days prior to sailing I was told.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Eng23

[cruisenfever]

I did our on-line check-in for our April 2016 cruises on Anthem back in April of this year. The only thing I have to wait 90 days for is uploading our photo.

[Luv my furbaby]

Had the same problem with my November Oasis cruise. I even called RCCL to ask why I got the email that my set sail pass was ready and my online docs said my pass was set to print. WRONG! Could not print it until the 90 day mark. Why bother sending the email for something that can't be done. RCCL's response was basically " oh I guess you have to wait then". UGH!

FYI - at 90 days I was able to print v

[ewenix]

But to add to your comment about the how bad the reservations system is; the thing I hate most is that if you don't exit out of the reservation properly, it locks you out of the reservation for 20-30 minutes (e.g. you accidentally close the browser window).

 

I'm curious how else you would prevent multiple simultaneous editing of a reservation (in a stateless environment like the internet.)

If you don't log out properly, the reservation system has no idea that you closed your browser. So they have to set an inactivity timeout. This is actually quite common. I believe their timeout is only 15-20 minutes. I know it's less than a half hour because earlier this week I was logged in and my browser crashed.

Edited October 1, 2015 by ewenix

[wingman2014]

We received the same email , cant print until within 90 day window no big

deal , I'll wait until then to print. ( deep breath .... repeat ....:D )