Royal Boarding times by deck, Are they a suggestion or a rule

[cgolf1]

We are sailing on the Brilliance out of Tampa and the boarding time for our deck is 1:30 to 2:15. Is this a suggested time and if we show up earlier will we be able to board sooner? We are mainly asking because we were planning to eat lunch onboard, but that boarding time will have us eating lunch before we arrive at port. We were very surprised to see this after our Freedom cruise out of port everglades last year where we boarded before noon and were able to eat right away.

[Ourusualbeach]

Suggestions. No reports of anything actually being enforced.

[GTO-Girl]

In November we went about 10:30 and were onboard by 11:15...

[leaveitallbehind]

We always board between 11:00 - 11:30 and have never had any issue doing so on any cruise. Any suggested time is just that and is not enforced in our experience.

[Biker19]

Troy?

[island lady]

Troy?

 

LOL!! ;p

[dohertm1]

We are sailing on the Brilliance out of Tampa and the boarding time for our deck is 1:30 to 2:15. Is this a suggested time and if we show up earlier will we be able to board sooner? We are mainly asking because we were planning to eat lunch onboard, but that boarding time will have us eating lunch before we arrive at port. We were very surprised to see this after our Freedom cruise out of port everglades last year where we boarded before noon and were able to eat right away.

We arrived at the port at 10am and boarded Independence of the Seas last weekend by 11am for a 430 sailing. So glad we didn’t wait for the suggested time!

[KPookey]

I think it is crazy for them to give a boarding time. It makes me angry. I had a great price for a direct flight landing 12:40 into Tampa for a 4 pm sailing. RC said, that’s no good when I did my online docs. They said arrive by 12. So, I rebook to arrive the night before and book a hotel. Now, you better believe I’ll be on that ship early. Sorry to whine. With flights landing at various times, how can they do that?

[jaymcc]

I think it is crazy for them to give a boarding time. It makes me angry. I had a great price for a direct flight landing 12:40 into Tampa for a 4 pm sailing. RC said, that’s no good when I did my online docs. They said arrive by 12. So, I rebook to arrive the night before and book a hotel. Now, you better believe I’ll be on that ship early. Sorry to whine. With flights landing at various times, how can they do that?

 

Are you talking about the online checkin where it asks for your connections/transfers?

 

If so, unless you've booked those through RC I'm not sure they're really doing anything but suggesting you leave more time. My flights out of Seattle at the end of the next cruise are not within RC's recommended times so I just changed the time on the checkin form to later the same day. It's my fault and my fault alone if I don't make the connection.

 

Having said all that - 12:40 landing for 4pm departure seems to be cutting it fine so perhaps you're better off on the day before anyway.

[CMurph]

It is a suggestion, but keep in mind that occasionally they have a good reason behind it. We sailed the Independence earlier this month & received an email to arrive at 12:30. Turned out boarding was delayed because of a charter on the previous cruise requiring extra time for unloading equipment & such. Some people had been waiting in the terminal for 2 hours. When they started boarding, it was suites & Pinnacles first, then on down the C&A status line. There were a lot of unhappy people and the staff threatened to stop boarding if everyone didn't sit down and wait their turn.