New Boarding Procedures?

[Silhouette2017]

Hello all,

I am boarding the Reflection end of November for an 11-night cruise. As I have just completed my on-line check in process I have a question. When checking in, I was asked to provide photos of our party. I have uploaded the photos - are there any other change to the boarding process? There has been reports that RCL ships now have a new procedure where the key is waiting in your stateroom, rather than given at the check-in desk. If this is the case with Celebrity, how do we get drinks from our package or make other purchases before we have our Sea Passes? 

 

So exited about my cruise! :) 

[Jim_Iain]

I know that Celebrity and RCCL are working on the ability to do your Checkin using a smart phone app.   I know they have rolled It out on Constellation  and I know that Equinox and Reflection are also in the App at this time.   I've never used it but hopefully some that have given it a try will fill you in.    

 

They have also rolled out RF cards with these ships.    I suspect that you will be able to use your APP for drinks and stuff until you get your seapass in your room. 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

On Royal (on the ships with the new key-card protocol) until you go to your room and get your seapass you use your printed check-in document, which has a unique scannable barcode, to make onboard purchases.  As it is linked to your guest folio the POS system knows if you have a drink package or not, just like if they swipe/tap your seapass.

[Luvcrusn]

That makes more sense than only using a smart phone app. Hard to believe, but not everyone has a smart phone, and some that do haven't bothered to download the app.

[ORV]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

I know that Celebrity and RCCL are working on the ability to do your Checkin using a smart phone app.   I know they have rolled It out on Constellation  and I know that Equinox and Reflection are also in the App at this time.   I've never used it but hopefully some that have given it a try will fill you in.    

 

They have also rolled out RF cards with these ships.    I suspect that you will be able to use your APP for drinks and stuff until you get your seapass in your room. 

 

Jim, I'm pretty sure my Aunt & Uncle, Ma & Pa Kettle from Nebraska only have old style flip phones that barely text, much less are App capable. 

 

I'm betting on the Paper pass like RCL uses. 

[cruisestitch]

 On Celebrity you don’t get your SeaPass  in the room, you get them in the terminal..  On some back to back cruises outside the US you might get the pass for the second cruise in your room the day before you have change over but you still have to activate it on changeover day

[Barwick Cruiser]

5 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

 On Celebrity you don’t get your SeaPass  in the room, you get them in the terminal..  On some back to back cruises outside the US you might get the pass for the second cruise in your room the day before you have change over but you still have to activate it on changeover day

Makes sense, otherwise how would you get in your cabin to retrieve your sea pass card?

[lais]

You need the sea pass card to get on the ship

[paulh84]

I'm willing to bet Celebrity mirrors the newer RCL approach with cards in the cabin over time. Maybe with Edge??

[Luvcrusn]

Lais, I'm curious how you get into the cabin to retrieve your key on Royal. We haven't been on a Royal ship in 4 years and that was an older ship (since retired), the Legend, that didn't have that feature.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

On some of the newer Royal ships (Anthem, Harmony and Symphony) the key card is in the mail slot outside you cabin door.  Once rooms are ready you proceed to your room where the cards are waiting and allow you to access cabin, etc as normal. The key cards and door are the RFID tap type rather than the traditional magnetic stripe slot type.  I am assuming as Celebrity and Royal outfit ships with the RFID technology that eventually the entire company will shift to this disbursement method. 

[Luvcrusn]

Here's another question. Since the new cards have RFID technology is your credit card info included with the information stored in and broadcasted by the card? If so doesn't that expose the user to the card information being intercepted by anyone with a scanner? Do they provide an RFID protected holder? When you're in port with that type of card the information contained therein is exposed to anyone with a scanner and there's all kinds of identity theft issues that can occur while you are still in possession of the card and unaware of the exposure unless you've placed it in an RFID protected sleeve or wallet.

[Jeremiah1212]

1 hour ago, Luvcrusn said:

Here's another question. Since the new cards have RFID technology is your credit card info included with the information stored in and broadcasted by the card? If so doesn't that expose the user to the card information being intercepted by anyone with a scanner? Do they provide an RFID protected holder? When you're in port with that type of card the information contained therein is exposed to anyone with a scanner and there's all kinds of identity theft issues that can occur while you are still in possession of the card and unaware of the exposure unless you've placed it in an RFID protected sleeve or wallet.

 

Short answer, no. They contain very little data. In this application all the card would need is your folio or an equivalent number to access your actual customer data housed elsewhere.

 

The need for RF blocking wallets and purses is mostly hype, even in Europe. 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Previous poster is correct. The RFID cards used by hotels and cruise ships do not contain data such as credit card information. That is housed in the Front desk/pursers accounting system and the seapass cards only have your folio # /cabin # attached.  When your seapass is tapped/swiped by service staff they see your name, folio # and depending on the POS system or security scanner, your photo as secondary ID. 

Edited October 26, 2018 by AtlantaCruiser72

[hcat]

For those not planning to use their own phones like us, how will the boarding process for Celebrity work at the  new Ft Lauderdale terminal?

 

We will be eligible to start the  next step online  very soon, having made final payment..  We are planning to follow usual procedures for that and luggage tags ..hope that is working on Cruise Planner website.

 

Not sure if we should upload photos  at that point or at the pier???

[cruisestitch]

It’s a request, not a requirement, to upload a photo.  When you do your on-line check-in, just ignore that step and move to the next step.

[hcat]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

It’s a request, not a requirement, to upload a photo.  When you do your on-line check-in, just ignore that step and move to the next step.

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

 

 

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

It’s a request, not a requirement, to upload a photo.  When you do your on-line check-in, just ignore that step and move to the next step.

For those not planning to use their own phones like us, how will the boarding process for Celebrity work at the  new Ft Lauderdale 

 

Not sure if we should upload photos  at that point or at the pier???

[hcat]

Sorry  Cruise Critic keeps repeating what has been posted but Thanks for the reply about the photos..

 

On one hand it may save time at the pier check in. On the other hand too much info via internet???

Still deciding..

[TFLG]

11 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

On some of the newer Royal ships (Anthem, Harmony and Symphony) the key card is in the mail slot outside you cabin door.  Once rooms are ready you proceed to your room where the cards are waiting and allow you to access cabin, etc as normal. The key cards and door are the RFID tap type rather than the traditional magnetic stripe slot type.  I am assuming as Celebrity and Royal outfit ships with the RFID technology that eventually the entire company will shift to this disbursement method. 

 

The last Carnival cruise was done this way. No check in counters in the terminal.  A person with a handheld scanner scanned our paperwork as we walked into the building and then we walked onto the ship. Absolutely painless and super fast. We used our paper check-in document to get drinks and things until we got our keys from the room.  I think they snapped our pictures as we boarded the ship.

[Wine-O]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

Sorry  Cruise Critic keeps repeating what has been posted but Thanks for the reply about the photos..

 

On one hand it may save time at the pier check in. On the other hand too much info via internet???

Still deciding..

We  just boarded Anthem last week.  At home printed out 2 boarding passes, each had our individual name.  At the port, checked in with a lady with an iPad.  Scanned our passports and took our pictures.   We used the SetSail Pass to get on the ship and for all purchases until we reached our stateroom at 1pm to pick up our seapass cards.   Worked well.

[dread_pirate]

21 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I know that Celebrity and RCCL are working on the ability to do your Checkin using a smart phone app.   I know they have rolled It out on Constellation  and I know that Equinox and Reflection are also in the App at this time.   I've never used it but hopefully some that have given it a try will fill you in.    

 

They have also rolled out RF cards with these ships.    I suspect that you will be able to use your APP for drinks and stuff until you get your seapass in your room. 

Do you know the name of the app? Going on Equinox soon. Thanks.

[JEDMELK]

If and when this may come to needing to use their smart phone app, that seems to be taking a lot for granted of the customer. Whether you have a smart phone or not and more importantly, why should one be forced (for lack of a better term) to download and use their app?

 

Personally, although I have smartphones that does not necessarily mean that I want to junk up my phone with their app. My phones are tools not toys and as such do not have many apps that may be popular. When I am on board, my phone is off. I am very happy to be NOT connected all the time. For anyone that needs to find me, I make sure they know how.

 

Just my thoughts here.

[Jeremiah1212]

21 minutes ago, JEDMELK said:

If and when this may come to needing to use their smart phone app, that seems to be taking a lot for granted of the customer. Whether you have a smart phone or not and more importantly, why should one be forced (for lack of a better term) to download and use their app?

 

Personally, although I have smartphones that does not necessarily mean that I want to junk up my phone with their app. My phones are tools not toys and as such do not have many apps that may be popular. When I am on board, my phone is off. I am very happy to be NOT connected all the time. For anyone that needs to find me, I make sure they know how.

 

Just my thoughts here.

 

I would be confident to say they will offer an alternative check-in method for a long time. Some may not have a phone, technical difficulties (user error), foreign visitors may not have service, etc. But the majority of us that will adapt will experience a much quicker check-in process. I'll spend 3 the minutes at home to download the app and upload a picture.