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Clarification on boarding Symphony

DesireeC03

By DesireeC03,
in Royal Caribbean International

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DesireeC03

DesireeC03

Posted
Posted

Afternoon!  I am boarding SOTS this weekend and historically I ignore the arrival time on my set sail pass and get to port around 10:30 - however I read somewhere that SOTS actually follows the boarding time.  Anyone have recent experience with this?  I would rather not sit around for a couple of hours.

Additionally - I usually print my set sail pass, however I see there are bar codes on my app.  May I simply use the app rather than waste paper?

thanks!

And for fun - what is the first thing you like to do when you board her?  WE have never been on an Oasis class before.
thanks!

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Tulsacoker

Tulsacoker

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, DesireeC03 said:

Additionally - I usually print my set sail pass, however I see there are bar codes on my app.  May I simply use the app rather than waste paper?

thanks!

And for fun - what is the first thing you like to do when you board her?  WE have never been on an Oasis class before.
thanks!

yes phone app is all you need. First thing we do when we board is run to the windjammer with everyone else 😄

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Clarea

Clarea

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13 minutes ago, DesireeC03 said:

excellent - is 10:30 too early?

 

I think that 10:30am is the perfect time to arrive at the front door of the cruise terminal if you want to be among the first to board.

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hotwheels920

hotwheels920

Posted
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Enjoyed the Symphony in June, it was literally 15 minutes from dropping our bags at the porter to walking on the ship.  Used the app and it was the simplest boarding I had ever experienced.

Also, when disembarking when we returned, took maybe 10 minutes from leaving the ship, grabbing our suitcases and grabbing a taxi to the airport.  We used our passports; the birth certificate line was extra long.

Enjoy your trip!

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DesireeC03

DesireeC03

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2 minutes ago, hotwheels920 said:

Enjoyed the Symphony in June, it was literally 15 minutes from dropping our bags at the porter to walking on the ship.  Used the app and it was the simplest boarding I had ever experienced.

Also, when disembarking when we returned, took maybe 10 minutes from leaving the ship, grabbing our suitcases and grabbing a taxi to the airport.  We used our passports; the birth certificate line was extra long.

Enjoy your trip!

great news - thanks

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BNBR

BNBR

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On 11/21/2019 at 12:03 PM, Host Clarea said:

I've not seen any reports where suggested boarding times were enforced on cruises out of US ports.

 

Today on Symphony, the announcement certainly implied they were enforcing boarding times.  We are expedited so didn't get to see it, but they definitely talked about boarding times and waiting for your time to be called.  This was IN the waiting area after check-in.  They weren't checking prior to checking in. With boarding being so fast, I'm pretty certain they just had those groups wait until last, maybe just 15 more minutes.  But I was surprised with all the talk of appointments and times in the terminal.

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Clarea

Clarea

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1 minute ago, BNBR said:

 

Today on Symphony, the announcement certainly implied they were enforcing boarding times.  We are expedited so didn't get to see it, but they definitely talked about boarding times and waiting for your time to be called.  This was IN the waiting area after check-in.  They weren't checking prior to checking in. With boarding being so fast, I'm pretty certain they just had those groups wait until last, maybe just 15 more minutes.  But I was surprised with all the talk of appointments and times in the terminal.

 

Thanks for the info. 

 

I had mistakenly posted "boarding times" when I should have said "check-in times". 

 

I recall that boarding in beautiful, gorgeous Bayonne before the new terminal also was called by groups.

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BNBR

BNBR

Posted
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3 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Thanks for the info. 

 

I had mistakenly posted "boarding times" when I should have said "check-in times". 

 

I recall that boarding in beautiful, gorgeous Bayonne before the new terminal also was called by groups.

 

They have always boarded by loyalty groups.  But maybe I haven't paid so much attention, I've never heard them discuss boarding times as a group before.  They mentioned it several times, later groups would be allowed to board with 12:30, etc...  

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Clarea

Clarea

Posted
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2 hours ago, BNBR said:

 

They have always boarded by loyalty groups.  But maybe I haven't paid so much attention, I've never heard them discuss boarding times as a group before.  They mentioned it several times, later groups would be allowed to board with 12:30, etc...  

 

I had only seen boarding by groups in beautiful, gorgeous Bayonne.

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Floridadude

Floridadude

Posted
Posted

Royal has so many discrepancies.

I am sailing Symphony in a few weeks and my time for boarding is 2 pm

and my husband’s is 1:30. Plus the key icon is right on it.

Do they expect us to miss the Chops lunch in MDR.

We will be there 10ish.

I did call weeks ago to inquire about what “choice “ meant on my Set sail pass.

Took 52 minutes and 7 employees and supervisors to finally figure it out.

They had never seen this before.  They thought it was that I did my flight thru RCL.

It is my status in the casino.   Go figure!

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BNBR

BNBR

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Floridadude said:

Royal has so many discrepancies.

I am sailing Symphony in a few weeks and my time for boarding is 2 pm

and my husband’s is 1:30. Plus the key icon is right on it.

Do they expect us to miss the Chops lunch in MDR.

We will be there 10ish.

I did call weeks ago to inquire about what “choice “ meant on my Set sail pass.

Took 52 minutes and 7 employees and supervisors to finally figure it out.

They had never seen this before.  They thought it was that I did my flight thru RCL.

It is my status in the casino.   Go figure!

 

The Key boards right after Diamond, with expedited arrival folks.  Today, boarding was 10:45.

 

Also, cancel The Key and get your money back.  We have it, total waste.  There is no Chops lunch.  It's in the MDR with a menu that has 3 entrees on it, lol.  It's not chops and the quality was terrible.  The embarkation probably saved is 10-15 minutes.

 

For cheaper, get the unlimited dining package, which gets you Jamie's, Rockets or Playmakers on embarkation and all the specialty dining you want the entire cruise.  Skip the Key lunch, it's dumb.

 

We showed up at 10, very fast, relaxed check-in and boarding.  Everyone sits together, key isn't separate.  It's fast now.  Definitely shoot for 10

Edited by BNBR
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Lionesss "Live from...." Rare

Lionesss

Posted
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Just a side note

 

I have not seen them enforce check in times for Pinnacle or suites............

 

Just saying, when you arrive go to the dedicated line, check in, no hassle.

Then board as they so dictate.

 B2B......Star....Pinnacle.....suites........Key.........D+.........................................

 

Then after all these are boarded and you arrive later...................you just board no matter where you are in pecking order after check in...........

 

Safe travels.
 

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BNBR

BNBR

Posted
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1 minute ago, Lionesss said:

Just a side note

 

I have not seen them enforce check in times for Pinnacle or suites............

 

Just saying, when you arrive go to the dedicated line, check in, no hassle.

Then board as they so dictate.

 B2B......Star....Pinnacle.....suites........Key.........D+.........................................

 

Then after all these are boarded and you arrive later...................you just board no matter where you are in pecking order after check in...........

 

Safe travels.
 

 

D+ and D is before Key.  They also didn't call suites first and I didn't see that many people boarding prior to d +, so it looked like just B2B were first. 

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John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

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31 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

D+ and D is before Key.  They also didn't call suites first and I didn't see that many people boarding prior to d +, so it looked like just B2B were first. 

 

On Symphony,  suites use a totally different entrance, probably why you didn't notice

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