Boarding times and muster drill questions

[Tulsacoker]

You set sail pass does it. We completed our dill and check in well before the stateroom master doors were opened to get the sea pass cards  

[rockmom]

21 hours ago, pcur said:

Check-in using the RCCL app as soon as it's allowed.  This determines your time of arrival at the dock.  Check-in starts 30 days before departure.  Usually, if you check-in early you get a time to arrive before noon.  At the dock there is a priority line for Suite and Pinnacle passengers at most ports of departure.  Because of the staggered times of arrival, the lines are shorter.

 

Check in actually opens 45 days before sailing, it's the cruise docs that appear 30 days out.  

[rockmom]

21 hours ago, chukli said:

Hi:

I am needing clarification about the boarding process. I haven’t sailed for many years and it use to be that there was a separate lineup depending on crown and anchor status (Like Emerald, Plantinum), but I think that’s all changed now? I prefer to arrive at the terminal early and use to be onboard by 11.30am. 
also, the muster drill process has changed and I believe you complete it in the App? But don’t you still have to go physically to the muster drill location? I see E4 on App - where is that?

 

sorry for asking questions that may seem silly! 
I want to make vacation as stress free as I can and as my daughter reminds me- I am not tech savvy! 
Thanks.

Check in opens 45 days prior to your sail date.  You want to log in and do you check in either on the app or website so you can snag the earliest check in time slot (usually somewhere between 10:30 and 11 am).  You can do this for yourself and anyone else in your room or with a linked reservation. That way you all get the same boarding time.  You can choose the boarding time and then come back later and enter things like your credit card. You can also always go back and edit most info.  But grabbing the boarding time you want is the main focus for many of us.  

[Dewaldcruiser]

Just back from the Navigator and muster station check-in was available as soon as we boarded at 10:30am.  This was not the case on the Grandeur 4 months ago when crew members were not at their muster stations until 1:00pm.

 

On the Navigator, the muster station announcements from the captain started pretty early, about 1:00 pm.  By 3:00pm, they were calling out individual people who had not been to their muster stations.  All were complete shortly after calling out individuals.

[EBFURR]

18 minutes ago, rockmom said:

Check in opens 45 days prior to your sail date.  You want to log in and do you check in either on the app or website so you can snag the earliest check in time slot (usually somewhere between 10:30 and 11 am).  You can do this for yourself and anyone else in your room or with a linked reservation. That way you all get the same boarding time.  You can choose the boarding time and then come back later and enter things like your credit card. You can also always go back and edit most info.  But grabbing the boarding time you want is the main focus for many of us.  

We haven't been on a Royal Caribbean ship in several years although we have been on enough to be almost D+. We have not had to do the reservation thing nor have we had to do the checkin time thing on Royal (we have on Carnival). We were on a cruise when the checkin window opened for our upcoming Harmony cruise so by the time I got started we got an 11:30 arrival. Do you anticipate us having issues getting our reservations with that boarding time? We are primarily concerned about the comedy shows and getting decent times for our dining package. Thanks. 

[Spurschick]

1 hour ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Well i guess if you printed out your sail and sign you could do it but if you didnt and you refuse to turn your phone on.

 

it was nice of you to say its false without elaborating why. Didn’t really help the OP.

It is done on set sail pass not room key. 
 

if you don’t have printed copy and refuse to turn phone on to scan then you won’t be on the ship in the first place. And no you don’t have until sailaway to complete as they won’t sail until everyone has completed. 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Spurschick

[rockmom]

2 minutes ago, EBFURR said:

We haven't been on a Royal Caribbean ship in several years although we have been on enough to be almost D+. We have not had to do the reservation thing nor have we had to do the checkin time thing on Royal (we have on Carnival). We were on a cruise when the checkin window opened for our upcoming Harmony cruise so by the time I got started we got an 11:30 arrival. Do you anticipate us having issues getting our reservations with that boarding time? We are primarily concerned about the comedy shows and getting decent times for our dining package. Thanks. 

You should be totally fine.  As soon as you connect to the ship's wifi, you'll see all the times for things in the app and the option to reserve the shows that require reservations.  I'd grab the Aqua show first--and early in the sailing as they can get moved if there's wind/rough seas.  That gives you time to book a spot later in case you need to.  Ice show is a smaller venue, so grab that too, then Grease. Oh, and the comedy shows are in a very small venue, so you should grab that too if you want to catch that as well.  You can do all this via the app, but when you board, you can ask what area is set up as 'the 'box office' where you can go and they will help you book all of these.  If you're in a full suite, the concierge will send you an email a few days prior and ask what you'd like reserved.  So that takes care of it if you're in a suite. 

[EBFURR]

4 minutes ago, rockmom said:

You should be totally fine.  As soon as you connect to the ship's wifi, you'll see all the times for things in the app and the option to reserve the shows that require reservations.  I'd grab the Aqua show first--and early in the sailing as they can get moved if there's wind/rough seas.  That gives you time to book a spot later in case you need to.  Ice show is a smaller venue, so grab that too, then Grease. Oh, and the comedy shows are in a very small venue, so you should grab that too if you want to catch that as well.  You can do all this via the app, but when you board, you can ask what area is set up as 'the 'box office' where you can go and they will help you book all of these.  If you're in a full suite, the concierge will send you an email a few days prior and ask what you'd like reserved.  So that takes care of it if you're in a suite. 

Thanks! No suite for us this time so we are on our own. It has never been an issue for us before because all we did were a couple of specialty restaurants which we booked on board. We have always been on Freedom class or smaller so we have no experience with Oasis class. We probably won't go to any of the main theater shows or ice shows but the Aqua Theater and comedy shows are hopefully a go.

[pcur]

12 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

We are on the Allure now and there were no final health questions. 
 

i even posted last week asking about them as Royal sent me an email fill them out and I couldn’t find them on the website.

That health questionnaire/protocol thing is really a moving target lately, isn't it? I was still doing it on the 9/17 Allure sailing.

Edited October 5, 2022 by pcur

[pcur]

OK, I confess I watch the videos on the app with the sound turned off.  After 4 decades of listening to that life boat alert on the ship's horn, it's embedded in my deep mammalian fright-or-flight memory.  I got it.

[pcur]

1 hour ago, rockmom said:

Check in actually opens 45 days before sailing, it's the cruise docs that appear 30 days out.  

Even better!!

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, pcur said:

That health questionnaire/protocol thing is really a moving target lately, isn't it? I was still doing it on the 9/17 Allure sailing.

The three health related questions in the app have not changed in the last two months.

[pcur]

19 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

The three health related questions in the app have not changed in the last two months.

It's the moving target with what I had to do in January, then March, then September, and now October.  RCCL has information in multiple places, sends out notices about them, then you cannot always find the information.  They aren't well coordinated about all of this.

 

I finally decided to act according to worst case scenario with tests, masks, and questionnaires.  I do know those final health questionnaires were asked by the line monitor when I was checking in for the Allure on 9/17. 

Edited October 5, 2022 by pcur

[DukeASUGirl]

23 hours ago, tpcwags said:

Tip- the window opens at midnight so I stay up so I can get the earliest time possible. 

 

Worth mentioning that it's midnight Eastern time, so that means 9 pm on the West Coast. Seriously, stay up and get your pick of check-in times!

[jcc1025]

Agree, we have been on four different ships since last August and each has a few little differences in this procedures. I beilve they are still working on the long range process so don't take exactly what you read hear as fact. Its all close but you may have a small change depending on the ship and sailing. One thing for sure the app works and is a great addition even for those of us who are old folks and tecnickly challenged at time. The good news is there are lots of crew member who will provide insutructions and you can be up and running in a heart beat. 

[joeyancho]

On 10/4/2022 at 12:47 PM, moposh said:

Everyone has to go their muster station before the ship can sail.  There were a few announcements on board about that so I guess some people thought they could skip it.

US Coast Guard requires this.  There is no getting around it.  If you skip it they (ship security)  will find you and make sure you complete the requirements.  Which in my opinion everyone should want to do.  It's a small price to pay for something that potentially could save your life.  

     Just to add one small fact to the above answers,  that someone who hasn't sailed in a while might not know,  your sign and sail card will be in an  envelope in the mail thingy at your room.  No longer do you get it at check-in.  

    Covid has changed the embarkation process considerably.  

Bon Voyage! 

Edited October 5, 2022 by joeyancho

[mom2miracles]

On 10/4/2022 at 1:14 PM, chukli said:

I haven’t sailed for many years and it use to be that there was a separate lineup depending on crown and anchor status (Like Emerald, Plantinum)

 

Everything else has been covered, but there are only three separate lines for checking in at the port - Suites/Pinnacle/Key (one line), Star Class (a different area) & everyone else. So unless you are Pinnacle, your C&A status doesn't mean anything.  Once you have checked-in, you will be again separated/seated by the above groups and then called to board the ship. Star Class first, Suites/Pinnacle/Key next and then everyone else. Welcome back to cruising!

Edited October 5, 2022 by mom2miracles

[ARandomTraveler]

Check-in for my cruise opened today. I tried to do it at midnight eastern time and got an "our systems are down" notice. Tried again at 9am eastern and got the same notice. 
 

I wasn't able to try again until 11pm eastern time and the first available arrival time was 11am, all the earlier times were already gone and check-in only opened today.
 

I'm surprised that many people know to check-in (and actually do so) 45 days out.

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[PhillyFan33579]

11 hours ago, mom2miracles said:

 

Everything else has been covered, but there are only three separate lines for checking in at the port - Suites/Pinnacle/Key (one line), Star Class (a different area) & everyone else. So unless you are Pinnacle, your C&A status doesn't mean anything.  Once you have checked-in, you will be again separated/seated by the above groups and then called to board the ship. Star Class first, Suites/Pinnacle/Key next and then everyone else. Welcome back to cruising!

If you get to the terminal before boarding starts, which has been the case for the majority of the 14 RCI cruises I have been on post-COVID, they still board Diamond Plus and Diamonds after Pinnacles. But that is the only time being Diamond Plus or Diamond matters at the terminal. Like you posted, there is no other benefit for these levels during the check-in process at the terminal. 

[moposh]

15 hours ago, joeyancho said:

US Coast Guard requires this.  There is no getting around it.  If you skip it they (ship security)  will find you and make sure you complete the requirements.  Which in my opinion everyone should want to do.  It's a small price to pay for something that potentially could save your life.  

     Just to add one small fact to the above answers,  that someone who hasn't sailed in a while might not know,  your sign and sail card will be in an  envelope in the mail thingy at your room.  No longer do you get it at check-in.  

    Covid has changed the embarkation process considerably.  

Bon Voyage! 

It's definitely important.  It's a shame that people put off doing it and potentially affecting set sail time.  My daughter and I watched the video at lunch in the Windjammer.  Then we went to our station.

[Illbcruzn4life]

5 hours ago, moposh said:

It's definitely important.  It's a shame that people put off doing it and potentially affecting set sail time.  My daughter and I watched the video at lunch in the Windjammer.  Then we went to our station.

The captain announced on our cruise that he couldn’t leave the dock until everybody had done their muster drill. Said he was waiting on 200+ pax. After the completed the muster he thanked them for their cooperation and we departed on time.

[Illbcruzn4life]

On 10/5/2022 at 11:34 AM, Spurschick said:

It is done on set sail pass not room key. 
 

if you don’t have printed copy and refuse to turn phone on to scan then you won’t be on the ship in the first place. And no you don’t have until sailaway to complete as they won’t sail until everyone has completed. 

Thank you for explaining it. I apologize to the OP and everybody else for erroneous info.

Edited October 7, 2022 by Illbcruzn4life