Help! What happens if you can’t check in?

[Qwltngcruiser]

We’re first time cruisers, so this is our first time checking in to a cruise. Our daughter found an error on her passport (they put her down as the wrong gender) and it’s off for a rush fix with the government. We had no idea you would need pics of your passport to do the check in on the Royal app. Obviously, she’s not going to be able to do that for awhile. We’re planning on calling Royal in a few hours, but wondered if anyone has been through this before and what it will mean if she can’t check in for several weeks?

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

We’re planning on calling Royal in a few hours, but wondered if anyone has been through this before and what it will mean if she can’t check in for several weeks?

Don't bother calling - just fix the issue at the terminal on sailing day (this assumes the name itself on the reservation and ID match).

Edited September 15, 2023 by Biker19

[Qwltngcruiser]

4 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Don't bother calling - just fix the issue at the terminal on sailing day (this assumes the name itself on the reservation and ID match).

But you have to have a pic of your passport in order to check-in on the app. She doesn’t have her passport because she had to send it back to the passport offices to have it fixed. Doesn’t she have to check in prior to being at the terminal?

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

Doesn’t she have to check in prior to being at the terminal?

No, or you can check in with a birth certificate (assuming this is a closed loop US sailing).

[Qwltngcruiser]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

No, or you can check in with a birth certificate (assuming this is a closed loop US sailing).

She doesn’t have that either. That’s the other thing that she had to send off to prove her gender. 

[sjb317]

1 minute ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

She doesn’t have that either. That’s the other thing that she had to send off to prove her gender. 

You don’t have to have  the birth certificate in hand to use it to check her in.  Our  17 year old grandson was joining us for a family cruise last July. He was flying down 2 days before the cruise so I checked him hin using birth certificate as I knew the info that it asked for.  When he arrived, I was able to change his checkin info to his passport.  It was all very easy.

 

Sherri🙂

[smokeybandit]

You don't need a passport photo to check in. Just a photo.

 

But you don't need to check in ahead of time anyway. You can do all the check in at the port.

[Qwltngcruiser]

6 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

You don't need a passport photo to check in. Just a photo.

 

But you don't need to check in ahead of time anyway. You can do all the check in at the port.

Ok thanks. I didn’t know if you could check in at the end or if you had to do it ahead of time. 

[smokeybandit]

3 minutes ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

Ok thanks. I didn’t know if you could check in at the end or if you had to do it ahead of time. 

It makes things go quicker at the port if you check in ahead of time but there's no requirement to do so.

[ShillyShally]

1 hour ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

But you have to have a pic of your passport in order to check-in on the app. She doesn’t have her passport because she had to send it back to the passport offices to have it fixed. Doesn’t she have to check in prior to being at the terminal?

You can use the app to choose an arrival time at port and come back later to fill in everything else, or just leave the rest for the port.

Edited September 15, 2023 by ShillyShally

[Anton]

2 hours ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

But you have to have a pic of your passport in order to check-in on the app. She doesn’t have her passport because she had to send it back to the passport offices to have it fixed. Doesn’t she have to check in prior to being at the terminal?

Check in on the website and you just have to type in the passport number and expiration date.  

[Starry Eyes]

Here’s what I suggest (assuming this is a US citizen going on closed loop US cruise):

1. On the app, select an arrival time.  One can do this without doing any of the other check in steps.

2. Order another official copy of her both certificate now (just in case). If the passport comes correct and back in a timely fashion, she will have an extra copy tucked away.  If the passport is delayed or is, heaven forbid, still messed up, she will be very glad to have BC and photo ID.

3.  If the passport still has not come about 5 days before the cruise, just check in as BC and photo ID so you have the set sail pass.  (Or perhaps you don’t need photo ID if daughter is young)

Edited September 15, 2023 by Starry Eyes

[Qwltngcruiser]

12 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

Here’s what I suggest (assuming this is a US citizen going on closed loop US cruise):

1. On the app, select an arrival time.  One can do this without doing any of the other check in steps.

2. Order another official copy of her both certificate now (just in case). If the passport comes correct and back in a timely fashion, she will have an extra copy tucked away.  If the passport is delayed or is, heaven forbid, still messed up, she will be very glad to have BC and photo ID.

3.  If the passport still has not come about 5 days before the cruise, just check in as BC and photo ID so you have the set sail pass.  (Or perhaps you don’t need photo ID if daughter is young)

Unfortunately it’s not starting in the US. But thanks for the suggestion. 

[boscobeans]

38 minutes ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

Unfortunately it’s not starting in the US. But thanks for the suggestion. 

Starting from where? If it's out of country did she have proper id to get there? 

Just trying to better understand and figure out what would be the best solution for you.

[Ourusualbeach]

49 minutes ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

Unfortunately it’s not starting in the US. But thanks for the suggestion. 

Then ignore everything that has been said about birth certificates as she will need a passport to cruise.  

 

She can do the check in at the pier.  She does not need to have a check in time but can just show up with the rest of you at the time that you were given and they can do her check in at the pier.

 

 

[Qwltngcruiser]

13 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

Starting from where? If it's out of country did she have proper id to get there? 

Just trying to better understand and figure out what would be the best solution for you.

It’s starting in Canada and ends in US. We spoke to Royal and they linked our accounts so she will be able to pick the same check in time as us and then we just have to wait for the government to get her passport back to her. 

[Starry Eyes]

3 hours ago, Qwltngcruiser said:

Unfortunately it’s not starting in the US. But thanks for the suggestion. 

I hope the passport office fixes the issue promptly and properly.  Getting the passport is the real issue.  Doing electronic check in is optional.  We have booked cruises within 3 days of departure (on line check in had already closed), so we obviously hot not checked in. Though it may take a few extra minutes at port, it works out just fine.

[Qwltngcruiser]

1 minute ago, Starry Eyes said:

I hope the passport office fixes the issue promptly and properly.  Getting the passport is the real issue.  Doing electronic check in is optional.  We have booked cruises within 3 days of departure (on line check in had already closed), so we obviously hot not checked in. Though it may take a few extra minutes at port, it works out just fine.

Thanks, I hope so too! They said they would rush it and gave her a number to call if it isn’t back by a certain date.