Throw all the clothes you think youll need for a Royal Caribbean cruise in a pile, and then take away half of them. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. Youll find a list of all the daily activities printed out in your cabin, on your cabin TV and on the shipboard app. The check-in procedure at the port consists of dropping off your luggage with porters, going through security and then meeting with the pier staff to receive your boarding documents. Royal Caribbean cruises these days are relatively casual, save for occasional dress-up nights, and you really only need a few outfits to rotate through a voyage. Here is what you should know about where you can eat on the first day of your cruise. Many Royal Caribbean ships feature Johnny Rockets eateries serving the chain's signature burgers and shakes. With this package, guests can also enjoy lunch at specialty restaurants on embarkation day and sea days. Slacker. Its best to stay out of the way of the cabin stewards and instead find a place for you (and your carry-on luggage) to hang out until the ship announces all cabins are ready. We recommend always cruising with a small go bag of over-the-counter medicines in your suitcase that contains cold medicine, seasickness pills and the like. Related: Are drinks packages on cruise ships worth it? On Quantum class ships, your SeaPass cards are waiting in your stateroom. They need time to kick in. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. DO head to your cabin when it's ready Related: The ultimate guide to cruise ship food and dining. Like what you see? Following the muster drill and sail away, your evening plans will start to open up more than what was available during the afternoon. European cruises, in particular, can be port-intensive, with lots of touring, so you want to be refreshed and ready to hit the ground running right after the cruise begins. I'll have the Scallops, Short Rib and Dark Chocolate Cookie please. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. Depending on your ship's departure time, a mandatory muster drill will take place where guests are instructed what to do in case of an emergency at sea. You saw this one coming, no? Liberty of the Seas Embarkation Day with. MDR has the Chops Grille lunch menu for The Key holders, but whats left? Some cruisers even bring magnets with hooks so they can hang up clothes and other items on their walls. To make the most of these activities, head straight to them on the first day of your sailing. Many passengers don't know about this secret spot for watching sailaways, found on Radiance-class, Voyager-class and Freedom-class vessels. If youre delayed in your arrival at the port, the ship will not wait for you. While the muster drill is not the most exciting thing about your cruise, following your muster drill, the real fun begins of a Royal Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbean Dining Lunch on Embarkation Day: What's your go-to? Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. We're talking about the Broadway musicals and ice shows found on these vessels. The cruise line provides a seated 3-course lunch with specialty cocktails to top off the perfect day. Oasis;Park Caf, I was on Oasis last month and Solarium was open on embarkation day, So many options on Oasis-class! Related: The ultimate guide to cruise ship food and dining. You are required to watch a video on your cabin TV or cruise line app that tells you what to do in the event of a fire or other shipboard emergency. There's something for kids and adults of all ages and interests on a Royal Caribbean ship. Paste as plain text instead, Maybe your flight to your ship gets canceled and you miss the vessels departure. It used to be that everyone on a cruise ship was required to gather on embarkation day at their assigned muster station, listen to a safety briefing and be checked off a list as having been briefed. In most cases, guests receive their SeaPass card, wait to be called to board and then board the ship. Crew members may direct passengers to the buffet but experienced cruisers know there are other, often less crowded, options. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA Todays award-winning cruise site. Should you have a problem in port and not make it back to the ship before it sails, the agent can help you figure out next steps. Getting shorts washed and folded will set you back $4.49. These intimate, for-a-fee restaurants can be hard to get into (reservations are required) but are usually not as crowded the first night of the sailing. They might go to the same sites but in a small van instead of a big motorcoach. Waterslide from the Mariner of the Seas, Royal Caribbean - Hero 11. r/royalcaribbean Mariner of the Seas is experimenting with a complimentary embarkation day lunch to help alleviate demand in Windjammer. Want to impress your traveling companions the next time you cruise with Royal Caribbean? The line knows youre a captive audience and prices its shipboard stores accordingly. Chops Grille also offers lunch on embarkation day for $22 and the new Chops +1 option for $65. Chops Grille is open every night of the cruise from 5:30pm to 10pm. If you like what you see in the soothing thermal suite which typically has hot and cold treatments sign up now as spaces may sell out. On many Royal Caribbean ships, the least expensive cabins and most expensive suites often sell out quickly. The pattern of activities in the evening on embarkation day is a lot like what happens on any other evening of your cruise. Alternatively, you can wait in a standby line at onboard theaters on show nights. On Carnival Cruise Line ships, go directly to celebrity chef Guy Fieris poolside Guys Burger Joint and indulge in a decadent burger or fries. If you like to be active, there are ice skating rinks, bumper cars, laser tag, escape rooms, simulated surfing and skydiving and zip lines, to name a few experiences. The periods around major holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day also are considered the busy season for cruising and bring higher prices. Offer ends 5/3/23. Many Royal Caribbean cruisers also wont head to a ship without room freshener, a foldable shoe rack (which they hang in the cabin bathroom to store toiletries), a highlighter (to highlight activities on the daily planner) and a lanyard (to hold their cabin keycard). The cruise line will send pre-cruise reminders explaining what to expect at check-in, including health and safety procedures. Once youve got the lay of the land, you probably want to unpack and get ready for your first evening on board. Im with @Xaa100% with my choices! Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. I loved their roast beef sandwich. Arrive the Night Before 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Chops Grille also offers lunch on embarkation day and the two sea day for $22.99 from 12-1:30 pm. This is because Royal Caribbean often runs online sales on these packages in the months leading up to a voyage. Evening entertainment starts up around this time, with live music at a number of locations throughout the ship. As with most cruises, the newer the ship, the most the suite will cost. You might find your tip included in a future update of this guide! The itinerary you are looking at should say specifically what time the ship is planned to arrive and depart. Adventure of the Seas' 7-day itinerary will include two back-to-back days on Perfect Day at CocoCay as well as visits to Grand Bahama Island and Cozumel, Mexico. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. This restaurant was added to the ship during one of the past refurbishments which occurred in 2016 and 2018. . Clear editor. Crew members will be on hand on the first day to help set up your package. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? ago. You'll also find a comprehensive daily schedule of activities on the app as well as menus for restaurants. Plus, they often come with excellent service. I had unlimited dining package on my recent independence trip and had the 11am embarkation time slot. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. This is no small thing. Your previous content has been restored. Preferably sooner than later, I hope this test passes with flying colors and becomes the offered MDR embarkation day lunch fleet wide! Please view our advertising policy page for more information. In addition, travel agents often can get you extra onboard credit and other perks on Royal Caribbean ships that you might not be able to get by booking directly with the line. Royal Caribbean Cruise! Embarkation Day Windjammer Buffet Lunch on Oasis of the Seas. Getting acclimated with where everything will make your cruise easier since you will spend less time trying to locate everything. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. In many cases, you can save a lot of money and get a better touring experience by booking shore excursions through independent tour operators in ports or a tour booking service such as Viator or ToursByLocals. In addition to the fall months, the offseason period for Royal Caribbean cruises generally includes parts of January and February, but it varies by region. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. A Lunch will be included for the Unlimited Dining Package depending on availability. And I dislike the Windjammer, so I'm usually having to pay for lunch at Chops or eating very little until dinner. But it also means you might not have access to your luggage for many hours on your first day on board. In our book, reaching out to a travel agent who knows the Royal Caribbean brand is the first thing you need to do when planning a cruise with the line. Like many cruise lines, Royal Caribbean will offer you a bonus if you book a cruise while on a ship. (If youve had a last-minute cabin change, look for your luggage by your original room.). Once you prove (through your paperwork or electronically) that you belong on the ship, you will go through security. Seriously. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Where can I eat on the first day of my Royal Caribbean cruise? The first day of your Royal Caribbean cruise is areallyfun moment in any cruise fan's vacation, because it is when vacation begins and the many days, months and even years leading up to this cruise are finally realized. The newsletter should also list contact information for the port agent in every destination you visit. In our experience, guests willusuallybe let into the cruise terminal around 10am, or shortly thereafter and embarkationusuallybegins somewhere around 11am. If you do this in advance of sailing, you can jump right into onboard activities as soon as you board the ship. Heres a comparison of the top travel insurance providers and information about Cancel for Any Reason add-ons. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. Please ask them to test it on Harmony. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Never crowded on embarkation day. All three desserts! priority embarkation, a special welcome lunch on embarkation day, reserved times at certain attractions onboard, reserved seating section at shows, Voom Surf and Stream Internet, a special debarkation day breakfast, a flexible debarkation time. These are months when kids are typically back in school and family travel a huge market for Royal Caribbean drops off significantly, resulting in diminished demand for the line's ships. These include: The main dining room is not typically open for lunch on embarkation day, except for guests who purchased The Key, where they will enjoy a complimentary specialty restaurant meal there. Once you get to dinner time on the first day of your cruise, all the restaurants onboard will be open for service. You may request the nontransferable credit each time you cruise. A line-by-line guide. Walked right in at noon without a reservation and had no issues. Chops Grille is the Royal Caribbean signature steakhouse and is located on Deck 4 near the Schooner Bar on Adventure of the Seas. ago. Smile for the shipboard photographers, who will have a backdrop with the ships name or picture set up, or take your own photos. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. It's not always open the rest of the cruise. Royal Caribbean ships offer laundry and dry cleaning services that will get your clothes cleaned quickly for a nominal fee. Sit on your balcony, if you have one, and just stare out at the ocean for a couple of hours. Not every cabin on a Royal Caribbean ship is created equal. When choosing a room, we recommend staying away from those near elevators and just above nightclubs and other late-night venues. Booking a shore excursion directly through Royal Caribbean is easy. April 15 in Royal Caribbean Dining. If Royal Caribbean ships are known for anything, it is their marquee deck-top attractions giant waterslides, surfing simulators, climbing walls and skydiving tubes, to name a few. Royal Caribbean ships are known for having some of the biggest arrays of activities and entertainment at sea so many options that it's sometimes hard to do it all in a single voyage. Learn More Still need help? You just show up and have fun. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. If you're unsure, ask if a gratuity has already been included before adding another 15% or 20% to the total. You may find a ship deck plan (map) in your cabin, or one may be available at the pursers desk. Royal Caribbean also bans martial arts gear, baby monitors and extension cords, among other items. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Park Caf or the Solarium are our usual lunch stops since the WJ can get so busy. Here is what you should know about where you can eat on the first day of your cruise. Check out the open decks, the atriums, the interior spaces. Find the places you want to come back to and check out. That said, that doesnt mean you cant save big time by booking your flights to and from a ship using points and miles. (with Pre-COVID crowds anyway). Royal Caribbean offers its guests two choices for enjoying dinner in the main dining room: My Time Dining or, Royal Caribbean's cruise ships offer an incredible amount of food and dining venues onboard. The Chops Grille eateries, for instance, recently were priced at a fee of $55 per person for dinner, while visiting at lunchtime only would set you back $25 per person. It will be delivered to your room later in the day. Its OK to stand in awe. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. Never filled up more than half. is an award-winning cruise journalist whose work regularly appears in Bloomberg, Travel + Leisure, Afar and other travel outlets. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. This venue serves buffet-style options for breakfast and lunch including a custom omelet station. All of the restaurants and bars and other venues will remain open. Spend some time on embarkation day walking your Royal Caribbean ship. You put your belongings on a screening belt and walk through a metal detector. Your link has been automatically embedded. I like it better than The Key lunch. This is a great convenience, as theres no need to haul your bags through the entire check-in progress. Related: 26 cruise secrets from an expert that will blow your mind. Be sure to read through TPG's ultimate guide to maximizing your status in Royal Caribbean's loyalty program to know all of the many perks you'll be able to get depending on how many points you've accumulated. The easiest way to find that out is to read a past Cruise Compass from a sailing on your ship. Lunch in the MDR on embarkation day was one of the very, very, few things that I liked about NCL. Chops Grille or Jamie's Italian will get you out of the craziness of the Wind Jammer on embarkation day, and provide a very nice lunch. Related: The TPG guide to travel insurance for cruises. But all it takes is a moderate flight delay to upset those plans. It also can't be used for activities you pay for prior to sailing, as it won't be applied to your account until you board. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. You can post now and register later. In addition to extra toiletries, Royal Caribbean regulars often bring Clorox wipes or something similar to wipe down surfaces in their cabin upon arrival (and to bring along on shore excursions). You cant wait to get on board your ship and relax, sip a tropical drink and stare out to sea. Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Royal Caribbean ship. I've gotten into the habit to book a specialty restaurant lunch for embarkation day on most sailings. Simply put, embarkation day is the first day of your cruise, when you will embark your cruise ship. Put your name on signup sheets for fitness classes, as these also fill up quickly. Related: The best cruise apps to streamline your vacation at sea. Here is yet one more tip about making reservations in advance: If you're signing up for My Time Dining on a Royal Caribbean ship the type of dining where you can eat in the main dining room whenever you want you'll have an easier time getting seated at the time you want if you make a reservation in advance. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Once onboard a Royal Caribbean ship, there will be lots to see and do and like any cruise, it is up to you what to do. Here are some dos and donts to help make embarkation day as hassle-free as possible. Remember, youre on vacation. Passengers can drop off up to two pieces per person, and items can't weigh more than 25 pounds. Related: 27 cruise ship embarkation day dos and don'ts. If your group is big enough, you might even be able to book a private tour with an independent tour operator. While youre exploring, stop by the kids centers and sign the kids up for the onboard kids program. To make the most of your time, book an organized tour and let someone else get you to the destination's top attractions and back in a timely manner. Their short ribs are really good!! They can be noisy. The. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. But the goal is reduce demand on WJ. But you also might find it works perfectly fine to go it alone. These are specific Royal Caribbean cruise tips that will save you money and time, and let you maximize the experience both on board the vessels and during port calls. Cruise embarkation day is also be referred to as boarding day. Okay, got it downloaded? I am surprised that Royal Caribbean still has the protocol that crew members have to serve guests their choices and portions. I totally forgot about Cafe Two70 on Anthem, i felt like all we had was Windjammer (Solarium Bistro wasn't open). smokeybandit Take it to heart, or you may end up missing your ship something that happens to cruisers more often than you might think. In other words, don't just show up at the main dining room without a reservation assuming that there will be a table ready for you and your traveling companions. The muster drill consists of going to your assigned muster station and being instructed on what would happen in the event of an emergency at sea. 11. Given TPGs origins as a points and miles website, wed be remiss if we didnt remind you to maximize your credit card points while making purchases on Royal Caribbean ships. There are some types of vacations a beach trip, for instance where you dont have to do much advance research. Royal Caribbean ships have never (in the past 25 years, at least) had embarkation day lunch in the Main Dining Room, unless you were part of a specific group, like consecutive cruisers, or purchasers of The Key. Perk (s) number three! The island is outfitted for Wi-Fi access, so you can use your shipboard internet package to stay in touch or post photos of your day on social media without extra fees. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The crew will instruct you where and when to report for muster drill and it is a fairly straight-forward event. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. But on our 4th cruise we were on Odyssey and had access to Coastal Kitchen. You'll get the best price on dining and beverage packages if you book them in advance of your cruise. Feastin Mother's Day Brunch Options: Choose from Flour & Branch's stuffed French toast, Daughter's Diner brunch for two ($89) or Palette Tea House's classic dim sum, crab feast ($78) or . Specialty restaurants, the main dining room and other dining venues will also start serving dinner. When you first arrive at a Royal Caribbean ship, you'll be greeted by porters who will whisk away your luggage. Check-in for Royal Caribbean sailings can open as far as 45 days in advance, and it pays to go through the check-in process as early as you can. Start your cruise right. That was in March on Radiance. Those details are usually printed in the Cruise Compass newsletter thats delivered to your cabin each night. Find the right card for you. Yes, youll be able to find sunscreen, painkillers and Band-Aids on Royal Caribbean ships. Related: The 6 types of Royal Caribbean ships, explained. But if its getting close to the time your ship is set to leave the pier and your suitcases have not arrived, alert your cabin steward. Just grab a plate, take what you like, and find a seat. In this case, a balcony is not too much less, as they begin at $1,238 per person! Here is Day 1 of our Royal Caribbean Cruise on Serenade of the Seas! Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Since youre likely leaving from a sunny destination, you also may want to have a sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses. Then, as the cruise starts filling up, the line will slowly raise prices for the remaining inventory of cabins. In the Bahamas and the Caribbean, its also hurricane season, which keeps some people away from both land resorts and cruise ships in the region. While you're booking restaurant reservations in advance at Royal Caribbean's online portal, it's a good idea to also sign a waiver for any onboard activities that you'd like to try that require one, such as the zip lines found on Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships. You may also be required to check in with a crew member at your assigned muster. Royal Caribbean's Unlimited Dining Package allows cruisers to enjoy multiple specialty restaurants every night of their cruise for one low price. Probably the one item I will miss on the new MDR menus. We like to sail b2b and enjoy the MDR lunch and always order short rib. Take some downtime. See what embarkation day was like for a Royal Caribbean cruise ship! I agree that it looks better thanThe Key. Otherwise, you may end up tipping twice. More cruise tips: 21 things you should do to make your first cruise go smoothly. Many phone plans even international plans do not include talking, texting and data on cruise ships, and youll pay exorbitant roaming rates for such services that will show up weeks later on your phone bill. Just take her for a drink at Schooners, as soon as you get to the bar. Relax. But there's an exception: The Johnny Rockets venues on Royal Caribbean's five Oasis-class ships offer breakfast for free. Solarium Bistro is open for breakfast daily around 7:30 to 10:30 am and for lunch on select days from around 11:30 am to 3 pm. Some common activities to consider in the early afternoon after you eat are. 217. We did our first-ever specialty dining on our cruise last week just to avoid WJ (our sailing was a sold out cruise). You wont regret it. And, even if they do, you'll probably never see any of them again, so it doesn't matter what they think. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. In our experience, guests will usually be let into the cruise terminal around 10am, or shortly thereafter and embarkation usually begins somewhere around 11am. We'll wait. Youll have time to see a lot during your cruise, but at this point I like to get the lay of the land. The Windjammer is the most popular choice, although ships may have other venues open as well. Guests will discover, Whether this is your first Royal Caribbean cruise or your fiftieth, there are certain nuances and "secrets" to dining, Let's face it: Dining is as essential to the cruise experience as the ocean itself. (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean) The Key benefits are: Priority check-in and boarding on embarkation day* Carry-on bag drop off in the Main Dining Room with stateroom delivery** Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room with a menu featuring Chops Grille on embarkation day A main dining room with waiter service and specialty for-a-fee restaurants also may be alternatives for an embarkation day lunch. There is a way to make calls and access the internet from Royal Caribbean ships without spending a boatload of money. In your cruise carry-on, pack your medications, valuables, documents and anything else you will need until your luggage arrives in your cabin. Your previous content has been restored. Its one way to save money when cruising on a Royal Caribbean ship, as drink prices on the line's vessels can be high. For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter. However, its your responsibility to arrive at the pier with the proper documentation. As others pointed out, the menu is similar to B2B menu. While most cruise lines allow passengers to bring a small amount of alcohol, soda and bottled water for consumption in their cabin, make sure you have not gone over the cruise lines allowance for bringing your own beverages on board. You cannot paste images directly. Do you own stock in Royal Caribbean's parent company, the Royal Caribbean Group? As you wander, especially out on deck, smiling crew members may be carrying trays of tempting and colorful icy drinks, maybe even decorated with sweet little umbrellas.
