I would probably get the same choices as you. From Matt via the RCL Dining facebook group: Mariner of the Seas is experimenting with a complimentary embarkation day lunch to help alleviate demand in Windjammer. Royal Caribbean My Time Dining versus Traditional Dining, Top 8 most common Royal Caribbean dining questions, Avoid these ten Royal Caribbean dining mistakes. Check out the open decks, the atriums, the interior spaces. 217. Royal Caribbean first introduced their Unlimited Dining Package on cruise ships back in early 2019. Note that Royal Caribbean shows don't come with a charge, nor is there a fee to reserve a spot in the audience. Royal Caribbean does set some limits with this perk. Related: 6 secrets to getting a deal on a cruise. Arrive at the pier as close as you can to your scheduled time, but dont freak out if you are a few minutes late. Where can I eat on the first day of my Royal Caribbean cruise? Staff will be on hand to welcome your progeny and show them around the play spaces and hangouts available just for them. Some common activities to consider in the early afternoon after you eat are. Editorial disclaimer: 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. A Grand Suite on a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on Wonder of the Seas departing in June 2024 starts at $7,145 per person, based on double occupancy. You might have just six or eight other people on a tour with you instead of nearly 40. The newsletter should also list contact information for the port agent in every destination you visit. Maybe your flight to your ship gets canceled and you miss the vessels departure. Single guests would have to pay 200% of the fare to receive the offer. This coming week, however, we want to try out El Loco Fresh on Odyssey. Once you get to dinner time on the first day of your cruise, all the restaurants onboard will be open for service. As the boarding process begins around noon and continues well into the afternoon, many people arrive hungry. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year. Related: The ultimate guide to cruise ship food and dining. There is a way to make calls and access the internet from Royal Caribbean ships without spending a boatload of money. Like many cruise lines, Royal Caribbean will offer you a bonus if you book a cruise while on a ship. Related: Are drinks packages on cruise ships worth it? Please ask them to test it on Harmony. On our last b2b they had all of us order off the Key menu and the Filet was so good. 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. See what embarkation day was like for a Royal Caribbean cruise ship! Ship-sponsored vs. independent shore excursions on cruises: Which should you book? Carnival bans handcuffs. These items will include weapons, fireworks, flammable liquids, candles, clothing irons, incense and anything else that produces a flame. When going ashore, always bring your Royal Caribbean ships contact information with you. Your big bags may or may not have arrived at this point, but you can drop your carry-ons and take a look to see that everything is to your satisfaction. By At Royal Caribbean, it's called the NextCruise program, and the bonus could include up to $600 in onboard credits for the next cruise that you book and up to 10% off shore excursions on the sailing. Crew members will be on hand on the first day to help set up your package. For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter. Many passengers don't know about this secret spot for watching sailaways, found on Radiance-class, Voyager-class and Freedom-class vessels. This means planning far in advance, as many Royal Caribbean sailings will open for reservations around two years before the trips are scheduled to take place. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. It is also the first restaurant to open on embarkation day, and will remain open until just before it is time to set sail. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Adventure has the Windjammer and Cafe Promenade. Plus, youll want to save room in your suitcase for all the souvenirs you'll want to bring home from your travels. Plus, watching the land disappear as your ship heads to sea is a dreamy experience. These sorts of things happen all the time to cruisers, and theyre all the sort of situations where you might benefit from having travel insurance. On Carnival Cruise Line ships, go directly to celebrity chef Guy Fieris poolside Guys Burger Joint and indulge in a decadent burger or fries. Sami Kohen, Princess vice president of food . As a result of COVID-19, and a desire to keep crowds at a minimum, most cruise lines have moved to e-muster drills. Just let your server know that you have the package. In your closet, or in another location in the cabin, will be life jackets. If you normally use a travel agent to book your cruises, don't worry about not being able to work with them. Alternatively, you can wait in a standby line at onboard theaters on show nights. But itll cost you. Although fond of lake Erie, her first love is the sea. 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. We like to stroll the decks and nibble our way thru. 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. Video: Mistakes to avoid on the first day of your cruise, Royal Caribbean testing expedited boarding, How Royal Caribbean will make check-in, Adventure Ocean and its app easier & faster. Related: The best cruise apps to streamline your vacation at sea. Inspired by Tip #3 in todays main site post (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/01/21/10-tips-worked-out-our-royalcaribbeanblogcom-staffers-2021), I havent even thought about Playmakers, this will likely be our go-to when we hit Oasis in October. Go ahead and grab one if you want just understand you will be charged for the welcome drink. We did our first-ever specialty dining on our cruise last week just to avoid WJ (our sailing was a sold out cruise). We get it, you bought a drinks package (in which case the above drink is included), and you want to make the most of it. 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. Youve planned your cruise, and now its embarkation day. If I have UDP I go to Chops. The Windjammer is the most popular choice, although ships may have other venues open as well. Got on the ship, did my muster drill . You check a box on an online form before sailing or while on board, and poof! The line's ships also will wash an entire load of your laundry (whatever you can fit into a bag) for a flat fee of $34.99, sometimes less when they run onboard specials. Display as a link instead, While youre exploring, stop by the kids centers and sign the kids up for the onboard kids program. You should plan on arriving to the cruise port as early as you can so that you can start your vacation. 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. 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. Unlike lunch on the first day,dinner time is the beginning of a more normalized schedule for operations onboard and you do not have to be concerned about a specific restaurant being open or not. r/royalcaribbean Waterslide from the Mariner of the Seas, Royal Caribbean - Hero 11. Our Royal Caribbean cruise hack: To avoid the first-day buffet crowds, make a beeline to one of the secondary dining options that typically aren't nearly as crowded. On Quantum class ships, your SeaPass cards are waiting in your stateroom. But you also won't get hit with crazy charges should you develop a headache and desperately need ibuprofen. Remember, you are one of thousands of people entering a floating city at basically the same time. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. They can be noisy. Everybody heads straight to it after they board. Or, maybe youll fall ill during the trip and need emergency medical attention. Related: 8 cabin locations on cruise ships that you definitely should avoid. On Mariner, on embarkation Day, would Chops be open for lunch? Bottom line: To us, at least, the extra cost of sending out a few shirts or even a full load of laundry for cleaning on a Royal Caribbean ship is a small price to pay for the freedom of not having to lug a giant suitcase around as you travel to and from your ship. smokeybandit Never filled up more than half. Basically, the package covers all specialty dining venues, and gives you the opportunity to. Good news if you've bought one of those drinks or Wi-Fi packages we mentioned above. But there's an exception: The Johnny Rockets venues on Royal Caribbean's five Oasis-class ships offer breakfast for free. As with any other secured structure, you cant walk right onto a ship. But it's easy to miss out on these perks if you're not aware of what you can get. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Simply put, embarkation day is the first day of your cruise, when you will embark your cruise ship. Just grab a plate, take what you like, and find a seat. Related: 13 items you should always pack in your cruise carry-on bag. Eyes may roll, but now is the time to talk to the kids about the danger of climbing on any railings and remind them that other people on the ship are strangers and that they should use the same caution they would at home. The most notable restaurant open to everyone for dinner, but not lunch, on embarkation day is the main dining room. Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card. What are your favorite things to do on embarkation day? Sit on your balcony, if you have one, and just stare out at the ocean for a couple of hours. For starters, people won't notice if you wear the same thing two days in a row. (with Pre-COVID crowds anyway). 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. Heres the good news: If the cost of your cruise drops at a later date, you can usually get your fare reduced to match the lower price. They might go to the same sites but in a small van instead of a big motorcoach. The good news is these bonuses are in addition to whatever perks you already would be getting for booking another trip as a result of your Crown & Anchor Society status. I like it better than The Key lunch. Theres also the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on dining.
