What is expedited boarding and how do you get it?

[Gisser 3]

My wife and daughter just went on a three-day sail on Navigator in December and had the expedited boarding. My wife and I are sailing on Oasis in a couple weeks and we don't have it. My wife and I are Diamond level. Is there any rhyme or reason to this? Thanks for any insight!

[Dan Curtis 95]

20 minutes ago, Gisser said:

My wife and daughter just went on a three-day sail on Navigator in December and had the expedited boarding. My wife and I are sailing on Oasis in a couple weeks and we don't have it. My wife and I are Diamond level. Is there any rhyme or reason to this? Thanks for any insight!

I am curious also, we cruise the end of January and are also diamond but,we do have expedited boarding, so not sure what advantage it is. The last few cruises we have had no wait without having it. 

[Gisser 3]

I was wondering if it's ship specific...what ship are you sailing at the end of Jan?

[Mr. Candyman 93]

Completely random as far as any of us can tell. In my own research I've discovered (for now) it won't be granted unless scanning a passport.

[KathyC 885]

It's completely random.  I really believe that.  My husband and I sailed on Summit in October - I got it but he didn't.  Both of us were checked in using the app and at the same time, both by me.  No reason why one would have it and the other not.

Flash forward to our Oasis sailing in December.  Same thing.  I used the app for check-in, I did them both, and once again I got it but he did not. 

I gotta say it was so easy having it - special line and walked through right away.  

[DanielB 230]

Glad this was asked.....we also have Expedited Boarding for our Oasis cruise on January 12th.  Also used app to check in and scanned passports.  I assumed everyone received this so excited I did something "right" and fingers crossed its like a fast pass 🙂

 

[PRebecca 154]

I checked in a few weeks ago and didn't have it; when I went back into the app last week and updated my check in- scanning my passport then it showed "expedited"

[Baked Alaska 569]

15 hours ago, KathyC said:

It's completely random.  I really believe that.  My husband and I sailed on Summit in October - I got it but he didn't.  Both of us were checked in using the app and at the same time, both by me.  No reason why one would have it and the other not.

Flash forward to our Oasis sailing in December.  Same thing.  I used the app for check-in, I did them both, and once again I got it but he did not. 

I gotta say it was so easy having it - special line and walked through right away.  

Hi @KathyC Did your husband get to walk through with you? We checked in via app and all three of us have expedited boarding passes. We were 84 days out when I checked us in.

Edited January 2 by Baked Alaska

[Matt 8,446]

If one of you has it, just send the person with expedited first and the rest follow. I've done this and had no issues.

[Salty Law Dog 24]

4 hours ago, DanielB said:

Glad this was asked.....we also have Expedited Boarding for our Oasis cruise on January 12th.  Also used app to check in and scanned passports.  I assumed everyone received this so excited I did something "right" and fingers crossed its like a fast pass 🙂

 

We are on that sailing as well, the second week of our B2B, maybe we'll see you! We'll likely be hanging out in Playmakers, sampling the Amp'd craft beer list! 

[jticarruthers 590]

After multiple sailings on Navigator, I am 99% certain that it is triggered by 1)using the app to check-in AND 2)scanning your passport to fill in the check-in information rather than handkeying into the app.

On our 4th trip we had a group of 20 ... every person that did both of the above was marked for expedited check-in, every person that did not do both was not.

Not conclusive but that did match what i was told by Royal rep on our 2nd and 3rd trips and also matches the text i found buried on a Royal web-page after the 3rd trip when i got frustrated and spent a day digging.

Impact of getting expedited is pretty minimal but darn it, if it's offered i want it !

[jticarruthers 590]

Oops i forgot to answer the part about "what is it".

I can only talk to the experience at Port Canaveral but imagine its similar elsewhere.

At Canaveral there is a seperate line when you arrive at the terminal doors (look to the left).

You walk way down to the back of the terminal, as you walk you will see facial recognition scanners and TV monitors. Assuming they match you to your photo succesfully they hand you an "expedite boarding" card and wave you over to the security scanners, if they dont match cleanly they pull you aside to retake your picture, etc. and then wave you over to the security scanners.

When you go through security and head upstairs you dont have to check-in with anyone, just wait for them to call expedited boarding and you are on-board and good to go.

1st time we went they called expedited before all the status groups, which made it seem awesome.

2nd-4th time they called it after the suites and the C&A groups so we were already onboard and it didnt make a difference other than having a "dedicated" security scanner which had a very short line.

 

 

 

[KathyC 885]

6 hours ago, Baked Alaska said:

Hi @KathyC Did your husband get to walk through with you? We checked in via app and all three of us have expedited boarding passes. We were 84 days out when I checked us in.

Yes, both times.  They said as long as one of us had it.  Both passes were on my phone, so there was proof we were together. 

[KathyC 885]

We had it at Cape Liberty and in Miami.  In Cape Liberty, we had a dedicated person to scan our passes, then we went through a dedicated security line.  From there we walked right into the boarding area and onto the ship.  We arrived around 10:30am.  In Miami, similar process but when we got upstairs to the waiting area, we had a wait as they were not boarding yet.  When they did call for boarding, they called suites/pinnacles first, then EA, D+, D all at the same time.  So no time savings for us, as we are D.

[Dan Curtis 95]

On 1/1/2020 at 2:37 PM, Gisser said:

I was wondering if it's ship specific...what ship are you sailing at the end of Jan?

Vision of seas out of San Juan.

[KathyC 885]

4 hours ago, jticarruthers said:

After multiple sailings on Navigator, I am 99% certain that it is triggered by 1)using the app to check-in AND 2)scanning your passport to fill in the check-in information rather than handkeying into the app.

On our 4th trip we had a group of 20 ... every person that did both of the above was marked for expedited check-in, every person that did not do both was not.

Not conclusive but that did match what i was told by Royal rep on our 2nd and 3rd trips and also matches the text i found buried on a Royal web-page after the 3rd trip when i got frustrated and spent a day digging.

Impact of getting expedited is pretty minimal but darn it, if it's offered i want it !

Unfortunately we must be in the 1% using your method, as I did both of us through the app, one was Celebrity and one was Royal, at the same time, exactly the same way.  One of us got it and one of us did not.  Both times.  LOL

[SpeedNoodles 2,319]

We had Expedited Boarding on Navigator next month, but we never saw the line (and really didn't need one - there was zero waiting when we arrived at 10:30 am - we just rode the elevator up and there were 4 people checking people in, and only one group being checked in.  We'll see how it is for Symphony next month.

[Baked Alaska 569]

Interesting. I wonder why they bother with the distinction with Sky and Star class. We will be sailing Sky on Oasis in March. All three of us have expedited. Wonder why they bothered unless their app is as Ai deficient as their website. 

[Lovetocruise2002 8,644]

1 hour ago, Baked Alaska said:

Interesting. I wonder why they bother with the distinction with Sky and Star class. We will be sailing Sky on Oasis in March. All three of us have expedited. Wonder why they bothered unless their app is as Ai deficient as their website. 

Lol!  I am glad that I wasn’t the only one who thought about this. We are Star on Oasis in March and we have expedited boarding on our set sail pass as well. I did not really see a point lol.

[Baked Alaska 569]

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Lol!  I am glad that I wasn’t the only one who thought about this. We are Star on Oasis in March and we have expedited boarding on our set sail pass as well. I did not really see a point lol.

 

Okay, I had posted C&C Music Factory "Things that make you go Hmmmm" 🤔 back from my college days. However, I didn't remember the video as such, so I deleted it, and have posted the very profound chorus, instead! 😁

Things that make you go hmm
Things that make you go hmm
Things that make you go hmm
Things that make you go hmm, hmm, hmm
Things that make you go hmm

Edited January 3 by Baked Alaska
Delete THAT video, insert profound words of wisdom

[MandyMooToo 3]

On 1/2/2020 at 6:50 PM, KathyC said:

Unfortunately we must be in the 1% using your method, as I did both of us through the app, one was Celebrity and one was Royal, at the same time, exactly the same way.  One of us got it and one of us did not.  Both times.  LOL

This is what has happened to us each time!  I do the check in on the app and scan our passports and he get the expedited but I do not.  Go figure!  Oh well, they let us through together as I send him first, ha ha.

[SassMaster 19]

I already checked in online and we have the Key.  Is it worth it to scan our documents via the app to get expedited?  I would think the Key would be higher.  Not sure as this is my first sailing.  🙂

[teddy 257]

My son is joining me on the second leg of my back to back.  I went into the app used the new edit function, and scanned their passport.  Expedited showed up on their Set Sail Pass immediately.  

[SpeedNoodles 2,319]

3 hours ago, SassMaster said:

I already checked in online and we have the Key.  Is it worth it to scan our documents via the app to get expedited?  I would think the Key would be higher.  Not sure as this is my first sailing.  🙂

No, but it's worth it to scan yourself because it takes a half a second and ensures accuracy,

[Ditchdoc 194]

Don't over think this. Just make sure you complete all the pre boarding on line. If you do that much and have all your documentation handy, boarding will go quickly no matter your room or Crown & Anchor status. Once boarding starts I don't think it's ever taken me more than maybe 10 minutes to board.