Boarding Times Policy

[DunkelBierJay]

With all the speculating about what cruising will look like once it returns, I am wondering if Royal will enforce the "suggested" boarding time when things start up again. I see several YT channels making this assumption and wonder if anyone on this forum thinks our ability to board as early as possible will start to be enforced.

[Andrew72681]

21 minutes ago, DunkelBierJay said:

With all the speculating about what cruising will look like once it returns, I am wondering if Royal will enforce the "suggested" boarding time when things start up again. I see several YT channels making this assumption and wonder if anyone on this forum thinks our ability to board as early as possible will start to be enforced.

I could see it. Could also see them doing it for shorter windows than the general hour before. If you have a large contingent of the 11am group show up at the end of their hour and the 12pm group show up at the beginning of theirs you are back to square one. 

[danv3]

Highly likely IMO.  But what do you do about the mass of humanity getting off the ship all at (approximately) the same time?  My last cruise trying to get transport out of port Miami was a nightmare...the exact opposite of anything approaching social distancing.  

Cruiselines have many, many issues to address.  

[DunkelBierJay]

I'm wondering if we are going to see off site terminals where the cruise lines bus passengers to the pier according to the assigned schedules. That might discourage the bunching up of people in one location...other than in busses...I think there is going to be a lot of micro management in the beginning.

[melmar02]

1 hour ago, DunkelBierJay said:

I'm wondering if we are going to see off site terminals where the cruise lines bus passengers to the pier according to the assigned schedules. That might discourage the bunching up of people in one location...other than in busses...I think there is going to be a lot of micro management in the beginning.

It's an interesting thought, but wouldn't people just bunch up in the off site terminal? I'm trying to visualize how this would work.

[WAAAYTOOO]

2 hours ago, DunkelBierJay said:

With all the speculating about what cruising will look like once it returns, I am wondering if Royal will enforce the "suggested" boarding time when things start up again. I see several YT channels making this assumption and wonder if anyone on this forum thinks our ability to board as early as possible will start to be enforced.

I think this is highly likely. It is at least an attempt to control crowds.

Depending upon how radical the itineraries could change (fewer ships sailing to fewer ports, etc), change-over day could become 2 days, with disembarkation occurring one day and embarkation occurring the next. This would totally mess up current itins but it is a thought.  Probably not very practical. 

[ehw51]

I think they would want to spread it out, no big bunches. I don´t know how it would work. I am sure they are working on new protocols now, they don´t have much else to do.

[Zambia-Zaire]

7 hours ago, DunkelBierJay said:

With all the speculating about what cruising will look like once it returns, I am wondering if Royal will enforce the "suggested" boarding time when things start up again. I see several YT channels making this assumption and wonder if anyone on this forum thinks our ability to board as early as possible will start to be enforced.

Hmmm....not sure I see this happening. 1st: It would so blatantly be cosmetic...airlines, bus & train terminals face the same circumstance...what measures are enforced on those industries. 2nd: How would stagger boarding time, rectify anything once on ship? Will there be traffic cops & door attendants at all venues, on board enforcing SD? Finally: Some % of passengers at Port of Calls, are going to be angry, if their time at port is reduced because they have a late assign time to leave the ship....PD@CC anyone.

Just sound like an attempt to influence new draconian protocols on cruising & cruiser, imo….this why cruise ship are so problematic & an easy target.  

[Ampurp85]

I personally don't think that cruising will change much. Airlines changed after 9/11 but not after SARS, Anthrax, Ebola, etc. What did cruises do during this time? I doubt they will enforce boarding times because it would affect the bottom line. Either way it goes its going to be more than the recommend people congregating...under social distancing. Cruising begins when all social distancing measures have ended, not before. So why would they have to change anything but maybe self-service at buffets?

[ChessE4]

21 hours ago, DunkelBierJay said:

With all the speculating about what cruising will look like once it returns, I am wondering if Royal will enforce the "suggested" boarding time when things start up again. I see several YT channels making this assumption and wonder if anyone on this forum thinks our ability to board as early as possible will start to be enforced.

I think current practices will be modified and fluid, with cruise carriers looking for a best balance between safety and efficiency.  One factor will be the passenger load for the first cruises that are permitted and the availability of documentation (e.g., vaccine records).  I would expect many procedural changes over the next 18 months before practices stabilize.

[tonyfsu21]

17 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

I personally don't think that cruising will change much. Airlines changed after 9/11 but not after SARS, Anthrax, Ebola, etc. What did cruises do during this time? I doubt they will enforce boarding times because it would affect the bottom line. Either way it goes its going to be more than the recommend people congregating...under social distancing. Cruising begins when all social distancing measures have ended, not before. So why would they have to change anything but maybe self-service at buffets?

Totally agree re: cruising begins when all social distancing measures have ended. I have low expectations that cruising begins before 2021 in any form. 

[Ampurp85]

@tonyfsu21 I am starting to think the same . Disney is one of the greediest corporations in the world. I mean they held a shutting down parade after Covid-19 was declared a pandemic and they don't estimate to resume business until Jan 2021. The CDC 100 day ban pushes cruising until mid July and who knows on whether they might extend the ban. It would cost the cruises too much to comply with all demands and provide guest with a wonderful vacation.

[Atlantix2000]

16 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

Disney is one of the greediest corporations in the world.(cut)...and they don't estimate to resume business until Jan 2021.

Disney hasn't said that; an analyst on some financial TV show said that.  (There's a thread on here about it too).  Disney is currently working on opening their Shanghai park with social distancing measures in place.  Depending on how that goes, they may make announcements regarding their other parks.