Jump to content

Australian's Taking US Cruises and Checking In


CruisingOz

Recommended Posts

Hello fellow cruises from down under, we did the first of our check-in today and thought I would share. We have been regualarly checking the app, which you must have, and saw our ship, Grandeur finally get an upgrade which finalised last night. Previously it sat on its lonesome below all the other bookings we have where the ships which already use the app we could access details, but the Grandeur we could not. So check-in was noted on the app as 25 Nov, and being a RCB insider knew that the key to an early check-in time was to get in early, and start 11.30pm, so half an hour prior to the day.

First thing to know is do not do what I did and get up at 11.30pm on the 24th and continue to check the cruise planner and app waiting to see the change to "open". Anyway by 2am I gave up. It dawned on me this morning; stop laughing, I am slow; that it would be US time, eastern pacific, so Miami or New York time. This afternoon at 3.15pm Sydney time, 11.15pm, NY time, my app changed to open and off I went. Do you sense I am keen???

Being old school, I used the computer to check-in but you need the app to complete, and the process is similar as peviously, except with a number of protocols and disclaimers which you can print. There are three steps you can do prior, with the fourth step needing to be done the day of the cruise.  Step one and two are as before, personal details, passport, credit card, emergency contact, and then you can select the boarding time. On our cruise which is out of Barbados, there are a couple extra local government protocols and we have the addition of not only a test three days prior (which is different to the two days prior on cruises out of the US),but also a complientary test required at the port prior to boarding. Oh our noses are going to be sore, lol. Also the earliest boarding time listed was 1.00-1.30pm which we secured.   

However the third step must be done via the app, there is nowhere via the computer check-in to access it. Maybe I did something wrong but I have gone back and checked several times, so you need to go to the app and  into your booking and add your vaccination details, type and date of last dose. It will also allow you to take a picture of the front and back of your vacination card. In Australia we have the a government issued International Vaccine Passport, which is a single side paper or picture on the Medicare app run by the Australian governement. I could not work out how to upload a digital copy to the app so I opted to take a photo, which is one way offered, of the print out I will be carrying. It is in the pending stage as Royal needs to validate it, and I will update this when I either have approval or required to do something else.

I really need to check-in using only the app, similar process but we have nicer phots saved on the computer. Silly I know. 

So happy, one step closer and only 45 long days to go before our 674 days of waiting to step onboard a cruise ship is over.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the "old" days (pre-shutdown) the app was the best way to achieve "expedited arrival".  Back then it made for a quicker check in at the terminal.  You could still do everything (back then) online but rarely would that method net you "expedited arrival".  Scanning the passport was the app magic as it gave them assurance you hadn't fat fingered anything.  

Uploading the vax card details AND the last step, answering health questions the day before boarding are currently two items that can only be done in the app.

I still run into some IT wizardry where the app won't let me check in while I can online though.  

Can't access check in for another cruise while on a cruise using Voom unless you have a working VPN solution.  Go figure.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, twangster said:

I still run into some IT wizardry where the app won't let me check in while I can online though.  

Can't access check in for another cruise while on a cruise using Voom unless you have a working VPN solution.  Go figure.  

This happened to me last night at midnight. I was checking the app around 1130 to see if check in came on line before midnight. As I pushed in check in, even after midnight, it kept telling me it was still preparing for my experience. Decided to open up a online page on safari and signed in. Voila, check in was available. Began check in around 12:05 and snagged an 1130 check in time for Oasis out of Miami on 1/09/22. After checking in on line, I opened my app and It showed I was checked in and then i was able to photograph vaccine cards and enter necessary information. So happy I decided to check on line when app wasn’t giving me a check in. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, twangster said:

Can't access check in for another cruise while on a cruise using Voom unless you have a working VPN solution.  Go figure. 

@twangsterwe will need to check into a cruise while we are on-board a ship. How did you over come the Voom issue? Do you suggest I go to guest services or the C&A Ambassador on-board? I guess worse case is I can get my kids (adults) to check in for us via the computer at home and I can finish the vaccine step oo-board.

Also, I thought the picture I took of our international vaccine passport certificate would be hard to read, so I screen shot the certificate from our Medicare app and uploaded it from the photos on the phone and it looks a lot more visible, and dare say offical. So for Australians this should be a better way until Royal IT adds an upload feature.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, CruisingOz said:

@twangsterwe will need to check into a cruise while we are on-board a ship. How did you over come the Voom issue? Do you suggest I go to guest services or the C&A Ambassador on-board? I guess worse case is I can get my kids (adults) to check in for us via the computer at home and I can finish the vaccine step oo-board.

Also, I thought the picture I took of our international vaccine passport certificate would be hard to read, so I screen shot the certificate from our Medicare app and uploaded it from the photos on the phone and it looks a lot more visible, and dare say offical. So for Australians this should be a better way until Royal IT adds an upload feature.  

 

I have a VPN service that works over Voom.  Not all do.  I get around the limitation by activating the VPN.  Then I can check in or look for better arrival times..   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, CruisingOz said:

I screen shot the certificate from our Medicare app and uploaded it from the photos on the phone

I have just jumped into the app and checked if an earlier boarding time was there and noticed the third step which requires vaccine information, which was pending to be verified by Royal has gone. I would assume this is a good sign and Royal has accepted our Australian Government proof of vaccine. Also for our sailing 1.00pm is still the earliest on board time, which is fine by us. 

So far so good, will complete the ESTA (US Visitors Visa) in early December and start enquiring for an approved PCR test medical facility and book a date. I have a couple of websites my travel agent has recommended. It is $150 per person, but this is the cost of travelling today. I won't pay for it yet as things may change. I hear the US may accept our local COVID tests but I do not think Delta Airlines and Barbados Government will, so will have to pay. There is also a Barbados entry application we willl need to complete but only 72 hours from landing. We also reached out the Barbados Covid Labs as we will need to book a test to board the ship. PCR tests are $94 USD per person.

This is our biggest concern in trying to time the testing so we can get results in time to board the plane but also work it out to clear customs in Barbados within the 72 hours. We should be fine with travel time, but it is our end locally which is the issue as it will be Sunday 2nd Jan and will the labs be open? Talk about first work problems. 

Now the first Royal check-in worked, next is due Dec 10, at least I now know I can sleep like normal and not worry about it until 3.30pm Sydney time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Something new. My TA received an "urgent" email from Royal where we needed to fill out an APIS (Advance Passenger Information S?) form for Royal confirming all the details are correct as per the passport,but also required all the details of where we are staying in the US pre and post cruise. Also, no surprise, the Royal web link provided is not currently working, so we had to email and call Royal Sydney office. 

Details from the form:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REQUIRING YOUR URGENT ATTENION
IF YOU ARE FLYING TO DESTINATIONS OUTSIDE OF AUSTRALIA

AND NEW ZEALAND

Legislation is now in force in the United States, certain countries within the EU including the United Kingdom and
elsewhere which now creates as a mandatory prerequisite for travel the submission of certain details of every passenger
seeking to enter those countries via sea and/or air.
Be advised that based on your travel destination, we are now required to provide certain information relating to you and
your party either directly to those authorities where you are on a cruise only holiday and, if there is an air element, via
the airline we have arranged your travel with.
Attached is a form which records the information we have already obtained from you at the time of booking and also
specifies the additional information we now are required to disclose. Please therefore review the accuracy of the details
we already hold about you and/or your party and further provide the additional information we require within 7 days.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU CHECK THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION WE ALREADY HOLD ABOUT
YOU AND YOUR PARTY AND PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WE REQUIRE WITHIN 7 DAYS OF
THE DATE OF THIS CORRESPONDENCE OTHERWISE YOU RISK BEING REFUSED TRAVEL.

Also nobody from Royal can answer us whether we need the APIS form for the other sailing in the US? Work in progress 

Other issues I have had to deal with.

We used Royal Air2Sea for our flight from Barbados to Miami and despite being paid in full, we have not been issued an E-ticket, but finally managed to get the American Airlines reference number. So we logged onto AA and noticed our 2.35pm flight is now 4.15pm, my wife name was spelt wrong, we had no seat allocated and only a handful of seats left which we need to pay extra for. Had my TA call Royal, they fixed the name, but seats too bad, so sad and they told my TA she is wrong, we are on the 2.35pm flight. I called AA in the US, 30min wait, which is four hours less than the average Qantas wait times, and there is no 2.35pm flight. So TA back onto Royal, and upon checking we were correct and AA did not tell Air2Sea of any changes. Red flags waving and re-checked my Travel Insurance.

We also had transfer via Royal but now the flight is pushed back, we opted to do a shore excursion and airport drop off which was only about $20 more PP. I am a little concerned as shore excursion is from 11am, for 3 hours, so airport at roughly 2.30 for an 4.15pm flight. This is at Barbados airport. It is an Air2Sea and Royal shore excursion but should we be be worried and just leave the ship via cab on own own? I do not fancy sitting around a little airport.

Next trick is if you book American Airline flights through Qantas, either using points or pay, even though AA is part of the OneWorld alliance, AA do not recognise Qantas reference numbers. The other OneWorld airlines like Lantan, Cathy Pacific, Japan, etc all do as I have used them. It took be four phones calls to Qantas with an average waiting time of four hours to finally find an operator who could locate the AA reference number and now I can book seats, add all of our information, contact, frequent flyer numbers and where we are staying the first night.     

Now that the US COVID tests are required within 24 hours of travelling, we have been trying to locate a place to get the right tests and documentation and until the other day, all the placed were charging between $130 -$150 with a next day results. Well my wife and two of our children need tests weekly and go to a local drive through and results come back in 30min at the moment. They asked and they do the travel test, RT-PCR for only $79 pp and results are quick, in fact they have one at the airport where you can go before your flight. Done research and they are exactly what we need. The link is mainly for Sydney and Melbourne travellers. Asp my ;local one, 10 min drive is open 365 days and 5.00am - 8.00pm, perfect. I think that the others I have been recommend charge more as they require a travel agency ID number, so there might be a commission to the TA, whereas this company does not. 

Link: https://www.histopath.com.au/

ESTA and third booster shots done, now survive Christmas and New Year

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, CruisingOz said:

Something new. My TA received an "urgent" email from Royal where we needed to fill out an APIS (Advance Passenger Information S?) form for Royal confirming all the details are correct as per the passport,but also required all the details of where we are staying in the US pre and post cruise. Also, no surprise, the Royal web link provided is not currently working, so we had to email and call Royal Sydney office. 

Details from the form:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REQUIRING YOUR URGENT ATTENION
IF YOU ARE FLYING TO DESTINATIONS OUTSIDE OF AUSTRALIA

AND NEW ZEALAND

Legislation is now in force in the United States, certain countries within the EU including the United Kingdom and
elsewhere which now creates as a mandatory prerequisite for travel the submission of certain details of every passenger
seeking to enter those countries via sea and/or air.
Be advised that based on your travel destination, we are now required to provide certain information relating to you and
your party either directly to those authorities where you are on a cruise only holiday and, if there is an air element, via
the airline we have arranged your travel with.
Attached is a form which records the information we have already obtained from you at the time of booking and also
specifies the additional information we now are required to disclose. Please therefore review the accuracy of the details
we already hold about you and/or your party and further provide the additional information we require within 7 days.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU CHECK THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION WE ALREADY HOLD ABOUT
YOU AND YOUR PARTY AND PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WE REQUIRE WITHIN 7 DAYS OF
THE DATE OF THIS CORRESPONDENCE OTHERWISE YOU RISK BEING REFUSED TRAVEL.

Also nobody from Royal can answer us whether we need the APIS form for the other sailing in the US? Work in progress 

Other issues I have had to deal with.

We used Royal Air2Sea for our flight from Barbados to Miami and despite being paid in full, we have not been issued an E-ticket, but finally managed to get the American Airlines reference number. So we logged onto AA and noticed our 2.35pm flight is now 4.15pm, my wife name was spelt wrong, we had no seat allocated and only a handful of seats left which we need to pay extra for. Had my TA call Royal, they fixed the name, but seats too bad, so sad and they told my TA she is wrong, we are on the 2.35pm flight. I called AA in the US, 30min wait, which is four hours less than the average Qantas wait times, and there is no 2.35pm flight. So TA back onto Royal, and upon checking we were correct and AA did not tell Air2Sea of any changes. Red flags waving and re-checked my Travel Insurance.

We also had transfer via Royal but now the flight is pushed back, we opted to do a shore excursion and airport drop off which was only about $20 more PP. I am a little concerned as shore excursion is from 11am, for 3 hours, so airport at roughly 2.30 for an 4.15pm flight. This is at Barbados airport. It is an Air2Sea and Royal shore excursion but should we be be worried and just leave the ship via cab on own own? I do not fancy sitting around a little airport.

Next trick is if you book American Airline flights through Qantas, either using points or pay, even though AA is part of the OneWorld alliance, AA do not recognise Qantas reference numbers. The other OneWorld airlines like Lantan, Cathy Pacific, Japan, etc all do as I have used them. It took be four phones calls to Qantas with an average waiting time of four hours to finally find an operator who could locate the AA reference number and now I can book seats, add all of our information, contact, frequent flyer numbers and where we are staying the first night.     

Now that the US COVID tests are required within 24 hours of travelling, we have been trying to locate a place to get the right tests and documentation and until the other day, all the placed were charging between $130 -$150 with a next day results. Well my wife and two of our children need tests weekly and go to a local drive through and results come back in 30min at the moment. They asked and they do the travel test, RT-PCR for only $79 pp and results are quick, in fact they have one at the airport where you can go before your flight. Done research and they are exactly what we need. The link is mainly for Sydney and Melbourne travellers. Asp my ;local one, 10 min drive is open 365 days and 5.00am - 8.00pm, perfect. I think that the others I have been recommend charge more as they require a travel agency ID number, so there might be a commission to the TA, whereas this company does not. 

Link: https://www.histopath.com.au/

ESTA and third booster shots done, now survive Christmas and New Year

Yikes !  Not sure I would be able to hold up to this stress.  You have my admiration 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Update. Just checked in for our next leg, four night on the Freedom, and the check-in questions have added an extra question which was not on our first check in. The question was, "are you staying in the US for longer than eight hours" and if yes, need to provide address, city, state and zip (post) code.   

I am unsure if this question comes up for US citizens, and Twangstar may be able to answer this, but what address details should I put for a B2B or S2S as we will be in the US for longer than eight hours, but not staying in a hotel. I assumer I will need to ask the RCB community for the address details of the port / terminal for Symphony and Odyssey for our February cruises.

Also Delta Airlines emailed us today with new travel updates and like Royal needing us to download the Delta app and to fill in all the details, again. 

I wish some IT guru could create a database or even the TSA. CBP, where all our details are kept and we can allow the various entities access to our information. I would even pay a subscription. I have spent so much time online, downloading apps and typing all the same details for my wife and I. What happened to the old days of buying a paper ticket and simply flying off.    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...