Check- In protocols changing?

[Censored]

Prior to Covid, I recall you could check in earlier if you were Pinnacle, Diamond, Diamond Plus or booked a suite.  Has any of that reinstated?  Or is it strictly by a reservation on the app....first come first served basis?    No loyalty perks here?

[Matt]

I believe Pinnacle has a special option to check in early. No such option for Diamond or Diamond Plus.

[Allancy]

Suite bookings were allowed an hour earlier the latter part of 2021.

[smokeybandit]

Pins and suites can check in an hour prior to their slot (though if you have the 11am slot, you may not be able to get on an hour earlier)

[Swar]

The Key will get you on earlier, but not sure if it is worth it. We just completed 3 January cruises on Brilliance of the Seas out of Tampa. We had the earliest boarding times (@ noon) for all 3. The wait was never more than 10-20 minutes from pier to ship. This was as a "normal" passenger.

[stevendom57]

Do Junior Suites get the early boarding perk?

[twangster]

The early boarding by CAS level that existed prior to the shutdown should not be confused with the early check in appointment times for Pinnacle and Suites.

In the olden days when arrival times could be ignored and anyone could arrive at any time the terminals typically opened around 10am so anyone could show up, even a never cruised before guest could appear at any time.  The ship was never ready for boarding at 10am so early birds waited after check in which involved sitting in the terminal until the ship commenced boarding.  At that point and only at that point was there priority based on CAS levels.  The concept of CAS priority didn't apply to the check in appointment times that were never enforced before.

Fast forward to today and those arrival times are now enforced.  Suites and Pinnacles are given an hour leeway on either side of their scheduled arrival appointment time.  This is a new concept that was recently added so it doesn't compare with the old priority based on CAS level approach.

28 minutes ago, stevendom57 said:

Do Junior Suites get the early boarding perk?

This can vary by home port but for the most part yes, JS do benefit from the hour leeway for suite guests.  This works best at terminals that have designated queues or entrances for suite guests.  Having said that it seems the app boarding pass for JS doesn't always indicate "suites" while the old fashioned SetSail pass from online check in usually does.  

The folks working in the terminal are contractors.  They don't know all the cabin numbers for a JS on a given class of ship.  If your boarding pass doesn't say "suites" the terminal contractors have no way to know you are in a suite.  For all they know you are a faker in an interior cabin claiming to be in a suite so absent of the word on your boarding pass you'll likely be sent to the general queue to wait for your time.

[twangster]

I'll also add that the concept of CAS priority boarding was effectively being eliminated, or was in the process of being eliminated before the shutdown.

Recall Royal had been touting frictionless check in prior to the shutdown.  "From the sidewalk to the ship in 10 minutes" was the stated goal of the app and the app check in approach.  The goal was for everyone to experience this, not just higher CAS members.

Under this new approach there would be no need for CAS priority.  CAS priority was supposed to become irrelevant and outdated, no longer applicable or needed.

[PurdueFlyer]

agree the "frictionless" checkin process is super easy and better now, since they are strictly adhering to the check-in times you select (it's a shame it took a global pandemic to make that transition lol). 

however, anytime you group people into "buckets" like CAS tiers, they are invariably going to compare what one gets versus another.

maybe on the day of sailing, the app should allow you to move-up to a different time, but maybe only make those additional times visible to you depending on what CAS tier you are?  kind of like an airplane seat map that might show that the exit row is open if you have Super-Tungsten status on Delta, but if you have no status, the row shows full. 

this creates the appearance of your CAS status giving you an added perk of flexibility while Royal can still maintain order at the port by deciding what times to release, and for whom.  Also would drive more people to the app in general.   I think there's a Royal IT wishlist thread somewhere on here

[Ampurp85]

A lot of what @twangster said is true. However, ...... when I boarded from Port Canaveral and boarding was delayed, they did use the C&A tier system.  They allowed a certain amount of people to sit in the terminal. They called suites and pinnacles first. Key holders, D+ and then diamond before they started calling check-in times.