Still strict with check in time?

[melski94]

Is RC still strict with check in time?  Miami, Oasis, Suite (if that matters)?

[TravisMA81]

I was on Harmony a few weeks ago.  I had a check in time at 11.  I never had anyone ask or check my boarding time.  I'm not sure if when you talk to the person when you show them your passport and answer some questions, they might see your time and will make you wait if you are early.  They have the check in process so streamlined and smooth there's hardly any wait time.   

[cruisellama]

Was in the same situation last month.  We had an early boarding time and played the 30min early benefit but the agents didn't even care.

[Reigert2008]

Was just on Oasis and and had a 10:30 AM check in time.  We arrived at about 10:15 AM since our shuttle drove too fast   No issues for us, but there were people already lined up in the 1:00 PM line, so they had to wait some amount of time to board.  I personally like that they are enforcing check in times, it makes the day easier when you just know your time and arrive close enough to the slot.  Since the time enforcement began, we have certainly waited far less at the port than in previous time.  I know everyone wants to get on as early as possible, but I'd rather wait in the lobby of my hotel and relax more than go stand in a line at the port.  Heck, I'd even wait at the airport for a bit before heading the the port, if I "broke the rule" of flying in on departure day.

 

[Wheeler825]

2 hours ago, Reigert2008 said:

Was just on Oasis and and had a 10:30 AM check in time.  We arrived at about 10:15 AM since our shuttle drove too fast   No issues for us, but there were people already lined up in the 1:00 PM line, so they had to wait some amount of time to board.  I personally like that they are enforcing check in times, it makes the day easier when you just know your time and arrive close enough to the slot.  Since the time enforcement began, we have certainly waited far less at the port than in previous time.  I know everyone wants to get on as early as possible, but I'd rather wait in the lobby of my hotel and relax more than go stand in a line at the port.  Heck, I'd even wait at the airport for a bit before heading the the port, if I "broke the rule" of flying in on departure day.

 

There is nothing fair about check in times when you can't reserve restaurants for an 'ulimited' dining package until you are on board.  This is the hill I will die on.

[Xaa]

51 minutes ago, Wheeler825 said:

There is nothing fair about check in times when you can't reserve restaurants for an 'ulimited' dining package until you are on board.  This is the hill I will die on.

It's the formation of a line.  Check in opens at the exact same time for everyone.  That is fair.  The people claim their spot in line by checking in.

Also remember that UDP is a benefit swap.  You trade the ability to secure a firm reservation for cost savings.

It's completely fair.  Clock starts at the same time for everyone.

[Wheeler825]

24 minutes ago, Xaa said:

It's the formation of a line.  Check in opens at the exact same time for everyone.  That is fair.  The people claim their spot in line by checking in.

Also remember that UDP is a benefit swap.  You trade the ability to secure a firm reservation for cost savings.

It's completely fair.  Clock starts at the same time for everyone.

We can agree to disagree, which I do.

[Xaa]

I also agree that you disagree, but the formation of a line is really a fundamental application of fairness.

[Ampurp85]

Last month in Miami they enforced it. We had 10:30 and there were people with 11:30 or later in the front of the line, lined up. We had to go over and through the crowd. It mostly has to do with the lines.......i.e. if the lines get long and such they start to enforce the check in times when you aren't pinnacles/key/ suite pax.

[WAAAYTOOO]

17 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

Last month in Miami they enforced it. We had 10:30 and there were people with 11:30 or later in the front of the line, lined up. We had to go over and through the crowd. It mostly has to do with the lines.......i.e. if the lines get long and such they start to enforce the check in times when you aren't pinnacles/key/ suite pax.

Exactly what they did this past Saturday for boarding SY.  It was utter chaos. 

[melski94]

@WAAAYTOOO  Did they enforce the times for suites too?  Only Sky class but still would love this as a perk.

[Ampurp85]

3 hours ago, melski94 said:

@WAAAYTOOO  Did they enforce the times for suites too?  Only Sky class but still would love this as a perk.

There is a separate line for suites, they rarely enforce times, and you have the option of an hour leeway each way. So, if you got a noon time you can come at eleven or one.

[GatorCruiser]

Yeah my wife waits up until midnight to get us the earliest check in time. She puts forth the effort as anyone else can. So it is fair if you are motivated

[Wheeler825]

4 hours ago, GatorCruiser said:

Yeah my wife waits up until midnight to get us the earliest check in time. She puts forth the effort as anyone else can. So it is fair if you are motivated

So people who wait to book A)Pay substantially more for their cruise, B)Don't get early check in times, and as a result of B), C) Don't get to reserve their preferred time for dining packages.  Makes total sense...  My only gripe is they need to detach B from C..  fix that and I couldn't care less about boarding real early.  Everything else is logical in the name of crowd control

[Xaa]

It's like any other line anywhere.  If you don't decide to participate until after the line has already formed, you take the best place in line that is left.

Late arrivals can still reserve their preferred times on packages if they are still available.  If they aren't available, it's because they were taken by those in line prior.  That's how lines work.

UDP is a product designed to fill restaurants after they have allowed all full price people an opportunity to book.  Then those discounted bookings are made on a first come first served basis.  First come is determined in part by the line and in part by the actions of the cruiser when they board.

If you aren't able to get the spot you want in line and you feel like that means you can't get any of the times you want, the recourse isn't to penalize those that got into line, it's to cancel your UDP and vote for change with your dollars.

[Wheeler825]

14 minutes ago, Xaa said:

UDP is a product designed to fill restaurants after they have allowed all full price people an opportunity to book.....

You keep saying this, but it just IS NOT true.. SHOW ME where it says this in the fine print of the UDP.. Put up or shut up.  It doesn't exist.

[Xaa]

13 minutes ago, Wheeler825 said:

You keep saying this, but it just IS NOT true.. SHOW ME where it says this in the fine print of the UDP.. Put up or shut up.  It doesn't exist.

Glad to see that you came back to die on the hill as you promised.

Last bullet point.  You can make reservations once onboard.  You didn't expect everyone would just appear onboard at the same time did you?  People get onboard from a line formed by priority access (Suites, Pinnacles, Key), then first come first served.  Lines are fairly universal.  Nobody needs to explain them in their fine print.

 

[Wheeler825]

19 minutes ago, Xaa said:

Glad to see that you came back to die on the hill as you promised.

Last bullet point.  You can make reservations once onboard.  You didn't expect everyone would just appear onboard at the same time did you?  People get onboard from a line formed by priority access (Suites, Pinnacles, Key), then first come first served.  Lines are fairly universal.  Nobody needs to explain them in their fine print.

 

Thanks for confirming you're wrong...  I don't know why people like you insist on carrying water for bad policies and procedures.. its ridiculous

[Xaa]

The policy just is what it is and in it's implementation it is fair.  I'm sorry you don't think you'll get the dining times you want.  You probably will in spite of your worry in that regard.

I'm not in charge of making RCL policy.  This one isn't so bad to me.  I like set arrival times and I understand why UDP reservations aren't able to be made until onboard.  Sometimes it's cloudy when I want sunshine.  Accepting it for what it is isn't "carrying water" for it.

If I didn't like it, I wouldn't buy it.

[Wheeler825]

14 minutes ago, Xaa said:

The policy just is what it is and in it's implementation it is fair.  I'm sorry you don't think you'll get the dining times you want.  You probably will in spite of your worry in that regard.

I'm not in charge of making RCL policy.  This one isn't so bad to me.  I like set arrival times and I understand why UDP reservations aren't able to be made until onboard.  Sometimes it's cloudy when I want sunshine.  Accepting it for what it is isn't "carrying water" for it.

If I didn't like it, I wouldn't buy it.

Like I said before, I'm generally OK with a set arrival time.  Its the idea that arrival time = place in line for reservations for a PREMIUM service, that is insane.

[Xaa]

UDP isn't a premium service.  It's a discounted service.

[GatorCruiser]

Popcorn emoji hahahah

[FireFishII]

Why am I thinking of a tennis match? 

[Wheeler825]

2 hours ago, Xaa said:

UDP isn't a premium service.  It's a discounted service.

That's literally the same as saying the DBP isn't a premium package, its a discount package.  Get real

[Midwest Cruiser]

3 hours ago, Xaa said:

UDP isn't a premium service.  It's a discounted service.

I won't die on this hill, But it is a premium service. You purchase the package ahead of time in the Cruise planner. Yes, you can achieve a discounted price if you are persistent enough to check in and capture a sale. At time of purchase, individuals "should" be allowed to select time of dining.

The non premium service would be individuals that want to dine at all the Upcharge restaurants, that purchase on the ship or individually, should then have the next available times when they board the ship.   

It is what it is, but saying it isn't premium is nonsensical.

[Xaa]

36 minutes ago, Wheeler825 said:

That's literally the same as saying the DBP isn't a premium package, its a discount package.  Get real

It isn't the same because DBP is able to order at the same time as full payers.  It's similar in that it is an "all you can" type of package but not the same because of the restriction on when you can book.  It makes it clear which customer is preferred.

[Midwest Cruiser]

16 minutes ago, Xaa said:

It isn't the same because DBP is able to order at the same time as full payers.  It's similar in that it is an "all you can" type of package but not the same because of the restriction on when you can book.  It makes it clear which customer is preferred.

That last statement contradicted your whole argument.

[Xaa]

46 minutes ago, Midwest Cruiser said:

I won't die on this hill, But it is a premium service. You purchase the package ahead of time in the Cruise planner. Yes, you can achieve a discounted price if you are persistent enough to check in and capture a sale. At time of purchase, individuals "should" be allowed to select time of dining.

The non premium service would be individuals that want to dine at all the Upcharge restaurants, that purchase on the ship or individually, should then have the next available times when they board the ship.   

It is what it is, but saying it isn't premium is nonsensical.

The way you are describing that it "should" work would make it more premium.  Because of the restriction it just simply isn't.  There is a premium option to dine at all of these restaurants and reserve in advance, it's individual bookings.  Individuals are not allowed to select their dining time at time of purchase which makes the UDP less than the premium specialty dining offerings.  @Wheeler825wants it to be premium.  It isn't.  it's a discounted offering that has restrictions on when reservations can be made and comes with the benefit of saving money over the individual offering without the restriction.

By discounted I mean vs paying the sum of the CP individual cost of the specialty restaurants, not searching for a normal discounted UDP offering in CP which would be additional discount on a discount package.

It may be nonsensical to you, but it makes perfect sense to me that the package that restricts reservations until onboard is less than the premium offering that allows booking reservations at time of purchase on a restaurant by restaurant basis.

If it were truly premium, there wouldn't be griping about place in line to secure the reservation.  The individual restaurant purchasers aren't griping because their offering is superior, it is the premium choice.

[Xaa]

14 minutes ago, Midwest Cruiser said:

That last statement contradicted your whole argument.

What are you not getting.  DBP allows the buyer to get drinks in the exact same way and timeline as those purchasing individually.  There is no additional restriction.  With UDP there is an additional restriction vs purchasing individually.  So they are similar in that they are both "all you can" in type but not the same because UDP has an additional restriction.  the very restriction that is driving the gripes.

[PRMLVM]

Perhaps they need to change the name and not call it the "unlimited" dining plan.  You ARE limited: to whatever reservations are open once you board.  We were planning a trip and wanted a few specialty restaurants, so I suggested to my family that we get the "UDP" TO SAVE MONEY.  To get the discount.   My husband pointed out that we would then have to wait to make the reservations until we were actually on the ship.  We made the decision not to get the discount plan, so that we could make our dining reservations and secure our plans.  We got secure plans, Royal got the full price.  Since we were "guaranteeing" Royal several reservations, I sure would have liked the discounted rates.  But, Royal has an either-or option.

Would an UNLIMITED dining plan that lets you purchase in bulk AND make reservations be the better plan? Certainly, for the customer.  Unfortunately that is not what Royal is offering.  A name change would help clarify that.

[Xaa]

Completely understand @PRMLVM

You chose the option that guaranteed what you wanted, not the one that could have saved you a chunk of change.  You paid a premium price and received a premium experience vs the UDP.  That's my point on saying UDP is not Premium.  It's second tier.  It seems clear that it is designed to not fill up the restaurants in advance which would dissuade the individual purchases.  Then once onboard, it's first come first served.

Words like Unlimited and Lifetime are tricky words, they appeal to us as consumers, but they seldom are truly unlimited or for my lifetime in practice.

It's clear that some see UDP as a premium package.  To each their own.  For me, if I wanted to dine at a specialty restaurant and it had to be a certain day at a certain time, I would pay the premium price and get the premium offering by booking it individually.

[Midwest Cruiser]

18 minutes ago, Xaa said:

Completely understand @PRMLVM

You chose the option that guaranteed what you wanted, not the one that could have saved you a chunk of change.  You paid a premium price and received a premium experience vs the UDP.  That's my point on saying UDP is not Premium. It's second tier.  It seems clear that it is designed to not fill up the restaurants in advance and dissuade the individual purchases.  Then once onboard, it's first come first served.

Words like Unlimited and Lifetime are tricky words, they appeal to us as consumers, but they seldom are truly unlimited or for my lifetime in practice.

It's clear that some see UDP as a premium package.  To each their own.  For me, if I wanted to dine at a specialty restaurant and it had to be a certain day at a certain time, I would pay the premium price and get the premium offering by booking it individually.

You seem to like to selectively think and chose what is premium. You are getting premium when you buy in advanced, you don't get premium if you wait to purchase a cabana at PDCC the day of and it is sold out/or higher in price Vs in the Planner and you actually get the cabana, you don't get to call it premium if you wait to purchase the same shore excursion the day of and it is sold out/or higher in price Vs in the Planner, etc....

All you are doing is paying a "premium price" onboard and getting the same treatment on board. 

So the UDP doesn't guarantee you the first chance at reservations??? I don't care about the time I eat within reason. 

[Xaa]

15 minutes ago, Midwest Cruiser said:

You seem to like to selectively think and chose what is premium. You are getting premium when you buy in advanced, you don't get premium if you wait to purchase a cabana at PDCC the day of and it is sold out/or higher in price Vs in the Planner and you actually get the cabana, you don't get to call it premium if you wait to purchase the same shore excursion the day of and it is sold out/or higher in price Vs in the Planner, etc....

All you are doing is paying a "premium price" onboard and getting the same treatment on board. 

 

Th cabana is the same thing if you get a discount or pay full price.

Specialty dining is not the same experience if you purchase it individually vs in a package.  In the package you have more restrictions, less flexibility than if you buy individually.  It's a lesser experience if your need is to book your reservation.  Because it's lesser in that regard, I'm saying it is not premium.

 

19 minutes ago, Midwest Cruiser said:

So the UDP doesn't guarantee you the first chance at reservations??? I don't care about the time I eat within reason. 

No it doesn't guarantee first chance, it explicitly prevents you from first chance at reservations in exchange for a discount.  This is why I see it as a discount product and not a premium product.

[Midwest Cruiser]

18 minutes ago, Xaa said:

Th cabana is the same thing if you get a discount or pay full price.

 

The cabana isn't the same if you can not get into one vs a chair.  That is called premium.

18 minutes ago, Xaa said:

No it doesn't guarantee first chance, it explicitly prevents you from first chance at reservations in exchange for a discount.  This is why I see it as a discount product and not a premium product.

Specialty dining is not the same experience if you purchase it individually vs in a package.  In the package you have more restrictions, less flexibility than if you buy individually.  It's a lesser experience if your need is to book your reservation.  Because it's lesser in that regard, I'm saying it is not premium.

You are literally guaranteed reservations, you just have to change if it doesn't fit your schedule for the 1st 2 nights. Then you can book other restaurants to your convenience.  If you can not get into restaurants with the unlimited, that does constitute false advertising then.

• A courtesy reservation will be made for Day 1 or 2 of your sailing

The only way you truly get Premium and not booking anything yourself is with the Genie.