RCCL priority boarding

We will be traveling in November on RCCL with our autistic boys. We were informed that we can get priority boarding but wondering what that exactly consist of? It was a nightmare last year when we went cause it was just too much for my little one and all the waiting and noise sent him into a bit of a melt down.

I emailed RCCL special needs department but I know it can take them awhile to get back so thought I would check here. What does the priority, early check-in consist of and how early can we check in and board?

I let the special needs depart know in advance and they confirmed that with my autistic son I could get priority boarding. I took a copy of this with me when we went to board but found that by telling the customer service people at the entrance, that was all I needed to do. We were taken to another boarding area where we didn't have to wait long. This was Sydney Australia and it may depend on the customer service staff at your port. If you're not happy ask to speak to their manager and show your confirmation from the cruise line.

As for early boarding, for us it just meant we could board when we liked.

My autistic son loves cruising more than anything. The motion of the ship calms him and he's happy that he can always go back to his cabin when he likes.

Good luck and I hope you all enjoy your holiday

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We had the same experience in Galveston. They led us to the disabled boarding area and we just had to wait a few minutes to check in. The area had seating and was quiet. There was no wait to board once we checked in. I was so glad we did this because they started having computer issues quite soon after and the terminal was packed with people stuck in long lines, we might never have got on the ship if we'd had to wait in that kind of situation.

I wonder how recent the other posters' experiences were. I sailed on Oasis from Ft. Lauderdale in 2013, and while the staff were courteous and efficient, directing me to the handicapped line (one person ahead of us) as soon as they saw me in a wheelchair, and we were able to board as soon as they finished the paperwork, it was certainly not quiet - a large, rather cavernous area with a long line for regular check-in.

It was Galveston in 2015. It wasn't quiet like the library but if you have a child who panics in a crowd, an area with just a few people sitting calmly away from the main throng of people definitely feels quiet!

Thanks for the followup. I suspect it wouldn't be quiet enough for most autistic children but there is a lot of variation and I'm sure the mom can decide based on how her children react to nearby vs. distant noise.

I also hope some moms of autistic children chime in - nothing like the voice of experience!

Thank you everyone who chimed in. I finally heard back from the Special Needs Department of RCCL and they informed me that boarding would start around 1030 and that we could come as early as that but that it would be recommended to arrive around 1130 after boarding has started to help reduce some of those early crowds. They didnt say much about the "priority boarding" area but I imagine it would be much less crazy than it was when we boarded regularly on the Oasis. We were also told that for the muster drill one of us could stay in the room with Liam and that the other parent could attend alone, then they would conduct a private drill for the parent who stayed behind with the kiddo. That will help us tremendously as well. The Muster Drill was a major issue last time and we spent about 90% of the time chasing him as he tried to elope.

I do have to say they have an amazing customer service when it comes to the autism needs. We are able to request the area that would best suit us in the MDR as well as bring on all as much of his own snacks and food (non-persishable) as we need. They are able to work with us for the AO even without him being potty trained. Their understanding and assistance is the sole reason we sail RCCL!!

When we went on Allure in April out of port Everglades, when we checked in around 10am - they gave us a personal escort and we got to sit in the suites area since it was quiet. And we got to board alongside the suite guests just around 11am- so we were on the ship pretty quickly. Have a great time!

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Thank you everyone who chimed in. I finally heard back from the Special Needs Department of RCCL and they informed me that boarding would start around 1030 and that we could come as early as that but that it would be recommended to arrive around 1130 after boarding has started to help reduce some of those early crowds. They didnt say much about the "priority boarding" area but I imagine it would be much less crazy than it was when we boarded regularly on the Oasis. We were also told that for the muster drill one of us could stay in the room with Liam and that the other parent could attend alone, then they would conduct a private drill for the parent who stayed behind with the kiddo. That will help us tremendously as well. The Muster Drill was a major issue last time and we spent about 90% of the time chasing him as he tried to elope.

 

 

I do have to say they have an amazing customer service when it comes to the autism needs. We are able to request the area that would best suit us in the MDR as well as bring on all as much of his own snacks and food (non-persishable) as we need. They are able to work with us for the AO even without him being potty trained. Their understanding and assistance is the sole reason we sail RCCL!!

What you were told by the Special Needs office was exactly what my niece was told. My niece thought that the ship was advised of the matter prior to the boarding and the muster drill only to find out that no information was forwarded to Harmony of the Sea. She and her son had to attend the drill along with her husband but they did release them before the other passengers. Therefore highly recommend that you go directly to Guest Services directly after boarding to reconfirm all the information regarding the muster drill told to you by the on-land Special Needs office. There is at times a disconnect in the communication between the on-land Special Needs office and the ship .