RCCL Port Canaveral embarkation

[khut]

How struck are the boarding times in the boarding pass enforced?

If we arrive an hour or more before, will be able to board or be made to wait?

[919Florida]

Not strict at all. On Harmony I arrived 30 mins before my time and we were allowed in with no issues. On Mariner last week I arrived an hour and a half early and again I was let right in with no issues no questions. Have a great time!!

[Biker19]

9 minutes ago, khut said:

How strictly are the boarding times in the boarding pass enforced?

Boarding time is enforced (usually 11 or later), check in is not - two different things and it's latter you are asking about.

[Artemus]

9 minutes ago, 919Florida said:

Not strict at all. On Harmony I arrived 30 mins before my time and we were allowed in with no issues. On Mariner last week I arrived an hour and a half early and again I was let right in with no issues no questions. Have a great time!!

Agree. I don’t think they even pay any attention to the time.

[GTO-Girl]

You can come to the terminal whenever you choose....Royal does not enforce the arrival time on your Set Sail pass...

 

Have a wonderful cruise!!

[cruisegirl1]

Check in any time, regardless of what it states on the set sail pass.   Boarding  starts around 11:00 AM. A hierarchy of groups starts,  and continues to all categories.  

 

enjoy

M

[karena1]

We always get to the port early.  As soon as the boarding process starts, we get on the ship, regardless of the time on our Boarding pass.

[villager70]

WE  pulled in to garage at 950 , suite checkin  and Diamond+  on Harmony  and boarded suites at 1015 , three weeks ago, boarded suites at 1015 but Windjammer not open to 1110.  Time is sometime 1130. Just got off  Harmony yesterday and also boarded suites at around 1015 as soon as they had 0 count. Oasis usually 1100 last few months they were there.

[island lady]

Check in time is "suggested"...not enforced.  Kind of like how they handle dress codes now.  

[parsec0298]

Take some of the responses above with a grain of salt.  The first thing Royal does is open boarding for the different status tiers, in order.  So anyone who says "we just showed up and walked on" might have been able to do so because of their status.  But even if you're gold, like me, you'll still be able to get on much earlier than your time.  Otherwise there's really no harm in showing up early.  If your time is 2:30 I wouldn't show up at 11:00 and expect to get on, but I think you might have a decent chance at say 1:00.

Edited October 8, 2019 by parsec0298

[GTO-Girl]

On our last Harmony cruise we started boarding at 10:30!!!  

We have sailed from Canaveral many times and the average time for boarding to start is usually between 11:15-11:30.

 

 

Edited October 8, 2019 by GTO-Girl

[karena1]

yes, they do board by tier, but if your time is 2 and you are there at 11, they will board the tiers and whatever tier you are in, you will get on. In other words, they will clear out the waiting area as soon as the open the ship to board

Edited October 8, 2019 by karena1

[island lady]

17 hours ago, parsec0298 said:

Take some of the responses above with a grain of salt.  The first thing Royal does is open boarding for the different status tiers, in order.  So anyone who says "we just showed up and walked on" might have been able to do so because of their status.  But even if you're gold, like me, you'll still be able to get on much earlier than your time.  Otherwise there's really no harm in showing up early.  If your time is 2:30 I wouldn't show up at 11:00 and expect to get on, but I think you might have a decent chance at say 1:00.

 

When I say I got there and walked right on...it's because boarding had already begun.  By the time we get to the terminal, around 11 am, and check in...they have usually already called all levels.  The only time we have had to wait, was due to some problem with disembarkation...or even worse....NORO outbreak.  😮 .

 

I think OPs question is actually for check in, as the message from RCI is, (not boarding) .  They could show up at 10:00 to check in and walk on with everyone when they start boarding around 10:30 (and according to cabin cat/and or C&A level).  The check in time is "suggested" and not enforced as mentioned.  

[RocCruisers]

We were on Mariner a couple weeks ago and it was the easiest and quickest to the ship ever.  It took longer to figure out where to park than it did from closing the car door  to being on the ship.  Royal app was a fantastic help.  And that was at 11:00 AM!  We have trips planed for FL, MIA, and TPA and I hope they are that easy. 

[CruisinCrow]

Our check-in time was 12:30 but we got there before 11 and walked right on.  We didn't have any special status (no suite or anything).  They were already doing open boarding by that time.

 

 

[CruisinCrow]

3 hours ago, RocCruisers said:

We were on Mariner a couple weeks ago and it was the easiest and quickest to the ship ever.  It took longer to figure out where to park than it did from closing the car door  to being on the ship.  Royal app was a fantastic help.  And that was at 11:00 AM!  We have trips planed for FL, MIA, and TPA and I hope they are that easy. 

 

We had the same experience.  The longest part of check-in was having my picture taken with their iPad.  That took them a couple of tries and standing in different spots to get enough lighting.   Debarkation was equally fast.