RCL app experience?

[okeytaco]

It's time to check in for my cruise and I am considering trying the app; however, I'm not real savvy with this sort of thing.  I still print out my airline boarding passes and cruise documents the old fashioned way.  For anyone who isn't a whiz at computers, did this make boarding amazingly easier and faster?  Was doing it terribly confusing or is it set up for dummies like me?  If you would, could you please share the ease of using the app and your boarding experience.  Thanks!

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, okeytaco said:

For anyone who isn't a whiz at computers, did this make boarding amazingly easier and faster? 

Was doing it terribly confusing or is it set up for dummies like me?

Faster, yes, amazingly, not so sure.

The app steps your through it - should be easy - just be ready to look presentable (for taking the pic) and have your passport handy (if you plan to use that as the ID).

[okeytaco]

Thanks for telling me about the photo and the passport.  I didn't know about that.  So my phone can scan my passport?

[BTHodgeman]

If you use the app to check in, and you take a picture of your passport (vs. manually entering the details), you may receive "Expedited Arrival." There are a few posts about this, with varying experiences, but it probably saved us 10-15 minutes when we got to the port since we didn't have to go through the main security line. 

[PMGS247]

Just did the app check-in myself the other night for the first time.  The app walks you through it step by step; nothing complicated.  If you have your passport handy and are prepared to take your own photo, it takes a matter of minutes.

 

Yes your phone can scan your passport.  It goes into camera mode and you just point the camera at your passport and it picks up the numbers it needs.  It CAN be a little challenging to get the phone to register the passport...kind of like getting a difficult bar code to scan at a grocery store.  My passport scanned almost instantly, but on the other hand my wife's I had to shift it around in different angles with the light to get it to click.  I have no idea why the two were so different.  You can also select an option to manually enter the numbers rather than scan...honestly that's probably easier.  There's not a lot of numbers to enter.  I think it's just the passport number at the top right and the expiration date.  Other than that it's very basic information entry into the app (name, address, emergency contact) and the security photo.  Make sure you've got decent lighting and have your face presentable to whatever degree you find acceptable for your on-board security photo. Once again it just uses your phone's camera function.  You can do any portion of the check-in you want and come back later, the app will save it, but won't provide you with your boarding pass until you've completed it.

 

This will be my first royal cruise so I can't speak to how much it helps at the check-in process.  Princess, where I do have more experience, has a similar pre-check-in process in an app with its medallion program and I'd say it saved me maybe 10-15 minutes at check-in.  Not a huge amount of time but it's always nice to breeze through check-in, and as far as the additional effort required to bother with the app in the first place, I never mind finding things to work on related to my cruise as time is winding down 🙂

Edited February 20, 2020 by PMGS247

[okeytaco]

Thanks so much for all the detail!!!  Happy cruising!!

[Bookster99]

Have they rolled the app out on Liberty of the Seas? I cruised the ship a couple years ago, and it wasn't available. 

[kbartges]

Could you tell me the name of the app?  Also, does anyone know if it is available on Adventure of the Seas?

[Anita Latte]

I've used the app to check in now for both Mariner and Harmony at Port Canaveral. I believe it is a HUGE savings in time for boarding. Having expedited arrival allows you to follow the orange flags and basically bypass every line that exists in the terminal. Virtually no one is doing it...for whatever reason...and so both times I've done this...it has literally taken me 10 minutes to get from the car drop off to the ship.

 

Also...just to add...I was having issues with DH's work schedule and getting checked in...worried that I would miss the cut off I checked him in on my phone while I checked myself in...and for the selfie photo...I literally blew up a picture that I had of a close up of DH's face on my computer and took a "selfie" of the photo on my computer screen. No problems. That was the photo that came up for boarding and for all other times our sea pass card was swiped.

[clumsychica]

19 minutes ago, Anita Latte said:

That was the photo that came up for boarding and for all other times our sea pass card was swiped.

Oh crap, guess I better retake mine to make it look cute then 😅

[icsys]

3 hours ago, kbartges said:

Could you tell me the name of the app?  Also, does anyone know if it is available on Adventure of the Seas?

 

Ships supported

 

 

App Store for iOS

Google Play for Android

Edited February 20, 2020 by icsys

[Anita Latte]

20 minutes ago, clumsychica said:

Oh crap, guess I better retake mine to make it look cute then 😅

 

OMG my photo was so awful...DHs was so much better because it was a good picture! LOL

[clumsychica]

DH making fun of me because I went and put makeup on and got dressed just for this photo 😂

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, kbartges said:

Could you tell me the name of the app?  Also, does anyone know if it is available on Adventure of the Seas?

I used the app for Adventure a month ago. After going through security someone with a scanner scanned the bar code on my phone, asked me if I had been sick recently, and I was on my way. My picture, passport, and credit card info was all on file and already accepted. It was a very easy check in.