Does checking in make switching dates harder?

[blueskadoo]

Hi everyone! Typically a Carnival cruiser, branching out onto RCCL...well, trying to this summer. We can check in starting today for our end of July cruise. Like everyone else in the universe, we don't know if this will really happen given current circumstances. If this doesn't go forward, we're going to request to move our reservation to the end of the year (nov/dec) and then cross our fingers and toes. If I go ahead and check us in right now in a wave of optimism will it make moving our dates more difficult? Full disclosure: we are booked under a casino offer from an outside source and not royal directly- not sure if any of that matters!

[LeeW]

No effect.  No real advantage to doing online checkin at the 90 day point, just gets it out of the way.  On Princess you can do this as soon as your booking is made - not sure how Carnival handles it.  You do NOT need to do your checkin to book onboard activities or excursions.  If you are on Oasis-class or Anthem you should book onboard activities as soon as you can and maybe your dining times if you have MyTime Dining and want a specific time.  Shows do get fully booked, as do certain dining times.

 

Any bookings that cost money (specialty dining, drink packages, excursions) have to be paid immediately with credit card or onboard credit if you have it.  All of these can be cancelled and rebooked if price goes down.

 

If you do book items that cost and expect the cruise to be cancelled, you might want to cancel the items yourself before Royal cancels the cruise.  That gets your cash back in about 5 days but once the cruise is cancelled it can take 30 or more.  They might also offer you 125% of your purchases if you don't take a refund.  This does tie up your cash for longer.  In our case we are waiting on a Future Cruise Credit for two cancelled cruises (125% of cruise fare) and the 125% Cruise Planner charges.  But we can't use the Cruise Planner credits on the new cruises because Royal would not take a deposit until the Future Cruise Credits process. The new cruises are booked but in limbo until that happens.