Royal Caribbean has some confusing policies that change depending on the class of ship you sail on. This can cause passengers to make mistakes and miss out on things they would have liked to participate in during their cruise.
You can make reservations, for example, for entertainment (think theater shows, Aquatheater performances, ice skating shows, and the comedy club) when sailing on an Oasis-class ship. That’s because those ships carry more than 5,000 passengers and no venue can accommodate the potential crowds that a popular show could attract.
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Passengers in all other Royal Caribbean classes RCL However, ships have to make reservations on board during your cruise or they are not necessary. That creates a confusing situation where the cruise line teaches customers one thing on one set of ships and then has a whole new set of rules on its largest, most popular class.
That can lead to some passengers not knowing they need to make show reservations before boarding and not being able to see some of the most popular entertainment. Many performances have high no-shows, so people may be able to walk in, but it’s much harder to plan the day when you have to wait to get in instead of knowing you have a seat.
Royal Caribbean also has two systems for making reservations for special meals. Guests booking individual dining experiences can reserve and pay for them in the company’s app before their cruise. Anyone booking a multi-night dining package must wait until they are on board to make those reservations.
That could lead to someone spending the money to purchase a multi-night or even unlimited dining package and not being able to book popular restaurants like Wonderland or the new Mason Jar restaurant on Wonder of the Seas.
Now, the cruise line plans to change that policy and offer people who purchase dining packages the opportunity to make reservations before boarding.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
Royal Caribbean makes dining packages more convenient
While it may seem like a small thing, Royal Caribbean is basically making it easier for people who purchase expensive dining packages on the day of their embarkation. Currently, the cruise line requires people with dining packages to make reservations on board. This is a cumbersome process that involves going to a reservation station available on the Royal Promenade or the reception desk of one of the specialty restaurants.
Once there, if there are people in front of you, the wait can be long. The onboard system uses the ship’s WiFi, which can be slow, and many passengers also slow down the process by being unsure of their options.
For someone who paid for the Ultimate Dining package on a 7-day cruise, they could make seven dinner reservations, plus lunch reservations on sea days. It is not uncommon for the process to take between 15 and 20 minutes and that is without having to wait in line.
Royal Caribbean wants to take that headache out of boarding day and allow passengers to get to the fun part of their vacation faster.
“All meals, including dining packages, will be bookable so guests don’t have to book on the first day. And people who book the dining package will be able to have the same experience as people who book a specialty restaurant.” said Royal Caribbean’Chief. Director of Product Innovation Jay Schneider told Matt Hochberg about real caribbean blog.
The change has not yet taken effect, but Schneider said it is likely to happen in January, after the first voyages of the new Icon of the Seas. The system will be implemented across the fleet, although no timetable was given for this.
This will end the strange practice of people who pay for a dining package in advance having to compete with people who make onboard reservations on the day of embarkation and with those who reserve specialty restaurants individually in advance. It levels the playing field for people paying for the most expensive packages.
People who like to plan their cruise while they’re on board the ship (and those who simply don’t know they need advance reservations) will likely be disappointed with the change. Unlike show reservations, dinner reservations rarely open and people who don’t book in advance may be left out.
