Royal Caribbean has some confusing policies that change based on what class of ship you sail on. This can lead to passengers making mistakes and missing out on things they may have wanted to take part 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 you sail on an Oasis-class ship. That's because those ships carry upwards of 5,000 passengers and no venue can accommodate the potential crowds a popular show might draw.
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Passengers on all other classes of Royal Caribbean RCL ships, however, either have to make reservations on board during their cruise or reservations aren't needed. 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 they board and not being able to see some of the most popular entertainment. Many performances do have a lot of no-shows, so people may be able to get in on a walk-up basis, but it's much harder to plan your day when you have to hope you get in rather than knowing you have a seat.
Royal Caribbean also has two systems for making specialty dining reservations. Passengers booking individual meal experiences can book and pay for them in the company's app before their cruise. Anyone who books a multi-night dining package has to wait until they are onboard to book those reservations.
That could lead to someone spending the money to buy a multi-night, or even an unlimited dining package and not being able to book popular eateries 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 buy dining packages the chance to make reservations before they board.
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Royal Caribbean makes dining packages more convenient
While it may seem like a small thing, Royal Caribbean is essentially making it easier for people who buy pricey dining packages on their embarkation day. Currently, the cruise line requires people with dining packages to make reservations onboard. That's a cumbersome process that involves going to either an available reservations station on the Royal Promenade or going to the host desk at one of the specialty restaurants.
Once there, if there are people in front of you it can be a long wait. The onboard system uses ship WiFi, which can be slow, and many passengers also slow down the process by being unsure of their choices.
For someone who has paid for the Ultimate Dining Package on a 7-day cruise, they could be making seven dinner reservations, plus lunch reservations on sea days. It's not uncommon for the process to take 15-20 minutes and that's without having to wait in line.
Royal Caribbean wants to eliminate that embarkment day headache and allow passengers to get to the fun part of their vacation faster.
"All dining, including dining packages will be reservable so that guests don't have to do that on day one. And people who book the dining package can actually have the same experience as people who book a specialty restaurant," Royal Caribbean'Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider told Matt Hochberg of the Royal Caribbean blog.
The change has not gone into effect yet, but Schneider said it's likely to happen in January, after the first sailings of the new Icon of the Seas. The system will be rolled out fleetwide, although no timetable was given for that.
This will end the odd practice of people who pay for a dining package in advance having to compete with people making onboard reservations on embarkation day and those who booked specialty restaurants individually in advance. It levels the playing field for people paying for the highest-priced packages.
People who like to plan their cruise while on the ship (and those who simply don't know they need advance reservations) will likely be disappointed with the change. Unlike show reservations, dining reservations rarely come open and people who don't book ahead may get shut out.
