A Few Empress Questions

Hello,

We leave for our cruise on Empress in about 3 days. I have a couple of Empress / General Royal Caribbean questions (I haven't been on Royal in a very long time). If anybody can answer them, that would be great :)

1) Will Empress have hairdryers in the stateroom?

2) We got an email saying that we should arrive at the port between 1-2. Our flight lands at 9:30AM into FLL, so I expect to be at the terminal around 11-11:15 AM. Will I be turned away? Are they strict with this?

3) How many American AND European outlets are in the cabin? Is there a secret one in the bathroom?

4) What time will the stateroom be ready on boarding day?

5) How can I request to be in one of the first groups to disembark? I have a semi-early flight and I want to make sure I make it in time.

6) How does the tendering process work for Royal Caribbean / Empress? Do we need "tender tickets?"

7) A Weird Question: Should we pack a small stapler into our bag so we can staple our luggage tags onto our bags once we get them in baggage claim? I would staple them before but I am worried that they would get lost or ripped off in transit.

Thank you so much in advance!

I can help with some questions.

Check-in times are suggestions, and have not been enforced in US ports.

Staterooms are usually ready around 1pm.

See Guest Services about getting an early disembarkation time.

Those boarding times are suggestions..ignore them. You will have a hairdryer, but they suck...bring your own, unless you have thin, short or NO hair!

I just saw some pics of a friend in a JS on Empress today and they had USB outlets in the bed side lamps in the wall (underneath) to charge phones etc. Outlets in the bathrooms in Royal ships are limited to shavers. They are not regular outlets. Otherwise in a regular cabin probably just one or two US and euro outlets.

For disembark you can do self assist. They are the first off but you carry your own bags (don't put them out the night before).

You will have a hair dryer in the drawer of the vanity.

On a ship her size, no tender tickets. If you have a ship booked early excursion you might get instructions for a special time.

Have fun.

Thanks for all of the information everybody! I greatly appreciate it :D

No one addressed your stapler question. I would take clear packing tape instead. You can cover the luggage tags in tape, and then tape the ends together. That's what I did last time and will do next week.

Enjoy your cruise!

Better than carrying either a stapler OR a roll of packing tape..........

Buy these:

https://www.amazon.com/Cruise-Luggage-Holder-Seal-Steel/dp/B01E4SQNU4/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1469802991&sr=1-1&nodeID=9479199011&keywords=luggage+tags+royal+caribbean

7) A Weird Question: Should we pack a small stapler into our bag so we can staple our luggage tags onto our bags once we get them in baggage claim? I would staple them before but I am worried that they would get lost or ripped off in transit.

You could also get luggage tags when you check in at the port.

Merion, that is great! Thank you!

Better than carrying either a stapler OR a roll of packing tape..........

 

Buy these:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cruise-Luggage-Holder-Seal-Steel/dp/B01E4SQNU4/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1469802991&sr=1-1&nodeID=9479199011&keywords=luggage+tags+royal+caribbean

 

 

You can always just print out and attach the tags before you even leave.

Or let the porters take care of it for you at the pier.

The Amazon tags are the easiest and best. IMHO

I love my tag holders but they are only the right size for RCI so I use the packing tape if I cruise another line and it works nicely.

I also have Empress questions prior to my September sailing. Is there a 'promenade" deck for walking? And other than the pool deck where are there deck chairs to sit and relax? We will be on deck 4 for this cruise as this was the only available accessible cabin when we booked. Not having a balcony is going to be very different and I feel we will need to be able to get out often.

I love my tag holders but they are only the right size for RCI so I use the packing tape if I cruise another line and it works nicely.

 

I also have Empress questions prior to my September sailing. Is there a 'promenade" deck for walking? And other than the pool deck where are there deck chairs to sit and relax? We will be on deck 4 for this cruise as this was the only available accessible cabin when we booked. Not having a balcony is going to be very different and I feel we will need to be able to get out often.

Just off Empress- Deck 6 goes all the way around with no obstructions. We walked there almost every day. There are also chairs there - not a ton, but enough- to sit on OUT of the SUN! We sat there many afternoons after having enough time in the sun. It was lovely with the breeze and our book or drink !

We also weren't in our cabin much - deck 8- as it was just a window view -

Enjoy your cruise- we had a nice time -

Thanks DENNAS. We are really looking forward to the smaller ship experience and glad to know there will be good options. Also nice to hear more positive feedback about Empress.

Thanks DENNAS. We are really looking forward to the smaller ship experience and glad to know there will be good options. Also nice to hear more positive feedback about Empress.

You're welcome.

Few items of note-

1.) Windjammer always crowded/ tough to navigate- Food options there not huge or varied but not horrible. Wish they had pizza. Never found pizza all 5 days we were on board. Around 11 at night when we stopped up there for coffee and a snack they had the same options every day- It got old-

2.) Still no air in the casino. But it wasn't horrible and they had machines blowing some kind of cool air -

3.)Someone on CC mentioned you get a free glass of wine the last night in MDR- nope. Didn't get offered.

4.) CHOPS night one was great. We loved it and got a buy 2 get 1 free. It was offered upon boarding the ship- we were very pleased.

5.) Pool is ridiculously small- never went in. It was so crowded.

6.) RCCL singers and dancers just ok. Nothing spectacular but I understand everyone has their own opinions on the shows. I love NY theatre so I'm a tough critic when it comes to ship shows.

7.) Food in main dining room pretty good! Enjoyed it- again - I know that is subjective .

Have fun when you go-

All good info! Thanks again..very much looking forward to sailing.

I love my tag holders but they are only the right size for RCI so I use the packing tape if I cruise another line and it works nicely.

 

I also have Empress questions prior to my September sailing. Is there a 'promenade" deck for walking? And other than the pool deck where are there deck chairs to sit and relax? We will be on deck 4 for this cruise as this was the only available accessible cabin when we booked. Not having a balcony is going to be very different and I feel we will need to be able to get out often.

For the other size cruise tags you can buy them in the Cruise Critic store. They have 2 sizes, we have both so we are covered for any cruise line.