"Check In Process" Questions

[wdwfamily]

Hi Folks,

 

DH and I are booked on a chartered cruise through BJ's on RCCL Jewell. Today I was looking over the documents and followed the links to "pre-register". When I couldn't get it to log into the RC site, I called them and I'm trying to decide if they just have no clue, if they do have a clue and this is how a chartered cruise works or if we made a mistake doing a chartered cruise (which we did only because it was a good date and sailing out of a port we can drive to).

 

What I was told is that because it is a charter you can't check in online and that the travel documents we receive in the mail will have a paper that we fill out to satisfy the Homeland Security portion and we would then present that paper at the pier.

 

I'm thinking that doesn't make sense because with potentially 2500 passengers that would create long check in lines. I was told that "many" people don't have computers so they have to check in this way all the time and it never causes a problem.

 

Also, without being able to log into the RC site, we aren't able to book excursions....it doesn't sound right that they want us to wait until we are onboard to book those.

 

Any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated ;)

[pmshirl]

I have never done a chartered cruise. After reading some of the threads from people that did, your online check-in problem,may be minor to the problems you run into with a chartered Cruise!:mad:

 

I do know when you do B2B (back to back) cruises, you have the same problem with the online check-in. I always have to keep my reservations seperate and not link them as a B2B , so that I can do my on-line check in. It has to do with how the reservation numbers are linked! This may be the same case with a chartered Cruise.

 

Good Luck!

[floridacruiser63]

Hi Folks,

 

DH and I are booked on a chartered cruise through BJ's on RCCL Jewell. Today I was looking over the documents and followed the links to "pre-register". When I couldn't get it to log into the RC site, I called them and I'm trying to decide if they just have no clue, if they do have a clue and this is how a chartered cruise works or if we made a mistake doing a chartered cruise (which we did only because it was a good date and sailing out of a port we can drive to).

 

What I was told is that because it is a charter you can't check in online and that the travel documents we receive in the mail will have a paper that we fill out to satisfy the Homeland Security portion and we would then present that paper at the pier.

 

I'm thinking that doesn't make sense because with potentially 2500 passengers that would create long check in lines. I was told that "many" people don't have computers so they have to check in this way all the time and it never causes a problem.

 

Also, without being able to log into the RC site, we aren't able to book excursions....it doesn't sound right that they want us to wait until we are onboard to book those.

 

Any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated ;)

 

Why don't you call RCCL customer service directly and just ask them?

Their customer service # should be in their website.

Good Luck and have fun. :D

[wdwfamily]

Why don't you call RCCL customer service directly and just ask them?

Their customer service # should be in their website.

Good Luck and have fun. :D

 

I already have spoken with them but because it is a chartered cruise they don't have any information available to me. They said I had to go back to BJ's as they are the ones that "own" this particular cruise.

[wdwfamily]

I have never done a chartered cruise. After reading some of the threads from people that did, your online check-in problem,may be minor to the problems you run into with a chartered Cruise!:mad:

 

hmmm....haven't read anything myself and actually posted a message a month or so ago when I first booked it an no one had anything negative to add to it. I'll have to do some digging.:confused:

[buckanear]

I'm thinking that doesn't make sense because with potentially 2500 passengers that would create long check in lines. I was told that "many" people don't have computers so they have to check in this way all the time and it never causes a problem.

 

Also, without being able to log into the RC site, we aren't able to book excursions....it doesn't sound right that they want us to wait until we are onboard to book those.

 

Any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated ;)

 

We check-in people all the time with no setsail (online check-in). It's just a matter of entering in the emergency contact number and verifying that everything is filled out. It adds less than a minute to the check-in process as long as the paperwork is filled out in advance.

 

This cruise is basically a BJ's cruise. RCI is only responsible for providing the ship and crew. The organization is more than likely responsible for arranging excursions and therefore, RCI doesn't have that info.

[wdwfamily]

We check-in people all the time with no setsail (online check-in). It's just a matter of entering in the emergency contact number and verifying that everything is filled out. It adds less than a minute to the check-in process as long as the paperwork is filled out in advance.

 

This cruise is basically a BJ's cruise. RCI is only responsible for providing the ship and crew. The organization is more than likely responsible for arranging excursions and therefore, RCI doesn't have that info.

 

Thanks ;) .... I did receive a call back from BJ's and the message that they left was that we'd receive an RCI confirmation number 60 days prior and we could then check in online. I thought something wasn't making sense so it looks like we just got a clueless agent. Even if it was 30 seconds per passenger to do the paperwork at the pier, that is HOURS of extra wait time so I'm glad that we will be able to check in.

 

From what I understand as well, the excursions will be the same as the ones offered for "non" chartered cruises an we will be able to book those as well 60 days prior.

 

In your opinion, is there a big difference between a chartered and non chartered on RCI?

[buckanear]

It seems like it would take a long time, but it really doesn't. When everyone has their documents pre-filled, it's about the same as with the setsails. This week we had a very high rate of people not checked in (less than half had setsails) and we had to do passport verification (standing in line with the purser for at least a minute or two) for everyone except Americans, which wasn't a whole lot of people since it was a trans atlantic repo cruise, and we were down half of our agents and we were still finished by 3:30. That's thirty minutes early.

 

For manual check-in (no setsail) we just have to verify that all the spaces in the documents are filled, which is what we have to do even with setsail, so there's no added time there and typing in an emergency phone number takes just a few seconds and you only do it once per stateroom.

 

Even when we are fully manual, which is when the ship is late (so we don't have computers) or there is technical problem and we can't use them, the extra form to fill out for that is very easy and quick. We had to fill those out one time when the ship was late due to fog and we still kept up our numbers for checking in people per hour.

 

I know everything I just explained is complicated and you'll be able to check-in online so it doesn't matter, but I thought you or someone else might be interested in how it works.

 

As for a difference between the two, I don't think there is much of a difference. Other than the group. They may tailor activities for the group.