Royal Caribbean Quick Reference
A quick reference guide to cruising with Royal Caribbean.
Cruise Documents: Normally, guest cruise documents are sent to you or your travel agent 20-50 days prior to sailing, assuming your reservation is finalized and your payments have been made. Valid passports and visas (when needed) are required. Guests who do not possess the proper documentation may be prevented from boarding their flight or ship or from entering a country and may be subject to fines. No refunds will be given to individuals who fail to bring proper documentation.
It is the sole responsibility of the guest to identify and obtain all required travel documents and have them available when necessary. These appropriate valid travel documents such as passports, visas, inoculation certificate and family legal documents are required for boarding and re-entry into the United States and other countries.
Embarking / Disembarking: Boarding time may vary by itinerary. Guests should check documents for specific times. Airport transfers can be purchased separately for cruise-only guests. This service is called Royal Connections. Guests cannot end their cruise vacations at a port other than the final port listed on their itineraries. Parents or guardians must not permit any guest in their care under age 18 from leaving a ship in any port without responsible adult supervision.
Air Arrangements through Royal Caribbean: Guests from some cities may be required to travel on "red-eye" flights or arrive the day before sailing. Alternate airports may be used for various departure ports, e.g., Fort Lauderdale or Miami; Newark, LaGuardia or JFK; Seattle or Vancouver. Guests may be required to make connections with different airlines. Royal Caribbean's standard air arrangements do not include making seat assignments. Seat assignments must be coordinated directly with the airline. Standard air schedules are available at 60 days prior to the sailing. It is the guests responsibility to reconfirm flights prior to departure.
Crown & Anchor Society: Make sure you include the Crown & Anchor Society number with your reservation to ensure you receive the many valuable benefits. Crown & Anchor Society members receive exclusive invitations to unforgettable member cruises; a subscription to Crown & Anchor magazine and a newly enhanced Crown & Anchor members-only section of Royal Caribbean's website featuring members-only news.
Dining: Guests will be assigned a table based on their preferred seating time as available. Guests can request to sit with friends and change table assignments, depending on availability. Royal Caribbean cannot confirm table sizes, table number, level of seating, or location of table, before the sailing date. The guests' SeaPass Card will denote the table number and seating time. There is now a service fee of $7.95 USD for Birthday, Anniversary and Special Occasion Cakes fleet-wide on Royal Caribbean Int'l ships. Royal Caribbean will be rolling out a service charge of $3.95 at the Johnny Rockets dining venues on all of its Voyager-class ships.
Soda Package - $4 USD per person, per day for Young Cruisers 17 years of age and younger and $6 USD per person, per day for Adult Cruisers 18 years of age and older.
Alcohol Policy: The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on all Royal Caribbean International ships is 21. Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages onboard for consumption or any other use. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports of call or from onboard shops will be stored by the ship and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the sailing.
Gambling Policy: Guests eighteen (18) years of age and older are welcome to play in the casinos (for all Alaska sailings, guests must be 21 years of age in order to play in the casinos).
Babysitting: Group sitting is available on all ships and is supervised by the youth staff. The service is offered from 10:00 p.m - 1:00 a.m. each evening in the youth facilities. Note: Children must be three years of age, toilet trained, and pull-up diaper free to participate in the program or enter the facilities. There are no exceptions. Children fully toilet trained and pull-up diaper free are able to utilize all pools and whirlpools onboard. The rate is $5 USD per hour per child. (Prices are subject to change).
In-stateroom sitting must be booked through the Purser's/Guest Relations Desk at least 24 hours in advance. It cannot be booked prior to the cruise vacation, and there is no guarantee that sitters will be available. The service is offered from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Children must be at least one year old. Approximate rate: $8 USD per hour for one or two children within the same family or $10 USD per hour for three children within the same family. (Prices are subject to change).
ATM machines: All ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet have ATM machines. There is a transaction fee up to $5.50 plus any other fees the guests financial institution would charge.
Safes/Safety Deposit Boxes: There are safes in each of the staterooms and safety deposit boxes are available at the Guest Relations/Purser's Desk for free. If a key is lost, the charge is $25 USD.
Holidays: There are special meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a party on New Year’s Eve. There may be interdenominational services available on some sailings. On Passover, Easter, Christmas and Hanukkah (when it coincides with Christmas), there will be interdenominational services available.
Smoking Policy: Smoking is not permitted except in designated areas. Cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco must be properly disposed of and never thrown overboard. A guest must be at least 18 years of age to purchase, possess or use tobacco onboard. On Alaska Cruisetours, smoking is not permitted on motorcoaches or inside traincars. On Canadian Rockies Cruisetours, smoking is not permitted on motorcoaches or anywhere on the traincars.
