Do you use the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner? I’m the queen of worrying so when embarkation day finally arrives I want to grab a cocktail and find a great spot for sail-away. I want to start my vacation! I don’t want to stand in line and read about the various drink packages and dining packages.
Please note that this post has been updated. You can find the new information here.
Welcome to the first post in the Countdown to Cruise series. I’ll share with you my tips to effectively using the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner.
I use the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner to pre-book and pre-pay for everything I can because I HATE coming back to a large credit card bill. And, I hate to stress about it when I could be relaxing. Oh, I also want to save a little money!
Anyone who has been on a cruise knows that as soon as you board there are information tables where you can purchase a drink package, a dining package….a spa package and more! Well, did you know that you can take care of all of that before you board? Enter the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner.
Here are my tips for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner
Book entertainment and dining as soon as possible. Entertainment is typically included in your cruise fare but on the largest ships, you are required to make reservations. If you selected my-time dining you will want to select your preferred time as the most popular times book up fast.
Pre-Cruise Sales in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner!
Roughly 4-5 weeks before your cruise, you will get an email from Royal Caribbean urging you to check out the sale prices in your cruise planner. But, you can access the cruise planner well before this time and check for sales.
I personally like to space out my purchases. For example, we are sailing in March. That means that our final cruise payment was due in early December. I get that paid off (and recovered from Christmas) then start looking for deals in January. Our largest expense is usually our drink package.
Now, being honest, I don’t necessarily save money buying the drink package. But, we usually have a decent amount of onboard credit and, with the sale price, it’s a wash. And, again, I can pre-pay it, saving me from the sticker shock at the end of the cruise. I’ll write a full post covering the drink package soon. So be sure and subscribe if you haven’t already.
update for 2019: Should you purchase the Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage package?
Do You Have Onboard Credit?
If you receive onboard credit from Royal Caribbean as part of your cruise purchase, it will be in your Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner almost immediately. However, we also utilize the Royal Caribbean Visa and redeem points before each cruise for the onboard credit. This credit now appears in the cruise planner (YAY!) but only about 14-30 days out from your sail date. As you can see in the image below, your onboard credit shows at the top of the page near the cart. If you have credit, it will ask you if you would like to utilize it towards any item you add to your cart.
Because I’m so eager to plan, by the time this credit hits our planner, I have already booked our entertainment (no additional fee) and purchased our drink packages. I use this Visa credit to book a specialty dining package and our internet package. My husband needs to be accessible because he’s a business owner, and I need to keep all of you updated!
You can also pre-book excursions, purchase photo packages, trips to the spa, etc. You can plan almost anything in Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner…except reserve pool deck chairs. Darn it!
Heads Up – You will need to “check-out” and pay for these purchases. Making purchases in the Cruise Planner does not go onto your onboard account for you to pay at the end of your cruise. You will get an email confirmation of your purchase. You can print that email and take it with you or print out your purchase history and take it with you…just in case.
Have a Question about the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner?
If something is unclear you can always call or email Royal Caribbean to get clarification. I’m not a phone fan but over the years I’ve submitted several emails looking for clarification. In fact, I just emailed them this week looking for clarification on a particular internet package.
Here is an example question that is a bit of a hot topic. Recently, Royal Caribbean changed its policy on the alcohol package. They now specify that if one adult in a stateroom purchase the alcohol drink packages all adults over 21 in the same stateroom must also purchase the package. (Don’t be mad at Royal Caribbean, the other cruise lines already had this rule).
So, if your spouse drinks but you don’t, contact Royal Caribbean and ask them if there are exceptions to this new rule. By the way, yes, there are many. Don’t be afraid to ask a question.
You can also ask me! Connect with me on Facebook or Instagram.
Do You Have a Special Need or Request?
Staying on the topic of contacting Royal Caribbean. I want to quickly share a tip I learned from listening to Matt on the RoyalCaribbeanblog podcast. Thanks, Matt!
If you have a special need during your cruise. If you have a health issue or severe allergy, send a note to Royal Caribbean. For example, if you utilize a breathing machine and let Royal Caribbean know, they will provide you with an extension cord and distilled water at no charge.
Email special_needs@rccl.com – include your reservation number, cabin number, ship name sailing dates and, of course, your need. You will receive an automated response and then a complete response within 2 days (in my experience). If your special need is in regards to a food allergy be sure and discuss it with the dining staff as well.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner – My Calendar
Once you’ve finished planning you can view My Calendar. This is a great way to double check the plans you made in the Cruise Planner. You can modify your selections in My Calendar. Your port times are also listed here which I think is very handy.
Have a question about the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner?
Comment below or join our community on your favorite social. I would love to help. Be sure to check out my other cruise related posts here.