A Little Less "In Line" and a Little More "Cruise Line"
July 22, 2005
Boarding your cruise ship and heading to an exotic destination just got a whole lot easier and faster. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have always provided an efficient check-in process at the pier, but now with the advent of the companies' new online cruise check-in system, passengers will be able to go through the process with even more expediency.
Dubbed "Set Sail" for Royal Caribbean International and "Xpress Pass" for Celebrity Cruises, the online check-in process will allow passengers to spend a less amount of time in line before getting onboard the ship. "By averting the need to complete paperwork at the pier or while in line, we're reducing the time involved at the pier from an average of three to four minutes to an average of 30 seconds per guest," said Juan Trescastro, Associate VP for Guest Port Services. When you have 2,000 people boarding a single ship, that is a significant increase in efficiency in getting people to their ship and first destination.
As for now, the only ships in the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity fleets that offer online check-ins are the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas and the Celebrity Zenith. However, the company expects that the online program capabilities will be up and running for every ship in both fleets by September.
By spending just a few minutes at home on the computer before getting to the pier, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity passengers will be able to start the process of boarding by filling their boarding documents, immigration forms, onboard account information, and ticket contracts from the comfort of their lazy boys rather than in line with heavy suitcases. Surely, the system will prove popular with guests eager to begin their vacations.
"This is a truly innovative development, basically making the web our 'virtual check-in agent,'" said Trescastro. What effect the more efficient check-in process will have on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity cruise fares, however, remains to be seen. Certainly, one could hypothesize that the need for less paperwork and man-hours could result in lower fares. But the actual reality may be different, so customers shouldn't hold their breath. In fact, the prices through cruise lines have been increasing within the last several years. However, even if the new system does not result in passengers saving money on their tickets, it will at least allow them to have more time onboard the ship. (Hey! - There's a lot you can get done in 3 1/2 minutes!)
Still, for those who wish to save even more time, Cruise Network allows you to complete your embarkation forms online in advance, right over our internet site. That way, you can visit our site for the great value, service, and prices, and end up saving time in the process. You don't even have to have had made your reservations through Cruise Network; whether you booked your cruise directly through a cruise line or even through another cruise travel agency, Cruise Network offers you an efficient way to fill out your embarkation forms in advance. Just click on the "Embarkation Forms" link on www.cruisenetwork.com and you're on your way!
