If you're planning a cruise with Royal Caribbean, one essential item you'll be introduced to is the SeaPass card.
Your seapass card is your primary tool for navigating life on the ship, acting as both your room key and your onboard credit card.
Here's a quick guide to help you understand everything about the SeaPass card and how to make the most of it during your cruise.
What is the SeaPass Card?
The SeaPass card is a multifunctional card issued to every guest aboard Royal Caribbean cruises. It serves several important purposes:
Room Key: Your SeaPass card will open your cabin door.
Onboard Charge Card: Whether you're buying a cocktail, booking an excursion, or picking up a souvenir, the SeaPass card is used for all onboard purchases. It's linked directly to your onboard account, where all charges are billed.
Boarding Pass: The card is used for identification and check-in/check-out each time you disembark and reboard the ship at port.
Access to Services and Areas: For certain areas like the lounges, or adults-only areas, your SeaPass card may be required for entry.
How Do You Get and Use Your SeaPass Card?
Your Seapass will usually be in an envelope next to the door to your stateroom, when the staterooms are made available to guests. This will often be around 1:30 in the afternoon
on embarkation day, though it will vary from ship to ship.
If you are doing back to back sailings your new Seapass card will usually be given to you at the back to back meetup on the turnaround day. If you want to
get off the ship early you may be able to get your new Seapass from Guest Services. You will use your old Seapass card to disembark the ship and the new Seapass
card to embark the ship, for the next sailing. This allows the cruise ship to know that you have left the ship.
Making purchases on your Seapass card
To make purchases, you simply present your card at the point of sale. The charges will automatically be added to your account, which you can monitor through your
cabin's TV or the Royal Caribbean app. It's advisable to keep track of your spending to avoid surprises at the end of your trip.
Managing Your Seapass Card
Keep it Secure: Treat your SeaPass card like a credit card. Keep it safe and report immediately to guest services if it's lost or stolen.
Set Spending Limits: Especially if traveling with children, you can set up spending limits on their cards through guest services.
Link to a Credit Card: For convenience, link your SeaPass card to a credit card at check-in to automate settlement of your final bill.
Benefits of the SeaPass card
The convenience factor of the SeaPass card cannot be overstated. It simplifies your onboard experience, allowing you to enjoy all the amenities of the ship without having
to carry cash or credit cards. Plus, with everything billed to one account, managing your expenses is straightforward and hassle-free.
What is written on your Seapass card
Your Seapass card contains a lot of useful information, including your stateroom number and your muster station. The card DOES NOT include the deck your
stateroom is on, for security reasons, making it difficult for someone who has gained access to your card to enter your stateroom. You can find out more about
what is on your Seapass card on our blog What is on my Seapass card.
What do the different Seapass card colours mean?
You may have noticed that there are different coloured Seapass cards. The colours are used to make it easy for staff members to identify your status or cabin category.
Most Seapass cards are blue, which is the standard colour for regular passengers. Passengers who are Pinnacle Club members in Royal Caribbean's
Crown & Anchor loyalty program will almost always have gold Seapass cards. Other colours will usually
signify the type of suite you are in. The colours can also vary from ship to ship.
Types of Seapass card
There are two types of Seapass cards, RFID cards and magnetic cards. All of Royal Caribbean's newer ships use RFID based seapass cards. This means you just need to tap
your Seapass card on the door lock to your stateroom, on the scanners when disembarking and embarking the ship in port, accessing the casino and more.
Older ships use cards with magnetic strips and you need to insert your Seapass into the door lock for your stateroom to unlock the door.
When embarking and disembarking the ship in ports the ships security will scan the barcode on the back of your Seapass.
On ships with RFID based Seapasses you can usually also use the WOW band as your Seapass. The WOW band is an RFID wrist band, that works in the same way as your Seapass card
Find out more about WOW bands in our blog Royal Caribbean's WOW Band.
Conclusion
The SeaPass card is a cornerstone of the Royal Caribbean experience, designed to make your cruise as enjoyable and hassle-free as possible.
By understanding how it works and how to manage it effectively, you can spend less time worrying about logistics and more time
enjoying your vacation. Happy cruising!
Other Blogs That May Interest You
What is on my Seapass card?
Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society
Royal Caribbean ships series
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