FAQ

Cruise Is Coming!

I want to go! How do I book my cruise?  

Click on the Booking menu at the top of this page for prices, itinerary and a link to the booking website.  If you’d prefer to call, our cruise Account Executive: Chappy is extremely helpful and will take care of all your booking needs.  If Chappy is on vacation, please hit 0 when his out of office message starts and you will be transferred to the group coordinator.  Our group number is #9924548. A full deposit of $100.00/per person is required at booking time. 

Ronald “Chappy” Chapman
Group Account Executive
Cruises Only
cchapman@wth.com
888-969-4768 Option 1 Ext 77308
www.cruisesonly.com
Monday -Friday 9am-6pm

How much will this cost?

Costs start at $666.71 per person for an interior cabin, going up to $1,076.71 for an exterior cabin with a balcony. For cabins in-between these categories, go to the booking site!

What if I want to add a 3rd or 4th person, or book a Suite?

Contact Chappy at Cruises Only. See below for his contact information. Third or fourth person bookings and suites require a full deposit at time of booking.  ($500 per room). 

Ronald “Chappy” Chapman
Group Account Executive
Cruises Only
cchapman@wth.com
888-969-4768 Option 1 Ext 77308
www.cruisesonly.com
Monday – Friday 9am-6pm

Can I book as a solo traveler? 

Yes – solo travel requires full payment for the room (per person rate x 2) but taxes and gratuities are only paid on one person instead of 2.   If booking on the website, enter your name twice to reserve as a solo traveler.

Can I book directly with Royal Caribbean or another agent? 

No.  The group booking from Cruises Only is a great deal (we comparison shopped!) and includes the roll up of all fees which you may not see directly on RC’s site and is a refundable fare – most sale fares are non-refundable.  Bookings made other than through Cruises Only will not count towards our group minimum and none of the group perks, seating or events will apply –  we can only offer Ingress at Sea participation to those who book through the group  #9924548 through Cruises Only. 

Can I still book after 12/31?

Yes!   The deposit per person will increase, but bookings can still be made via Cruises Only until the ship is sold out.  Cabin prices are subject to potential increases if booked after 12/31.

What is Ingress at Sea?

Ingress at Sea is a privately organized event — we are not currently sponsored by Niantic. Stay tuned, and we’ll let you know if that changes, but please do not count on a badge this year.

We will produce a banner mission as we did last year, though!  

What about accessibility?

The Ingress at Sea team will insure our banner is safely accessible for those with low mobility.

Why do I need to make sure i’m back on time?

If you are not back on time, the ship WILL LEAVE WITHOUT YOU.  This is not a joke. There are runners on every cruise ship, and we don’t want to leave any Ingressor’s behind!    

We’ll make sure there are missions available prior to departure as well so that you can get a head start if you’d rather relax on a beach while cruising.  

Is this X-Fac?

Yes – like any mission day the cruise is open to all agents, Enlightened and Resistance.  

Will there be a portal at sea? What about Sojourner?  

There will not be a portal at sea, and Niantic is not committed to preserving your Sojourner badge. This is an unofficial event.

What will I do on Ingress at Sea?

We’ll have a reserved conference room safe for board games.  Bring your favorites and geek out with friends or frenemies and learn some new games.  Karaoke! Swim! See a show! Hang out at the English Pub or night club! You can even go ice skating and rock climbing!   And when you’re not at sea, explore the super cool ports of San Juan, Bonaire, Aruba, and Curacao!  Uniques, missions, and history!

Have an idea on something you think would be fun to do on cruise, or want to volunteer to help? Contact @dayosteph on TG with your ideas!

What is included in the cruise price?

Included in the cost of your cabin are all meals (unless you decide to go to a specialty restaurant) tea, plain coffee, non bottled water and fruit punch/lemonade.  It also includes all on-board entertainment except for casino spending and specialty tours/excursions, and spa treatments. There will also be a $100 per stateroom on board credit provided, and we’re having our own private 1 hour cocktail party!

What about Currency?

Coming soon!

Will I need to spend money on food in a specialty restaurant?  

Not unless you want to.  The food on Royal Caribbean is very good – it’s one of the reasons we decided to partner with them.  There will be an upscale Japanese, Steak, and Italian restaurant on board than can be booked for an additional $15-30$ pp, but you will be able to get steak, fish (and usually lobster at least one night) in the main dining room at no additional cost.   You will also have free run of the snack buffets, sandwich nooks, and treats spread around the ship.

Will they cater to my allergies/dietary intolerance/vegetarian requirements?

YES! Royal Caribbean is fantastic at ensuring their guests have enjoyable food to eat and respecting food allergies.  Please make it easier for them to accommodate you by completing your cruise check in early and requesting any specific accommodations you would like.

Which seating will we dine in?

There are two main dining room seatings for formal dinner.  You are not required to eat in the formal dining room if you would prefer to go to the buffet.  All Ingress at Sea participants will be booked into the late seating and will be seated together unless requested otherwise at time of booking.

What is not included in the cruise price?  

All soda, bottled or sparkling water, alcohol, and “fancy” coffees are extra.    It is possible to purchase all inclusive alcohol or soda packages at Royal Caribbean’s current rate, and they often have sales on beverage packages prior to boarding.     

You are also expected (although technically optional) to provide a gratuity to your service staff (seriously, these folks work really really hard for you and deserve every penny), which can be prepaid or paid on a credit card during the cruise, which typically averages ~$14/day per person total unless you decide to add more.  

For information on beverage packages including all inclusive booze – click the link below:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/experience/beverage-packages

All costs per room are per person, not per stateroom.  

What is the deal with Excursions?

Excursions are optional trips while at port.  While you can book independent tours, and we are looking at what might make sense for missions, I highly recommend booking tours through the Royal Caribbean website.  Their tour operators are all licensed and vetted and will ensure you get back to the boat on time. You do not want to get left behind! Excursions include trips to the Mayan ruins, snorkeling expeditions, beach parties, tour bus cruises of historic towns, scuba, and more! There are tons of things to fit every interest and activity level.   Excursions can cost anywhere from 24-200$ pp depending on the length and activity involved.   There is no cost to get off the ship in any port – feel free to explore on your own if Excursions aren’t your thing – just be back to the ship on time!

Do I need to get myself to San Juan?

Yes! All transportation to and from the cruise ship are at your own expense.  

Will I need a passport?

Yes 

What else do I need to budget for?

Transportation, excursions (see info above),  alcohol, and any souvenirs. Expect on board drink prices to be about the same as an anomaly hotel: $6-$12 dollars, and wine at the corresponding markup per bottle.  

Gratuities can be prepaid with your cruise fare. Otherwise they are auto-billed at $14.50 per day to your seapass card as mentioned above.

Royal Caribbean does not allow guests to bring any hard alcohol or beer on board for consumption (although you can buy it at port for return to the US and they will hold it for you until the last night).  Guests may bring 2 750 ml bottles of personal wine or champagne per voyage per statement for special occasion use.  https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-alcohol-guest-policy

Internet access – Most large American carriers offer an int’l pass that allows you to carry over your data while traveling for ~10ish per day.  This may not work while on the water at sea. Royal Caribbean offers a number of internet packages.  RC’s internet policy is available here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/connect-onboard-internet-wifi

My advice is to budget yourself ahead of time!  The set sail pass can make it easy to rack up unexpected expenses as you will need to assign either a cash deposit or a corresponding credit card on board – and the rest of the cruise will be cashless.

What do I do if I need to bring a CPAP/Medical Device on board?

1) Make SURE you tell Chappy (or if you haven’t booked yet, put it in the special accommodations request) that you are bringing a CPAP machine. 2) Bring your own power strip/extension cord. 3) RC will provide distilled water and an extension cord. (the group person said that power cords are not explicitly prohibited so bring yours, but it’s good to ask for them to provide one as back up. If yours gets confiscated it will be returned to you at the end of the cruise).  Make sure that this is noted in special accommodation requests otherwise RC will not know to plan for more cords and will not have distilled water in your room.

How old do I need to be?

You must be 21 to cruise by yourself unless traveling with a parent or legal guardian.

What if I want to go and I have kids?

Bring them along as long as you follow RC’s age policy which can be found here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/international-age-policy

Royal Caribbean offers several kid-entertainment options, giving mom or dad a chance to hang out with their Ingress pals.  

When should I plan on arriving?

I recommend arrival the day before the cruise departs – (Nov 14 arrival for Nov 15 departure) as flight delays happen.  If you are not there at boarding time the boat will leave without you. Enjoy your vacation, don’t be stressed, get some missions under your belt, and come in early if you can.  

Will there be a designated hotel prior to boarding?

No – although I encourage coordination in TG prior to booking and there will be more meetup information to come prior to sailing.  

Will we  have the entire ship?

No – we will be a smallish portion of the cruise population.   You will be ambassadors for your faction and for Ingress and are expected to behave appropriately.   Look at it as a great opportunity to recruit muggles. 🙂

Where can I get more information?  

Mission day at sea telegram:  https://t.me/joinchat/C2LexEaO5nmTwNDiSaQrKQ

Why Royal Caribbean?

They consistently offer nice rooms, excellent food, and a great variety of excursions at a reasonable price.  They also do not close up shop at 8pm like some cruiselines, so your nocturnal game playing and drinking can continue until the wee hours.  (The hot tubs stay open late too!

Who is organizing this, anyway?

Hi! I’m dayosteph, and I’m a Recursed ENL agent from Chicago.   I’m the person who came up with this crazy idea and I’ll be your “cruise director” during the trip.   I’m an experienced cruiser and organizer and can likely answer most cruise questions you might have. You may have met me along with the Anomallama at any number of Ingress events. Helping plan are a fantastic team of ENL and RES Agents including Strandit, cayt, Roselessthorn,  and ClutterCutter.  

Who are Cruises Only?

CruisesOnly is America’s Largest Professional Cruise Agency, They have been around for over twenty years, crafting cruise vacations for groups big and small. CruisesOnly provides booking, email invoicing, payment reminders and a team of cruise specialists who are waiting to take your calls and answer your questions.