What is the wellness check?

What is Royal Caribbean’s wellness check, and why is it required before your cruise?

The check-in process encompasses a few steps, with the wellness check being the final step.

Royal Caribbean’s app provides an efficient guide to checking in online. Similar to how airlines provide online check-in, you can prepare for your cruise all on the app.

Before your cruise, you can create an account on the app or website, and use your information to prepare for the cruise.

The cruise line heavily emphasizes the importance of completing all the steps of the check-in process before your cruise to make embarkation day as smooth as possible.  No one likes waiting in line, especially if they could get that time back being on the cruise ship.

Read more: 15 Royal Caribbean boarding process tips for a fast embarkation

For guests’ health and safety, the wellness check is one of those steps.

The wellness check involves a series of health questions

Essentially, the wellness check is to ensure you’re not getting on the cruise ship in poor health. 

Unlike the rest of the check-in process, you can only do the wellness check the day before your cruise.

At noon on the day before embarkation day, you will receive a notification from the app to complete the wellness check and answer some required health questions.

Until you complete this questionnaire, a message in the app will read “not yet cleared to board.” All guests must complete these health questions to be allowed to board.

Again, adults can fill in the information for any passenger under 21 years old.

Royal Caribbean’s website states that “It is required that each guest answers the set of questions within 24 hours of arrival at the port for their sailing in order to qualify to board.”

Once you are prompted, open up the app by touching the notification.

The health questions will vary depending on the requirements of the port you’re sailing from. All the COVID-19 specific questions have been removed from the wellness check.

Be sure that you answer these questions accurately—you should be honest and keep in mind that you can’t change your answers after submitting.

Over the years, the exact questions have changed.  When Royal Caribbean restarted sailings in 2021, there were many more questions. Most guests currently report they are being asked the following: 

1. Will you be 23 or more weeks pregnant at any point in your cruise?
2. Have you experiences any of these symptoms within the past 24 hours: Fever Chills, Muscle Aches, Fatigue, Sore Throat, Nasal Congestion, Runny Nose, Cough, Difficulty Breathing, New Loss of, Nausea, Vomiting, or Diarrhea?

You should answer the questions truthfully, as lying about it sets yourself up for disappointment onboard the ship should your condition worsen. Plus, you’re putting others at risk by knowingly being sick and spreading germs.

Once you complete these questions, your wellness check is done!

Simply press submit and you will have access to your SetSail Pass.

From here, you can add it to your Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Pay for quick access on embarkation day.

If you are completing check-in on the Royal Caribbean website, you can print out your Set Sail Pass.

Your SetSail pass is your temporary card until you get your SeaPass on embarkation day. 

Even if you’re not able to add the SetSail Pass to your phone—or the battery dies—the check-in agents will still be able to look up your reservation.

At the cruise terminal, all you need to do is show up and proceed through security.

At the terminal, the gate agent may ask if your answers on the questionnaire are still accurate, or if you’re currently experiencing any cough, fever, or chills.

Either way, you’ve already completed your wellness check by answering the questionnaire on the app.

Will I be denied boarding if I answer “yes” to any of the questions?

If you answer yes to any question, the app will deny your ability to board, but that’s not necessarily the end of the story.

If you accidently selected “yes” and instead of “no”, you can call Royal Caribbean’s Resolutions Department at 1-800-205-9812. Alternatively, you can simply explain your situation when you arrive at the cruise terminal.

If you’re more than 23 weeks pregnant, it’s not safe for you to go on a cruise. Cruise ships don’t have the proper facility to care for a pregnant woman and/or her baby for someone that far along in their pregnancy.