I bought The Key for my upcoming sailing on Harmony 5/1. Enjoy! You get lots of great perks throughout your cruise for the cost of one, inexpensive excursion. Lunch on Day 2 for ships sailing from Seward or Vancouver. Look for signs in the cruise terminal on embarkation day and around the ship, or let a crew member know that you have The Key to take advantage of your benefits. Worth Reading: Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society What You Need to Know. But, (and this is an important one!) But having tried The Key before and after the cruise industry shutdown of 2020/2021, I do not think it is worthwhile for most people simply because the benefits look better on paper than they are in practice. It is suggested that you arrive approximately 30 minutes prior to curtain time to select from amongst the best seats in the house.. All guests over the age of 6 in the same room must purchase The Key. For example, you can surf the waves at FlowRider; race through The Perfect Storm waterslides; zip line; slide on Tidal Wave; climb a rock wall; and, more without waiting in line. or is it only 1 internet device? This benefit doesnt apply to docked ports, or for tendering back to the ship. But, since RCI allows passengers to carry on limited amounts of non-alcoholic drinks and bottled wine (see my post about carrying on beverages for their current rules), you probably wont want to be carrying those around with you all day. You might not be interested in trying the FlowRider at 9 AM, or climbing the rock wall at 5 PMbut those are common times for Key private hours. The Key may be a good choice for someone who is going to buy internet access no matter what, and is sailing on a ship with a lot of shows they want to see. New to Royal Caribbean. A good sit-down breakfast that starts early (6:30am) allowing for an early walk-off. While offerings can change at any time, and usually vary slightly between ships, benefits of the Key Program usually include: As soon as youve boarded the ship, you can proceed to a designated location (usually one of the main dining rooms) and drop off your carry on luggage. . Please Note: The Key may not be available during all sailings, and some amenities/benefits may vary by ship and destination, and may be subject to change without notice. Now, the welcome lunch is in a main dining room with a menu featuring items from Chops Grille. Carry on luggage can be left in the MDR and delivered to cabin. September 2, 2010. nj. A 9am Flowrider time and a 4pm rock wall session are both times of the day where competition for these venues is less to begin with. For a prepaid fee, guest can access benefits that are usually reserved for suite guests or member of Royal Caribbean's loyalty program. Key guests should keep a close eye on their schedules so that they dont miss out on the reserved hours for their favorite activities. Attendants will deliver it directly to your stateroom. If youre thinking about purchasing the program, its a good idea to check around this time because it does tend to sell out. Weve always enjoyed this luncheon. What this means is that hundreds of passengers will be disembarking around the same time after the ship docks. The reserved seating area was in the center of first balcony in the main theater, and in the front of the balcony area in the ice rink theater. During our most recent trip, it was just the two of us, so we were seated with other Key Program guests for the meal. I think with a little bit of footwork, you can get similar results on your own and save money on your cruise vacation. I also agree that its best to eyeball the dedicated security lines as you enter the terminal. There is no priority queue in the ART test area, for Singapore. If one person in a stateroom buys The Key, all other passengers in that stateroom age six and over need to also purchase the program. Welcome lunch with Chops Grille menu can be bought separately at the restaurant or at a different restaurant. When The Key program first launched, RCI limited the passes to 100 passengers per cruise. The Key program was first introduced in 2018, and this package add-on must be purchased prior to boarding via Royal Caribbean. However, some RCI ships have started offering Fast Track boarding when returning to the ship, and Key members are eligible. As a Key Guest, you will enjoy the option of a block of reserved times at certain attractions. An attendant will place a special luggage tag with your stateroom number on it to make sure it gets placed in your room. Not speaking from experience, but according to Royal's website, it gives you "priority access to the terminal within booked arrival time". We definitely feel like the other benefits of reserved hours at attractions, reserved seating for shows, and the priority access at the terminal are without a doubt worth the additional $18. You can def check in later, though, whatever you prefer. Join Sean and S. While not quite on par with a dining experience youll get in one of the specialty restaurants on board the ship, the food was definitely better than anything we found at the buffet or in the main dining room during our cruise. One thing I wonder about with The Key. Whether you need to communicate with home or you just want to use social media while youre onboard, its pretty likely that youre going to purchase an internet package during your cruise. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. On disembarkation day, Key members can enjoy an exclusive breakfast in the main dining room before leaving the ship. On the Cruise Critic boards, people have reported paying between $19.99 to $29.99 and even up to $37 per day for each. Holding at $35.99 for our upcoming 6 night! yes, it's 1 device per key so yes, your wife will get to access 1 internet device and you will be able access 1 internet device. Can anyone tell me if I purchase The Key for both myself and my wife, do we get two internet devices, 1 per person? Some of the updated information had changed, like the location of our welcome lunch, but other instructions were just flat out incorrect. Not sure if even the most vocal supporters of the VIP pass would say it makes sense financially at that price. There's no point arriving at the cruise centre ahead of your boarding time, because you can't board until your official time slot. Key guests still have to make their way to the port terminal and through security just like everyone else. To many passengers, one of the most popular perks included in Royal Caribbean The Key program is WiFi. Also, you should be able to see when and how often the locations are reserved for Key Guests. Does this mean that it doesn't matter what our boarding time we get when we check in? In order to be a Key Guest, anyone over the age of six in your stateroom must buy this benefits package. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to bea useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. 2K views, 27 likes, 7 loves, 18 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Dbstvstlucia: DBS MORNING SHOW & OBITUARIES 25TH APRIL 2023 APRIL 2023 No. This Surf + Steam VOOM would be the other reason why you would get the Key for your next cruise. Learn about these types of VIP benefits for your specific ship in the welcome letter, which you will receive when boarding. We are so excited . At tender ports, where the ship ferries passengers to shore using smaller boats, Key members can take advantage of priority boarding when going ashore. To help us break down the real cost of the Key, for simple math lets pretend youre a party of two going on a four day/three night cruise. My family is headed out on Oasis in June 2023. On 3/5/2022 at 10:58 PM, brillohead said: 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. Cruisers looking to skip the long lines, especially for tender ports, might get a lot of value out of the package. Video: Is Royal Caribbean's The Key worth it? Key guests are asked to be at the terminal early, so as not to miss the embarkation lunch. Many benefits can be obtained in a different way, but without having to spend extra for it. By So I cancelled the Voom and purchased The Key. I haven't seen the Key on sale in months for any of the sailings. On the other hand, the only time I say its totally okay to arrive super early to port is if you have one of the first check-in times. But some Freedom Class ships that I've sailed on did just that. Frankly, you will probably get through quicker in a regular line than the Key line. We then headed to The Key waiting area. If you notice that your card doesnt have the decal, visit the Guest Services desk on board and they can attach the sticker. ill try it again when things get full again. Select from chef-prepared VIP Key favorite dishes, egg and griddle creations, several sides, cereals or continental choices. The first boarding slot is at 2 p.m, and it disappears before you know it. There are only a certain number of days and many fun things to do on board the ship and, standing in line is certainly not one of them! Lets go through the individual perks and see how they might translate into saving time and money, opening access and increasing your enjoyment during your cruise vacation. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. Henderson Nv. That is why this is our first stop). We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. These extra benefits generally fall into the categories of saving money or time, exclusive access, or to create a sense of VIP status. But, given that many of the Key perks are also shared by suite and elite loyalty members, they might adjust the number of passes based on how many of those passengers plan on sailing. Upload or insert images from URL. Don't forget you have to buy The Key for all guests in the room over the age of 6, whether they will use all the benefits or not. All opinions are our own, and all costs were paid out of our pocket for this experience. Cruisers who have reached Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club status in RCIs Crown & Anchor Society also already get many of these perks as well. (Be aware that some of the most popular spots may only be reserved for Key Guests a couple of times during your itinerary). It can be purchased online or via the app when you book your cruise (or added later). Or is the only benefit: priority embarkation mean you have your own line to enter terminal as opposed to the masses. Priority departure at ports where a tender is required ship-to-shore, A la carte breakfast and choice departure time on debarkation day. The menu featured everything from an Express Breakfast for those in a hurry to Steak and Eggs for those who want to take a leisurely approach to their last meal onboard. For a prepaid fee, guest can access benefits that are usually reserved for suite guests or member of Royal Caribbeans loyalty program. The price of The Key varies, and starts at $25.99 per day, per person, although there can be discounts available to bring that price down. Were giving you our detail, unbiased feedback about what the program is and how it works for the average traveler. EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Tip: Be sure to still make reservations for shows in advance and arrive at least 15 minutes before showtime. It is satellite-based and works throughout the ship. Kids in the 6-10 age range (despite how much they use their tablets at home) probably wont be online too much on a cruise. Carryon has the things I absolutely need to survive just in case my other portered luggage goes swimming, or on a different ship than me for some reason. I'd want to keep that stuff with me. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Posted 1 hour ago. The Key was something I've always purchased because I highly value these benefits: Either The Key used to include a 25% discount for specialty dining reservations --or maybe it was just some ships would add that as a benefit to boost dining sales-- but I haven't seen that in awhile. In addition, your SeaPass card will have a special sticker to easily identify yourself as having The Key. This inclusion also offers us the opportunity to do a bit of price comparison with some simple math. Your bags will be tagged and whisked away into your stateroom (rather than left in the hallway hours later). The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. I really hope you didn't buy The Key just for the. Elite loyalty members also board the ship before Key members, so they still have higher-priority access to the ship to get their vacation started early. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Carrie Ann is the founder of Should Be Cruising and a lifelong travel fanatic. I thought "The Key" (now VIP Pass) was a nice option. Price The cost of The Key can vary from ship to ship, as well as itinerary. Im so glad youre here! You could book the cheapest inside guarantee stateroom, but have access to lots of the benefits that suite and high-level loyalty members enjoy. You cannot paste images directly. * Carry-on bag drop off with delivery to your stateroom. I would also argue both attractions on Odyssey of the Seas with special times for guests with The Key have a limited appeal than other activities where it would be far more useful. If . Once you've done these things, sit back and enjoy your cruise! The Key is an optional add-on anyone can purchase for their Royal Caribbean cruise that includes special access and perks. If no one offers this service, be sure to ask! The first stop you will make is to a designated drop-off room for your carry-on luggage (usually in the Main Dining Room). It is built around the. A premium section of each of the larger venues on each ship is reserved for The Key, loyalty club members and suite passengers. On the flip side, you should always keep in mind that these benefits are subject to change at any time, and frequently do for any number of reasons. In my experience, I found the benefits sound a lot better on the surface than they really are. The Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, which departed from Brisbane two weeks ago, halted its course after the incident. One thing I wonder about with The Key. This can pose a problem if youre meeting a self-booked tour (or if you just have lots of things you wanted to see and do in port). I really hope you didn't buy The Key just for the earlier boarding time it's really not worth the money, IMO, unless the price for The Key was within a dollar or two of the price for Voom. No sense dropping off your carry on if you board after the rooms are available. (Bring your receipt, just in case). Its best to scope out the entrance to see if there is a dedicated Key line. We ended up having to confirm at the front desk that reservations for shows were not necessary for this sailing. Ultimately, the value of this program is subjective. ", https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-key-program. It is not like the drinks package or an excursion where you can just add it once youre onboard. Internet access on Royal Caribbean is not cheap, and if you were already going to buy a wifi package, sometimes the additional cost to get The Key is not much more. You aren't cheating the system, you are the earliest boarding time. With capacity limitations lately theres no lines. As for food, c'mon.its a cruise.you are not going to starve. In the past she said they had a line just . Should Be Cruising is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The food is scrumptious and included in the price of The Key. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Rockaway NY,Sonoma County,Ca. We had it in January because it wasn't too much more expensive than the internet and we enjoyed having it. Some ports may have The Key folks enter the same place as the suites.