The Key Programme COMPLETE Review: Royal Caribbean Cruise's - 2bearbear Erin103 Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Priority boarding either with or right after suite guests. The Key allows you to board at that time, but only if you have a time that is before it. I take that to mean if you have a 12 pm boarding time, you'll "jump ahead" of others with a 12 pm boarding time. If interested in the other perks such as the lunch, internet, and flowrider, or seating at ice rink or aqua show, I personally think its not worth unless it's less expensive then the Chops lunch plus internet. Heres what The Key is (and why some cruisers like it), Royal Caribbean testing VIP guest access program. Tip: Be sure to still make reservations for shows in advance and arrive at least 15 minutes before showtime. Lastly, Ive found that sometimes there are frazzled port workers who may not be familiar with the Key and just wave you into the regular line. You can remove the wristband when you finish the activity, and get a new one latertheres no need to keep the wristband on for your entire cruise. One of the perks is lunch but if we go that late, we would miss that. Frankly, you will probably get through quicker in a regular line than the Key line. Reservations for shows can be made on your own via the Royal Caribbean app. Priority Access could mean a multitude of things. 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. Price The cost of The Key can vary from ship to ship, as well as itinerary. For this reason, you should buy it early since they can sell out for any given itinerary. Passengers with The Key are able to sit in a VIP seating area for many shows, including those in the main theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B, and Two70. I could see the benefit of stuff arriving at room open rather than say 7 pm. No sense dropping off your carry on if you board after the rooms are available. Carry-on luggage drop-off with items delivered inside room usually prior to guest access. September 2, 2010. nj. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. But our sailing wasnt taking reservations for shows at all, so there was lots of confusion among Key Guests about this. The menu features limited selections from Chops Grille. Swimsuit, acceptable dinner clothes for a few nights, acceptable day wear for a few days, and dop kit. We always like to start our reviews by reminding you that we were not compensated in any way to write this piece. It is built around the concept of VIP treatment with exclusive benefits for anyone sailing on all the ships across their fleet. I just don't think you're going to get the bang for your buck that you think you will. Every single night you have a wide range of choices for evening festivities from Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals, ice skating and aqua theater shows, and live concerts. Weve got your full review of these purchased perks so you can decide for yourself if this extra is worth it on your next cruise. Key guests are asked to be at the terminal early, so as not to miss the embarkation lunch. My GF purchased the "key" for each of us. How to Get a Free Casino Cruise on Royal Caribbean Plus Free Perks! Some are ship or itinerary specific; and others are specific to the port of embarkation. Brisbane man missing after falling overboard from Quantum of the Seas After you book a Royal Caribbean cruise and you can access your Cruise Planner, youll see a link to purchase The Key for your cruise. During our first experience with the Key program, we were with a large group and had a table to ourselves. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. Free expert cruise tips and news from Cruise Hive! You'll be able to stream or download movies and music, or make FaceTime or Skype calls on the ship and on RCI's private island CocoCay. Royal Caribbean typically allows cruisers to choose arrival times in thirty-minute blocks as shown in the image below. don't know what your cabin category is but if in a suite, you really don't need key if you want to board early. Then again, Royal Caribbean wants you to arrive45minutesearly to the theater, which seems to negate the point of having a reserved seat, in my opinion. CRUISE HIVE LTD 2008-2023. How To Purchase Still need help? Upload or insert images from URL. 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). Is it worth it to buy The Key on a RCI cruise? But, ever since RCI cut back on those times, the value of this perk is less than it used to be. This Surf + Steam VOOM would be the other reason why you would get the Key for your next cruise. On my canceled October 2020 repositioning cruise aboard Brilliance of the Seas, RCI was running a 45% off sale. When you get to the cruise terminal, and subsequently onboard the ship, there will be special signs to indicate where guests with The Key can go. That means taking tons of cruises with the same cruise line! Obviously, in these instances, the time it takes to leave the ship and begin your onshore adventures could be hours. You can def check in later, though, whatever you prefer. Carnival Cruise Line Explains Controversial Beverage Policy Priority departure at ports where a tender is required ship-to-shore, A la carte breakfast and choice departure time on debarkation day. By Dedicated seating at shows in the Main Theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B, and Two70.****. What did you think of the perks? Okay. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. For a prepaid fee, guest can access benefits that are usually reserved for suite guests or member of Royal Caribbeans loyalty program. It is way overpriced. You will get an email with instructions, usually anyone with the Key can arrive between 11:00-11:30 no matter what your boarding time is. For a daily fee (paid in advance of sailing) cruisers who join the program will have access to several exclusive perks throughout their cruise vacation. Tendering operations can often take hours to get all the passengers to shore, so this is a valuable benefit if your itinerary has multiple tender ports. Royal Caribbeans internet service, known as VOOM, is well-known for being very fast. My family is headed out on Oasis in June 2023. Priority departure at tender ports of call from ship-to-shore. Internet that I'd otherwise pay for one device. While you may have to adjust your schedule around this, it will be worth it for the kids. Your bags will be tagged and whisked away into your stateroom (rather than left in the hallway hours later). Okay, thank you for that. It is not like the drinks package or an excursion where you can just add it once youre onboard. Ultimately, your wait will be shorter, and you will be one of the first passengers on the ship. 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. You will have priority departure from the ship to the shore at tender ports of call. On disembarkation day, Key members can enjoy an exclusive breakfast in the main dining room before leaving the ship. There are several reasons cruise lines offer a list of add-ons to passengers. The priority for tendering is largely useless since Royal Caribbean ships rarely ever tender, thanks to more and more ports having piers. It had its pros For my next cruise in July I decided to cancel the key because I did not feel that it was worth that much money as we would not need to use priority boarding or disembarkation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Matt recently did an updated review of The Key, in our post-Covid cruising world. I recommend selecting the earliest check in when it opens. I think with a little bit of footwork, you can get similar results on your own and save money on your cruise vacation. Held in a specialty venue for Key holders (usually the main dining room), you can either take your luggage with you or leave it safely to be picked up on your way off the ship. Youll be able to stream or download movies and music, or make FaceTime or Skype calls on the ship and on RCIs private island CocoCay. We have a RoyalCaribbeanBlog video today, discussing the merits of if The Key program is worth the money!The Key offers, If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise booked, then you probably have logged into the Cruise Planner website to peruse, Guests sailing on Symphony of the Seas this week noticed a new option to allow select guests faster boarding back, Royal Caribbean is testing out a newlimited quantity VIP guest experience on select Liberty of the Seas and Oasis of, Is The Key worth it? Of course we didn't know the fruit was coming so by the time we got back it was pretty spent. The Key includes Voom Surf and Stream access for each person, which arguably makes up the bulk of the daily cost. For more info, please read myDisclosure Policy. Here you can sit and relax while the cruise ship employees attend to your final check-in procedures. I just checked my cruise planner and The Key is only two dollars per day over the Voom Surf n Stream that I previously purchased. 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. Can we use whichever one is better? I used the Key a few years ago and liked it. This letter will list updated information about reserved hours for activities and info about reservations for show. The first stop you will make is to a designated drop-off room for your carry-on luggage (usually in the Main Dining Room). If you are Diamond or higher in Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society and/or a suite guest, some benefits overlap with The Key, further reducing The Key's value. Holding at $35.99 for our upcoming 6 night! Suites were told they have a one-hour leeway on either side of their schedule arrival time. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, the lunch by Chops during embarkation day (this way underwhelming), luggage drop off at main dining room during embarkation day, Room service (according to the letter this was free), Priority Time at activities- these were at 9am, which is not a time that I normally wear a bathing suit to ride some waves. November 15, 2022 in Royal Caribbean Discussion. If high-speed Internet access is important for you and your family, VOOM Surf & Stream will be the key to keeping everyone happy. You should also know that the Royal Caribbean Key program can ONLY be booked BEFORE your cruise. We then headed to The Key waiting area. Your previous content has been restored. Posted 1 hour ago. 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. #5. Everything else gets dropped off with the porters outside the terminal. What are the Benefits of The Key Program? | Royal Caribbean Cruises Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Much, much better value for 2 extra dollars per day! 37 Cruise Tips: What to Do Before Your Cruise, The 19 Best Cruise Accessories You Need to Pack, Priority check-in and boarding on embarkation day, Carry-on bag drop off and stateroom delivery, Welcome lunch with a menu featuring Chops Grille on embarkation day, Private hours for onboard activities, including Rock Climbing, FlowRider and more, VIP seating for shows in the Main theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B, and Two70, Exclusive la carte breakfast on disembarkation day, Choice of departure time at disembarkation. 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. Are Royal Caribbean Cruises All Inclusive? Since the cruise line requires that this program be purchased ahead of time, this can be a real money saver. My assigned boarding time is 1:00. Booking of the Key Program is non-refundable if YOU want to cancel it. 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. Againcrowds, queues and waiting. Is The Royal Caribbean Key Program Really Worth It? Boarding Day ART Test Photo credits: Cruise the World/ Facebook If you decide that Royal Caribbean The Key is something you would like to add to your next cruise vacation, keep in mind that it is non-refundable. 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. Or, in the alternative, Royal Caribbean may offer free room service for the entirety of your cruise along with a percentage off the cost of all onboard dining. Benefits of The Key. They get more time to actually have fun on each attraction. Keep in mind, though, that there will not be an option to get Royal Caribbean The Key when you board or at any time during your cruise.