If not, just leave blank, watch the Royal Caribbean app for when check-in windows will become available to book. you still select a boarding time at check in but a couple weeks before the cruise you will get an email that tells you you can board with the Key at (usually 11:30 after suite guests) or keep your scheduled time. Clear editor. However, some recent passengers report up to 200 passes sold on their cruises. Perk number two! 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. If high-speed Internet access is important for you and your family, VOOM Surf & Stream will be the key to keeping everyone happy. But if youre an average cruiser who wants to feel a little bit like a VIP during your cruise, the Royal Caribbeans Key Program is definitely for you. But Carnival Cruise Line, whose Faster To The Fun program is very similar, determines how many passes they sell per cruise based on those figures. I know I carefully pack my embarkation day bag with exactly what Ill need for the day plus any valuables I need to keep an eye on. This Surf + Steam VOOM would be the other reason why you would get the Key for your next cruise. Early access at shows in the Main Theater on Deck 4, however a reservation is needed so don't forget to book once you're onboard. Each of you can use however many devices you wish, but you can each only be logged into one device at a time (hopefully that makes sense). Perk number eight! Pricing for The Key varies by itinerary. In addition to reading through the options for drink packages, specialty dining, shore excursions, professional onboard photos and videos, stateroom locations and other items, consider a hybrid program like Royal Caribbean The Key. Royal Caribbean recommends arriving to the terminal no later than 11:30 AM for you to have enough time to enjoy lunch with us! I don't want most of the "perks" but for some that sets their cruise at a new level . Access to the fast lane at onboard activities (activities vary by ship)and private time at the Flowrider. The first stop you will make is to a designated drop-off room for your carry-on luggage (usually in the Main Dining Room). As we shall see, this requirement will affect several aspects of your time, access to places and expenses on the ship. The welcome lunch for Royal Caribbeans Key Program guests is served in the main dining room during limited hours on your embarkation day. Arriving after 11:30 you would have priority in your scheduled arrival time window. I will be sailing on the Wonder on 2/25 and will keep an eye on the price for that cruise. Priority departure from ship-to-shore at tender ports. Powered by Invision Community. How Long Does It Take to Get Off a Cruise Ship? Although RCI advertises the cost of The Key on a per-day basis, cruisers must purchase the program for all days of a sailing. What this means is that hundreds of passengers will be disembarking around the same time after the ship docks. By Jodi Grundig #5. An interesting perk with The Key program is the ability to drop off carry on luggage (usually in the theater until 1:30 PM). I also agree that its best to eyeball the dedicated security lines as you enter the terminal. 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. Of course, this benefit lasts just 2 hours on the first day of the cruise, so the value is quite limited. 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. But I wouldn't pay any more than that the value just isn't there for me. This was very helpful! Some say priority boarding within your check in time. That I can live with..certainly not $30+. The other benefit is that they give you lunch at chops on boarding day and deliver fruit to your room. Holding at $35.99 for our upcoming 6 night! 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. Im so glad youre here! 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. Other times, it is notably higher. Tip: Be sure to still make reservations for shows in advance and arrive at least 15 minutes before showtime. Booking of the Key Program is non-refundable if YOU want to cancel it. Private time at onboard activities tends to be very few (just two times on our Odyssey of the Seas cruise), and at less than ideal times. Swimsuit, acceptable dinner clothes for a few nights, acceptable day wear for a few days, and dop kit. Timing is everything. HomeBlogCruise Tips Cruise News Cruise DestinationsAboutContactResourcesFeatured PressPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyDisclosure PolicyTerms of Use. It is built around the. Although youll be able to bypass the long lines at check-in, youll be boarding the ship (and waiting for those notoriously slow embarkation day elevators) along with everyone else. With a lot of guests, the price tag for The Key could add up quickly. I just bought is for $22.99. This inclusion also offers us the opportunity to do a bit of price comparison with some simple math. There are several reasons cruise lines offer a list of add-ons to passengers. Embarkation day is here, and you arrived early at the terminal port, excited to set sail on your cruise vacation. or is it only 1 internet device? *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions, Priority access during The Key designated arrival time (to be communicated via email). Since the program began in 2018, passengers have reported paying anywhere from $19.99 to over $35 per person per day. Have you ever wished you could have many of the perks that suite guests enjoy on Royal Caribbean without having to pay for a suite? If a large group of Key members and suite passengers enter just before you, it might be quicker going through a regular security line. Or, you might have small bags that could be damaged by the porters (have you ever watched them load up those big carts with suitcases?). The VOOM family plans come with a significant discount if youre purchasing for three or more devices, so it may be cheaper to just buy the WiFi. Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! We never found this experience to be very a la carte, since a specific menu was given to us each time. Now, the welcome lunch is in a main dining room with a menu featuring items from Chops Grille. We are so excited . The Key was emailing a letter prior to the cruise stating the Key would allow you to arrive early and up to 11:30 you would have priority boarding. Be sure to check out these resources when youre planning a Royal Caribbean cruise: Have you bought The Key on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Since 2018, when The Key was rolled out as a pilot program on select ships, some benefits have been modified. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The program wont be available to buy once youre on board the ship. What did you think of the perks? I don't think it means you can show up at 10:30 am. While the check-in time advantage could be helpful to ensure you are among the first to board, Royal Caribbean says if you miss the 30 minute window of arrival right at the beginning, you will not be able to use this benefit. You could book a full suite, which is way out of the price range of the average cruiser. If guests are not able to make the early access window, Royal Caribbean says they should arrive within their appointment time and will receive priority access into the terminal. It is not like the drinks package or an excursion where you can just add it once youre onboard. I couldnt imagine why anyone would carry on a bag, only to check it soon after boarding! A premium section of each of the larger venues on each ship is reserved for The Key, loyalty club members and suite passengers. Additionally, you will once again be the beneficiary of a reserved time to go ashore; also included with this final perk. Video: Is Royal Caribbean's The Key worth it? A somewhat Chop's-like lunch (the lunch menu was cut and reduced from last year) where most times the announcement that cabins are ready comes near the conclusion of lunch. I'm glad I saw your post. Here is a list of the benefits you get with The Key: The early check-in isbetween 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM. 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). Matt recently did an updated review of The Key, in our post-Covid cruising world. The food is scrumptious and included in the price of The Key. 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. Playing the "waiting game" for a price drop can be dangerous if you really want The Key. Every passenger can buy access to WiFi. There is currently no special seating in nightclubs and other smaller gathering event spaces. 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! 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. All members of the party are checked in with a 10:30 check in time and covered party right across from the new Galveston terminal. Since you have carefully chosen your favorite vessel, you may already know the details. Price The cost of The Key can vary from ship to ship, as well as itinerary. What is The Key on Royal Caribbean? But many kids wont use or appreciate most of the included perks. Lunch on Day 2 for ships sailing from Seward or Vancouver. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Posted on Last updated: September 25, 2022. The Key on Royal Caribbean is a for-a-fee program offering priority boarding, private hours at onboard activities, preferred theater seating, and more. Okay, thank you for that. But, ever since RCI cut back on those times, the value of this perk is less than it used to be. Private time at some of our onboard activities such as rock climbing, FlowRider, etc. These keys indicate where and when you have access to places and events. VOOM Surf & Stream package, now including high speed internet, for one device (1 package per guest). To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. November 15, 2022 in Royal Caribbean Discussion. Enchanted with cruising from my first voyage in the Bahamas on the SS Emerald Seas to Alaskas Inside Passage. I did not find that the time was convenient and I do not know how many people showed up. We'll send you a weekly newsletter to your inbox. We even had an entire Key Program booking canceled and our money refunded to us before sailing with no explanation. When The Key program was first rolled out, one of the perks was an exclusive embarkation day lunch at Chops Grille or Jamies Italian specialty restaurants. Just by flashing your SeaPass, Key members can take advantage of lots of benefits that the vast majority of RCI cruisers dont have. Choose to upgrade the complimentary continental breakfast; order a light lunch; and, have an entire dinner sent to your room. I paid $28.99/day and it never got lower than that prior to sailing. The lunch is usually served through 1pm. 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. The menu features limited selections from Chops Grille. In addition, with multi-device internet plans, the Key doesn't scale to families or larger groups if internet is always purchased. For a prepaid fee, guest can access benefits that are usually reserved for suite guests or member of Royal Caribbean's loyalty program. On most cruise lines, there are only two ways to get priority status that lets you skip all of those long lines, enjoy exclusive dining, and generally be treated like the VIP you know you are. You get lots of great perks throughout your cruise for the cost of one, inexpensive excursion. Ultimately, your wait will be shorter, and you will be one of the first passengers on the ship. Even if you have an earlier time, still use the key lines. While all passengers must follow general boarding and security protocols at every port, Key Guests have a shortcut afterward. It is available on most of the ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet with the current exceptions of Majesty of the Seas, Voyager Class Ships and Quantum Class Ships. But there are a few considerations you should make that can help justify the cost of the Royal Caribbean Key Program. Other benefits may apply at specific ports. Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! It is a straight breeze through the whole process. Great price, I'd likely jump on it at that price too! If you purchased the program on a previous RCI cruise, be sure to carefully read the updated explanations of each perk listed below before you buy it for your next sailing. Insider tip: Be sure that your time slot is early enough to take advantage of our next benefit embarkation day lunch. Let me know in the comments below! Members who have a high-status level in Royal Caribbeans Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program automatically enjoy many VIP benefits. It made no difference in regards to my entry into the terminal as there was no lines. It is built around the concept of VIP treatment with exclusive benefits for anyone sailing on all the ships across their fleet. A full list of benefits will be given to you once you board the ship with ship-specific benefits. On our last two cruises with Royal Caribbean, we purchased the Key Program. 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. The priority for tendering is largely useless since Royal Caribbean ships rarely ever tender, thanks to more and more ports having piers. As a Key Guest, you will enjoy the option of a block of reserved times at certain attractions. Reservations for shows can be made on your own via the Royal Caribbean app. Royal Caribbean Key Guests get to avoid the crowds and the waiting, and experience these attractions during hours reserved exclusively for the program. Thankfully, someone must have canceled, as I got a spot-- at full price. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. I thought "The Key" (now VIP Pass) was a nice option. We got really lucky on the Allure last fall where the Key was $16.99 pp so we got it. Passengers can drop off up to two pieces per person, and items cant weigh more than 25 pounds. Professional freelance writer and published indie author. This Key decal is how the ships crew knows that a guest is part of the program, so its important to have it on your SeaPass card. All other benefits are either exclusive to the Key Program or only available to suite and loyalty program guests. ** Carry-on luggage drop-off service is limited to two pieces per guest and can weigh no more than 25 pounds per carry-on. Ultimately, the value of this program is subjective. Does the price ever drop or does it stay the same? With capacity limitations lately theres no lines. 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. This also means that you get to save on your Wi-Fi costs as well! Janespup, March 6, 2022 in Royal Caribbean International. Can't forget the wine! The Key will usually show up as an option for purchase in your Cruise Planner about 90-100 days before your sailing. An attendant will place a special luggage tag with your stateroom number on it to make sure it gets placed in your room. It can be purchased online or via the app when you book your cruise (or added later). One note about this perk: It only applies in one direction from the ship to the shore. Lets take a look at what this program offers, and see if its worth booking for your next Royal Caribbean cruise. But information emailed to us just a few short days before instructed us to arrive early. Heres what The Key is (and why some cruisers like it), Royal Caribbean testing VIP guest access program. Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille menu (open from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM). Royal Caribbean ships (especially the Oasis-class ships, like the Wonder of the Seas) are so packed with activities, restaurants, and more. Enjoy! Not sure if even the most vocal supporters of the VIP pass would say it makes sense financially at that price. Rather than queuing for (possibly) hours, you will be taken to an exclusive area reserved for Key Guests, loyalty program members and those who booked suites. Key guests should keep a close eye on their schedules so that they dont miss out on the reserved hours for their favorite activities. The Key is an add-on program on Royal Caribbean cruises that allows any guest to obtain some VIP perks on board the ship. Dedicated seating at shows in the Main Theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B, and Two70.****. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. All this and more. If you buy the Key for both, each person gets internet. I sailed the first time with Royal Caribbean on the Oasis of the Seas this past March. The reason behind this benefit is to lessen the hassle baked right into every cruise standing in line. Boarding Day ART Test Photo credits: Cruise the World/ Facebook Additionally, priority check-in and boarding are not available in Vancouver or at any ports in Australia, so keep this in mind if youre cruising from these locations. If your a Key guest that ends up with a later boarding window, we recommend contacting Royal Caribbean to confirm what time Key guests should arrive. Reserved private hours at onboard activities including the FlowRider, Rock Climbing and more. The Key Guests will enjoy the following exclusive benefits during their cruise vacation: When you receive your SeaPass card, it will have an icon confirming your purchase of The Key. A former flight attendant, she now prefers cruise ships over airplanes and spends several months each year cruising and exploring cruise ports. The Key certainly sounds like a good investment for a lot of cruises, especially those new to Royal Caribbean, because it offers benefits and access that might not otherwise be available to them at all. That brings your total for purchasing these benefits individually up to $182. I used the Key a few years ago and liked it. Read Also: How Long Does It Take to Get Off a Cruise Ship? EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. It is satellite-based and works throughout the ship. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. 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 you do choose to have the exclusive breakfast, a crew member should be available to escort you and your bags off the ship right from the restaurant when youre done. Our next VIP perk is another time saver. Agreed, I enjoyed it at $19.99, and now would only look if it was close to pricing for internet. Having the higher end internet package included with the Key program is one of our favorite benefits. Learn about these types of VIP benefits for your specific ship in the welcome letter, which you will receive when boarding. Internet that I'd otherwise pay for one device. Private hours vary by ship and sailing, and the schedule is delivered to your stateroom on embarkation day. 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. Is the Royal Caribbean Key Program a must-do or a hard pass for your next cruise? But on an RCI cruise, theres a way to get these perks without spending lots of cash on a suite or waiting years to build up your loyalty status: The Key! What lines do you think it will cut time for? 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. Much of the value of the program is in the unlimited internet. The letter said we had early access to reserved shows and to make a reservation for the shows wed like to see. Why would someone want to drop their carry-on luggage off at The Key location? Since the cruise line requires that this program be purchased ahead of time, this can be a real money saver. Lets break it down to see what youd spend if purchased just some of the benefits of The Key individually: If both of your party are going to need access to the VOOM Surf & Stream Internet package, then youll already be spending roughly $18 per day per guest, for a total of $144. For more info, please read myDisclosure Policy. Since I'd purchase a one device internet package otherwise, it's really about the price differential. As you walk around the ship, it will be on posters and signs. madoris, Thursday at 02:15 PM in Royal Caribbean International. I recommend selecting the earliest check in when it opens. That is why this is our first stop). Why would someone want to drop their carry-on luggage off at The Key location? 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. You should also know that the Royal Caribbean Key program can ONLY be booked BEFORE your cruise. We are planning to purchase the key for our Allure cruise next year. 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. 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. I haven't seen the Key on sale in months for any of the sailings. We then headed to The Key waiting area. A much better value as I get 11:00am priority boarding. Then, you can enjoy a private embarkation day welcome lunch rather than bustling around with the throngs of people learning their way around the ship. 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. On debarkation day, enjoy a private la carte breakfast and choice departure. If you are planning a standard cruise, rather than a luxe voyage on a premium line, selecting add-ons should be part of the planning process. During our most recent trip, it was just the two of us, so we were seated with other Key Program guests for the meal. What we did learn was that reserved hours for each activity were typically only offered once during a sailing, and usually during a day at sea. That is a very long time to wait for a show. i4peaches 1 yr. ago I love the Key. This benefit doesnt apply to docked ports, or for tendering back to the ship. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Final Notes on Royal Caribbean - The Key The Basics of Royal Caribbean - The Key This cruise line's optional add-on called The Key is a relatively new program. Not to worry. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. I can see where theyre coming from! 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. Priority Access could mean a multitude of things. As a Key Guest, you will enjoy your choice of the best seats. While you may have to adjust your schedule around this, it will be worth it for the kids. How to Get Free Drinks in the Casino on Royal Caribbean And More! The cruise line has brought back The Key for sailings, albeit with some notable changes. When planning your vacation at sea, you will see that there will be stops along the journey ports of call. On debarkation day, enjoy an exclusive la carte breakfast and choice departure. This can be confusing for guests, since Royal Caribbean indicates in several places that Key guests get priority access during their designated boarding window. These windows can range in start times from 10 am to 3 pm. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Rockaway NY,Sonoma County,Ca. For the FloRider, only about five or six Key Guests were taking advantage of the reserved hours, our son got to experience it over and over again with very little wait time. 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. Carry-on luggage drop-off with items delivered inside room usually prior to guest access. If youre thinking about purchasing the program, its a good idea to check around this time because it does tend to sell out. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'shouldbecruising_com-leader-2','ezslot_12',605,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-leader-2-0');Cruisers who purchase The Key can enjoy unlimited high-speed internet throughout the voyage. During our second experience, Key guests were just asked to wait with everyone else. Welcome lunch with Chops Grille menu can be bought separately at the restaurant or at a different restaurant. This benefit allows Key Guests to skip the long lines for the dinghys that ferry cruisers from ship to shore in ports that dont have docks appropriate for cruise ships. A The Key Guests will enjoy the following exclusive benefits during their cruise vacation: Priority access during The Key designated arrival time (to be communicated via email). Boarded Wonder of the Seas almost a year after our first sailing on her. 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. I have three cruises coming up from June to July next year. Before you can board a cruise ship, you have to enter a cruise terminal. I could see the benefit of stuff arriving at room open rather than say 7 pm. Yes, you can select either time to enter I had The key for my Anthem sailing last week out of Bayonne. Doesn't giving the luggage to the porters outside the ship do the same thing, only better since you'd drop off your luggage earlier in the process. 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. When you receive your SeaPass card, you should see a small decal on the front indicating that youre a Key member. In my experiencethe Key has always had a boarding time of 11:30 or earlier. Or is the only benefit: priority embarkation mean you have your own line to enter terminal as opposed to the masses. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',602,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Although the menu offerings for the new exclusive lunch are elevated compared to complimentary lunch menus, RCI no longer offers the chance for Key members to enjoy the ambiance of lunch at Chops (a benefit that normally costs $22.95 per person). Recent RCI cruisers report that most sailings now only offer one private hour per week for each activity for Key members. There are a number of posts from the past 6 months discussing benefits of The Key. It is way overpriced. Also, look for the signature key image that matches the one on your SeaPass. Royal Caribbean does set some limits with this perk. Of course we didn't know the fruit was coming so by the time we got back it was pretty spent. But keep this in mind if youre looking forward to enjoying this perk. What it actually means is that youll get to board the ship early. Being able to drop those off would be super-convenient. (Be aware that some of the most popular spots may only be reserved for Key Guests a couple of times during your itinerary). We were surprised that Royal Caribbean didnt take the time to avoid this confusion by simply updating this letter for their Key guests. Weve always enjoyed this luncheon. Traditional continental breakfast items are also on the menu, like cereal, yogurt, pastries and fruit. For an extra price per day/per person, passengers can purchase The Key to enjoy nicer extras before, during and at the end of the cruise. For example, if VOOM by itself is around $20/day (for one device for one person) and The Key is $25/day (for the same) and you definitely need WiFi, then you are getting all the other Key perks for only $5/day in our example.
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