When you check your baggage in at the designated location, youll also be given a letter updating your Key Program benefits. Youll be able to choose what time you disembark, which is nice if youd like to enjoy a leisurely private breakfast first, or if you need to hurry off the ship as soon as possible. Learn about these types of VIP benefits for your specific ship in the welcome letter, which you will receive when boarding. Here is a list of the benefits you get with The Key: The early check-in isbetween 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM. * Priority access will not be offered in Vancouver, Canada, or at any ports in Australia. But keep this in mind if youre looking forward to enjoying this perk. Ah, I see. It is built around the concept of VIP treatment with exclusive benefits for anyone sailing on all the ships across their fleet. If . Before you can board a cruise ship, you have to enter a cruise terminal. Choice debarkation time with special debarkation breakfast. While at first glance some of these benefits may not seem that great. You will each get one account. is The Key worth it? : r/royalcaribbean - Reddit I see that with The Key, the boarding time is between 11:30-12:30. I have a 4 day cruise booked for nov. , the price for the key $36.99 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. The food is scrumptious and included in the price of The Key. Royal Caribbean ; Roll Calls ; Voyager of the Seas Roll Calls ; Voyager of the Seas - Jun 12, 2023 - Jun 17, 2023 (5 Night Western Caribbean) . I also agree that its best to eyeball the dedicated security lines as you enter the terminal. 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. The Key is an add-on program on Royal Caribbean cruises that allows any guest to obtain some VIP perks on board the ship. It is $42.99/pp/day for my 5 day cruise. Guests in a suite, and those who are Diamond level or above also might not need to purchase The Key because many of the benefits are already included. A good sit-down breakfast that starts early (6:30am) allowing for an early walk-off. Quantum of the Seas: Check-in and Boarding - The MileLion The other benefit is that they give you lunch at chops on boarding day and deliver fruit to your room. 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. Probably not a terrific idea when traveling with children. This benefit might not be as valuable to you. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_11',603,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');Additionally, the private hours take place during off-peak times. These extra benefits generally fall into the categories of saving money or time, exclusive access, or to create a sense of VIP status. Dining packages offer a good discount on how much lunch will cost. Passengers can drop off up to two pieces per person, and items cant weigh more than 25 pounds. 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. Why would someone want to drop their carry-on luggage off at The Key location? 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). Here are some examples: The only perk that is truly unobtainable on your own is the ability todrop off your carry-on luggage on embarkation day. While Royal Caribbeans Key Program doesnt give you access to any kind of upgraded WiFi or internet experience, the daily price of the VOOM package alone is well more than three quarters of what you pay for the Key program. The Key could be better in certain situations, such as when sailing on Oasis or Quantum Class ships, which havemore entertainment venues where the Key can help with seating. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The Key program is controversial among some high-level Crown & Anchor members. Other benefits may apply at specific ports. i4peaches 1 yr. ago I love the Key. This benefit does not apply to smaller venues or activities like nightclubs or karaoke. If not, just leave blank, watch the Royal Caribbean app for when check-in windows will become available to book. Priority departure at ports where a tender is required ship-to-shore, A la carte breakfast and choice departure time on debarkation day. 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. If so, what kind? During our cruise, there was a reserved section for Royal Caribbean Key Program Guests. But, cruisers who buy The Key dont have access to lots of perks that elite loyalty members have. Guests need to purchase The Key before the cruise begins on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner website. The 19 Best Cruise Accessories You Need to Pack in 2023, 12 Amazing Cruise Line Private Islands to Visit in 2023 and Beyond, Royal Caribbean Caf Latte-tudes Full Menu (With Prices), Carnival Firenze Inaugural Season Opens For Bookings, Princess Cruises Announces Lavazza as Official Coffee Partner, Disney Cruise Line Announces Inaugural Sailings to Lighthouse Point, Norwegian Cruise Line Will Debut Beetlejuice The Musical Aboard Norwegian Viva, Cunard Sea Views Photo Exhibition Captures 100 Years of Cruising, https://shouldbecruising.com/privacy-policy/. Let me know in the comments below! 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. I sailed the first time with Royal Caribbean on the Oasis of the Seas this past March. Agreed, I enjoyed it at $19.99, and now would only look if it was close to pricing for internet. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. 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. The Royal Caribbean Key Program guests each have a special key icon on their SeaPass card, indicating participation in the program. 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. The Key is an optional add-on anyone can purchase for their Royal Caribbean cruise that includes special access and perks. On disembarkation day, Key members can enjoy an exclusive breakfast in the main dining room before leaving the ship. How to Get Free Drinks in the Casino on Royal Caribbean And More! The first boarding slot is at 2 p.m, and it disappears before you know it. Is Royal Caribbean's "priority access" package worth the price? TPG 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! Do you know about when you'd like to sail? I think that price is bat-poo crazy. When planning your vacation at sea, you will see that there will be stops along the journey ports of call. It took several trips between floors to find the appropriate place to drop it off. Additionally, shouldbecruising.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes receive a commission from purchases made through our links. That is why this is our first stop). On my canceled October 2020 repositioning cruise aboard Brilliance of the Seas, RCI was running a 45% off sale. * Carry-on bag drop off with delivery to your stateroom. Henderson Nv. As for food, c'mon.its a cruise.you are not going to starve. This can be quite a challenge in one particular circumstance tendering to shore. While your stateroom is receiving its final preparations, you can eat a leisurely meal with other Key holders in the main dining room. #5. 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 have an account, sign in now to post with your account. when I got it I wasnt thinking about capacity numbers. Reserved private hours at onboard activities including the FlowRider, Rock Climbing and more. 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. You will have priority departure from the ship to the shore at tender ports of call. Another perk that has recently changed for Key members is the availability of private hours for several of the onboard activities. Why would someone want to drop their carry-on luggage off at The Key location? The Reality of Royal Caribbean and Carnival Marijuana Policies. Whether or not The Key is worth the money really depends on your situation. Some of the terminals have dedicated suite entrances. Does the price ever drop or does it stay the same? During our most recent trip, it was just the two of us, so we were seated with other Key Program guests for the meal. Manage Settings Your bags will be tagged and whisked away into your stateroom (rather than left in the hallway hours later). Recent RCI cruisers report that most sailings now only offer one private hour per week for each activity for Key members. The Key is only sold to a limited number of guests per sailing, keeping the program quite exclusive. I'd want to keep that stuff with me. 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. Hi! Arguably the most valuable perk included with the program, unlimited VOOM packages normally go for $17.99 per day for one device when purchased separately. If youre in any of these elite clubs, youll have priority check-in and embarkation, reserved theater seating, priority disembarkation, and a private departure lounge with continental breakfast. The Key - Boarding Time Question - Royal Caribbean Discussion - Royal I bought The Key for my upcoming sailing on Harmony 5/1. In my experiencethe Key has always had a boarding time of 11:30 or earlier. Carnival Cruise Line Explains Controversial Beverage Policy But, (and this is an important one!) Every passenger can buy access to WiFi. Lines for this mode of transport can get extremely long, and wait times can be extremely frustrating. Holding at $35.99 for our upcoming 6 night! 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. Or is the only benefit: priority embarkation mean you have your own line to enter terminal as opposed to the masses. Your previous content has been restored. But, be aware that all the following perks will not be available across the entire fleet. One of the nicest benefits of the Royal Caribbean Key Program is early access or reserved seating at these shows. (Those who miss the window usually about 30 minutes on either side of check-in time may miss the benefit). If anyone knows, let me know. Erin103 Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. But there are a few considerations you should make that can help justify the cost of the Royal Caribbean Key Program. . Lets dive in. We never found this experience to be very a la carte, since a specific menu was given to us each time. Perk number eight! First time with Royal Caribbean "Key" question - Cruise Critic What did you think of the perks? Choose to upgrade the complimentary continental breakfast; order a light lunch; and, have an entire dinner sent to your room. In addition, your SeaPass card will have a special sticker to easily identify yourself as having The Key. You will have no priority boarding for transportation back to the ship. ill try it again when things get full again. 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. Where to Get Coffee on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Also, you should be able to see when and how often the locations are reserved for Key Guests. For this reason, you should buy it early since they can sell out for any given itinerary. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines: The Key - A Faster Way to the Fun To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. You could book the cheapest inside guarantee stateroom, but have access to lots of the benefits that suite and high-level loyalty members enjoy. Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. As always though, if it's something you want, book now and cancel/rebook later if you find it cheaper or decide it isn't for you! We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. But it was a one and done for us. Since we arrived before 2 pm, we had to wait for boarding to commence at 2 pm. 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. definitely. I can see where theyre coming from! September 2, 2010. nj. 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! That is alcoholic drinks and indeed sodas, coffee etc is unlimited. When I first heard about this service, I thought it was an odd perk to offer. 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. you would have to share a device throughout the cruise. There is no priority queue in the ART test area, for Singapore. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Tip: Be sure to still make reservations for shows in advance and arrive at least 15 minutes before showtime. (Family plans are available at a discount for additional devices.). 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. DBS MORNING SHOW & OBITUARIES 25TH APRIL 2023 APRIL 2023 - Facebook 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. Nobody likes lugging their carry-on luggage around the ship after they board while waiting on their state room to be ready. On our last two cruises with Royal Caribbean, we purchased the Key Program. 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 then headed to The Key waiting area. Since space is limited on a cruise ship, the larger, more popular show are notorious for filling up fast. If youre cruising with kids age six and up, youll need to also buy a Key package for them at the same price charged for adults. Im thrilled to share all my ideas with you and hope you like what you find here in my little home on the internet. But I cannot recall as to the internet if there are 2 people in the room if each gets the use of one device, or it is one device per room. So if we get an earlier check-in time through the app we can opt to use that or we can use the key if it's the earlier of the two? You should see signs and there will be attendants there to handle the luggage. 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. Most cruise ships require all passengers to be on board no fewer than one to two hours before the scheduled departure time, which is almost always in the late afternoon or evening. Hi! 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. 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. **, Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring The Key signature menu.***. Welcome lunch with Chops Grille menu can be bought separately at the restaurant or at a different restaurant. What is The Key Program? | Royal Caribbean Cruises 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. On this sailing, the price per person per day would have been a little over $12, the lowest price Ive ever heard of for the program! 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. There are several reasons cruise lines offer a list of add-ons to passengers. Politics latest updates: NHS 'on the brink' says nursing union; 10% Royal Caribbean The Key - What Are the Benefits? The latter is the only circumstance where you will receive a full refund. Our next VIP perk is another time saver. I don't want most of the "perks" but for some that sets their cruise at a new level . There is currently no special seating in nightclubs and other smaller gathering event spaces. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. On our first sailing with the Royal Caribbean Key Program, there was a designated area for Key guests to wait in the terminal for their turn to board. Free expert cruise tips and news from Cruise Hive! 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. 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 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. Can we use whichever one is better? Unfortunately, the private times at attractions were limited and at inconvenient times. It takes a lot of cruise days sailed to reach these high levels. Not speaking from experience, but according to Royal's website, it gives you "priority access to the terminal within booked arrival time". Im so glad youre here! Worked out to be about $80 more than what I had paid for a 2 device internet package. The reason behind this benefit is to lessen the hassle baked right into every cruise standing in line. Lets break the benefits down by order in which youll probably use them. If youre thinking about purchasing the program, its a good idea to check around this time because it does tend to sell out. Booking of the Key Program is non-refundable if YOU want to cancel it. Once purchased, you will see a special image of a key on your SeaPass when you check-in for boarding. Another Overbooked Oasis-Class Royal Caribbean Ship, Royal Caribbean Changes Itinerary for First New Homeport Cruise, Refurbished Carnival Cruise Ship Completes Costa-Inspired Livery. Benefits of The Key. 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. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. But, ever since RCI cut back on those times, the value of this perk is less than it used to be. With scheduled boarding times the key check in process is the same time wise as regular boarding. If youre already planning to buy WiFi, The Key might make sense depending on how many devices you want to activate. According to one R&M Manager (that's the person on board responsible for overseeing The Key Program) being personally escorted to the front of the disembarkation line --literally to the Security Officer who scans the SeaPass-- was never a benefit. However, if you check the cost which is calculated by the number of devices and which package the price of just buying VOOM as a stand-alone option is often close to the price of the entire Key package per day. 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. Once you've done these things, sit back and enjoy your cruise! Royal Caribbean's The Key review | Royal Caribbean Blog The Key advertises as offering guests that purchase special perks and access while onboard that would otherwise not be available to them. Perk number four! Although RCI advertises the cost of The Key on a per-day basis, cruisers must purchase the program for all days of a sailing. It can be purchased online or via the app when you book your cruise (or added later). Clear editor.
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