To ensure that you receive this perk, arrive at the port during the special check-in time slot that you received with your Key purchase. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Cruise terminals, as we learned during the pandemic, are . Benefits of The Key. 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. But, (and this is an important one!) Some of the updated information had changed, like the location of our welcome lunch, but other instructions were just flat out incorrect. VOOM Surf & Stream 1 of Device high speed internet per person who purchases the package. Heres what The Key is (and why some cruisers like it), Royal Caribbean testing VIP guest access program. Read Also: How Long Does It Take to Get Off a Cruise Ship? Are Royal Caribbean Cruises All Inclusive? Looking for more travel content? Royal Caribbean's The Key: Should You Buy It? Keep in mind that this benefit usually only applies to larger venues and their productions. We found they were never more than a handful of other guests participating in these reserved hours, and our kids got to spend a ton of time doing their favorite activities with little or no wait time in between. The Key - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Community The Key program is Royal Caribbean's initiative to give guests access to premier and exclusive cruise services and activities while on board for a small additional fee. 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. definitely. Welcome lunch with Chops Grille menu can be bought separately at the restaurant or at a different restaurant. Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! 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. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Posted on Last updated: September 25, 2022. Do you already have perks? An important point to know is that you must buy it prior to sailing. But if youre booking shore excursions directly through RCI, youll already have priority tendering for those excursions. Its best to scope out the entrance to see if there is a dedicated Key line. And, it is included in the price of The Key as follows: one online package per paying guest on one device. 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. These keys indicate where and when you have access to places and events. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_18',609,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0');Royal Caribbean hasnt announced a current policy for how many passes theyre now offering on any given sailing. The Key allows you to board at that time, but only if you have a time that is before it. Early seating at all entertainment venues. Im a wife, a mom, a crafter, a Disney fan, and a french fry connoisseur. The Key holders will board after Royal Suite Class guests and Pinnacle guests. 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). 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. Since space is limited on a cruise ship, the larger, more popular show are notorious for filling up fast. Without The Key, if youre late reserving tender tickets, the earlier times will probably be gone. 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. The Key advertises as offering guests that purchase special perks and access while onboard that would otherwise not be available to them. A former flight attendant, she now prefers cruise ships over airplanes and spends several months each year cruising and exploring cruise ports. We are so excited . 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This option which is available 24 hours a day, every day has been recently offered in lieu of the complimentary embarkation lunch. Key guests are NOT exempt from general boarding requirements like Covid vaccinations or negative Covid tests. Royal Caribbean offered The Key for a few years, but then suspended it as cruise ships began restart in 2021. In my experience, I found the benefits sound a lot better on the surface than they really are. There will be food options when you board. 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. The Voom Surf n Stream is included. If not, just leave blank, watch the Royal Caribbean app for when check-in windows will become available to book. The food is scrumptious and included in the price of The Key. Select from a menu of (typically three) appetizers, entres, sides and desserts. 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. Some people just love the exclusive perks that the program includes, and the per-day cost is absolutely worth the money. The Royal Caribbean Key Program guests each have a special key icon on their SeaPass card, indicating participation in the program. In my experiencethe Key has always had a boarding time of 11:30 or earlier. 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. My assigned boarding time is 1:00. Of course your numbers can vary depending on the length of your cruise, but if youre planning to splurge on anything, we think this is a good one. They also dont get upgraded amenities, exclusive gifts, or priority waitlist seating in the main dining rooms. Tip: Be sure to still make reservations for shows in advance and arrive at least 15 minutes before showtime. Why would someone want to drop their carry-on luggage off at The Key location? The first boarding slot is at 2 p.m, and it disappears before you know 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. 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. So for a 4 day cruise, to purchase the Key Package for two people, you can expect to spend around $200. This is so Key customers can take advantage of the Key lunch. Here you can sit and relax while the cruise ship employees attend to your final check-in procedures. Does this extra cost amenity make sense to get for your family? Your previous content has been restored. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. I haven't seen the Key on sale in months for any of the sailings. Today Sean and Stef drive to Port Canaveral where the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas waits to take them on their next Caribbean journey! 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. 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?). Royal Caribbean Cruise The Key Benefits Surf + Stream VOOM Connection. How likely can I board if I arrive before my check-in time? - Royal Before you can board a cruise ship, you have to enter a cruise terminal. It is satellite-based and works throughout 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. At tender ports, where the ship ferries passengers to shore using smaller boats, Key members can take advantage of priority boarding when going ashore. 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. If Royal Caribbean cancels it for any reason, of course you can expect to get your money back. Royal Caribbean does set some limits with this perk. That I can live with..certainly not $30+. Royal Caribbean The Key solves this challenge. For a prepaid fee, guest can access benefits that are usually reserved for suite guests or member of Royal Caribbean's loyalty program. Enchanted with cruising from my first voyage in the Bahamas on the SS Emerald Seas to Alaskas Inside Passage. Janespup, March 6, 2022 in Royal Caribbean International. I thought it was a little pricey but for a first time experience I felt it was worth it. 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. 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. Now, the welcome lunch is in a main dining room with a menu featuring items from Chops Grille. There were no lines for the water slides during our reserved hours. While your stateroom is receiving its final preparations, you can eat a leisurely meal with other Key holders in the main dining room. 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. Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille menu (open from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM). I guess this falls under the different strokes for different folks. Lets take a look at what this program offers, and see if its worth booking for your next Royal Caribbean cruise. 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. Offerings usually include hot items like steak & eggs, crab Benedict, French toast, pancakes, and eggs made to order. Carnival Cruise Line Explains Controversial Beverage Policy 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. 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 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. Hi! 20% off at all specialty restaurants, when you make the reservation on Day 1 of the sailing. 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. An attendant will place a special luggage tag with your stateroom number on it to make sure it gets placed in your room. Henderson Nv. This was very helpful! We then headed to The Key waiting area. With that in mind, if WiFi is the main and only reason for interest in this program, it would be more economical to buy one of the singly priced Internet option packages. 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. 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. ill try it again when things get full again. 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. And that's not . Here is a list of the benefits you get with The Key: The early check-in isbetween 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM. Internet access, early check-in, special times at signature attractions and more are included with The Key. I see that with The Key, the boarding time is between 11:30-12:30. Not speaking from experience, but according to Royal's website, it gives you "priority access to the terminal within booked arrival time". 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.
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