My assigned boarding time is 1:00. 'The Key' laminated pass will allow you to use the special queue to access the check-in area. However, this benefit has recently changed. But keep this in mind if youre looking forward to enjoying this perk. Unfortunately, the private times at attractions were limited and at inconvenient times. Join Sean and S. The Key is an add-on program on Royal Caribbean cruises that allows any guest to obtain some VIP perks on board the ship. But, be aware that all the following perks will not be available across the entire fleet. If Royal Caribbean cancels it for any reason, of course you can expect to get your money back. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports. 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. It is a straight breeze through the whole process. It is way overpriced. Now, the welcome lunch is in a main dining room with a menu featuring items from Chops Grille. 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. By Professional freelance writer and published indie author. Other benefits may apply at specific ports. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Im Louise. On our latest sailing, we were asked to arrive at the terminal no later than 11:00 am. Scoring an Early Boarding Time on Royal Caribbean CRUISE HIVE LTD 2008-2023. Henderson Nv. As for food, c'mon.its a cruise.you are not going to starve. Check out these, Priority access to the terminal upon arrival at the port, Welcome lunch in the main dining room with selections from Chops Grille, Access to VOOM Surf & Stream high speed internet for one device per paying guest, VIP seating to shows in the Main Theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B and Two70. From his, Royal Caribbean's VIP guest experience, The Key, offers some perks and benefits not available to other guests onboard. 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. 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. During our cruise, there was a reserved section for Royal Caribbean Key Program Guests. Ultimately, the value of this program is subjective. Hi! Yes, for $2/day more than Voom, it's worth it because you get the boarding day lunch and debarkation breakfast. Since the cruise line requires that this program be purchased ahead of time, this can be a real money saver. Royal Caribbean The Key - What Are the Benefits? 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. It made no difference in regards to my entry into the terminal as there was no lines. This benefit doesnt apply to docked ports, or for tendering back to the ship. Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. Yes, you can select either time to enter I had The key for my Anthem sailing last week out of Bayonne. (2023). Additionally, you will once again be the beneficiary of a reserved time to go ashore; also included with this final perk. Royal Caribbean's internet service, known as VOOM, is well-known for being very fast. 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. This is so Key customers can take advantage of the Key lunch. You aren't cheating the system, you are the earliest boarding time. 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. The food is scrumptious and included in the price of The Key. It is not like the drinks package or an excursion where you can just add it once youre onboard. Since the program began in 2018, passengers have reported paying anywhere from $19.99 to over $35 per person per day. Frankly, you will probably get through quicker in a regular line than the Key line. So, check for overlaps to ensure you are not buying a perk twice! Arriving after 11:30 you would have priority in your scheduled arrival time window. They may need something from it between porter drop off and Key drop off. 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. If you buy the Key for both, each person gets internet. We were surprised that Royal Caribbean didnt take the time to avoid this confusion by simply updating this letter for their Key guests. It's important to note that these times that you choose during online check-in are only port arrival times. Check out the latest web stories from Should Be Cruising! Everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean The Key, with the different benefits and basics of the priority program. 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. I paid $28.99/day and it never got lower than that prior to sailing. 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. Why would someone want to drop their carry-on luggage off at The Key location? Something that regular cruises don't purchase . EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Rock climbing was also at 9am. For a prepaid fee, guest can access benefits that are usually reserved for suite guests or member of Royal Caribbeans loyalty program. While they are doing that, you will be doing something different enjoying an exclusive la carte breakfast. Every passenger can buy access to WiFi. The Voom Surf n Stream is included. An interesting perk with The Key program is the ability to drop off carry on luggage (usually in the theater until 1:30 PM). Boarding begins roughly between 10 and 11 a.m., depending on the ship's schedule and how long it takes everyone from the last cruise to debark. Timing is everything. Royal Caribbean typically allows cruisers to choose arrival times in thirty-minute blocks as shown in the image below. I think with a little bit of footwork, you can get similar results on your own and save money on your cruise vacation. The Key is an optional add-on anyone can purchase for their Royal Caribbean cruise that includes special access and perks. All you need to know about Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas Up to 72-hours before your sail date, you can check-in online or with the Royal Caribbean International app* with the 6 items listed below. I'm glad I saw your post. In addition, with multi-device internet plans, the Key doesn't scale to families or larger groups if internet is always purchased. The latter is the only circumstance where you will receive a full refund. Reserved private hours at onboard activities including the FlowRider, Rock Climbing and more. What we did find was that the meal was quite good. Read Also: How Long Does It Take to Get Off a Cruise Ship? 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. This cruise lines optional add-on called The Key is a relatively new program. 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. When you receive your SeaPass card, you should see a small decal on the front indicating that youre a Key member. We'll send you a weekly newsletter to your inbox. The VROOM Surf & Stream package and a meal at Chops Grille are the only two benefits that are eligible for purchase individually. The Key - Boarding Time Question - Royal Caribbean Discussion - Royal I just don't think you're going to get the bang for your buck that you think you will. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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. Apparently on ships that require reservations for show, guests are allowed access early to pick their seats. 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. It is only sold to a limited number of passengers ahead of time for reasons we will explore below. Your bags will be tagged and whisked away into your stateroom (rather than left in the hallway hours later). The Key will usually show up as an option for purchase in your Cruise Planner about 90-100 days before your sailing. That brings your total for purchasing these benefits individually up to $182.