royal caribbean the key boarding time

i4peaches 1 yr. ago I love the Key. 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? On the Cruise Critic boards, people have reported paying between $19.99 to $29.99 and even up to $37 per day for each. The latter is the only circumstance where you will receive a full refund. Everything else gets dropped off with the porters outside the terminal. 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. What is The Key on Royal Caribbean? 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. So, it's important to know that Carnival won't serve any passenger more than 15 alcoholic drinks in a single day. I love sharing my best cruise tips with you, along with reviews of cruise destinations, shore excursions, cruise ships and cruise lines. 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. 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. One thing I wonder about with The Key. Lets dive in. Check out the latest web stories from Should Be Cruising! Ah, I see. (2023). 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. But information emailed to us just a few short days before instructed us to arrive early. Skip The Key, and instead focus on how to get an early check-in time, buy a dining package, pre-purchase wifi, and I think you will find yourself still having a great time onboard. Why would someone want to drop their carry-on luggage off at The Key location? Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille menu (open from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM). *, Carry-on bag drop off with delivery to your stateroom. 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. That is a very long time to wait for a show. (Bring your receipt, just in case). . 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. 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. You could book the cheapest inside guarantee stateroom, but have access to lots of the benefits that suite and high-level loyalty members enjoy. 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. Royal Caribbean The Key solves this challenge. * Priority access will not be offered in Vancouver, Canada, or at any ports in Australia. Lines for this mode of transport can get extremely long, and wait times can be extremely frustrating. 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. Drop off your carry-on luggage in the Main Dining Room on Deck 3 by 2:00 PM - your carry-on luggage will be hand delivered to your stateroom. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. If youre thinking about purchasing the program, its a good idea to check around this time because it does tend to sell out. Internet that I'd otherwise pay for one device. This can be quite a challenge in one particular circumstance tendering to shore. I don't think it means you can show up at 10:30 am. I really hope you didn't buy The Key just for the. If anyone knows, let me know. There will be food options when you board. The Tories are also likely to struggle in key bellwether seats elsewhere in England - although the pollster did not expect quite so many Labour gains in key general election battlegrounds further . Insider tip: Be sure that your time slot is early enough to take advantage of our next benefit embarkation day lunch. It changes just like everything else. An important point to know is that you must buy it prior to sailing. Recent RCI cruisers report that most sailings now only offer one private hour per week for each activity for Key members. 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. 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. The system will time out after 30 minutes, so double check that you have everything below for each guest in your group before starting. Arriving after 11:30 you would have priority in your scheduled arrival time window. Getting an early check-in time is easy (and free) if you just. I tried it for my last cruise which was a 4 day cruise. It is $42.99/pp/day for my 5 day cruise. When you receive your SeaPass card, you should see a small decal on the front indicating that youre a Key member. We much preferred this meal instead of fighting our way through the buffet along with every other passenger onboard the ship. Select from a menu of (typically three) appetizers, entres, sides and desserts. madoris, Thursday at 02:15 PM in Royal Caribbean International. RCI currently offers The Key on all sailings on all ships except for Quantum of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas, and Voyager of the Seas. Paste as plain text instead, 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. Royal Caribbean Key Guests get to avoid the crowds and the waiting, and experience these attractions during hours reserved exclusively for the program. But there are a few considerations you should make that can help justify the cost of the Royal Caribbean Key Program. 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. Complimentary room service for your entire cruise, along with 25% off all onboard dining purchases Private time at some of our onboard activities such as rock climbing, FlowRider, etc. I think that price is bat-poo crazy. Book with Klook Here: Set Sail with Royal Caribbean Cruise => We value this benefit at $20USD, simply because it costs the equivalent if you were to try FlowRider at Sentosa. This benefit only applied to the main theater and the ice show. 4.4k. In addition, your SeaPass card will have a special sticker to easily identify yourself as having The Key. They can frequently run in the hundreds of dollars. Rock climbing was also at 9am. You will have priority departure from the ship to the shore at tender ports of call. Carry-on luggage drop-off with items delivered inside room usually prior to guest access. Yes, if you get an earlier time, you can use that time. A premium section of each of the larger venues on each ship is reserved for The Key, loyalty club members and suite passengers. Hiya! 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. Posted 1 hour ago. 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. New to Royal Caribbean. 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. Also, if you are booking a suite on any of the ships, many of The Key extras might be included during your itinerary. The Key holders will board after Royal Suite Class guests and Pinnacle guests. Then, you see rows and rows and rows of people However, if you bought Royal Caribbean The Key, welcome to your first VIP perk. You still have to do online check in, I get that part, but if I wanted to arrive early and my check in time is later, does the key (or say suite access) allow me arrive early because of the benefit? These keys indicate where and when you have access to places and events. (Be aware that some of the most popular spots may only be reserved for Key Guests a couple of times during your itinerary). Priority Embarkation is one of the best Key perks. Im Carrie Ann, the writer behind Should Be Cruising. The reason behind this benefit is to lessen the hassle baked right into every cruise standing in line. Cruise terminals, as we learned during the pandemic, are . This benefit came in SUPER handy with the kids. 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. 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. If a large group of Key members and suite passengers enter just before you, it might be quicker going through a regular security line. It is satellite-based and works throughout the ship. Guests need to purchase The Key before the cruise begins on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner website. 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. If youre already planning to buy WiFi, The Key might make sense depending on how many devices you want to activate. I almost got shut out, as they do have a cap, and it sold out. It can be purchased online or via the app when you book your cruise (or added later). Access to the fast lane at onboard activities (activities vary by ship)and private time at the Flowrider. Activities like the FlowRider, the rock climbing wall, water slides, and such often involves SUPER long lines, and cruisers only get to experience them once or twice during their open hours. Read Also: How Long Does It Take to Get Off a Cruise Ship? In addition, with multi-device internet plans, the Key doesn't scale to families or larger groups if internet is always purchased. 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. I just purchased The Key and am wondering if that will push my boarding time up. We are headed out on the Oasis of the Seas from Miami on Sunday. Do you already have perks? 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). Once you've done these things, sit back and enjoy your cruise! For more info, please read myDisclosure Policy. when I got it I wasnt thinking about capacity numbers. 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. The Key program was first introduced in 2018, and this package add-on must be purchased prior to boarding via Royal Caribbean. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. So for a 4 day cruise, to purchase the Key Package for two people, you can expect to spend around $200. For a lunch at Chops Grille, you can expect to pay at least $19 per guest for a total of $38. The menu features limited selections from Chops Grille. Think of it like a way to pay extra to get VIP treatment, faster access, or otherwise nice to have extras. Is it worth it to buy The Key on a RCI cruise? Whether or not The Key is worth the money really depends on your situation. Choice debarkation time with special debarkation breakfast. Does this mean that it doesn't matter what our boarding time we get when we check in? Is the Royal Caribbean Key Program a must-do or a hard pass for your next cruise? 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. But, given that many of the Key perks are also shared by suite and elite loyalty members, they might adjust the number of passes based on how many of those passengers plan on sailing. 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. As a Key Guest, you will enjoy your choice of the best seats. I used the Key a few years ago and liked it. There is one final question to consider when deciding whether this optional add-on is right for your next cruise. 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. Worked out to be about $80 more than what I had paid for a 2 device internet package. 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. We were surprised that Royal Caribbean didnt take the time to avoid this confusion by simply updating this letter for their Key guests. What we did find was that the meal was quite good. 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. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'shouldbecruising_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',199,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-shouldbecruising_com-medrectangle-4-0');Booked guests on most Royal Caribbean sailings have the choice to upgrade to The Key, a program that offers enhanced benefits. Was useless. The Key program is controversial among some high-level Crown & Anchor members. Breakfast room service is likely the most beneficial time to use room service, but there are so many easy grab and go breakfast options that I think in general, the idea of having room service is better than the actual thing. Have our travel agency partner get you a free quote for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Rockaway NY,Sonoma County,Ca. It is not like the drinks package or an excursion where you can just add it once youre onboard. Does this extra cost amenity make sense to get for your family? 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. This inclusion also offers us the opportunity to do a bit of price comparison with some simple math. Manage Settings If you dont see it, ask your Stateroom Attendant or go to Guest Services to apply the icon. 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. 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. On debarkation day, enjoy a private la carte breakfast and choice departure. The other benefit is that they give you lunch at chops on boarding day and deliver fruit to your room. 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. ** Carry-on luggage drop-off service is limited to two pieces per guest and can weigh no more than 25 pounds per carry-on. We even had an entire Key Program booking canceled and our money refunded to us before sailing with no explanation. Why would someone want to drop their carry-on luggage off at The Key location? Since space is limited on a cruise ship, the larger, more popular show are notorious for filling up fast. Ultimately, the value of this program is subjective. 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. However, some RCI ships have started offering Fast Track boarding when returning to the ship, and Key members are eligible. 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. 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. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. 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 most recent trip, it was just the two of us, so we were seated with other Key Program guests for the meal. One thing I wonder about with The Key. The benefits package known as Royal Caribbean The Key is structured to address an element of each of these ideas. definitely. Additionally, you will once again be the beneficiary of a reserved time to go ashore; also included with this final perk. You should also know that the Royal Caribbean Key program can ONLY be booked BEFORE your cruise. **** Reservations are required for shows on Quantum and Oasis class ships. Flying Wish Paper: How To Make Your Own With Things You Already Have!

Bugle Instrument For Sale, Marineland Permanently Closed, Articles R