I tried Royal Caribbean's Key program so you don't have to
Вставка
- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- I tried Royal Caribbean's Key program so you don't have to. For more information on Royal Caribbean's Key program, or to add the Key to your booking, visit the Royal Caribbean cruise manager.
In this video I break down all 10 of the benefits that were part of the Key package when I recently sailed with Royal Caribbean, and will be comparing the value of each benefit to the cost I paid. What do you think? Do you think they Key is worth it?
Let me know your thoughts, and don't forget to subscribe
00:00 Introduction
01:11 Priority Boarding
06:16 Priority Seating
07:13 Private Activity Time
09:20 Choice Departure
09:56 Departure Breakfast
10:55 The Key - Colin's Final Thoughts
Happy cruising! 😀
link tree to Insta, Facebook, website, and latest video linktr.ee/colinallcruisers
#RoyalCaribbeanKey
#theykey
#royalcaribbean
Have you tried the key? Did you think it is good value for money or not?
as a solo cruiser, it's worth it to me, as I love getting quiet flowrider time at 8 am, would be wanting the internet access, and embarkation day lunch. Cruising means flying in day before, and I'm usually hungry by lunchtime
@@Kat-nt6ch Definitely much better value to a solo cruiser. I tried the Key again as a solo cruiser recently
Thank you for posting footage of the signs for the Key - very helpful! A lot of vloggers covering the Key didn’t do this for some reason.
This was very comprehensive! Thanks for doing this
Thank you for your support, and happy Cruising. ⛴️
Very helpful. Thank you.
Great useful infomation!
Thanks for your support
Absolutely worth it for me. I have to have internet so not paying much more to get priority embarkation and carry on drop off make it a no brainer for me. The other perks are nice but not essential. We drive to the port (45 minutes to Galveston) and like to board early then have a leisurely lunch to start decompressing.
great coverage
Thank you so much
I agree 100% on your review - great job! We did The Key for a 4 night cruise and we did like the bag drop off at the welcome lunch so that our backpacks were taken to the room. We did not have any special line at check-in and the lunch was very good. I hate the buffet on the first afternoon so this is a great way to start your vacation. We always get the Stream internet package which on this cruise was only $2 more per person as The Key so no brainer. The priority seating is a very poorly implemented perk and needs to be revamped. We did not use this either. I had to laugh that our time for the special Flow Rider times was at 9:00am and just a few other times. There was no way we were doing that. We just waited like everyone else. There was no priority choice departure or special dining area for debarkation. We too, had the same menu as everyone else and there was no special line to exit. We were had to wait in the line with everyone else so this was something that was advertised but nobody even knew what I was talking about when I asked the dining room staff where the Key debarkation area was. Bottom line, if the internet is close to the price of the Key, then consider it. If not, then it does not give you anything special.
Thank you for your comment. There's definitely a lot of great benefits to this package but also some improvements could be made. Happy cruising.
Thank you for this informative video! We are wanting to sail on an Oasis class ship and thanks to you and this video we know that the Key program isn’t something that would be worth the cost for us.
Thanks guys, Enjoy the oasis class! I recently did wonder, so will have some content coming soon.
I agree, THis does not seem like a big deal. THanks
Enjoyed your “Key” assessment. Found it very helpful on what to expect with my upcoming experience. Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth in case someone is in a similar situation….
I’m doing a 7 day out of San Juan next Feb (23). I chose the Key ($20/day x 3 pax (Pretty good price))for a few reasons. Opting to spend the night prior to sail. Hotel checkout time is pretty early, and our departure time is 830pm. Most hotels had a $25-$50 late checkout fee. Now we can go from hotel to boat with minimal wait without late checkout fee (Spending the day in Old San Juan day prior and it’s my 9yo first cruise). Dropping off bags and getting lunch (value $60ish). The internet for one user ($140/pp),included. Another good benefit. Not mentioning the others you talked about that may/may not be much in value (seating for shows, tender priority, activity reservations, etc.), I feel there’s great value. Total package for 3 “Keys”, $440. Minus internet price $140(included), lunch $60, late checkout fee $25-$50 (hotel), it comes out to less than $75pp to enjoy early boarding and disembarking. To me, the peace of mind is worth it.
Maybe I’m missing something and I’m being fooled. But I’m hoping it all works out. Happy Sailing!
Hi Marc, thank you for your support. I have to say what you've done is probably the best thing I can think of. Breaking down the cost and value to you, your cruising companions/family, and also your unique travel situation (regarding the hotel) is definitely the way to do it! For $20 or even $25 per person I'd consider the key again in the future. For my next cruise they is current $33 per person. Even with the internet I personally can't justify that, I wouldn't find it value for money, but I think if I was in your situation, and at that price point it's a no brainer! Thanks for sharing this insight, I'm sure many others will find this useful when determining if the Key will be worth it for their cruise.
I’ve purchased the Key for 2 different bookings (also booked for next year as well), and both times was absolutely worth every penny. Keep in mind I am boarding at Port Miami and Everglades, which are big terminals and gets packed and chaotic. Got on board right away ahead of 100’s of others that were still waiting to get checked in (both outside and inside the terminal) the chops lunch delicious as always, we got to go to the front of the line for shows on board, the have special/private hours for certain onboard activities (not all of them) but for some, the internet package, super fast no issues, disembarking was a breeze. It’s especially worth it when traveling with a new cruiser that has no perks or if you are not traveling in a suite. They give a lot of perks for what I consider a reasonable price. If you don’t want to purchase it you don’t have to, but for those that have never tried it and are considering it but this video is making you doubt yourself, by all means try it first before passing judgment on something you haven’t tried for yourself. It may surprise you. Happy cruising!!
Hi Jennifer, thanks for the comment. I do agree that just because I didn't find value in the Key doesn't mean that others won't, so please don't be discouraged from trying it. Hopefully it comes across in my review that I was basing it on my personally perceived value, whilst also trying to showcase the features of what is included. Happy cruising to you too! 🚢
@@ColinAllCruisers Hey Colin! For sure, everyone is entitled to their point of view and everyone has different experiences. I've had great experience others maybe not so much. People should definitely try things out for themselves and decide how they feel about it before just writing it off. In all honesty the Carnival fttf program is definitely not worth the money!! Have you ever tried that one out?? No perks and not seeing where the fun is on that one lol. At the same time others may find it worth their while. Well thanks for sharing!!
@@jennifercarreras2287 that's funny you bring that one up because (pre-pandemic) I would always try to grab fttf when sailing carnival. Does it have the best perks? No, but for $50 one time charge it's worth it to me for the priority boarding and immediate access to the cabin alone. Especially at $50 per cabin, and not per person. But you definitely do get a lot more perks on the Key program! I think that's also reflective of Carnival vs Royal suite guest perks. Essentially the Key and fttf are offering a chance to upgrade to similar perks that suite guests or higher status guests experience, and royal have much better benefits to those in suites than carnival do (again, in my opinion, I'm sure there's others who disagree lol).
@@ColinAllCruisers Hey Colin, you know pre-pandemic, I felt the same way about Carnival fttf. I had a cruise booked for that April at the start of the pandemic when everything got canceled and that actually would have been my first time using it. I absolutely hate Carnival’s boarding process at the port of Miami. Your literally standing outside in the heat (or rain), they take their sweet time letting people in and for whatever reason it feels like everyone got there at the same time Lol!! I have a cruise coming up with them this November and I’m hoping it’s a better process. A friend of mine just got back from a cruise with them and said it was actually really fast process so here’s hoping!! Your absolutely right though, if nothing else just being able to get onboard fast at a Carnival terminal is a perk all on it own!!!
@@jennifercarreras2287 carnival - Miami - November 🤔 I have that on my calendar too lol. After sailing Wonder of the Seas in October, my next cruise is Carnival Celebration on the inaugural sailing Nov 21st.
It's been a while since I sailed from Miami. Last year I did Mardi Gras from Port Canaveral and it was as you described, everyone turned up at once and the staff didn't seem to care.
Good assessment.
It seems outside of the included data connection and boarding meal most of what they are selling is really the inconvenience of others. I LOVE IT when the experience of others can be degraded in exchange for money.
nobody is inconvenienced because 1. You are herded into a 30 minute boarding window and if late you miss the welcome lunch. 2. Show seating is in a corralled area away from the stage, either to the side or halfway up the stalls. certainly not front row seating. Priority tendering means you have to get up VERY early on port days and may miss breakfast to get on the VIP tender. When tendering BACK to ship you have NO PRIORITY. 3. Special access to activities - limited to 30-minute windows at unpopular (i.e. off-peak) times. So you are worrying throughout the cruise that you have to adhere to their strange timings (and less than desired seating) or miss out and line up like everyone else.
On a short cruise the key is great , even if it’s just for the boarding and disembarking perks skipping the line to disembark is magic in a short cruise when I am trying to make it back to work on Monday or to the airport
Completely agree, it's easier to squeeze the value in the shorter the cruise.
They had it on sale for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale bundled with internet so it was only a couple dollars more than the internet alone, but our May 2022 cruise cancelled. Booked another cruise and looking at one more. If your getting internet too is the only way The Key would be worth it, for me anyway. I agree with you, the early boarding is the best benefit. I did not know about the priority disembarkation! Thank you for a helpful video!
Oh no! Did they say why your cruise was cancelled? Im going on the symphony in May
@@christinawong5412 Yes, Royal told us in late Nov that our May 10th 2022 Transatlantic cancelled because Rhapsody of the Seas dry dock would not be completed in time. While it was not Covid related, I wonder if the real reason was number of bookings was lower than hoped for? Simply because the ship is still scheduled to sail from Rome on May 23rd. Rhapsody still has to sail from Florida even without passengers, and the three TA stops, the time saved is a few days at most. Just doesn’t make sense. Hope you have a wonderful trip!
@@ChristianLehrer thank you! So sorry to hear that. I hope you get to reschedule your cruise soon!
Sadly, those lunch options make total sense if they were pulled from the Chops menu. I took my family on Allure right before the school year started. I wanted to take my older kids to Chops, but our nights were already mostly booked, so I decided to take them for Lunch (it was the only premium food option that was open for lunch at the time). The day before our reservation, I decided to look at the menu and it was almost exactly the same as what you listed. I was VERY disappointed by the options considering it's a premium restaurant that you have to pay extra for; especially since I've been to Chops several times for dinner and absolutely LOVED their dinner options. Immediately canceled my reservations.
Oh wow, that's really disappointing to hear that. I really feel it's just a little too limited of a menu. Especially for a premium offering.
We love the Key but were a bit dismayed that the price has gone up by so much. We have mobility issues so priority boarding and luggage drop off are perks we really enjoy. Love the relaxed lunch as the Wind Jammer is a nightmare that first day. We don't mind going early to the shows. We get a beverage and pull out our Kindles. I don't know how they are doing the debarkation but the last time we sailed (pre-covid) they escorted us off the ship and helped us get a porter. It made life much easier as I use an electric wheelchair. My husband has heart issues. It's definitely not a worthwhile expense for everyone. You explained the pros and cons very well.
I can absolutely see the benefit to having lunch outside for he wind jammer area if you have mobility issues. It definitely gets really crowded there on the first day. I do believe different people will get different benefits from the key. That's a shame the price has gone up, it's really expensive for the cruise I have booked in October, but I encourage you to keep checking, I've noticed the prices can fluctuate quite a bit. Hopefully you can find a good deal on the key before you next sail.
I just cancelled the Key for my upcoming cruise when I upgraded to a Grand Suite. When I first ordered it it was $25 but when I looked at it today it was $35. They increased my price.
I would 100% agree that it's not worth it if you have a suite since many of the benefits overlap. For non-suite guests, $25 would be great value, but $35 would be too high a price point for me personally. Enjoy your upcoming cruise! 🛳️
Perhaps you can review the other cruise lines club programs. Most of them have a similar program. Thanks
Thanks for the suggestion. I've only personally tried this type of program on 2 different lines but will do some research on what other cruise lines offer and include a comparison in a future video
So you get private times for the onboard activities like the wakeboarding and indoor skydiving, but do you have to pay for those separately? Indoor skydiving is $40 a person, so if it’s included it’s a great deal
Spot on! I only get the Key if it's dirt cheap on sale. Most of the perks are not as good as they sound.
For sure. I actually did get it again since this review but that's because it was cheaper than the internet and I need the internet plan when I cruise, so it was a no brainer!
How long does the key lunch take? Could I possibly do the key lunch at 12 and another specialty lunch at 12:45?
As a solo traveler who always would get the internet, I always get the Key.
Do you spend hours on the net rather than just enjoying the cruise that you paid for?
The Key only becomes worth it to me when there are occasional price drops which take the price point below the price for the internet & stream package alone.
I’ve purchased the key last year and then again this year. The key has improved but remains faulty in some areas.
The key benefit depends on what is important to you.
For me, the internet and the private checkin times for shows (you do need to make a reservation anyways beforehand), plus the ability to leave the cabin as late as 8 am with your luggage already waiting for you; are the reasons why it is worth for me.
The lunch on embarkation day, or other “perks” are not what I would call value items as these items you could technically have without needing the key.
I went on symphony of the seas and the early availability to shows was great. We got perfect seating and enjoyed each show.
It does suck you have to be early at the show, but we typically were at the show 20minutes before and this was enough time.
We never did the 45min before as this was too much time.
I always need to take out the internet so if the cost for the key and the internet are close in price then it's a no brainer for me. That being said that if in travelling solo. If more people are in the cabin and even just one of them doesn't want or need internet then that level of value does change. If I could use the guaranteed seating by only turning up 20 mins before I'd really enjoy it. It seems to differ from ship to ship, itinerary to itinerary.
@@ColinAllCruisers in symphony of the seas the week before Christmas sailing, we were allowed 20mins before shows to checkin.
Each ship is different but they were flexible when we were on symphony. So that has been a huge plus for us b
Hi, just wondering the key which includes is the high speed internet for one day use or the whole trip? Thank you😊 I’m cruising next month:) still deciding should I buy the key or not
It includes internet for the whole trip. It's one plan per person so if you are each planning to use internet l trip long it definitely makes the key worth it.
How do you purchase the 🔑 key
Going on our first cruise in April 🎉. I bought the key for the boarding/bag & internet primarily. For the lunch & breakfast with the limited menu, will they accommodate vegans? Or will I need to skip these perks? Thanks!
Amazing, 🥳 enjoy your cruise! I'm sure you'll have a blast. The breakfast option had vegan options as I recall. It's basically just a sectioned off, quieter area of the dining room. The menu has a couple of key specific options which were no vegan friendly on my sailing, but since you can order off the regular menu there will be vegan options for you.
As for the lunch, I'm afraid there were no vegan options at all. There weren't even vegetarian options. I saw someone a side of fries for their lunch because they didn't eat meat.
Is Horse radish sauce on a shrimp cocktail only a North American thing? Here in New Zealand we usually have a rich thousand Island dressing, much nicer.
I'm originally from the UK and we have similar cocktail sauce to what you are describing. I usually whip up a quick version with mayo, tomato puree, paprika, and lemon juice. The North American version is very horseradish tasting. I wasn't a fan when I first moved here but its grown on me.
Hi - Did you get a letter from RC before your cruise - telling you to arrive 11am and mentioning the Key benefits? I heard some do. If you did, how far ahead of your cruise did you receive it? We have the Key for Oasis in March.
Hi Wendy, I did receive the email you are referring to about 10 days before sailing. Happy sailing on Oasis, I've sailed her before and had a great time. I'm sailing her sister ship in October.
It's $46 per person for our transpacific cruise
Hi we’re sailing in March and received an email a few months ago stating they removed the Chops lunch, but gave us a discount on room service. Did they add it back?
They did add the Chops lunch back in time for my cruise in January, but strangely they also left the complimentary room service and 25% specialty restaurant discount on also. Hopefully you have the opportunity to take advantage of these wonderful discounts.
@@ColinAllCruisers That’s awesome and good to know. We had a dinner at Chops scheduled for the first night, but I’ll contact them and move the dinner to another night. Thank you for your reply and video.
@@marcypeoples6698 that's a great idea. Thanks for your support 🙂
I can’t see any benefit with the key as it stands for my 13 day cruise to New Zealand. Even priority tenders. The ports are in some cases so far from the port we have to be bussed in anyway. For eg Wellington is one of our ports but we actually dock in Port Chalmers 20 mins by road away. You will still have to wait for the bus to fill before it leaves anyway. Not planning to work whilst on board- I’m on holiday for Christ’s sake I haven’t been able to travel anywhere for over 2 yrs because of covid and in some instances not even interstate. So I don’t need the internet. My phone has global roaming for 5 dollars Aussie per day as part on the plan. I don’t usually eat breakfast until 9 pm so don’t need the early morning breakfast . Overall I don’t need to pay over $1400 Australian for no real benefits for me at all . Pre covid here in Australia they were charging around $56 per day per person .
For a 13 day cruise that does work out pretty expensive. I feel the same about the Med cruise I'm taking later this year, there are no tender ports and even if there was I'd still have to get a bus to the main town anyway. The breakfast was delicious but I was a little underwhelmed when I realized that the dining room was open to everyone for breakfast, albeit without the crab Benedict and steak and eggs options.
I hope you have a wonderful cruise. 13 day new Zealand cruise is definitely a bucket list item for me!
First time RCL & Key and on the Wonder. When on the ship early/first, what is the best things to do first, dinner reservations for sure, but what else, are there thermal spa passes for sale? I think it will be of value since I was already getting the internet.
I haven't sailed Wonder yet, but I will in October. Take advantage of not having your bags with you. I decided to walk and explore the ship. If you stop by the spa they will give you a tour and answer your questions. Personally I tell them I'd prefer to self tour then ask them questions when I'm done. Hope you have a "wonder"ful cruise!
PS I love your profile picture! Bad Wolf!
@@ColinAllCruisers Thank you! Me too! Huge Fan! Are you on the TA Oct 30?
@@connie_360 I'll be on the 9th Oct med sailing from Barcelona.
I don’t think the Key is worth it unless it’s very low in price. There is little to no waiting with embarkation times now. The buffet is great on RCL and I personally found Chops Grill to offer a lousy steak. I cook a better steak at home and any shore steakhouse in Manchester will beat it. I’d rather spend the money in the casino by dropping it all on black! The internet is pretty poor at sea and depending on your location it struggles. In the North Sea portion of the British isles I could barely watch a UA-cam video. Your not watching Netflix unless you watch in really poor image. We download films before the cruise but I find we never watch TV except maybe the BBC when getting ready for dinner. You only get priority on way to shore when the lines are little. It’s a massive wait to come back to ship when everyone lines up at 4! Total scam! We walk off the ship ourselves anytime as we carry our luggage off.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I've actually never tried Chips Grill outside of the key menu. Since this was served in the MDR I wasn't sure if it still prepared the same way as the actual chops restaurant. I know plenty of people who would be able to squeeze value from it, but it's not for everyone, myself included.
I think you are very fussy. I don’t mind to wake up early and I want internet, I bought the key for my 10 nights cruise. 😊
Keys worth it if you need internet. With internet and the first day lunch and last day breakfast is worth it. If you don’t need internet then it’s not worth it
Great insight. Thanks for sharing 😊
Hi Colin, I think your complaint about the embarkation lunch should be compared with the options at the Windjammer since that would be your choice for lunch if you did not have the "Key". Go and fight for a seat with a family, go up at different intervals to get food while holding the table and chairs vs. a sit down meal without hunting for a table and getting tables ideas service by the waitstaff.
I will not go any further with your comparison since you truly did not do good comparison.
I have had the "Key" multiple time precovid 19 on a full ship and you are comparing it a ship at 30% capacity. Drop Mic......
Hi Kevin, thanks for your insight, that's definitely a great point about navigating the Windjammer. I did swing by at opening, and even although it was only 30% capacity on board there was already large line to get in. Although I didn't personally see value in the key, I do recognize the value it might hold to others, and really hope that does come across in my video.
Yes, eating in super crowded Windjammer on Day 1 make me stressed. The Key Lunch give peace of mind and a nice start for my vacation. I also love to take my time when having breakfast on last day.