New Program called "The Key"

[xpcdoojk]

Unless you flowride or have tender ports probably not. 

JC

 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

37 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Unless you flowride

.... at very inconvenient times... 🙄

Not worth it! 👎

[Cel_cruise]

The KEY is now available on our Cruise Planner for Mariner of the Seas or $19.99.  We are on a 4 night cruise, leaving in a few weeks.  For the two of us it's $159.92.  If I cancel the internet I got for one device, it's down to $99.  Still not sure if it's worth it.  We haven't been on a cruise in almost 25 years so it's hard to know if any of these perks will even matter to us....
 
 

If you like ‘activities’ like flow rider - I think it would be awesome for a short cruise - I think the lines are extra long for that. And embarkation lunch is nice as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kuddles14]

On 11/5/2018 at 2:36 PM, The Fun Researcher said:

So $25 pp per day or $25 per person flat fee?  By the OP's second post it appears that it's per day?  If that's the case, then no way.  If it's $25 per person flat fee then heck yeah,

Dan

It’s per day . My sailing had it on sale for 19.95 per person per day.

[Orsino]

11 hours ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

.... at very inconvenient times... 🙄

Not worth it! 👎

 

Convenient versus inconvenient varies by person. Unfortunately, one doesn't know in advance what times will be for the Key on the flowrider or any of the activities.

 

 

[Cel_cruise]

.... at very inconvenient times... [emoji849]
Not worth it! [emoji107]

I think that this is so relative - I mean - if I was a non-key guest and key had it at prime times I would be really unhappy ... I think the early morning times are fab!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[xpcdoojk]

12 hours ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

.... at very inconvenient times... 🙄

Not worth it! 👎

 

I am torn between the truth and my personal best interests.  The truth means I obviously disagree, but my personal best interests is that I am the only one to buy the key on my sailings.

 

jc

[Tree_skier]

32 minutes ago, Cel_cruise said:

 

I think that this is so relative - I mean - if I was a non-key guest and key had it at prime times I would be really unhappy ... I think the early morning times are fab!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

But it is not relative for Thorben.  He must take every opportunity to to say something negative about Royal Caribbean.  It's his mission in life to troll these boards and comment whenever possible. He uses lots emoticons though so it seems nicer. 🙂 

[Tree_skier]

13 hours ago, KatheWenz said:

The KEY is now available on our Cruise Planner for Mariner of the Seas or $19.99.  We are on a 4 night cruise, leaving in a few weeks.  For the two of us it's $159.92.  If I cancel the internet I got for one device, it's down to $99.  Still not sure if it's worth it.  We haven't been on a cruise in almost 25 years so it's hard to know if any of these perks will even matter to us....

 

 

We purchased it for our 3 night Mariner cruise at the end of April.  We would have gotten a 2 device internet package anyways and with the Chops lunch thrown in  it's pretty much a wash cost wise.  The priority embark/debark, early access to cabin and better seats at the ice show are just extra/free benefits for us. I'll probably take advantage of at least one of the Key Florider sessions as well.

Edited March 2, 2019 by Tree_skier

[bbahorik]

We are on the last day of our Oasis KEY trip. We decided a couple days ago last minute to go to the ice show. I was surprised the key section was still blocked off for us right up until start time. It’s right in the center facing the skaters which was really nice. First 4 rows.

 

We also received our KEY luggage tags last night and a letter telling us to go to deck 4 for breakfast for key members and then let them know when you want to leave and they will walk you off to your luggage in the KEY area by suites. 

We shall see if it goes like that! 

[JoeFan]

I was able to get The Key for $19.99 for my 7 night 8/19 HOS cruise.

At that time the 4 devices Voom S&S was $27.19/Day. So the not as great a value compared to 2 but still not bad.

I was getting Voom and Luch anyway.

After crunching all the numbers adding up the Voom and the Luch value it comes out to be $9.94 per day per person. So the net difference for Voom  + Lunch vs The Key is $10.05 more per day per person. Not bad when you think of it in those terms. But 7 nights for 4 people is $278 more for the length of the trip.

 

So is $278 a good value for a family of 4 for a 7-day cruise? I hope so.

I have heard the lines on an Oasis class ship can get crazy, so I am willing to pay to be able to do the activities.

[cre8tiv]

JoeFan. Such a personal choice. I’m thinking that if you purposely take advantage of those blocked Key Activity Times, you ll be glad u did it. Never mind the other Perks. And I happen to agree, Oasis ships are Huge and with potentially 5000+ People a little xtra Perk never hurts. 

Have a great trip. Hope you ll report back 

[cre8tiv]

4 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

But it is not relative for Thorben.  He must take every opportunity to to say something negative about Royal Caribbean.  It's his mission in life to troll these boards and comment whenever possible. He uses lots emoticons though so it seems nicer. 🙂 

You stated what others may be thinking, lol 

But hey, whatever works for people. Me... I’m into Any Xtra Perk on any of our vacations. 

Have a great trip!!

[bbahorik]

Here are our KEY tags and letter we received on Oasis...FYI 

whoops updide down 😳

[ShillyShally]

38 minutes ago, bbahorik said:

Here are our KEY tags and letter we received on Oasis...FYI 

whoops updide down 😳

HAHA, taxed my older brain a bit but used to read upside down a lot as a kid!

[resjes]

Ok so I have the Key. 🔑 Anthem of the Seas.

 

It says I can drop off 2 carry on bags to a designated area, according to the cruise planner. The RCI FAQ for the Key says the maximum weight for each one is 25 lbs (RCI cruise planner says nothing about weight limits?). Checked baggage is different, correct? Where does checked luggage get dropped off? I know at least one of my suitcases will be at least 40+ lbs. I want to be sure they don't flip out over luggage and carry on bags??

[Biker19]

Just now, resjes said:

 . Checked baggage is different, correct? Where does checked luggage get dropped off? 

Yes, with the porters at the curb. 

[VICKIB114]

I will be on the Harmony of the Seas in August and was looking at getting the Key as it also has internet so it is not much more then if I just got internet.  My question is if I purchase the key for 2 people like you have to do I get 2 Voom + Surf or is it just 1 for the cabin

 

Regards

 

Vicki

[Merion_Mom]

Two

[brillohead]

3 hours ago, resjes said:

Ok so I have the Key. 🔑 Anthem of the Seas.

 

It says I can drop off 2 carry on bags to a designated area, according to the cruise planner. The RCI FAQ for the Key says the maximum weight for each one is 25 lbs (RCI cruise planner says nothing about weight limits?). Checked baggage is different, correct? Where does checked luggage get dropped off? I know at least one of my suitcases will be at least 40+ lbs. I want to be sure they don't flip out over luggage and carry on bags??

Checked baggage gets dropped off curbside with the porters, and there is no weight limit nor limit to the number of bags you can check. 

The weight/number limit is only for the bags you carry onto the ship and leave with someone while you go have lunch, etc.  Those get delivered to your room by 1pm, while checked luggage will trickle in over the course of the afternoon and evening. That's why they recommend you pack your swimsuit/coverup and sunscreen in a carry-on bag, if you're going to want to use the pool/hot tub before your checked bags arrive at your room later in the day.  

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Not seeing the bang for the buck / value for this very pricey services alternative (other than for Royal).

Edited March 4, 2019 by CRUISEFAN0001

[bbahorik]

We just got of Oasis yesterday using the key. When I reviewed the key earlier in this thread I said it wasn’t something we would do again....WELL we changed our minds after the disembarkation! 

We ate breakfast on 4 at the Grand in a KEY area. The menu was great and I had steak and eggs. (Still not thinking the key was something we would do again though) then we were ready to leave...the hostess walked us to the place you scan your card to get off and we had our own dedicated person to scan us out. When we got to the luggage area there was a clearly marked KEY section and we picked up our bags. They then walked us to the suite/pinnacle line for going through customs. The regular line was extremely long and would have been at least a good 45 to an hour to stand in. 

We were through customs in 5 minutes and on our way. 

We decided at that point the key is totally worth it for us! 

[cruisegirl1]

1 hour ago, bbahorik said:

We just got of Oasis yesterday using the key. When I reviewed the key earlier in this thread I said it wasn’t something we would do again....WELL we changed our minds after the disembarkation! 

We ate breakfast on 4 at the Grand in a KEY area. The menu was great and I had steak and eggs. (Still not thinking the key was something we would do again though) then we were ready to leave...the hostess walked us to the place you scan your card to get off and we had our own dedicated person to scan us out. When we got to the luggage area there was a clearly marked KEY section and we picked up our bags. They then walked us to the suite/pinnacle line for going through customs. The regular line was extremely long and would have been at least a good 45 to an hour to stand in. 

We were through customs in 5 minutes and on our way. 

We decided at that point the key is totally worth it for us! 

Glad it worked for you but I suspect that some high paying suite guests or long term loyalty passengers are not too happy  that a new kid on the block can just pay a few hundred dollars and get  many of the same benefits.     Many of the benefits are far  better than those for a  Diamond or Diamond plus passengers and in some  cases Pinnacle or some suite guests.    The  program seems  popular and is easy money for RCCL.  I can see it growing. 

 

M

[bbahorik]

We ARE diamond and will be diamond plus this fall when we finish our b2b.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

5 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Glad it worked for you but I suspect that some high paying suite guests or long term loyalty passengers are not too happy  that a new kid on the block can just pay a few hundred dollars and get  many of the same benefits.     Many of the benefits are far  better than those for a  Diamond or Diamond plus passengers and in some  cases Pinnacle or some suite guests.    The  program seems  popular and is easy money for RCCL.  I can see it growing. 

Then again...the same folks who look to book a cruise at the lowest possible cost won't likely want to pay the exorbitant convenience cost for The Key just to get in line faster for a few things and a lunch at Chops.

 

While we live in an impatient world these days...this could actually backfire. This has already happened with the TSA Precheck program. It used to be reserved for just those who flew frequently as a "perk" for them, since they used the airports regularly. Now they've opened it up to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants to buy their way into Precheck - and the lines for that are actually longer at some airports at various times than the regular TSA lines. So much for that great idea.

 

The same thing could happen for The Key.