"the Key" on Liberty Of the Seas

[gigi65]

I am looking for reviews for any cruiser that purchased "The Key" and thoughts on how things went on Liberty of the Seas with the "benefits".  We purchase the internet for 2 devices anyway so I was weighing subtracting out that cost  and weighing the options.   There is a fairly lengthly post with 1000's comments about why they wouldn't pay for it and I'm sure there are some that have used the benefit but could not locate it for Liberty ship specifically 

 

 

Thanks. 

[Clarea]

See reviews here:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2659054-key-reviews/?do=findComment&comment=57382362

 

[Desert Cruizers]

Hello Bob this is off topic, but where will I find the link to Register for a M&M, I never can find it on the Main page. thank you. 

 

Gay

[Clarea]

2 minutes ago, Desert Cruizers said:

Hello Bob this is off topic, but where will I find the link to Register for a M&M, I never can find it on the Main page. thank you. 

 

Gay

 

Here it is, and I have no idea if it's working right now:  https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/ccEntry.do

[Desert Cruizers]

Thank you I keep getting the information page so must be not working properly. I had it in my favorites but thought I might be clicking the wrong link . I guess it isn't working. 

 

Gy

[fdthird]

The Key and Liberty.  Didn’t have it, but can tell you a couple of things.

 

At the Galveston terminal there is a very short security line (like 4 people) rather than the Disneyland style back and forth line with probably 400-500 people in front of you.  Of course, specially check in desk.  

 

The Key reserved seats in the main theater are in the balcony, not the best looking cation in my opinion.  

 

Lunch at Chops...not a big fan of the way Chops on Liberty is run. 

[mil76]

We had the Key on Liberty in March.  From a Key benefits perspective that was a lifetime ago.  We mainly bought it since we were getting internet anyway, and we wanted the extra Flowrider hours.  I'm hearing now that they have cut back the Key Flowrider sessions drastically, and that combined with the extra cost means I won't be doing the Key again.

 

Anyways, for embarkation we didn't get to the port until about 11:00, we went right through security and had a separate Key check-in desk.  We whisked through everything, and by the time we got through the boarding backlog was cleared so we went right on the ship.  Curb to ship was about 10 minutes.  The luggage drop-off was convenient for us as we carry a bag and our Flowboards on with us.  Instead of having to lug that around until the rooms opened, we dropped them off and they were waiting in the room for us (along with the rest of our luggage, but that didn't seem to be a Key thing since there was plenty of luggage in the hallway when they opened the rooms).  Chops lunch was very nice and relaxed, a big difference from the mob that is the Windjammer on embarkation day.  We had other people with us who didn't get the Key, so they paid for Chops lunch separately and joined us.

 

As I said, the extra Flowrider sessions were the selling point for the Key, and we were not disappointed.  We got an extra 5 hours with almost all of the time to ourselves.  If you would have added up what private sessions cost on the Flowrider the value was over 1500 dollars.  We were very lucky, as I have read about people having big crowds and only getting 2-3 runs during a Key session on other ships.

 

I didn't use the theater seating benefit, but the DW did.  The seats aren't the greatest, but they showed up right as they released the seating before the show and they got to sit with the people we were sailing with who didn't get the Key anyways.

 

Other than the Flowrider benefits, the next most valuable perk for me was the last day breakfast and the walk-off.  Disembarking the Liberty can be crazy, since a big proportion of the cruisers drive from all over Texas and want to get on the road ASAP.  In the past this meant the self assist lines snaked throughout the ship starting before 6:00am, and it was bedlam in the terminal.  Instead we went to the MDR and had breakfast.  The breakfast was the best I've ever had on a ship.  When we were ready to leave they walked us straight to the front of the line to get off.  Going through the terminal we were on our own, but the Key luggage was waiting in a separate area, but there was no separate Key line for Customs/Immigration. 

 

With that said, Liberty changed the disembarking process on our cruise, where self-assist cruisers are now assigned letters, and you are not allowed to go to disembark until your letter is called.  By doing this they got rid of the need to queue up, and controlled the access to the terminal so it was not the bedlam it has been in the past.  By the time we were ready to leave at 8:30am they were well ahead of schedule and all of the self-assists were already off the ship.  The terminal was a breeze and there was no line at immigration.  We made it to Hobby with plenty of time to spare for our noon flight.  

 

So in closing, Key was worth every penny to me when it was $20/day.  Since then they have raised the price, taken away most of the Flowrider benefit, and seem to have fixed the early disembarking problem.  On this cruise we hit D+, so the rest of the benefits we pretty much get anyway.  So from now on we'll just buy the internet package and enjoy the smoother disembarking process as we carry off our own bags.  

[brywood]

Any other or more recent "Liberty" Key reviews?

[froggergirl14]

Thanks for the information. 

[Slwatts]

On 5/3/2019 at 6:42 PM, Slwatts said:

Husband and I are cruising for the first time...so there are so many options to think about. 

Just bought the drink package and looking at excursions. Wondering if anyone recommends buying the KEY?  We are in our 50’s and don’t see the value of the added outdoor activity times but maybe the ease of embarking? Idk is it that painful without having priority status?  Thoughts?

 

 

[Slwatts]

On the boat now and glad I didn’t decide to purchase the key. I don’t feel like we needed it at all.  More $ to spend on fun stuff instead. 

[trihawks1]

Check out you tube videos and search The Key and Symphony for example...even if it isn’t your ship they explain it...the best one is by Sean and Stef...we purchased it for our next cruise on Oasis.  We would be buying Voom surf & stream for both of us anyway...we won’t do activities (flowrider etc) but will enjoy the rest of the perks.