New Program called "The Key"

[xpcdoojk]

2 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

If too many of those start happening it would not surprise me to see Roysl cut back on the number of sessions offered.

 

Yeah, so we need to hit the right number of keys.  Maybe enough keys for 10 total flow rider enthusiasts.  Ok, make that 8.😈🏄‍♂️

 

jc

[HBE4]

5 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

That said, the lines are still much longer than that because you have 5000 others who need to do the flowrider, and after wiping out and sucking they go back to drinking and gambling.  Which is not to say I don’t do all I can to encourage said interloper into become an enthusiast.  I just know the actual statistics on those that do.

 

That could be me. Every cruise, I swear I'm going to do it. I'd watch, study people & think" "I used to boggie board in the Atlantic Ocean every summer. I got this".

 

But the prospect of breaking an ankle in the beginning of a cruise discourages me.  And by the end, I'm usually to bloated and lethargic and that's when it seems the lines are the longest as people get the last licks in.

[xpcdoojk]

1 minute ago, HBE4 said:

 

That could be me. Every cruise, I swear I'm going to do it. I'd watch, study people & think" "I used to boggie board in the Atlantic Ocean every summer. I got this".

 

But the prospect of breaking an ankle in the beginning of a cruise discourages me.  And by the end, I'm usually to bloated and lethargic and that's when it seems the lines are the longest as people get the last licks in.

 

1 minute ago, HBE4 said:

 

That could be me. Every cruise, I swear I'm going to do it. I'd watch, study people & think" "I used to boggie board in the Atlantic Ocean every summer. I got this".

 

But the prospect of breaking an ankle in the beginning of a cruise discourages me.  And by the end, I'm usually to bloated and lethargic and that's when it seems the lines are the longest as people get the last licks in.

 

I have seen 1 broken ankle, in about a dozen cruises where I spent hours and hours at the flowrider.  On the Symphony TA there was a tall German who lives in NY who would always be first in line and would tell us when we arrived our number about halfway thru, he hurt his shoulder and surfed one more hour then never saw him again.  

 

I will say, that the worst mistake people make is waiting until day 6 on a 7 day cruise to show up.  This is when a rush of last momenters show up, which means that after a week of interloper the regulars are at their least willing to help levels.  Show up day 1 or day 2 latest, and the comraderie in the line will be much happier and more helpful.  Actual serious injuries are pretty rare. 

 

The one broken ankle I described I caught on video (I just set my camera on a tripod in run mode for about 1/2 the time I am in line and all the time I surf) I have watched her accident about 100 times and I still can’t see why she was hurt.  Not like watching Joe Theismann and Lawrence Taylor.  

 

Regulars are probably more likely for a serious injury than NOOBs because the regulars surf the top of the wave where you have more speed going down the wave, and more likelihood to fall on the top of the wave which is much less forgiving (although the Symphony top of the wave is the best I have surfed on).  

 

JC

[HBE4]

13 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

I will say, that the worst mistake people make is waiting until day 6 on a 7 day cruise to show up.  This is when a rush of last momenters show up, which means that after a week of interloper the regulars are at their least willing to help levels.  Show up day 1 or day 2 latest, and the comraderie in the line will be much happier and more helpful.  Actual serious injuries are pretty rare.

 

That's good to know. Thank you for the info.  Make sense.

 

Not sure why I became so gun shy. I used to ride the waves, get caught in the curl and spun around so many times I didn't know which was was up before being slammed into the sand. Never suffered anything more than a burn.

[Pratique]

9 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

That's good to know. Thank you for the info.  Make sense.

 

Not sure why I became so gun shy. I used to ride the waves, get caught in the curl and spun around so many times I didn't know which was was up before being slammed into the sand. Never suffered anything more than a burn.

I took my first private Flowrider lesson on the Symphony TA. It was cold out but I had a blast. I made sure to stretch before and between rides. Thank goodness the water was heated and for the hot tubs afterwards. There were only six in the group. I think the private lesson is the way to go for first timers. Plenty of ride time to figure it out. That being said if the Key groups are small then that would also be a good time to try it.

[luckyprincess]

On 1/7/2019 at 3:28 AM, dutchclogs said:

Will be interested to read the review. Is this a shorter cruise?  It seems to me that the key program potentially offers better value for 4-7 day cruises than for longer.

Hi! Yes it's a 5 night with 2 at sea days.

[Loonbeam]

I've thought about doing the flowrider but not enough to wait in line.  We're planning on getting the key, and if its empty I figure I can get extra instruction.  I'm 50 and have touched a board ONCE in my life, a long time ago.  So I will need extra help and advil.

 

[xpcdoojk]

21 minutes ago, Loonbeam said:

I've thought about doing the flowrider but not enough to wait in line.  We're planning on getting the key, and if its empty I figure I can get extra instruction.  I'm 50 and have touched a board ONCE in my life, a long time ago.  So I will need extra help and advil.

 

 

Where you bottom goes the board goes.  Stick your bottom out and you will move that direction, stand up straight and pull your bottom in you will put weight on your toes and you will go that way.  Free tip.  Bring Advil.  

 

jc

Edited January 9, 2019 by xpcdoojk

[Loonbeam]

1 minute ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

Where you bottom goes the board goes.  Stick your bottom out and you will move that direction, stand up straight and pull your bottom in you will put weight on your toes and you will go that way.  Free tip.  Bring Advil.  

 

jc

I survived iFly on the Anthem enough that I have done it 3 times on land 🙂

 

[dreadpirate3]

Well, I thought I would never say this, but depending on my budget and how much I spend on my upcoming cruise, I think I will pay $19.99 per person, per day for the three of us to have the Key on our upcoming Symphony 4-day.

 

 

[cementhands]

We’re in our 60’s and would have enjoyed this in our 40’s. But not now. Maybe when we’re older. Things change as we age. I’ve got my eyes looking towards Holland America for my 80’s.

[cre8tiv]

Got the Key for our Allure cruise this June. . Was a no brainer based on price since Voom included and xtra perks. Especially no pre cruise or onboard reservations for shows...

Someone mentioned early stateroom access, it’s my understanding that is only on some ships ( not allure ),and not included in the description. 

[islandwannabee]

How do you know which ships have the early stateroom access? Is there any benefit to those with the key at labadee?

[vacationlover_mn]

34 minutes ago, islandwannabee said:

How do you know which ships have the early stateroom access? Is there any benefit to those with the key at labadee?

The description will call out if you get early stateroom access or not.  On my upcoming symphony trip, it notes that I have early carryon drop off.

[rockmom]

46 minutes ago, islandwannabee said:

How do you know which ships have the early stateroom access? Is there any benefit to those with the key at labadee?

As Vacationlover pointed out, click on the description from the cruise planner to see what comes with it for your sailing.  Keep in mind that even those that say theirs show 'early access to cabin', it's not all that much earlier, like maybe noon.  For my sailing on Allure in May, it says that I can drop off any carry-ons in the main theater and they will be delivered directly to my stateroom.  I don't think there's anything other than getting off the ship in the first group for Labadee.  The Key comes with early port debarkation.  

[Biker19]

On 1/7/2019 at 10:36 PM, xpcdoojk said:

 

Yeah, so we need to hit the right number of keys.  Maybe enough keys for 10 total flow rider enthusiasts.  Ok, make that 8.😈🏄‍♂️

 

5 riders yesterday, 3 today during the Key Flowrider sessions.

[xpcdoojk]

5 total people in the regular flowrider line?  Sweet.

 

jc

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

5 total people in the regular flowrider line? 

No, in the Key session.

[xpcdoojk]

Got it.  How bad is the regular line?  I assume the one you are stuck in?

 

jc

[tinkr2]

On 1/7/2019 at 10:18 PM, xpcdoojk said:

I know I am a hater on non flowrider cruise ships in the RCI, fleet, and I have thought the key would be complete garbage on say the Radiance, but .....   I think back to our Alaska cruise sailing from Juneau at the end of August this summer.  We would eat dinner and go to the show, if we arrived 10 minutes before the show started (as a group of 6 adults) we would walk into the main theatre and it was standing room only.  The Key would have been really nice.  We sailed the Symphony TA about 50 days later, and while there were a bazillion C&A members because the DW and I (sailing as just a couple) had prebooked our shows, and being D+ we were directed to the upper area reserved for our C&A status.  It was so much better.  I would think if I had the Key on the Radiance it would have been a much better experience.  We litterally stood through 4 shows on the Radiance.  $40 a couple would probably have been worth it.  

 

So, I would not recommend the Key for those ships, I can see a reason for the Key even there.

 

jc

It’s 40 per day for every day of the cruise. 

[tinkr2]

30 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

5 riders yesterday, 3 today during the Key Flowrider sessions.

I am

thrilled to heart those numbers. I’m guessing they won’t hold as people learn about the program. But I bought it for both my cruise on Harmony and Symphony. 

 

Someone posted thst that they have 12 access to their cabin on Harmony in May. 

Mine says luggage drop off. So it is definitely different for each sailing of each ship. 

So make sure you read the fine print before you purchase. Don’t base it on what you read on here. 

[xpcdoojk]

Yes, I know.  I bought it for a 16 nght cruise coming up in 97 days, more or less since it begins on the other side of the International Date Line.

 

Speaking of which, it is a 16 night cruise, however, the cruise planner shows April 20 crossing the said date line.  Do you think they have a way to book dinners on both of the nights of April 20 in the cruise planner.  Of course, not the IT department strikes again....

 

jc

[bigeck]

44 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Got it.  How bad is the regular line?  I assume the one you are stuck in?

 

jc

Looks like the line for the bathroom will be longer than flowrider

[Ralphinsc]

I think I'm starting to come around to this. Just around $420 to book for three of us on my Symphony cruise, of which about 490 I was going to book anyways for internet. I think I've talked myself into it. This thread has helped. Loved our last Flowrider session in Grand Turk. Now we have an easy excuse to get my DW involved as well. 

[popcicle]

Really disappointing, might as well put the gates back up and separate us by class again, not much fun to be in steerage eh?   Disney and many others already do this, money is power.......