New Program called "The Key"

[aespo4]

2 minutes ago, marcg125 said:

During regular lunch days at Chop's the time is from 12:00 to 1:30 and the seating capacity is 100 (on Oasis ships). Wondering how they could expand this since the time starts at 11:30 for The Key.

I am assuming with a capacity of 100 and everyone who purchased the Key would want this perk it could be pretty busy at chops if we all show up at the same time ( not that this would happen) but same for the reserved seating at the shows I'm guessing they will only hold so many seats.

[marcg125]

4 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

 

Is Chops normally open for lunch on embarcation day?

Open on embarkation day and sea days for lunch

[Cfoodfish]

After reading a few of the posts RC is offering the Key program on our upcoming cruise. It is a Monday through Friday Cruise. After several months of the Key Program in place, is it still not worth the money? They are offering it right now for $19. The only issue I have is I have a seven and 10 year old going. We have to pay for both of them for this program. Total will be about $300+ dollars. Any suggestions is helpful. Thank you!

[xpcdoojk]

I would not buy the key if it was beyond me and the beautiful DW.  

 

I think that unless you want to indulge your kids with internet.  I don’t, personally, think internet for a 7 and 10 year old makes any sense whatsoever.

 

On the sailing when I bought the key the individual Voom surf and stream internet is 16.99 PP.  For 3 bucks extra per day, the DW gets her own internet, and when I am working she doesn’t have to log out.  Often she naps and I go somewhere usually the DL or CL and work, if she wakes up she has her own internet.  Plus I bill the company I work for, for one Key.  It is a literal no-brainer when the flowrider extra hours kick in.  For you with 2 kids it would be nuts to buy the key.  If you do buy the key the lord bless you, since I own a 109 shares of stock with RCI....  which is not a lot.🏄‍♂️

 

jc

[Thorben-Hendrik]

3 hours ago, aespo4 said:

only 5 left and this is per person not cabin today when I called to ask more questions they have 13 left so either 8 canceled or they add on as demand increases 

Of course they keep adding and raking in money!

Make RCI rich again!

[Thorben-Hendrik]

3 hours ago, GalwayGirl03 said:

Just called royal to ask how many key passes were left on our feb cruise and was told 58 and i asked her how many original keys were hteyn and she said 10,000..yeah there aren't even that many people on board!

 

But they were trying to sell 10,000 anyway!

[Thorben-Hendrik]

3 hours ago, blueridgemama said:

I'm thinking that since embarcation lunch is included in Chops that they will have to limit the number sold unless they seriously enlarge the restaurant☺

Or they will take turns or add Govanni .......you do not seriously think they will restrain semselfs?!🤔

Edited January 17, 2019 by Thorben-Hendrik

[fred30]

15 hours ago, cured said:

First of all, numerous studies on both the Disney's Fast Pass and Universal's Express Pass have disproved the disgruntled customer's theories that an access pass makes the wait longer for the standard lines.  The people in the fast pass lines would just be in the regular line, making the standard line just as long.  Whether it was the same person riding or a different family makes no difference.  

 

 

It doesn't make the lines any longer.   It makes them substantially slower.  While everyone is standing in that long line there are lots of others with the Fast Pass walking up to the front and getting right in filling up spots while those in line are waiting for less available spots per hour.

 

Take 10 people waiting for 10 spots each hour.   If 1 of those 10  is able to fill 2 or 3 each hour there are only 7 or 8 spots left for the remaining 9 people each hour.   This increases the wait time for the normal line.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2019 by fred30

[ZoeyVictoria]

I wanted to book Chops lunch on embarkation day on the Symphony in March, but had been putting it off until I have tried it on the Brilliance in two weeks (also hoping for another 20% off sale).  I realized today that if I wait any longer, there may be no availability due to the Key bookings, so I went ahead and booked it while it is available.

[morganmpink]

On 1/16/2019 at 5:56 PM, aespo4 said:

I will agree with the different reasons for purchasing the key program. We purchased for the March 10th Allure cruise 2 adults 2 kids. My wife and i will be mostly interested in the reserved seating for the shows, my kids will use the flow rider, rock wall, zip lining etc..debarkation at ports not a big issue for us, I have asked a few time how many they sell and the reps do not have that info but they can tell you how many are left. The other day when we booked the key they told us that there were only 5 left and this is per person not cabin today when I called to ask more questions they have 13 left so either 8 canceled or they add on as demand increases which kind of makes you wonder how many they are willing to sell. Still going to try it and as we are a March Break cruise and probably at max capacity it should be a good test to see how it will work. 

I am on the same cruise and also bough the Key! I have a 5 year old so we didn't need to pay for her but she still gets most of the perks (she is too little for the RC Wall, FR, anyways.) That made it a good value for us (since we had already planned to buy 2 internet packages). I really want the priority boarding, priority debarkation at ports and reserved shows. Plus my 7 (turning 8 on the cruise!) year old will probably want to try some of the activities and he Aint' No Good at standing in line 😉

[parrotfeathers]

On 1/16/2019 at 7:28 PM, aespo4 said:

I am assuming with a capacity of 100 and everyone who purchased the Key would want this perk it could be pretty busy at chops if we all show up at the same time ( not that this would happen) but same for the reserved seating at the shows I'm guessing they will only hold so many seats.

Chops half empty is 2 hours.  Wonder what it will be like full.

[norway olin]

13 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

Chops half empty is 2 hours.  Wonder what it will be like full.

 

We are talking about lunch time, correct?

[ZoeyVictoria]

13 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

Chops half empty is 2 hours.  Wonder what it will be like full.

 

I did not purchase the Key, but booked Chops lunch separately.  My goal is to have somewhere pleasant to wait for cabins to open, so in this case a longer lunch is better.  When I would be missing something other than first day chaos, that might be a different story. 

 

Does anyone one know what the capacity is for Chops on the Symphony?

[Cruising Cheryl 61]

On 12/12/2018 at 10:18 AM, camdog17 said:

My wife and I purchased the Key service for our upcoming cruise in 18 days on the Oasis. I'm very interested in the service as it relates to some of the reviews regarding early debarkation at the ports! I, too, will offer a review upon our return!

How early were you able to board the ship with the Key program

 

[GalwayGirl03]

Do you have to reserve your embarkation lunch at chops with the key?  I went to do it in cruise planner and it is still charging me the money for it even though we reserved the key. 

[Orsino]

4 minutes ago, GalwayGirl03 said:

Do you have to reserve your embarkation lunch at chops with the key?  I went to do it in cruise planner and it is still charging me the money for it even though we reserved the key. 

I don't believe so. I think you just show up when you want to.

[aespo4]

17 minutes ago, GalwayGirl03 said:

Do you have to reserve your embarkation lunch at chops with the key?  I went to do it in cruise planner and it is still charging me the money for it even though we reserved the key. 

I was told by the reps that you just show up.

[marcg125]

1 hour ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

 

I did not purchase the Key, but booked Chops lunch separately.  My goal is to have somewhere pleasant to wait for cabins to open, so in this case a longer lunch is better.  When I would be missing something other than first day chaos, that might be a different story. 

 

Does anyone one know what the capacity is for Chops on the Symphony?

For Oasis class ships total capacity is 100.

[Ivana Cruise]

I’m on The Anthem now with The Key. There was a three hour delay of the ship arriving, the port was a mad house. We walked right up to the counter. We were the first ones let on the ship. We headed right to the theater to drop off our carry on’s where they gave us a wrist band that says The Key for today only till we get our Seapass card. We are now finishing our Chops lunch. The restaurant is full now but empty when we got here. 

[ZoeyVictoria]

7 minutes ago, marcg125 said:

For Oasis class ships total capacity is 100.

 

Thanks, I am glad I went ahead and reserved it.  Might be interesting to see what happens when there is a long line of guests with keys plus other guests with reservations.  Just seems like it is a small window of time for the number of people who might be interested.  

[aespo4]

5 minutes ago, Ivana Cruise said:

I’m on The Anthem now with The Key. There was a three hour delay of the ship arriving, the port was a mad house. We walked right up to the counter. We were the first ones let on the ship. We headed right to the theater to drop off our carry on’s where they gave us a wrist band that says The Key for today only till we get our Seapass card. We are now finishing our Chops lunch. The restaurant is full now but empty when we got here. 

Thanks for the update hope you have an amazing cruise!!

[marcg125]

1 minute ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

 

Thanks, I am glad I went ahead and reserved it.  Might be interesting to see what happens when there is a long line of guests with keys plus other guests with reservations.  Just seems like it is a small window of time for the number of people who might be interested.  

I will be on the Symphony too and bought The Key because I am sailing in the first week of August so I believe there will be a madhouse of people. Wondering if they will stagger lunch guests so they can get more people in the venue like they do during dinner time.

[Loonbeam]

On 1/16/2019 at 7:03 PM, Ocean Boy said:

Seriously? If you know how many are left then you must know how many were left before you sold any. I haven't taken a math class in awhile but I believe that number would be the total available.

Except that assumes the number is static.  Just like the yield management system, there will be an algorithm looking at pricing, usage info etc and adjusting, and since its new those adjustments could be significant.  So they could have 80 available day 1, but then decide 100 is a better number.  or 70, or 200, etc.   So all the agent will see is inventory at that time.

 

[ZandZ]

I have read through half of this discussion and am still unable to figure out of the internet is 1 per cabin or one per person.  Can someone please confirm?  This would actually make this somewhat worth it for me personally.

 

Thanks!

[jpw77]

4 minutes ago, ZandZ said:

I have read through half of this discussion and am still unable to figure out of the internet is 1 per cabin or one per person.  Can someone please confirm?  This would actually make this somewhat worth it for me personally.

 

Thanks!

 

1 per person per key. If you buy 2 keys, you can connect 2 devices.