Independence with The Key - Live Review

[luckyprincess]

Hi everyone! So we boarded Indy yesterday with The Key but I didnt get to post til now. 

We stayed at Hilton Garden Inn at Airport/cruiseport. They provide a free shuttle from Ft. Lauderdale airport and they picked us up within 15 minutes. The ride to the hotel was about 15 minutes and we enjoyed the pool and breakfast while we waited for our room. They have a shuttle to the cruise port but its $10 per person and they pack a ton of people on board. We opted for a $12 Uber and split the cost.

 

Typically I like to get to the ship by 11:30 but we ran late. We got out of our uber at 11:55 and followed signs for The Key which directed us to the Suite, Diamond, etc line. It was far shorter than the other line. We whisked right through the line and through bag check. We then went to get our seapass cards and were thrilled that there was a bypass line just for The Key and no one else was in it. We went directly to a window and got paper boarding passes. We were told they would have our seapass cards on our door with Key information. From there we walked directly on the ship with our bags. As soon as we entered the inside doors of deck 4 there was a sign for The Key luggage drop off. We gave him our bags and they took them directly to our cabin. 

From there we went up to Chops. We were seated immediately. It was about half full, plenty of space and service remained wonderful. It was a limited menu but very good. 

 

From the time we arrived to enjoying a glass of wine at Chops only 31 minutes had lapsed. The Key has been great so far! 

[sandebeach]

Thanks for your review, hope your cruise stays great!

[luckyprincess]

We had purchased the First Night Done Right on sale and were thrilled that we ended up getting Giovanni's Table. It was great. We then headed to the theatre about 15 minutes before the headliner comedian, Landry. We showed our cards with the Key and were sent to the first rows of the balcony. The seats were excellent with no obstructions. Bar service was excellent. 

[blueridgemama]

Thank you for your live review. After reading all the "Debbie downers" posts on the other Key site it is refreshing to read someone's actual experience. Hopefully the rest of your cruise goes well!

[Grandma Dazzles]

I don’t think people are being “Debby downers” I think it’s more a question of is it worth the money - especially as everyone has to purchase and it’s a daily fee.  Boarding with a short wait, and having to keep a carry on for an hour or so, just isn’t that big a deal to many people.  

 

If it works for you - no big deal - but many don’t think it’s worth it, especially if you already have perks through C&A etc.

 

 

8 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

Thank you for your live review. After reading all the "Debbie downers" posts on the other Key site it is refreshing to read someone's actual experience. Hopefully the rest of your cruise goes well!

 

[LuCruise]

Following along.  We were on Indy in December (without The Key) and loved the ship.

 

Can I ask where the reserved seats are located in the theatre?

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[luckyprincess]

10 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

Following along.  We were on Indy in December (without The Key) and loved the ship.

 

Can I ask where the reserved seats are located in the theatre?

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Hi! They were center row of the balcony first 5 rows it looked like. There was no separation of suite, key or other guests. We all sat in the same rows. I took pictures but I'm not able to upload. 

[CruisingJade]

Thank you for this thread. We have The Key for our sailing on Independence next month, so I'll be following along!

 

Did you happen to notice any strollers in the carry on luggage drop off area or any small children in Chops? We are traveling with twin toddlers who will want to ditch the strollers the second we board. They don't officially have The Key, since they're too young, but I assume we can bring them to lunch?

 

[luckyprincess]

So today is an at sea day. My bestie and I woke up at 7:30 and grabbed two loungers next to the pool, had a quick breakfast at windjammer and have been in the sun since. Its windy but hot and the pool feels great! It doesnt seem overly crowded to us at all and there are still loungers available.  Let me know if anyone has any questions.

[luckyprincess]

7 minutes ago, CruisingJade said:

Thank you for this thread. We have The Key for our sailing on Independence next month, so I'll be following along!

 

Did you happen to notice any strollers in the carry on luggage drop off area or any small children in Chops? We are traveling with twin toddlers who will want to ditch the strollers the second we board. They don't officially have The Key, since they're too young, but I assume we can bring them to lunch?

 

Hello! I didnt notice any luggage in the Key luggage drop off but that's because they literally had someone immediately take your bags and bring them to your room. They would have no problem taking the strollers though. They took up to 8 things to the room it looked like.

[CruisingJade]

7 minutes ago, luckyprincess said:

Hello! I didnt notice any luggage in the Key luggage drop off but that's because they literally had someone immediately take your bags and bring them to your room. They would have no problem taking the strollers though. They took up to 8 things to the room it looked like.

Great! Thank you!

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, luckyprincess said:

We had purchased the First Night Done Right on sale and were thrilled that we ended up getting Giovanni's Table. It was great. We then headed to the theatre about 15 minutes before the headliner comedian, Landry. We showed our cards with the Key and were sent to the first rows of the balcony. The seats were excellent with no obstructions. Bar service was excellent. 

Did you have reservations for the show or did you just show up with your key ship and sail card and they let you in with no questions asked ?

[Thorben-Hendrik]

14 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Did you have reservations for the show or did you just show up with your key ship and sail card and they let you in with no questions asked ?

Indy does not have a show reservation system!

[Grandma Dazzles]

2 hours ago, CruisingJade said:

Thank you for this thread. We have The Key for our sailing on Independence next month, so I'll be following along!

 

Did you happen to notice any strollers in the carry on luggage drop off area or any small children in Chops? We are traveling with twin toddlers who will want to ditch the strollers the second we board. They don't officially have The Key, since they're too young, but I assume we can bring them to lunch?

 

 

Key program says 2 pieces of baggage per person. Everyone in cabin over age 6 has to purchase, so if you have 4 people, but only 2 participants, I would assume you would be allowed 4 items. 

Edited February 10, 2019 by Grandma Dazzles

[CruisingJade]

2 minutes ago, Grandma Dazzles said:

 

Key program says 2 pieces of baggage per person. Everyone in cabin over age 6 has to purchase, so if you have 4 people, but only 2 participants, I would assume you would be allowed 4 items. 

Thank you! I did not catch that in the Key info. Appreciate it. 🙂

[luckyprincess]

51 minutes ago, Grandma Dazzles said:

 

Key program says 2 pieces of baggage per person. Everyone in cabin over age 6 has to purchase, so if you have 4 people, but only 2 participants, I would assume you would be allowed 4 items. 

We are just 2 in a cabin and gave him 5 things because we were carrying extra stuff. He used a luggage tagging card that has 8 tags on each. We asked how many things we could send up to the room he said whatever you would like. One was a larger roller bag, a medium roller, a backpack and two small crossbody bags.

[luckyprincess]

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Did you have reservations for the show or did you just show up with your key ship and sail card and they let you in with no questions asked ?

Independence has shows with no reservations needed. We are doing Grease tonight and plan on getting there 30 minutes early for the key section because we want good seats and figure we can relax and get a drink from the balcony bar.

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, luckyprincess said:

Independence has shows with no reservations needed. We are doing Grease tonight and plan on getting there 30 minutes early for the key section because we want good seats and figure we can relax and get a drink from the balcony bar.

Seems strange, Independence holds more people then Ovation and Ovation is making us reserve shows ahead of time.

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Seems strange, Independence holds more people then Ovation and Ovation is making us reserve shows ahead of time.

 

Could be the size of the theater on Ovation is proportionally smaller than that on Indy.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Thanks for your live review 

[Biker19]

9 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Seems strange, Independence holds more people then Ovation and Ovation is making us reserve shows ahead of time.

Since when? The wiki entry for Indy is wrong with that 4370 figure at double capacity - that's the max capacity - the same figure for Ovation is over 4900.  Double capacity for Indy is 3648 while Ovation is 4180. 

[Jimbo]

11 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Since when? The wiki entry for Indy is wrong with that 4370 figure at double capacity - that's the max capacity - the same figure for Ovation is over 4900.  Double capacity for Indy is 3648 while Ovation is 4180. 

 

Ovation Of The Seas Overview

Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas rounds out the Quantum-class of ships with a continuation of the high-tech class’ state-of-the-art features. Aboard the Ovation of the Seas you’ll find the latest in cruising and entertainment technology, including the largest indoor sports complex, adrenaline pumping simulator rides, virtual balcony staterooms and robot bartenders. Of course, Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas will also include fan favorites like the Vitality Spa, an outdoor pool with a massive movie screen, the adults-only Solarium retreat, rock climbing wall and more. The Ovation of the Seas is great for families as she offers plenty of activities for all ages – such as the H2O Kids Zone water park, FlowRider surfing simulator, circus school and bumper cars – along with new Family Connected Junior Suites that utilize a modular, family-focused stateroom design. The Ovation of the Seas also features Royal Caribbean’s Dynamic Dining which allows guests to take advantage of even more of the ship’s fantastic venues, including Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian, Michael Schwartz’s Michael’s Genuine Pub and Devin Alexander’s Devinly Decadence. For unparalleled entertainment and a modern family-friendly cruise vacation, look no further than Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas.

• Passenger Capacity: 4,180
• Year Built: 2016
• Last Refurbished: N/A

 

 

 

Independence Of The Seas Overview

If you are looking for adventure, you’ll find it on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. This ship features 10 pools and whirlpools, 22 bars, clubs and lounges and 273 slot machines. Outside you can climb to the top of the ship on the rock wall or you can ‘hang ten’ on the FlowRider surf simulator. For a different kind of adventure, get in a round at the full-sized onboard boxing ring, or chill around at the ice-skating rink. If shopping is your sport of choice, you’ll have lots of options at the Royal Promenade where you’ll find shops selling loads of duty-free goods. Every minute on the Independence of the Seas is a thrill.  

 

• Passenger Capacity: 4,375
• Year Built: 2008
• Last Refurbished: 2013

 

[Biker19]

As I mentioned that 4180 figure for Ovation is not apples-apples number compared to Indy (the same number for Ovation is over 4900) -though now that I think of it my earlier 3648 for Indy (at double occupancy) might be a bit off since that doesn't include the cabins added during the recent dry dock.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Biker19

[tcmagnum]

Thank you for your real time review of the key.  Interested in hearing good/bad about the key from someone who is actually using the key.  Tired of all the judgy post. What happened to a nice friendly world??

 

Have an amazing trip!!!!

[luckyprincess]

Thanks all!! We got to the theater around 20 minutes before the show. We showed our seapass card with the Key and were brought to the balcony. We chose the front row as we could put our purses and drinks on the ledge. View was great.