First timer Qs re Symphony of the Seas

[RogerRunner1046]

Hi - I just booked a very last minute sailing on SoS for October for me and my daughter.  Would love some advice and suggestions from the veterans on a few topics:

 

1.  The Key - is it worth it?  Or rather, the incremental cost above WiFi.

 

2.  Boarding time:  we were told 3-3:30 and I was a bit surprised, esp. since the Key includes a lunch.  And we arrive way earlier without much to do.  Will they let us check in and board earlier? 

 

3.  Dining -  I had planned to sign up for the Unlimited Dining package but alas it's apparently no longer available.  We prefer the smaller speciality restaurants, but have no interest in paying for 5-7 a la carte dinners, which kinda defeats the purpose of an all inclusive vacation IMO.  I tried calling several different RCCL #s but no one could add it.  So... what is the chance we will be able to do it after we board?  Honestly, if the answer is negative, then I'd be inclined to consider another cruise at this point.

 

4. Cabin Upgrade - aside from the Royal Up bidding, is there an opportunity to pay for nicer cabin once it is assigned (we did a balcony guarantee)?

 

5.  CoCo Cay - I had planned to sign up for the Waterpark (a must for my daughter) and the Beach Club but was surprised at the cost for the Club ($143x2).  Anyone think it is worth doing so?  The island looks great.  

We really appreciate all of the great info on CC and would welcome your thoughts.  Thanks so much!

 

Roger

 

[barb in ga]

1.The Key may be temporarily paused.

 

2.They are stricter with boarding times than pre-covid. If you are in a suite you can board an hour earlier than your appointment time. Sometimes earlier times open up. View your set sail pass in the app and click on edit to see if additional times are offered.

 

3. There's no way to know for sure, but you might have the chance to buy a package of 3, 5, or 7 days once on board. We bought ours in advance, but saw that they were pushing specialty dining.

 

4. You can look online to check prices of cabins higher than yours now. There is rarely if ever a chance to upgrade after boarding. Royal Up ended that, assigning many of the upgrades just days before sailing. Ours came through Thursday afternoon for a Saturday sailing.

 

5. Cococay is amazing!. You didn't mention if your daughter is a child, teen, or adult, but that could influence your choice. Cococay Beach Club is beautiful, but quiet, and it's a lot of money for a special lunch. 

 

Hope this helps, we just got off Symphony 2 weeks ago. We did the specialty dining and loved it, but wouldn't do the Beach Club again. There is a lot  to do and see on the island, especially if you buy the waterpark pass.

 

Barb

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, RogerRunner1046 said:

The Key - is it worth it?  Or rather, the incremental cost above WiFi.

Welcome to CC.

 

At about $1-2/day, maybe.

[binro01]

1) The Key is an OK value. Especially for good seats at the show. You personally have to put a value to that. The lunch at Chops has a good value, but since your check in time is pretty late, that value might be lost on you. The remaining benefit is the VOOM internet which has a value of around 16.00 a day. Do your internal math for the the benefits from there.

 

2) They are pretty strict now with the appointment time, to maintain social distance in the port. They are trying to avoid large groups of people and lines as much as possible.

 

3) There is no guarantee any offer of dining packages when on board, and with the UDP already sold out, they might not be inclined to offer anymore packages, to maximize profits. Do they offer the 3 Night package on your planner? My guess you will not be offered a UDP onboard.

 

4) Pay difference between your current cabin and prevailing rates for nicer cabins. That's your only option outside of Royal Up. Please note, any OBC or perks you got with your current booking might be removed if they are not available for the new room.

5) The club is an exclusive type of upcharge, for people who are willing to pay for more exclusive areas with some perks. (Think of it like a suite on the beach). Definitely not needed, but if you appreciate and value these types of things money is usually not a concern for the value the one places on it, since it's not a tangible item.