The key

[pfdaxe358]

17 minutes ago, ngrund said:

 $35 (20% off) when I purchased it a couple of months ago, went down to $31 (25% off)  today.

 

Easy to cancel and re-book

The Key on our sailing went down from $35 to $20. We already paid for Voom at $20, so we cancelled the Voom and got the Key. Was a no brainer for the extras.

[slyster]

5 hours ago, MandyMooToo said:

That's the price now for our cruise on Mariner leaving Saturday.  We got it during the Labor Day sale for $17.99, it was about $25 more, total, than the internet package we had already purchased.

 

Thank you.  I checked labor day and price never changed.  Maybe because it's so far out (Aug 2023).  I'll be looking over Black Friday for sure!

[brillohead]

14 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

Thanks for the information. Hopefully I can become a little more proficient in using apps.

For my cruise "The Key" was $34.99. I just looked and it is $30.99. Also, the internet and drink packages have dropped a little. I'll keep my fingers crossed that they drop a little more before the first of the year.

If it ever hits a price you'd be willing to pay, go ahead and book your drink/internet packages. If there's a sale later, you can cancel and rebook at the lower price, but if prices just rise and rise and rise (inflation is horrid right now), you'll at least have booked it at the lower rate while you had the chance.

[LeeReads]

Very New here--- upon reading earlier on RCI discussion boards, I was told that you couldn't cancel "the key"and been refunded or given onboard credit?   So, yes you can cancel "the key"? ? ?          "the key"  can be cancelled and rebooked (if lower price happens)      Has anyone canceled "the key" (not the zoom, or drink package, etc--- but actually "the key "package ). Very curious.            Thank you so much!

Edited October 8, 2022 by LeeReads
spacing all over the place

[ARandomTraveler]

On 9/20/2022 at 4:46 AM, jean87510 said:

Wanted to jump in here and ask a question.  We purchased the Key for our upcoming Allure cruise due to a RCCL glitch which advertised it at $16.99 pp.  (was corrected later that dayon website to $32.99).  I've never needed it before as we usually go on the smaller ships and I never really saw the advantage.  But regardless, I am curious about something mentioned.  So say if you board at 1030am, you can go directly to your room? And all your bags will usually be there including carryon?  Its my 1st time with this so I really haven't paid attention to posts about it in the past.

I don't think that was a glitch, I think it was a genuine sale they put out there for a lot of ships they day. Many people saw drops in the price (mine went from $35 to $21), and then later in the day (or for some sailings, a day or 2 later) the price went up again. The price on The Key (and other items) constantly fluctuates in my cruise planner, sometimes changing more than once a day. 

[ARandomTraveler]

On 9/20/2022 at 1:39 PM, pfdaxe358 said:

The Key on our sailing went down from $35 to $20. We already paid for Voom at $20, so we cancelled the Voom and got the Key. Was a no brainer for the extras.

That's what mine did as well (went from $35 to $21). I didn't buy it though because I had already bought 1 Internet package at $21/day ($147 for the week), so buying the key would have doubled my price since it has to be purchased for everyone in the room.
 

I could have added a second device to my Internet package for $84 and come out $63 ahead of The Key sale price ($147-84 = $63). I thought about buying The Key for the $63 extra dollars anyway, but after finding out that many of the benefits I thought I'd get didn't actually exist, I decided it wasn't worth it.

 

If the key gave you the ability to make show and dining reservations before getting on the ship (like suites can do), it would be worth it. And if I didn't already have the unlimited dining package, then the Chops lunch would maaaaaybe add to the benefits (but wouldn't be a reason in and of itself for me), and if The Key gave me a guaranteed seat at the shows, that would be a benefit as well. 
 

But for $63 more dollars, it did none of that, and therefore would have been a waste of money for me personally, as I saw no benefit in the "benefits" being offered that I didn't already have. 
 

 

Edited October 8, 2022 by ARandomTraveler

[dchurn]

I'm on the Vision in late November.  Just checked the pricing and I'm getting a price of $17.99 per day 

[renza]

I can tell you as a long time cruiser the key is not a value at all unless you are a solo cruiser. I can’t tell you how many people say oh but I was gonna buy the Internet anyway so it came out at the same price. No it did not, when you buy an Internet package the more that you buy under one name the cheaper it gets. The key is just a great way for the cruise line to make money off of you. 

[RedIguana]

32 minutes ago, renza said:

I can tell you as a long time cruiser the key is not a value at all unless you are a solo cruiser.

Depends on your view of value. I actually purchased it for an 8 night cruise on Explorer last August. It was $80 more than the internet package for 2. The Chops menu lunch is worth $40-$50 of that to me. Dropping bags off right after walking on is nice. Ship was full and had a tender port, so skipping two tenders of wait to get ashore was gold. Main theatre seating for suites/key on Explorer is not that good, but the reserved seating at studio B for the Ice Show on a full ship with limited performances was good. Skipping the departure line and having your luggage in a separate section can help on a full ship also.

[not-enough-cruising]

3 hours ago, LeeReads said:

Very New here--- upon reading earlier on RCI discussion boards, I was told that you couldn't cancel "the key"and been refunded or given onboard credit?   So, yes you can cancel "the key"? ? ?          "the key"  can be cancelled and rebooked (if lower price happens)      Has anyone canceled "the key" (not the zoom, or drink package, etc--- but actually "the key "package ). Very curious.            Thank you so much!

You can cancel ANY pre cruise purchase, including The Key

[clskinsfan]

37 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

Depends on your view of value. I actually purchased it for an 8 night cruise on Explorer last August. It was $80 more than the internet package for 2. The Chops menu lunch is worth $40-$50 of that to me. Dropping bags off right after walking on is nice. Ship was full and had a tender port, so skipping two tenders of wait to get ashore was gold. Main theatre seating for suites/key on Explorer is not that good, but the reserved seating at studio B for the Ice Show on a full ship with limited performances was good. Skipping the departure line and having your luggage in a separate section can help on a full ship also.

You also get priority boarding lines at the port on embarkation day. And the debarkation breakfast which includes crab on the menu. We bought it for our Allure cruise in 3 weeks because it was on sale $20 per day. And was actually cheaper than the Voom package. It was a no brainer. 

[jean87510]

3 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I don't think that was a glitch, I think it was a genuine sale they put out there for a lot of ships they day. Many people saw drops in the price (mine went from $35 to $21), and then later in the day (or for some sailings, a day or 2 later) the price went up again. The price on The Key (and other items) constantly fluctuates in my cruise planner, sometimes changing more than once a day. 

No it was a mistake.  It was 65% off instead of 35%.  I did the math then.  It was readjusted later to 35%.

[Biker19]

7 hours ago, LeeReads said:

Very New here--- upon reading earlier on RCI discussion boards, I was told that you couldn't cancel "the key" and been refunded or given onboard credit? 

Welcome to CC.

 

You can cancel (refunded to your CC) any planner purchase up to about 2 days before sailing - if you cancel the same thing on board, you'll get OBC.

[ARandomTraveler]

4 hours ago, jean87510 said:

No it was a mistake.  It was 65% off instead of 35%.  I did the math then.  It was readjusted later to 35%.

Either way, still wasn't a good enough deal in my case to buy it 

[ssb]

Read the R C L B L O G  

[cruisecrazyJ]

We purchased the Key for our upcoming Anthem cruise in December when it was on sale for $20.00 p.p.  Online check in is not open for another few days and from reading about the Key benefits which includes Priority access into the terminal (within booked arrival time) and the CHOPS lunch is only until 1:30. What happens if our arrival time is not until 1:00.  Do we miss the luggage drop off and lunch or will be assigned an earlier arrival time?  My plan is to check in once it opens but I have read where other cruisers had issues with the online check in and was not able to check in for a few days after it opened.  First time using the Key and we have not cruised since before Covid.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, cruisecrazyJ said:

We purchased the Key for our upcoming Anthem cruise in December when it was on sale for $20.00 p.p.  Online check in is not open for another few days and from reading about the Key benefits which includes Priority access into the terminal (within booked arrival time) and the CHOPS lunch is only until 1:30. What happens if our arrival time is not until 1:00.  Do we miss the luggage drop off and lunch or will be assigned an earlier arrival time?  My plan is to check in once it opens but I have read where other cruisers had issues with the online check in and was not able to check in for a few days after it opened.  First time using the Key and we have not cruised since before Covid.

If you have purchased The Key, you just show up at 10:30-11:00, regardless of what time your check in assignment is. 

Edited October 11, 2022 by not-enough-cruising

[ARandomTraveler]

19 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

If you have purchased The Key, you just show up at 10:30-11:00, regardless of what time your check in assignment is. 

Is 11am the earliest time you can get without being in a suite or having the key? 
 

[pfdaxe358]

39 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Is 11am the earliest time you can get without being in a suite or having the key? 
 

10:30

[cruisecrazyJ]

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

If you have purchased The Key, you just show up at 10:30-11:00, regardless of what time your check in assignment is. 

Thank you so much for the info.  

[bluecruise456]

does the key allow my time dinners to front of line in MDR?

[pfdaxe358]

4 minutes ago, bluecruise456 said:

does the key allow my time dinners to front of line in MDR?

Nope

[slyster]

Is the Key Program purchase refundable if cancelled before the cruise?  I was reading a blog/review of it from June and it says:

 

Booking of the Key Program is non-refundable if YOU want to cancel it.  If Royal Caribbean cancels it for any reason, of course you can expect to get your money back.  

 

I was thinking about booking it, but I also want to keep an eye on the VOOM surf and stream cost as well as seeing what time I am able to get for a check-in time.  If I got an early window and the Key remains way more expensive than Voom, I was going to cancel it.  

 

Can anyone confirm it can be cancelled (and rebooked for lower price)?

[not-enough-cruising]

21 minutes ago, slyster said:

Is the Key Program purchase refundable if cancelled before the cruise?  I was reading a blog/review of it from June and it says:

 

Booking of the Key Program is non-refundable if YOU want to cancel it.  If Royal Caribbean cancels it for any reason, of course you can expect to get your money back.  

 

I was thinking about booking it, but I also want to keep an eye on the VOOM surf and stream cost as well as seeing what time I am able to get for a check-in time.  If I got an early window and the Key remains way more expensive than Voom, I was going to cancel it.  

 

Can anyone confirm it can be cancelled (and rebooked for lower price)?

ANYTHING in the cruise planner is refundable, including The Key

[Rubyfisch]

29 minutes ago, slyster said:

Is the Key Program purchase refundable if cancelled before the cruise?  I was reading a blog/review of it from June and it says:

 

Booking of the Key Program is non-refundable if YOU want to cancel it.  If Royal Caribbean cancels it for any reason, of course you can expect to get your money back.  

 

I was thinking about booking it, but I also want to keep an eye on the VOOM surf and stream cost as well as seeing what time I am able to get for a check-in time.  If I got an early window and the Key remains way more expensive than Voom, I was going to cancel it.  

 

Can anyone confirm it can be cancelled (and rebooked for lower price)?

I have canceled and rebooked it.