Question about The Key

[adamtoonarmy]

I am new to cruising and have been reading up (mainly on these boards) about The Key. Ive seen a lot of posts mention priority embarkation as a benefit however this is what I see when I look at the benefits on my cruise planner.

 

• Priority access into the terminal (within booked arrival time) on Day 1.
• Carry-on bag drop off and delivery to stateroom. Drop-off your carry-on bags in the Main Dining Room until 1:30pm.
• Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille Lunch menu.
• Private time at onboard activities including Rock Climbing, FlowRider and more.
• Priority departure at tender ports of call from ship-to-shore.
• Seats in the exclusive VIP seating section at shows in the Main Theatre, Aqua Theater, Studio B and Two70 (reservation is needed).
• VOOM ® Surf & Stream 1 Device high speed internet.
• On debarkation day, enjoy an exclusive à la carte breakfast and choice departure.

 

So Priority access into the terminal within my booked arrival time doesn't sound like priority embarkation to me.  Does this benefit perhaps differ by port?

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, adamtoonarmy said:

So Priority access into the terminal within my booked arrival time doesn't sound like priority embarkation to me.  Does this benefit perhaps differ by port?

Boarded last week with the key and received a letter a week prior saying to show up at 11am regardless of boarding time that you selected. 

[fsufancc]

IMHO, the Key needs to get to a price point where you feel comfortable.  For us that is around $25/pp.  Honestly, it offers very little bang for the buck.  RCL could really make it a great service (See HAL's Club Orange).  If I was "King" of RCL, I would at least offer a free "Drink of the Day" every day. Reinstate the free room service and maybe a few other perks (maybe a $20-$25 credit in the casino) with a "use it or lose it" rule.

[PWP-001]

I'm one who finds value in The Key and have purchased it on my past 11 cruises since August 2022.  

 

Even during this short time period, I've seen diminishing benefits and discrepancies ship to ship.  The two ports I've used are Miami and Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood.

 

One thing that is consistent is that no matter what boarding time you've been assigned, you're invited to arrive during the 11AM to 11:30AM window so that you can enjoy the Chops Lunch in the MDR for Key Guests.

 

You should look for a special line that says THE KEY which is usually adjacent to the line for SUITES.  The priority embarkation means that --just like suite guests -- there is quicker security screening and usually no line at all.  In Miami this means avoiding the chaos of the second floor general check-in by taking an elevator to the 3rd floor for quick security screening and about a dozen agents waiting for the next guest to pass carry-on luggage screening.  They introduce themselves and walk you a few steps to a lounge where your party can sit on a couch as your passports are processed.  I'm alone so don't bother to sit.  Every time I've been through Miami the ships have been on schedule, so after the check-in, I've been invited to take the ten steps over to the agent who scans/clears you to board.  This pre-departure area is right where the gangway is, so there's no football field walk to get on board.  It's an excellent experience.  In Port Everglades, the process is quick as more agents are assigned to Key/Suite guests than general boarding, but there's just as much walking in Terminal 18.  Though there's special designated waiting areas for Suite Guests and Key Guests next to them.  Suite Guests are boarded first.

 

Disembarkation is were things fall apart.  As you quoted, the program offers "choice departure."  Technically this means it's your choice as to when you want to disembark:  whenever you decide, just get in that general LINE.  In the past on several Freedom class ships, after an early morning departure breakfast, I've been pointed to a crew member with a THE KEY paddle who would take us to the front of the line or a special line with no waiting.  On Oasis class ships that does not happen and the director on one of the Oasis class ships who I met with, stated in frustration that the other ships should NOT be doing the escorting as it is not part of the program and just causes grief when guests don't get the same on other ships.  He's right:  there should be consistency.  

 

So those are my experiences with two ports.  And yes, I'd expect the experience to differ by port simply because of the facilities when it comes to where you wait to board and how much walking you have to do.  But from curbside through security I would expect there's an elevated, expedited experience as they sell this as a VIP Pass.  (The tab on the website now reads VIP Passes rather than The Key) 

[Tree_skier]

I just purchased it for my Feb. 2024 on Adventure.  I was actually one of those that said they'd never purchase it again but the price got low enough that I saw value in it.  I got it for $20.99 pppd.  I'd get the internet anyways so the difference is pretty low at that point. With the embarkation lunch, which I would have bought too, the other benefits are almost free at that point.  This means I don't have to carry my CPAP around for a couple of hours and I know I'll get decent seating for the Ice Show which is the highlight entertainment for me.  I'll go to it at least twice over the cruise.  The few other benefits are ok but not critical to my decision making.  

[Saturngrl]

We just did the Key on Independence this past week.  For us, it was well worth the price, especially regarding boarding order and embarkation lunch, as well as the FABULOUS disembarkation morning breakfast.  We were escorted off the ship ahead of everyone else and on the road by 8:00 a.m.  I will definitely do The Key again! 

[topnole]

20 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I just purchased it for my Feb. 2024 on Adventure.  I was actually one of those that said they'd never purchase it again but the price got low enough that I saw value in it.  I got it for $20.99 pppd.  I'd get the internet anyways so the difference is pretty low at that point. With the embarkation lunch, which I would have bought too, the other benefits are almost free at that point.  This means I don't have to carry my CPAP around for a couple of hours and I know I'll get decent seating for the Ice Show which is the highlight entertainment for me.  I'll go to it at least twice over the cruise.  The few other benefits are ok but not critical to my decision making.  

If you travel by yourself or just as a couple and buy internet, I imagine it provides a nice value when the price is right.  For a family of 4

or 5 it is far from worth it.  Particularly if you don’t internet for everyone.   If it is approximately 150-200++ per person your talking near or over $1000.  To me it doesn’t provide a fraction of that value.  
 

The best part I could see is the priority boarding, but even that may or not be helpful.  Many guests report boarding extremely fast regardless.  So even if you board fast with the key, you never really know if it made too much of a

difference.  

 

 

[adamtoonarmy]

The price isn’t too bad for my cruise. About £80 more for the two of us (£40 each) than wifi. Im not paying a penny though if priority boarding is only actually means getting into the terminal within your port arrival window. If I cant find out definitively one way or the other then I just wont bother.

[nasa1974]

I was traveling solo and got the Key for $26.99 for my March Oasis cruise out of Miami. I was hoping it would go lower but it never did. I picked a 10:30 boarding time and got to the port by 10:15, it was absolute mayhem. As I was walking towards where I would have to get into the terminal there were two marked lines and one said Key. I showed my paperwork that said "The Key" on it and walked right in. Waited just a few minutes to get my Sea Pass and sat down with a small group waiting to get on the ship. It was just a few minutes when we were asked to get in line, and we were on the ship by 11. I enjoyed the Chops lunch in the MDR. It was nice getting good a seat for both the ice show and the water show. It is first come first serve, however. The disembarkation was a disappointment. You had a special area to wait until you wanted to leave but you ended up in the general line to get off.

As long as I won't have to pay full price, I will purchase the Key again.

[topnole]

1 hour ago, adamtoonarmy said:

The price isn’t too bad for my cruise. About £80 more for the two of us (£40 each) than wifi. Im not paying a penny though if priority boarding is only actually means getting into the terminal within your port arrival window. If I cant find out definitively one way or the other then I just wont bother.

You will never know the difference it makes.  I’ve traveled with friends (us in a suite and them in a regular cabin) and they arrived at the port just after us.  We obviously went through different check in processing and we ended up boarding at the same time.  In that case, the key would’ve made zero difference for them (at least for boarding).  

[CruisingWalter]

On 5/6/2023 at 2:52 AM, adamtoonarmy said:

am new to cruising and have been reading up (mainly on these boards) about The Key. Ive seen a lot of posts mention priority embarkation as a benefit however this is what I see when I look at the benefits on my cruise planner.

 

First off The Key is worth it if the price is close to what you would pay for WiFi for the week, that's our barometer on whether it's worth it to pay. We did it for our most recent Symphony of the Seas cruise.

 

The Key Priority Embarkation is exactly that, at least in Miami. There is a separate line to enter and you can get there during the first embarkation time. You'll be taken up to the Suite lounge to wait to board the ship. For me that's the best part of the entire experience.

 

Embarkation Lunch was not worth it. They claim it's a menu from Chops Grill but the quality is nowhere close to Chops Grill. At least it wasn't on our December Symphony of the Seas cruise. Next time we do The Key we'll skip lunch.

 

The free FlowRider and Ice Skating times are cool, I missed the FlowRider but took advantage of the ice skating, definitely a quieter rink. 

 

But if the difference between The Key and weekly WiFi is a lot, it's up to you whether it's worth it. I think we got the value out of it for our December cruise.

 

[Tree_skier]

2 hours ago, topnole said:

If you travel by yourself or just as a couple and buy internet, I imagine it provides a nice value when the price is right.  For a family of 4

or 5 it is far from worth it.  Particularly if you don’t internet for everyone.  

Absolutely, with a large group it is really hard to get value out of it.

[PWP-001]

2 hours ago, adamtoonarmy said:

The price isn’t too bad for my cruise. About £80 more for the two of us (£40 each) than wifi. Im not paying a penny though if priority boarding is only actually means getting into the terminal within your port arrival window. If I cant find out definitively one way or the other then I just wont bother.

It doesn't mean only that.

 

Here's the April 27, 2023 Standard Version of the letter you'll receive by email:

 

Dear Guest,

We're excited to welcome you onboard soon! Before you set sail, we wanted to remind you of the benefits that come with The Key program.

Here's what you can expect on your upcoming sailing:

• Early access at the terminal.^*
• Drop off your carry-on luggage in the Main Dining Room on Deck 5 by 1:30 PM - your carry-on luggage will be hand delivered to your stateroom.
• Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille® menu (open from 12:00pm - 1:30pm). We recommend arriving to the terminal no later than 11:30 AM for you to have enough time to enjoy lunch with us!
• Private time at some of our onboard activities such as rock climbing, FlowRider, etc.
• Priority departure from ship-to-shore at tender ports.
• Seats in the exclusive VIP seating section at shows in the Main Theatre, Aqua Theater, Studio B and Two70, however a reservation is needed so don't forget to book once you're onboard!
• VOOM Surf & Stream package, now including high speed internet, for one device (1 package per guest).
• On debarkation day, enjoy a private á la carte breakfast and choice departure.

^*Please arrive at the terminal between 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM. If you're unable to make the early access window, you may arrive within your selected appointment time and you'll receive priority access into the terminal.

 

Lastly, when you arrive to the port for your sailing, please locate The Key signage for priority access into the terminal and make your way onto the ship.

 

Here's a last ditch strategy:

 

I think I've read Voom is a must have, and you could probably purchase pre-cruise for less.  I'd take a screen shot of that reduced pricing and take a chance on The Key.  If boarding doesn't go as everyone's described, then go right to Guest Services and ask to speak to the M&R Director who is responsible for The Key.  Explain the situation and ask for an incremental refund of the pricing difference between The Key and what you could have paid for Voom, which you verify with the screenshot.  I'm fairly certain your request will be honored.

[fsufancc]

On 5/7/2023 at 8:15 AM, Saturngrl said:

We just did the Key on Independence this past week.  For us, it was well worth the price, especially regarding boarding order and embarkation lunch, as well as the FABULOUS disembarkation morning breakfast.  We were escorted off the ship ahead of everyone else and on the road by 8:00 a.m.  I will definitely do The Key again! 

And on debarkation, your luggage is set apart in a separate "The Key" area.  No wading through a sea of bags.  

 

When we did The Key in Boston last October on the Voyager, the embarkation process was a dumpster fire even for The Key buyers.  It looked like the entire passenger list just showed up at 10:30. We went to The Key area and a crabby woman at the entrance of The Key roped area sent us to the back of the main line which was about 150 yards long with passengers standing 2-3 abreast.  I was hopping mad.  I saw another worker who appeared to be a supervisor coming down the line, talked to her and she walked us back to The Key area, then literally pushed us into the roped area while arguing with the crabby woman who initially stopped us as she still was not going to let us board via The Key area.  After that initial issue, we were onboard in less than 15 minutes.

 

Anyway, debarkation was a breeze.  Ate breakfast, then an employee walked us to the head of the debarkation line, passports were checked. Got to the bottom of the stairway at the terminal and there was a roped of area of only The Key holders luggage.  Super easy.

[SunStar4]

I had the key on my Quantum cruise out of Hawaii that I just got off of.  Got the email offering an early window to come at a few weeks before sailing. 11-11:30 or priority during your later window.

Of course once I got there, it was a mess because of some manner of delay and they were still disembarking and had absolutely nothing set up for boarding.  But the second they could, even before they got their lines properly set up, they called out for Pinnacle, Suites, and Key to come to the front and I was on the ship about 10 minutes later so Key worked out pretty well for me.

[gail-s]

Thanks for asking.  We're on the Enchantment this summer which is a much smaller ship.  I keep getting emails about discounts on the Internet and the Key.  I hadn't decided if I was going to bother with either since we will be in port most of the time (Med cruise)  and we'll have the international plan on our phones.  If it ends up being cheap enough I might add it just so we can board early.  

 

Edit:
I checked my latest email.  For 2 of us to have the internet they want $251.  The Key is $405.  Not worth it for us.  If it was closer in price I might consider it. 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by gail-s

[KiwiGal117]

If you have time, it may be worth asking someone on an earlier cruise (same ship, same ports) that may have The Key to see what their experience is like at that embarkation location and on that ship.  You could watch to see if anyone is doing a report, or start a new thread detailing the ship etc., and I am sure someone will jump on to answer!

[aqc]

Because I got the key on my December sailing, I was reading through everything about it. I found this comment interesting. Can anyone confirm? This would be a better deal as you may get the full Chops menu. (See image, highlighted red box)

[HBCcruiser]

On 5/7/2023 at 6:15 AM, Saturngrl said:

FABULOUS disembarkation morning breakfast

Do you happen to remember what they offered for breakfast? 

[Saturngrl]

10 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Do you happen to remember what they offered for breakfast? 

I had the filet with fried egg, asparagus, potato hash and mushrooms with a fruit cup.  My friends had the crab benedict and loved it!  Standard breakfast fare is also offered.   Really upscale debarkation breakfast! 

[HBCcruiser]

13 minutes ago, Saturngrl said:

I had the filet with fried egg, asparagus, potato hash and mushrooms with a fruit cup.  My friends had the crab benedict and loved it!  Standard breakfast fare is also offered.   Really upscale debarkation breakfast! 

Sounds delish! Thx.

[Mum2Mercury]

Eh, no.  We see very little value for the cost.  Our thoughts on the perks: 

 

- An efficient boarding plan (starting with staying up until midnight to grab the earliest boarding slot -- not a hardship for me) would make more difference than The Key.  

- My carry-on is a small backpack, which contains my jewelry, electronics and medications.  I would not leave that with someone else.  

- Lunch would be nice, but isn't "enough" to make me part with that much money. 

- No thanks to private times on those popular activities.  

- Few islands still use tenders, so this isn't much of a perk.  Belize and ... ? 

- The Key seats in the theaters aren't particularly great, nor does anyone police who's sitting in them. 

- We don't get internet service during cruises. 

- I wasn't aware that the departure breakfast was so nice, but -- like the embarkation meal -- it doesn't seem like "enough" to convince me to spend for the whole week. 

 

My conclusion:  If you're a couple (not a family) and you're going to buy internet service, this may be worthwhile; if you weren't going to buy internet, The Key is hard to justify financially.  

[sailsalot]

I just checked the Key information for our late May cruise on Serenade, and it no longer lists the embarkation day lunch in Main Dining Room. Anyone ever had that happen, where they take away one of their big benefits like that? We bought the Key when it was lower than the current price and are really hoping they don't start to take away certain benefits.

[Rubyfisch]

5 minutes ago, sailsalot said:

I just checked the Key information for our late May cruise on Serenade, and it no longer lists the embarkation day lunch in Main Dining Room. Anyone ever had that happen, where they take away one of their big benefits like that? We bought the Key when it was lower than the current price and are really hoping they don't start to take away certain benefits.

It still lists the lunch in my December cruise - both in the text and in the bullet points.

[adamtoonarmy]

30 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

It still lists the lunch in my December cruise - both in the text and in the bullet points.

Still listed for my cruise too. I will skip it if we end up buying the key as I dont like the look of the menu. Definitely still listed as a benefit though.