New Program called "The Key"

[adelaidemay1]

 

Apologies if this has already been posted but I just saw this in the fine print for The Key in my cruise planner:

 

"Priority check-in and boarding will not be offered in Vancouver, Canada or at any ports in Australia."

 

Definitely not worth it for us!

[xpcdoojk]

5 hours ago, amyhphoto said:

I guess a new post on this topic is not allowed?? My new post was somehow moved to the end of this lengthy post. I wasn't  looking for a bunch of opinions of the program, that is why I started a new thread. I am looking to hear from people who have used the program and get their feedback based on their personal experience.

 

 

Sorry.  Lots of times the mods think there are too many posts on the exact same topic so they have an unnatural compulsion to merge them together.

 

Since the program is pretty new not a lot of people have experienced it.  There is at least a few personal experiences in the 17 pages for you to wade thru.

 

jc

[xpcdoojk]

1 hour ago, adelaidemay1 said:

 

Apologies if this has already been posted but I just saw this in the fine print for The Key in my cruise planner:

 

"Priority check-in and boarding will not be offered in Vancouver, Canada or at any ports in Australia."

 

Definitely not worth it for us!

 

I think priority check in to be one of the least significant aspects of the key.  Since most people have sailed RCI before they already have some “check-in” status.

 

jc

[Banana Benders]

I personally don't agree with all this pay extra programs, because they takeaway from the average cruisers experience.

Royal Caribbean seem to think its OK to takeaway from the average punter for the Few for a few extra $$$$$

1. Flow-riders is crowded anyway, so to take more time away by giving time for $$$ is wrong. Next step is to have to pay for the Flow-rider. (Maybe like internet by the hour)

2. Closing Off Viking lounges during the day so a few Pinnacles can have a private party, there's a conference room for that which want impact any other passengers. 

3. Closing of Solariums pool area in the late afternoon, so top tier, Pinnacles can have a private cocktail party, Have it in an inside lounge or Conference centre. 

All these perks do, is take staff away from giving the larger majority of guest the experience they should expect without having to pay extra. With RCI innervating all the their fleet, with new ideas, everything in the future will cost $$$ to experience.

Its start to go back to the old days when it was an elitist adventure to cruise.

 

 

 

 

[xpcdoojk]

I am guessing that they will be using the flowrider times for the key which are not booked for private lessons or were poorly attended rather than stealing from the punters.  🏄‍♂️😈

 

jc

[princesslondon]

We bought the key for our upcoming Oasis cruise in April. I was able to check in today and did so to see if my set sail pass  reflected it anywhere and it did not.  Wouldn’t it need to, to do a separate check in? Mainly asking because we did a Junior Suite on our last cruise and when I asked about which line to stand in, I was told unless my set sail pass had something different printed on it, I was told to go to the regular line. It was fine and quick but wondering how they are going to now we purchased the key. 

[ShazM]

5 hours ago, Banana Benders said:

I personally don't agree with all this pay extra programs, because they takeaway from the average cruisers experience.

Royal Caribbean seem to think its OK to takeaway from the average punter for the Few for a few extra $$$$$

1. Flow-riders is crowded anyway, so to take more time away by giving time for $$$ is wrong. Next step is to have to pay for the Flow-rider. (Maybe like internet by the hour)

2. Closing Off Viking lounges during the day so a few Pinnacles can have a private party, there's a conference room for that which want impact any other passengers. 

3. Closing of Solariums pool area in the late afternoon, so top tier, Pinnacles can have a private cocktail party, Have it in an inside lounge or Conference centre. 

All these perks do, is take staff away from giving the larger majority of guest the experience they should expect without having to pay extra. With RCI innervating all the their fleet, with new ideas, everything in the future will cost $$$ to experience.

Its start to go back to the old days when it was an elitist adventure to cruise.

 

 

 

 

And then you could also ask why pay for a suite. The only difference is the lounge and Coastal Kitchen for those ships that have it. Sure they are paying for a bigger room but as part of that they have access to reserved seating. I don't know how many seats are reserved but what happens when a suite guest turns up to a show and the seats are taken up by Key guests. You are better paying for the cheap room and getting those same seats and free internet which a suite guest only gets on some ships, free lunch on day 1, boarding and priority tenders with the suites and whatever else. Next they will let them into the suite/concierge lounge.

[Banana Benders]

19 minutes ago, ShazM said:

And then you could also ask why pay for a suite. The only difference is the lounge and Coastal Kitchen for those ships that have it. Sure they are paying for a bigger room but as part of that they have access to reserved seating. I don't know how many seats are reserved but what happens when a suite guest turns up to a show and the seats are taken up by Key guests. You are better paying for the cheap room and getting those same seats and free internet which a suite guest only gets on some ships, free lunch on day 1, boarding and priority tenders with the suites and whatever else. Next they will let them into the suite/concierge lounge.

Have no issue with suite guest or Pinnacle members.

Suite guest have paid for that privilege to have priority boarding, reserve seating, special dining and private lounge, these things do not impact the general cruising experience. If I paid for this I would expect to receive the above average service.

Its when public areas are used for the detriment of the general cruisers experience that I don't like.

If they want to have a special session on the Flow-ride do it at night.

One of the most under utilised areas on all cruise ship is their Conference Centre, which can be used an time of day or night and wouldn't effect anyone.

I think the way RCI are moving, Pinnacles will end up back in the Diamond Lounge. Really from what I have heard most of them are there for happy hour anyway.

[ShazM]

1 minute ago, Banana Benders said:

Have no issue with suite guest or Pinnacle members.

Suite guest have paid for that privilege to have priority boarding, reserve seating, special dining and private lounge, these things do not impact the general cruising experience. If I paid for this I would expect to receive the above average service.

Its when public areas are used for the detriment of the general cruisers experience that I don't like.

If they want to have a special session on the Flow-ride do it at night.

One of the most under utilised areas on all cruise ship is their Conference Centre, which can be used an time of day or night and wouldn't effect anyone.

I think the way RCI are moving, Pinnacles will end up back in the Diamond Lounge. Really from what I have heard most of them are there for happy hour anyway.

Totally agree. I'm just saying that someone that pays for a suite is paying a decent amount of money for the privilege and now someone in an inside cabin can buy the Key and basically get the same perks minus the lounge and CK and then some perks that suite guests on some ships don't get at all, ie. internet.

[Throast]

We came of the Oasis last Friday (a day early) and having signed up for key , can confirm our thoughts are it was worth every penny and more. 

We are regulars with silver sea, but booked this cruise as an investigation for taking family including 9 grand children on vacation for my 60th in 2020. 

We paid £19.99 per day (two of us) of more than 6,000 guest there was only 47 signed up for key (maximum at present 100 per cruise) 

[amyhphoto]

31 minutes ago, Throast said:

We came of the Oasis last Friday (a day early) and having signed up for key , can confirm our thoughts are it was worth every penny and more. 

We are regulars with silver sea, but booked this cruise as an investigation for taking family including 9 grand children on vacation for my 60th in 2020. 

We paid £19.99 per day (two of us) of more than 6,000 guest there was only 47 signed up for key (maximum at present 100 per cruise) 

 

So curious to know why you feel it was worth it? What did you like about it? Did you take advantage of the extra time on the flowrider, and if so how was that experience? How did it work when it was time to go to a show? Where were the seats? So many questions! 

 

[amyhphoto]

7 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

Sorry.  Lots of times the mods think there are too many posts on the exact same topic so they have an unnatural compulsion to merge them together.

 

Since the program is pretty new not a lot of people have experienced it.  There is at least a few personal experiences in the 17 pages for you to wade thru.

 

jc

 

Thanks for your explanation. I guess after seeing the Ultimate Beverage Package brought up several times a day in multiple threads I assumed there would easily be room for a second new thread about the key for people to post their real life experience with the program as opposed to their many opinions on the program. Especially since it’s obviously a pretty hot topic. 

 

[Throast]

Apologies, seems only the start of my review has appeared, 

to continue, 

On arrival at the port, we identified our selves as key and were immediately led to a separate check in desk, (No queue) then onto a separate seating area, we were called for boarding very early, on boarding we dropped our hand luggage off at the opal theatre, ( it’s then deposited directly into your cabin), then headed out for a wonder, just before noon we went to Chops and had a great lunch, forgot to mention we were given our access codes for the internet at check in. Cabin we’re called ready at 1pm for all guests.

There was no need to book shows (except comedy) as you have reserve seating and just walk in, again no queuing.

Flow rider and zip lining also had reserved times, one hour a day, (it wasn’t closed to other guest you just got to skip the line).

on the last day a breakfast is included, again no lines and fast service, you can get off the ship anytime you want, there was a massive queue to disembark, we identified ourselves as key, escorted to the front of the queue, our luggage awaited us in a separate area. 

We also signed up for the ultimate dining package and drinks package, both again, to us worth every penny. We were in a balcony cabin.

the early disembarkation at ports wasn’t tested due to the novo virus caper, as an aside, we felt Royal Caribbean and the crew could not do more in the circumstances

[Throast]

3 hours ago, princesslondon said:

We bought the key for our upcoming Oasis cruise in April. I was able to check in today and did so to see if my set sail pass  reflected it anywhere and it did not.  Wouldn’t it need to, to do a separate check in? Mainly asking because we did a Junior Suite on our last cruise and when I asked about which line to stand in, I was told unless my set sail pass had something different printed on it, I was told to go to the regular line. It was fine and quick but wondering how they are going to now we purchased the key. 

It’s not long since key was introduced, when you get to port identify yourselves as key, they will take care of it from there, for us, it was worth every penny and more

 

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, Banana Benders said:

 

Its when public areas are used for the detriment of the general cruisers experience that I don't like.

 

The same thing can happen when there is a group aboard the ship. The last time I was on Allure, one afternoon on a beautiful sea day they closed the entire adult solarium down at 3 PM so the group could have a private function. That was a totally LAME move by Allure's management.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Throast said:

Flow rider and zip lining also had reserved times, one hour a day, (it wasn’t closed to other guest you just got to skip the line).

I think some may misread this - on the zipline you can skip the line, but the starboard Flowrider sure seemed to be closed to other guests and limited to Key customers only - did I miss something?

[xpcdoojk]

10 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

I think some may misread this - on the zipline you can skip the line, but the starboard Flowrider sure seemed to be closed to other guests and limited to Key customers only - did I miss something?

 

I am guessing Throast didn’t actually do the flowrider?  

 

Biker, did they have a flowrider hour on the boogie board too for the key?  Not like I would take advantage of that for sure.🏄‍♂️

 

jc

Edited January 15, 2019 by xpcdoojk

[Biker19]

Just now, xpcdoojk said:

I am guessing Throast didn’t actually do the flowrider?  

 

Biker, did they have a flowrider hour on the boogie board too for the key?

During the Key hour you could do anything, stand up or boogie board.

[Throast]

Biker, your right I did the zip liner and skipped the queue, I didn’t do flowrider so stand corrected, 

[packedandready]

Is priority boarding before or after C&A levels?

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, packedandready said:

Is priority boarding before or after C&A levels?

 

It would not be much priority if after C&A.

[packedandready]

1 minute ago, Host Clarea said:

 

It would not be much priority if after C&A.

 

That's what I was thinking but usually don't understand RCI's thinking 🙂

 

[Throast]

Not sure of the grades, but key customers on the oasis (6thJan) don’t know who was before us but diamond plus was after us

[sandystx]

Thank you for the info. How and when exactly did you identify yourself as a KEY? Do you tell an agent before check in and then they look it up to confirm?  Is there an indicator at that time to show that you are a confirmed key?   Any indicator on your room card?  Thank you !!

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, sandystx said:

 Any indicator on your room card? 

Seapass card has a key printed at the top.