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Are you questioning if Royal Caribbean’s The Secret’s value it? To be sincere, I questioned as nicely. So, we determined to to buy The Key for our current cruise onboard Freedom of the Seas.
The Key has been a controversial subject amongst loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers and has many questioning it’s worth.
On the one hand, some cruise passengers consider that The Secret’s a waste of cash and is simply too dear for what you get. However, some cruisers consider that given what’s included, The Secret’s definitely worth the worth. Actually, they’ll buy it each time they take a Royal Caribbean cruise.
I boarded Freedom of the Seas able to strive The Key and decide if it’s definitely worth the worth. With that being stated, right here is my sincere overview of Royal Caribbean’s The Key.
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How A lot Does The Key Value?
The value of Royal Caribbean’s The Key program can differ relying on the season and the way many individuals are in your crusing. Nevertheless, the value ranges between $25-$50 per day, per individual.
Because it will get nearer to your crusing, the cruise line could provide reductions for The Key. Its widespread for Royal Caribbean to run on-line promotions on the cruise planner for drink packages, excursions and packages like The Key.
It’s necessary to notice that every individual over the age of 6 within the cabin should buy The Key.
In our case, we bought The Key for a complete of $395.88, for 3 individuals on a 4-night cruise. This got here to $32.99 per day, per individual.
What Does The Key Embody?
While you buy The Key, you’ll take pleasure in the next advantages:
- Precedence embarkation
- Carry-on drop off and supply to your stateroom
- Unique welcome lunch within the Major Eating Room that includes The Key Signature menu
- Quick lane entry for onboard actions and personal time on the Flowrider and mountaineering
- Precedence disembarkation at tender ports (from ship to shore)
- Devoted seating at exhibits within the Major Theater, Studio B, Aqua Theater, and Two70
- Voom Surf & Stream for one system (web entry)
- Unique breakfast on debarkation day
My Expertise With The Key:
All through my 4-day cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, I had the prospect to check lots of the advantages of The Key Program.
Since I used to be on a 4-day Caribbean cruise, I had no tender ports, so I by no means had the prospect to check the precedence disembarkation on port days. Nevertheless, I used to be in a position to take a look at all the opposite unique advantages that you just get if you buy The Key.
Precedence Embarkation
Precedence boarding is likely one of the advantages that you just get if you buy The Key program. It is a nice method to improve your cruise expertise, and to take full benefit of your first day of the cruise.
This was my first shock with The Key. I felt underwhelmed by the early check-in.
Upon arrival on the cruise port, there was a separate line for members of The Key. We had been on the cruise terminal round 11:15-11:30 am and had been in a position to enter instantly. At the moment, different passengers had been additionally arriving, however there have been no massive crowds.
In the course of the boarding course of, there was no separate line for The Key holders, for check-in or safety. Royal Caribbean’s boarding course of was quick and environment friendly, however from what I may see there was no actual profit for Key friends.
We boarded round 11:50 am, together with many different friends who didn’t have The Key. Actually, the early embarkation advantage of The Key may very well be achieved by reserving the earliest embarkation time doable.
Moreover, once we requested the employees on the port if there’s a separate line for Key members, they appeared to be unaware of this system. This might have been due to a language barrier, however there have been a number of staff who confused “The Key” with the Seapass card (cruise card).
Welcome Lunch
One of many advantages of The Secret’s the embarkation day lunch. At The Key lunch, you can be served a 3-course meal that options menu objects from Chops Grille.
Baggage Drop Off
On the embarkation lunch within the essential eating room, The Key friends are in a position to drop off carry-on baggage. Stick with it luggage are then introduced to every visitor’s stateroom by the crew.
The carry-on baggage drop-off service was a really helpful Key profit, as we didn’t should lug round our carry-on luggage all afternoon. We went to our cabin immediately after lunch and our carry-on baggage was ready for us.
Associated: 23 Important Issues to Pack in Your Cruise Carry-On Bag
The Key Lunch Menu Evaluate
The Key menu featured three appetizers, three essential programs, and three desserts. Anybody anticipating an analogous menu and choices to Chops Grill could be dissatisfied, because it in actuality it pales compared to the specialty eating expertise.
Upon additional analysis, I seen that Royal Caribbean used to supply a alternative of three completely different aspect dishes. Nevertheless, they now not provide this, and the primary programs include a aspect of fries.
Appetizers:
- Ceasar Salad
- Wild Mushroom Soup
- Colossal Shrimp Cocktail
The appetizers had been first rate and tasted good. Nevertheless, they didn’t appear very completely different from what you’ll usually order in the primary eating room through the cruise. I had shrimp cocktail (they weren’t tremendous massive).
Entrees (essential course):
- Chops Dry Aged Steak Burger
- 6 oz Angus Filet Mignon
- Grilled Branzino
We ordered the filet mignon, and it was served with crispy fries, ketchup and brown gravy. Sadly we had been dissatisfied with the primary course as our steaks had been overcooked (even after returning our meals and pointing this out).
Desserts:
- Royal Chocolate Cake
- New York Cheesecake
- Ice Cream
The desserts had been tasty. We had the chocolate cake and the New York cheesecake. I can undoubtedly suggest Royal Caribbean’s cheesecake!
Low cost on Specialty Eating places (whereas onboard)
While you buy the Key, you get a 10-20% low cost on specialty eating places. That is nice for these seeking to have fun a special day or favor an enhanced culinary expertise, particularly in the event that they haven’t booked this earlier than the cruise.
Nevertheless, one thing we didn’t take pleasure in was having waiters attempting to upsell specialty eating when you’re attempting to benefit from the embarkation day lunch. Whereas it was comprehensible, it felt like a gross sales pitch for us to spend extra money on specialty eating.
We did go to Izumi and Giovannis throughout our cruise, however simply aren’t followers of at desk solicitations.
Lovely View
One of many issues that we loved concerning the embarkation day lunch was the attractive view. We acquired to take a seat by the window in the primary eating room, which missed Miami.
Total, The Key embarkation day lunch was a little bit of a letdown. In any case, there are different choices for lunch on embarkation day. In hindsight we felt we’d have loved different lunch choices as an alternative, whether or not included or at a further price.
Non-public Time for Onboard Actions
Should you’re cruising with youngsters and children, or for those who’re an adventurous cruiser, it’s possible you’ll actually take pleasure in this profit. One in all The Key perks is that you just get personal time for onboard actions.
Since my cruise was solely 4 days lengthy and stopped in two ports, I by no means acquired the prospect to make the most of the personal time for actions. Nevertheless, on an extended cruise, I may see this Key profit coming in useful.
On the Freedom of the Seas, personal time was designated for the Flowrider and mountaineering wall. Nevertheless, you’d have VIP entry to extra even actions on Oasis Class and Quantum Class ships.
For instance, on the Quantum of the Seas, you’ll have designated personal hours to strive The North Star, iFly, Bumper Vehicles, and Curler Skating.
Should you’re on a busy crusing, these actions will be tremendous busy. Having personal entry will forestall you from having to attend in lengthy traces, and also you’ll get to completely take pleasure in these onboard points of interest.
Voom Surf and Stream Web
While you buy The Key, you get entry to the Voom Surf Wifi package deal on one system included. The fee for Voom Surf and Stream can differ, however is often $20-$25 a day for one system.
Oftentimes, this profit alone makes The Key definitely worth the worth.
In our case, one essential cause we bought The Secret’s that we’d have purchased the web package deal anyway. Since we regularly work whereas we cruise and like to remain related on social media, a wifi package deal is one thing we purchase on each cruise.
Since we had been crusing on an older cruise ship, we had fairly a couple of points with the Wifi. As an illustration, the Wifi by no means labored in our oceanview stateroom on Deck 2.
Subsequently, if we wished to make use of the web (even on our telephones), we’d both should go to a public space or stroll down the hallway to the elevators.
On the intense aspect, the Wifi did work round the remainder of the cruise ship. This wasn’t the most important deal since we had been solely on a four-day cruise. Nevertheless, having no wifi in our cabin could be a difficulty if we had been on a week-long cruise.
That stated, whereas we had a difficulty with connectivity in our cabin on Freedom of the Seas, the worth of Voom continues to be there. Seemingly, the web is best on newer cruise ships.
Associated: 15 Cruise WiFi Suggestions, Secrets and techniques & Errors to Keep away from
Devoted Seating
One of many key advantages of buying The Secret’s devoted seating at exhibits. I loved this profit, as I by no means needed to fear about not having seat for the exhibits.
For instance, I sat in The Key reserved seating space for the ice skating present, and I had among the finest seats within the venue. Studio B will get full rapidly, so having a devoted seating space is unquestionably a bonus.
It’s necessary to notice that reservations are required for Quantum and Oasis-class cruise ships.
Unique Breakfast on Disembarkation Day
While you buy The Key, you’ll get to take pleasure in an unique a la carte breakfast in the primary eating room on disembarkation day. Moreover, you get precedence disembarkation, which is a giant time saver on debarkation day.
Disembarkation morning is at all times a bit hectic, and the breakfast on the final day was one in every of my favourite perks of The Key. The Windjammer buffet can have lengthy traces, and we had been glad to keep away from this.
The breakfast menu was fairly good, and the meals was actually tasty. One of many good issues concerning the disembarkation breakfast is that you just get an amazing view of the town when you eat.
Precedence Disembarkation
As soon as we completed breakfast, we grabbed our carry-on baggage and met a crew member who escorted us with precedence entry off of the cruise ship.
One in all The Key advantages is we appreciated most was skipping that lengthy line to disembark from the ship. This made it our best and most stress-free debarkation days but.
It was the proper method to wrap up our Royal Caribbean cruise trip.
Is The Key Price It? The Verdict
Primarily based on my expertise, The Key just isn’t definitely worth the worth. Until you get an amazing deal on The Key program, it’s laborious to justify paying between $33 to $50 per individual, per day for the advantages.
For me, The Key’s highlights had been precedence seating, disembarkation day breakfast, and precedence departure. Nevertheless, these Key advantages alone should not value the associated fee.
After I checked out The Key, I assumed I’d actually benefit from the particular embarkation day lunch and make the most of the Wifi. Nevertheless, the embarkation day lunch simply wasn’t nice and we had many points with the Wifi.
In principle, The Key is a good thought. Nevertheless, the embarkation day perks want some tweaking. Specifically, The Key lunch may have been higher (and had extra choices for sides).
Whereas I might think about buying The Key once more sooner or later, it might solely be if it was supplied at a reduced price. Primarily based on our crusing on Freedom of the Seas, The Key wants some tweaking to make it an amazing worth for Royal Caribbean passengers.
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Last Ideas On Royal Caribbean’s The Key
Effectively, there it’s, every part you must learn about Royal Caribbean The Key program!
Though The Key was an underwhelming expertise, I’m glad I gave it a strive. The Key has been a controversial subject amongst cruisers, and after attempting it for myself, I can see why.
On the one hand, The Key could make your cruise trip extra nice by decreasing wait occasions in lengthy traces, providing included Wifi, and serving an embarkation day lunch. However, lots of The Key’s choices had been poorly executed, leaving me feeling underwhelmed.
On this put up, I shared my overview of The Key, in addition to what’s included if you buy The Key, how a lot The Key Prices, and if The Secret’s value it.
Would you think about buying The Key for a Royal Caribbean cruise? Please let me know your ideas within the feedback under.
Completely happy Cruising!
Ethan
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