We’re taking a shallow dive into Royal Caribbean’s “The Key” to tell you what the Key is and to help you decide if you want it on your next Royal Caribbean cruise.
For a more in depth look, see A Comprehensive Guide To Royal Caribbean’s “The Key”.
What Is The Key?
The Key is a package of benefits that gives cruisers the ability to purchase exclusive perks without having to reserve a suite, or without having a lot
of loyalty status.
How Much Does The Key Cost?
At the time of this post, the cost of The Key is $49.99 per person, per day. Royal Caribbean almost always offers a discount, so it’s common to
find it in the $31.99 to $36.99 range. Please note: all guests staying in a cabin must purchase The Key, with the exception of children aged 5
and under.
What Does The Key Include?
These are the benefits of The Key as of the date of this post:
| 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 1:30 pm. |
| Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring The Key Signature menu. Enjoy a signature lunch menu, showcasing guest favorites across appetizers, entrees, and desserts. |
| Priority Booking at some onboard activities and Private Time at the Bumper Cars, Ice Rink and FlowRider®. Activities vary by ship. |
| Priority departure at tender ports of call from ship to shore. |
| Dedicated seating section at shows in the Royal Theater, AquaTheater, Studio B and Two70® (reservations required on Quantum and Oasis Class ships). |
| VOOM® Surf & Stream high-speed internet for 1 device – 1 package per paying guest |
| On debarkation day, enjoy an exclusive à la carte breakfast and depart at your leisure with Choice Departure. |
| 20% off at all specialty restaurants throughout your cruise when you make your reservations on Day 1 of the sailing. Subject to availability. |
Cost of The Key Versus Buying Some Add-Ons Outright
One way to help you decide if The Key will be worth the money is to consider the cost of some of the benefits it covers if you were to buy them
outright and then compare that cost against the cost of The Key.
| Specialty Restaurant Lunch | $29.99 Average/Adult, $12.99/Child |
| 20% Off Specialty Restaurant (Dinner) | $46.99 Average/Adult, $12.99/Child
Discount Value = $9.40 & $2.60/Per Person/Per Meal
|
| Internet | $17 - $29 Per Day. |
| FlowRider® Private Hire/Private Lesson | $340/$524 Per Hour |
Prices are for illustration purposes only as the prices will change over time as well as from ship to ship and during sales.
Calculating the Monetary Value of The Key
From a monetary standpoint the Internet is probably the deciding factor as to whether The Key is worth it or not. If you want or need the Internet
while on the cruise and the daily price difference between buying VOOM® Surf & Stream or The Key is a few dollars a day then The Key can be a good
purchase. If the difference is over $10 dollars a day The Key may be less worthwhile.
If you do not plan to use the Internet during the cruise, and don’t want to use the FlowRider®, it is reasonably clear that The Key has
limited value and we would not recommend getting it.
Similarly if you want VOOM® Surf & Stream and want to spend a lot of time on the FlowRider®, it's a no brainer. We would definitely recommend purchasing The Key.
A Price Comparison
Let’s say you don't have The Key, you go to Chops Grill for lunch, you buy internet access and you hire the FlowRider® for 1 hour during your cruise. This would
be your approximate out of pocket expense for a 7 night cruise:
| Chops Grill | $29.99 Per Person for Two |
| Internet | $307.86 @ 21.99 PP/PD For Two |
| FlowRider® Private Session (1 hour) | $340.00 |
| Total | $707.84 |
If you had The Key, and paid $26.99/Per Person Per Day, instead of buying lunch you would have gone to The Key lunch and Internet would be included.
You would have used The Key exclusive FlowRider® hour (though you may have had to share it with other Key guests). Your cost for the 7 night cruise
would be $377.86, making The Key a great deal, as you would save money and the other benefits of The Key would essentially be free.
What If You Have High Loyalty Status (Diamond + or Pinnacle)
If your loyalty status is Diamond Plus or Pinnacle you will already have some of the benefits of The Key. For most cruisers with this status The
Key might have limited value.
As you can see, there are many factors to consider when deciding whether The Key would be a worthwhile addition to your cruise. We hope this post has given you the information necessary to
make the determination for your next sailing!
Interested in more information about cruising? Please check out our other blog posts.
Questions or comments? Email us at info@cruiseswithfriends.com
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