KimS

If you arrive early, you will get to maximize your time on your vacation!  The ship will typically start boarding around 11 am or so, but if there are issues clearing the ship it could be delayed.  Love to get to the port early to get that silly stuff out of the way so I can jump on the ship and start vacation!
 

At $18 each

Happen to see this on line from April. Have not heard anything about this. Looks really amazing if true. Anyone have any information?

https://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/blog/news/master-of-the-skies/

I love this thread ... maybe more than I should, lol.

I think we're dating ourselves by knowing Eastern, Pan Am and TWA. And not asking who's that? 

No.  The boarding time on your Set Sail Pass is just a suggestion and a way for Royal to try and control boarding crowds, but it is not enforced.  
The best boarding time seems to be 10:30-11:00 AM
Enjoy Harmony. It’s my favorite ship !

No size limits for the carry-ons to bring them on the ship.  They just have to be able to fit through the X-ray scanners.  The Star Class folks get ALL of their luggage scanned through these same scanners, so even the mega sized suitcases fit them.

you will be very glad you have those wheels when you get on board!

Your set sail pass will have an arrival time but this is just a suggestion. You can arrive as early as the cruise terminal is open to start accepting passengers. Depending on your port this may vary. I just sailed out of Galveston and got to the port around 9:30 and had no problems. I did have to wait a bit after checking in for the staff to clear the boat prior to letting us on but it wasn’t bad. 

NAV is the only ship where we have ever been denied lunch at Chops on embarkation day.  We’ve always been able to get in but on NAV last month not even our Suites Concierge could get us in to Chops for lunch on embarkation. We went to Jamie’s instead. It was fine.

Wanted to share that the cruise security screening is different than airport.  You should drop your checked bags, it is much easier and better for the overall process.  But if you do carry them on they probably will make it through security.  The requirement that the bag be a certain size is not really a thing for the ship.  As long as it fits in the scanner it is good to go.
Sorry for those that read this before since once I posted it on another thread.  Our family had backpacks as carry on and a regular checked bag for our last cruise.  Because we were routed incorrectly, more than once, we ended up taking our bags all the way to ship.  I thought it would be problem at security but they put them through the scanners and we kept on through the process.  Luckily we were Star Class so we’re able to just drop the bags at the room.  

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-key-program
This link may help you understand your benefits with The Key.  It does not appear (to me) that you can enter your stateroom early but only that your carry on bags (with limitations as mentioned in the link) will be delivered to your stateroom.  The rest of the cruisers will be having to hold onto their carry on bags until the rooms are ready.  I also have not seen anyone comment on the blog about being able to get into your rooms early with The Key.  I also have never cruised with Carnival so I do not know if anything is similar or not.
Welcome to the blog!  This place is FULL of amazing information and helpful tips.  Enjoy your cruise!

Love the pic AND the Advise!! We do get the Coastal Kitchen, so will make sure we can get those tails! Thanks Again!

Yes, you can have as many as your heart desires (2nd formal evening on 7-night cruise in Caribbean)... they kept asking us on Allure back in May if we'd like more... we stopped at 4 tails, but my friend was on Harmony in April and he said someone at the next table was on their 12th! ?
 

Yup, it's only the tail.....BUT, in the MDR you can order as many as you like, so those 4 bites are just the beginning. Keep 'em coming!

Concur.  I fell victim to this once.  Just once.

If you have a Grand Suite then the Key really is not worth the extra. We just got off Radiance and all the suite guests got complimentary lunch on embarkation in Chops, nice perk and as others have said you can also avoid the crowds in the Suite Lounge.

I have gotten spoiled !!! This is what I was expecting from purchasing the key. @ $29 dollars a day Verses a flat fee of $69 for faster to the fun. 
Faster to the Fun offers Carnival cruise passengers the following priority access:
Priority security lines, check-in and boarding
Early access to cabins on embarkation day
Priority delivery of checked luggage
Dedicated phone line to the guest services desk, as well as an exclusive line at the desk itself
Priority dinner times (early, late or Your Time Dining -- does not include priority reservations for flexible dining passengers on a daily basis)
Priority tender service
Choice of early or late debark at the end of the cruise
Thank you all for answering this burning question. I will take everyones advice and cancel  the key. I was soooo excited to purchase this, because I thought my family would be able to board early and just relax in our room until the muster call.  Generally how long does it take to get your checked bags into your rooms if its not ready until after 1pm? 

Good  Morning,
If you are boarding early, how does this work if you choose to carry your luggage on rather than check baggage? I purchased the key in hopes that this would allow me to get into my state room early. This is a first time experience with royal. Carnival offered faster to the fun is the key similar?

I have gotten spoiled !!! This is what I was expecting from purchasing the key. @ $29 dollars a day Verses a flat fee of $69 for faster to the fun. 
Faster to the Fun offers Carnival cruise passengers the following priority access:
Priority security lines, check-in and boarding
Early access to cabins on embarkation day
Priority delivery of checked luggage
Dedicated phone line to the guest services desk, as well as an exclusive line at the desk itself
Priority dinner times (early, late or Your Time Dining -- does not include priority reservations for flexible dining passengers on a daily basis)
Priority tender service
Choice of early or late debark at the end of the cruise
Thank you all for answering this burning question. I will take everyones advice and cancel  the key. I was soooo excited to purchase this, because I thought my family would be able to board early and just relax in our room until the muster call.  Generally how long does it take to get your checked bags into your rooms if its not ready until after 1pm? 

There will be tons of folks on the cruise with rolling carry-ons.  You will not feel out of place at all!
The Key will not help you get into your stateroom earlier.  The rooms all open at the same time.  This differs from Carnival's Faster to the Fun.  However, the Key will have an area where you will be able to store your carry-on bags when you get on board.  That is one of the advertised privileges of the program.  They will deliver your carry-on bags to your room.  That way you will not have tote them around before the cabins are open (usually around 1pm).  If you chose not to let the porters take your luggage and you bring it all as a carry-on you will be responsible for getting the bags onto the ship and then to the carry-on bag check area.  It's not a set place for the carry-on check for The Key fleetwide and it may not be advertised well, so be sure to ask if you don't see signage.  Often the carry-on check is in the theater but some ships it has been in a dining room.

You are so welcome !

I'll eaten cold food right from the serving dishes, so eating immediately there versus on the balcony isn't always that much different.  My food has also gotten cold just wandering the WJ looking for a table.  
We've had stateroom attendants ask us to leave the trays and plates in our cabin, and they will take care of removing it for us.  They don't like them left in the hallways, as it can be difficult for people in scooters and wheelchairs to navigate around them and will often hit them and spill any leftovers on the plates.  We're seen cups still half full sitting on the floor in the hallways - I'm sure they make a huge mess when little kids running down the hall or those scooters/wheelchairs knock them over.  
 

This is precisely why we do room service. I do not want to have to get myself up, shower, and dress in order to run to the CK (or Chops) before it stops serving breakfast.  Room service will call you before they deliver so I have time to throw on a robe and be ready when they get there.  Having breakfast out on the balcony in your robe or jammers is just SO vacation-y. It’s one of my very favorite things about cruising.

Once you get on board, a nice place to wait for your room to be ready is up in the Suites Lounge (Deck 17). You will have lots of room to store your carry-on bags so they won’t be in yours or anyone else’s way.
The views from up there are incredible and there will be lovely treats for you while you wait !
Get there as early as you like.  As Ashley said, the Suites waiting Lounge at Terminal A is beautiful and you will be among the very first to board.