JohnK6404

Poured from bottles? Wow, that's backward and expensive... they have electric...

Welcome @biggie ! Have a great time!

Basically, you are not given a specific time for departure (or ship location to wait)... you are escorted off the ship when you are done with your Key breakfast and/or when you are ready and choose to depart the ship. We worked our way down to the main dining room (MDR) when we were ready to eat and had the nice "Key" a la carte departure breakfast (breakfast hours were 6:30AM - 9:00AM). They watched our carry-ons which we left just outside the MDR while we ate. Once we finished breakfast, we headed over to a designated location (Champagne Bar in the Royal Promenade for us on Allure) to wait to be escorted off of the ship. They lead groups off the ship every 15 minutes or so. I guess we had good timing as we only had to wait about 5 minutes and they escorted us off the ship and through the terminal past the long lines to our luggage (designated luggage area for Key members). We collected our luggage (porters available) and were lead through the Star class lane to what appeared to be a dedicated customs agent (absolutely no line!). In total, it took about 10-15 minutes from the time we left the Champagne Bar to the time we got into the taxi outside of the terminal. They will let you know what time to have your bags outside your cabin the evening before as I believe they collect those bags first since you effectively decide when you want to depart. I believe they had asked us to have the bags outside our cabin by 11:00PM.

Just a little tip based on our experience on Allure with the Key. Plan to arrive no later than 15 minutes or so before the show starts (sure beats the typical 30+ minutes and a prayer to get decent seats especially with a group). We pushed it to 10 minutes once at the Aqua Theater and just made it! The crew members explained that about 8 minutes or so before the show starts they drop the rope to the reserved section to fill the section. Have a great time!

That sounds reasonable... In Labadee back in May, we shared a cabana with our friends (4 of us) and we each (each couple) tipped our attendant $50.

LOL! That was out experience on Allure back in May at Port Everglades. The regular line snaked around the terminal and we were escorted directly through to our luggage and awaiting porters and through the Star class lane through customs, etc. Ship to taxi literally in about 10-15 minutes!

Does anyone know more about this? Sounds promising... I wonder if they would ever connect the other ports to this line... My wife just found this recent article about the plan to expand Brightline train service from Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations to the Port of Miami. I’m just seeing this now... sounds promising. Apparently, Richard Branson is behind the expansion as it will benefit the new Virgin cruise line. Not sure if the train-to-cabin baggage service will only be for Virgin. “Plans advanced Thursday for a Brightline train station for cruise passengers at PortMiami, with Miami-Dade moving closer to approving a depot connecting the world’s busiest cruise dock to a for-profit railroad with plans to extend as far north as Orlando.... ‘They can hand over their bags at the Fort Lauderdale station, the West Palm Beach station, the Orlando station, and the passenger won’t see his or her bags until he or she gets into their cabin,’ said Juan Kuryla, the county’s port director.” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article236355013.html

Welcome @LuciaYSL! To really over simplify it... how do YOU value the perks? Everyone has their own opinion and perspective... I can tell you that we, along with our friends, absolutely loved the Key on Allure back in May. I can only speak from experience from an Oasis class ship perspective. We are also just Platinum members in C&A and have not booked a suite, so there is no other way for us to experience VIP treatment. If you plan on purchasing the VOOM Surf & Stream package for each person anyway and you can get the Key for say $24.99 or less, then in my opinion it's a very easy decision. We got it on Allure for $19.99, just purchased it yesterday for Oasis for $21.99 for MAY 2020 (hope it drops to $19.99 again ), and plan on purchasing it for Symphony for APR 2021. In our case after crunching the numbers, effectively for the cost of ONE glass of wine per day, both my wife and I can get all of the other Key meals/benefits (over the VOOM package cost for 2 devices). Remember, like with the Deluxe Beverage Package, that everyone in your cabin must also purchase the Key. If you do not plan on purchasing the VOOM package for everyone in your cabin, then the Key may not make sense for you...

... it's $21.99 for our 5/31/20 Oasis sailing... down from $24.99... was $19.99 on Allure last May...

I like this little 4-5 minute drone video on Symphony too...

Thanks! Just watched it... all from the engineering perspective (as titled), so it may not interest everyone. We liked it!

Hey @SteveinSC ! See if you can track this series down... they feature many RC ships... I watched the Allure episode which was excellent a couple of years ago... having a hard time finding it now... Yes, love the Mega Food episode on Oasis... it's currently available on Netflix... Another awesome documentary on Harmony and turnaround day... try pulling it up through the Science Channel website and log in through you cable provider: https://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/mega-machines-sea-giants/ Another video of Allure drydock...

Hi @CHRIS WONG ! Very nice to meet you and look forward to hearing about your experiences! Enjoy your contract on Mariner!

Got it! Makes sense!

... and remember to cancel that internet package if you purchase the Key of course! ?

No, the drink package is good on the ship and on Royal properties like Labadee and Perfect Day at Coco Cay.

Welcome Mike! My wife and I are on that cruise too and can't wait!

Hi @Kanelbulle ! Yes, the DBP can be used in all restaurants, bars, etc. on the ship and in Labadee or Perfect Day at Coco Cay. We used it in the specialty restaurants and in Labadee back in May. And you are correct... If you order a drink above the "cap" for that ship/sailing ($13 on our sailing) they will charge you the difference and I believe 18% gratuity on the additional amount (we never had to exceed the "cap"). Oh yeah, you cannot use it at Starbuck's. However, you can get smoothies at the Vitality Cafe with the DBP (they charge for protein powder, etc., but the smoothies are included). Our friends found this out early on and would start their day with a smoothie. Have a great time!

Maybe Oasis 6 will get that name.

Very true re: regional context.

What a blah, unoriginal name... I’ve already sailed on the Wonder (Disney Wonder). Lol!

Very true! It's also nice to have the same team as they get to know you and your preferences well and make the dining experience more enjoyable.

We have always done My Time Dining and regardless of group size (2-5) we have never been seated with another group (never had to ask for our own table). Also, we usually pick the same MTD time slot (when possible) and have always been seated in the same table with the same server team every time. I'm not sure if it's necessary, but if we like the table we're seated at the first night, we ask if we can keep that table for the rest of the cruise and they have always accommodated us. If you vary your dining times too much (MTD), you may have to be seated in another table or section as "your" table may be occupied at that time. If you really do not want to sit in another section and want to stick with the same server team on an evening with that odd time reservation, they will offer you the option of waiting for a table to clear in that section. I believe that is more likely to happen with Traditional Dining (seated with others unless you make a request).

Welcome!

The thought of being dry-docked for another 564 days until Symphony in APR 2021 was way too much for us to bear especially after our awesome experience on Allure this past May! We can't stop talking about that cruise! @Lovetocruise2002... yeah, we're hooked on Oasis class! As you all say... YOLO booked it! We had to take advantage of an awesome deal especially while she is here in NY in our backyard! Yay, no airfare or hotel! Can't wait to sail through the harbor again and go under the Verrazano this time on Oasis! Oasis... May 31, 2020!