KEY benefits to suites benefits (non Oasis class)

[not easy being green]

I have seen a wonderful comparisons of benefits Key benefits to suites on Oasis Class and this is very helpful.  It seem like a great idea for the older ships, however I am not sure.  Any thoughts on this Key to Suites?

[Ampurp85]

I don't quite get your question. The key benefits don't change regardless of ship class. Only the suite benefits change based on class. You get better perks on oasis class when you stay in a suite.  IMHO the Key gives you the benefits more associated with C&A tiers.

[twangster]

The only time I think the Key is helpful is when capacity is higher on Oasis and Quantum class ships that have more entertainment venues where the Key can help with seating.  If you have already sailed on a ship and seen the shows the Key doesn't seem to have as much value in my opinion.  

The only overlapping benefit that comes to mind is (or was) a dedicated seating area in entertainment venues. 

In the past the Key could board the ship after Suites but that only applied to early birds who checked in before the ship was open for boarding which also doesn't really happen very much any more with the protocols in place now and check in times.   Before the shutdown when you could arrive at the terminal at 10am that was a perk but you can't do that now.  The earliest check in time are 11am - 11:30am for most ships.  Furthermore certain other cruise lines have a horrific boarding process that warrants paying the upcharge for priority boarding.  Royal has never been like that so the need for priority boarding just isn't a thing like it is on other cruise lines.  It's a lot of money to get on 5 minutes quicker.

C&A and Suites don't get a boarding day specialty meal.  For Internet only Pinnacle get that and Sky/Star Suites on select ships.  Neither C&A or Suites get priority access to activities like the Flowrider, zip line or climbing wall during specific Key hours (except Star class).  

In reality the number of Star Class and Pinnacle on board most ships is usually less than 2% or 3% of the entire population for a typical cruise.  So we aren't talking about a lot of overlap or infringement on benefits.  

I've never had any of my perks from C&A or suites when I sail in a suite impacted by the Key.  

For someone who is new to an Oasis class or Quantum class ship I think the Key could have some value if you were going to acquire the internet anyways but with multi-device internet plans the Key doesn't scale to families or larger groups if internet is always purchased.  So in my mind it fits well for a very small target audience but if it makes you feel better and you are okay with the expense, go for it.  

[not easy being green]

Grand Suites on Oasis- and Quantum-class ships are eligible for Sky Tier perks, such as concierge service, unlimited internet and all-day dining at Coastal Kitchen.  On older ships, you do not automatically get unlimited internet so that is why I was asking the question. 

[twangster]

4 hours ago, not easy being green said:

Grand Suites on Oasis- and Quantum-class ships are eligible for Sky Tier perks, such as concierge service, unlimited internet and all-day dining at Coastal Kitchen.  On older ships, you do not automatically get unlimited internet so that is why I was asking the question. 

If you are considering booking suites on the older classes that is a different conversation.

The Key on older ships should be, in my opinion much cheaper since there are fewer on board activities where the Key provides priority.  Some of those ships don't have flowriders, none have zip lines or bumper cars, etc.  Some just have a rock climbing wall that generally speaking isn't terribly busy most of the time.  There can be fewer entertainment venues i.e. no Two70° and no AquaTheater.  On Radiance class they Key has very little tangible benefits at the current price point.  Back when the smallest ship was Empress it was amazing to me that people would purchase the Key when sailing her.

If you have two or more in your group a multi device Voom plan can be a better deal compared to buying two Voom plans so you need to use that multi-device cost in your price analysis for the Key.  Having said that multi-device Voom plans are not the good bargains as they have been in the past.    It will be interesting to see if they look any better during Black Friday sales.

If I'm booking a full suite it is generally going to be on Oasis and Quantum class where the perks go beyond Voom and also include Coastal Kitchen and (in the past at least) entertainment perks with dedicated seating and no need for reservations which on the mega ships is a huge part of the value proposition for full suites.  I've never been in awe of the suite perks on the older ships looking beyond the much nicer cabin that you get.  For me the only suite perk I find any value in the Suite Lounge and Concierge when on the older ships and even then since I sail often I don't often need to lean on the concierge for anything. 

The result for me is not seeing a lot of value for suite perks or the Key on older ships.

[Done]

Our motivation for booking Jr suites was to get double C&A tier points and a full tub/shower.  RCCL doesn't offer many other perks for Jr. Suites  To our surprise Jr. Suites on Quantum class ships have a half bath (sink, commode) AND a full bath with a tub/shower.  The agent at the Next Cruise desk said Quantum class was the only class with Jr Suite half baths.

If you book a J4 Jr. Suite on Quantum class you get what used to be called a Jr. Spa Suite.  It has the 1/2 bath and the full bath has a separate tub and shower stall.  They are on the midships bump outs of the Quantum class ships.  The downside is their very close proximity to the elevator/stairs which means increased foot traffic and associated noise.