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The Key


Mathew Jones

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From what I can tell, the shorter the sailing the more valuable that The Key is.  If I was on a 3 or four night sailing then The Key is a no brainer purchase.  But as the number of nights goes up The Key loses a little bit of its value.  I think that anything over a 7 nights would not be worth buying The Key.

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23 hours ago, Mathew Jones said:

From what I can tell, the shorter the sailing the more valuable that The Key is.  If I was on a 3 or four night sailing then The Key is a no brainer purchase.  But as the number of nights goes up The Key loses a little bit of its value.  I think that anything over a 7 nights would not be worth buying The Key.

Or you have 6 years old that doesn't need an Internet. On my CP is $24.99 for 3 people x 7 days is $524.79 on top of what I already paid almost $5000 for this cruise. Sound great but doesn't work for me when I only need one Internet package.

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I checked my Cruise Planner earlier today and The Key price dropped 20% to $19.99 per person per day for Freedom of the Seas June 2019 so I decided to purchase it for my wife and I. I’ve been debating doing it anyways and with only 100 Key purchases per ship I didn’t want to regret waiting and then find out they’re sold out. We were going to get VOOM anyways so I figure the other benefits will be nice especially since this is our first cruise. Extra perks are always a plus even if it cost a little bit to enhance one’s experience. 

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1 hour ago, Jason said:

I checked my Cruise Planner earlier today and The Key price dropped 20% to $19.99 per person per day for Freedom of the Seas June 2019 so I decided to purchase it for my wife and I. I’ve been debating doing it anyways and with only 100 Key purchases per ship I didn’t want to regret waiting and then find out they’re sold out. We were going to get VOOM anyways so I figure the other benefits will be nice especially since this is our first cruise. Extra perks are always a plus even if it cost a little bit to enhance one’s experience. 

Ohh thanks for posting about the price drop! I had already snagged it for my May Allure sailing at full price, but I just saved a bit over $100 by canceling and rebooking. 

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8 hours ago, Jason said:

I checked my Cruise Planner earlier today and The Key price dropped 20% to $19.99 per person per day for Freedom of the Seas June 2019 so I decided to purchase it for my wife and I. I’ve been debating doing it anyways and with only 100 Key purchases per ship I didn’t want to regret waiting and then find out they’re sold out. We were going to get VOOM anyways so I figure the other benefits will be nice especially since this is our first cruise. Extra perks are always a plus even if it cost a little bit to enhance one’s experience. 

I noticed the same thing yesterday and cancelled my previous purchase of The Key to get the new price of $19.99. I wonder why they lowered the price. Not enough people buying?

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8 hours ago, Jason said:

I checked my Cruise Planner earlier today and The Key price dropped 20% to $19.99 per person per day for Freedom of the Seas June 2019 so I decided to purchase it for my wife and I.

I have the same price today for my 5-night 2019 Anthem sailing in October. Had to think long and hard about this, but in the end I'm not going to get it. I already got 2-device VOOM for a very good $17.99/night rate ($90 total), so getting The Key would cost me $110 more than what VOOM by itself cost. With Chops Lunch currently priced at $22 each, that means I'm paying the remaining $66 for the "intangibles". And there were only a couple that were semi-appealing to me:

  • Private hours at onboard activities -- Since my wife and I can't use the rock wall or flow rider due to various physical issues, getting private hours at iFly and North Star was potentially a good draw
  • Reserved priority seating all shows in the main venues -- well, I've already seen all the shows the last time I sailed her, but it would be nice to not have to show up an hour early to get the great seats we got last time
  • Separate / dedicated breakfast on debarkation day -- To not have to fight against the Windjammer or American Icon Grill crowd would be nice, and the menu @twangster posted in his review includes the things my wife and I both want / like

Are private hours at iFly, reserved show seating, and the separate debarkation day breakfast area worth $66? For me, not really. I already watch the Cruise Planner like a hawk, so I know I'll get reservations for the activities and shows that I want to re-watch. And we can always go to Cafe Two70 for debarkation day breakfast if we find the Windjammer is a madhouse. Yeah, this price is a heck of a lot less than it costs to get the same perks in a suite, but I'm deliberately staying on a tighter budget this trip and that extra $110 over the VOOM is money I could put towards my onboard drink purchases (assuming I don't find the Deluxe package on sale before sail-away).

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I just booked it (at the sale price of $19.99).  I only have a 4-night cruise, and had a $25 pre cruise on board credit to use. It came to just about $55.  I was going to get internet anyway, so add lunch at Chops, and I think I'm coming out ok.   ?. Thanks for the heads up on the sale, Jason!

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@Jason +1 in appreciation of the post about the price drop from $24.99 to $19.99.  I caved and bought it for my Symphony sailing with just Hubby and I. 

My justification was this...currently we are booked in a JS as GS+ is sky high on that ship for July.  We bought the 2 device plan over Black Friday for $132.93.  The Key cost us $279.86.  The difference is an extra $146.93 total.  We already have the UDP so the Chops Grille lunch is a write off bonus.  Basically, I asked myself if the reserved seating for shows and the special hours at the activities was worth $147?  My answer is yes because Hubby does enjoy the rock climbing and flow rider etc. and those do get busy at times. 

For me what makes it really worth it is the reserved seating, especially now that they have updated it so that it requires no reservations.  Now, some might not understand the value in this but back in August 2017 when we sailed Harmony, a stage part broke down in their main theater on Day 1 causing them to have to rearrange all the shows for the entire week.  This created a domino effect and not only the theater shows had to be rescheduled but the ice shows and aqua theater shows as well.  For us, we were in a GS for that sailing so it did not matter as we did not need reservations for the shows.  But in speaking to many people that we met, many of them ended up missing some shows because either they filled up quickly or they could not work it around their dining schedules.  That perk alone is worth $147 to me.  If I upgrade to a GS between now and then, I will cancel it.  I am of the mindset that The Key is not worth it at all if you have Suite perks already.

I looked at The Key for the Anthem GC as well.  It too has dropped to $19.99pp/day.  However, with our kids sailing with us on that one and it's a 9 day cruise, it is not worth it.  The price difference is $548 for that one between The Key and what we paid for VOOM.  And we all sailed Anthem back in March 2018 so we have watched all the shows. If we missed one, it would not really matter.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Just now, Mandy R said:

We have 4 in our room so we have to pay for 4 "the key" packages.  Does that mean that each of us will have the voom internet or will we only get access for 1 person?

4 people = 4 Voom access codes, so each person in the room will have their own voom code to use.

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  • 2 months later...
5 minutes ago, tapdnsr25 said:

So if it's $25/day, PER PERSON, does that mean each person gets access to Voom for one device each...or just ONE device (like per room)? 

The former. Each person gets their own. There’s even been reports of kids under 6 who don’t need to pay for the Key getting their own codes. It’s slipping my mind now who, but I know someone here mentioned that in a recent Live Blog. 

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2 hours ago, nrgMike said:

It's basically a front of the lines pass with internet. If you don't care about lines it won't be worth it to you. Also, watch this video it helped me.

 

These people kind of baffled me.  They signed up for a program that cost them a bit of money without knowing anything about it, and couldn't find anything on the internet (when a simple search would have led them to info?).   I loved the program and will definitely be using it again.

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Well, I was all set to go for the Key then I read this on a RC Blog touting The Key "The Key is being tested out on Liberty of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas for sailings beginning November 25, 2018 through the end of March 2019"

Is that old news? I very well could have missed an update to it.

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38 minutes ago, rtread said:

Well, I was all set to go for the Key then I read this on a RC Blog touting The Key "The Key is being tested out on Liberty of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas for sailings beginning November 25, 2018 through the end of March 2019"

Is that old news? I very well could have missed an update to it.

It's offered on almost all ships now - I booked it for my December 2019 Navigator sailing.

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I purchased The Key for my cruise on the Anthem out of Cape Liberty NJ on Sunday (March 30, 2019).  The price was $19.99 a day and I travel solo so that works very well for me...especially with the Voom WiFi.
As far as I can tell, there is nothing on my Set Sail Pass that shows I have purchased The Key so I’ll be sure to bring my email confirmation with me.
I’ll definitely report back with my Key experience onboard the Anthem.
Happy sailings!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi! Just got back yesterday from my Anthem cruise. We sailed from Port Liberty in Bayonne NJ...

First...I purchased the Key because it made sense for me. I travel solo so I only had to pay for me. The price was $19.99 per day so considering that I would have purchased the Voom stream package anyway, it was a no-brainer.

Upon arriving in Port Liberty...I was directed to a special security line and then the check in kiosk with the Key logo above it. The same security and check in as the upper loyalty levels. After checking in, I was seated in the second row along with the upper loyalty level folks...directly behind the passengers requiring assistance. My trip through the terminal went smooth, as all of the port employees knew about the Key and where to direct me.

Upon boarding the ship, i went right to the theater and dropped off my carry-on. I was given a list describing the amenities that come with the Key and a wrist band that identified me as a Key member. Later, when I got to my cabin, I found my bag was stored out of sight in the closet which I thought was a nice touch.

On the Anthem, lunch was available in Chops Grille or Jaime Oliver’s. I went to Chops and had a fantastic lunch. There were plenty of empty tables available and the service was typical Chops...perfect.

When I received my SeaPass card at my cabin, the Key emblem was on the bottom and I removed my Key wrist band. There was a welcome envelope which contained the schedule with the Key access times for the Rock Climbing Wall, Flow Rider, Northstar and iFly...and my access code for the Voom WiFi. I also received information for disembarkation at Port Canaveral, Coco Cay and Nassau.

On day two, I received a complimentary fruit plate in my cabin with a card from the Key program, welcoming me aboard.

When I went to the shows (We Will Rock You and The Gift were great!) in the theater...I was directed to reserved Key seating in the third and fourth row center. Excellent seats! Manned by ship personnel to ensure only Key members could sit there. At ten minutes prior to the show, just as the stand by line was admitted, the rows were opened so that any available seats could be filled.

In each port...we went to the lower level of the Music Hall and as soon as the ship was cleared by the local authorities, we disembarked. I was late getting to the Music Hall in Port Canaveral. When I got there, I was immediately escorted by a crew member holding up a paddle with the Key emblem on it, past the long line of passengers waiting to disembark, and directly to the security desk at the gangway.

On the day before arriving back at Port Liberty, I received an envelope with the Key luggage tags and disembarkation information. This included a sit down breakfast in the MDR and then escort off the ship. After breakfast, we were to go to the Shore Excursion desk which was directly across from the gangway, and then right to the head of the line. I did not take advantage of this perk as I was with others who did not have the Key. We came down early for self walk-off and found ourselves near the head of the line.

My conclusions...for me, the purchase of the Key made perfect sense, especially since I needed the WiFi anyway. Being solo, I did not have to pay for more than one as I would have had to do if there were others in my cabin. The VIP treatment at the pier, boarding, carry-on drop off, lunch, theater seating and disembarkation arrangements was very nice and convenient. Although I did not take advantage of the reserved times for the activities, I did see other Key members using them. I was impressed that every employee at Port Liberty...and every ship’s crew member I interacted with...was aware of the Key and the access that came with it. There was no confusion or misunderstanding. All in all it was a very impressive, pleasant and smooth experience and I will definitely do it again.

Happy sailings!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello!

Update on the Key. Cruised again on the Anthem from Bayonne on April 13th and had The Key. My experience was the same as I posted above. Everyone at the terminal and aboard the ship was aware of the program and there was no confusion or misunderstanding. Everything went as expected.

This time, when we arrived back in Bayonne, I took advantage of the Choice Disembarkation. I do the self-walkoff so I had my luggage with me. I chose not to eat breakfast and went directly to the Shore Excursions desk as directed in the letter which was delivered to my cabin the day before. There, I showed my Seapass card with the Key logo to the crew member and took a seat. This is directly across from the disembarkation area. As soon as the ship was cleared, I was directed to scan my card and exit. I was the first one off the ship and breezed through the terminal. For me...well worth it!

Happy cruising!

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8 minutes ago, BrianB said:

Hello!

Update on the Key. Cruised again on the Anthem from Bayonne on April 13th and had The Key. My experience was the same as I posted above. Everyone at the terminal and aboard the ship was aware of the program and there was no confusion or misunderstanding. Everything went as expected.

This time, when we arrived back in Bayonne, I took advantage of the Choice Disembarkation. I do the self-walkoff so I had my luggage with me. I chose not to eat breakfast and went directly to the Shore Excursions desk as directed in the letter which was delivered to my cabin the day before. There, I showed my Seapass card with the Key logo to the crew member and took a seat. This is directly across from the disembarkation area. As soon as the ship was cleared, I was directed to scan my card and exit. I was the first one off the ship and breezed through the terminal. For me...well worth it!

Happy cruising!

What benefits did the Key provide on Anthem?  Exclusive access to activities for example.  Flowrider, rock climbing wall.  How about bumper cars, North Star or iFly?

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21 hours ago, twangster said:

What benefits did the Key provide on Anthem?  Exclusive access to activities for example.  Flowrider, rock climbing wall.  How about bumper cars, North Star or iFly?

See my prior post on this thread where I explained everything and how it worked. Also, the other posters have the same info.

Happy cruising!

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Yeah, I was going to purchase it, had in in my cart for the sale price of $24.99 for my Dec 2019 Harmony of the Seas cruise. Logged into cruise planner today to checkout and saw there was no longer a 20% discount and the price jumped to $37.99. So, if it goes on sale again I will get it, but I just can't see the value of it at $37.99. 

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3 minutes ago, Cat2721 said:

Yeah, I was going to purchase it, had in in my cart for the sale price of $24.99 for my Dec 2019 Harmony of the Seas cruise. Logged into cruise planner today to checkout and saw there was no longer a 20% discount and the price jumped to $37.99. So, if it goes on sale again I will get it, but I just can't see the value of it at $37.99. 

I think they just bump the price up occasionally to get people to jump on it when it comes back down in price, lol.

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4 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said:

I think they just bump the price up occasionally to get people to jump on it when it comes back down in price, lol.

Actually, this is a fairly common sales tactic.  They started out selling the thing for $24.95 or whatever it was....then dropped it to $19.99 to make people try it and snatch it up as a great deal...then jacked it up to $34.95 knowing that few would want it at that price and finally bring it back down to $24.95 when people would be so grateful that it dropped...which is where they started out and the price that they wanted to charge all along.

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