Over and above your Royal Caribbean cruise fare, the company sells a lot of extras.
Some of these are completely discretionary, like excursions at various destinations. In other cases, some added fees border on being necessary or at least a smart buy.
Nobody needs a drink package, for example, but for many passengers buying one will ultimately save them money while also giving them the peace of mind that comes with not having extra bills at the end of their trips.
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The same might be said about dining packages. You don't need to buy one, but if you plan to eat at specialty restaurants, buying one ahead of time makes sense.
One Royal Caribbean (RCL) add-on, however, comes with a lot more confusion than many of the cruise line's offerings. The Key, a sort of VIP service, comes with some real perks, but it's a little tricky to figure out their actual value.
As a frequent Royal Caribbean cruiser, I have occasionally bought The Key, but only in two very specific circumstances.
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What Is Royal Caribbean's The Key?
The Key offers a number of benefits that the cruise line does not explain well. That starts with how early boarding works if you purchase The Key.
"Start your cruise worry-free with priority access into the terminal within your booked arrival time," the cruise line says.
Normally, people select a boarding time when they check in for their cruise. That can be anywhere from roughly 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Royal Caribbean is sometimes very strict about holding people to their assigned times and, at other times seems not to care at all.
Holders of The Key can board with the earliest group. In many cases, they can move through security and end up waiting in the terminal in a Key-specific area where they will be able to get on board among the earliest passenger groups.
In addition, holders of The Key can, in my experience, board at any time, as terminals have a special line for holders of the product.
That's very confusing, however, because the cruise line's description of the boarding perk does not match how it actually works. So any experience I have had does not guarantee that it will work that way for any specific sailing.
In addition to early boarding, The Key also offers the following perks, according to Royal Caribbean's website:
Once onboard, enjoy a personal drop-off service that delivers your carry-on bags directly to your stateroom. Follow this up with an exclusive welcome lunch featuring the Chops Grille Lunch menu. Fit more into your vacation than ever before with private time at onboard activities, including Rock Climbing, FlowRider and more. Start your day off right with priority departure from ship-to-shore at tender ports of call. Then score VIP seating for our onboard shows. Share it all in real time with a Voom Surf & Stream 1 Device high speed internet package. End your adventure at your own pace with an exclusive à la carte breakfast and choice departure.
The biggest perk is the Voom internet access. And that benefit actually helps me determine one of the two scenarios in which I buy The Key.
When Does Buying Royal Caribbean's 'The Key' Make Sense?
Royal Caribbean does not have a set price for The Key or for Voom Internet. The Key generally costs in the high $20s to low $30s per day per person in the same cabin. Only a limited number are sold.
Sometimes adding The Key costs only a few dollars more than simply buying a Voom package. When that happens, I generally buy "The Key" because even though I don't use most of the perks, the minor price difference makes getting value from spending a little easier.
Sometimes the prices are so close that the opening-day lunch at Chops provides enough value that I'm willing to spend a few extra dollars a day.
The second scenario where I buy "The Key" assumes that boarding will work as I have experienced it, not as the cruise line describes it on its website. If I'm traveling with friends whose boarding time is earlier than mine, I will buy "The Key" so we can board in the same window.
That worked for me on a Harmony of the Seas cruise a few months ago. My buddy, with whom I was driving to the cruise port, had a much earlier boarding time than I did, I bought The Key. We boarded in separate lines, but ended up on board at roughly the same time.
