Royal Caribbean’s The Key - Is it worth it? | West Coast Mexico | Solo Travel

Hello Travelers, I boarded Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas on August 15, 2022. I decided to try The Key on this trip and see if I liked it enough to justify the expense. Now that the series for this sailing is almost at an end, I wanted to revisit the experiences with The Key. If you aren’t familiar, you can purchase The Key before your cruise, and it comes with several perks. Here is the information from the Royal Caribbean website: “The Key Guests will enjoy the following exclusive and special amenities during their cruise vacation:  * Priority access into the terminal (within booked arrival time) on Day 1 * Carry-on bag drop off in the Main Dining Room with stateroom delivery * Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille® menu * Private time at onboard activities including Rock Climbing, FlowRider and more * Priority departure at tender ports of call from ship-to-shore * VIP access at shows in the Main theater, Aqua Theater, Studio B, and Two70 (all guests must have a reservation in order to qualify) * VOOM® Surf & Stream 1 Device high speed internet – 1 package per paying guest * On debarkation day, enjoy an exclusive á la carte breakfast and choice departure When you receive your SeaPass card, it will have an icon confirming your purchase of The Key. If you don’t see it, ask your Stateroom Attendant or go to Guest Services to apply the icon.” Key benefits I enjoyed: I used the priority access line to board the ship in Long Beach, and that was nice—we were the first passengers allowed on board. While boarding, the crew members greeting us directed us to the deck where we could do the carryon bag drop, and get all checked in for the key. The Welcome Lunch was good and the menu offered was from Chops and was a nice way to have an unhurried first day lunch. The Wifi package was the main thing that drew me to trying The Key. I was already going to purchase it, so since this was just a little bit more, I felt it was a good bargain. I did enjoy the disembarkation breakfast as well. It was another unhurried meal in what can be a hectic time. Key benefits I didn’t use: I did not use the bag drop, because I had my camera equipment with me in the bags and was actively filming the ship. I did not use the private time at onboard activities—I’m just not up for rock climbing or using the surf simulator, but I am sure others are fans. When I went to the tenders, there was no line, so no priority departure was necessary. I did not find the VIP seating in the theater, and I did look for it. Still wonder where that was—but there was no problem finding good seats. Bottom line—would I buy it again? It depends. The next cruise I took on Royal was with a large group of people. So since I was traveling with others, getting the Key wouldn’t have been quite as useful unless others in my party also got it. Otherwise I’d be boarding ahead of the group, and getting on tenders ahead of them, etc. So I think it works best if everyone in the party or at least the cabin gets it. If I was traveling solo and the cost difference was similar to this past cruise, I think I might well find it worthwhile. Also, if I was on a ship where theater seating was a competitive sport, it would be more worthwhile as well. Please like this video and subscribe to my channel to make sure you don’t miss future content. I have more videos for this cruise, as well as future cruises booked through the rest of this year and beyond. Thanks for watching! Solo Sue #itscruiseday #cruiselife #letscruise #cruisenews #cruiserestart #cruiseupdates #SoloTravel #SoloSueTravels #SoloSue #RoyalCaribbean #NavigatorOfTheSeas #WestCoastCruising ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact for business inquiries, collaboration, sponsorships: Sue@SoloSueTravels.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Me: Instagram: SoloSueTravels Twitter: @SoloSueTravels1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoloSueTravels/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FTC disclosure this post or a video contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through my links. Camera Gear I use: GoPro Hero 9: https://amzn.to/3y842v7 GoPro Hero 9 replacement batteries and charger: https://amzn.to/3j0yWiK Gimbal for GoPro: https://amzn.to/3zJDbpq Gimbal for iPhone 12 Pro Max: https://amzn.to/3l7zSV1 Extension rod for gimbals: https://amzn.to/3yfYbE1 iPhone Vlogging setup: https://amzn.to/2V60prb Favorite Travel Gear: Travelpro Checkin Bag: https://amzn.to/3lbTjMn Travelpro Carryon Bag: https://amzn.to/37awEI9 Garment Bag: https://amzn.to/3BU1GlR Packing Cubes: https://amzn.to/3ibNX27 Toiletry Bag: https://amzn.to/3i91iYK Cruise Safe Power Strip: https://amzn.to/3mgGlwX