Trip Bacon — The secret ingredient to the perfect getaway logo

The REAL TRUTH Behind The Key Program On A Royal Caribbean Cruise

Travel Spree
Travel Spree
🥈Expert
👁️ 40K views📅 4 years ago⏱️ 18:13

Key Moments

Editorial Summary

The creators document their experience using the Royal Caribbean Key program while sailing on Freedom of the Seas to determine if the VIP service provides actual value. They explore various benefits including a specialty lunch at Chops Grille, priority luggage handling, reserved seating for theater shows, and an a la carte breakfast on the final morning. Throughout the cruise, they evaluate whether the perks like early show access and in-room amenities, such as a fruit basket, justify the additional cost. While they enjoy the quality of the Chops Grille meal and the convenience of having luggage delivered to their cabin, they find the program lacks a true VIP feel. They note that the theater seating is located further back and that the promised priority disembarkation did not prevent them from facing long lines. Ultimately, the creators conclude that the program is not worth the expense for seasoned cruisers because the standard ship operations are already highly efficient. They suggest that the program could be improved by adding a welcome drink or free room service to make it feel more exclusive.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.

How This Review Compares

This review's score for Freedom of the Seas
Barely Crispy
All-time creator consensus for Freedom of the Seas
A Nibble

This review is more critical than the all-time creator consensus.

What This Creator Said
Creator Had Mixed FeelingsFull Ship Review🥈Expert Creator
👫 Best for GroupCaribbean · SummerVeteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

so far it hasn't been worth it for check-in at least

i would not say it's worth it

i would recommend trying it out for yourself at least once

Creator's Tips & Advice

Try the Key program at least once to see if perks work for you
Consider if you are a seasoned cruiser before purchasing the Key

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Is the Key worth the cost?Might be a fun extra touch for first-time cruisers

Questions This Creator Answers

QIs the Royal Caribbean Key program worth it post-pandemic?
QWhat are the actual benefits of the Key program?

Topics Covered

Embarkation1½ Happy BaconService Crew1 Happy BaconValue Pricing2 Sad BaconCabin Interior1 Sad BaconEntertainment Shows½ Happy BaconCrowd Capacity1½ Sad Bacon
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology

Video content sourced from the creator's original upload. Watch on YouTube