The WORST Royal Caribbean Deals

Summary

Matt from Royal Caribbean Blog shares insights on the cruise experience, highlighting five offerings that may not provide the best value for money. The 'Key' VIP pass, overpriced onboard toiletries, bus tours with limited personal experience, the short-lived thrill of the Crown's Edge, and the exorbitantly priced Coco Beach Club are scrutinized. He suggests alternatives for a more cost-effective and enjoyable cruise vacation.

Takeaways

• 🛳️ The Royal Caribbean blog aims to provide a comprehensive cruise experience, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of the services offered.
• 🔑 The 'Key to the Kingdom' VIP pass is not worth the cost, as many of its benefits can be obtained without extra payment or are not as valuable as advertised.
• 🚶‍♂️ Early boarding with the Key is not significantly advantageous, as passengers can secure early check-in times through online check-in 45 days prior to the cruise.
• 🍽️ The welcome lunch at Chops Grill included with the Key can be purchased without the Key, and a dining package might offer better value.
• 🎢 Exclusive times for onboard activities with the Key are often inconveniently scheduled and do not apply to the most popular attractions like water slides.
• 🎟️ The Key's show reservations can be made by all passengers through the Royal Caribbean app, negating one of its main perks.
• 🌐 Internet access provided by the Key is also available for individual purchase, often at a discount if bought before the cruise.
• 🧴 Purchasing toiletries onboard is expensive and not recommended; it's better to pack necessary items beforehand or buy them at a port.
• 🚌 Bus tours as shore excursions are often not worth the cost, as they can be slow, restrictive, and provide limited viewing opportunities.
• 🤹‍♂️ The Crown's Edge experience on Icon of the Seas is short and overpriced, despite being thrilling.
• 🏖️ The Coco Beach Club has seen a significant increase in pricing, making it an expensive option for a day pass or cabana rental, with drinks not included.

Q & A

What is the main goal of the Royal Caribbean blog?

The main goal of the Royal Caribbean blog is to share as much of the cruise experience as possible, providing insights on what guests should or shouldn't do during their vacation.

What is the 'Key' and why is it considered not worth it by the speaker?

The 'Key' is a VIP pass advertised to enhance the cruise experience with priority services. However, the speaker finds it not worth the cost because many of its benefits can be obtained in other ways or are not as valuable as they seem.

How can one get an early check-in time without the 'Key'?

By doing the online check-in exactly 45 days before the cruise and using the Royal Caribbean app, one can secure one of the first check-in times without needing the 'Key'.

What is the issue with the private times for onboard activities provided by the 'Key'?

The private times are usually at inconvenient hours, such as during dinner or early in the morning, and are limited to a few activities, often not including the most popular ones like water slides or laser tag.

Why does the speaker suggest avoiding purchasing toiletries onboard the cruise?

Purchasing toiletries onboard is expensive, with prices significantly higher than local pharmacies, making it a poor value for the money.

What is the main drawback of bus tours as a shore excursion according to the speaker?

Bus tours can be restrictive, offering limited views from the bus window, no stops for personal exploration, and potentially spending time at uninteresting stops due to the tour's itinerary.

What alternative does the speaker suggest to bus tours for a more fulfilling experience?

The speaker suggests exploring on one's own, using public transportation, or booking smaller group or private tours for a more personalized and enjoyable experience.

What is Crown's Edge and why does the speaker believe it is not worth the cost?

Crown's Edge is an activity where participants navigate suspended platforms and end with a zipline ride over the ocean. The speaker believes it's not worth the cost due to its high price for the short duration of the experience.

How has the pricing of the Coco Beach Club changed since its opening, according to the speaker?

The pricing of the Coco Beach Club has significantly increased since its opening, with day passes and cabana rentals becoming much more expensive, making it less of a good value.

What does the speaker recommend as a better alternative to the Coco Beach Club for a cabana experience?

The speaker recommends Hideaway Beach or other cabanas located elsewhere on the island, such as Chill Island, as better alternatives for a cabana experience due to more reasonable pricing.

What is the speaker's final recommendation regarding the items listed in the script?

The speaker recommends not booking the items listed in the script due to their poor value for money, and suggests following the tips shared on the blog and channel for a more cost-effective cruise experience.

Outlines

00:00

🚢 Evaluating Royal Caribbean's 'The Key' Program

This paragraph discusses the pros and cons of 'The Key,' a VIP pass offered by Royal Caribbean Cruises. It promises priority boarding, internet access, a welcome aboard meal, special times for signature activities, and more. However, the author finds it not worth the cost, as many benefits can be obtained without the extra expense or are not as valuable as advertised. For example, early boarding can be achieved by doing online check-in 45 days before the cruise, and the welcome lunch at Chops Grill can be purchased without 'The Key.' The author suggests that 'The Key' might only be suitable for first-time cruisers with no loyalty program status who are determined to purchase internet access and are on a ship with many shows.

05:01

🛍 Avoiding Overpriced Onboard Toiletries and Bus Tours

The second paragraph warns against purchasing toiletries onboard due to their high cost, suggesting that travelers pack all necessary items beforehand. If an essential item is forgotten, it's recommended to buy it at a pharmacy or shop in the port instead. The paragraph also criticizes bus tours as a shore excursion option, as they are often slow, provide limited views from the bus window, and may not allow for stops at points of interest. The author advises considering smaller group tours or independent exploration as better alternatives to the standard bus tours offered by Royal Caribbean.

10:04

🎢 The Thrills and Costs of Crown's Edge and Coco Beach Club

This paragraph addresses two specific Royal Caribbean offerings: Crown's Edge, a short but thrilling zipline experience, and the Coco Beach Club, a more relaxed beach area. The author argues that Crown's Edge is overpriced for the brief duration of the activity, with a cost that could be better spent on longer-lasting experiences like escape rooms or the Northstar observation pod. The Coco Beach Club, once a great value, has seen its prices skyrocket, making it no longer a recommended option. The author suggests that the high cost of day passes and cabanas does not justify the experience, especially when considering the availability of drinks and food are not included in the price.

Keywords

💡Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean refers to a popular cruise line company known for its luxurious cruise experiences. In the video, it is the main subject as the speaker discusses the pros and cons of various services offered by the company. The term is used to set the context for the entire discussion, indicating that the advice given is specific to this cruise line.

💡Cruise Experience

The term 'cruise experience' encompasses all aspects of what one might encounter while on a cruise, including accommodations, activities, dining, and overall enjoyment. The video's theme revolves around sharing insights into the cruise experience with Royal Caribbean, specifically highlighting which aspects may not provide good value for the cost.

💡Value

In the context of the video, 'value' pertains to the cost-to-benefit ratio of the services and experiences offered on a Royal Caribbean cruise. The speaker aims to guide viewers on what to expect in terms of value, suggesting that not all offerings are worth their price, which is central to the video's message.

💡VIP Pass

The 'VIP Pass,' also known as 'The Key' in the script, is advertised as a premium access card for certain privileges on a Royal Caribbean cruise. The speaker argues that the benefits of this pass do not justify its cost, using it as an example of an overpriced service.

💡Priority Embarcation

Priority Embarcation refers to the advantage of boarding the cruise ship before other passengers. The script mentions it as one of the perks of the VIP pass, 'The Key,' but the speaker contends that this benefit is not as significant as it may seem, as early boarding times can be secured through online check-in.

💡Internet Access

Internet Access is one of the services that can be obtained through the VIP pass or purchased separately. The script points out that while it's included in 'The Key,' it can often be bought at a discount if purchased before the cruise, suggesting that the pass may not be the best deal.

💡Shore Excursions

Shore Excursions are activities or tours available for passengers to participate in when the cruise ship docks at a port. The video discusses the potential downsides of certain types of shore excursions, such as bus tours, which may not offer the best experience or value.

💡Bus Tours

Bus Tours are a type of shore excursion mentioned in the script as potentially being a poor value for the money. The speaker argues that they can be restrictive and may not allow for a personalized or enjoyable experience, suggesting alternatives like smaller group tours or independent exploration.

💡Coco Beach Club

The Coco Beach Club is a premium beach area experience offered by Royal Caribbean. The script discusses how the initial value of this experience has diminished due to increased pricing, making it an example of an offering that may no longer be worth the cost for many passengers.

💡Cabana

A 'Cabana' in the context of the video refers to a private, rented space within the Coco Beach Club, offering a more exclusive experience. The speaker mentions the high cost of renting these cabanas, especially the over-the-water ones, as an example of an expensive and potentially not worth-it option.

💡Price Increase

The term 'Price Increase' is used in the script to describe how the cost of certain experiences, like the Coco Beach Club, has risen significantly since their introduction. This increase in price is a key factor in the speaker's argument that these experiences no longer offer good value.

Highlights

The Royal Caribbean blog aims to provide insights on the cruise experience to help passengers decide what to do or avoid.

The 'Key' is advertised as a VIP pass offering priority access and benefits, but it may not be worth the extra cost.

Early check-in benefits of the 'Key' can be obtained without extra cost by doing online check-in 45 days in advance.

The welcome lunch at Chops Grill can be purchased without the 'Key' and offers more value with a dining package.

Private times for onboard activities with the 'Key' are often at inconvenient times and not for the most popular attractions.

The 'Key' includes internet access, but this can often be purchased separately at a better price before the cruise.

Priority tendering and reserved seating benefits of the 'Key' may not be as valuable due to their limited applicability.

Purchasing toiletries onboard is expensive and not recommended; it's better to pack essentials beforehand or buy at the port.

Bus tours are often not the best value for shore excursions due to their limited and rushed nature.

Small group or private tours offer a better experience than bus tours for those wanting a more personalized shore excursion.

The Crown's Edge experience on the Icon of the Seas is short and expensive, not offering good value for its price.

Alternative activities to Crown's Edge, such as escape rooms or the Northstar observation pod, offer longer experiences for a similar or lower price.

The Coco Beach Club has seen a significant increase in pricing, making it less of a value compared to its initial offerings.

Over-the-water cabanas at the Coco Beach Club can cost up to $5,000, which is considered overpriced for the experience.

For a more affordable cabana experience, consider Hideaway Beach or other options on the island instead of the Coco Beach Club.

Matt from Royal Caribbean blog.com encourages passengers to consider the value of onboard offerings and make informed decisions to enhance their cruise experience.

Transcripts

I love many things about a royal K

cruise but not everything they offer is

necessarily rainbows and unicorns

especially when it comes to the value it

provides our goal here at Royal crean

blog is to share with you as much of the

cruise experience as possible to give

you an idea of what you should or

shouldn't do most of the things Royal

caran offers we love but there are a few

things that I think might be a bad deal

for your upcoming vacation so how can

you avoid losing money on these Duds

I've got a list of which extras are so

not worth it up

[Music]

next hey everyone it's Matt from Roan

blog.com even before you step foot on a

cruise ship there are a smattering of

purchases that you can make these extras

offer experiences and upgrades that are

aimed at enhancing your cruise but be

warned not everything realin pitches to

you is necessarily worth that cost even

if it's listed as something more

convenient or going to enhance your trip

so how do you know you're not buying

something that's going to end in regret

that's why I want to share with you

today since our team has tried all these

things number one is the key the key is

advertised as a VIP pass your Fastpass

if you will to be able to experience

Royal Caribbean Cruises without as much

of a weight as somebody else it seems

really appealing it allows you to get

priority embarcation internet access a

welcome aboard Meal special time to

Signature activities and more on paper

this all sounds great but in practice I

find the key is simply not worth it

because the benefits sound better than

they really are many benefits can be

obtained in a different way without

having to spend extra for it or the

benefits are simply not as lucrative as

it sounds as an example let start with

the early checking which is usually the

biggest selling point of the key you get

to board the ship first right well if

you do your online check-in exactly 45

days before you Cruise you are going to

get one of the first times and while the

key people might beat you on board by

like I don't know a minute you're going

to be right behind them it's really not

that important as long as you get one of

those early check-in times which you can

absolutely do 45 days pull up the real

kby appp get your time and you're good

to go how about the welcome lunch at

chops Grill sounds like a great idea as

well except you can also buy the chops

Grill lunch on embarcation day on your

own without the key heck you can buy a

dining package for even more days and be

able to really get much more value out

of the whole thing those private times

at the onboard activities sound like a

great idea except they're usually at

only a couple of activities not the

water slides by the way usually it's

things like the floor Rider or the rock

climbing wall or maybe the zipline the

problem with this perk is that it's

usually at times that are inconvenient

either it's during dinner hours like 400

or 5:00 in which by the way there aren't

lines for these things anyway or they're

early in the morning like 9:00 a.m. 8:00

a.m. on a c day which is probably a time

that you want to I don't know sleep in

it's not available for the most

important things like maybe laser tag or

water slides which develop really long

lines and of course the key also

provides reservations for shows but you

can make reservations for shows on your

own via the Royal carbine app of course

the key does include internet access but

you can purchase internet access on its

own and often times at a good discount

if you purchase it before the cruise

there's other benefits which I think are

not nearly as lucrative at all there's

priority tendering which is nice but

it's pretty rare these days to go on a

realing cruise actually has tendering

because most ships dock at a particular

Pier having reserved seats for the key

is also nice at certain shows on the big

roing cruise ships like the icon or

Oasis or Quantum class ships until you

read the fine print that they want you

to arrive 45 minutes early to the

theater which to me kind of negates the

whole point of having Reserve seting in

the first place the key could be a good

choice for someone who has absolutely no

experience with Royal Caribbean and has

no status within the company's Customer

Loyalty program is going to buy the

internet access no matter what and is

selling on a ship with a lot of shows

they want to see it certainly is the

easy button but I'm telling you it's

simply not worth the money follow some

of the tips that we share here on our

Channel and over at Roy blog.com and you

can get most of the perks on your own

without paying for the key itself number

two on my list are purchasing any

toiletries on board unfortunately from

time to time you might forget something

that you need to bring on board your

cruise whether it's a razor or shaving

cream or shampoo or or maybe Tylenol

you'll be able to purchase these items

on your real green cruise but it's

definitely not going to come cheap it's

not unheard of to pay $10 for a small

bottle of Advil or $8 for a tub of

toothpaste on board and these are the

travel sizes by the way unfortunately

shopping options are limited while

you're in the middle of the ocean real

KY knows that desperate passengers will

pay whatever the price is listed if they

find themselves in need of these items

So to avoid paying high prices for basic

necessities really try to remember to

pack everything in the first place if

you do for getet an important toiletry

item see if you can find it at a

pharmacy or a shop in Port before you

buy it on board the bottom line is while

they do stock these items they're not

cheap and they're actually terrible

values I mean if you know the pricing of

your local pharmacy versus what's on

board you're going to pay double if not

triple that I mean you're basically

paying like the full retail price the

prices you see like on the prices right

that like who pays that price it's

usually on sale anyway that's going to

be you so avoid that number three on the

list are bus tours so there are a

variety of shore excursions you can do

in almost any port you visit right and

there are amazing things you can do and

more subtle things you can do and for a

lot of people when they're new to a

particular Port they want to get like a

sense of it a taste of something and it

seems like a great idea to take a bus

tour because it provides you an easy way

to see the area around you bus tours

usually just end in regret because while

they do provide actually access to being

able to see certain things it's not the

way that most people intend to see it

the primary problem with a bus tours

number one you're on a large bus with a

lot of other people so you're going to

be already moving at a slower Pace

second of all in a lot of cases you're

only going to be allowed to see these

venues from the window of your bus now

in some cases that's fine because some

of these places are like oh look it's

nice passing by but in a lot of cases

you might actually want to I don't know

stop and get out and see something and

you really can't do that plus which side

of the bus you're sitting on will depend

on what you actually can see and in a

lot of cases you may end up on the quote

unquote wrong side of the bus or there's

something on the other side of the bus

you want to see but you're on one side

bus tours are attractive because they're

usually priced low and offer an easy way

to see an area this is attractive to

somebody who's unfamiliar with the port

and might be hesitant to go on their own

but the reality is a bus tour may leave

you feeling constricted and not enough

time to properly enjoy any One Stop

moreover you may spend more time at a

stop that you don't care for but the bus

tour must go to anyway so an alternative

is to foro organized tours and explore

on your own especially when your ship is

visiting a city or town if your ship

docks near downtown you you can walk on

your own or even use a public

transportation option to easily get

around another option if you're not that

Keen on going out on your own is to book

a smaller group tour or a private tour

Royal caran sometimes offer small group

tours or you can book through a

thirdparty provider but Royal Caribbean

bus tours are usually not priced at a

great value and I just don't think

they're worth it and they're usually

going to result in a lot of regret let's

move over to Royal Coran's brand new

icon of the Seas and share with you one

thing I think is totally not worth the

money and that is the crab Crown's Edge

marketed as a mix between an obstacle

course and ropes course participants of

Crown's Edge navigate a series of

suspended platforms that hang off the

side of the ship at the end of the

course the platform below their feet

drops sending guests flying on a zipline

over the ocean and back to the ship

sounds like a great idea sounds like a

lot of fun maybe exhilarating to you not

to me anyway but some people are far

less scared than I am but the reality of

this experience is that it is extremely

short and pretty darn pricey now when

icon of the Seas first came out now the

price of this was

$90 per person that price has come down

to about $45 a person I still think

that's way too much money for an

experience that lasts just about 60

seconds it's certainly a thrilling

experience there's no doubt about that

but for such a short ride it comes with

a really Hefty price Crown's Edge given

that it's charging even 50 bucks or $45

is still not worth it because of how

short the experience is how much time it

requires for you to get ready and the

lack of really being able to quote

unquote enjoy it before it you know it

it's already over let's also consider

that for that price you can get a lot

more bang for your buck as an example

Escape rooms which usually cost $40 a

person last an hour the Northstar

observation pod which goes about for $30

for 15minute ride on Cay and free on

ports is going to last a lot longer than

60 seconds even the rip cord by iFly

which is the indoor skydiving simulator

on the quantum Cloud ships cost $50 for

a two-minute rise that's an extra ex

minute of time for the same price look

it's neat it's cool it's kind of a fun

photo op I get all that but I just don't

think it's really worth it and you won't

be missing out on much by truly skipping

it and number five on my list is the

Coco Beach Club when the Coco Beach Club

opened in 2020 it was a revelation being

able to pay a little bit more to be able

to go to a reserved area that was far

less crowded than the rest of the island

I kind of like this a lot it offers an

infinity pool its own Beach area and if

you'd like to you could also rent a

cabana and some of the over thewater

Cabanas by the way are absolutely

fantastic the Amplified service dining

and seating it did not disappoint and it

really lived up to a lot of the hype and

I think at the time it was so worth it

the problem with the Coco Beach Club and

the reason why I don't think it's worth

the value at all is because the pricing

Has Gone Bananas at this place for a day

pass which used to cost I don't know

like less than you know $80 a person

you're not going to be spending like2

200 to $300 a person just to get into

the beach club the over-the-water

Cabanas can sometimes go as much as

$5,000 for one Cabana I mean I love

Cabanas and I love the food at the Coco

Beach Club and I love that infinity pool

but nothing is worth that much money for

a pair of people to go into the Coco

Beach Club with just a day pass and

spending almost

$1,000 that's a lot and the Cabanas are

ridiculous I mean to spend even $3

$4,000 for Cabana I love Cabanas but

that is just way too much money for what

you get certainly whether you get a day

pass or you rent a cabana drinks are not

included by the way unless you have a

drink package so it's not like you're

getting that kind of value out of it and

the food is really good and the lack of

crowds is fantastic but demand for the

Coco Beach Club has resulted in pricing

really going up the initial pricing that

we saw when the Coco Beach Club first

opened at $40 to $80 a person those are

way behind us for my upcoming icon of

the Seas and Utopia the Seas cruises the

per person price is $180 for the over

thewater Cabana it's

$3,198 and for the regular Coco Beach

Club Beach cabana it's

$2,958 these things are nice and I've

experienced them and I enjoyed them but

I experienced and enjoyed them when the

pricing was about half of that and at

those prices it was good but these days

I just don't recommend the Coco Beach

Club instead if you want a cabana

experience I think the money is much

better spent at Hideway Beach or even in

one of the other candas located

Elsewhere on the island like chill

island or even through a water park so

there's my list of five things that I

can think off the top of my head that

are not worth it to book on a real green

Cruise I'm not saying if you book it

it's necessarily bad but I certainly

don't recommend it and you won't see me

booking them unless of course the

pricing of these things changes let me

know in the comments below what do you

think are the worst values out there on

a realan cruise and which of these do

you agree or disagree with let me know

in the comments below while you're below

our video hit the like button subscribe

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video to share this has been Matt from

Royal Caribbean blog.com and we'll talk

again real soon