Boarding day looks like a lot of excitement while also an added bit of stress. We thought about getting the Key for our cruise but decided against it to use those funds for other things on the cruise. Another great video
Thanks! There is nothing like boarding day! The excitement is second to none. The Key definitely has value, but only if you're interested in what it has to offer. Worked for us, but not sure if we'd do it again. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching! We have other boarding day videos from Bayonne also. I’m happy you found it helpful. Hope you get to sail from there soon! Reach out to us with questions. We love that port
I’m glad I found your channel. I’m learning so much before going on my first cruise in February with my little guy. We’ll be on Anthem and are sailing with Autism on the Seas, so it was fun to catch a glimpse of them in your video!
We’re glad you found us too! 😁 Glad our videos help. It’s part of why we started the channel. And that’s awesome that you’ll be traveling with Autism on the Seas. What an amazing group. Julie is excited to start volunteering with them. Thanks for watching and hope we get to see ya on the seas! -Brian
This is my Absolute Favorite Ship it is what started my channel the amazing time on this first I know you guys had a great time I'll be watching your vlog
Thank you M'Rinda. And great talking to you tonight during the Parkers on the Go livestream. Good luck with your channel. Hopefully, we both hit our 1,000 soon. See ya on the Seas. -Brian
Air travel is so difficult right now. That’s why we’ve been focusing on ports we can drive to. Hopefully things get better soon and we’ll see ya on the seas. -Brian
Allure is a great ship! Can’t wait for her to get her amplification like Oasis. The additions are great. You’ll love it. Come with us some time! -Brian
Oasis class ships are our favorite. So much to do with a little something for everyone. We’ve done Harmony and Oasis, but Symphony is on our list! Have a great time and share some pictures and videos in our Facebook group. See ya on the seas. -Brian
0:20 I can't hear what the guy is saying exactly, but I don't see the priority line for passengers with the KEY. You guys had to stand in the long line with everyone else because you guys had kids? I'm going on the cruise with KEY from NJ too in September and wonder how the KEY works at the terminal on the day 1.
Hi. The gentleman in the yellow vest was directing the lines. He told us we had to bring the kids to the back of the general security line to get their vaccine cards checked and get stickers saying that their cards were checked. The KEY line is to the left just behind him and its where we were walking to. He was actually very nice about it and came back to talk to us as we got back to the front of the line. Embarkation was actually very smooth despite that little hiccup and we will definitely cruise out of that port again. -Brian
Been an advocate of the Key since the beginning. Why did you have to wait in any line? 10 cruises since the Keys inception, we haven't had to wait in any line. Also didn't see you guys do Chops lunch.
Hey Kevin! Thanks for watching. We have no idea what was going on. We had the Key and walked up and they sent us to the back of the line until we could prove the kids were vaccinated with a VAX sticker. Of course we complied, went to the back of the line, and NEVER got a sticker! The line moved fast - so no harm no foul. But when you're paying extra for the Key - for the benefits its provides - it was a tad annoying. But we live by "make the most out of every moment." So.... in the end it was OK. Lunch is no longer served in Chops. Its on deck 4 MDR. It was delicious and we did get some footage of us there. We also enjoyed the Key breakfast on disembarkation day. Overall, the Key was a great experience - especially since we use the internet and some of the other amenities. I'd recommend it. I'd also recommend Cape Liberty find a better solution to embarkation for those traveling with kids and the Key. :) See ya on the seas! - Julie
Hey Kevin! Thanks for the comment. The biggest line we waited in was to get to security. Cape Liberty has a separate line for The Key, which we obviously got in, but when we got to the guy at the gate, we were directed to the general line because we had kids under 12 and they said they were checking vaccine cards for ALL kids in that line only. We argued a little, and there were definitely better ways they could have done that process, but ultimately we ended up around the corner at the back of the line. The line went pretty quick (about 15 minutes) and as soon as we entered the building, they put us back in The Key line, ready, without checking their vaccine cards! Ha! The Chops lunch was served in the Main Dining room. Same menu, just different venue. Food was just as good! -Brian
Enjoying your vlogs! We sail out of Bayonne in 2 weeks and purchased the Key as well. It doesn’t look like there was any benefit through Bayonnne- bummer.
Hi Linda. There were and there weren’t. The priority boarding didn’t help because they still checked the kids vaccination status in only the main line. The Key lunch was great though. We didn’t really use the reserved seating at the shows because we were there early and sat with friends. We didn’t use priority flow rider or zip line because our kids were too short. And the rock climbing wall lines were never really too long. We did use the internet and the room service. Last day breakfast and priority disembarkation were great too! Definitely more we could have used it for, but overall I’d say we’re glad we had it. -Brian
Looks like you had a ball so far. We’re loyal to Royal but haven’t yet sailed on her, though we did love Wonder. We tried to get the KEY but it was sold out.
It’s a great ship. We can’t wait to sail Wonder. We have lots of opinions on the Key now. It’s worth it for some, but not for all. Deciding whether we’ll make a separate video or do a livestream about it. What would you rather see? -Brian
Thank you for all the shout outs tonight! You guys are amazing people and that was an awesome livestream! Glad we were able to be a part of it. Sorry I got called away. Would love to collaborate. We’ll talk soon. -Brian
You guys mentioned gift certificates, where did you get gift certificates that don't say you can only use them for booking? All the ones I've seen say you can use them for anything other than when you're booking.
Yes. You can use them for anything, but ours didn’t show up as available in our cruise planner. We called RC and they explained gift certificates won’t show up as available until you board the ship. Seemed odd to me, but it showed up as soon as we got on board. We could not apply them to our cruise fare
This really is a huge debate. It’s great for some and not for others. For us, we got it on sale and we were buying internet anyway so the extra cost was worth it. We plan on making a whole video about it when we finish this playlist. Happy to talk about it if it’s right for you. Join our Facebook group and you can get other opinions too! -Brian
Hey Zay. The Key must be purchased for each person in the stateroom and you get one device per person. For us, we ended up with 5 devices, but each needed their own log on. It confused us a bit on the first day with the different log ons, but the VOOM staff was great in helping us get connected. -Brian
Check in was not bad. They check all the kids (vaxxed and un-vaxxed) for vaccination status. We had The Key but weren’t able to use that line until we showed the kids vaccination cards. We also used the app in advance to upload all our documents. They still checked our passports, but it was a very quick process. Grab the earliest check in time you can and that makes it even easier. Bayonne is a pretty great port. -Brian
@@HowWeCruise I’m going tomorrow. I have the pcr test 3 days ago and vaccinated card for us and kids. Will need wait in the line to come test it again b4 go on board and test temperature? Or I just put everything in the apps u said ( I haven’t downloaded yet) and they have different line for that?
There are no more temperature checks or at port testing according to Royal Caribbean's website. In June, we put everything in the app and they checked all the cards and tests from there. We always bring the paper copies with us too just in case we have a problem with our phones. Have a great cruise!! -Brian
Hey. Great question! No. A cell phone is not required for boarding passes. We actually keep a printed copy of everything in my backpack just in case something happens with the digital copies. That said, once on board, the Royal Caribbean app gives you access to the safety briefing, book shows and see menus. You can do these things without a phone, but it is definitely much easier with one. -Brian
@@HandsONreviews4u Great! We love talking cruise. Come join our Facebook group or email us at howwecruise@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you plan your trip. -Brian
@@HowWeCruise I will think about it a bit longer before I reach out.....actually a buddy friend of mine is currently on that cruise now and I wanted to see what all the hoopla of cruising was all about? To be all out honest, my wife and I dont have kids, but we can understand families that do and want to cruise with them👍. Cruising actually isnt all that attractive to us because of the crowds everywhere and sharing space constantly. We both work in NYC and for us is all about living in the suburbs way out on Long Island where the congestion cant reach us.......Cruise ships is just a tough sell for us at the moment. But again we loved your Video and your Blessed with a Great family 👍
@@HandsONreviews4u well thank you for the kind words and if we can ever help you with your vacation needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We specialize in cruises but work with an awesome team that books all kinds of trips. Thanks for watching and maybe one day we can convince you and See ya on the Seas! 😁 -Brian
Ugh. That is the epic debate. For us it was worth it. We got the Key on sale in the cruise planner for only a few more dollars per day than the surf and stream internet package that we were going to purchase anyway. We used some of the benefits but not all of them. For example, we couldn’t use the priority embarkation because the kids all had to get checked for vaccine status. Only 1 of our 3 kids was tall enough to use the priority times on the Zipline and Flowrider. The embarkation day lunch, included full room service, and reserved seating at shows were definitely more useful for us traveling with kids. We think we need to do a whole video on just the pros and cons of having the Key and cruising with kids. Stay tuned. -Brian
Yes. This was a cruise in June of 2022. Vaccinations and testing were still very much a thing. That part still comes through in our video. Not so much the case today. But our experience in the moment nonetheless.
I cant wait my Wife, 2 teenage boys and myself are going on our first cruise oasis of the seas Aug 21-28. This video was helpful thank you. Was it a pain to have your cam in your hand most of the time? I plan on bringing gopro
Hey! Thanks for watching and glad we could help. You’ll love Oasis and so will your boys! There is a teen club on deck 15 aft near the zip line. They’ll meet tons of other teens there. As for the cameras, we started vlogging because we carried our cameras everywhere anyway and we wanted to share it with everyone. We use a GoPro 10 for anything we do near the water and we love it. We’ll pass the camera back and forth or we’ll let the kids capture some video too. Join our Facebook group and let us know how you like the trip. See ya on the seas! -Brian
Do we have any tips? We love talking cruise! We’ve got tons! Lol Perhaps the best tip on an Oasis class ship is to realize that there is so much to do that you can’t do it all. Watch some TH-cam, check out the deck plan on the RC website, and decide what appeals to you most. Before you show the kids the water slides though, measure them to make sure they’re over 48 inches tall. If not, Splashaway Bay is great for the little ones. I could go on for hours! Lol. Love Oasis of the Seas! You will too! -Brian
Hi, I was wondering if you felt the Key was worth the money? Did it allow you to check in any earlier? Do they check to see if you are checking in during your assigned time?
Hi Kimberly. In our opinion, The Key is worth the money if you do not have status and if you plan on purchasing internet for everyone in your cabin anyway. We went to the Key line and were turned away because they had to check the kids vaccination cards. Now that they’re not doing that anymore, we’d be interested to try it again.
Boarding day looks like a lot of excitement while also an added bit of stress. We thought about getting the Key for our cruise but decided against it to use those funds for other things on the cruise. Another great video
Thanks! There is nothing like boarding day! The excitement is second to none. The Key definitely has value, but only if you're interested in what it has to offer. Worked for us, but not sure if we'd do it again. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for doing this. I have never done a cruise yet in NJ!
Thanks for watching! We have other boarding day videos from Bayonne also. I’m happy you found it helpful. Hope you get to sail from there soon! Reach out to us with questions. We love that port
I’m glad I found your channel. I’m learning so much before going on my first cruise in February with my little guy. We’ll be on Anthem and are sailing with Autism on the Seas, so it was fun to catch a glimpse of them in your video!
We’re glad you found us too! 😁 Glad our videos help. It’s part of why we started the channel. And that’s awesome that you’ll be traveling with Autism on the Seas. What an amazing group. Julie is excited to start volunteering with them. Thanks for watching and hope we get to see ya on the seas! -Brian
This is my Absolute Favorite Ship it is what started my channel the amazing time on this first I know you guys had a great time I'll be watching your vlog
Thank you M'Rinda. And great talking to you tonight during the Parkers on the Go livestream. Good luck with your channel. Hopefully, we both hit our 1,000 soon. See ya on the Seas. -Brian
The entire process of flying to a cruise port and trying to get onboard is the only reason we don't cruise.
Before 2020 we loved RCL and flying
Air travel is so difficult right now. That’s why we’ve been focusing on ports we can drive to. Hopefully things get better soon and we’ll see ya on the seas. -Brian
Looks like a great first day, We were on the Allure in 2021 and these ship are a lot alike. :)
Allure is a great ship! Can’t wait for her to get her amplification like Oasis. The additions are great. You’ll love it. Come with us some time! -Brian
I hope to ride Oasis soon. Our next ship is Symphony. Great video.
Oasis class ships are our favorite. So much to do with a little something for everyone. We’ve done Harmony and Oasis, but Symphony is on our list! Have a great time and share some pictures and videos in our Facebook group. See ya on the seas. -Brian
0:20 I can't hear what the guy is saying exactly, but I don't see the priority line for passengers with the KEY. You guys had to stand in the long line with everyone else because you guys had kids?
I'm going on the cruise with KEY from NJ too in September and wonder how the KEY works at the terminal on the day 1.
Hi. The gentleman in the yellow vest was directing the lines. He told us we had to bring the kids to the back of the general security line to get their vaccine cards checked and get stickers saying that their cards were checked. The KEY line is to the left just behind him and its where we were walking to. He was actually very nice about it and came back to talk to us as we got back to the front of the line. Embarkation was actually very smooth despite that little hiccup and we will definitely cruise out of that port again. -Brian
@@HowWeCruise Thank you for your reply. Your vids are very helpful!
@@yongihkim Thank you! We love talking cruising so glad to help. See ya on the Seas! - Brian
Been an advocate of the Key since the beginning.
Why did you have to wait in any line?
10 cruises since the Keys inception, we haven't had to wait in any line.
Also didn't see you guys do Chops lunch.
Hey Kevin! Thanks for watching. We have no idea what was going on. We had the Key and walked up and they sent us to the back of the line until we could prove the kids were vaccinated with a VAX sticker. Of course we complied, went to the back of the line, and NEVER got a sticker! The line moved fast - so no harm no foul. But when you're paying extra for the Key - for the benefits its provides - it was a tad annoying. But we live by "make the most out of every moment." So.... in the end it was OK. Lunch is no longer served in Chops. Its on deck 4 MDR. It was delicious and we did get some footage of us there. We also enjoyed the Key breakfast on disembarkation day. Overall, the Key was a great experience - especially since we use the internet and some of the other amenities. I'd recommend it. I'd also recommend Cape Liberty find a better solution to embarkation for those traveling with kids and the Key. :) See ya on the seas! - Julie
Hey Kevin! Thanks for the comment. The biggest line we waited in was to get to security. Cape Liberty has a separate line for The Key, which we obviously got in, but when we got to the guy at the gate, we were directed to the general line because we had kids under 12 and they said they were checking vaccine cards for ALL kids in that line only. We argued a little, and there were definitely better ways they could have done that process, but ultimately we ended up around the corner at the back of the line. The line went pretty quick (about 15 minutes) and as soon as we entered the building, they put us back in The Key line, ready, without checking their vaccine cards! Ha!
The Chops lunch was served in the Main Dining room. Same menu, just different venue. Food was just as good! -Brian
Great video
Thank you for watching and for the comment!
Enjoying your vlogs! We sail out of Bayonne in 2 weeks and purchased the Key as well. It doesn’t look like there was any benefit through Bayonnne- bummer.
Hi Linda. There were and there weren’t. The priority boarding didn’t help because they still checked the kids vaccination status in only the main line. The Key lunch was great though. We didn’t really use the reserved seating at the shows because we were there early and sat with friends. We didn’t use priority flow rider or zip line because our kids were too short. And the rock climbing wall lines were never really too long. We did use the internet and the room service. Last day breakfast and priority disembarkation were great too! Definitely more we could have used it for, but overall I’d say we’re glad we had it. -Brian
Looks like you had a ball so far. We’re loyal to Royal but haven’t yet sailed on her, though we did love Wonder. We tried to get the KEY but it was sold out.
It’s a great ship. We can’t wait to sail Wonder. We have lots of opinions on the Key now. It’s worth it for some, but not for all. Deciding whether we’ll make a separate video or do a livestream about it. What would you rather see? -Brian
Thank you for subscribing to our channel. Can wait to watch your videos and follow your travels.
Thank you for all the shout outs tonight! You guys are amazing people and that was an awesome livestream! Glad we were able to be a part of it. Sorry I got called away. Would love to collaborate. We’ll talk soon. -Brian
@@HowWeCruise absolutely. Come back again
I went on the same exact cruise
Awesome Jess! We’re you sailing the same dates as us? Did you see us or yourself in any of our video footage yet?
You guys mentioned gift certificates, where did you get gift certificates that don't say you can only use them for booking? All the ones I've seen say you can use them for anything other than when you're booking.
Yes. You can use them for anything, but ours didn’t show up as available in our cruise planner. We called RC and they explained gift certificates won’t show up as available until you board the ship. Seemed odd to me, but it showed up as soon as we got on board. We could not apply them to our cruise fare
Will be on the Oasis the end of March 2023....is the Key really worth getting?
This really is a huge debate. It’s great for some and not for others. For us, we got it on sale and we were buying internet anyway so the extra cost was worth it. We plan on making a whole video about it when we finish this playlist. Happy to talk about it if it’s right for you. Join our Facebook group and you can get other opinions too! -Brian
@@HowWeCruise Thanks....will do!
Hi, for the internet. Is it 1 device per stateroom, or 1 device per person purchasing the key? Thanks!
Hey Zay. The Key must be purchased for each person in the stateroom and you get one device per person. For us, we ended up with 5 devices, but each needed their own log on. It confused us a bit on the first day with the different log ons, but the VOOM staff was great in helping us get connected. -Brian
Hi. Was wondering how much is parking there?
They charge $25 per day. We paid when we parked and were able to just drive off when we disembarked. Super easy. -Brian
We were on 7/8-15. Was that the same as you?
This time we sailed June 17-24. Sorry we missed you!
Hi! How was checking in? Long? I have a 3 and 4 year old, any tips? Thank you!
Check in was not bad. They check all the kids (vaxxed and un-vaxxed) for vaccination status. We had The Key but weren’t able to use that line until we showed the kids vaccination cards. We also used the app in advance to upload all our documents. They still checked our passports, but it was a very quick process. Grab the earliest check in time you can and that makes it even easier. Bayonne is a pretty great port. -Brian
@@HowWeCruise I’m going tomorrow. I have the pcr test 3 days ago and vaccinated card for us and kids. Will need wait in the line to come test it again b4 go on board and test temperature? Or I just put everything in the apps u said ( I haven’t downloaded yet) and they have different line for that?
There are no more temperature checks or at port testing according to Royal Caribbean's website. In June, we put everything in the app and they checked all the cards and tests from there. We always bring the paper copies with us too just in case we have a problem with our phones. Have a great cruise!! -Brian
Question is using a cellphone a 100% requirement for boarding passes??
I dont use a phone
Hey. Great question! No. A cell phone is not required for boarding passes. We actually keep a printed copy of everything in my backpack just in case something happens with the digital copies. That said, once on board, the Royal Caribbean app gives you access to the safety briefing, book shows and see menus. You can do these things without a phone, but it is definitely much easier with one. -Brian
@@HowWeCruise
Thanks for that answer. Well I guess I will have to think about a cruise with my wife....🙋♂️nice video
@@HandsONreviews4u Great! We love talking cruise. Come join our Facebook group or email us at howwecruise@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you plan your trip. -Brian
@@HowWeCruise
I will think about it a bit longer before I reach out.....actually a buddy friend of mine is currently on that cruise now and I wanted to see what all the hoopla of cruising was all about? To be all out honest, my wife and I dont have kids, but we can understand families that do and want to cruise with them👍. Cruising actually isnt all that attractive to us because of the crowds everywhere and sharing space constantly. We both work in NYC and for us is all about living in the suburbs way out on Long Island where the congestion cant reach us.......Cruise ships is just a tough sell for us at the moment. But again we loved your Video and your Blessed with a Great family 👍
@@HandsONreviews4u well thank you for the kind words and if we can ever help you with your vacation needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We specialize in cruises but work with an awesome team that books all kinds of trips. Thanks for watching and maybe one day we can convince you and See ya on the Seas! 😁 -Brian
How much is the key and is it worth it?)
Ugh. That is the epic debate. For us it was worth it. We got the Key on sale in the cruise planner for only a few more dollars per day than the surf and stream internet package that we were going to purchase anyway. We used some of the benefits but not all of them. For example, we couldn’t use the priority embarkation because the kids all had to get checked for vaccine status. Only 1 of our 3 kids was tall enough to use the priority times on the Zipline and Flowrider. The embarkation day lunch, included full room service, and reserved seating at shows were definitely more useful for us traveling with kids. We think we need to do a whole video on just the pros and cons of having the Key and cruising with kids. Stay tuned. -Brian
@@HowWeCruise a video about the key will go viral
We need to do it. We searched the key like crazy before we went. Some content out there but not enough. We’ll get to it! Thanks for watching! -Julie
Definitely interested in this topic! Thanks in advance!!
What does vaccination have to do with it? Is this when they were requiring it?
Yes. This was a cruise in June of 2022. Vaccinations and testing were still very much a thing. That part still comes through in our video. Not so much the case today. But our experience in the moment nonetheless.
I cant wait my Wife, 2 teenage boys and myself are going on our first cruise oasis of the seas Aug 21-28. This video was helpful thank you. Was it a pain to have your cam in your hand most of the time? I plan on bringing gopro
Hey! Thanks for watching and glad we could help. You’ll love Oasis and so will your boys! There is a teen club on deck 15 aft near the zip line. They’ll meet tons of other teens there.
As for the cameras, we started vlogging because we carried our cameras everywhere anyway and we wanted to share it with everyone. We use a GoPro 10 for anything we do near the water and we love it. We’ll pass the camera back and forth or we’ll let the kids capture some video too. Join our Facebook group and let us know how you like the trip. See ya on the seas! -Brian
Hey I’m going in a few weeks. Do you have any tips for us. Two adults and younger children ages 7/2
Do we have any tips? We love talking cruise! We’ve got tons! Lol
Perhaps the best tip on an Oasis class ship is to realize that there is so much to do that you can’t do it all. Watch some TH-cam, check out the deck plan on the RC website, and decide what appeals to you most.
Before you show the kids the water slides though, measure them to make sure they’re over 48 inches tall. If not, Splashaway Bay is great for the little ones.
I could go on for hours! Lol. Love Oasis of the Seas! You will too! -Brian
Hi, I was wondering if you felt the Key was worth the money? Did it allow you to check in any earlier? Do they check to see if you are checking in during your assigned time?
Hi Kimberly. In our opinion, The Key is worth the money if you do not have status and if you plan on purchasing internet for everyone in your cabin anyway. We went to the Key line and were turned away because they had to check the kids vaccination cards. Now that they’re not doing that anymore, we’d be interested to try it again.
no amazon links as presented in the video
Sorry Cliff. Not sure what happened. Here’s a link to all the products we recommend. www.howwecruise.com/home/products-we-love
@@HowWeCruise thanks.