Royal Caribbean’s WOW Bands promise a hands-free, hassle-free cruise experience. I'm am seriously considering purchasing one on my next cruise.  After digging into reviews online and firsthand accounts, here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons to help you decide if this RFID wristband is a must-have or a meh.  

WOW bands at the time of this post cost $9.99 USD and only work on certain newer ships or those with a technology upgrade. Star Class will get complimentary Star Class branded WOW bands.  You get to keep the band and you can have it reprogrammed to use on another cruise. The current list of ships they are available on are: Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Star of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, Voyager of the Sea, and Wonder of the Seas.

WOW bands provide access to your state room.  Just tap your wrist and walk in.  This is especially handy when your hand are full.  I can imagine this would be great when carrying back two coffees from Cafe Promenade.  The bands are waterproof so you can wear them in the pool.  I'm thinking this is a great plus when I just want to run to the pool in the morning.  This way I just take my band and don't need to worry about losing my key card. You can use the band to scan and pay for drinks.

Cons of the WOW Band: 

You still need your SeaPass card to get on and off the ship at ports of call. The band may not be accepted at all venues.  Last I heard, you were not able to use the WOW bands on CocoCay.  If I pick  one up on the next cruise I'll check this out and update this post. If you are being served at a table or by the pool the servers sometimes ask you to remove the band to scan it. The band could be too small or too large for some cruisers. 

Final thoughts: I really would like to try it out, and I think I would prefer the band to hanging my key card around my neck on a lanyard. I have done this in the past. But if you’re expecting the WOW band to totally replace your key card, this may not be for you.

If you've tried the WOW band, please leave a comment and let us know if you think it is worth the price and if they are convenient.  Wishing you sunny skies and smooth seas!