All major cruise lines have loyalty programs and offer all different sorts of benefits. The more you sail on that cruise line you will get bigger rewards.
While Royal Caribbean caters to all demographics, a close look at their loyalty program, The Crown and Anchor Society, can allow you to see other variables to consider when choosing a cruise.
Related: Royal Caribbean passengers mad at loyalty program change
The Crown and Anchor Society has six different levels: Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle. Anyone sailing is eligible to join the loyalty program and unless you are a first-time cruiser you are probably already enrolled, but you should confirm so you do not miss out on the benefits.
Each night you sail, you earn points. The amount varies based on a variety of factors such as the type of cabin you are staying in. Suite guests get two points per night with Royal Caribbean. If you are traveling solo, you also get an extra point per night. It takes 80 points to reach Diamond status.
Many sailors use strategies to earn points. When the cruise lines opened for sailing after being shut down from Covid, Royal Caribbean effectively enticed a lot of cruisers to book trips because they offered double points. Cruisers were able to climb the tier ladder a lot quicker this way.
While each level has their own perks, you will get more as you climb the tier levels. Diamond seems to be the first level that everyone seems to get really excited about.
Diamond benefit highlights:
4 drink vouchers (up to $14 with a couple of exclusions)1 Free Day of Surf + Stream internet for 1 device.Crown Lounge accessDiscounts on photo packages, Royal Caribbean logo products and spa treatments
The four drink vouchers and internet discount may be the best parts of the deal for many.
Earning status points on cruise ships
My experience: While this is somewhat ambitious, I reached Diamond and Elite with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, respectively in just one year. It helps if you live near ports and can work remotely or you can do it in 10 years. Regardless, good news is that the points never expire.
Did I have to take a lot of cruises to reach these levels? Yes. But I consider it an investment. The money I’ve spent on the cruises initially is somewhat offset by the benefits that I’ve earned from achieving Diamond status. For example, I need the internet to do my work.
While, it may not seem like a big deal, Diamond status awards you with one free day of premium internet. With Diamond Plus you get two free days. Internet can be costly, so this benefit holds value to me.
How I did it: I reached Elite with Celebrity just before earning Diamond on Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean matches their status with their sister cruise lines, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
Once Celebrity added the points from the sailing that put me into the Elite category, I was able to match that status with the equivalent, Diamond, when I was on a Royal Caribbean ship. The status matching program helped me to enjoy part of my cruise as a Diamond member immediately.
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Looking at the benefits of loyalty programs can help with choosing which cruise line to sail.
Image source: Royal Caribbean
Tips on how to achieve Royal Caribbean’s Diamond (or beyond)
Earning points and achieving status in Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society program can bring a lot of benefits:
Save money on booking trips on off-season.If you were able to travel alone, consider it for the extra points. If you are able to book a suite you can earn even more.If you are considering Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean, you may think about booking trips on Royal Caribbean first if your goal is to reach a decent status, such as Diamond quicker. Celebrity cruises require more nights sailed to achieve Elite. Then you can match your status with Celebrity (and Silversea).If you are a casino player, you can win free cruises (just pay taxes and fees) for earning varying number of points from your play at the casino. The casino has its own loyalty program, Club Royale, but it’s totally separate from the Crown & Anchor Society.
If you enjoy cruising and want to do it more often you may consider planning your cruises with the loyalty status programs in mind.
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Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at [email protected] or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
