Cruise line loyalty programs like Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society are designed to keep cruisers choosing the same cruise brand for all their vacations.
With Royal Caribbean’s program, passengers earn one cruise point for every night they sail, and double points when they book a suite. Points add up to perks like discounts and access to special amenities. As passengers’ points grow, so do their benefits and status.
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Royal Caribbean passengers can also enjoy one-for-one loyalty tier matching across all three Royal Caribbean Group brands, making it more appealing for “loyal to Royal” cruisers to try sister lines Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
Royal Caribbean does not match loyalty status from other cruise lines or travel brands though, which is something competitors have started doing to entice loyal cruisers away from Royal Caribbean and other popular cruise lines.
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MSC offers high-tech amusement park-level attractions on some ships.
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MSC Cruises matches loyalty status from other travel brands
MSC Cruises, a leading European cruise line focused on expanding its presence in the U.S. market, is using loyalty status matching as one way to encourage new bookings—even from those who are new to cruising.
Through the MSC Cruises Status Match program, travelers can get their status with another cruise line, hotel or tour operator loyalty program matched in the MSC Voyagers Club. To do so, passengers must submit a status match request form on the MSC Cruises website and include a scan or screen capture of their loyalty card from another travel brand.
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After reviewing and approving the passenger’s submission, MSC will match them to a comparable MSC Voyagers Club loyalty tier offering similar privileges. One thing that stands out about the MSC loyalty program is that it offers its members cruise booking discounts at any tier.
Once approved, matched loyalty members will qualify for a 5% discount on future MSC Cruises sailings. They’ll also receive onboard discounts for photos, WiFi, and spa services, complimentary gifts, and other savings.
As part of the MSC Voyagers Club, MSC cruise passengers earn rewards points based on the type of MSC experience they book, the length of the cruise, and their prepaid onboard services.
Virgin Voyages offers perks to those with status in other cruise clubs
Like MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages also offers loyalty status matching, but only for most cruise line loyalty programs (though not MSC’s program), as well as Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia airline rewards programs.
On its website, Virgin Voyages states that its Sailing Club Status Match program is available for a limited time to give those who have loyalty status with select other cruise lines a fast track to its Sailing Club loyalty program and its perks, which it calls Blue Extras and Deep Blue Extras.
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With the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club, Blue Extras perks normally kick in on the third and fourth voyages with the cruise line, but the status match program allows eligible new passengers to sail with those perks on their first or second voyage.
Blue Extras perks include one specialty coffee per day, an invite to an exclusive cocktail event, complimentary laundry service for one bag of laundry, and dedicated sailor services support. At five sailings and beyond, loyalty members receive upgraded Deep Blue Extras perks like a $100 bar tab credit, unlimited premium WiFi, and priority boarding.
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In order to receive Blue Extras perks on an upcoming eligible sailing through the status match program, each passenger on the booking must complete an individual status match form on the Virgin Voyages website and include proof of loyalty status with another cruise line. Sailing Club Status Match submissions must be received at least seven days prior to the passenger’s voyage.
The Sailing Club Status Match program is available through October 31, 2025.
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