Sunday, March 31, 2024

I used my Royal Caribbean loyalty perks on Celebrity Cruises Here's how it saved me a lot of money

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Comfy seating and complimentary snacks and coffee are available throughout the day. This means that if you technically reach the next tier of the Crown & Anchor Society on day two of a cruise, your upgraded status will not be recognized until your next cruise. In 2017, we crossed the 340 point mark and I started doing solo cruises. Since we’re married, my husband was able to share my points, even without having to sail.

Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society Loyalty Program: The Takeaway

Members of most cruise line loyalty programs keep their points at the end of each year and continue to accrue points indefinitely. That means that someone who hits the top tier in a cruise line loyalty program will remain there forever (or until the line makes a change to the program). Perhaps the greatest thing about cruise line loyalty programs is that unlike most airline or hotel loyalty programs, they don't usually require customers to requalify for status every year. We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation.

Consider travel insurance

This can happen when you leave your phone turned on and, say, watch videos on the internet. Many phone plans — even international plans — do not include talking, texting and data on cruise ships, and you'll pay exorbitant roaming rates for such services that will show up weeks later on your phone bill. In addition to extra toiletries, Royal Caribbean regulars often bring Clorox wipes or something similar to wipe down surfaces in their cabin upon arrival (and to bring along on shore excursions). Check-in for Royal Caribbean sailings can open as far as 45 days in advance, and it pays to go through the check-in process as early as you can. That's because early birds in the check-in process have their pick of arrival times at the ship.

Book your next cruise while still on board your current cruise

Silver members can also book new Disney cruise itineraries one day ahead of the general public. That may not seem like much of a head start, but it can be a real advantage when trying to snag the perfect cabin on a hot new itinerary. Disney fans are known to snap up the best cabins — if not all the cabins — on unique new sailings very quickly.

Crown and Anchor members can be added to other family members in the same household to receive equivalent tier status. Enroll in Bank of America Online Banking to access the rewards redemption site. You'll be able to view your MyCruise® Points balance and choose from dozens of cruise rewards. If you don't want to sail the Caribbean, you can ask for a cruise credit to use toward an itinerary somewhere else. Royal Caribbean will give you $2,400 toward the purchase of a cruise at 700 and 1,050 points and $3,200 toward the purchase of a cruise at 1,400 points and above. When I asked how much a daily pass during a port day would cost to the thermal spa, we were told it’s normally $39.95.

In 2021, Marriott announced that The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection would participate in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Members can redeem points on Ritz-Carlton cruises and enjoy elite status perks on voyages. Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card spend when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases. This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which offers 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel (and 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on dining). It bumps the discounts for laundry service, Wi-Fi, shore excursions and Windstar merchandise to 10%.

What Royal Caribbean cruisers all have in common is that they love a big, bustling resort experience. With each step-down in size, you'll find fewer restaurants, bars, entertainment offerings and attractions. However, even the smallest of Royal Caribbean ships still have quite a bit to offer.

How to Earn Points in Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society

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We're particularly fond of the two-deck-high Music Halls on Quantum Class vessels. If you know you want to eat at a few extra-charge restaurants during your voyage, you can buy one of several dining packages that offer meals at a discount. In addition, every ship has a least one — and sometimes many — extra-charge eateries. The most common one found across the fleet is Chops Grille, the line's signature steakhouse. Many ships also have an Italian eatery, called either Giovanni's Table or Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver.

The Gold Royal Caribbean points level is available to passengers after three cruise points and is the lowest level available. Members can experience services like Crown & Anchor onboard offers, priority check-in and access to a private departure lounge with continental breakfast. Royal Caribbean elite members also do not get matching status when sailing with sister line Silversea Cruises. The latter line's Venetian Society loyalty program is a relatively simple program without loyalty tiers. It can take as many as 25 seven-night cruises to reach Diamond Plus status if you stay in standard cabins.

In other words, you'll get an initial free cruise after hitting 700 points and then additional cruises at 1,050 points, 1,400 points, 1,750 points, and so on. In our view, the Diamond Plus level is where the Royal Caribbean loyalty program hits its stride. Being loyal to Princess finally starts paying off in a bigger way once you reach the Platinum level of the Captain's Circle program. For more details on MSC Cruises' MSC Voyagers Club, including a full list of benefits at every tier, see TPG's ultimate guide to MSC Cruises' MSC Voyagers Club. Our favorite perk in the entire MSC Voyagers Club program is the complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant that comes with Diamond-level status. That said, be warned that it's a complimentary dinner with a lot of fine print (so much fine print, in fact, that to us it verges on the ridiculous).

royal caribbean cruise points

As a Crown & Anchor Society member, you’re eligible for a tier status match to MGM Rewards. Your membership level in the Crown & Anchor Society is based on a points system. You can do a one-time status match with Celebrity and get an equivalent status with them. No, points you earn in Crown and Anchor never expire and the status you earn is good indefinitely.

Like the previously mentioned levels, these vouchers can be used at any bar at any time in the lounges during Happy Hour or on Perfect Day at CocoCay. Experience unique upgraded bathroom amenities for members with 340 or more cruise points. Each day cruisers can enjoy five daily drink vouchers which are loaded each day onto a SeaPass card.

On Royal Caribbean, as a Diamond Plus member, I receive two free days of Internet onboard or a $50 discount for the entire voyage. For this reason, I usually wait to purchase my Wi-Fi until I am onboard shorter cruises to ensure I get my discount, unless I can get a better price in the Cruise Planner beforehand. Most importantly, I was happy to see on the benefit list that we would still receive complimentary drinks through Celebrity’s happy hour for Captain’s Club members! In addition, we were invited to join Captain’s Club Coffee Lounge everyday from 8am to 10am in Tuscan Restaurant. This was described as a coffeehouse style breakfast with snacks and pastries. We also enjoy discounted internet, free laundry service, a complimentary photo, BOGO specialty dining and more as Diamond Plus members.

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On a typical sailing, you might find an entry-level cabin for around $100 per person per night, while a high-end suite is five or 10 times that amount. A passenger staying in suites can get to the Diamond Plus level with just 13 seven-night cruises. Take a few longer voyages, like a transatlantic sailing, and you can reach it even sooner. Lower tiers don't bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits.

What are Cruise Points for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program?

royal caribbean cruise points

You can participate in members-only events and activities, receive exclusive benefits, and socialize with other Crown & Anchor Society members. Visit our Member Cruises section to read all about our recent cruises and for more information on upcoming Member Cruises. Experience “Cheers with an Officer" drinks in the main dining room (replacing the “Meal with an Officer”) for members with 340 or more cruise points on seven-night cruises or longer. Cruisers at the Diamond Plus Royal Caribbean points levels get access to the Suite/Concierge Lounge and enjoy priority access to dedicated seating in venues up to 45 minutes prior to show time.

THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN VISA SIGNATURE® CARD

Here is TPG's guide to the cruise line loyalty programs at 10 of the most popular cruise brands, with an overview of their main attributes. For more detailed information on each of the programs, click on the links in the text below that will take you to our main loyalty guide for each of the brands. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Book a cruise with airline miles

royal caribbean cruise points

Once you reach Platinum, you'll get everything in earlier tiers plus a 15% discount on internet packages, which is a great perk. The Latitudes Rewards program is one of the more robust cruise line loyalty programs, with some decent perks available to almost all members. In addition to the above, you can earn points when spending money on MSC Cruises ships for extras or when booking extras before sailing.

Onboard Rewards

Further, credits earned on one brand are not combinable with credits earned from another brand. The benefits on land are also very similar for each of the Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society levels. These benefits include exclusive perks with MGM Resorts International and HERTZ Gold Plus rewards points. In addition, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members have a dedicated call center as well for inquiries.

Card Type

It offers huge mega-ships with incredible amenities and sails to fantastic destinations all over the world. Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

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Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society Platinum Level

While this may seem high, it falls short compared to the value some travelers get when redeeming points for luxury hotels or first-class flights. A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. An agent also can help you if something goes wrong before, during or after your voyage. Royal Caribbean adds an automatic service gratuity of $18 to $20.50 per person per day to final bills, depending on your cabin category.

The Captain's Club program is designed to reward Celebrity's biggest-spending customers the most. Staying in balcony cabins, which the line calls Veranda cabins, will get you 3 points a day. There are 6 levels of membership in the Crown & Anchor Society, and all benefits are cumulative. Here’s everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society including how to earn points and what you’ll get with each tier of membership. The most coveted tier of the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society is the Pinnacle Club. Making up only a very small percentage of C&A members, a whopping 700 points must be earned to reach the Pinnacle Club level.

Not to mention, drink packages can nearly double the cost of your cruise and you have to drink around 5 cocktails each day to breakeven. Unfortunately, high-speed Internet on Celebrity was almost double what it would cost on a 4-night Royal Caribbean cruise! I received a $42 discount, but it was still nearly $100 for the duration of the 4-night voyage. For a 4-night cruise, it’s usually around $51.98 for me to have high-speed internet on Royal Caribbean, as it’s priced at $25.99 per day.

Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society Diamond Level

Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program is relatively simple to understand and can bring you some great benefits starting at its lowest tiers. As noted above, Crown & Anchor Society members who reach the Platinum tier of status in the program will get matching status in the loyalty program at Celebrity Cruises, a sister brand. Reaching the Platinum level would require five seven-night cruises, assuming you stay in standard cabins.

After 55 cruise points, passengers can enjoy more perks at the Emerald level. Receive all the Platinum-level Crown and Anchor perks with added benefits. The best part of the Crown & Anchor Society is that benefits for members kick in at the lowest level with priority check-in, priority notice on special cruise offers and exclusive member events. In addition, the cross-over benefits will be equal to a matching tier status. However, cruise points will remain according to actual cruises taken and calculated using the accrual system for each respective brand.

These sorts of things happen all the time to cruisers, and they're all the sort of situations where you might benefit from having travel insurance. Here's a comparison of the top travel insurance providers and information about Cancel for Any Reason add-ons. You'll get the best price on dining and beverage packages if you book them in advance of your cruise. This is because Royal Caribbean often runs online sales on these packages in the months leading up to a voyage. As is the case for resorts on land, the floating resorts that are Royal Caribbean ships can be significantly less expensive during the "offseason" travel months of September, October and November. To get the best price on any particular sailing, you should book right when the voyage opens for sale.

To make the most of these activities, head straight to them on the first day of your sailing. You'll often find that they are less crowded on embarkation day, when many cruisers still are getting oriented, than later in the sailing, when the attractions have been widely discovered. Specifically, you'll currently pay $3.49 to send out a T-shirt for washing and folding on a Royal Caribbean ship, or $4.99 for a long-sleeve shirt.

In addition, once Crown & Anchor Society members reach the Diamond tier of the program, they will be elevated to the Elite level of Celebrity's Captain's Club program. This is the fourth tier of Celebrity's program, and it brings some enticing perks. Platinum status also brings access to exclusive, top-tier events and the delivery of robes to your cabin for use while on board.

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