Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society cruise loyalty program: The ultimate guide
Editor's Note
There are some great rewards waiting for cruisers who show loyalty to Royal Caribbean.
The line's frequent cruiser program, the Crown & Anchor Society, offers members such enticing perks as special discounts on balcony cabins and suites after only a few sailings. And that's just a hint of what's to come for loyal cruisers.
At the very top tier of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program, the Pinnacle Club, members get one of the most spectacular rewards in the cruise loyalty program universe: a free cruise for two.
Ways to earn points
Earning points in the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program is relatively straightforward. You will get:
- 1 point for every night you spend on a ship
- 1 additional point for every night you spend in a suite
Note that the extra point per night for suites only applies to stays in suites booked when a reservation is originally made. It doesn't apply to stays in suites that result from an upgrade.
Related: A beginners guide to cruise line loyalty programs
Program tiers and benefits
There are six tiers to the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society program:
- Gold (3-29 points)
- Platinum (30-54 points)
- Emerald (55-79 points)
- Diamond (80-174 points)
- Diamond Plus (175-699 points)
- Pinnacle Club (700 or more points)
Even at the entry-level tier of the Crown & Anchor Society program (Gold), members get some notable perks, including discounts on all sorts of onboard purchases. Among the most alluring benefits at this level are the exclusive rates available to members for specific sailings of specific ships.
Gold-tier membership benefits also include the following:
- 50% off any glass of wine, beer or soda (two coupons per sailing)
- 50% off a Johnny Rockets milkshake (two coupons per sailing, on select ships)
- Access to a private departure lounge with continental breakfast
- 10% discount on any glass of wine, beer or soda (this is separate from the above coupon offer)
- A 25% discount on any coffee beverage, excluding Starbucks coffee
- A 10% discount on any internet package purchased on board (not combinable with any other internet offer)
- Access to a Crown & Anchor loyalty desk for membership inquiries
- $2 in Free Play at shipboard casinos
- One free card when buying a bingo package
- A 10% discount on any spa service (excluding medi-spa services)
- A 10% discount on Royal Caribbean logo products (with a $25 minimum purchase)
- Priority notice on special offers, new ships and itineraries
- A member newsletter
Upon reaching the second tier of the program, Platinum, you get a higher 50% discount on coffee beverages, a 15% discount on internet packages purchased on board and a 15% discount on spa services; you also get a few more perks such as a $5 discount on wash-and-fold laundry by the bag and a 20% discount on a single photo, photo package or photobook. The most notable, to us, is access to special member discounts on balcony cabins and suites. That can bring real savings.
The Platinum tier also brings matching status in the loyalty program of Royal Caribbean's sister line, Celebrity Cruises (more on that below).
Platinum status also brings access to exclusive, top-tier events and the delivery of robes to your cabin for use while on board.
Related: The ultimate guide to picking a cruise line
The next tier, Emerald, adds just a handful of minor perks, including the delivery of two bottles of water to your cabin at the start of each voyage. At the Emerald tier, the discount on a single photo, photo package or photobook also rises to 25%.
The fourth tier of the program, Diamond, adds:
- Priority waitlist seating in the main dining room
- Four complimentary daily drinks up to $14 apiece in value
- One free day of Surf + Stream internet service
- Priority waitlist for shore excursions/Vitality Spa services
- An exclusive backstage tour (on sailings of five nights or longer)
- Access to an exclusive Crown Lounge (on ships that have them)
- A stateroom phone discount of $2 per minute
- A "chef's choice" amenity in cabins (on sailings of five nights or longer)
- One free digital or printed photo
- Recognition with a special lapel pin
- Higher discounts for spa services (20%) and logo wear purchases (15%)
- A higher discount for a single photo, photo package or photobook (30%)
- A Crystal Block milestone recognition starting at 140 cruise points
It will take you just one cruise to reach the Gold level. Reaching the Platinum level would require five seven-night cruises, assuming you stay in standard cabins.
You can reach the Emerald tier in as few as eight seven-night cruises if you book a standard cabin. You could hit the Diamond level after 12 seven-night cruises in standard cabins.
If you book suites, you'll reach all of these levels much faster.
Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean cabins and suites
The elite level that makes a difference
In our view, the Diamond Plus level is where the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program really starts paying off.
Once you reach Diamond Plus, you'll get all the aforementioned benefits plus priority access and seating at main theater shows, ice shows and AquaTheater events, which is a great perk.
Diamond Plus status also brings a 50% reduction in the single supplement charge for solo travelers — albeit only after your point total in the program hits 340 points. If you're a solo traveler, this is a very big deal, as it will save you a considerable amount of money when sailing Royal Caribbean.
Diamond Plus members also get the following:
- A higher 25% discount on any glass of beer, wine or soda
- Five complimentary drinks per day (up to a $14-per-drink limit)
- Complimentary dining for a second guest when you purchase a specialty restaurant dinner cover charge during the first or second night of your cruise
- A 30% discount on a Deluxe Beverage Package
- Two free days of a Surf + Stream internet package
- A personalized gift/amenity (one per household)
- One free wash-and-fold bag of laundry (on sailings of five or more nights)
- A complimentary add-on spa treatment
- Exclusive access to Diamond Plus call center staff
Diamond Plus members who accumulate 340 points also get access to a Cheers event with a ship's officer, upgraded bathroom amenities and a bonus gift. Those accumulating 525 points get another bonus gift.
Note that the complimentary dining for a second guest mentioned above comes with a lot of fine print. It's only valid for dinner reservations on the first or second night of a cruise. It also excludes dinners at the following onboard restaurants: Hibachi at Izumi, Teppanyaki, Chef's Table, Celebration Table, Empire Supper Club, Playmakers and Hooked.
It can take as many as 25 seven-night cruises to reach Diamond Plus status if you stay in standard cabins. You can reach this level in far fewer cruises if you stay in suites and sail on longer voyages.
Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean
Best elite perk
The ultimate perk for Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members comes upon reaching the top Pinnacle Club tier. You'll get a complimentary seven-night cruise to the Caribbean in a balcony cabin.
The free cruise is for two people. You can bring a third and fourth guest, but you'll pay their fares. You'll also pay all taxes, fees and service charges (including gratuities); look out for other restrictions.
After hitting the Pinnacle Club level, you'll get an additional free cruise every time you accumulate another 350 points. 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.
The first two cruises are in a balcony cabin. After that, you qualify for a junior suite.
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.
Pinnacle Club members also get:
- Six complimentary drinks
- A 40% discount on a Deluxe Beverage Package
- Access to the exclusive Coastal Kitchen restaurant on some ships on a space-available basis
- Daily breakfast at a specialty restaurant
- Free unlimited Surf + Stream internet package
- Flexible arrival to the ship
- Suite/concierge lounge access
- A personalized lapel pin
Related: The 7 classes of Royal Caribbean ships, explained
Matching status with sister brands
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.
The matching status will be at the Select level of Celebrity's Captain's Club program, which is the third of six tiers in that loyalty program. It brings such benefits as a 25% discount on internet packages, a 30% discount on photo packages, a 10% discount on spa treatments and priority status for the shore excursion waitlist.
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.
One of the great perks of Celebrity's Elite status is gaining access to the Captain's Club Coffee Lounge, where you can enjoy a coffeehouse-style breakfast each morning. This is a particularly big deal on shore excursion days, as it means you have a relatively quiet and uncrowded place to grab a quick breakfast before heading out for a tour.
Related: The ultimate guide to Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club program
Celebrity Elite members also get unlimited free drinks from the Captain's Club menu each day between 5 and 7 p.m. at most bars and lounges on the ship.
If you're sailing on one of Celebrity's Solstice Class or Millennium Class vessels, your Elite status will also get you free access to the Persian Garden spa zone — home to steam rooms, saunas and heated loungers — on one port day of your choice.
Celebrity's Elite level also brings 30% off Wi-Fi packages and upgrades, plus 90 complimentary minutes of streaming; 40% off a digital or print photo package; $200 off The Studio photo packages; a 15% discount on a drink package or a premium drink package upgrade; and several other perks.
Note that, as of Feb. 1, 2023, Royal Caribbean elite members no longer get matching status when sailing with Azamara, a former sister brand.
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.
Bottom line
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.
With some recent changes, it now rivals Norwegian Cruise Line's Latitudes Rewards program as the most robust loyalty program of any cruise line. Unlike the programs at many lines, it offers one of the truly great perks of any cruise loyalty program: a free cruise at its top tier.
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