Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to join a cruise loyalty programme on your first cruise
Cruise loyalty programmes are the past-guest schemes run by cruise lines, which turn nights sailed and sometimes onboard spending into points that move a guest up membership tiers. Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society is free to join before you sail, while Norwegian Cruise Line's Latitudes Rewards, Holland America Line's Mariner Society and the Cunard World Club record membership only after the first sailing is completed, so a booking on its own does not produce tier benefits. [2] [4] [7] [8]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Booking alone usually does not create tier benefits: Norwegian Cruise Line enrols guests in Latitudes Rewards after their first cruise, Holland America Line enrols guests after their first completed cruise and starts benefits on the second, and Cunard's Silver tier begins with one completed voyage. [4] [7] [8]
- Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society is free to join before you sail, and Cruise Points are added to the account within 30 days after the cruise. [2]
- Quote the member number on later bookings: Holland America Line asks Mariners to reference their Mariner Number whenever they reserve a future cruise to receive Mariner fares and advantages. [7]
Do you need to join a cruise loyalty programme before you sail?
It depends on the line. Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society can be joined before a first sailing, and the programme page states that it is free to join and that points never expire. [2] Norwegian Cruise Line takes the opposite approach: guests are automatically enrolled in Latitudes Rewards after their first cruise, and the page offers a separate account-creation step for managing bookings and offers. [4]
Holland America Line is also automatic. Its Mariner Society page says all guests are enrolled after their first completed cruise, that no registration is required, and that benefits begin with the second cruise. [7] The Cunard World Club describes membership as starting as soon as a first voyage with Cunard is completed, and publishes three joining steps: create an account, add your Cunard World Club number, then use the loyalty benefits. [8]
In practice, the number that later bookings depend on — the cruise past-guest number — is often generated by the first sailing itself rather than issued at the time of booking. [4] [7]
How do you attach your member number to a first booking?
For a first cruise there may be nothing to attach yet. Norwegian Cruise Line enrols guests after the first cruise [4], and Holland America Line enrols guests automatically after the first completed cruise with no registration required [7]. Cunard's own sequence puts the number in the account: create an account, add the Cunard World Club number, then enjoy the benefits [8].
Royal Caribbean is the one here that explicitly invites enrolment ahead of sailing, through an enrol-now route on its Crown & Anchor Society page [2]. Its Cruise Points are then added to the account within 30 days after the cruise [2].
Once a number exists, use it on everything that follows. Holland America Line asks Mariners to reference their Mariner Number whenever they reserve future cruises in order to receive special Mariner fares and advantages, and to tick the box marking you as a prior guest when setting up an online account [7]. Norwegian Cruise Line's past-guest offers have to be viewed while signed in to a My NCL account with a Latitudes number attached [4]. Crown & Anchor Society members who want points counted with a sister brand can enrol in Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club or Silversea's Venetian Society through the Royal Caribbean or Celebrity websites or apps [2].
When does cruise loyalty status actually start?
The table below shows what a first sailing is worth in each programme and where the first tier sits. It is not a like-for-like comparison: each line counts different things. [2] [4] [7] [8]
| Programme | What is counted | First tier |
|---|---|---|
| Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean) | One Cruise Point per completed night of sailing, and two per night for suite or solo bookings; points are added within 30 days after the cruise [2] | The page lists tier thresholds at 3, 30, 55, 80, 175 and 700 Cruise Points [2] |
| Latitudes Rewards (Norwegian Cruise Line) | One point per cruise night, plus one extra point per night for a full-fare suite or The Haven and one extra for a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer booking [4] | Bronze at 1 point, then Silver 20, Gold 45, Platinum 75, Sapphire 150, Diamond 350 and Ambassador 700 [4] |
| Mariner Society (Holland America Line) | One Cruise Day credit per actual day sailed, double for a published-fare suite or penthouse, plus one bonus credit for each $300 of eligible onboard purchases [7] | One-Star after one completed cruise, then Two-Star at 30 credits, Three-Star 75, Four-Star 200 and Five-Star 500 [7] |
| Cunard World Club (Cunard) | Tiers are set by voyage count or nights rather than by a points rate [8] | Silver at 1 voyage, Gold at 2 voyages or 20 nights, Platinum at 7 voyages or 70 nights and Diamond at 15 voyages or 150 nights [8] |
Timing differs too. Royal Caribbean credits Cruise Points within 30 days after the cruise and says a member who reaches a new tier while onboard receives the new benefits on the next sailing. [2] Holland America Line updates Cruise Day status seven to ten days after a cruise or Cruisetour ends, and a higher Star level earned onboard takes effect on the next Holland America Line cruise — except on a Grand Voyage, where a guest who crosses a threshold is upgraded for the rest of that voyage. [7] Norwegian Cruise Line's tier benefits apply on sailings of five nights or longer, while onboard discounts, including shore-excursion pre-booking, apply on all sailings regardless of length. [4]
For the wider picture across lines, see the cruise loyalty programmes guide.
Exceptions and limits
- Suite bonuses. Norwegian Cruise Line's suite bonus covers full-fare suites booked when the reservation was originally made and excludes Club Balcony Suites; the Insider Offer bonus excludes suites and The Haven. [4] Holland America Line's suite bonus requires a published fare, and special paid or complimentary upgrades do not qualify. [7]
- Missing points. Norwegian Cruise Line says it can only credit missing points for cruises taken within the last 12 months. [4] Holland America Line asks guests to wait seven to ten days after a cruise or Cruisetour ends before requesting credits and says it cannot adjust Cruise Day credits without supporting documentation. [7]
- Spending exclusions. At Holland America Line, casino charges, cash advances, future cruise deposits and associated fees are excluded from the onboard spending bonus, and only the first two guests on a booking earn that bonus. [7] Cruise Day credits cannot be bought. [7]
- Starting from another line. Guests who have sailed with Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Seabourn or Costa Cruises are automatically enrolled as a Star Mariner after their first booking with Holland America Line. [7] Crown & Anchor Society members get one-for-one tier matching across Royal Caribbean Group's three brands, with up to seven days allowed for the status to take effect. [2]
- Moving points between brands. Royal Caribbean's Points Choice lets members aged 18 and over apply points to Crown & Anchor, Captain's Club or the Venetian Society, with a request made any time before the sailing and up to 14 days after disembarkation; sailings must depart on or after 30 January 2026, and the member must already be enrolled in the programme receiving the points. [2]
- Opting in. Cunard sends its Cunarder magazine and loyalty updates only to members who opt in through the preferences in their online account. [8]
Frequently asked questions
Does booking a cruise make you a past guest?
Not on the lines described here. Norwegian Cruise Line enrols guests after the first cruise, Holland America Line enrols after the first completed cruise and starts benefits on the second, and Cunard's Silver tier begins with one completed voyage. [4] [7] [8]
How long do cruise loyalty points take to appear?
Royal Caribbean adds Cruise Points to the account within 30 days after the cruise [2], and Holland America Line updates Cruise Day status seven to ten days after a cruise or Cruisetour ends [7].
Can you claim missing points months later?
At Norwegian Cruise Line, missing points can only be credited for cruises taken within the last 12 months [4]. Holland America Line requires documentation such as the boarding pass page, onboard folio or room key before it will adjust Cruise Day credits [7].
Do loyalty benefits apply on the first sailing?
On Norwegian Cruise Line, tier benefits are available on sailings of five nights or longer, while onboard discounts apply on all sailings regardless of length [4]. Holland America Line's Star benefits begin with the second cruise [7].
Can status from another cruise line carry over?
Holland America Line enrols past guests of Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Seabourn and Costa Cruises as a Star Mariner after their first Holland America Line booking [7], and Royal Caribbean Group matches Crown & Anchor tiers one-for-one with Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club and Silversea's Venetian Society [2].
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers the Crown & Anchor Society, Latitudes Rewards, the Mariner Society and the Cunard World Club only. Other programmes, including Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club and Silversea's Venetian Society beyond the cross-brand references above, are not covered here; see the cruise loyalty programmes guide.
- Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society programme page, checked 18 October 2026
- Norwegian Cruise Line Latitudes Rewards programme page, checked 18 October 2026
- Holland America Line Mariner Society benefits and FAQs, checked 18 October 2026
- Cunard World Club loyalty programme and tiers, checked 18 October 2026