Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to use cruise loyalty priority benefits
Cruise loyalty priority benefits are tier-based privileges in a cruise line's repeat-guest programme that unlock as a member collects cruise points from nights sailed, and the perks listed grow with each tier. Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society labels the 80-cruise-point step of its published ladder "priority access and elevated benefits", while Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club says its perks can include priority services alongside onboard events and savings. [1] [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Priority perks sit inside a cruise line's loyalty programme and rise with tier; both Crown & Anchor Society and Captain's Club base points on nights sailed and stateroom category. [1] [2]
- Royal Caribbean says a tier reached while onboard takes effect on the next sailing, so the crossing cruise itself does not carry the new benefits. [1]
- Celebrity lists a one-category stateroom upgrade at booking among Captain's Club benefits, explicitly based on availability. [2]
- Dining perks split between standing tier discounts, milestone rewards at set point totals and a small number of reservation-priority arrangements. [2]
How are cruise loyalty priority benefits earned?
Crown & Anchor Society, the Royal Caribbean International loyalty programme, awards one Cruise point for each completed night of sailing, plus an extra Cruise point per night when a member purchases and sails in suite accommodation or sails in any category on a single pricing type for double-occupancy staterooms. [1] Points are added to the member's account within 30 days after the cruise, joining is free, and the programme states that points never expire. [1]
The programme publishes six point steps, each carrying its own short description: [1]
| Cruise points | How the programme describes the step |
|---|---|
| 3 | The start of something bigger |
| 30 | Added perks and onboard savings |
| 55 | More perks throughout your vacation |
| 80 | Priority access and elevated benefits |
| 175 | Next-level recognition and rewards |
| 700 | The ultimate status at sea |
The tier names published on the same page are Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club, and members receive one-for-one tier matching across the group's three brands, with up to seven days allowed for matched status to take effect. [1]
Captain's Club, the Celebrity Cruises loyalty programme, works on the same principle: the points a member earns depend on stateroom category and the number of nights sailed, and points are posted to the account after the sailing. [2] Once they are in the account they do not expire. [2] The per-night values for ocean cruises are: [2]
| Stateroom category | Points per night |
|---|---|
| Inside and Ocean View | 2 |
| Veranda and Infinite Veranda | 3 |
| Concierge Class and AquaClass | 5 |
| Panoramic Ocean View Suite, Sky Suite and related suites | 8 |
| Celebrity, Signature and Royal Suite | 12 |
| Edge Villa, Penthouse and Reflection Suite | 18 |
| Iconic Suite | 24 |
Galapagos and river cruises carry separate per-night tables with different values by room category, so a sailing of those types does not earn at the ocean-cruise rates above. [2] Tier bands run from Classic at 2–149 Club Points through Select, Elite and Elite Plus to Zenith at 3,000 or more Club Points. [2]
What priority access does a tier unlock?
On Royal Caribbean, the step that carries the strongest access wording is the 80-point level, described as "priority access and elevated benefits"; the steps below it are described in terms of savings and extra perks rather than priority. [1]
Celebrity frames its benefits as varying by tier and as potentially including onboard events, exclusive offers, priority services and savings. [2] Named items include the Captain's Club Cocktail Hour, complimentary laundry services and spa discounts at Elite; discounts on specialty dining and two bags of complimentary laundry at Elite Plus; and, at Zenith, access to The Retreat Lounge or Michael's Club together with complimentary Premium beverage and Wi-Fi packages. [2]
Stateroom upgrades appear in the same benefits list as a one-category upgrade at booking, subject to availability. [2] Priority also reaches onto land through partners: Captain's Club members receive MGM Resorts tier matching and priority check-in at Bellagio, ARIA and MGM Grand. [2]
How do dining and reservation perks work?
Dining value appears at several points in the Captain's Club structure. [2] Elite Plus members are offered discounts on specialty dining, and milestone rewards are expressed partly in dining terms: at 1,500 Club Points a member gets 20% off the specialty dining cover charge, and at 2,250 points 25% off. [2] At 6,000 points the milestone list adds one specialty lunch on embarkation day of every sailing, and at 9,000 points one specialty lunch on any day of every sailing. [2]
Reservation priority is narrower. [2] Among the programme's partner benefits, Zenith members are listed for priority reservations at Restaurant Daniel and Café Boulud, which are restaurant arrangements listed alongside hotel and retail partners rather than venues aboard a Celebrity ship. [2]
Because these items are attached to specific tiers and point totals, the useful check before a sailing is which tier the member holds at the time of travel, not which tier they expect to earn during it. [1] [2]
Limits and exceptions
- Availability conditions. Celebrity's one-category stateroom upgrade at booking is stated as based on availability. [2]
- Tier timing. Royal Caribbean says that if a member reaches a new loyalty tier while onboard, the new benefits kick in on the next sailing rather than on the cruise where the threshold was crossed. [1]
- Posting delay. Crown & Anchor Cruise points are added within 30 days after the cruise, and Captain's Club points are posted after the sailing. [1] [2]
- Matched status timing. Status matched across the Royal Caribbean Group brands can take up to seven days to take effect. [1]
- Moving points between brands. Crown & Anchor members aged 18 and over can ask for points from a sailing to be applied to Captain's Club or Venetian Society, submitting the request any time before the sailing or up to 14 days after disembarkation, for sailings departing on or after 30 January 2026. [1]
- Itinerary exceptions. Celebrity says some itineraries and products may have different rules, and that Galapagos and river cruises can come with their own inclusions, directing members to confirm a specific sailing's eligibility in the programme terms. [2]
Where a benefit is written as availability-based or as starting on a later sailing, the tier establishes eligibility rather than an outcome on the day of travel. [1] [2]
Frequently asked questions
Do cruise loyalty points expire?
Royal Caribbean states that Crown & Anchor Society points never expire, and Celebrity states that Captain's Club points already in an account do not expire. [1] [2]
When do the benefits of a new tier start?
At Royal Caribbean, a tier reached while onboard takes effect on the next sailing. [1] At Celebrity, a member who enrols sees benefits begin on their next vacation. [2]
Is a stateroom upgrade guaranteed for loyalty members?
Celebrity lists a one-category stateroom upgrade at booking among Captain's Club benefits and states that it is based on availability. [2]
Can status with one cruise brand be used on another?
Royal Caribbean Group members receive one-for-one tier matching across Crown & Anchor Society, Captain's Club and Venetian Society, and the matched status can take up to seven days to appear. [1]
Do these benefits apply on Galapagos and river cruises?
Celebrity says some itineraries and products may have different rules and that Galapagos and river cruises can carry their own inclusions, so eligibility should be confirmed in the programme terms for the specific sailing. [2]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other cruise lines' loyalty programmes are not covered here; for the wider picture see the cruise loyalty programmes guide.
- Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society programme page, checked 18 October 2026
- Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club programme page, checked 18 October 2026