Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
PRACTICAL GUIDE
How to check cruise loyalty programme terms
Cruise loyalty programme terms are the rules that decide what a repeat-guest scheme actually gives you: how points are earned, when a new tier starts, and whether points or status can move between brands. Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, for example, awards one Cruise Point per completed night sailed plus an extra point per night in listed suite categories, and adds points to the account within 30 days after the cruise. [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A benefit exists only to the extent the programme states it. Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society publishes its earning rate, tier entry points, posting time and transfer rules on its programme page. [2]
- Earning is per night, not per booking: one Cruise Point for each completed night, plus an extra point per night in the suite categories the line lists, or when a solo guest pays a single pricing type for a double-occupancy stateroom. [2]
- Timing shapes what you can use and when: points land within 30 days after the cruise, and a tier reached while onboard takes effect on the next sailing. [2]
What should you check before relying on cruise loyalty status?
Work down the list before you book, and again before you sail. The middle column records what Royal Caribbean states on its programme page as of 18 October 2026; the right-hand column is the question that page cannot answer for your particular reservation. [2]
| Item | What Royal Caribbean states | What to confirm for your booking |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to join | Enrolment is free. [2] | Join before you sail and keep the membership number to hand for the reservation. |
| Earning rate | One Cruise Point per completed night, plus one extra point per night for suite accommodations in the listed categories and for any category where a guest pays a single pricing type for a double-occupancy stateroom. [2] | Which stateroom category you are booked in, and whether the fare is priced as single or double occupancy. |
| Posting time | Cruise Points are added to the account within 30 days after the cruise. [2] | How long to wait before starting a missing credit claim. |
| Tier entry points | The ladder starts at 3 Cruise Points and steps up at 30, 55, 80, 175 and 700. [2] | Your current balance and the gap to the next tier. |
| When new benefits start | A tier reached while onboard takes effect on the next sailing. [2] | Whether the benefit applies to the cruise you are booking or only the one after it. |
| Points expiry | Points never expire. [2] | Which points on your account the promise covers. |
| Cross-brand transfer | Points Choice moves points earned on a sailing to Crown & Anchor, Captain's Club or Venetian Society. [2] | The 18-and-over age rule and the request window. [2] |
| Status match | One-for-one tier matching across the three Royal Caribbean Group brands, with benefit exclusions. [2] | That up to seven days may be needed for matched status to take effect. [2] |
| Partner perks | Tier matching with MGM Rewards, Hertz rental benefits and Voyij. [2] | Whether the partner perk needs its own enrolment. |
| Other programmes | Club Royale Casino Rewards is listed separately from Crown & Anchor, with its own benefits and programme overview. [2] | Which programme the benefit you were offered actually belongs to. |
How do you check tier thresholds and status match?
Royal Caribbean's status-match table names six Crown & Anchor Society tiers: Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club. [2] The earning ladder separately lists entry points at 3, 30, 55, 80, 175 and 700 Cruise Points. [2] Read the two together rather than assuming a name for every step.
Matching runs one-for-one across the three Royal Caribbean Group brands — Crown & Anchor Society, Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club and Silversea's Venetian Society. [2] Existing Crown & Anchor members can enrol in Captain's Club or Venetian Society through the Royal Caribbean or Celebrity websites or mobile apps. [2] Benefit exclusions apply, the line asks members to allow up to seven days for status to take effect, and the match has its own terms and conditions. [2]
For a booking decision, sequence the checks: the tier, the specific benefit, and the date the status becomes effective. A matched tier that lands after final payment is a different proposition from one that is live before you book. [2]
How do you check cross-brand point transfers?
Points Choice is open to Crown & Anchor Society members aged 18 and over and lets points earned on a sailing be applied to Crown & Anchor, Captain's Club or Venetian Society instead. [2] A request can be submitted any time before the sailing on which the points will be earned, up to 14 days after disembarkation from it. [2] The sailing must depart on or after 30 January 2026, and the member must already be enrolled in the programme receiving the points. [2] Registration is not required, eligibility criteria may be set from time to time, and participation is subject to the Crown & Anchor Society terms and conditions. [2]
Exchange rates are published annually by stateroom category, and the same cabin can convert to very different amounts across the three programmes: [2]
| Stateroom category | Crown & Anchor points per night | Captain's Club points per night | Venetian Society |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Family Townhouse | 2 | 24 | 1 VS Day per night |
| Sky Suites, Sunset Suites, Junior Suites, Double JS Regular Balcony, Quad JS Large Balcony, Quad JS Regular Balcony | 2 | 5 | 1 VS Day for every 2 Royal Nights |
| Balcony & Neighborhood | 1 | 3 | 1 VS Day for every 3 Royal Nights |
| Inside & Ocean View | 1 | 2 | 1 VS Day for every 4 Royal Nights |
Read the table by column rather than by row: an inside cabin night is worth one Crown & Anchor point but two Captain's Club points, while an Ultimate Family Townhouse night is worth two Crown & Anchor points and 24 Captain's Club points. [2]
How do you check a member rate or onboard offer?
Crown & Anchor Society describes its benefits in broad terms — richer rewards, special savings, members-only offers and recognition as a member moves up the tiers. [2] Marketed alongside the programme, the Royal ONE Visa Signature card lets points be redeemed for cruise discounts or onboard credit for excursions, dining, drinks, Wi-Fi and spa treatments. [2]
Neither statement is a fare rule on its own. Before booking, establish which programme the discount comes from, whether it is a membership benefit or a card benefit, which sailings and stateroom categories it covers, and whether it combines with another offer. Then check the shape of the value: a discount off cruise fare and onboard credit are not the same money, because onboard credit is spent against extras such as excursions, dining and Wi-Fi rather than taken off the price of the cabin. [2] The cruise loyalty member fare entry explains how member pricing is usually structured.
What are the limits and exceptions?
- New tiers are forward-looking. Reaching a tier while onboard does not upgrade the cruise you are on; the new benefits begin on the next sailing. [2]
- Transfers are tied to one sailing and one deadline. A request relates to the sailing on which the points will be earned and closes 14 days after disembarkation from it. [2]
- Points Choice has a start date and a membership prerequisite. The sailing must depart on or after 30 January 2026, and the member must already belong to the programme receiving the points. [2]
- Status match is not instant and is not complete. Up to seven days may be needed, benefit exclusions apply, and separate status-match terms and conditions govern the match. [2]
- The extra nightly point is category-specific. It applies to suites in the listed categories, and to any category where a guest pays a single pricing type for a double-occupancy stateroom — not to every booking. [2]
- Separate programmes keep separate rules. Club Royale Casino Rewards sits alongside Crown & Anchor with its own benefits and programme overview, and the Royal ONE card is a credit-card product with its own terms. [2]
Frequently asked questions
Do Crown & Anchor Society points expire?
In the Crown & Anchor Society programme, enrolment is free and points never expire. [2]
When do Cruise Points appear in my account?
Cruise Points are added to the account within 30 days after the cruise. [2]
When do I get the benefits of a new tier?
If you reach a new loyalty tier while onboard, the new benefits take effect on your next sailing rather than on the current cruise. [2]
Can I move points to Celebrity Cruises or Silversea?
Points Choice lets Crown & Anchor Society members aged 18 and over apply points earned on a sailing to Crown & Anchor, Captain's Club or Venetian Society, for sailings departing on or after 30 January 2026, with requests accepted from before the sailing until 14 days after disembarkation. [2]
How long does a cruise status match take?
Royal Caribbean asks members to allow up to seven days for matched status to take effect, and benefit exclusions apply to the match. [2]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Only Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society is covered here; the programmes of Carnival, Norwegian, MSC and Princess are not covered, and Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club and Silversea's Venetian Society appear only where the Crown & Anchor page describes status matching and point transfers with them.
- Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society programme page, checked 18 October 2026