Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a cruise night?
Cruise night is a night spent aboard a cruise ship that a cruise line counts toward its loyalty programme. Cruise lines do not all treat a night the same way: some award a fixed credit for every day or night sailed, while others turn nights into points at a rate set by the stateroom category booked. [2] [4]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A cruise night is the unit of time that a cruise loyalty programme builds on. Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club awards Club Points per night by stateroom category, and Holland America Line's Mariner Society awards one Cruise Day credit for each actual day sailed. [2] [4]
- The same night can be worth very different amounts. On ocean cruises, Captain's Club gives 2 Club Points a night for an inside or ocean-view stateroom and 24 a night for an Iconic Suite. [2]
- Bonuses lift the total rather than replacing the base rate: Holland America Line doubles Cruise Day credits for a suite or penthouse booked at a published fare, and Celebrity doubles points for solo travellers who pay the full fare. [2] [4]
How does a cruise night work?
A cruise night measures time on board rather than money spent. That time is the multiplier a programme applies to a per-night rate, and since the rate reflects the stateroom category booked, two passengers on the same sailing can earn different amounts for the same number of nights. Nights then accumulate into status tiers, which is why a longer itinerary or a higher cabin category can move a member up faster.
The unit itself is not standardised. Holland America Line's Mariner Society counts Cruise Day credits and treats each overnight aboard as an actual day sailed, so a 7-day cruise produces 7 Cruise Day credits. [4] Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club awards Club Points based on the stateroom category and the number of nights sailed, and posts them to the account after the sailing. [2] Always check the programme you are sailing with before assuming how a night will be counted.
How does Celebrity Cruises count cruise nights?
Captain's Club points accrue per night of the voyage, and the rate depends on the stateroom category. The table below shows the ocean-cruise rates published by Celebrity Cruises. [2]
| Stateroom category | Club Points per night |
|---|---|
| Inside and Ocean View | 2 |
| Veranda and Infinite Veranda | 3 |
| Concierge Class and AquaClass | 5 |
| Panoramic Ocean View Suite, Deluxe Panoramic Ocean View Suite, Panoramic with Infinite Veranda Suite, Sky Suite, Aqua Sky Suite, Magic Carpet Sky Suite, Sunset Sky Suite | 8 |
| Celebrity, Signature and Royal Suite | 12 |
| Edge Villa, Penthouse, Reflection Suite | 18 |
| Iconic Suite | 24 |
Galapagos and river cruises use separate per-night tables. On Galapagos sailings the published rates run from 8 points a night for a Sky Suite with Veranda to 18 for a Royal Suite or Penthouse, and on river cruises a River View or Infinite Balcony stateroom earns 8 points a night against 12 for a Balcony. [2] Celebrity also notes that some itineraries and products may have different rules, so eligibility should be confirmed against the terms for a specific sailing. [2]
Club Points build through five tiers: Classic at 2–149 points, Select at 150–299, Elite at 300–749, Elite Plus at 750–2,999 and Zenith at 3,000 or more. [2] Once earned points sit in an account they do not expire. [2] A night is not the only way to express the value of a sailing: Celebrity publishes a 2026 points exchange rate by brand for Captain's Club members, under which an Inside or Ocean View stateroom earns 1 Crown & Anchor point per night and 1 Venetian Society VS Day for every 4 nights, while an Iconic Suite earns 2 Crown & Anchor points per night and 1 VS Day per night. [2] Celebrity says these exchange rates will be published annually. [2]
How does Holland America Line count cruise days?
Mariner Society membership is automatic, and the basic formula is one Cruise Day credit for each actual day sailed, with each overnight aboard counted as an actual day sailed. [4] For Alaska Cruisetours, a Cruise Day credit is granted for total tour days, including days touring on land, while pre- and post-cruise packages are excluded. [4] Star levels are set by cumulative credits. [4]
| Star level | Requirement |
|---|---|
| One-Star Mariner | One cruise completed |
| Two-Star Mariner | 30 Cruise Day credits |
| Three-Star Mariner | 75 Cruise Day credits |
| Four-Star Mariner | 200 Cruise Day credits |
| Five-Star Mariner | 500 Cruise Day credits |
Cruise Day credits are non-transferable, and members cannot buy additional days to reach a higher tier. [4] Cruise history and Star level appear in the account area, and status is normally updated seven to ten days after a cruise or cruisetour ends. [4]
Do solo cruisers and bonuses earn extra nights?
Both programmes add credit on top of the base per-night rate, but under different conditions. Celebrity Cruises offers a Solo Traveler Bonus of double points when a member cruises solo, books a stateroom and pays the full fare. [2] Its Go Green Bonus adds 1 extra night of points on a voyage for members who opt into reduced housekeeping. [2] Power Up Points are a separate route, earned from home by completing surveys, watching webinars and similar activities, and they convert at 10 Power Up Points to 1 Club Point and count toward Captain's Club status. [2]
Holland America Line applies two bonuses to the Cruise Day total. A member who pays a published fare for a spacious suite or penthouse earns double Cruise Day credits, so a 10-day cruise in a suite produces 20 credits. [4] Separately, for cruises on or after 18 September 2009, one bonus Cruise Day credit is granted for each US$300 in eligible onboard purchases, calculated on the combined folio charges for all guests on the booking, though only the first two guests on a booking receive the limit of one bonus day for each day sailed. [4] Bonus days are capped: the maximum number of bonus days equals the length of the cruise. [4] Medallion recognition is calculated on Cruise Days only, so suite and onboard spending bonuses do not count toward it. [4]
Exceptions and limits
- Ineligible sailings and fares at Holland America Line. Prizes, charity and familiarization sailings and working personnel are not awarded cruise days, onboard spending bonus or suite bonus days. [4] Certain reduced fare rates, such as vendor or working personnel rates, are ineligible, while guests booked under published promotional fares do receive cruise day credit, suite bonus days and onboard spending bonus. [4]
- Charters and employee space-available bookings. Charter bookings receive cruise days, onboard spending bonus and suite bonus days for purchasing a qualified suite; employee space-available bookings earn cruise days and onboard spending bonus, but suite bonus days are excluded from those bookings. [4]
- Upgrades. Special paid or complimentary upgrades do not qualify for the suite bonus. [4]
- Third and fourth guests. Third and fourth guests in a stateroom receive Cruise Day credits for days sailed, for Alaska Cruisetour days and for the suite bonus, but only the first two guests in each stateroom receive Cruise Day credits for onboard spending. [4]
- Cabin and itinerary variation at Celebrity Cruises. Galapagos and river cruises are scored on their own per-night tables rather than the ocean-cruise rates, and Celebrity states that some itineraries and products may carry different rules for benefits. [2]
Frequently asked questions
Is a cruise night the same as a cruise day?
At Holland America Line a night is treated as a day: each overnight aboard counts as an actual day sailed, so a 7-day cruise yields 7 Cruise Day credits. [4] At Celebrity Cruises the credit is expressed as points per night, which vary by stateroom category. [2]
Does cruising solo earn extra credit?
Celebrity Cruises offers a Solo Traveler Bonus of double points when a member cruises solo, books a stateroom and pays the full fare. [2]
Do bonus nights count toward status?
Club Points earned through Power Up Points count toward Captain's Club status at 10 Power Up Points to 1 Club Point. [2] At Holland America Line, Star levels are based on Cruise Day credits, but medallion recognition uses Cruise Days only and excludes suite and onboard spending bonuses. [4]
Do points earned from cruise nights expire?
Celebrity Cruises says that once earned Captain's Club points are in the account they do not expire. [2]
Can cruise nights be credited for past sailings?
Holland America Line grants Cruise Day credits for all previous Holland America Line cruises and cruisetours, while bonus credits for suite purchases and onboard spending apply to sailings departing on or after 18 September 2009. [4]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers two programmes, Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club and Holland America Line's Mariner Society; other cruise loyalty programmes, including Carnival's VIFP Club and Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, are not covered here.
- Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club programme page, checked 18 October 2026
- Holland America Line Mariner Society benefits and programme terms, checked 18 October 2026