Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a past guest on a cruise?
A past guest is a traveller who has already completed a cruise with a particular cruise line, as opposed to someone who has only made a booking. Cruise lines use that completed sailing as the starting point of their loyalty programmes, which is how past guests become eligible for member-only offers, onboard benefits and invitations to member events, tracked through a membership number attached to the booking. [6] [8]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Past-guest status normally follows a completed sailing rather than a booking: Norwegian Cruise Line enrols guests in Latitudes Rewards automatically after their first cruise, and Cunard Line's entry Silver tier requires one voyage. [6] [8]
- That status is what unlocks member-only offers and savings, and the line checks it through a membership number rather than through the sailing itself: Norwegian Cruise Line's Past Guest offers appear only when a guest is signed in to a My NCL account with a Latitudes number attached. [6]
- Matched or honoured status can widen the benefits beyond the line that was actually sailed, as with one-for-one tier matching across Royal Caribbean Group brands. [4] [5]
How does past-guest status begin?
Norwegian Cruise Line enrols a guest in Latitudes Rewards automatically after the first cruise, and later sailings then earn one Latitudes point per cruise night. [6] Full-fare suites or The Haven booked at the time the reservation was originally made earn one additional point per night, with Club Balcony Suites excluded, and a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer adds a further point per night that does not apply to suites or The Haven. [6] Tiers run from Bronze at 1 point to Ambassador at 700 points. [6]
Cunard Line ties membership directly to a completed voyage: a guest joins the Cunard World Club as soon as the first voyage is completed, and the tiers are counted in voyages or nights. [8]
| Tier | Voyages or nights required |
|---|---|
| Silver | 1 voyage |
| Gold | 2 voyages / 20 nights |
| Platinum | 7 voyages / 70 nights |
| Diamond | 15 voyages / 150 nights |
Royal Caribbean International records Crown & Anchor Society Cruise Points at one per completed night of sailing, plus an extra point per night for the listed suite categories or for paying a single pricing type for a double-occupancy stateroom, and posts them to the account within 30 days after the cruise; a tier reached while onboard applies from the next sailing. [4] Celebrity Cruises awards Club Points by stateroom category and nights sailed, and states that earned Club Points do not expire. [5]
What do past-guest offers and events include?
At Norwegian Cruise Line, past-guest treatment is mostly bundled into the Latitudes Rewards tier list: Exclusive Member-Only Offers at every tier, Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers on selected sailings, Member Cruises, and a dedicated pre-cruise service desk from Platinum upwards. [6] The 4th Annual Latitudes Cruise is scheduled for 6–13 December 2026 on Norwegian Aqua, with special events, exclusive guest speakers and gifts. [6]
Cunard's benefits build by tier: Silver includes Cunard World Club member savings, the Cunarder magazine and access to an onboard loyalty representative; Gold adds a complimentary internet credit and an invitation to an onboard event exclusive to Cunard World Club members; Platinum adds priority check-in at selected ports and complimentary wine tastings; Diamond adds a complimentary meal at an onboard alternative dining venue. [8] The internet credit is US$45 at Gold, US$80 at Platinum and US$135 at Diamond. [8]
Royal Caribbean International lists members-only offers and special savings as part of Crown & Anchor Society membership, and its President's Cruise aboard Icon of the Seas is a seven-night sailing departing Miami on 3 October 2026 with events for members. [4] Celebrity Cruises lists members-only promotions, exclusive voyages and special events among Captain's Club offers, alongside one-category stateroom upgrades at booking subject to availability. [5]
Do past-guest benefits follow you across brands?
Within Royal Caribbean Group they can. Crown & Anchor Society, Captain's Club and Silversea's Venetian Society are matched one-for-one by tier, and members are asked to allow up to seven days for matched status to take effect. [4] [5] From 30 January 2026, Crown & Anchor Society members aged 18 and over can also send points earned on a sailing to Captain's Club or Venetian Society through Points Choice, submitting the request any time before the sailing or up to 14 days after disembarkation, provided the member is already enrolled in the programme receiving the points. [4]
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings honours Latitudes Rewards status on Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises, though the one-time Diamond cabin upgrade and the Ambassador gift are excluded from that status-honouring arrangement. [6]
Exceptions and limits
- Entry tier at enrolment or booking. Celebrity Cruises describes its Classic tier as created the moment a guest enrols or books, and lists Classic at 2–149 Club Points, so the entry level can exist before a first sailing is completed. [5]
- Sailing length. Latitudes Rewards tier benefits apply on Norwegian Cruise Line sailings of five nights or longer, while onboard discounts, including the pre-booking of shore excursions, apply on all sailings regardless of length. [6]
- Missing points. Norwegian Cruise Line credits missing Latitudes points only for cruises taken within the last 12 months. [6]
- Itinerary differences. Captain's Club benefits are designed for Celebrity sailings, and Galapagos and river cruises can carry their own inclusions and rules. [5]
- Communications. Receiving the Cunarder magazine and further loyalty updates requires opting in to marketing and loyalty communications in My Account. [8]
Frequently asked questions
Does booking a cruise make you a past guest?
With Norwegian Cruise Line and Cunard Line the status follows a completed sailing: enrolment is automatic after the first cruise [6], and Cunard's Silver tier requires one voyage [8]. Celebrity Cruises describes its entry Classic tier as created when a guest enrols or books [5].
What is a past-guest number used for?
It is the membership number the line attaches to a booking. Norwegian Cruise Line requires a signed-in My NCL account with a Latitudes number attached before Past Guest offers can be viewed [6], and Celebrity Cruises asks guests to add their Captain's Club number to a booking, or sign in before reserving, to start earning [5].
Can past-guest status from one line be used on another?
Within Royal Caribbean Group it can, because Crown & Anchor Society, Captain's Club and Venetian Society tiers are matched one-for-one [4] [5]. Within Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Latitudes Rewards status is honoured on Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises, with some benefits excluded [6].
Do past-guest points expire?
Crown & Anchor Society membership is free to join and its points never expire [4], and Captain's Club points do not expire once they are in an account [5].
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other cruise lines' loyalty programmes are not covered here; see the cruise loyalty programmes guide.
- Royal Caribbean International Crown & Anchor Society programme page, checked 18 October 2026
- Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club programme page, checked 18 October 2026
- Norwegian Cruise Line Latitudes Rewards programme page, checked 18 October 2026
- Cunard Line Cunard World Club programme page, checked 18 October 2026