Don't pay high prices for cocktails or spend time in slow-moving port lines when your cruise card is supposed to unlock everything at no cost. And the truth is that many travelers miss out on valuable perks simply because the royal caribbean loyalty program seems confusing at first glance. On top of that, it is also known as the Crown and Anchor Point system, and that could be the reason for the confusion.
As a result, most of the travelers overlook many of the benefits that are available to them. But if you don't activate your account before setting sail on the ship, your nightly free happy hour, priority embarkation and highest-rate price reductions are sitting there unused the moment the ship departs!
Here's a quick point guide, sneaky double-point shortcuts, and simple tips to get you to Diamond in no time. Check out these quick tips now, before you get to the terminal.
No cost to join, your points don't expire, and loads of benefits with this program. Now do you think that you need any reason to not choose the royal caribbean cruise loyalty program for your cruise voyage. The Crown & Anchor Society will add you automatically after your first completed sailing. You can make the registration in advance by using the app, website or even over the phone provided by Royal Caribbean.
Earning follows three simple rules, and the table below shows how each one changes a seven-night total. Your cruise points build the same way on shorter sailings, just in smaller amounts.
|
Booking type |
Points per night |
Seven-night total |
|
Standard cabin |
1 |
7 |
|
Suite booked as a suite |
2 |
14 |
|
Any cabin at the single fare |
2 |
14 |
|
Suite at the single fare |
3 |
21 |
Quick Tip: Suites and solo fares stack, so a solo suite guest reaches Diamond Plus in nine seven-night cruises. Travel advisor rates don’t earn the solo bonus, so check how you’re booked.
Upgrades are where many members get caught out. Points follow the fare you paid, not the cabin where you slept, so a free upgrade into a suite won’t double your cruise points.
Levels are built up, therefore each tier includes all previous ones. The tiers of loyalty of Royal Caribbean depend on the number of points earned. All the benefits will be automatically credited to your SeaPass Card. In most cases, benefits can be used only once per sailing.
Gold unlocks after three points, so one short sailing gets you in. It’s the smallest rung on the Crown & Anchor Society ladder, but the savings are real.
Platinum takes about five seven-night cruises in standard cabins. Five trips is realistic for many cruisers, and your cruise points never reset between them.
Emerald is a modest step up, but it sets up the jump to Diamond. Reaching Diamond from here takes only 25 more cruise points, or four seven-night cruises.
Diamond is where things get serious, and where daily drink vouchers begin. The RCL loyalty program gives you four each day, worth up to $14 apiece.
Voucher value is where Diamond starts paying for itself. Higher loyalty tiers add more vouchers, and this table converts them into dollars at the $14 cap.
|
Tier |
Daily vouchers |
Daily value |
Seven-night value |
|
Diamond |
4 |
$56 |
$392 |
|
Diamond Plus |
5 |
$70 |
$490 |
|
Pinnacle Club |
6 |
$84 |
$588 |
If you rarely order more than four drinks a day, a Deluxe Beverage Package may add little. Heavier drinkers should compare package pricing on their ship, since Diamond Plus members get 30% off.
Diamond Plus lifts you to five daily vouchers, worth up to $70. Among all six loyalty tiers, only this one and Pinnacle Club include buy-one-get-one specialty dining.
Pinnacle Club tops the ladder with six daily vouchers, worth up to $84. The Royal Caribbean loyalty program saves its biggest reward for this level, in the form of cruise certificates.
Use this grid to compare tiers at a glance. Your Crown & Anchor Society account shows your current total, so you can see which row you’re closest to.
|
Tier |
Points |
Standard cabin cruises |
Suite cruises |
Solo suite cruises |
Headline perk |
|
Gold |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Half-price drink coupons |
|
Platinum |
30 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
Balcony and suite discounts |
|
Emerald |
55 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
Welcome waters, $6 FreePlay |
|
Diamond |
80 |
12 |
6 |
4 |
Four daily vouchers |
|
Diamond Plus |
175 |
25 |
13 |
9 |
Five vouchers, show priority |
|
Pinnacle Club |
700 |
100 |
50 |
34 |
Milestone certificates |
Seven-night sailings simplify the math and bookending your cruise with a suite can reduce the trips required to earn a single night nearly in half. Keep tabs on your cruise points after each sailing to keep these goals reachable.
For example, a couple who takes two seven-night balcony cruises each year earns 14 points per year, so they reach Platinum status in their third year. The Diamond Plus void is 95 points. That's about 14 standard-cabin weeks and here's how these tactics help you get across:
Sailing with several family brands doesn’t mean starting over. A loyalty status match gives you the same tier across Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea once you’re enrolled in each program. Allow up to seven days for new status to appear.
|
Crown & Anchor tier |
Captain’s Club level |
|
Gold |
Classic |
|
Platinum |
Select |
|
Diamond |
Elite |
|
Diamond Plus |
Elite Plus |
|
Pinnacle Club |
Zenith |
Royal Caribbean’s chart leaves Emerald’s Captain’s Club cell blank, so confirm that match directly. Matched status also excludes several top perks until you earn the points yourself.
Earned points can move between programs when you’d rather build status elsewhere. Points choice lets a member apply to Crown & Anchor Society, Captain’s Club or Venetian Society. Rates aren’t one-to-one, because each brand earns differently.
|
Stateroom category |
Crown & Anchor points per night |
Captain’s Club points per night |
|
Inside and Ocean View |
1 |
2 |
|
Balcony and Neighborhood |
1 |
3 |
|
Junior Suites and Sky Suites |
2 |
5 |
|
Royal Suite and Grand Suites |
2 |
8 |
|
Ultimate Family Townhouse |
2 |
24 |
Quick tip: Requests can’t be changed or cancelled once submitted. Compare exchange rates carefully before you hit the send button.
Children under 18 share their parents’ tier up to Diamond Plus, until their 18th birthday. The Crown & Anchor Society treats Pinnacle Club differently, giving kids select onboard perks but not the tier itself.
|
Question |
Answer |
|
Do children share parent status? |
Yes, up to Diamond Plus, until age 18 |
|
What about Pinnacle Club families? |
Select perks only, no tier |
|
Who can be linked? |
Spouses, partners, children and long-term companions |
|
Do children earn their own points? |
Yes, for sailings they complete |
Points still belong to individuals, so list every traveler’s name on the reservation. Youth members in the Royal Caribbean loyalty program also receive the same daily voucher allotment as parents, redeemable for non-alcoholic drinks.
Youth members get half-price ice cream, a free second movie rental and arcade credit savings.
Fine print is where loyalty value quietly disappears. This table flags the limits most Crown & Anchor Society members discover too late, and the sections below explain each one.
|
Perk |
Who gets it |
Watch out for |
|
BOGO dining |
Diamond Plus and up |
Dinner on nights one or two only |
|
Crystal Block |
140+ points |
Accept it onboard or lose it |
|
Cruise certificates |
Pinnacle Club |
Holidays and June 15 to August 15 excluded |
|
Single supplement |
340+ points |
Holidays and June 1 to August 15 excluded |
|
Missing points |
Everyone |
Claim within 12 months |
The buy-one-get-one dining perk sounds generous, but it’s narrow. It covers specialty dinners on the first or second night only. Crown & Anchor Society members should plan opening evenings around it.
Excluded venues include Chef’s Table, Celebration Table, Supper Clubs, Hooked, Izumi Hibachi, Omakase, Johnny Rockets, Playmakers, Portside BBQ and Royal Railway.
Crystal Blocks arrive at 140, 210, 280 and 350 points, then every 70 after that. Milestones track total cruise points, so they follow a fixed schedule.
Free cruise certificates also carry limits, including holiday and peak-summer exclusions. Read Crown & Anchor Society terms before banking on one.
Not every perk works the same on every ship in the fleet. Royal Caribbean may limit Crown Lounge access on charters, crossings, repositionings and President’s Cruises.
Confirm any details onboard at the Loyalty Desk before you rely on a perk. Every Crown & Anchor Society member can use it.
For frequent cruisers, the answer is yes, and the reasons are mostly practical. Joining costs nothing, points don’t expire, and Pinnacle Club members earn real cruise certificates. The Crown & Anchor Society can change benefits without notice, though.
|
Good fit if you... |
Think twice if you... |
|
Sail at least once a year |
Cruise once every few years |
|
Book suites or travel solo |
Rarely drink onboard |
Casual sailors still gain drink coupons and discounts from Gold onward. Joining is an easy decision, even if you never actually chase the top tier.
It does not take more than a few minutes to register, and to track it, it takes even less time. Below is the routine that must be followed when using Loyalty Points with Royal Caribbean
Next cruise is the easiest way to begin, so add your membership number while making a reservation. Then compare your Crown & Anchor Society balance against the nearest threshold before booking again.
Unlocking the benefits of the royal caribbean cruise loyalty program shouldn't be a hassle. After you learn the rules for the Crown and Anchor Point system and royal caribbean loyalty program, you'll know what you need to do to make each night on the ocean a night you get perks. You'll be able to use each night to take advantage of free drinks and priority boarding and get the most out of your cruise.