Earn loyalty rewards easier: Royal Caribbean launches cruise status match program
For Royal Caribbean cruise passengers, it pays to be a repeat customer.
Royal Caribbean Group announced a new loyalty status match program on Thursday, allowing guests to get equivalent status across its Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises brands.
“As we orbit around our customers, this new program gives them one center of gravity to orbit around us,” president and CEO Jason Liberty told USA TODAY in an email. “We are always looking for new ways to enhance our guest experiences across our portfolio. We have many loyal guests who sail with each of our brands, and now, we are giving them new ways to explore the world, with the right product to meet them for all of life’s moments.”
How does the Royal Caribbean Group Loyalty Status Match program work?
Passengers who are enrolled in more than one of the brands’ loyalty programs can get one-for-one matches. Faithful Royal Caribbean International guests who have moved through the ranks of its Crown & Anchor Society can try a cruise with Silversea for the first time, for example, and board with equivalent-tier status in the line’s Venetian Club – and enjoy the associated perks. Travelers can find more information on the company's website.
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity already had some limited reciprocity, but the new program is more comprehensive.
“Our new Loyalty Status Match program will allow our loyal guests to try each of our brands, and a product will exist for them without compromise,” Liberty said. Guests’ status will be automatically matched within seven days of being enrolled in more than one brand's program.
When will the program take effect?
Passengers can access onboard benefits through the status match program starting with cruises departing on or after June 5.
What are the perks of cruise loyalty programs?
Cruise line loyalty programs give guests a number of perks that can help make travel easier and save them money.
Benefits for Celebrity’s Captain’s Club members, for instance, range from a special newsletter and welcome event to specialty dining discounts and complimentary laundry, among others. Liberty said during an earnings call in April that the company was seeing repeat guests more than 30% higher than 2019.
The status match program “not only rewards our loyal guests across the fleet but adds new ways for them to experience our products and see the world,” he said in the email.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Royal Caribbean will match loyalty status across three cruise brands
