Guide to Azamara Cruises' Azamara Circle loyalty program

Like most cruise lines, Azamara Cruises has a branded loyalty program, Azamara Circle, which allows frequent cruisers to maximize their travel investment by earning points for each night they sail with the brand. As passengers earn points, they move up the ranks of five loyalty tiers, earning additional perks and amenities -- including onboard discounts, free cruise nights and access to exclusive parties -- as they do so.

This article aims to break down the program, from earning points to what each loyalty level offers and which cabin category bookings will allow you to punch above your weight in terms of perks.

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Ways to earn points

Azamara's points earning system is fairly straightforward. The line has eight stateroom categories, each of which earns passengers a certain number of points per night when they cruise.

• Club Interior (2 points)
• Club Oceanview (3 points)
• Club Veranda (5 points)
• Club Veranda Plus (6 points)
• Club Continent Suites (8 points)
• Club Spa (18 points)
• Club Ocean (18 points)
• Club World Owner's Suites (18 points)

Note that the number of points you'll receive depends on the stateroom category you booked, so if you're upgraded to a higher-level cabin, you won't receive the higher number of points.

Because Azamara's ships do not have accommodations for solo cruisers, anyone traveling alone must pay two cruise fares, as all cabins are designed for double occupancy. Therefore, all solo passengers will receive double points for each night of their voyage.

Program tiers and benefits

There are five tiers in the Azamara Circle loyalty program:

• Adventurer (1-149 points)
• Explorer (150-299 points)
• Discoverer (300-749 points)
• Discoverer Plus (750-2,999)
• Discoverer Platinum (3,000+ points)

Adventurer is the easiest to obtain, as you reach it after just one sailing, meaning your benefits will kick in on your second voyage. (In order to enroll, you must create an account with Azamara.)

All loyalty tiers receive 10% off select voyages once per quarter, free internet minutes based on tier level, discounts and upgrades on Hertz car rentals, the services of a loyalty ambassador and onboard host, a members-only happy hour on each sailing, exclusive email updates, future cruise credits of $300 per stateroom for each referral (if they book and sail with the line) and beverage package discounts. Additional perks and specifics for each tier are below.

Unlike the first level of most other cruise lines' loyalty schemes, Adventurer level does earn cruisers some valuable savings in addition to the ones already mentioned:

• 5% off future cruises booked onboard
• Savings on future voyages in the form of up to $300 in onboard credit (when future cruises are booked onboard during the first half of your cruise) and a 50% reduced deposit
• 30 free minutes of Wi-Fi or 20% off an unlimited internet package (more if staying in Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart below)
• 10% off signature spa treatments
• 5% discount on the line's Ultimate Beverage Package

Many other cruise lines reward passengers with free cruises only after they have reached the highest loyalty tier, but Azamara begins awarding free cruise nights to passengers when they hit Explorer level and each subsequent level thereafter. That means passengers can enjoy further savings on top of percentage discounts when they book cruises from Explorer level onward.

Cruisers can reach Explorer level in as few as nine nights (or five nights if traveling solo) if they stay in one of the three top-level cabin types. Explorer perks include:

• Two free cruise nights (must be redeemed within 12 months on sailings of seven nights or longer)
• 5% off future cruises booked onboard
• Savings on future voyages in the form of up to $300 in onboard credit (when future cruises are booked onboard during the first half of your cruise) and a 50% reduced deposit
• 60 free minutes of Wi-Fi or 35% off an unlimited internet package (more if staying in Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart below)
• Free laundry service for one bag of items per stateroom, per seven-night sailing (two bags if booked in a Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart below)
• 15% off signature spa treatments
• 10% discount on the line's Ultimate Beverage Package

The Discoverer tier can be attained after 17 nights (or nine nights if traveling solo) in one of the three highest-level cabins. Discoverer-level cruisers receive:

• Four free cruise nights (must be redeemed within 12 months on sailings of seven nights or longer)
• 6% off future cruises booked onboard
• Savings on future voyages in the form of up to $300 in onboard credit (when future cruises are booked onboard during the first half of your cruise) and a 50% reduced deposit
• 90 free minutes of Wi-Fi or 50% off an unlimited internet package (more if staying in Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart below)
• Free laundry service for one bag of items per stateroom, per seven-night sailing (two bags if booked in a Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart below)
• 20% off signature spa treatments
• 15% discount on the line's Ultimate Beverage Package
• Up to 10% off fine jewelry in onboard shops when spending $2,000 or more
• Priority check-in at select ports

Each level of the loyalty program is entitled to free Wi-Fi minutes, depending on tier level. However, those staying in Club Veranda Plus staterooms or higher will receive more, based on a combination of stateroom type and loyalty level, according to the following chart -- even if they've only reached Adventurer status. Additionally, passengers at Explorer level or higher will receive two bags of complimentary laundry service if booked in any of the cabin categories listed on the chart below.

Royal Caribbean Group sold Azamara in early 2021 to Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm based in New York. For now, the line's loyalty program reciprocity with former sister brands Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International will remain unchanged. That means you can still apply your Azamara status to sailings with those two lines, and any points you earned through Celebrity that have been applied to your Azamara Circle loyalty status up to this point will remain. Under the programs, reciprocity is granted according to the following conversion chart.

The elite level that makes a difference

The Discoverer Plus level is the one that spans the largest number of points, making it the first one at which cruisers can earn enough to make a weeklong sailing almost completely free. Six nights are awarded when this level is first reached, along with three additional nights at 1,500 points and another three at 2,250 points.

Azamara Circle members at this level are entitled to:

• Six free cruise nights, plus three additional nights at 1,500 points and 2,250 points (must be redeemed within 12 months on sailings of seven nights or longer)
• 7% off future cruises booked onboard
• Savings on future voyages in the form of up to $300 in onboard credit (when future cruises are booked onboard during the first half of your cruise) and a 50% reduced deposit
• 120 free minutes of Wi-Fi or 75% off an unlimited internet package (more if staying in Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart above)
• Free laundry service for one bag of items per stateroom, per seven-night sailing (two bags if booked in a Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart below)
• 25% off signature spa treatments
• 20% discount on the line's Ultimate Beverage Package
• Up to 10% off fine jewelry in onboard shops when spending $2,000 or more
• Priority check-in at select ports

Best elite perk

Discoverer Platinum is Azamara Circle's highest level of loyalty. It's the only tier that, when reached, rewards cruisers with enough nights for a completely complimentary sailing of at least a week in length. However, apart from the initial four additional free cruise nights, free Wi-Fi and an extra 5% discount on the Ultimate Beverage Package, this tier doesn't offer much that's different from what you'll receive at the Discoverer Plus level.

Discoverer Platinum amenities are:

• 10 free cruise nights, plus three additional nights every 750 points after reaching Discoverer Platinum status (must be redeemed within 12 months on sailings of seven nights or longer)
• 10% off future cruises booked onboard
• Savings on future voyages in the form of up to $300 in onboard credit (when future cruises are booked onboard during the first half of your cruise) and a 50% reduced deposit
• 150 free minutes of Wi-Fi or 100% off an unlimited internet package (more if staying in Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart below)
• Free laundry service for one bag of items per stateroom, per seven-night sailing (two bags if booked in a Club Veranda Plus cabin category or higher, see chart above)
• 25% off signature spa treatments
• 25% discount on the line's Ultimate Beverage Package
• Up to 10% off fine jewelry in onboard shops when spending $2,000 or more
• Priority check-in at select ports

Bottom line

Because Azamara is a premium line, it's no surprise that its loyalty program offers quite a bit more for passengers than more mainstream lines in the way of discounts and opportunities to earn free cruise nights.

There are marked differences between Azamara Circle tiers, but cruisers hit the sweet spots when they achieve at least Discoverer Plus level.

Because joining the program requires minimal work -- just a registration -- there's no reason not to join, as the perks can add up over time, especially if you plan to cruise with Azamara regularly.