Everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program

There are some great rewards waiting for cruisers who show loyalty to Royal Caribbean.

The line's frequent cruiser program, the Crown & Anchor Society, offers members such enticing perks as special discounts on balcony cabins and suites after only a few sailings. And that’s just a hint of what’s to come for loyal cruisers.

At the very top tier of the program, the Pinnacle Club, the program has one of the most spectacular rewards in the cruise loyalty program universe: a free cruise for two.

Ways to earn points

Earning points in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society program is relatively straightforward. You will get:

• 1 point for every night you spend on a ship.
• 1 additional point for every night you spend in a suite.

Note that the extra point per night for suites only applies to stays in suites booked when a reservation is originally made. It doesn’t apply to stays in suites that result from an upgrade.

Related: A beginner’s guide to cruise line loyalty programs

Program tiers and benefits

There are six tiers to the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society program:

• Gold (3-29 points).
• Platinum (30-54 points).
• Emerald (55-79 points).
• Diamond (80-174 points).
• Diamond Plus (175-699 points).
• Pinnacle Club (700 or more points).

As is typical for cruise line loyalty programs, the entry-level tier (Gold) doesn’t bring all that much in terms of truly valuable rewards. The most alluring benefit at this level is the exclusive rates available to members for specific sailings of specific ships.

In addition, Gold members get:

• Crown & Anchor Society onboard offers
• SeaPass card recognition
• Private departure lounge with continental breakfast
• Priority notice on special offers, new ships and itineraries
• Exclusive email offers
• Access to a Crown & Anchor phone line for membership inquiries
• A member newsletter

Upon reaching the second tier of the program, Platinum, you get a few more perks. The most notable, to us, is access to special member discounts on balcony cabins and suites. That can bring real savings. The Platinum tier also brings matching status in the loyalty program of Royal Caribbean's sister line, Celebrity Cruises.

Platinum status also has exclusive, top-tier events, the delivery of robes to your cabin for use while on board and a signature lapel pin.

Related: The ultimate guide to picking a cruise line

The next tier, Emerald, adds just one minor perk: The delivery of bottled water and a snack plus a beverage of your choice to your cabin at the start of each voyage.

The fourth tier of the program, Diamond, adds:

• Milestone recognition.
• A chef's choice gift.
• Priority waitlist for shore excursions/Vitality Spa services.
• Access to an exclusive Diamond Club on select ships.
• Access to an exclusive nightly Diamond event.
• A complimentary entertainment tour.

It will take you just one cruise to reach the Gold level. To reach the Platinum level would require five, seven-night cruises, assuming you stay in standard cabins.

Reaching the Emerald tier can be done in as few as eight, seven-night cruises if you book a standard cabin. You could hit the Diamond level after 12 seven-night cruises in standard cabins.

If you book suites, you’ll reach all of these levels much faster.

Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean cabins and suites

The elite level that makes a difference

In our view, the Diamond Plus level is where the Royal Caribbean loyalty program really starts paying off.

Once you reach Diamond Plus, you’ll get all the aforementioned benefits plus priority access and seating at main theater shows, ice shows and AquaTheater events, which is a great perk.

Diamond Plus status also brings a 50% reduction in the single supplement charge for solo travelers — albeit only after your point total in the program hits 340 points. If you're a solo traveler, this is a very big deal, as it will save you a considerable amount of money when sailing Royal Caribbean.

Diamond Plus members also get:

• Access to exclusive top-tier events.
• A personalized gift/amenity (one per household).
• Exclusive access to Diamond Plus call center staff.

Diamond Plus members who accumulate 340 points also get access to a Cheers event with a ship's officer, upgraded bathroom amenities and a bonus gift. Those accumulating 525 points get another bonus gift.

It can take as many as 25 seven-night cruises to reach Diamond Plus status if you stay in standard cabins. You can reach this level in far fewer cruises if you stay in suites and sail on longer voyages.

Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean

Best elite perk

The ultimate perk for Crown & Anchor Society members comes upon reaching the top Pinnacle Club tier. You’ll get a complimentary seven-night cruise to the Caribbean in a balcony cabin.

The free cruise is for two people. You can bring a third and fourth guest, but you’ll pay for their fares. You’ll also pay for all taxes, fees and service charges (including gratuities); look out for other restrictions.

After hitting the Pinnacle Club level, you'll get an additional free cruise every time you accumulate another 350 points. In other words, you'll get an initial free cruise after hitting 700 points and then additional cruises at 1,050 points, 1,400 points, 1,750 points, etc.

The first two cruises are in a balcony cabin. After that, you quality for a junior suite.

If you don’t want to sail the Caribbean, you can ask for a cruise credit to use toward an itinerary somewhere else. Royal Caribbean will give you $2,400 toward the purchase of a cruise at 700 and 1,050 points, and $3,200 toward the purchase of a cruise at 1,400 points and above.

Pinnacle Club members also get:

• Flexible arrival to the ship.
• A personalized lapel pin.
• A Pinnacle Club SeaPass card with exclusive privileges.
• Daily breakfast at a specialty restaurant.
• Access to an exclusive night Pinnacle Club event.

Related: The 6 classes of Royal Caribbean ships, explained

Bottom line

The Crown & Anchor Society program is relatively simple to understand and can bring you some great benefits at higher levels. It's not quite as robust as Norwegian Cruise Line's Latitudes Rewards program, where more great perks kick in at lower levels. But, unlike the programs at many lines, it offers one of the truly great perks of any cruise loyalty program: a free cruise at its top tier.

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