An epic loyalty program perk offered by 3 cruise lines is about to disappear
Call it the end of an era for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises fans who also like to sail on Azamara.
A popular loyalty perk long offered by the three cruise brands — the ability for a member in one of the lines' loyalty programs to get reciprocal benefits in both of the other brands' loyalty programs — is coming to an end, effective Wednesday.
The change comes two years after the parent company of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, known as Royal Caribbean Group, sold Azamara to private equity firm Sycamore Partners, resulting in it becoming a stand-alone cruise company.
As of Wednesday, members of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program and Celebrity's Captain's Club loyalty program will continue to receive reciprocal benefits. However, they won't receive reciprocal benefits when sailing with Azamara.
Members of Azamara's Azamara Circle loyalty program, in turn, won't be able to get reciprocal benefits when sailing with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity.
Additionally, Azamara and Celebrity loyalty program members won't earn points cumulatively in both programs, something that has been the case since the founding of Azamara in 2007.
Related: The ultimate guide to Azamara cabins and suites
In short, beginning Wednesday, the Azamara Circle program will be completely independent for the first time in its history.
Two key things to note about the transition:
- Members of Celebrity's Captain's Circle program will keep points earned from past sailings with Azamara.
- Members of the Azamara Circle program will keep points earned from past sailings with Celebrity only if they have completed at least one Azamara sailing by Wednesday. In other words, Azamara Circle members who have racked up points in the program over the years solely by sailing on Celebrity ships will lose those points (and their current status at the line) as of Wednesday.
The ability for cruisers with high levels of status with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity to get reciprocal benefits when sailing with Azamara, and for cruisers with high levels of status with Azamara to get reciprocal benefits when sailing with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, was a valuable perk for fans of all three brands.
Related: The ultimate guide to Azamara
Under terms of the reciprocity, Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members who reached the Diamond level (80-174 points) in that program, for instance, would be recognized on Azamara ships as if they had Discoverer level (300-749 points) in the Azamara Circle program.
That would get them a 50% discount on a Wi-Fi package, a 20% savings on spa treatments, a 15% discount on a drinks package and a free bag of laundry service once per cruise — perks that could result in hundreds of dollars in savings on board Azamara ships.
They also would receive access to priority boarding in some ports and invitations to onboard events for loyalty program elite members.
Celebrity Captain's Club members who hit the Elite level (300-749 points) of that program would be recognized at the same Discoverer level in the Azamara Circle program. Captain's Club members at the higher Elite Plus (740-2,999 points) and Zenith (3,000-plus) levels of that program would receive the benefits of the highest Discoverer Plus (740-2,999 points) and Discoverer Platinum (3,000-plus points) levels of the Azamara program.
Related: 5 things we love about Azamara's newest ship
Azamara's highest Discoverer Platinum level brings such perks as completely free Wi-Fi and 25% discounts on spa treatments and drinks packages.
In addition to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, Royal Caribbean Group currently owns a full or partial interest in three other cruise brands: Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. However, the parent company only offers reciprocal loyalty benefits between its Royal Caribbean and Celebrity brands.
The Silversea brand has a relatively simple loyalty program without separate program tiers.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.