Seven big cruise lines run loyalty programs, and each one counts loyalty in its own unit. Royal Caribbean counts nights. Celebrity weighs each night by stateroom. Disney counts whole cruises, and Carnival now counts dollars. This guide compares the seven from their own program pages and terms, as published in October 2026. Each section also notes what the program does well as a design, for the teams who build loyalty programs.
Which cruise line has the best loyalty program?
For most cruisers, Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society is the strongest all-round program. It is free to join and its points never expire. A suite guest or a solo traveler earns extra points every night. Status also matches one for one at Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. Royal Caribbean’s own guide notes that The Points Guy named it the best cruise line loyalty program in its 2026 awards.
The right pick still depends on how you sail:
- Suite travelers: Celebrity’s Captain’s Club pays 2 to 24 points a night by stateroom. A suite guest climbs far faster than a guest in an inside cabin.
- Guests who switch lines: MSC will match the status you hold with another cruise line, hotel or tour operator.
- Big spenders: Carnival Rewards counts dollars from September 1, 2026. Members earn three stars for each $1 they spend.
- Families: Disney Castaway Club counts cruises. Every guest in a room gets the perks of its top-ranked member.
- Short and long trips alike: Princess counts cruises or cruise days, whichever gets a guest to the next tier first.
How do the cruise loyalty programs compare?
The table sets the seven programs side by side, with what earns status and the full tier ladder. The last column shows when points or membership lapse. Each row comes from the line’s own pages.
| Line and program | What earns status | Tiers and thresholds | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society | 1 point per night; +1 a night for a suite; +1 a night for single pricing | Gold 3, Platinum 30, Emerald 55, Diamond 80, Diamond Plus 175, Pinnacle Club 700 | Points never expire |
| Celebrity Captain’s Club | 2 to 24 points per night by stateroom paid; solo fares earn double | Preview 0, Classic 2, Select 150, Elite 300, Elite Plus 750, Zenith 3,000 | Points do not expire |
| Carnival Rewards (formerly VIFP Club) | 3 stars per $1 of qualifying purchases, over a two-year window | Red at sign-up, Gold 10,000, Platinum 50,000, Diamond 100,000 | Points forfeited after 3 years with no activity |
| MSC Voyagers Club | Points per cruise by experience and length; 100 points per €150 prepaid | Welcome 0, Classic 1, Silver 2,200, Gold 4,300, Diamond 10,000, Blue Diamond 25,000 | Not stated on the program page |
| Norwegian Latitudes Rewards | 1 point per night; +1 for a suite or The Haven; +1 on Insider Offers | Bronze 1, Silver 20, Gold 45, Platinum 75, Sapphire 150, Diamond 350, Ambassador 700 | Not stated on the program page |
| Princess Captain’s Circle | Cruises or cruise days, whichever comes first; a full suite or solo fare counts as 2 cruises | Gold 1 cruise, Ruby 3 cruises or 30 days, Platinum 5 or 50, Elite 15 or 150 | Not stated on the program pages |
| Disney Castaway Club | Completed cruises | Silver 1, Gold 5, Platinum 10, Pearl 25 | Book or sail within 5 years to stay in |
Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society: nights, with faster lanes for suites and solo fares
Crown & Anchor Society enrolls US and Canadian guests automatically after their first Royal Caribbean cruise. Members earn one point for each night sailed. A suite adds one point a night. Paying single pricing for a double stateroom adds one more. A solo traveler in a suite earns three points a night.
The ladder has six tiers: Gold at 3 points, Platinum at 30, Emerald at 55, Diamond at 80, Diamond Plus at 175 and Pinnacle Club at 700. Diamond is where the perks change. Members get four drink vouchers a day, Crown Lounge access and a free day of Wi-Fi. Pinnacle Club members earn a free cruise at 700 and 1,050 points, up to a balcony on a Caribbean sailing of up to seven nights. Taxes and fees stay with the guest.
The design to study is the group. Since May 30, 2024, members get one-for-one tier matching across Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea. The match applies only to those three brands. For sailings departing on or after January 30, 2026, Points Choice lets a member apply earned points to Crown & Anchor, Captain’s Club or the Venetian Society. A guest who trades up to a premium brand keeps the status they built.
Celebrity Captain’s Club: points priced by stateroom
Captain’s Club is free to join, and guests are enrolled when they finish their first sailing. Points follow the stateroom: 2 a night for an inside or ocean view room, 3 for a veranda, 5 for Concierge Class or AquaClass, and up to 24 for the Iconic Suite. Solo travelers who pay the full single fare earn double. Earned points do not expire.
The terms dated May 28, 2026 set the ladder: Preview at 0 points, Classic at 2, Select at 150, Elite at 300, Elite Plus at 750 and Zenith at 3,000. Points follow the category a guest paid for, so a free or reduced upgrade earns nothing extra. Elite brings the Captain’s Club Cocktail Hour and free laundry. Zenith members get lounge access and complimentary Premium drinks and Wi-Fi packages.
Celebrity reworked its free cruise rewards for sailings from June 11, 2026. Reaching Zenith at 3,000 points earns one veranda stateroom on a select seven-night Caribbean or Bermuda cruise. An AquaClass stateroom follows at 6,000 points, and a Sky Suite at 9,000 and every 3,000 after. The lesson is alignment: an Iconic Suite night earns 12 times an inside cabin night, so status tracks what a guest pays to sail.
Carnival Rewards: the VIFP Club becomes a spend program
Carnival’s VIFP Club became Carnival Rewards on September 1, 2026. Five tiers became four: Red, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Status now comes from Status Qualifying Stars, at three stars for each $1 of qualifying purchases. Gold starts at 10,000 stars, Platinum at 50,000 and Diamond at 100,000. Members also earn three Carnival Rewards Points per $1 to spend.
Stars build over a two-year earning window, and the first runs from September 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. Stars earned on a cruise fare are split evenly among everyone in the stateroom, minors included. Points are forfeited after three straight years with no earning or redeeming. Platinum members get complimentary wash and fold laundry and early online check-in.
The migration rules are the part operators should read. Members who reached VIFP Diamond by August 31, 2026, keep Diamond for life. Red, Gold and Platinum members keep their August 31 status as a floor through December 31, 2028. Members must opt in to carry status and points over. A tenure reward survives too: Milestone Rewards still pay 5,000 points at 50 days sailed and 10,000 at 100 days.
MSC Voyagers Club: points per cruise and an open status match
MSC Voyagers Club is a free program that enrolls guests automatically. Points come per cruise. The amount depends on the experience bought (Bella, Fantastica, Aurea or MSC Yacht Club) and the cruise length. Prepaid packages add 100 points for every €150.
The ladder runs from Welcome at 0 points through Classic, Silver at 2,200, Gold at 4,300 and Diamond at 10,000, to Blue Diamond at 25,000. Classic members and above get a 5% Voyagers Club booking discount.
MSC matches status from outside its own group. A member of another cruise line, hotel or tour operator program can file a status match request. For program designers, that is acquisition through recognition. The match lets a loyal guest of a rival start at MSC with recognition they already hold elsewhere.
Norwegian Latitudes Rewards: seven tiers and a bonus that steers bookings
Latitudes Rewards enrolls guests after their first cruise. Members earn one point per cruise night. A full-fare suite or The Haven adds one point a night. Booking a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer adds one more. Seven tiers run from Bronze at 1 point through Silver at 20, Gold at 45, Platinum at 75, Sapphire at 150 and Diamond at 350, to Ambassador at 700.
Tier benefits apply on sailings of five nights or longer. Platinum and above get two specialty dinners for two and a free bag of laundry. Diamond brings a one-time cabin upgrade up to Club Balcony, and Ambassador a free seven-day balcony cruise. The Insider Offer point is the design to study. One extra point a night moves members toward the sailings Norwegian picks.
Princess Captain’s Circle: cruises or days, whichever comes first
Captain’s Circle membership starts after the first cruise. Status counts cruises or cruise days, whichever comes first. Gold comes after one cruise, Ruby at 3 cruises or 30 days, Platinum at 5 cruises or 50 days, and Elite at 15 cruises or 150 days. A full suite or a solo fare at the exclusive occupancy rate counts as two cruise credits. Days are not doubled.
Platinum brings 50% off a MedallionNet Wi-Fi package and a Platinum and Elite Lounge. Elite adds a minibar set-up, laundry service and 10% off shore excursions. Two counting tracks serve two kinds of guest. Someone who takes short trips climbs by cruises, and someone on long voyages climbs by days.
Disney Castaway Club: counted in cruises, paid in early access
Castaway Club counts completed cruises. Silver comes after 1, Gold after 5, Platinum after 10 and Pearl after 25. Members stay in by booking or sailing within five years of their last voyage. Every guest in a stateroom gets the benefits of its highest-ranking member.
Pearl members book new itineraries four days before general sale. They also book onboard activities 123 days before they sail. The early window is the product. For one fall 2027 lineup, early bookings opened for select Castaway Club members on August 31, 2026. General sale opened eight days later. Disney pays loyalty in time: the first pick of new sailings.
How many cruises does it take to earn status?
The ladders above use different units, so they are hard to compare by eye. For illustration, take a couple on a seven-night balcony cruise with no suite, solo or promotional bonus. The table turns that one cruise into each line’s credit. It then counts the cruises to a tier near the middle of each ladder, and to the top.
| Line | Credit per guest for one cruise | Middle tier used | Cruises to the middle tier | Cruises to the top tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | 7 points | Diamond (80) | 12 | 100 (Pinnacle Club, 700) |
| Celebrity | 21 points (3 a night in a veranda) | Elite (300) | 15 | 143 (Zenith, 3,000) |
| Norwegian | 7 points | Platinum (75) | 11 | 100 (Ambassador, 700) |
| Princess | 1 cruise and 7 days | Platinum (5 cruises) | 5 | 15 (Elite) |
| Disney | 1 cruise | Platinum (10 cruises) | 10 | 25 (Pearl) |
| Carnival (assumes $2,000 qualifying fare for the cabin) | 3,000 stars | Gold (10,000) | 4 within two years | 34 within two years (Diamond, 100,000) |
Two patterns stand out. Programs that count whole cruises, Princess and Disney, put the top tier at 15 to 25 sailings. Programs that count nights put it near 100 week-long cruises, so the top tier rewards a lifetime of sailing. Carnival now resets every two years, which rewards recent spend over past loyalty. Suites and solo fares change every row, and that is the point of the multipliers.
Can you status match between cruise lines?
Only in a few places, and mostly inside one corporate family. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea match tiers one for one, and the match does not reach outside brands. Norwegian, Oceania and Regent honor each other’s status per cruise under a program that launched on September 29, 2025. Guests request it before sailing, and points do not move between brands.
MSC is the open door. It takes a match from other cruise lines, hotels and tour operators. Holland America takes a softer route. Guests who have sailed with Carnival, Princess, Cunard, Seabourn and Costa are enrolled as Star Mariners once they book with Holland America. Carnival and Princess post no status match on their program pages.
What can loyalty teams learn from cruise programs?
A cruise is a long trip that costs a lot, and guests do not book one often. These programs show four design choices worth copying in any business with rare, costly purchases.
- Count the unit that matches the economics. Nights suit a line that sells cabins by the night. Revenue-weighted nights, as at Celebrity, tie status to what a guest pays. Dollars, as at Carnival, also count casino play and other eligible purchases.
- Build faster lanes for the guests you want more of. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess all speed up suite guests and solo travelers who pay a single fare.
- Keep members inside the family. Group-wide tier matching and Points Choice let a guest change brands without starting over.
- Migrate with a floor. Carnival kept lifetime Diamond and a status floor through 2028 while it changed the unit of loyalty.
Our guide to tier strategy covers how to set thresholds like these. For the hotel side of travel loyalty, see the best hotel rewards programs.
How does GRAVTY run loyalty across a family of brands?
The cruise groups above face the same problem as a multi-brand hotel group. Each brand wants its own perks, and the group wants one member. On GRAVTY, Loyalty Juggernaut’s platform, shared membership runs at the group level while each brand keeps control of its own tier benefits and rules. GHA DISCOVERY runs this way across its member hotel brands, with Discovery Dollars settled between them. On it, Global Hotel Alliance grew total revenue by 146%, per Loyalty Juggernaut. Jumeirah One and Club ITC run single-operator programs on the same engine. See hospitality loyalty on GRAVTY.
Frequently asked questions
Which cruise line has the best loyalty program?
Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society is the best all-round pick for most cruisers. It is free, its points never expire, and status matches one for one at Celebrity and Silversea. Suite travelers do better at Celebrity’s Captain’s Club, and guests switching lines can status match into MSC Voyagers Club.
How many nights does it take to reach Diamond with Royal Caribbean?
Diamond takes 80 Crown & Anchor points, which is 80 nights at the base rate of one point a night. A suite adds a point a night, and so does a single-pricing fare. A solo traveler in a suite earns three a night and reaches Diamond in 27 nights.
What happened to Carnival’s VIFP Club?
Carnival replaced the VIFP Club with Carnival Rewards on September 1, 2026. Status now comes from spend, at three Status Qualifying Stars per $1, with Gold at 10,000 stars. VIFP Diamonds as of August 31, 2026, keep Diamond for life. Members must opt in to carry status and points over.
Do cruise loyalty points expire?
It depends on the line. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity points never expire. Carnival forfeits points after three straight years with no activity. Norwegian and Princess state no expiry rule on their program pages. Disney members must book or sail within five years to stay in Castaway Club.
Can you status match between cruise lines?
Yes, at MSC. It takes a match from other cruise lines, hotels and tour operators. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea match only each other. Norwegian, Oceania and Regent honor each other’s status for a cruise on request.
Do solo cruisers earn loyalty status faster?
Yes, at three of the seven lines. Royal Caribbean adds a point a night for single pricing. Celebrity doubles points on a full single fare. Princess counts a solo fare at the exclusive occupancy rate as two cruises. Carnival splits cruise-fare stars across everyone in the stateroom.
Does it cost money to join a cruise loyalty program?
No. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival and MSC say their programs are free to join. Norwegian, Princess and Disney sign guests up on their own after the first cruise.