Corporate synergy giveth, and corporate synergy taketh away. Such is the circle of life, and the cruise industry is no different.
For years, cruise fans have come to love a perk offered by Royal Caribbean Group. As part of a companywide initiative, anyone who was a member in one of the lines' loyalty programs would also receive reciprocal benefits in the other two brands' loyalty programs.
But that agreement is coming to an end this week, as Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) has sold Azamara to the private equity firm Sycamore Partners, as noted by The Points Guy, so now it is a standalone company.
What this means for cruise fans is that members of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program and Celebrity's Captain's Club loyalty program will continue to get benefits on each other’s ships, such as Crown’s program to earn one point for every night you spend on a ship and one additional point for every night you spend in a suite.
But Azamara no longer knows Royal Caribbean fans like that, and the feeling is mutual. Fans enrolled in Azamara's Azamara Circle loyalty program will not get reciprocal benefits from Royal Caribbean or Celebrity’s loyalty programs, and vice versa.
Some Points Will Remain
People who earned some points between the lines will get to hold on to some of them, under specific means.
- Members of Celebrity's Captain's Circle program will keep points earned from past sailings with Azamara, but will not gain future points from traveling with the company.
- Members of the Azamara Circle program will keep points earned from past sailings with Celebrity, but only if they have completed at least one Azamara by this week. So people who signed up for Azamara Circle membership who earned points only by traveling on Celebrity ships and never the mothership will lose those points this week.
Royal Caribbean
People Won’t Love This Change
The ability to earn points between the three lines was a perk beloved by fans and frequent cruisers who liked to jump between lines.
As explained by The Points Guy:
“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.”
These perks, which could include 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, could potentially translate into hundreds of dollars in savings on Azamara ships.
They also could have translated into priority boarding on some sailings and invitations to exclusive events for loyalty program elite members.
Currently, Azamara's highest Discoverer Platinum level includes perks such as completely free Wi-Fi and 25% discounts on spa treatments and drinks packages, but now you’ll have to stick to just that line in order to earn the benefits.
Royal Caribbean Group currently owns a full or partial interest in Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises, and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, but there is currently only a loyalty reciprocal program between Royal Caribbean and Celebrity brands.
