Royal Caribbean Group operates three brands, and while they share some back-end infrastructure, each operates separately.
If you sail on Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea ships — the three cruise lines the parent owns — you might not know that they are corporate sisters.
You can see some telltale signs, since all three brands use different versions of the same app. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have also been using similar websites for their casino programs, which suggest, but do not explicitly state, a connection.
Related: Carnival Cruise and Royal Caribbean make popular smoking changes
And at least as far as the casinos go, the two brands may share some website and back-end technology, but they are not connected. Your casino status on Royal Caribbean is not matched by Celebrity or Silversea and the same is true across all the brands.
Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have had a limited tier-matching program when it comes to their core loyalty programs, the Captain's Club and the Crown & Anchor Society respectively. These programs reward passengers for the number of nights they spend on a ship.
How cruisers earn points differs on each of the three lines. Now, Royal Caribbean has decided to make a major change in how it recognizes loyalty-program status across the three lines.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
Royal Caribbean now has a full status match
Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) will now fully match status across all its brands. That means that if you reach a tier on one of the company's cruise lines, you will have the equivalent status on its two sister lines.
Status, it's important to remember, is not the same as benefits. Each cruise line offers different perks at each level, so you will get the benefits offered at that tier by the line you are sailing on, not the line you earned that tier with.
"This shared status adds to members’ existing benefits and unlocks new ways to see the world, with more than 50 incredible ships sailing to nearly 1,000 destinations across all seven continents," Royal Caribbean said in a news release.
"Now, loyalty members have another reason to experience all Royal Caribbean Group has to offer, with a product to meet them for each of life’s moments."
It's a big change given that Royal Caribbean's chief rival, Carnival Cruise Line, (CCL) does not have a similar offer across its brands.
"As the first major cruise company to offer loyalty status matching across its core brands, the Royal Caribbean Group Loyalty Status Match program allows members of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society, Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club, and Silversea’s Venetian Society to enjoy reciprocal tier status no matter which brand they sail with," the company added.
Why loyalty status matters
When you reach higher levels of a cruise line's loyalty program, it unlocks some meaningful benefits.
On Royal Caribbean, for example, Diamond members get four free drink vouchers a day, which can be used anywhere on the ship or at the CocoCay private island. They also get access to the Crown Lounge, which offers a continental breakfast, a dedicated concierge, and early-evening snacks.
These are meaningful perks that strengthen the value of your cruise. Not having the same status if you opt to sail another cruise line (even though the actual benefits offered may be different) might keep someone from trying a different cruise line.
The cruise line explained the new program as follows:
- Seamless Status Recognition: Members of Crown & Anchor Society, Captain’s Club and Venetian Society are now eligible to receive one-for-one status match across all three brands after they enroll in each program.
- Onboard Benefits: When sailing on each sister brand, guests can enjoy the onboard benefits offered by each brand for their equivalent tier status.
- Effortless Tier Matching: Guests already enrolled in multiple loyalty programs will be automatically matched across brands within 7 days to ensure guests receive their appropriate loyalty status.
- Enhanced Travel Experience: Status match enables guests to select from a broader and more diverse range of vacation experiences and destinations.
Even the previous Royal Caribbean and Celebrity program topped out at matching Diamond to Elite. That meant that Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members were not matched to Elite Plus and Zenith respectively.
At the highest tiers — Pinnacle, 500 VS Days, and Zenith — the benefits and recognition are significant.
This new program enables those very loyal customers to be treated as top-tier passengers, no matter which of the three cruise lines they sail on
Related: Get the best cruise tips, deals, and news on the ships from our expert cruiser
