One of the best deals in cruising right now is arguably Royal Caribbean's casino loyalty benefits, and it's getting even better.
Cruisers willing to gamble enough on their cruise to earn enough points to reach higher loyalty tiers have a new benefit that extends discounts to some of the cruise line's most popular add-ons.
An email newsletter sent to casino players mentions a new discount on pre-cruise purchases, with at least half off savings.
Here's what discounts you can expect, and how to get in on these deals.
Pre-cruise discounts
Royal Caribbean says between now and March 31, 2026, any cruiser with an elevated status is eligible for at least half off drink packages, beach clubs, and other popular add-ons.
You must be at least Prime status in Casino Royale in order to qualify, which means you've collected at least 2,500 points during the course of the casino year.
Here's how it breaks down:
| Masters | 55% Off Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club & Thrill Waterpark Day Passes 60% Off Deluxe Beverage Package |
|---|---|
| Signature | 55% Off Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club & Thrill Waterpark Day Passes 55% Off Deluxe Beverage Package |
| Prime | 55% Off Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club & Thrill Waterpark Day Passes 50% Off Deluxe Beverage Package |
In my experience, I've seen this discount applied previously, but it seemed more hit or miss. With the announcement, it appears the discount is now codified and will be more consistently applied.
Royal Caribbean also runs similar sales and promotions that apply to top tier members within Crown and Anchor Society.
As a Pinnacle Club member, I'll sometimes see my casino discount shown and other times a Diamond and above discount.
How much this could save you
You might be curious how lucrative this discount can actually be, so I decided to run a couple of tests.
As a Prime member, I found a couple of cruises where I had the discount applied to my account for an upcoming sailing. I then compared the price to the logged out price for what a new cruiser without casino status could expect (using this hack).
Oasis of the Seas 7-night October 5, 2025 sailing
- Deluxe Beverage Package
- Regular discount: 40% off - $68.99 per person, per day
- Casino discount: 50% off - $56.99 per person, per day
Star of the Seas 7-night November 23, 2025
- Deluxe Beverage Package
- Regular discount: Regular sale - $77.99 per person, per day
- Casino discount: 50% off - $59.99 per person, per day
No casino discounts applied to Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club, or Thrill Waterpark admission
Utopia of the Seas 4-night January 9, 2026
- Deluxe Beverage Package
- Regular discount: Regular sale - $83.99 per person, per day
- Casino discount: 50% off - $59.99 per person, per day
No casino discounts applied to Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club, or Thrill Waterpark admission
I saw the same price and "Pre Cruise Savings" sale for the beach clubs and water park admission while logged in and logged out. It's possible the day pass discounts haven't been activated yet, or the current promotion is better than the casino offer.
Regardless, the drink package savings are real for the Deluxe Beverage Package with significant savings one each sailing I checked compared to someone without casino status looking to buy the same drink package.
How to get casino points
If getting loyalty status within the Royal Caribbean casino sounds like the perfect plan for you, here's what you need to know to reach Prime status.
Gambling is addictive, and you could end up losing a lot of money in the process of trying to earn a "free cruise".
When you play in the casino, you earn points when you insert or tap your SeaPass card at a slot machine or hand it to a pit boss at a table game.
You can expect to earn roughly 1 point for every $5 wagered on a slot machine. Table games give much less points, so don't play table games if earning status is your goal. Video poker players earn 1 point for every $10 played.
Earning Prime status means you'll need to accumulate at least 2,500 points throughout the Royal Caribbean casino year, which runs April 1 through March 31).
Your points are combined between sailings during the casino calendar year. So if you earned 500 points on an October cruise, and then another 500 points in December, you'd have a total of 1,000 points for the year.
As soon as you reach 2,500 points before March 31, you earn that status for the rest of this cruise year and the full following year.
Getting to Prime gets you more than just pre-cruise discounts
While the pre-cruise discounts are a nice benefit, the true value of Prime status comes in many other forms.
Prime members can enjoy unlimited drinks in the ship's casino bar.
Prime members also are awarded a free 7-day cruise in an interior room.
Whether you make Prime or not, you can also expect offers in the mail if your average play reaches a certain level. It's not known exactly what that level is, but random free cruise offers can sporadically be sent in your email and mailbox.
