STATUS MATCH FOR RCL GROUP

[RCARD]

 

[RCARD]

Onboard status match benefits begin June 5, 2024.

 

[Last2Know]

Yep, I just got the same email.

[nickpants]

https://www.royalcaribbeangroup.com/royal-caribbean-group-introduces-new-loyalty-status-match/

[WAAAYTOOO]

Holy crap !  They're matching Pinnacle to Zenith ???  I'm really surprised at this !

[smokeybandit]

I'm surprised how little difference there is between celebrity elite and elite plus.

A couple more discounts, a few more free internet minutes (still less than than RC Diamond) and an extra bag of laundry.

 

So is this the big change? I guess they aren't merging programs or allowing points to accrue on any brand. I just checked my Celebrity account and I still show as just Elite. I guess they haven't gone and updated things yet.

Edit: I guess I should have read the FAQs

 Your status will be updated automatically within 7 days. If you qualify for an upgrade in status, you will receive an email confirming your new status from the program(s) where your status has changed. 

[nickpants]

Some caveats to the matching:

Since Status Match members only receive the tier and not the associated points, they are ineligible for the benefits listed below.  

Crown & Anchor Society: 

• Complimentary Pinnacle Club milestone cruises 
• Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club amenities 
• Single supplement cruise fare reduction 
• Cheers with an Officer onboard event 
• Milestone recognition (Crystal Block) 
• Upgraded bathroom amenities 
• Pinnacle Club milestone kits 
• Chef’s Choice amenity 

Captain’s Club:   

• Complimentary Zenith cruises 
• Zenith milestone kits 
• WWF^® donations 
• Retreat Lounge access when not staying in the Retreat 
  • Status match members will only be permitted to access the Retreat Lounge when not staying in the Retreat based on availability and at the sole discretion of Celebrity Cruises 

[Lovetocruise2002]

still no cross matching with points 

[Va4fam]

Just got the email too.  We are D+ which makes us Elite Plus on Celebrity.  2 complimentary bags of laundry and 240 streaming minutes seem to be the best perks?

[nickpants]

3 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

still no cross matching with points 

Yeah, I think this is the first step.

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, Va4fam said:

Just got the email too.  We are D+ which makes us Elite Plus on Celebrity.  2 complimentary bags of laundry and 240 streaming minutes seem to be the best perks?

240 streaming minutes. Which is less than 10% of what you get on RC.

[Pattycruise]

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/new-images/Captains-Club-Benefits-Brochure_V24_5_29_24.pdf
 

complimentary drinks for Zenith? Am I reading that correctly?

laundry-are there perks not available to Zenith that are available to other tiers? (Dry clean item etc)

as a new pinnacle I don’t seem to get access to the concierge lounge (whatever it’s called these days) so I  won’t be missing that on Celebrity!

[AshleyDillo]

3 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/new-images/Captains-Club-Benefits-Brochure_V24_5_29_24.pdf
 

complimentary drinks for Zenith? Am I reading that correctly?

laundry-are there perks not available to Zenith that are available to other tiers? (Dry clean item etc)

Looks like it..plus waived room service fee.  Unlimited wash & fold..not sure about other laundry.

[AshleyDillo]

Looks like a good deal for Pinnacles to make the switch..maybe this is their way of luring the Pinns over to Celebrity.

[AshleyDillo]

41 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Holy crap !  They're matching Pinnacle to Zenith ???  I'm really surprised at this !

Smoke free casinos...might wanna check out if you can get started in their casino program

[Mike.s]

24 minutes ago, nickpants said:

Yeah, I think this is the first step.

Lets hope so, it's the only way we'll get near to Pinnacle/Zenith

[foxrunner]

29 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

still no cross matching with points 

I agree that was what I was hoping for. With Royal's new pricing, X is more in reach. Especially because we like new destinations and are now empty nesters! 

[WAAAYTOOO]

Kind of a bummer that they aren't giving the Zenith cross-overs the 340 solo booking discount.

[Va4fam]

11 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Kind of a bummer that they aren't giving the Zenith cross-overs the 340 solo booking discount.

The entire announcement is somewhat of a "head scratcher."   They have some amazing, smart, and creative people assembled together to improve the brand and wow their loyal customers.............but instead chose to nudge a few perks our way but mostly stand pat?!!

Where's the free drinks?   Free internet?   Free pictures?   BOGO speciality dining?   Points earned across all brands?

[WAAAYTOOO]

3 minutes ago, Va4fam said:

Where's the free drinks?   Free internet?   Free pictures?   BOGO speciality dining?   Points earned across all brands?

Depending upon your current C&A status, most of these do actually cross over.  It would seem that Zenith get the complimentary premium drink package (which may or may not be equivalent or better than 6 drink vouchers per day), they get a complimentary premium internet package and they get 25% off specialty dining which is not quite equivalent to BOGO but still not nothing.  Free pictures ? I dunno....missed that one.  We never use that anyway.

Frankly, it seems like D+ are getting the worst cross-over deal b/c you're right - many of the above perks don't appear to be there for E+.

I guess I need to do more research.

[Ampurp85]

I just got the double email, one from Royal and one from Celebrity. I don't see the incentive. I am D+ and while I do see myself on the journey to pin, the status match is a bit of a crapshoot imho. 

[ken52891]

Is this a one-time match or based on your status over time? Meaning if I become Diamond for my next RC cruise, but I'm already a Select status on Celebrity, will that update to be elite during my next Celebrity cruise? 

[WAAAYTOOO]

3 minutes ago, ken52891 said:

Is this a one-time match or based on your status over time? Meaning if I become Diamond for my next RC cruise, but I'm already a Select status on Celebrity, will that update to be elite during my next Celebrity cruise? 

Good question.

[Rackham]

From TPG article on this change,

No single loyalty program for now

The new status match program for all three wholly owned Royal Caribbean brands stops short of what some loyalty experts see as a logical next step for the company's loyalty program efforts: a single combined loyalty program for all three brands.

When TPG asked about this, Liberty suggested the company wanted to be sure it understood what loyal customers at its three brands wanted before making a more radical change. But he hinted more change might be coming.

"This is kind of step one. We want to tie these [programs] together," he said, calling the new status match program "basically kind of the beginning of a common loyalty platform."

Saying there was "more to come," Liberty added, "You'll see here over time that you're building status and other things across the family of brands."

When asked specifically about whether Royal Caribbean Group might shift to a single loyalty program similar to what Marriott offers with its massive Bonvoy program, which allows for earning and burning points across more than 30 hotel brands, Liberty suggested that might not be the right model.

"In some ways Marriott put Bonvoy in front of the brands," Liberty said, suggesting that stays at Marriott hotels had become all about earning points in the Bonvoy program and not the allures of the individual hotel brands and hotels. That's something Liberty suggested Royal Caribbean Group doesn't want to do.

He said the company wanted the individual brands in its portfolio to always be the focus for its customers and the "guest facing" part of the business, not the company's loyalty program.

"We don't have what I just typically describe as the earn-and-burn customer," Liberty noted. "Our customers actually appreciate more the recognition [from loyalty status]. Like, they want to go to the cocktail party for their tier. They want to have free dry cleaning. Those things are more important to them [than earning and burning] points."

Liberty noted that people don't cruise as often as they stay in hotels, so an "earn-and-burn" model for a cruise loyalty program that resembled the Marriott Bonvoy program didn't make as much sense.

"We get you one, two, three times a year. We don't get you one or two, three times a month, which you have [with] the earn-and-burn type players ... mainly hotels and airlines."

 

Make of this what you will, but to me it sounds like they haven't decided yet if points will accumulate seperately across brands or together in one pot.

Edited May 30 by Rackham
Adding article URL.

[ken52891]

6 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Good question.

It's unclear. I know the current way is a one-time match. We did that a couple years ago when we booked our first Celebrity trip on Apex, and for them, we are Select, but in January, after our Odyssey trip, we will be Diamond on RCL. So, it would be very interesting if this change would let us be elite for our next Celebrity trip in 2026

[Last2Know]

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Holy crap !  They're matching Pinnacle to Zenith ???  I'm really surprised at this !

We're on track for Pinnacle in 2025 and this is a game changer for us once that milestone is reached.  We liked our only X cruise but decided to stay with RCL for status points and the D+ benefits.

[HeWhoWaits]

30 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

the complimentary premium drink package (which may or may not be equivalent or better than 6 drink vouchers per day

Premium package > 6 vouchers if you're going to use at least 4 or 5 on covered adult beverages. That allows for additional specialty coffees and other non-alcoholic drinks.

[Rackham]

11 minutes ago, ken52891 said:

It's unclear. I know the current way is a one-time match. We did that a couple years ago when we booked our first Celebrity trip on Apex, and for them, we are Select, but in January, after our Odyssey trip, we will be Diamond on RCL. So, it would be very interesting if this change would let us be elite for our next Celebrity trip in 2026

When I hit Diamond in January, my Celebrity level changed from Select to Elite.

[smokeybandit]

36 minutes ago, Rackham said:

"We don't have what I just typically describe as the earn-and-burn customer," Liberty noted. "Our customers actually appreciate more the recognition [from loyalty status]. Like, they want to go to the cocktail party for their tier. They want to have free dry cleaning. Those things are more important to them [than earning and burning] points."

He's missing the point here. RC does not offer redeemable points like hotels do. So RCG patrons can't be earn-and-burn customers.   And appreciating the perks is BECAUSE of earning points, which people want to continue to do as easily as possible. Just giving me an extra bag of laundry on Celebrity doesn't make me want to cruise Celebrity. But me earning C&A points on Celebrity to push me to the next C&A tier would.

[asquared17]

47 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Frankly, it seems like D+ are getting the worst cross-over deal b/c you're right - many of the above perks don't appear to be there for E+.

ah, well. [stares forlornly into the distance]

[barbeyg]

53 minutes ago, ken52891 said:

Is this a one-time match or based on your status over time? Meaning if I become Diamond for my next RC cruise, but I'm already a Select status on Celebrity, will that update to be elite during my next Celebrity cruise? 

We had signed up for the status match with Celebrity long before we sailed them.  When we became Diamond on RCI, we changed from Select to Elite in our Celebrity account.  We are now D+ and E+ with Celebrity.  For us, it has been a status to status match, whenever one of those changed. 

[RCARD]

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Depending upon your current C&A status, most of these do actually cross over.  It would seem that Zenith get the complimentary premium drink package (which may or may not be equivalent or better than 6 drink vouchers per day), they get a complimentary premium internet package and they get 25% off specialty dining which is not quite equivalent to BOGO but still not nothing.  Free pictures ? I dunno....missed that one.  We never use that anyway.

Frankly, it seems like D+ are getting the worst cross-over deal b/c you're right - many of the above perks don't appear to be there for E+.

I guess I need to do more research.

I agree, seems like D+ are getting much.  I'm D+ ob RCL and also Celebrity Elite based on Celebrity activity.  This match will move me up to E+.  Hope your research uncovers more of a benefit

[Freegirl]

The benefits for Elite Plus also show complimentary cappuccino, latte, tea, and espresso. That will be nice.

It has been a few years since I've sailed Celebrity. Will those complimentary coffees be in some lounge (like the Crown lounge) or just at the regular coffee cafe?

 

[USFFrank]

Too bad Celebrity doesn't give daily drink vouchers like Royal Caribbean does. I'm in the Diamond / Elite tier and would rather have the vouchers to use as I please instead being limited to just the evening cocktail hour.

Hopefully that will change by early 2026.

[cruisellama]

Now the Crown lounge will get really crowded... 

[cruisellama]

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

still no cross matching with points 

 

11 minutes ago, USFFrank said:

Too bad Celebrity doesn't give daily drink vouchers like Royal Caribbean does. I'm in the Diamond / Elite tier and would rather have the vouchers to use as I please instead being limited to just the evening cocktail hour.

Hopefully that will change by early 2026.

 

1 hour ago, Rackham said:

From TPG article on this change,

 

No single loyalty program for now

The new status match program for all three wholly owned Royal Caribbean brands stops short of what some loyalty experts see as a logical next step for the company's loyalty program efforts: a single combined loyalty program for all three brands.

When TPG asked about this, Liberty suggested the company wanted to be sure it understood what loyal customers at its three brands wanted before making a more radical change. But he hinted more change might be coming.

"This is kind of step one. We want to tie these [programs] together," he said, calling the new status match program "basically kind of the beginning of a common loyalty platform."

Saying there was "more to come," Liberty added, "You'll see here over time that you're building status and other things across the family of brands."

When asked specifically about whether Royal Caribbean Group might shift to a single loyalty program similar to what Marriott offers with its massive Bonvoy program, which allows for earning and burning points across more than 30 hotel brands, Liberty suggested that might not be the right model.

"In some ways Marriott put Bonvoy in front of the brands," Liberty said, suggesting that stays at Marriott hotels had become all about earning points in the Bonvoy program and not the allures of the individual hotel brands and hotels. That's something Liberty suggested Royal Caribbean Group doesn't want to do.

He said the company wanted the individual brands in its portfolio to always be the focus for its customers and the "guest facing" part of the business, not the company's loyalty program.

"We don't have what I just typically describe as the earn-and-burn customer," Liberty noted. "Our customers actually appreciate more the recognition [from loyalty status]. Like, they want to go to the cocktail party for their tier. They want to have free dry cleaning. Those things are more important to them [than earning and burning] points."

Liberty noted that people don't cruise as often as they stay in hotels, so an "earn-and-burn" model for a cruise loyalty program that resembled the Marriott Bonvoy program didn't make as much sense.

"We get you one, two, three times a year. We don't get you one or two, three times a month, which you have [with] the earn-and-burn type players ... mainly hotels and airlines."

 

Make of this what you will, but to me it sounds like they haven't decided yet if points will accumulate seperately across brands or together in one pot.

The point accumulation models are different.  One RCL you either earn 1 or 2 pts/ night depending upon non-suite or suite (also solo traveler pick up a point).  Celebrity tiers by room class from 3 pts/night up to 24 pts/night depending on the suite level ($$ buys you love).  IMO I think  points a  function $$ spent is pretty fair.

 

 

[Va4fam]

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the perks we do get.  Royal and Celebrity are upfront about perks and they are relatively easy to use.   Moving to a unified platform would be great (drink vouchers, internet, etc).  Moving to an earn-and-burn approach would eradicate my desire to remain loyal to one cruise line/family. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, cruisellama said:

Celebrity tiers by room class from 3 pts/night up to 24 pts/night depending on the suite level ($$ buys you love).

Exactly! It will be a thumbs up from me only when Royal adopts X point system.

[steverk]

3 hours ago, ken52891 said:

Is this a one-time match or based on your status over time? Meaning if I become Diamond for my next RC cruise, but I'm already a Select status on Celebrity, will that update to be elite during my next Celebrity cruise? 

 

2 hours ago, ken52891 said:

It's unclear. I know the current way is a one-time match. We did that a couple years ago when we booked our first Celebrity trip on Apex, and for them, we are Select, but in January, after our Odyssey trip, we will be Diamond on RCL. So, it would be very interesting if this change would let us be elite for our next Celebrity trip in 2026

I'm about to get my 3rd status match on Celebrity this month, so I'm very confident it is as often as you sail the other brand. 

[TXcruzer]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

He's missing the point here. RC does not offer redeemable points like hotels do. So RCG patrons can't be earn-and-burn customers.   And appreciating the perks is BECAUSE of earning points, which people want to continue to do as easily as possible. Just giving me an extra bag of laundry on Celebrity doesn't make me want to cruise Celebrity. But me earning C&A points on Celebrity to push me to the next C&A tier would.

Agreed, big swing and a miss as far as I am concerned. More Value for regular "X" customers to sail Royal than the other way around.