Royal Caribbean is testing a new means for Diamond level guests to receive their complimentary beverages each evening.

Onboard Majesty of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Blog reader Nick Vitani shared this photo of a notice given to guests who are at least Diamond level in Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society.  The note advises guests that a pilot program is in effect, where guests that go to the Viking Crown Lounge for their complimentary Diamond beverages will be required to swipe their SeaPass card.

There is no charge for these drinks, but the note states the test is, "to better understand the level of service we are providing during the nightly Diamond event."

Each evening, Royal Caribbean offers complimentary alcoholic beverages in its Diamond lounges for Diamond members and above. In addition, Diamond members and above receive three complimentary drink vouchers to use at bars and lounges around the ship during the same time.  There is no change in how the drink vouchers are being redeemed as part of this test.

This is the first occurrence of this test we have heard about on any ship in the fleet.

Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program is offering up to $1000 off suites on Oasis class sailings, departing July 10 - September 30, 2017.

Crown & Anchor Society members with a valid membership number of Gold or higher status can take advantage of this deal onboard Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas sailings booked between June 9-30, 2017 and departing between July 10 and September 30, 2017. The promotion is combinable with 60% off your second guest and 30% off third and fourth guests.

Gold Tier and higher members will receive the following savings

• Star Tier Suites: $1,000 in Instant Savings
• Sky Tier Suites: $500 in Instant Savings
• Sea Tier Suites: $300 in Instant Savings

BOGO60 is combinable with Kids Sail Free, Crown & Anchor Balcony & Suite Discount, Crown & Anchor Suite Instant Savings, Next Cruise offers, and Shareholders benefits. Not combinable with any other offer, restricted rate, or promotion. The Crown & Anchor Suite Instant Savings is combinable with BOGO60 and Kids Sail Free and is not combinable with Crown & Anchor Balcony & Suite Discount, restricted rates or any other offer or promotion.

Offer open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. 

Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program, the Crown and Anchor Society, is inviting anyone that enjoys taking a Royal Caribbean cruise to sail on Anthem of the Seas for a fun celebration at sea.

The special event is taking place on the March 26, 2017 Anthem of the Seas sailing out of Bayonne, New Jersey.  Crown and Anchor Society made the announcement on its Facebook page, and describes the event, "Join our Crown & Anchor Society Member Director Millie for a Bahamas getaway onboard Anthem of the Seas on March 26th! We'll have great activities going on, so stay tuned for more details."

Guests can book the cruise through their usual travel agent or directly with Royal Caribbean, although they are encouraged to register in order to participate in onboard events.

Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program, the Crown and Anchor Society, provides guests with some great rewards for being, "loyal to Royal" and cruising again and again with the company.  The benefits have always been a compelling reason to continue cruising with Royal Caribbean, and great incentive to move up the ranks of the Crown and Anchor Society to enjoy the top-tier benefits available. Of the many Crown & Anchor benefits available to guests, one of the most popular are the onboard discounts that are pre-loaded onto each SeaPass account.

How lucrative are these Crown and Anchor discounts and how much money could they save you on your next sailing? These are the sort of questions you might be wondering too, so here is our cost benefits of the Crown and Anchor Society, broken down by each level.

In order to calculate these benefits into dollars and cents, we looked at the perks available to members before and during their cruise and tried our best to assign a monetary value based on what they offer. Some benefits are a bit too intangible to assign an exact amount to, but we estimated as fairly as possible.  In many cases, there are discounts that can very greatly depending on what you actually order (internet package discounts, spa treatment discounts, etc) and we did the best job to offer a median discount, or something close to average.  We did note in these situations what we picked to be clear. For any discounts related to specialty restaurants, we picked Giovanni's Table as our example because the price is the same across the fleet.

Please note all discounts listed were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting and these discounts can change at anytime.

Gold

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 10% discount: $0.69
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• Receive 25% off any coffee beverage (not valid at Starbucks): $1.06
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 1 free Jackpot Card: $6
• Buy any internet package and receive 10% off your purchase: $12.59 (7-night 1 device Surf + Stream package)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 10% off: $2.50
• Buy one photo and receive 50% off discount on a second photo: $9.99
• Get 10% off any one spa or salon service: $9.90 (60 minute Swedish massage)

Total average savings: $54.18

Platinum

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 10% discount: $0.69
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• Buy any coffee beverage and get a second free: $4.25 (hot latte)
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 3 free Jackpot Card: $11
• Buy any internet package and receive 15% off your purchase: $18.88 (7-night 1 device Surf + Stream package)
• Two free Spin to Win at the Casino: $0 (Most likely prizes are trinkets of nearly zero value like keychains, and even then getting a "prize" is unlikely).
• 20% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $5 ($25 slot tournament)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 10% off: $2.50
• Buy one photo and receive 50% off discount on a second photo: $9.99
• Get 15% off any one spa or salon service: $14.85 (60 minute Swedish massage)

Total average savings: $86.61

Emerald

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 10% discount: $0.69
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• Buy any coffee beverage and get a second free: $4.25 (hot latte)
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 6 free Jackpot Card: $15
• Three free Spin to Win at the Casino: $3 (We assume one wins a keychain with three spins, we'll give a $1 value).
• 25% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $6.25 ($25 slot tournament)
• Buy any internet package and receive 15% off your purchase: $18.88 (7-night 1 device Surf + Stream package)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 10% off: $2.50
• Buy one photo and receive 50% off discount on a second photo: $9.99
• Get 15% off any one spa or salon service: $14.85 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• Receive $5 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 5 or more nights: $5
• $5 off any dry cleaning or pressing services of $25 or more: $5

Total average savings: $102.86

Diamond

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 20% discount: $1.38
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 6 free Jackpot Card: $15
• Three free Spin to Win at the Casino: $1 (We assume one wins a keychain with three spins, we'll give a $1 value).
• 25% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $6.25 ($25 slot tournament)
• 1 free day of internet usage or $30 off any Internet purchase: $30
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 15% off: $3.75
• Free any size photo of your choice from your existing printed photograph selection: $19.99
• Get 10% off a digital photo package or photo book: $19.90 (All inclusive digital photo package)
• Get 20% off any one spa or salon service: $19.80 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• Receive $10 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 5 or more nights: $10
• Receive $10 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 8 or more nights: $10
• $5 off any dry cleaning or pressing services of $25 or more: $5
• Stateroom phone discount of $2 per minute: $11.90 (assuming a two minute phone call)

Total average savings: $173.42

Diamond Plus

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 25% discount: $1.73
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Purchase one cover charge in a Specialty Restaurant on the first or second night of your cruise and the second cover charge is free: $25 (Giovanni's Table)
• Three free Spin to Win at the Casino: $1 (We assume one wins a keychain with three spins, we'll give a $1 value).
• 30% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $7.50 ($25 slot tournament)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 6 free Jackpot Card: $15
• $39.98 discount off any Internet purchase: $39.98
• Receive $10 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 8 or more nights: $10
• $5 off any dry cleaning or pressing services of $25 or more: $5
• One free $30 wash and fog bag on 5 or more nights: $30
• 20% off one tuxedo rental package: $17.80 (Traditional package)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 15% off: $3.75
• Free any size photo of your choice from your existing printed photograph selection: $19.99
• Get 10% off a digital photo package or photo book: $19.90 (All inclusive digital photo package)
• Get 20% off any one spa or salon service: $19.80 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• Book a signature spa service while in port and receive a complimentary add on treatment: $25 (Frangipani Scalp Massage)
• Stateroom phone discount of $2 per minute: $11.90 (assuming a two minute phone call)

Total average savings: $272.80

Pinnacle

• Purchase one cover charge in a Specialty Restaurant on the first or second night of your cruise and the second cover charge is free: $25 (Giovanni's Table)
• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 25% discount: $1.73
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Three free Spin to Win at the Casino: $1 (We assume one wins a keychain with three spins, we'll give a $1 value).
• 30% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $7.50 ($25 slot tournament)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 6 free Jackpot Cards: $15
• Free unlimited internet for the length of your voyage: $125.93 (7-night Voom Surf & Stream at $17.99 per day for one device)
• Receive $10 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 8 or more nights: $10
• $5 off any dry cleaning or pressing services of $25 or more: $5
• One free $30 wash and fog bag on 5 or more nights: $30
• 20% off one tuxedo rental package: $17.80 (Traditional package)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 15% off: $3.75
• Free any size photo of your choice from your existing printed photograph selection: $19.99
• Get 10% off a digital photo package or photo book: $19.90 (All inclusive digital photo package)
• Get 20% off any one spa or salon service: $19.80 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• Book a signature spa service while in port and receive a complimentary add on treatment: $25 (Frangipani Scalp Massage)
• Stateroom phone discount of $2 per minute: $11.90 (assuming a two minute phone call)

Total average savings: $354.25

Conclusions

It should be noted that very few guests will ever use every single discount on a cruise. In fact, many discounts go rarely used by guests.  However, this blog post aimed to consider how much potential savings one can take advantage of, as well as the sheer number of discounts Royal Caribbean rewards its loyal customers with.

Not surprisingly, the potential savings jump the most when guests reach Diamond level.  The lucrative savings really add up in the top-tier levels, providing further incentive to return for another cruise.  There are plenty more benefits provided by Crown and Anchor Society that are arguably more important than those listed here.

Royal Caribbean is celebrating Crown and Anchor Society Member Appreciation Week by giving all Crown & Anchor Society members an exclusive perk to celebrate.

From August 15-22, 2016, all tiers will enjoy balconies and suites discounts for the tier above them on sailings departing on or after August 17, 2016, and it is combinable with our current offer of 30% off every ship, every guest! 

Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society member will receive an increased discount for making a reservation for a sail date outside of six months.

Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society has posted an update that it will stop offering a balcony discount for members that book a cruise less than six months out.

As of September 1, 2016, balcony and suite discounts that Crown and Anchor members are eligible for, will only apply to sailing’s booked more than six months out.  Royal Caribbean has offered a discount on balcony and suite staterooms to Crown and Anchor Society members that were at least a Platinum level member on all cruises, but this will now change a bit.

In the event a guest purchases an upgrade within six months of sailing, the Balcony & Suites Discount will be protected.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean shared on their Facebook page a little more insight into why this change is occuring: "We've found that a large majority of our Crown & Anchor guests reserve outside of the 6 month window. For those who do not, we've noticed that, due to the lack of promotional combinability, it's more beneficial for our guests to take advantage of other promotions offered. We appreciate your honest feedback, and are using it to research ways to improve our Crown & Anchor offerings."

What do you think of this change in the balcony discount? Will this change what stateroom you book? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Royal Caribbean recently launched a new way to reward guests loyal to Royal Caribbean with upgrades.

Royal Caribbean will provide travel partners with a means for travel partners to provide upgrades to their clients at a reduced rate.

The new program began on March 16, 2016 and each week, Royal Caribbean will send travel partners an email with a list of your clients who are eligible for a reduced-rate upgrade on an upcoming sailing.  The email will include name, booking ID, upgrade category and upgrade fee.

Eligible Crown and Anchor Society members whose email address in Royal Caribbean's database and has given their permission to send communications, will also receive an email notification.  For all guests booked via travel partners, the call to action is to call their agent.

HOW TO SET YOUR UPGRADE PREFERENCES

All eligible Crown and Anchor Society members whose email is on file, regardless of channel booked, will receive the notification 24 hours after Royal Caribbean sends the email to the travel partner.

Upgrades are offered about 45 days prior to departure date.

The upgrade fee cost is per stateroom.

If an upgrade is from a balcony to a Junior Suite, the Crown and Anchor Society members will not receive the additional point per night.

Royal Caribbean has opened membership in its customer loyalty program, the Crown and Anchor Society, to all guests, even if they have never taken a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The new policy went into effect on June 11, 2015 and allows any guest to be able to enroll online, onboard or by calling the Crown & Anchor department.

Until this change, Royal Caribbean required guests to complete their first cruise before signing up.  With this new change, Royal Caribbean is making it easier for new cruisers to not only join the program, but become engaged in everything Royal Caribbean.  Guests that become new members before their first cruise will receive newsletters and information on select previews as well as receive access to promotional sales.

Regardless of when or where new members were enrolled, new members need to allow 10-14 days after the end of their fi rst cruise to see Cruise Points posted to their Crown & Anchor account.

Once enrolled in Crown and Anchor Society, new members can log into their My Cruises account and will see they have zero cruise points.  Guests will also receive a welcome email informing them of their Crown & Anchor number. No tier name or description will be displayed.  Additionally, members with zero points won’t be able to access Refer-A-Friend, Cruise History, Upgrade Preferences, and Gift Preferences.

Royal Caribbean is working on a new inclusive amenity program for passengers that book a suite aboard select Royal Caribbean ships.

Speaking at cruise3sixty, the conference sponsored by Cruise Lines International Association, Royal Caribbean senior vice president of sales Vicki Freed made the announcement that would expand suite-only perks beyond the exclusive restaurant, Coastal Kitchen, offered on several ships.

"We really want to make it a wow," Freed said. "The announcement should come this fall to roll out in 2016."

"It will include private areas just for suite guests and a more inclusive vacation experience," she said, declining to reveal more at this time.

But she noted that Royal Caribbean ships have many more suites than people might realize.

"We have more suites on our ships than any one all-suite ship has," she said. "People would not normally think of Royal Caribbean as being top-heavy with suites, but Oasis and Allure of the Seas have 260 suites in six categories."