Royal Caribbean has big plans for its loyalty program in 2023, according to the cruise line’s loyalty director. 

Courtney Brant, who serves as Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society Director, announced recently that Crown and Anchor Society members can look forward to upcoming commemorations and festivities to celebrate the loyalty program’s 25th anniversary. 

These events are planned to take place throughout 2023 as year-long celebrations. 

In the note to Crown and Anchor Society members, Brant specifically mentions that the celebrations will kick off on an exciting note by unveiling new, fresh and redesigned program gifts, along with onboard amenities, to recognize members’ loyalty to Royal Caribbean. 

However, Brant does not specify what these onboard amenities will be or how the program gifts will be revamped in the coming year. 

This could be hinting at the gifts award to Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members, which receive personalized gifts and amenities as part of the loyalty program; however, this is simply speculation. 

According to Brant, the festivities with also kick off with Royal Caribbean’s first-ever Coffee Talk, which is described as a virtual webinar that will be hosted quarterly by the loyalty team. Brant shares that these virtual webinars will also feature special guest appearances from company leaders throughout next year.  

Invitations to join the company’s Coffee Talk virtual webinar will be sent in January, so Brant encourages Crown and Anchor members to keep a lookout for these in the coming weeks. 

Brant also teases more celebrations planned to commemorate the program’s tenure, noting these are just a few of the surprises coming in the new year.

Brant joined Royal Caribbean in May 2022 as the Director of Crown and Anchor Society in a role that gives frequent cruisers a singular point of reference for loyalty communication from the cruise line. 

As an advocate for Royal Caribbean’s valued Crown and Anchor members, Brant expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the memories created among Royal Caribbean’s valued and loyal members within her first year as director of the program. 

Brant also notes how moving it’s been for her to witness the relationships built with one another and even Royal Caribbean’s employees. 

Crown and Anchor Society Overview

Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program, Crown and Anchor Society, is free for anyone to join. Members of the Crown and Anchor society are rewarded and recognized for sailing with Royal Caribbean.

Each night you cruise with Royal Caribbean, you earn one point towards your loyalty status. Those cruising in a suite will earn double points during their sailing.

Members of the Crown and Anchor Society can start to earn points towards loyalty status after just one cruise. When you enroll as a member, you can enjoy exclusive benefits for each cruise you take with Royal Caribbean. 

Some of the most lucrative benefits include priority check-in, onboard discounts, and complimentary drinks each day of their cruise. The higher the tier, the more rewards you’ll receive. 

Members of higher tiers have access to dedicated venues, private cocktail parties and exclusive events when sailing on a Royal Caribbean cruise. 

The highest tier of loyalty, Pinnacle Club, even includes a free 7-night cruise. It certainly pays to be "loyal to royal"!

Covid-19’s Impact

The last two years has seen big changes for the Crown and Anchor Society, most of which were driven by the pandemic. Certain amenities and events had to be paused due to restrictions onboard. 

However, some of the changes were seen as welcomed and improved changes, such as the addition of daily drink vouchers. Rather than serving a nightly happy hour with beer, wine and basic cocktails, the daily vouchers (up to $14 each) can be used at anywhere on the ship throughout the day.

These daily drink vouchers are available for Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members of the Crown and Anchor Society, which is certainly one of the most lucrative benefits. 

Royal Caribbean is tweaking one of its most popular Crown and Anchor Society benefits.

The line announced two changes on Thursday that will slightly affect how the Diamond level drink vouchers work.

Both changes are intended to make redemption and tracking of this benefit easier.

If you are Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle, you can get a set amount of complimentary beverages every day of your cruise, which includes alcoholic beverages.

Both of these changes go into effect on all sailings departing on or after December 16th, 2022.

Changing the time vouchers rollover

The time of day when your Diamond drinks reset is the first change.

Royal Caribbean provides complimentary drinks each day to its Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle guests.

Prior to the change, your daily drink vouchers would get reset at midnight. This meant if you didn't use up all your drink vouchers before midnight, you'd lose them and any drinks consumed after midnight would count against the next day's vouchers.

Instead, Royal Caribbean is changing the daily schedule so that these vouchers are now redeemable from 5:00 AM to 4:59 AM the next day. 

This means that your daily complimentary vouchers will now reset at 5:00 AM every morning allowing you to get more out of this benefit during prime hours of each day, including your after-midnight drinks.

The logic here is to allow the late-night festivities to continue past midnight, since most people think about the entirety of a night out as still the same day.

Drink voucher count

The other change is a formal announcement of a policy we heard was changing.

To make it easier to track how many drink vouchers you have left, Royal Caribbean is adding a tracker to the printed receipt that is given upon receiving your complimentary drink. 

At the bottom of the receipt, there will now be a line of text which indicates how many vouchers you have used towards your daily balance, e.g., “C&A Beverage Voucher [# Used] of [# Total].” You’ll never lose track of your complimentary drink vouchers ever again!

This change was first announced in early November, when Royal Caribbean said it would start giving guests a paper receipt with the Diamond drink voucher redemption.

Prior to this change, there was no receipt to sign and the vouchers were all managed in the backend. 

Giving guests a receipt allows for easier billing discrepancy tracking.

For instance, you ordered a $3 coffee and they may have applied your voucher – and you don’t learn about it until you’re at dinner, wanting that nice $13 cocktail and you’re out of vouchers.

How the Diamond drink vouchers work

Royal Caribbean provides complimentary drinks each day to its Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle guests.

Guests who are at a lower tier of Crown and Anchor Society (Gold, Platinum, or Emerald) do not qualify for the drink vouchers.

• Diamond: 4 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)
• Diamond Plus: 5 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)
• Pinnacle: 6 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)

Drink vouchers are loaded automatically every day on a guest's SeaPass account. 

This includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, and includes any beverage up to $14 per drink.

Royal Caribbean has removed one benefit of its customer loyalty program for its top tier members.

One of the published benefits of Diamond Plus members has been access to the Concierge Lounge on ships that lack a Suite Lounge, including:

• Quantum of the Seas
• Anthem of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Serenade of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

In case you're wondering, it takes 175 points to reach Diamond Plus status. Generally speaking, you'll get one point per night of the cruise, and suite guests get two points per night. 

In an email to Crown and Anchor Society members, Royal Caribbean it has decided to rescind access due to overcrowding in the lounge.

"While we are excited for the growth of our program, we must remain mindful of our onboard operations to ensure that we continue to deliver the award-winning experience you know and love.

In practice, this benefit had been mostly taken away anyway, since the line reserved the right to prohibit access to Diamond Plus members if there were too many members onboard.

Royal Caribbean explained this reality necessitated the change, "Access has been largely based on guest count and lounge capacity levels, which are assessed on a voyage-by-voyage basis."

"Due to high counts of top-tier members on most sailings, we have had to limit access to the Concierge Lounge altogether."

"This means that beginning on sailings departing on or after December 16th, 2022, both Concierge and Suite Lounge access on all ships will be limited to eligible Suite guests and Pinnacle Club members only."

Of course, Diamond Plus members still have access to the Diamond Lounge spaces.

Slow march to this point

While today's change on paper means less benefits than before, the reality was Concierge Lounge access had been on its way out for a long time up until today.

Whenever Royal Caribbean built a new ship or refurbished a vessel, they would add a Suite Lounge instead of a Concierge Lounge, which brought the number of ships with a Concierge Lounge down to less than half the fleet today.

Moreover, the ever increasing popularity of going on a cruise and the subsequent rise of loyal cruisers lead to more demand for this benefit than before.

As stated by the cruise line in today's announcement, the benefit had already been rescinded on a sailing-by-sailing basis for many cruises.

It's been observed by other Crown and Anchor guests that Royal Caribbean had established hard counts for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club guests, and once a ship has Crown and Anchor members over that predefined threshold, that level is restricted from the Concierge Lounge.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader twangster shared as a Pinnacle Club member, he's observed crew tracking how many people are in the lounges, "Multiple ships I've sailed recently asked all guests to badge in and out of the Concierge Lounge/Suite Lounge." 

"They were collecting data on how many guests, suites or otherwise, were actually using the facility and how long they stayed.  By gathering data they would have a basis to make additional policy updates. "

As an example, he shared a conversation he had with the Suite Concierge about the number of people onboard, "On Quantum in Alaska during the second Alaska cruise for this year, the suite concierge told me that Diamond Plus numbers were over the threshold all summer long."

"The first projected date that could allow them access to the Concierge Lounge was in September, but that is subject to change as the ship continues to book up."

Royal Caribbean wants to make it easier to keep track of your Diamond drink benefits.

Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle members get a set amount of complimentary beverages every day of your cruise, which includes alcoholic beverages.

In an email to guests, Royal Caribbean said it would make a slight change to how drinks are redeemed.

Effective on sailings starting this Friday, November 4th, guests will sign their check when using any beverage vouchers.

Prior to this change, there was no receipt to sign and the vouchers were all managed in the backend. 

Guests that purchase a drink and pay for it with their SeaPass card get a receipt, so this will be more similar to this.

This is another recent change by Royal Caribbean to the Diamond drink program. In June 2021 the amount of drinks was altered so the Diamond drinks would essentially cover almost any beverage and could be used all day.

Benefits of this change

Royal Caribbean says it is making the change for two reasons that it thinks will benefit guests.

First, the receipt has a count of vouchers to help you better track how many you have left.

So if you’re a Diamond member, and you have 4 a day – it may tell you 2 of 4 have been redeemed.

The second reason is to help with billing discrepancies.

For instance, you ordered a $3 coffee and they may have applied your voucher – and you don’t learn about it until you’re at dinner, wanting that nice $13 cocktail and you’re out of vouchers.

For these reasons, offering receipts should make it simpler to track for guests, "While it’s a little more work for our teams, by having you have your hard check – you can better control both your count and the proper application!"

How the Diamond drink vouchers work

Royal Caribbean provides complimentary drinks each day to its Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle guests.

Guests who are at a lower tier of Crown and Anchor Society (Gold, Platinum, or Emerald) do not qualify for the drink vouchers.

• Diamond: 4 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)
• Diamond Plus: 5 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)
• Pinnacle: 6 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)

Drink vouchers are loaded automatically every day on a guest's SeaPass account. 

This includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, and includes any beverage up to $14 per drink.

Reaching Diamond status in Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society is a significant milestone for any cruiser and leads to some impressive benefits, including access to the Diamond Lounge and free drink vouchers every day of the cruise.

A few months ago I reached 80 points in the Crown & Anchor Society, marking the beginning of my experience as a Diamond member with Royal Caribbean. Since then, I’ve been able to take advantage of the best Diamond benefits available to share with you how my cruising experience has changed since reaching Diamond.

Let’s take a look at how I was able to reach Diamond status so quickly followed by my favorite benefits and how my day-to-day life onboard has changed as a Diamond member.

How I reached Diamond so quickly

I went on my first cruise in August 2021 and became a Diamond member just seven months later in March 2022. It took me only 6 cruises to reach Diamond, but accumulating 80 points so quickly is not common.

I was able to reach Diamond status quickly through a combination of cruising solo and booking several cruises during Royal Caribbean’s double points promotion they ran last year.

Here’s a rundown of how I reached Diamond status in record time:

Mariner of the Seas 4-night cruise: 4 points

My first cruise was booked during Royal Caribbean’s double points promotion, but as I did not yet have Gold Status in the Crown & Anchor Society, I did not receive double points.

Total C&A Society points: 4

Odyssey of the Seas 6-night cruise: 24 points

My Odyssey of the Seas cruise was booked during the double points promotion and I was booked solo in an interior room.

I would have received 2 points per night by cruising solo, but this was doubled, so I received a whopping 4 points per night.

Total C&A Society points: 28

Related: Solo cruises on Royal Caribbean

Ovation of the Seas 7-night cruise: 28 points

Just a month later, I cruised in my own interior cabin on Ovation of the Seas. Like on Odyssey of the Seas, I received 4 points per night of the cruise as it was booked during the double points promotion.

Receiving 28 points from one cruise was an awesome deal, especially when considering that my cruise fare with pre-paid gratuities was only $727!

Total C&A Society points: 56

Independence of the Seas 4-night cruise: 8 points

My 4-night cruise on Independence of the Seas was booked after the double points promotion had ended, but since I was cruising solo I received 8 points total.

Total C&A Society points: 64

Harmony of the Seas 7-night cruise: 14 points

Just like Independence of the Seas, I booked this cruise without the double points promotion but was cruising solo, so I received 14 points total.

Total C&A Society points: 78

Wonder of the Seas 7-night cruise: 28 points

The cruise that brought me to Diamond status was the inaugural sailing of Wonder of the Seas. I booked this cruise during the double points promotion and was cruising solo, so received 4 points per night. I was just 2 points away from Diamond status at the beginning of the cruise.

My total Crown & Anchor Society point balance after this cruise was 106 and I officially became a Diamond member!

My favorite Diamond benefits

Diamond drink vouchers

By far my favorite benefit of being a Diamond member are the 4 free drink vouchers I receive each day of the cruise.

Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club members receive 4, 5, and 6 free drink vouchers per day respectively, and this leads to significant savings throughout any cruise.

I can use these beverages on both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, each of which would cost between $4 and $13+ without the voucher!

Related: How Royal Caribbean’s free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members work

Diamond Lounge

The Diamond Lounge is another perk I enjoy about being a Diamond member. This exclusive space is a more private, relaxing environment to spend time in while on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Complimentary food is available in the mornings and evenings, and a coffee/latte maker is found in the lounge.

The only downside of the Diamond Lounge is that I’m rarely cruising with other Diamond members, and since non-Diamond members are not allowed into the lounge, I don’t frequent the space as often as I’d like.

Related: The Crown and Anchor perks you should use on every Royal Caribbean cruise

$10 off Wash & Fold Laundry Bag

While not a huge savings, I’ve enjoyed the $10 discount I receive on the Wash & Fold Laundry Bag as a Diamond member. These small bags of laundry usually cost $35.99 each. I find this quite expensive, so paying $25.99 is more reasonable.

Returning home from a cruise with clean laundry is convenient, and I’m looking forward to reaching Diamond Plus status so I can receive a free bag of laundry on cruises 5 nights or longer.

Onboard offers

Every tier of the Crown & Anchor Society has onboard offers available, from coupons for 50% off drinks to discounts on onboard shopping and a free day of Surf internet.

While I haven’t taken advantage of all the onboard offers you receive by reaching Diamond status, I’ve come to enjoy these the most:

• $6 free play in the casino: I’m not a gambler and hate losing money, but it’s always fun to use my $6 in “free money” on each cruise to see if I win! On a recent cruise I turned this $6 into $100 within a few minutes (although I lost it all a bit later).
• One free photo: I travel with a professional camera and certainly don’t need any pictures taken by Royal Caribbean’s photographers, but it’s fun to receive one photo for free each cruise! My friends, family, and I have had fun doing silly poses and picking out a photo each cruise.
• 50% off coupon for any glass of wine, beer, or soda: If I know I am going to have more than 4 drinks and therefore go over my allotted Diamond vouchers, I use one of my two coupons per sailing for wine, beer, or soda. I’ve used this several times when I don’t want to waste a drink voucher worth $13 on a $3.50 can of soda!

How my onboard experience has changed since making Diamond status

Before I was a Diamond member, I would always dread the $13 bill for a single cocktail. I don’t drink enough to make a beverage package worth it, but paying $15 with a tip for one drink got old pretty quickly!

Since being a Diamond member, I’ve been able to try a variety of beverages I likely wouldn’t have ordered before. Spending $13+ for one drink made me more selective about what I was ordering since I didn’t want to be disappointed if I didn’t like the drink. It’s been fun to taste different cocktails each day of my cruise and find new favorites.

Related: 8 mocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise

I also used to purchase the specialty coffee card before making Diamond status. I usually get a latte each morning of the cruise, so the coffee card led to ~$20 in savings throughout the course of a cruise. Now that I have Diamond drink vouchers, I do not need to do this!

I’ve also started to frequent the Diamond Lounge most evenings when they offer complimentary appetizers and hors d'oeuvres. Having a small snack before dinner keeps me satiated, and I realized I tend to eat dinner later in the evening when I visit the Diamond Lounge before.

Outside of these benefits, I haven’t noticed a huge change in my day-to-day life on a Royal Caribbean cruise since reaching Diamond status. I haven’t taken advantage of benefits like the Diamond Concierge, backstage tours, 20% off spa service, etc., but I intend to do so in the future!

What I’m looking forward to most about reaching Diamond Plus

I currently have 141 Crown & Anchor Society points and should be on track to reach Diamond Plus sometime in the spring. Diamond Plus sees more significant benefits compared to the Diamond level, and here are the benefits I’m looking forward to the most:

BOGO specialty restaurant deal

Diamond Plus members receive a buy one, get one deal on specialty restaurant cover charges. These deals can be used on the first or second day of the cruise and can easily lead to savings of $40+ dollars for a specialty restaurant meal.

Related: What is the best Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant?

Free Wash & Fold Laundry Bag (5+ night sailings)

While I take advantage of the $10 off coupon for a Wash & Fold Laundry Bag now, it still means shelling out $25.99 for the service. I can’t wait to be Diamond Plus so this service is complimentary on sailings 5 nights or longer!

5 drink vouchers per day

While 4 drink vouchers per day is usually enough, having an extra voucher per day will mean I won’t feel like I'm “sacrificing” a drink voucher by using it on a $4 fresh-squeezed orange juice instead of a cocktail or glass of wine.

Final thoughts

Becoming a Diamond member has significantly enhanced my Royal Caribbean cruise experience and I appreciate the consideration Royal Caribbean makes to its loyal cruisers. While I'm not sure I'll ever reach 700 points and become a Pinnacle member, I'm thoroughly enjoying the perks I receive as a Diamond member on every Royal Caribbean cruise.

Planning a cruise? Start here:

• 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
• What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?

One person has reached the top echelon of Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program that no one has ever gotten to before him.

Mario ‘Super Mario’ Salcedo just reached 10,000 points in Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society this past weekend.

By hitting 10,000 points, he is the the highest-level Pinnacle member who has sailed on over 900 Royal Caribbean cruises!

Super Mario was onboard Explorer of the Seas when it happened, and Royal Caribbean celebrated his incredible milestone.

To mark this special occasion, Mario celebrated onboard alongside crew, ship/shoreside leadership, including

• Sean Treacy – SVP Hotel Operations
• Linken D’Souza – Vice President Food & Beverage
• Raimund Gschaider – Vice President Hotel Operations
• Ken Rush - Director Entertainment Activity Programming  
• Ed Eiswirth – Director of Beverage Operations
• Toni Tomlijaovic – Captain
• Julie Young – Hotel Director
• Elvis Pinto – Cruise Director
• Nancy Ramos – AVP Loyalty & Onboard Marketing
• Courtney Brant – Director Loyalty Marketing
• Abundance Boekenstein – Senior Manager Product Development
• Sylvia Chougle – Lead Loyalty Systems
• Michelle Illance – Senior AE Loyalty Marketing
• Loyalty Ambassador: Justin Alducente
• Guest Services Manager: Federico Rodriguez
• Activities Manager: Moe Vatuloka

To reach this milestone, he cruises about 50 weeks a year and has been doing so for decades now.

His favorite itineraries are to the Caribbean, and his favorite stop is our private destination in Labadee, Haiti

How Mario became Super Mario

Mr. Salcedo became Royal Caribbean's top cruiser years ago, but he only got started in 2000.

His family moved from Cuba to Miami in the early 1960s to start a new life in pursuit of freedom and opportunity.

"We are eternally grateful to this country for having welcomed us with open arms," he said about moving to the United States.

For the past two decades, Mario has been a full-time resident on Royal Caribbean, having sailed at this point on over 900 sailings.

Read more: Life at sea - An interview with Royal Caribbean's top cruiser, Super Mario

In 1997, Mr. Salcedo opened a small business managing investments for clients in 1997. That same year he took his first cruise and fell in love with the experience and began sampling different lines, regions, and itineraries.

Since then, cruising has become a way of life.

Since his first Royal Caribbean cruise in 2000, Mario has sailed exclusively on Royal Caribbean International ships around the world -- that’s 22 years and counting!

His first ship was Voyager of the Seas, which caught his attention because of how massive the ship was and that got him hooked.

"The ship took my breath away. I had never seen such a grandiose ship. It was then that I became Loyal to Royal and accelerated my cruising pace rather dramatically."

"The internet cafes onboard enabled me to run my business online and cruise at the same time. So, I decided to make a transformative lifestyle change and live onboard full-time."

How long will we cruise? As long as he can.

"With so many friends and memories made out at sea over the years, I plan to continue cruising indefinitely so long as I’m in good health and having fun."

Mario's favorite cruise memory

Mr. Salcedo shared recently the answer to what is his most memorable cruise memory.

“Without a doubt, the ‘hurricane evacuation’ cruise onboard Enchantment of the Seas in September 2017.

Hurricane Irma was headed towards South Florida packing maximum winds of 150 mph. Evacuation orders were issued, but there were no flights, car rentals, or hotel rooms. Bottled water and essential items ran out quickly and even gasoline was scarce. Miami’s residents were essentially trapped.

A famous CEO came up with the brilliant idea to offer Enchantment of the Seas to the Miami-based shoreside employees and their immediate families as a means of quick, safe, and free evacuation.

I believe the ship carried nearly 3,000 employees and families as she sailed out of Miami and out of harm's way for a 4-day cruise to nowhere. I may have been the only real guest onboard.  

That sailing gave me the unique opportunity to meet, chat, and socialize with many shoreside employees. It was a new and truly unforgettable experience.

I love the onboard crew, but this unplanned encounter with the shoreside employee population was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.”

Royal Caribbean has a new face for its customer loyalty program.

In an update to members of the Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean announced it has hired a new Director of Loyalty.

Courtney Brant will serve as Royal Caribbean's "face of the Crown and Anchor Society", which has traditionally been a role that gives frequent cruisers a singular point of reference for communication.

In the email sent to Crown and Anchor Society members, Ms. Brant shared a brief message, "I’m absolutely thrilled to join not only Royal Caribbean, but the Crown & Anchor Society family too. I can’t wait to get to know our loyal members on a personal level and help create incredible vacation memories for you all."

Prior to becoming the Director of Loyalty, Ms. Brant worked at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for four years, where she served as a Senior Manager of Loyalty and Revenue Marketing prior to moving to Royal Caribbean.

At the onset of the pandemic, Royal Caribbean laid off the previous person to hold the position, Molly Paolini.  She had served in the role between July 2019 and April 2020.

What does the Director of Loyalty do?

You can expect Ms. Brant to act as a figurehead for Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program.

The Crown and Anchor Society has a lot of fervent fans that not only love to cruise, but their status in the program and the benefits it provides quite seriously.

In the past, one of the chief responsibilities was to keep Crown and Anchor members updated on everything Royal Caribbean, planning special events and more.

Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society benefits can improve your cruise experience, but points earned can also transfer to experiences on land. Royal Caribbean has a partnership with MGM Resorts, offering a tier match between the Crown & Anchor Society and MGM Rewards program.

For no extra cost, you can link your Crown & Anchor level and immediately take advantage of MGM benefits including resort fee waivers, discounts on entertainment, and complimentary hotel upgrades.

I recently headed to Las Vegas to take a closer look at how linking your Royal Caribbean account with MGM Rewards can enhance your MGM experience, whether in Las Vegas or beyond.

In this article:

• Overview
• Where can I use MGM Rewards benefits?
• Hotel benefits
• Retail benefits
• Dining benefits
• Transportation benefits
• Entertainment benefits
• Gaming and access benefits
• Overall thoughts

Overview

MGM Rewards (formerly known as M Life Rewards) is a loyalty program with benefits and rewards available at select MGM properties in Las Vegas and around the United States.

MGM Rewards tier points are earned through the following:

• Gaming: slots, video lottery terminals, video poker, and table games
• Hotel accommodations, dining, and spa (4 tier credits per dollar spent)

There are no set tier points earned per dollar spent on gaming. Instead, MGM Rewards points are earned based on time spent playing, average bet, and game type.

There are five tiers within MGM Rewards:

• Sapphire (Up to 19,999 Tier Credits)
• Pearl (20,000 - 74,999 Tier Credits)
• Gold (75,000 - 199,999 Tier Credits)
• Platinum (200,000 Tier Credits)
• Noir (by invitation only)

Tier match

Luckily, Crown & Anchor Society members do not have to spend any money at MGM properties to take advantage of MGM Rewards. Through a tier match offered between MGM Resorts and Royal Caribbean, Crown & Anchor Society members can immediately begin receiving discounts and rewards.

The tier level you receive with MGM Rewards depends on your tier in the Crown & Anchor Society:

• C&A Gold = Sapphire status with MGM Rewards
• C&A Platinum = Pearl status with MGM Rewards
• C&A Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club = Gold status with MGM Rewards

Linking your account

To link your Crown & Anchor Society account with MGM Rewards, first make a free account on the MGM Resorts website. Next, contact an MGM Rewards representative through phone or email:

• Phone: 866-761-7111
• Email: [email protected]

Let the representative know your Crown & Anchor Society number. They will contact Royal Caribbean to confirm your information and link you to the appropriate tier with MGM rewards. In my experience this took only a few minutes. As I am a Diamond member in the Crown & Anchor Society, I immediately became a Gold Member with MGM Rewards.

Where can I use MGM Rewards benefits?

MGM Rewards can be used at the following destinations:

Las Vegas

• Bellagio
• ARIA Resort & Casino
• Vdara Hotel & Spa at ARIA Las Vegas
• MGM Grand
• The Signature at MGM Grand
• Mandalay Bay
• Delano Las Vegas
• Park MGM
• The Mirage
• New York-New York
• Luxor
• Excalibur

Regional Destinations

• Beau Rivage
• Gold Strike Tunica
• Borgata
• MGM Grand Detroit
• MGM National Harbor
• MGM Springfield

Hotel benefits

While both Sapphire and Pearl members of MGM Rewards receive a guaranteed lowest room rate when booking direct, the best hotel benefits come with Gold tier and above.

Most hotels on the strip all come with resort fees which must be paid in addition to the hotel fare each night. The majority of resort fees run around $35 - 40 per night plus a 14% tax added on the nightly hotel fare.

Perhaps the best benefit for MGM Gold members and above is having the nightly resort fee, along with taxes and fees, waived each night of your stay. As the resort fee and taxes can add $50+ to your hotel cost each day, this leads to instant savings no matter if you stay just one night or an entire week.

In addition to the resort fee waived, Gold MGM members and above can take advantage of a priority check-in line at the front desk and a complimentary enhanced room upgrade at check-in, based on availability. The complimentary room upgrade usually entails an upgrade to a room with a Strip view or higher floor, but if those rooms are unavailable, guests can be upgraded to a higher tier room such as a suite.

Park MGM

To test out the hotel benefits through MGM Rewards, I booked a room at the Park MGM. Getting the resort fee waived can only be done when booking directly through the MGM Rewards website, so I booked online and headed to the hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

I booked a standard room with two queen beds at the Park MGM for $105.05. The resort fee and tax, which I did not have to pay due to my MGM Rewards status, would have been an additional $44.22. When you book, the website still tells you the resort fee and taxes are due upon arrival. This is waived when checking in at the front desk.

Upon arrival at Park MGM, I initially entered the general check-in line as I did not realize I had another option. As I was waiting in line, though, I spotted the VIP line for Gold MGM members and above. The VIP line had no wait and I was able to get checked in right away.

It was around 1PM, and while check-in was not officially open until 3PM, a room was ready. I inquired, however, about the complimentary enhanced room upgrade for Gold MGM members. While a room upgrade was not available at 1PM, one would be ready at the normal check-in time.

I decided to wait two hours to see what kind of upgrades MGM Rewards members can receive. In the meantime, I checked out the pool areas at the Park MGM, which are complimentary for hotel guests. The Park MGM has three pools, two bars, and plenty of comfy seating available. It definitely seemed like a great space to spend hot, sunny days in Las Vegas.

I received an upgrade to a Stay Well Two Queen room, which enhances the guest safety experience with improved air purification, aromatherapy, dawn simulator lighting, an upgraded mattress, and a chlorine-reducing shower infuser. The room was quite spacious and I enjoyed having access to the Stay Well amenities throughout my stay.

Retail benefits

MGM Rewards members receive discounts at participating retail shops in Las Vegas. Sapphire members receive a 5% discount, Pearl and Gold members 10%, and Platinum and Noir members 15%.

“Participating retail” seemed vague, and the MGM Rewards desk did not have a list of participating retail stores available. I ended up finding an old PDF from the ARIA Resort & Casino which lists participating retail at MGM properties in Las Vegas.

The participating retailers list is quite extensive, covering both high-end retail like Tesorini and resort-themed souvenir stores such as I love NYNY. The list seemed to cover most retail stores at MGM properties.

Any discount is nice when in Las Vegas, and as I was planning to purchase a souvenir or two anyway, I decided to take advantage of my 10% discount. I walked into the Shoppe at Park MGM and saved a few dollars on souvenirs to take home.

One thing that caught my eye in the (outdated?) retail brochure was the fact that certain spas were listed in participating retail. I was curious whether this discount was just for spa retail or if it could be used for spa treatments, so I asked MGM Rewards staff members, to which I received varying responses.

Some staff members thought spa treatments were included in the discounts whereas others were not certain. I headed to The Spa & Salon at New York-New York to check for myself where it was confirmed that the discount was only for spa retail. While disappointed I would not be booking my discounted manicure, I purchased a few retail items from the spa anyway for 10% off.

Dining benefits

MGM Rewards properties, whether in Las Vegas or beyond, have a wide array of cuisines available, from quick-service buffets to fine dining. MGM Rewards members receive benefits for dining at MGM properties.

Dining benefits start at the Pearl tier with a dedicated line at the buffet for Pearl and above. Those with Gold status or above also receive priority reservations for fine dining and a dedicated line at participating restaurants outside the buffet.

I decided to try out a dining benefit by heading to the buffet at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino, located just across the street from the Park MGM.

Upon arrival, I immediately noticed the dedicated buffet line for MGM Rewards members. While I got to the buffet near closing and there was no line anyway, I can see how this would be a fantastic, time-saving benefit during peak hours.

I was able to be seated within a few minutes, and while I wouldn't say the buffet at Excalibur is the fanciest in the world, I enjoyed the crepe and omelet stations as well as the wide range of cuisines available.

Note: While the dining benefits on MGM's website also list a $100 dining credit for those reaching the Gold tier, this benefit is not available for members who reached Gold simply by linking their Crown & Anchor Society account.

Transportation benefits

MGM Rewards benefits also extend to transportation, providing discounts and benefits guaranteed to save members money when traveling to Las Vegas and beyond.

Visitors of any tier in MGM Rewards who need a car rental will save up to 30% off base rental rates with Avis. Those with Pearl status and above can enjoy complimentary self-parking at MGM Rewards destinations, and those with Gold Status and above can enjoy complimentary valet parking.

While I took a Lyft to my hotel in Las Vegas, I would have saved $15 per day in parking fees through my MGM Rewards status had I brought my car.

Entertainment benefits

MGM Rewards members receive discounts on entertainment and access to complimentary shows at MGM Rewards destinations. While benefits on hotel stays, transportation, and dining were relatively straightforward, MGM’s entertainment benefits are more complex as most are on a case-by-case basis.

These are the main entertainment benefits through MGM Rewards:

• Exclusive MGM Rewards pre-sale access for select entertainment & sporting events
• Discounts to select shows at MGM Rewards destinations
• Complimentary tickets to select exclusive MGM Rewards concerts in Las Vegas

Initially I thought there would be a percentage discount on shows at MGM properties like Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group. Upon speaking to a representative, though, it appears discounts are offered on a case-by-case basis dependent on demand for each particular show. There was no list of shows offering discounts available, so I was unable to take advantage of this benefit.

One new benefit MGM Rewards is offering is complimentary tickets to select MGM Rewards concerts in Las Vegas. Through this benefit, MGM Rewards members will be notified of complimentary concerts exclusive for Pearl members and above. 

Gaming and access benefits

Earning a higher status with MGM Rewards by linking your Crown & Anchor Society account brings a variety of gaming and access benefits to be enjoyed at MGM Rewards destinations.

Dedicated reservation lines, non-expiring MGM Rewards points and slot dollars, VIP line access to select Las Vegas nightclubs, bonus on slot dollars earned, and invitations to member-only events and tournaments are just some of the gaming benefits MGM Rewards members can enjoy.

Overall thoughts

Linking your Crown & Anchor Society account to MGM Rewards is completely free and 100% worth doing before staying at an MGM property, whether in Las Vegas or at regional destinations. Saving money and time is guaranteed, whether through complimentary parking or VIP check-in lines.

I think the greatest value of MGM Rewards is, by far, having resort fee and taxes waived for those with Gold status and above. With a savings of around $50+ per night, this can save visitors hundreds of dollars on a stay in Las Vegas or other MGM properties.

In addition, I really enjoyed the complimentary room upgrade available. While I wasn’t upgraded to a significantly larger room or a suite, the upgrade from a standard room to a Stay Well room was well appreciated.

Although I wasn’t traveling to Las Vegas at the busiest time of year or on a weekend, I still enjoyed having access to priority lines at check in and the buffet. I never had to wait in line more than a few seconds, and I’m sure this is a benefit that would be extra helpful during peak times of the year.

I do not have any complaints on benefits offered, especially as I received these benefits simply by linking my Crown & Anchor Society membership to MGM. There was definitely a sense of uncertainty from staff members when I inquired about what benefits were included for MGM Rewards members, though.

Conflicting statements on entertainment discounts and retail options were a bit frustrating when figuring out how to use my MGM Rewards benefits. I encountered this even when asking questions at the MGM Rewards desks at several resorts, so I was surprised there wasn’t more concrete information on the loyalty program available. However, seeing as though the change from M Life Rewards to the MGM Rewards program is quite new, it’s understandable that there may be some confusion on all benefits.

Overall, I was able to save money and time through MGM Rewards and I would recommend any Crown & Anchor Society member to create and link their account to MGM prior to traveling to Las Vegas or beyond.

With Covid-19 cases dropping and health protocols relaxing on cruise ships, Royal Caribbean is going to bring back some benefits.

When Royal Caribbean restarted cruises in mid-2021 following the Covid-19 shutdown, it paused certain benefits and amenities in its customer loyalty programs.

These changes were meant to be temporary, and now five of them are coming back for guests to enjoy.

In an update on the Crown and Anchor Society website, Royal Caribbean listed the benefits coming back.

Reinstated benefits beginning on sailings departing March 15, 2022 and onward:

• Private Departure Lounge and Continental Breakfast (Gold and above)
• Top Tier Event (Platinum and above)
• Chef’s Choice Gift (Diamond and above)
• Personalized Gift/Amenity (Diamond Plus and above)
• Priority access to dedicated seating at theater, ice shows and AquaTheater events (Diamond Plus and above)

The reason these were suspended was to promote social distancing and the result of other Covid-19 related protocols.

Back in July 2021, Nancy Ramos, Royal Caribbean International's Director of Onboard Branding, Communications & Loyalty, said the company hoped to bring back benefits as soon as they could, "as soon as we can lift this restriction and this capacity limit, we will and it will be like it was pre pandemic."

Suspended benefits

Not all Crown and Anchor benefits will return quite yet.

Three benefits remain suspended or modified:

• Meal with an Officer — This experience, for our Diamond Plus (340 points and above) and Pinnacle Club members, has evolved to a Cheers with an Officer. This event will still take place in the Main Dining Room.
• Entertainment Tour — This tour has been reimagined, allowing our valued Diamond and above members to learn more about the amazing Royal Caribbean productions and entertainment team.
• Behind-the-Scenes Galley Tour — This benefit for our Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members has been temporarily suspended to ensure the health of our guests and crew.

Other benefits remaining

With some benefits coming back, other enhanced benefits are still here to stay.

According to the Crown and Anchor Society website, benefits added or improved in 2021 will remain in place:

• Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members beverage vouchers for drinks up to $13
• Flexible Arrival for Pinnacle Club and Suite guests
• Pinnacle Club members can eat meals in Coastal Kitchen. However, reservations are required and can only be made with the Maître d’ once onboard.
  • Pinnacle Club members sailing on Oasis and Quantum Class ships will also receive a $25 dining voucher per member, per sailing to enjoy at any Specialty Restaurant of their choice.
• Reimagined Events & Access
• Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members priority access to dedicated seating in venues up to 45 minutes prior to showtime.

In regard to the Pinnacle Club Lounge, Royal Caribbean says it is "working through the Suite and Concierge Lounge access for Pinnacle Club members," and will "share more details in the days to come."

In the meantime, Pinnacle Club Lounge access will remain.

Australia hasn't seen a cruise ship in over two years, and Royal Caribbean is looking to ease their pain with extra loyalty points.

Royal Caribbean informed Australian residents that they would be able to take advantage of the Double Points promotion due to their government's halt of cruising.

In an email to Crown and Anchor Society guests, Royal Caribbean said any bookings made by Australian members through 31st March 2022 for sailings departing prior to 30th April 2023 will qualify for double points.

Australians don't need to do anything special to qualify for the promotion, as it will automatically apply the benefit.

Royal Caribbean said part of the reason it brought back the promotion was because many Australians were unable to go on cruises they had booked in the past, "Over the last year, we’ve received many comments and feedback on our Double Points promotion which you were unable to participate in due to the halt on domestic and international cruising for Australians."

"We also know Australians simply can’t wait to get back to enjoying the world class experiences onboard our ships."

Here is the breakdown of the points you will receive under the Double Points offer:

The Double Points promo was initially offered to everyone during the height of the pandemic in 2020-2021 as a means to spur new bookings and compel customers from cancelling cruises well into the future.

The program cut off new bookings that qualified for double points on September 30, 2021, but ever since guests have been clamoring for its return.

The reason why cruise fans loved the aura of double points is because it allowed them to move up the loyalty program tier significantly faster.

By earning more points, you can reach the higher tiers of Crown and Anchor Society faster, and there are some really lucrative benefits for reaching the Diamond and Diamond Plus tiers.

Complimentary alcoholic drinks, balcony discounts, complimentary photos, and reserved seating at shows are just some of the great freebies guests who reach the top tiers of Crown and Anchor Society can expect.

Moreover, this type of offer has rarely been seen.  Previous extra point offers were much more restrictive and have not been made available for a while.

In November 2021, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said the Double Points offer would return someday, but only "strategically".

"You'll see more of that coming, but it's not going to be a blanket open book."