I think Royal Caribbean has arguably one of the best loyalty programs in the cruising industry.

The Crown & Anchor Society is the cruise line's program that rewards cruisers for showing loyalty to Royal Caribbean. After just one cruise, you can start earning points towards different tiers of status with the cruise line. 

As someone who has cruised almost exclusively with Royal Caribbean for my entire life, I am currently a Diamond Plus member of the Crown and Anchor Society. Reaching this status a few years ago, the program’s lucrative benefits are a huge selling point when I look to book future cruises. 

Notably, the complimentary daily drink vouchers are a huge perk of having Diamond Plus status. I receive five daily drink vouchers each day of my cruise; for my husband and I, this saves us hundreds to thousands of dollars on each cruise. 

We also enjoy discounted internet, free laundry service, a complimentary photo, BOGO specialty dining and more as Diamond Plus members.

Although I love cruising with Royal Caribbean, I was been eager to try sailing on sister-brand Celebrity Cruises for quite some time; however, I wasn’t sure if the onboard experience would feel lackluster without some of the lucrative benefits that I’m used to receiving on Royal Caribbean. 

Because Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises are owned by the same parent company, the two cruise lines actually have a status reciprocity program. Celebrity’s Loyalty Match program allows cruisers to receive comparable benefits from Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Program when sailing on Celebrity cruise ships. 

On my recent 4-night spring break sailing, I used my Royal Caribbean loyalty perks onboard Celebrity Silhouette for the first time - and it saved me a lot of money. This was my first cruise with Celebrity, so I didn't know what to expect. 

Here’s how the programs compared and how much money the benefits saved me. 

To start, Elite status is the highest tier of Celebrity's loyalty program, Captain’s Club, that you can receive through the reciprocity program. 

Royal Caribbean’s three highest tiers of loyalty - Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle - can only receive Elite member status on Celebrity Cruises through the reciprocity program. To reach Elite Plus or Zenith status, you must earn points by sailing on Celebrity’s cruise ships and earning the status. 

Similarly, Captain’s Club highest members - Elite Plus and Zenith - can only receive Diamond status when sailing on Royal Caribbean cruises.

It's important to note that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises each have their own points structure. To reach the next tier with Celebrity, I would need to earn at least 750 Captain’s Club points on my own; however, I’d continue to receive Elite-level benefits through reciprocity until then. 

Below is a breakdown of how Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor status translates to Captain’s Club status with the reciprocity status match program. 

Technically, I boarded Celebrity Silhouette as an Elite member with 0 Captain’s Club points, as I had not sailed on a Celebrity Cruise before.

When booking this cruise, I wanted to make sure I received the benefits I was entitled to. Enrollment in Celebrity’s loyalty program, Captain’s Club, was seamless. 

Anyone who is in enrolled in either Royal Caribbean’s or Celebrity’s loyalty programs will automatically receive benefits while sailing on either cruise line. 

Celebrity’s website states that anyone in Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor program that is not enrolled in Celebrity’s Captain’s Club program should confirm enrollment before booking their cruise. I decided to call the Loyalty Service Desk to make sure I was enrolled in Captain’s Club before booking my first Celebrity cruise. 

Calling Celebrity Cruises was easy and they quickly confirmed my enrollment in the program. The agent also provided me with my Captain’s Club number at this time. Investigating further, I actually found the Captain’s Club number on Royal Caribbean’s website under Profile -> My Loyalty. I believe this is automatically populated, but I would suggest confirming your Captain’s Club number before booking your cruise. 

I provided the Captain’s Club numbers for both me and my sister when booking the Celebrity Cruise through our MEI travel agent. I was able to login to Celebrity’s travel portal and it showed my Elite status in the profile already. 

Once we boarded Celebrity Silhouette for our weekend cruise, we found an info sheet in the cabin with information about our Captain’s Club Elite membership benefits. 

Although the benefits are not necessarily one to one, we were pretty pleased with the Elite benefits that were listed on the sheet. It was a relief to see the Elite status on my SeaPass card and knowing that my benefits transferred correctly. 

Most importantly, I was happy to see on the benefit list that we would still receive complimentary drinks through Celebrity’s happy hour for Captain’s Club members! In addition, we were invited to join Captain’s Club Coffee Lounge everyday from 8am to 10am in Tuscan Restaurant. This was described as a coffeehouse style breakfast with snacks and pastries. 

The info sheet also stated that there would be a Captain’s Club Celebration on the final night of the cruise. This invitation said we could join the exclusive event for live music, drinks and special appearances from the Captain and Senior Officers.

Finally, we were invited to a Private Departure Lounge during disembarkation from 7:30am - 9am in Tuscan Restaurant. 

One of the first things I always do when I board a cruise ship is purchase internet for the entire voyage with my loyalty discount. 

Although disconnecting on a cruise is so relaxing, I simply need to have internet for my remote jobs. The flexibility of being able to work anywhere is incredible, but I do need to have high-speed internet purchased when I sail on a cruise to ensure I keep up with work when necessary. 

I am still holding out hope for the day that Internet is free on cruises, especially considering I can get free high-speed internet at almost anywhere these days!

On Royal Caribbean, as a Diamond Plus member, I receive two free days of Internet onboard or a $50 discount for the entire voyage. For this reason, I usually wait to purchase my Wi-Fi until I am onboard shorter cruises to ensure I get my discount, unless I can get a better price in the Cruise Planner beforehand. 

For a 4-night cruise, it’s usually around $51.98 for me to have high-speed internet on Royal Caribbean, as it’s priced at $25.99 per day. 

Unlike Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises provides a percentage discount on Wi-Fi packages; sadly, high-speed internet is more expensive at $35 each day. As Elite members, we received a 30% discount on our Internet package, which I purchased on the first day. 

Unfortunately, high-speed Internet on Celebrity was almost double what it would cost on a 4-night Royal Caribbean cruise! I received a $42 discount, but it was still nearly $100 for the duration of the 4-night voyage. 

Shockingly, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have the exact same Wi-Fi coverage through satellite-provider Starlink. 

In this sense, the price discrepancy between the two cruise lines is quite confusing for me. I was paying nearly double for the exact same provider coverage.

On a longer voyage, the 30% discount would be more sizable (in dollars) than the static $51.98 discount received on Royal Caribbean; however, the increased cost of $10 more each day on Celebrity will likely wash out any major savings when comparing the two. 

For example, a recent 12-night cruise on Royal Caribbean cost me $259.90 for the high-speed service with a savings of $51.98. On Celebrity Cruises, the same Internet would cost me $294 with a savings of $126. Although the savings is more, the overall cost of Internet is still higher. 

I’ve actually wished that Royal Caribbean would provide a bigger discount on longer cruises for top-tier loyalty members. When I take a 12-night cruise, it would be great to receive a 30%-50% discount on internet service, although any discount is still awesome. 

Technically, you have the potential to save a lot more money with Celebrity’s Captain’s Club internet discounts, but the increased cost of coverage needs to be taken into consideration. The internet coverage was consistent with what I’ve experienced on Royal Caribbean cruises, which is expected since the provider is the same. 

Another great perk on our Celebrity cruise that saved us a lot of money was the nightly happy hour with complimentary cocktails. 

Paying for cocktails and alcohol on a cruise can get very expensive. Not to mention, drink packages can nearly double the cost of your cruise and you have to drink around 5 cocktails each day to breakeven. 

Celebrity does not offer the easy-to-use drink vouchers like Royal Caribbean for loyalty perks. Instead, the cruise line has a nightly happy hour that serves complimentary drinks from 5pm-7pm.

This is very reminiscent of Royal Caribbean’s old happy hour in the Diamond and Concierge lounge, which was phased out after the pandemic and replaced with daily drink vouchers.

The happy hour was not limited just to a certain lounge. We were able to enjoy complimentary drinks from a set menu throughout the cruise at almost every bar, except the Craft Social and World Class Bar. 

On the set menu for happy hour, you could choose from a variety of simple cocktails and liquors. The bars specifically set out the menu each evening from 5pm-7pm. Throughout the cruise happy hours, we probably enjoyed 10-12 cocktails between the two of us. 

At a minimum, this saved us at least $100-$120 on our cruise! You can have unlimited cocktails during happy hour, so I will definitely choose a later dining time on my future Celebrity Cruise to take advantage of this happy hour. 

My sister and I enjoyed multiple cocktails each evening during happy hour and most enjoyed Sunset Bar. On our final evening, we sipped on a fruity concoction from the bartender while listening to live music while we sailed away from Nassau and back to Miami. 

Oddly, the first day of the cruise was excluded from the Captain's Club happy hour, which was a bit of a bummer.

During the first day of our cruise on Celebrity Silhouette, we were bummed to find out that there was no happy hour for Captain’s Club members that evening. 

The flyer in our cabin specifically stated that the Captain’s Club Cocktail Hour was excluded on embarkation day for whatever reason. Excluding embarkation day isn’t a huge deal, but when compared to Royal Caribbean’s daily voucher allowance that starts on the first day, it is notable. 

On a longer sailing, it also isn’t that big of a deal; however, we were only sailing on a 4-night cruise, so that meant we had only three evenings to take advantage of our benefits, so it was a bit more restrictive in that sense.

Instead, we purchased martinis at the famous Martini Bar on the first night of the cruise while we watched the bartenders perform impressive tricks with the martini glasses.

The martinis were not cheap, as they were $17 each including gratuities. We decided just to have one drink in anticipation of our happy hour kicking in the following evening. We loved the atmosphere of the Martini Bar and enjoyed the DJ playing music throughout the evening. 

Each morning, we could choose to dine at Tuscan Grill for Captain’s Club coffeehouse breakfast, which included cocktails and specialty coffees.

On the third morning of our cruise on Celebrity Silhouette, we decided to try out the Captain’s Club breakfast to see what was offered. This was located in Tuscan Restaurant, which is a specialty dining venue. 

I was thrilled to see I could get my morning latte during the coffeehouse breakfast - and even more excited to see mimosas, Bellinis and Bloody Marys on the menu. The breakfast menu was small with simple offerings like pastries, oatmeal and bagels. 

Receiving a free morning latte saved me $7 - something I wish I had known on the first morning of the cruise. I paid for my specialty coffee the first two mornings in the buffet and could have come here instead.

While I wasn’t necessarily in the mood for a mimosa on this morning, I was excited to see complimentary morning cocktails on the menu. Theoretically, I could have drank way more for free each day on this Celebrity cruise compared to my 5 drink vouchers on Royal Caribbean.

Between the unlimited cocktails, complimentary specialty coffee in the lounge and the nightly happy hours with cocktails, there would be absolutely no need for a drink package on Celebrity for me. 

On the final day, we enjoyed complimentary access to the Persian Garden thermal spa with our Elite status. 

One of the coolest perks with our Elite benefits was complimentary access to the Persian Garden thermal spa. We were able to access the thermal spa during one port day of the cruise as Elite members. We opted to do this on the final day of our cruise while we were docked in Nassau.

When I asked how much a daily pass during a port day would cost to the thermal spa, we were told it’s normally $39.95. 

For the two of us, this was a savings of $80! Whether we would actually pay this much to enjoy the thermal spa is up in the air, but I absolutely loved the ambiance and experience. We relaxed in the warm thermal chairs while also trying the different showers, saunas and steam rooms.

To my knowledge, this is not something offered on Royal Caribbean; but, it’s a perk that I really did enjoy on my Celebrity Cruise. 

As Elite members, we also could have received other benefits such as a free scoop of gelato, complimentary laundry, discounts on photos and more.

Elite members receive a slew of benefits onboard Celebrity cruise ships, including some that we didn't even have time to pursue. 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling my best on the final evening so we didn’t make it to the Captain’s Club exclusive event. I wish this had been hosted on another evening so we could see what it’s all about, but we will save that for a future Celebrity cruise!

Since this was a short 4-night sailing, we didn’t utilize all of the Elite benefits that we were afforded. We had to squeeze in as much as we could! On a weekend getaway, it’s not necessary for me to do laundry most of the time. We also didn’t take a singe professional photo, and this is not something I would pay for even with a 40% discount. 

I was also very satisfied with the complimentary dessert offerings in the buffet and dining room that I never craved gelato from Cafe al Bacio; however, my sister did receive her free scoop on the last day and felt it was the same quality as we were served in the buffet. 

Although Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises do not offer identical benefits, it’s still worthwhile to enjoy the reciprocity perks.

The most important loyalty benefits that I receive on Royal Caribbean include the discounted internet and complimentary daily drinks. I also enjoy the BOGO specialty dining and free professional photo, although these are not make-or-break benefits for me.

Most notably, our biggest savings came from not having to pay for cocktails or specialty coffee - other than our martinis on the first night. We loved the nightly happy hours hosted throughout the ship and appreciated the flexibility of going to almost any bar onboard. 

Additionally, receiving a 30% discount on Internet was appreciated, although the cost of internet was unexplainably more expensive. 

We also enjoyed our complimentary visit to the thermal spa during the ship’s visit to Nassau. Since we’d been to Nassau many times, enjoying the spa was a great way to enjoy our afternoon and do something more relaxing onboard the ship.

Overall, I was pleased with the Elite benefits on my Celebrity Silhouette cruise - and it saved us a lot of money. The savings would certainly compound on a longer Celebrity cruise with the reciprocity status matching, which is something to keep in mind. 

Royal Caribbean is updating the loyalty benefits for Crown and Anchor Society members beginning on March 10, 2023, with one of the most notable changes being the new design for the crystal blocks. 

Royal Caribbean announced the new crystal block designs  via the Crown and Anchor Society's Facebook page on February 28, 2023 in a post that read: "Being a Crown & Anchor Society member has its perks. And the perks don’t just happen at sea — get ready for a new burst of color! "

"We're excited to announce that our new crystal blocks are debuting this spring, and they're ready to take your collection to the next level."

All changes and updates to the Crown and Anchor loyalty program were soft launched on their website before being sent out via email in the February Crown & Anchor newsletter.

What are the loyalty program updates?

Changes to welcome snacks and beverages

For Emerald members (55+ points) and above, you will no longer have option to pre-select your welcome beverages, as all guests will now receive complimentary water in their stateroom when they arrive. If you are Emerald or Diamond, you'll get two bottles per person, and if you are Diamond Plus or Pinnacle, you will get three per person. 

Additionally, the cruise line removed the welcome snack as a loyalty benefit. Unfortunately, there will not be any cookies waiting in your stateroom anymore!

Daily drinks and wine discounts

All Diamond members (80+ points) and above will continue to receive daily drink vouchers for any beverage up to $14.

The number you get per day depends on your status: 4 for Diamond, 5 for Diamond Plus, and 6 for Pinnacle. Additionally, you will be able to receive 20% off bottles of wine over $100 and 40% bottles under $100. 

Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club wash & fold laundry benefit

While Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members will still be able to receive one free $34.99 bag of laundry on sailings that are 5+ nights, they can only do so on the day of the ship's Wash & Fold laundry promotion. It's not valid for any pressing or dry-cleaning services. 

New amenities list

Diamond Plus (175+ points) and Pinnacle (700+ points) members have a new amenities list to choose from.

The number of points you have, as well as the length of your sailing, determines not only how many items you may choose from, but also what the items are.

For example, guests with 175-339 points only have fifteen options to choose from, while guests with 525+ points have over forty! 

No matter your points, you are eligible to select the new toiletry bag. Only guests with 340+ points, however, can choose the upgraded Crown & Anchor Society tote bag. 

New crystal blocks

The current crystal block design features Royal Caribbean International branding above the image and name of the cruise ship you are on when you cross the point threshold.

All elements are etched into the crystal, giving them an elegant and timeless look.

The update design will feature a colorful image of the ship with the Crown & Anchor logo in the top left corner and the ship's name in the lower right corner. 

Only five blocks have been released thus far, and they are all for Oasis Class ships. Every block, except for Symphony of the Seas, features a shot of the ship sailing during sunset.

As of February 28, 2023, the design for all other blocks is unknown. 

The updated look is facing mixed criticism from guests. 

Some are a fan of the new look, like HeWhoWaits who said, "With the change, maybe it's a good thing that my wife's block from last summer wasn't available."

"Hopefully this means she'll get the new version when follow ups are successful."

Others prefer the old design, including steverk: "My initial thought is we're going from something that was classy to something that looks like a cheap souvenir."

"I'll withhold final judgment until I actually see it, but that's my first impression."

Who is eligible for a crystal block?

Unfortunately, earning Diamond status (80 points) with Royal Caribbean is not enough to get you a crystal block. You will have to earn 140 points to be eligible to receive your first block. It is almost like a halfway marker between Diamond and Diamond Plus. 

You will also be able to get another crystal block every time you earn another 70 points on top of the 140, so you will get a block at 210, 280, 350, 420, and so on points.

There is no limit as to how many blocks you are able to collect. The more you cruise, the more blocks you will have!

After Royal Caribbean reversed the decision to stop giving out blocks in 2021, eligible guests choose to either have the blocks delivered to their stateroom or home, or if you do not want a block, you can decline delivery. 

I have over 140 points and I never got a crystal block. Who do I contact?

If you have yet to receive a crystal block despite having over 140 cruise points, you can go speak with the Loyalty Ambassador if you are onboard a cruise ship. They will be happy to assist you in making sure that you get your crystal block! 

If you are at home, you can call Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor hotline at (800) 526-9723 or send an email to [email protected].

The representative will be able pull all of your sailing information via your Crown and Anchor loyalty number, so be sure to have it handy.

If you are emailing, you will want to include it in your initial message. 

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

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.