It has been just over nine months since Royal Caribbean restarted cruises from North America, and on April 24th, 2022 I boarded Harmony of the Seas for my 13th cruise since the "Royal Comeback."

While I have been on many different ships, this is the first time I’ve been on Harmony since December 2019.

I was curious to see not only what’s different since then, but how cruising has progressed since my last sailing just two months ago. For reference sake, I’m writing this blog on day three of a seven night sailing.

Masks optional in cruise terminal

I received my e-mail from Royal Caribbean with their updated “Healthy Sailing” instructions two days before the cruise.

The updated mask policy read that masks are optional for vaccinated guests onboard and also in the terminal, unless required by local regulation.

It felt odd to enter Port Canaveral’s terminal without a mask. That’s something I haven’t done in over two years.

Entertainment: Main Theater

After doing the e-muster drill (which I hope Royal Caribbean never gets rid of), we went to our room.

We had a copy of the show schedule for the week tucked into the daily planner.

The main theater has their Broadway Musical “Grease” performing on three different days. The Headliner performers were a comedian, a musician and a magician. There was a movie showing the first night, “Reminiscence”. The Love and Marriage Game Show will be held later in the week. There are many days of Bingo scheduled.

What continues to be notably absent is the “Columbus! The Musical” stage show. There has been no word on when or if it’s returning.

Entertainment: Studio B

Studio B is where you will find the ice shows. Harmony has a brand new ice cast that signed on this week. In fact, the show we saw was their "opening night". The cast performs two different shows. “1887: A Journey in Time” is their main show.

I’ll be honest, it’s not one of my favorites in the fleet. The story is hard to follow and the music is not exactly engaging. However, I can appreciate the artistry and athletic abilities of the cast so it’s still enjoyable.

Their other show is “iSkate Showcase.” It’s a chance for the cast to show off their talent with songs that they have chosen. It is high energy, fun, and they are very engaging with the audience. We really enjoyed that show.

Entertainment: The AquaTheater

“The Fine Line” was Harmony’s main show in the aqua theater for years. I’m not sure if it’s been available on other sailings since the restart, but on this one it has been replaced by a “showcase,” which I assume is similar to the free skate show that we saw last night from the ice cast.

Movies are also being shown. Some examples are “Cruella,” “No Time to Die,” “Jungle Cruise” and “Fast and Furious 9: The Fast Saga.”

Later in the week, the aqua theater will host the 70’s Disco Inferno dance party.

Entertainment: Around the Ship

The pool has been a bustle of activities with the return of the belly flop and world’s sexiest man competitions as well as plenty of live music.

The On-Air Club and Schooner Bar are home to trivia. I counted 25 different trivia options in my Royal Caribbean app. Everything from music, movies, general knowledge and eras. They also offer a scavenger hunt throughout the ship.

The Boardwalk is the place for Hula Hoop Competitions and Beer Pong (with water instead of beer).

“The Quest” continues to be unavailable. In fact, I haven’t seen it come back on any ship since the restart.

Read more: Trying out the free activities on Harmony of the Seas

Dining

We purchased the Unlimited Dining Package for this sailing.

Yes, I know, there are so many free food options that you don’t need a dining package. We decided we wanted to be able to go to all of the specialty restaurants for lunches (embarkation and sea days only) and dinner.

We like the variety and a more intimate, personalized dining experience. The main dining room and Windjammer feel crowded and loud to me.

So far we have had lunch at Jamie’s Italian, Chops and Sabor (which is being replaced by Playmakers on most ships. It’s currently only available on Harmony and Allure.) Dinners have been at Coastal Kitchen and 150 Central Park. Everything from the service to the meals themselves have been outstanding.

It should be noted that the unlimited dining package isn’t exactly “unlimited”. It does not include Chef’s Table, room service, the tapas menu at Vintages or “Captain Jack’s” shack on CocoCay.

You may have heard that the Windjammer buffet has gone back to self service. We stopped in there to check out the situation for ourselves. There was a crew member at the entrance making sure everyone was washing their hands. We also witnessed the crew sanitizing each table between guests.

Crown and Anchor Society

This is the first cruise since we turned Pinnacle nine months ago that we are allowed back into the suite lounge and have access to Coastal Kitchen for lunch and dinner. Even though the two venues are connected, our sea pass cards only unlock the door to the suite lounge and not Coastal Kitchen.

On Harmony, Pinnacles are still not permitted in Coastal Kitchen for breakfast. There is a pinnacle breakfast available daily at Chops. We went yesterday as soon as they opened. We waited 45 minutes for our food to come out, only for it to be cold. It was very disappointing.

The top tier event was held in the main theater. That was a first for me. I’m used to it being in the aqua theater on the larger ships or the Star Lounge or Viking Crown lounge on smaller ships. Platinum members and above were invited to the event. It was a full house. Captain Johnny and Paul, the Loyalty Ambassador welcomed two new couples to the Pinnacle Club, recognized folks that were reaching 1050 and 1400 point milestones and introduced the top three cruisers. The passengers per tier were as follows:

• 1,276 Gold Members
• 491 Platinum Members
• 234 Emerald Members
• 464 Diamond Members
• 295 Diamond Plus Members
• 85 Pinnacle Members

Paul also mentioned that there are a total of 1175 Pinnacle members in the Crown and Anchor Society.

On the first day we had invitations in our room for the “virtual backstage tour.” I’m not sure what that entails, as it is on day 6 of our cruise, all I do know is that the bridge tours and the behind the scenes tours remain unavailable.

Day 6 will also be our “Cheers with an Officer” lunch in the main dining room. It’s available to Crown and Anchor members with 340 points or more and is typically offered on sailings of seven nights or longer. Pre-pandemic, it was “lunch with an officer”, where an officer would be seated at each table and you could chat with them and get to know their role on the ship.

Usually the Captain, Hotel Director and the cruise director toast to the room and say a few words before leaving you to your meal with your fellow passengers.

Capacity

Probably one of the most asked questions in recent times is “how crowded is the ship?” This sailing has 4992 passengers. It can reach max capacity of 6,780, which is not typical. The double occupancy total is 5,479. There are 1,964 crew members onboard.

It’s not as crowded as it was pre-pandemic but it is definitely getting there. If you’re concerned at all about social distancing, stay out of the elevators. The signs are gone that limited the number of people in the elevator and guests are using every inch of available space.

Final thoughts

Even though it’s only been three days, the cruise has been fantastic. Besides the Chops breakfast that wasn’t up to par, everything else has been outstanding. (In Chops defense, we had lunch there today and the food and service was great). We have been lucky enough to find two of our favorite bar staff from previous ships. It’s nice to see our crew friends again.

While masks are optional for passengers onboard, the crew is still required to wear them, even the lifeguards at the pool. Hopefully that can change soon. Slowly but surely things are returning to “normal,” which is wonderful to see.

Royal Caribbean restarted cruises about eight months ago, and yet there are still some activities and entertainment onboard that have not returned.

The reason most of these activities have not resumed is due to social/physical distancing requirements. While we understand the rationale behind the decision, it doesn't mean we don't miss these fun things to do on a ship.

Here are just a few favorites that I hope can be brought back this year.

Pool Games

A staple on almost every cruise line is the belly flop competition.

Who doesn’t enjoy watching your passengers throw themselves into the main pool to see who will make the biggest splash?

And it’s not just the belly flop. Also missing are the hairy chest and the world’s sexiest man competition.

Quest

If you’ve never seen the Quest game show, you have missed out. It’s an adult themed scavenger hunt that not only has the teams participating but the audience too!

The cruise director will ask the teams to produce items (think “Let’s Make a Deal”) and if they don’t have it, they will look to the spectators to help them out.

Things can get a little racy, so if you’re easily offended, it may not be for you. It is such a hysterical show, even my 80-something year old grandmother was laughing harder than I’d ever seen.

Adventure Ocean

The kids club is open currently, but what is still missing is full capacity.

Pre-covid, you could drop your children off at Adventure Ocean and you may not see them again for the rest of the cruise due to all the fun they’re having.

These days though, you are required to make a reservation for a certain block of time to allow other guests access. It’s no surprise that the evening hours book up fast.

Main dining room seating

For now, the main dining room is only seating you with your immediate travel party, but I miss being able to sit with new friends for a meal.

Cruising can be a very social vacation, and to that point, there are many people who sail solo and like to meet new people. After meeting new friends at the pool or on an excursion, you may want to get together for dinner that evening.

As of right now, you are limited to sitting with people in your own stateroom, or those that have multiple rooms that were linked before the cruise.

Bar seating

Even though the “meet and mingle” gatherings aren’t available, you can still sit with new friends in the lounges. What you can’t do is sit at the bar itself.

Watching the bar staff make your martini can be part of the entertainment but to keep the distance between the bartender and the guests, the stools have “unavailable” signs placed on them.

Production shows

While you can still find Cats, Mama Mia and Grease on the Oasis class ships, what is noticeably absent are their other main theater shows.

Come Fly With Me, Blue Planet and Columbus! The Musical still remain dark. In fact, the main shows on most of the fleet have not returned. They are offering special guest entertainers in their places. I think this is due to a staffing issue.

This is probably what I hope comes back first. I enjoy having dinner and then going to the production shows with the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers. Even with the condensed 90 minute version of the Broadway shows, it’s still a bit too long for me. The 45 minute production shows are perfect.

Cooking classes

Prior to your sailing, you would find cooking classes in your cruise planner available for booking.

Two that spring to mind are the cupcake decorating class, which we did on one of our anniversary cruises and the sushi making in Izumi. These were very popular, unique activities that are definitely missed.

Ship tours

The behind the scenes tour was offered pre-cruise and could also be booked onboard. We did the tour on the Freedom of the Seas. It was held on the last sea day. The tour took you to the laundry rooms, the crew areas (we saw their “grocery store” named “Freedom Mart”), the backstage of the production and ice shows, the engine rooms and the bridge. After a nice lunch in the main dining room, we went to the galley to see the chefs in action. The tour ended with a toast in the champagne bar.

Abbreviated ship tours have also been a long-standing perk for higher tier Crown and Anchor members but they have also been suspended. One captain I spoke to recently said he hopes they never return but this is something I definitely miss. I never passed up an opportunity to visit the bridge.

As time goes on and we get the pandemic more under control, it is expected that these beloved activities will make their way back to the ships. In my opinion, it can’t come soon enough.

A mere half mile from where the cruise ships dock in Nassau, Bahamas, Margaritaville opened its newest resort in July 2021. 

The resort offers day passes that cruise passengers can purchase to experience some of the resorts amenities. 

What does a Margaritaville Beach Resort day pass include, and how is the experience? Marcy visited the resort on a December 2021 cruise to check it out.

What’s included?

The day pass includes:

• The “Fins Up” Water Park admission
• $25 food and beverage credit
• Private beach access (chairs first come, first serve)
• Complimentary Wi-Fi.

Cost and Cancellation policy

The current price for the day pass is $115 per adult, $45 for children 3-12 and under 3 years old is free.

You can cancel your pass up until 11:59 p.m. the day before your arrival on their website, however, you can cancel by email up until 10 a.m. the day of your arrival. 

That’s great flexibility if the weather happens to be bad.

My experience

I booked the day pass online via the third-party website resortpass.com. 

While Margaritaville doesn’t give an exact number, it is stated on their website that they will limit the number of passes sold per day.  I received my confirmation email that stated I had to check in at the front desk with a valid photo ID.

We went to the resort on Sunday, December 19th while our Royal Caribbean cruise ship was docked in port for the day.

We decided to do the half mile walk from the ship to the resort, which took fifteen minutes (six of which was just getting out of the port). The walk between the ship and Margaritaville is relatively flat.

We arrived at the resort and headed inside to check in.  We were stopped and told the policy had changed and were directed around the corner to the water parks ticket booth.  We provided our names and were given a wristband and our $25 per person food and/or drink coupons.

The Fins Up Water Park

The water park opened at 10 am, and we were there right at opening.

The first thing I noticed was how clean it was. The park features one pool, a lazy river, a kids slide, three larger slides for all ages, one hot tub and a flow rider type ride that is a scaled down version of the ones on Royal Caribbean’s ships. 

There is also a ledge 10 feet up that you can jump off of into the 11 ft. deep pool.  That was something I had never seen before at a water park.

The pools are not heated, so being December, it was a bit chilly. However, it was a sunny day so the water felt nice. 

There’s a rock climbing wall however, it was not staffed nor did we see anyone climbing it.

Lounge chairs and beach towels are complimentary. There were also lockers located near the restroom & changing rooms. I wanted to get one so my husband and I could store our valuables and enjoy the lazy river together but we were told they were just installed and were not in use as of yet.

The complimentary WIFI was easy to access.  After signing in, a pop up message said the WIFI would only be active for a one hour window.  Ours ended up working the entire four hours we were there so I’m not really sure what the actual rule is.

The overall atmosphere was enjoyable.  There were jumbo screens on the hotel itself that played every genre of music you can think of. 

We heard everything from Bruno Mars to U2, country music, 1960’s blues, 1980’s classic rock, Christmas music from the Monkees to Mariah Carey and of course plenty of Jimmy Buffet.  The volume of the music was perfect.  It was raised but not loud to the point where you couldn’t hold a conversation.

Food and drinks

This is the area that needs the most help, especially if you want to enjoy some cocktails, or any beverage at all. 

There are two areas to get drinks while visiting. The one by the food window was closed, so there was only the main bar that had one bartender the whole time we were there.

It’s obvious they have a bit of a staffing issue.  In fact, on their website, they mention that they offer poolside food and beverage service which we did not experience.  

Make sure to bring your wallet because the food is expensive, and this is coming from someone that frequents Walt Disney World ,so I’m used to overpriced food.

We ordered a chicken wrap and a burger (both included fries) and two beverages with alcohol that totaled $85.  Remember we did have two $25 food credits so that brought it down to $35 but that just seemed very overpriced to me. 

Gratuity and VAT taxes were automatically added.  They only accepted credit cards, no cash. 

I really did enjoy my chicken wrap.  It was made to order so even though it took about 15 minutes to get the food, it was fresh and delicious.  My husband wasn’t impressed with his burger though.  It was overcooked and bland.  The drinks were very good. 

Final thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed the day. It wasn’t crowded, I assume because not many people are aware of the day pass offer.

I love a lazy river so I could have just floated around in there all day.  My husband’s favorite activity was the ten foot jump, he said it was the best thing there.   

Would I do it again?  Maybe. It was a great day but the way I look at it, I could get a full day at CocoCay’s water park, which offers more activities for a cheaper price that also includes food.

However, if you’re looking for something new to do in Nassau, or you’re a fan of Jimmy Buffet and the Margaritaville brand, then the day pass is definitely for you. 

A wedding onboard a cruise ship or in an exotic port of call is the epitome of romance. If you are considering tying the knot or a vow renewal, you may not have any idea where to start.

Here are some helpful tips for getting married on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Where to begin

You will first need to contact the Royal Weddings department.

The weddings department requires a minimum of 90 days prior to your sail date but advise that you contact them even earlier than that, if possible.

You will choose your package and any add-ons that you desire. Then you’ll be assigned a shoreside coordinator who will work with you to customize your ceremony and reception to your specific needs.

They can also assist you with getting your marriage license. This may take 10-14 weeks after your cruise ends since the Bahamian maritime marriage license process requires at least 90 days for processing.

On embarkation day, you’ll meet with your onboard coordinator who makes it all happen! 

Who can Royal Caribbean marry?

Pretty much anybody, as long as you’re familiar with the rules.

If you get married onboard the ship, your marriage will be legal in the Bahamas as that is where the ship is registered. The same goes for any port of call you choose to have your ceremony in.

Same-sex marriages can be performed ashore in the United States or any other port abroad that legally recognizes them.

Since the Bahamas does not allow same-sex marriages, those cannot be done legally on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. However, the couple can have a symbolic ceremony at sea or at a select port of call if they wish.

Note that religious ceremonies are not available.

Read more: 10 tips for an amazing Royal Caribbean wedding

What does a cruise wedding package include?

Royal Caribbean offers four wedding packages to choose from. Details of each package can be found on Royal Caribbean’s website.

Intimately Yours Package

• Non-denominational wedding officiant
• Pre-cruise wedding planner
• Onboard wedding coordinator
• Bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne
• Pre-recorded musical accompaniment
• 2-tier wedding cake
• Dinner at a specialty restaurant
• Chocolate-covered strawberries
• Mimosa breakfast-in-bed
• Stateroom decor
• Keepsake wedding certificate
• Private wedding venue

Pricing for up to 10 guests: $1,950

Vows at Sea Package

• Non-denominational wedding officiant
• Pre-cruise wedding planner
• Onboard wedding coordinator
• Bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne
• Pre-recorded musical accompaniment
• 3-tier wedding cake (up to 50 guests)
• Dinner at a specialty restaurant
• Chocolate-covered strawberries
• Mimosa breakfast-in-bed
• Stateroom decor
• Keepsake wedding certificate
• Private wedding venue

Pricing for up to 50 guests: $3,850

Destinations I Do Package

• Non-denominational wedding officiant
• Pre-cruise wedding planner
• Onboard wedding coordinator
• Onsite wedding coordinator
• Bridal bouquet and matching boutonniere
• Couples wedding cake
• Bottle of sparkling wine
• Keepsake wedding certificate
• Transportation for the couple

Pricing for up to 50 guests: $4,650

Embark on Romance Package

• Non-denominational wedding officiant
• Pre-cruise wedding planner
• Onboard wedding coordinator
• Bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne
• Pre-recorded musical accompaniment
• 3-tier wedding cake (up to 50 guests)
• Dinner at a specialty restaurant
• Chocolate-covered strawberries
• Mimosa breakfast-in-bed
• Stateroom decor
• Keepsake wedding certificate
• Private wedding venue
• Priority check-in
• Allows for non-sailing guests (up to 75)
• Pier-to-ship escort for the couple and guests

Pricing for up to 50 guests: $5,600

Cruise wedding add-ons

If you really want to go all out you can add on, for an additional fee, salon services including hair styling and nails for the ladies or hair cuts, shaves, and beard trimming for the gentlemen.

You can add more hours with the photographer that includes all of your photos digitally. There are three photography packages you can select from, or there are various photography add-on options.

You can also arrange for a live band or a DJ at your reception. All entertainment is based on availability by each ship.

Speaking of receptions, you can book a venue and add bar services, hors d’oeuvres, or food stations. 

You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you wish!

Vow renewals

You don’t have to be getting married to have a ceremony! Why not renew your vows in a picturesque setting? That’s exactly what we did. We got married on land and had our honeymoon on Freedom of the Seas. Since we love cruising so much, we decided to celebrate our 10-year anniversary with a vow renewal on the ship we took our honeymoon on.

We wanted it to be just the two of us. Our onboard coordinator took care of everything! We chose our vow renewal to be held the day we were docked in Labadee. We added extra time with the photographer so we had photos done on the island before the ceremony. We had the ceremony itself in the Cloud 9 card room on Deck 14 (which is now the suite lounge).

We provided our own music so we had a sound technician present that played the songs through a speaker system. Our onboard coordinator also performed our ceremony. Afterward, we had a champagne toast. We requested to have the chocolate-covered strawberries and the cake delivered to our room. Next, we took photos around the ship. Even though it was October 28th, the ship was already decorated for Halloween. 

Read more: 20 tips for a Royal Caribbean honeymoon cruise

Our amazing wedding coordinator followed us around, deflating the decorations so we didn’t have ghosts and vampires in our photos then set them all back up again.

The photographer was happy to take photos in all of our favorite venues: Vintages, Giovanni’s Table, The Diamond and Viking Crown Lounges, and even the Next Cruise desk!

The one place I suggested that surprised our photographer the most was the main dining room. I love its three-story staircase and the giant chandelier. It turned out to be some of my favorite photos of the day.

Later in the cruise, we had our certificate delivered with our names, the date, the name of the ship, and it was signed by the Captain. 

The whole experience was even more perfect than we planned.

But what does it cost?

That’s hard to answer because there are so many variables that affect the price.

Packages that include the couple and 10 guests start at $1,950. Packages that include up to 50 guests start at $3,850. Up to 75 guests start at $5,600.

Whichever package you select, the entire cost of the package is due upon booking. 

Also, according to Royal Caribbean, "final payment for enhancements is due 45 days prior to sailing. We cannot apply GAP (Group Amenities Plus) points of Group/Cruise credits to your wedding package or enhancements."

For us, the experience and memories were worth every penny.

While cruising is a wonderful vacation all on its own, who wouldn’t like some extra perks to enjoy? 

As you cruise more frequently, you’ll earn discounts and gifts along the way through the loyalty program.  Today I’m going to focus on the top tiers of the Crown and Anchor Society and which ones I love the most.

These are just a few of the many perks offered to Crown and Anchor members. While they have changed over the years, it’s still a great program!

Diamond (80 points to 174 points)

Suite and Balcony Discounts

I like to have a balcony to enjoy watching the sunrise, so saving money on a balcony is always nice. 

Once you become Diamond, you can get those rooms for less, thanks to a balcony discount. 

For example, on a seven day sailing, Diamond members receive $225 off of their cruise fare.  The discount applies one per cabin, not per person but every little bit helps!

One free photo

I have gotten some amazing photos over the years from the ships photographers, but paying $20 or more for those 8x10’s gets pretty pricey. 

We use this discount on every one of our cruises. Since it’s per person, my husband and I can both get a free photo.

One free day of Voom internet

Many people like to unplug on their cruises, but we need to stay connected so having a free day of internet is convenient. 

Diamond members get one free day of internet access, which doubles when you reach Diamond Plus.

If one day just won’t be enough, you could instead get a discount off of a package that is equal to the cost of one day of internet.  That way you can keep in touch with home and upload those cruise pictures to social media!

Crystal blocks

Once you reach 140 points, you will receive a beautiful crystal block that is etched with the name and outline of your ship.  You will then receive one every 70 points thereafter. 

I have mine in a display case that has current and former ships represented. 

Access to the Diamond Lounge

This was, and still is, one of my favorites perks. 

I am always looking for a quiet place onboard during the day and that can be found in the lounge.  They offer continental breakfast in the morning as well as specialty coffee throughout the day.  There is a light lunch option with small sandwiches, fruit and desserts. 

The evening happy hour features appetizers and bar service. Royal Caribbean changed the drink benefit, where you get four free drinks per person per day that can be used at any bar at any time.

Diamond Plus (175-699)

You receive all the same discounts as you did when you were Diamond, except now your balcony/suite discount is $250, the internet is for 2 days, and you get five drinks per day added to your SeaPass card. 

Buy one get one free specialty restaurants

A BOGO offer for specialty restaurant means you can dine at any specialty restaurant and pay the cover charge for one person, but get the second person's cover charge for free.

It cannot be used for Izumi Hibachi or Chef’s Table. 

Since each Diamond Plus person gets one, I can use a BOGO for the first night and my husband can use it the second night.  It’s a great deal!

Backstage tours

This is a pre-pandemic perk that I hope comes back soon. 

On cruises at least seven nights, you will receive a card in your cabin on embarkation day that lists complimentary tours you could take. 

Some common options were behind the scenes of the ice show, the main theater and the bridge.  You could choose one or all of them, you just need to drop the card off at the Loyalty Ambassador’s desk and take the tours usually the last sea day of your sailing.

While Diamond members also had access to the theater tours, the bridge was exclusive to Diamond Plus and Pinnacle.

Lunch with an officer

Lunch with an officer is available once you reach 340 points for sailings seven days and longer. 

Lunch is offered in the main dining room on a different floor than the regular sea day lunch, with a special menu that includes wine.

Pre-pandemic an officer would sit at your table, and it was nice to get to know their jobs and ask questions about cruising in general.

It is now being offered as a “toast with an officer.”  You still get lunch but now the officers come around the tables and chat for a minute or two and do a champagne toast.  It usually takes place on the last sea day. 

Extra amenities

At 340 and 525 points, you receive extra bonus gifts.  There is a list to choose from that includes towels and tote bags, but we choose the wine. 

On a seven day sailing we received three bottles, which we bring to the restaurants for dinner.

The Top Tier Event

When I started cruising, this would have been known as the repeaters party.  Now though, only Diamond Plus and Pinnacle are invited to the event. 

I’ve always liked them because they recognize the top cruisers and tell you a little bit about the new ships being built. 

Pinnacle Club (700 points and beyond)

Your balcony discount increases to $275, there are 6 free drinks added to your SeaPass card and you now get free internet!

The Pinnacle Kit

Once you reach Pinnacle Club status, Royal Caribbean shops you a kit after your 700 point sailing.

It includes your stratum (a tall “crystal block” that has your name, the ship and date of your Pinnacle cruise engraved on it), luggage tags, passport cover and your lapel pins. 

Free cruise certificate

At 700 and 1050 points, you get a certificate for a free 7 night Caribbean cruise in a balcony stateroom. 

At 1400 points and every 350 thereafter you qualify for a complimentary Junior Suite!

Daily breakfast

Chops is usually the location of your Pinnacle breakfast.  Its hours vary but will match the main dining room.

The Pinnacle Club

Pre-pandemic, Pinnacle members had access to the suite lounges.  To promote social distancing, there is now a separate lounge for Pinnacle members.

Just like the Diamond Lounge, there are appetizers and bar service during happy hour.

Access to Coastal Kitchen

Since the restart, this benefit depends on the ship.  Some allow access for all meals while others only allow you to make dinner reservations. 

You’ve heard of frequent flyer miles, but did you know that cruise lines also have loyalty programs?

Royal Caribbean’s customer loyalty program is called the Crown and Anchor Society. You earn points based on how many nights your cruise is, as well as your cabin type or if you are going solo.

There are six tiers in the program:

• Gold: 3 points
• Platinum: 30 points
• Emerald: 55 points
• Diamond: 80 points
• Diamond Plus: 175 points
• Pinnacle Club: 700 points

As you progress through the tiers, you earn rewards such as discounts on internet, onboard merchandise, beverage packages and certain fares, just to name a few.

It may seem like getting to 700 cruise points is impossible, but it can be done. There are many different ways to achieve it, and I wanted to share how we did it.

Starting out

My husband and I took our first Royal Caribbean cruise on the Freedom of the seas in 2006 for our honeymoon. After that, we cruised once a year, always in October for our anniversary.

In 2010, we started doing weekend cruises on Monarch of the Seas. One morning, we went to the next cruise desk to book our annual anniversary sailing. The crew member there told us we really should be striving to become Diamond. He then told us how to earn extra points to help us ascend the tiers faster. His advice was to start booking junior suites. By doing that, we would earn two points per night. So for many years, that’s what we did.

By February 2011, we were Diamond. Then it became a goal to get to Diamond Plus. We continued to book junior suites exclusively and reached Diamond Plus in October 2015.

At this point, we were content (at least I was). Diamond Plus is a great tier to be at. It’s a large tier (175-699 points) and as you progress through it, you get more benefits.

At 340 points you receive what is called a “single supplement discount”, which is great for solo cruisers. Typically, if you cruise by yourself, you are paying double occupancy (unless you find the rare single cabins which are only available on select ships).

With the single supplement discount, instead of paying 200% fare, you’re only charged 150%. Sailing solo also earns you an extra cruise point per night.

This became important to us as now achieving Pinnacle status before turning 50 years old became my husbands goal.

Full speed ahead

In 2016, we started what I call “points chasing;” booking like crazy to get to Pinnacle as fast as we could. We are lucky that we live in Central Florida, because we have access to four cruise ports ranging in drive time from 45 minutes to 4 hours. We also have no children, so we weren’t tied to school schedules. We were able to cruise any time of the year.

Our game plan was to fit in as many weekend sailings as possible to maximize our points. We ended up doing nine cruises that year.

To keep all of these cruises straight, we made up an Excel spreadsheet with not only our budget for each cruise, but also how many points we would accumulate per sailing. We literally titled it our “Pathway to Pinnacle” spreadsheet.

In 2017, we crossed the 340 point mark and I started doing solo cruises. Not only did I sail alone, I was also in a junior suite. That earned me three points per night! Since we’re married, my husband was able to share my points, even without having to sail. That year ended with 14 more cruises sailed, three of which I did as a solo traveler.

In 2018, we were assigned a new Royal Caribbean vacation planner who told us what a lot of her clients were doing to make it to Pinnacle faster. On the cruises where my husband and I were together, she suggested I book the junior suite we always sail in by myself and have my husband book an interior room. That way we’d always be getting the maximum points on every sailing.

I thought that would be way out of our price range, but in reality it only ended up being a couple hundred dollars more because of the single supplement discount. We dubbed that our “triple points scam.” We were now earning three points per night on every sailing.

That moved us up fast. From January 2018 until the end of 2019, we earned 246 points. By this point, we reached 661 points.

Road block

In 2020 we did two weekend sailings in January and February for a total of 697 points. We now just had to wait until our April cruise on Harmony of the Seas to turn Pinnacle. And then, two weeks after our last sailing, the pandemic struck and the entire cruise industry was shut down for the next 15 months!

We were literally going crazy. Just three points away!

We booked and rebooked every month. Our disappointment grew with each subsequent cancellation until finally in June 2021, we were able to book the first sailing in North America. We flew to Nassau to board Adventure of the Seas and finally earn that coveted 700th cruise point.

In all, it took us thirteen and a half years to get to Pinnacle, not counting the year and a half the cruise industry was shut down.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, we did make it before my husband turned 50, with one month to spare!