Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program info, tips & secrets

In:

10 Feb 2023

By:

Jenna DeLaurentis

Royal Caribbean has a rewards program for anyone that cruises multiple times with them that acts as their customer loyalty program.

The Crown and Anchor Society is an exclusive program designed to reward dedicated Royal Caribbean cruise guests. By signing up, members can enjoy exclusive benefits on future cruises such as priority check-in, onboard discounts, and even complimentary beverages during their cruise. Additionally, members have access to dedicated venues, private cocktail parties onboard the ship, and more.

Earning points for your cruise vacation enables you to move up in the loyalty program, giving you exclusive access to pre-cruise discounts as well as onboard benefits and events.

All in all, Crown & Anchor Society provides great incentives for frequent Royal Caribbean passengers who want to take advantage of special offers throughout their cruising experience. It's a great way for guests to be rewarded for their loyalty.

How do I earn Crown & Anchor Society points?

Earning Crown & Anchor Society points is fairly simple. Each night on a cruise earns you one point. Therefore, if your cruise is seven nights, you will earn seven Crown and Anchor points.

There are a few ways to earn points more quickly. If you are staying in a suite, you will earn double points per night, making a 7-night cruise worth 14 points. Likewise, you will also earn double points by cruising solo in a regular (non-studio) cabin. If you happen to be cruising solo and are staying in a suite, you will earn a whopping 21 Crown and Anchor points on a 7-night cruise.

Points are not rewarded until after you have completed a sailing. This means that if you technically reach the next tier of the Crown & Anchor Society on day two of a cruise, your upgraded status will not be recognized until your next cruise.

Joining the Crown & Anchor Society is free and we recommend creating an account prior to your first cruise. If you did not have a Crown & Anchor Society account before your cruise, you can create one and link past sailings from the previous 12 months.

Crown & Anchor Society Tier Overview

There are six tiers to the Crown & Anchor Society:

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

There is also the Pre-Gold level, which is where every guest will start on their first Royal Caribbean cruise. As most sailings are 3 nights or longer, the majority of guests will reach Gold status after their first cruise.

Gold

Ranging from 3-29 points, the Gold level is the first official tier of the Crown & Anchor Society. As a Gold member, you do not receive an extensive list of benefits, but you will receive the following:

SeaPass card recognition
Crown & Anchor Exclusive Rates
50% off any glass of wine, beer or soda (two coupons per sailing)
50% off a Johnny Rockets milkshake (two coupons per sailing, on select ships)
Access to a private departure lounge with continental breakfast
10% discount on any glass of wine, beer or soda (this is separate from the above coupon offer)
25% discount on any coffee beverage, excluding Starbucks coffee
10% discount on any internet package purchased on board (not combinable with any other internet offer)
Crown & Anchor Society Desk for membership inquiries
$2 in Free Play at shipboard casinos
One free card when buying a bingo package
10% discount on any spa service (excluding medi-spa services)
10% discount on Royal Caribbean logo products (with a $25 minimum purchase)
Priority notice on special offers, new ships and itineraries
Additional cruise points for purchasing suite accommodations and/or single pricing type
Exclusive email offers
Crown & Anchor Society Exclusive member newsletter

Platinum

From 30-54 points you will be a Platinum member of the Crown & Anchor Society. If you have accumulated this many points, you are likely a seasoned cruiser compared to your Pre-Gold days. Platinum members receive all benefits listed above with the addition of:

Robes for use onboard
Signature Lapel Pin
Discounts on Balcony and Suite staterooms
Matching Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club

Emerald

An Emerald member does not see a substantial increase in onboard and cruise planning benefits compared to at the Platinum level. Emerald members, from 55 to 79 points, receive all benefits listed above with the addition of:

Welcome Waters & Snack + Beverage Selection
Bigger discount on Balcony & Suite staterooms compared to a Platinum member

If you took eight week-long cruises in a non-suite cabin, you could reach the Emerald level fastest.

Diamond

Becoming a Diamond member is a right of passage for Royal Caribbean cruise fans. Whereas Gold, Platinum, and Emerald all see a few benefits, the Diamond level, from 80 to 174 points, is where you begin to receive benefits that will better impact your cruise vacation.

As a Diamond member, one of the biggest benefits you receive is access to the Crown Lounge (formerly known as the Diamond Lounge). Reaching 80 points means that you now have access to a completely new area onboard and all of the benefits that come with it, like complimentary food, coffee, and access to the Diamond concierge.

Diamond members receive all benefits listed above with the addition of:

Milestone recognition
Priority waitlist for Shore Excursions/Vitality Spa services
Diamond Club (on select ships)
Exclusive Nightly Diamond Event
Entertainment Tour
Priority waitlist seating request in the Main Dining Room
Bigger discount on Balcony & Suite staterooms compared to an Emerald member

If you took 12 week-long cruises in a non-suite cabin, you could reach the Diamond level fastest.

Diamond Plus

The jump from Diamond to Diamond Plus in the Crown & Anchor Society is a big milestone. Whereas you can reach the Diamond level after “just” 80 points, reaching Diamond Plus requires more than double that at 175 points.

And once you reach Diamond Plus you will likely stay in this tier for a long time, as Diamond Plus ranges from 175-699 Crown & Anchor points.

Solo cruisers are sure to love the 50% reduction in the single supplement charge that occurs at 340 points.

Diamond Plus members receive all benefits listed above with the addition of:

Personalized Gift/Amenity (per household)
Exclusive Top Tier Event
Early access at theater, ice show, and AquaTheater events
Cheers with an Officer for members with 340+ cruise points
Upgraded bathroom amenities for members with 340+ cruise points
Bonus Gift for members with 340+ cruise points (per household)
Bonus Gift for members with 525+ cruise points (per household)
Exclusive access to Diamond Plus & Pinnacle Club call center staff members
Single supplement cruise fare reduced to 150% from 200% for members that have 340 or more cruise points
- This offer is based on availability with certain restrictions. Ocean Voyage Packages, Holiday sailings (Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving, Easter/Spring break) and the peak summer months of June 15 thru August 15 are not included in this offer.
Bigger discount on Balcony & Suite staterooms compared to a Diamond member

Pinnacle Club

The most coveted tier of the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society is the Pinnacle Club. Making up only a very small percentage of C&A members, a whopping 700 points must be earned to reach the Pinnacle Club level.

Reaching Pinnacle is a huge milestone for Royal Caribbean fans. As Royal Caribbean Blog writer Marcy Miyar explained, though, you don’t necessarily have to spend 700 nights on a cruise ship to reach Pinnacle. Booking suites or cruising solo allows you to earn more than one point per night, thus making your pathway to pinnacle a little bit quicker.

Pinnacle Club members receive all benefits listed above with the addition of:

Flexible arrival
Personalized lapel pin for Pinnacle Club
Pinnacle Club SeaPass Card with exclusive privileges
Daily breakfast at a specialty restaurant
Exclusive nightly pinnacle club event
Milestone cruise certificate valued at the prevailing rate of a 7-night balcony stateroom for 700 and 1050 cruise points
Milestone cruise certificate valued at the prevailing rate of a Junior Suite stateroom for 1,400 and every 350 cruise points thereafter
Bigger discount on Balcony & Suite staterooms compared to a Diamond Plus member

Member Benefits for Youth & Companions

Family members in the same household of a Crown & Anchor Society member can be added into a relationship with the member and receive equal tier status. Points listed in the family member’s account will be according to the amount of cruises that individual has taken. However, they will still receive all benefits of the tier level they earned as someone in the household of a Crown & Anchor Society member.

For example, if you are a Diamond Plus member, your kids will automatically be Diamond Plus members as well after their first cruise, even if their own Crown & Anchor Society account only has a few points. The only exception to this rule is with the Pinnacle Club. Dependents are not able to receive Pinnacle Club status from their parents or guardians and must achieve that milestone themselves. Spouses and domestic partners are able to reach Pinnacle status through their partner.

Other benefits for youth members of the Crown & Anchor Society include onboard offers and a commemorative gift for Diamond level and above.

Recent Policy Changes

Since the restart of cruises in 2021, Royal Caribbean has added enhancements and temporary adjustments to the Crown & Anchor Society benefits. These benefits include:

Daily drink vouchers for Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Members for drinks with up to a $13 value that can be used at any bar, Crown Lounge during Happy Hour, or private destination at any time
Flexible arrival for Pinnacle Club and Suite guests, allowing early check-in at the terminal
Pinnacle members are still able to dine in Coastal Kitchen, but reservations are required
Pinnacle members on Oasis and Quantum class ships receive a $25 dining voucher for a specialty restaurant of their choice
“Master Class-type experience” for an insider view into the ship’s entertainment
Early access at onboard entertainment for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members
“Meal with an Officer” for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members has been evolved to a physical-distanced “Cheers with an Officer”

Royal Caribbean announced in December 2022 that Diamond Plus guests would no longer have access to the Concierge Lounge on ships that lack a Suite Lounge.

Due to high counts of top-tier members on most sailings, Royal Caribbean decided it had to limit access to the Concierge Lounge altogether.

What is the Crown Lounge (Diamond Lounge)?

Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle guests can access the Crown Lounge (which used to be called the Diamond Lounge) while onboard. The Crown Lounge is open 24 hours a day and is an exclusive area only for Diamond members. Comfy seating and complimentary snacks and coffee are available throughout the day.

In addition, the Crown Lounge has a concierge available that can help with booking things like dining, entertainment, shore excursions, and spa appointments while onboard. They are also available for general questions about the ship and any problems you may encounter.

The Crown Lounge also has a happy hour each evening. Prior to the cruise industry shutdown, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages in the Crown Lounge were complimentary during happy hour. This benefit has temporarily changed, though. Now Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club members are given a select number of drink vouchers per day to be used at happy hour or at bars around the ship. Diamond members receive 4 vouchers, Diamond Plus receive 5, and Pinnacle Club members receive 6 vouchers per day.

Most Royal Caribbean ships have a Crown Lounge. If a ship does not have a Crown Lounge, a Diamond-exclusive event will be held each night at a designated venue onboard.

Crown & Anchor Society Onboard Offers

When you board a cruise ship as a member of the Crown & Anchor Society, there will be a paper waiting for you in your stateroom listing your exclusive onboard offers. These offers increase by your Crown & Anchor Society tier and help you save money on your cruise vacation. Here are the current offers by membership level: