Those familiar with Royal Caribbean have probably heard of their sister brand, Celebrity Cruises. Rather than focusing on providing the ultimate family-friendly vacation, Celebrity strives to provide an upscale cruising experience to unique destinations across the globe.
Just like with Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, it pays to be loyal to Celebrity and join Captain's Club, their rewards program that offers special benefits to repeat passengers.
The more often you sail with Celebrity, the more cruise points you will accumulate, helping you climb the ranks to unlock more benefits like discounts on internet and drink packages, complimentary laundry, and even free cruises!
The best part? Even if you've never stepped foot onboard a Celebrity ship before, you might be able to enjoy membership benefits thanks to their status matching program with Royal Caribbean.
Here is everything you need to know about Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club.
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Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club tiers
Within the Captain's Club, there are six different levels. The more you cruise with Celebrity, the more points you will accrue, allowing you to ascend the ranks and unlock more perks.
- Preview (0 points)
- Classic (2 to 149 points)
- Select (150 to 299 points)
- Elite (300 to 749 points)
- Elite Plus (750 to 2,999 points)
- Zenith (3,000 points or more)
You will be able to join Celebrity's Captain's Club before taking your first cruise with them-- all you have to do is go to their website to sign up! While this entry-level tier won't get you many perks, you will be able to access the online newsletter, earn double Club Points when traveling solo, and use the Loyalty Desk service center between cruises, as well as be eligible for special offers when booking a future cruise onboard.
Read more: The 10 things Celebrity got right on their newest cruise ship
How do I earn Captain's Club points?
When sailing with Royal Caribbean, you typically get one point per night of your cruise. So, for instance, if your voyage is 7-nights, you'll earn seven Crown & Anchor points. There are a few ways that you can earn extra points on each cruise, such as booking a suite or sailing solo.
Celebrity's Captain's Club works a little bit differently. Rather than get a single point per night, the total number of points you get per cruise is also based on what stateroom category you book.
If you stay in an inside or ocean view room, you will get two points per night, meaning that at the end of a 7-night cruise, you would have a total of fourteen points.
Veranda and Infinite Veranda cabins earn three points per night, while Concierge and AquaClass rooms get five, and those staying in Sky and Aqua Sky Suites can expect to earn eight points per night.
Read more: Celebrity Cruises Cabin Overview: What you need to know
12 points per night will be awarded to those in Celebrity, Signature, Sunset, and Royal suites. The number increases to 18 for Reflection, Penthouse, and Edge Villas. If you're lucky enough to stay in the Iconic Suite onboard Edge Class ships, you'll get a whopping 24 points per night. If you were to take a 7-night cruise in this luxurious suite, you would earn 168 points during a single sailing. Of course, this will cost much more than if you were to cruise in an ocean view room.
You can even earn points from home through their Power Up Points program. When you enroll, you will be sent emails asking if you'd like to participate in different activities, such as sharing your preferences and social media content. Once you complete the specific activity, you'll earn Power Up Points that can be converted into Club points. For every 10 Power Up Points that you earn, you will get 1 Club point.
What are the benefits of each tier?
As mentioned earlier, there isn't much included with the Preview level. It can be thought of as a starting point for brand-new cruisers to entice them to continue sailing with Celebrity.
After your first cruise, you will move up to the Classic tier, gaining access to the following benefits:
- Special Captain’s Club Welcome Celebration Night
- Access to exclusive events on specialty sailings
- Pre-sailing specialty restaurant reservations through the Loyalty Desk
- One pre-cruise category upgrade up to AquaClass, based on availability
- Sneak peek of Wonder at Eden onboard Celebrity Apex and Beyond
- 10% discount on wi-fi packages
- 25% discount on digital or print photo package
- $100 off The Studio photo packages
- 10% discount on a drink package or premium drink package
- 10% discount at The Spa
- 10% discount off one-time use laundry services
- 10% off any bottle of wine
- 5% discount on small group discovery shore excursions
- 5% discount on Hollywood Hot Glass
- Complimentary scoop of gelato
- Complimentary specialty coffee when dining in a specialty restaurant
- One match play for roulette or blackjack tables
- One bonus Deal or no Deal card with the purchase of a 4-pack
You'll remain a Classic Captain's Club member until you reach 150 points, when you move up one level to the Select tier. Essentially, if you took a single 7-night cruise staying in an Iconic Suite, you'd move up a whole tier with just one Celebrity cruise! In addition to the benefits of the Classic tier, you can expect to receive:
- Captain’s Club Wine Tasting
- Captain’s Club Backstage Tour
- 15% off any bottle of wine
- 25% off wi-fi packages
- 30% off digital or print photo packages
- $150 off The Studio photo package
- Two complimentary pressed laundry items
- One discounted bag of laundry for cruises 12 nights or longer
- Loyalty status match in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society
- Two match plays for roulette or blackjack tables
In order to become a Select member, you will have to take around eleven 7-night cruises in an inside or ocean view room. If you're someone who cannot live without a personal balcony, it will only take seven week-long cruises, rather than 11.
Read more: Celebrity Cruises Tips & Tricks
Once you reach 300 cruise points, you will move up to the Elite tier, where you begin to see many more perks that will enhance your time onboard Celebrity ships. You'll have to cruise with Celebrity a considerable amount to unlock this level. It, for instance, would take 22 7-night cruises in an interior room to reach Elite status. Of course, if you cruise in suites, you will ascend the ranks much quicker. After only two cruises in an Iconic Suite, you could be an Elite Captain's Club member!
With Elite, you'll get more discounts on onboard services, as well as gain access to an exclusive nightly happy hour (including on embarkation day) from 5-7pm that features a select list of complimentary drinks and private events like Create + Pour and Music + Mixology. Other perks include:
- 20% off any bottle of wine
- 15% discount on drink package or premium drink package
- 30% discount on the Wi-Fi package and 90 minutes of complimentary internet
- 40% off digital or print photo packages
- $200 off The Studio photo package
- Three match plays for roulette or blackjack tables
- One bonus Deal or no Deal card with the purchase of a 3-pack
- Complimentary access to Persian Garden for one-time use while the ship is in port (not available on Edge series)
- Private continental breakfast in a specialty restaurant
- Priority tender service, where available
- Private shipboard departure lounge
Similar to how Royal Caribbean has Diamond and Diamond Plus, Celebrity has Elite and Elite Plus, with the latter being reached after you've earned 750 points. With this tier, you will get:
- 15% off specialty dining cover charge
- 20% off regular drink package
- 35% discount on wi-fi and 240 minutes of complimentary internet access
- $250 off The Studio photo package
- Two complimentary bags of laundry
It takes 3,000 points to reach the cruise line's top tier: Zenith. If that number sounds a lot, it's because it is! You would have to spend 1,500 nights onboard a Celebrity ship in an interior room to gain access to the ultimate level of the Captain's Club. That's over 200 week-long cruises! Even if you sail in an Iconic Suite, it would still take you over 105 7-night voyages to ascend into Zenith. In short, you have to cruise pretty frequently.
A loyalty that runs this deep should be greatly rewarded, and it is! Zenith members get some pretty impressive benefits, such as:
- Complimentary unlimited premium Wi-Fi and drink packages
- Complimentary laundry
- 50% discount on digital or print photo package
- $300 off The Studio photo packages
- 25% off specialty dining cover charge
- 20% discount at The Spa
- Priority seating in the theater
- Access to Concierge Lunch in the Main Dining Room
- Upgraded bath amenities
- Charitable donation on your behalf made by Captain’s Club
- Complimentary 7-night Caribbean or Bermuda cruise upon reaching Zenith
- Complimentary 7-night Caribbean or Bermuda cruise at 6,000 points, plus every 3,000 points afterward
- Three bonus Deal or no Deal cards with the purchase of a 3-pack
Royal Caribbean's Group Loyalty Matching Program
If you hold status with one of Royal Caribbean Group's three brands (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Silversea), you're able to enjoy reciprocal status regardless of which brand they sail with, effective June 5, 2024.
While status matching isn't new to Royal Caribbean or Celebrity, the previous program was far more limited. Elite, Elite Plus, and Zenith members, for instance, used to only be able to hold Diamond status. Now, those in the highest tiers of each program can match into the corresponding tier across all three brands.
Note that if you sail with Royal Caribbean or Silversea, any points earned for your voyage will apply to your status with that specific brand, not toward your Captain's Club staus.
Captain’s Club frequently asked questions
If I don't cruise with Celebrity for a few years, will my points expire?
Thankfully, most cruise line loyalty programs don't require you to meet a certain threshold to renew your status (i.e., MSC Cruises' Voyagers Club, where your status is subject to expire after three years). As long as your account is active, your points will be perfectly safe!
I've sailed with Celebrity quite a bit. How many points do I have to accrue until I am rewarded with a free cruise?
As mentioned earlier, you'll have to reach the top tier of Celebrity's Captain's Club before earning a free cruise. Zenith members have at least 3,000 points in their reward program's bank and are only given one complimentary 7-night Caribbean or Bermuda cruise upon ascending into this level. They'll be eligible for another free cruise again at 6,000 points and every 3,000 afterward.
Of course, a free cruise isn't completely free. They have to pay taxes and fees, as well as all transportation costs to get to the cruise port.
Can I share my status with other people in my stateroom?
You can share your Captain's Club status with a spouse or partner. You'll have to link accounts, and both individuals will have the status of the person with more points. Note, though, that if their accounts are ever separated, the person with fewer points will revert back to their actual status, as sharing status does not mean sharing points.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
