Royal Caribbean is loving their return-to-cruise momentum, but they want to do even better.
During the company's Q2 earnings call on July 29, Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, announced that the number of loyalty members sailing with Royal Caribbean has inched up to 40%.
To build on that momentum, Liberty hinted that future changes are underway to further reward those who repeatedly sail with Royal Caribbean, including a revamp to its credit card program.
"We are very tuned into...[the] things in which our guests...feel [are] a value to them," he said. As a result, there are plans to drive that loyalty even further and create meaningful changes.
This means not only investing in new hardware, like mega Icon Class ships and new exclusive beach clubs, but also giving repeat cruisers special offers and perks that elevate their onboard experiences.
"Loyalty is very important. I think people want to be recognized. They want to not just be recognized for their spend today, but be recognized for all that they have done in the past," noted Liberty.
Royal Caribbean's customer base feels "financially confident"
Consequently, their consumers are more receptive to premium experiences and more expensive vacations, rather than trying to pinch pennies on a cruise ship. It's even more evident considering that repeat cruisers are spending 25% more on their vacations than new cruisers.
7 in 10 of Royal Caribbean's customers from younger generations (i.e., Millennials and younger) are also more likely to book their cruise closer to its departure date, which reflects a greater level of spontaneity and flexibility.
"Holistically, as we get to see millions of spending activities per day, we see a very healthy customer," Liberty remarked.
"When we dig into that customer, they have strong, great jobs; they have strong balance sheets; and they're confident in spending and making sure that they're they're receiving the vacation experience that they're looking for."
Although massive ships, upgraded cabins, new onboard experiences, and exclusive destinations are great ways to attract clients, there needs to be more to ensure they repeatedly choose Royal Caribbean over competitors time and time again.
"We're trying to increase repetition, which ultimately leads to an increase in lifetime value of the customer, lowers our acquisition costs, and positions us to close the gap further to land-based vacations," said Liberty.
During the earnings call, company executives also hinted that changes are coming to its co-branded credit card
Right now, Royal Caribbean's Visa Signature credit card does not "fit [their] ambition."
Liberty didn't elaborate, but he said that he thinks we're going to "see something very meaningful...very, very soon."
It's likely part of a greater push toward linking the company's loyalty programs and keeping guests within Royal Caribbean Group's portfolio — as was the case when they announced their status match program in 2024. Now, guests with loyalty status on Royal Caribbean can receive benefits on Celebrity or Silversea, and vice versa.
"Our guests are very focused on recognition and also being incentivized for the spend and loyalty that they provide," Liberty explained.
As such, it wouldn't come as a surprise if the new credit card includes more integration with the Crown & Anchor Society, or even ties into sister brands like Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
There are other indicators that a credit card revamp is on the horizon. For example, Royal Caribbean recently filed new trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Some of the trademarks even specifically say that they're for a credit card:
- ROYAL ONE
- ROYAL ONE PLUS
- ROYAL ONE REWARDS
- ROYAL ONE RESERVE
- ROYAL ONE POINTS
- ROYAL ONE PREMIER
The ROYAL ONE RESERVE™ trademark covers the category of magnetically encoded credit cards and loyalty cards that track customer purchases for reward purposes, while ROYAL ONE POINTS™ is intended to cover the categories of retail and online retail store reward programs, credit card reward program services, and the administration of incentive award programs related to the sale and use of credit card accounts.
Read more: Cruise Line Credit Cards: What You Need to Know
It's unclear whether Royal Caribbean is going to completely overhaul its loyalty program like Carnival recently did
The news of a new co-branded credit card comes at an interesting time after Carnival recently announced that their new Carnival Rewards loyalty program will heavily rely on credit card spending. Although you can climb the tiers based on cruise spending, it will be harder to reach the highest ranks without racking up big cruising bills.
In short, Carnival's new loyalty program no longer rewards cruisers based on the nights they have spent onboard Carnival ships. Instead, their new loyalty status is based on their total spend. However, guests can earn points faster by using the co-branded credit card for everyday purchases, which effectively ties loyalty progression to spending power.
As of now, Royal Caribbean's Visa Signature credit card is not linked to its Crown & Anchor loyalty program in the same way that Carnival's new co-branded credit card will be linked to Carnival Rewards.
With no annual fee, the credit card lets cardholders earn points on everyday purchases that can be redeemed for onboard credit, stateroom upgrades, cruise discounts, merchandise, and more, but it does not influence their Crown & Anchor status.
Read more: "Just not sustainable": Carnival President talks about loyalty program overhaul
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 traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
