Royal Caribbean finally makes loyalty program change cruisers wanted most

Starting in 2026, Royal Caribbean Group is making a change to its loyalty programs that will affect rewards and how perks are earned. 

During the company's third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, October 28, Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group's C.E.O., announced Points Choice. 

"Guests will be able to apply loyalty points to the Royal Caribbean Group brand they prefer, regardless of which brand they are sailing with," Liberty explained. 

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This means that if you're sailing with Celebrity Cruises but want your loyalty points to go towards your Crown & Anchor status with Royal Caribbean, you can do so. 

This gives cruisers more flexibility in how they earn valuable loyalty perks across the company. 

Liberty added, "This initiative further strengthens the overall value of our loyalty proposition, deepening engagement across our portfolio and reinforcing our commitment to putting the guests at the centre of our orbit as our ecosystem expands."

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Although there are still a lot of questions about Points Choice, we do know that the new initiative won't impact the status match program. 

Additionally, there will be published points tables with exchange rates between brands. So, let's say that you sail in a Sky Suite on Celebrity Cruises. The table will indicate how many Crown & Anchor points you are eligible based on that sailing. 

Finally, Points Choice will be offered only on cruises departing on or after the program's launch date in 2026.

Cruisers have long expressed a desire for a more cohesive loyalty program within the Royal Caribbean Group brands

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And they delivered — kind of. Effective June 5, 2024, Royal Caribbean Group's status match program allows members of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Silversea's loyalty programs to enjoy reciprocal status regardless of which brand they sail with. 

As such, top-tier members of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, Silversea's Venetian Society, or Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club can take advantage of comparable benefits across all three brands.

Previously, the highest tiers that guests could match into were Diamond (Crown & Anchor) and Elite (Celebrity), respectively.

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Other than that, however, everything about the programs was separate. 

This new change means that it's easier for passengers to take advantage of the company's extensive line-up of ships, experiences, and destinations without abandoning hard-earned loyalty progress with one brand. 

As a Diamond member, I’m excited that I no longer have to worry about losing sight of becoming a Diamond Plus cruiser when sailing with Celebrity.

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Instead, I can keep inching towards Diamond Plus, which rewards cruisers with two free days of Wi-Fi and five complimentary drinks per day.

Read more: What You Need to Know About Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society Status Levels