- Cruise loyalty programs have seen some recent shake-ups.
- While Royal Caribbean and NCL offer status match between some brands, other like Princess have easier criteria to reach the highest tiers.
- Here’s all you need to know.
Table of Contents
Cruisers, and especially Australian cruisers, are generally very loyal travellers.
It’s for this reason that cruise loyalty programs are often such a sensitive point of debate. Cruisers will sink years and years of travel into one particular cruise line, and greatly enjoy the perks and sense of community they feel as they begin to reap some of the benefits of their chosen cruise line’s loyalty program.
Common perks include priority embarkation, complimentary beverages, priority access to reservations for things like theatre shows and spa appointments, and plenty more.
Royal Caribbean v Carnival v NCL – what you need to know
As far as cruise line loyalty programs go, it’s an interesting moment for the cruise community.
Three companies own the majority of cruise lines that sail: Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
Carnival Corp owns Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America, Cunard Cruises, Costa Cruises, Seabourn and more. Royal Caribbean Group owns Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, and NCL Holdings owns Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas.
Both Royal Caribbean and NCL have added cross-line status matching into their loyalty programs, which means that you can status-match across the other lines that the cruise line owns. This encourages cruisers to try out different types of cruising, and more crucially for the lines, it means if a cruiser is thinking of trying a new line, they’re more likely to pick one where they’re already getting some perks.
Carnival has gone in the complete opposite direction.
As a Cruise Passenger analysis recently explained, it’s unsurprising that Carnival doesn’t offer status matching, as it simply owns so many different cruise lines. Although this has upset cruisers in some situations. When P&O Australia was absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line, Aussie cruisers were upset to learn they’d have to start from zero on Carnival’s loyalty program.
However, soon the majority of Carnival cruisers will be starting from zero, as Carnival has completely changed its loyalty system, and will now operate a rolling two-year account, where loyalty points will be calculated by a mixture of cruising days and onboard spend.
It will reset back to zero every two years. Only those on the highest tier will get to keep their benefits when the new system kicks in.
This is in stark contrast to the policies of Royal Caribbean and NCL owned lines, who all offer lifetime status, as well as their status-match programs.
However, it should also be noted that many Carnival owned lines have much easier requirements for meeting the top tiers of perks. For example, it only takes 150 sailing days to reach the top-tier of loyalty for Princess cruises, and until the new system is put in place, it only takes 200 sailing days to reach the top tier of Carnival loyalty.
NCL and Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, both require 700 sailing days to reach the top-tier benefits, meaning in theory you could get to the top tiers of both Carnival and Princess in the same time it’d take to get halfway to the highest tier on NCL or Royal Caribbean.
A Cruise Passenger analysis shows this is likely exactly why Carnival had to revamp its loyalty program, and why Princess likely will need to do so as well, because there were simply too many cruisers in the highest tiers. This puts a bigger strain on the cruise line and can render some of the perks essentially useless.
For example, priority boarding doesn’t feel like priority boarding if 50% of the ship has it as well.
Looking forward, Royal Caribbean and NCL’s loyalty programs look pretty solid and are unlikely to get the Carnival treatment. There has been no new announcement on Princess’s loyalty program for now, and Carnival’s new system will come into place next year.
So when comparing these four cruise lines programs, here’s what you need to know.
The breakdown
| Cruise line | Royal Caribbean | Carnival Cruises (Carnival Rewards not VIFP) | Norwegian Cruise Line | Princess Cruises |
| Lifetime status | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Status match | Yes: to Celebrity Cruises and Silversea | No | Yes: to Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas | No |
| Requirements to reach the highest tier | 700 nights of sailing | Accumulating 100,000 ‘stars’ in a two year period, based on cruising days and onboard spend. | 700 nights of sailing | 150 nights of sailing |
| Likely spend required to achieve top status (based off current prices) | $154,000 (based on $220 per night average sailing) | About $50,000 over a two-year period, which then resets. | $154,000 (based on $220 per night average sailing) | $37,500 (based on $250 per night average sailing) |
| Best perks at highest tier | 40% off beverage package Buy 1 get 1 free specialty dining package Six complimentary daily alcoholic beverages Free Wifi package Private departure lounge Exclusive backstage tour Crown lounge access Exclusive events on sailings Chef’s’ choice Priority reservations for shows, spa, etc | Embarkation priority Two complimentary beverages Wash and fold laundry Priority reservations for spa Guaranteed main dining time Debarkation priority | Limited laundry service 25% wifi discount Dinner for two with a bottle of wine, wine tasting and behind the scenes ship tour. One-time free cabin upgrade Complimentary seven-day cruise Exclusive mixology experience | 10% off shore excursions Priority embarkation Complimentary wine tasting event Complimentary mini bar set up Deluxe canape selection on formal nights Complimentary afternoon tea in stateroom Laundry servicesPriority disembarkation |
Takeaways
- It’s important to note, Carnival Rewards could still announce new perks to be added. At this moment in time, the perks aren’t the best compared to other lines’ top tier offerings.
- Royal Caribbean likely offers the best onboard benefits, with complimentary beverages and Wifi standing out as the best offering at the highest tier.
- As it currently stands, Princess Cruises offers by far the most attainable top tier, with a much lower spend than the other programs and lifetime status.
- Norwegian Cruise Line has the single best benefit, which is the complimentary seven-day cruise, and the cabin upgrade which is given after 350 days as well.
- These benefits are summarised. Read below for a full explanation of benefits.
Royal Caribbean
How does it work?
You earn one point for each night of sailing, and two points per each night of sailing in a suite. The tiers are at three, 30, 55, 80, 175 and 700 points.
What can you get?
The RC loyalty program offers all sorts of different perks that increase with status. This ranges across restaurant discounts, alcohol discounts, complimentary drinks, two for one specialty dining, internet discounts and packages, access to exclusive events, laundry services, photo package discounts and much more.
Norwegian Cruise Lines
How does it work?
Guests are given one point for each night of cruising with NCL, however, some points can be gained faster by booking higher level suites or fares that include extra nights. There are seven tiers of rewards. The tiers are 1 points, 20 points, 45 points, 75 points, 150 points, 350 points and 700 points.
What can you get?
NCL’s loyalty program has a range of perks can extend as you move up the tiers, with perks like duty-free discounts, shore excursion discounts, cocktail parties, laundry service, priority tenders, priority disembarkation, Wifi discounts, a dinner for two with a bottle of wine, concierge service, a wines around the world tasting, cabin upgrades and plenty more, depending on your status.
Princess Cruises
How does it work?
You are awarded one point per night of sailing. If you travel solo and pay the full suite or exclusive occupancy fare, you can earn two points.
However, you can also move through the tiers based on the amount of cruises you take, not just how many days.
The first tier is reached after three cruises or 30 cruise days, the next is reached after five five cruises or fifty days, and the final is reached after 15 cruises or 150 days.
What can you get?
Princess Cruises benefits are not as comprehensive as some other cruise lines. However, perks that can obtained include an exclusive wine-tasting event, cancellation protection, discounts on spa treatments and WiFi packages, free afternoon tea and more.
Carnival Cruise Line
How it works?
You can gain ‘stars’ over a two-year period, that then reset. Stars can be gained based off of both onboard spend and nights cruising.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Carnival’s loyalty program change to the new system?
From June 2026, Carnival Rewards will come into place. Diamond members will keep their status, all other tiers will lose their status.
Which loyalty programs offer status match?
Royal Caribbean offers status match between Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea. Norwegian Cruise Line offers status match between NCL, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas.
Has Princess’s loyalty program change as well?
Until now, there have been changes to Princess’s loyalty program.
How do you enter into a cruise loyalty program?
You will be automatically entered into a cruise lines loyalty program when you start sailing.
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Excellent article