FINALLY, the cruise industry is taking a play from airline loyalty and award programs and allowing you to earn elite status by cruising with other partner cruise lines. As many cruise lines have multiple cruise lines within their ownership structure, this only makes sense. Historically, if you sail on Royal Caribbean your could not earn elite points for nights when you travel on Silversea or Celebrity, or vice versa. Which really makes zero sense, and they are all owned by the same parent company.
Recently the Royal Caribbean group introduce status match across the cruise lines within the Royal Caribbean Group. This allows customers who have status with one cruise line to have elite benefits on the others Yet, nights spent on sister ships did not count towards status. Which if you think about it, is down right stupid. These companies should be rewarding customers for traveling within the brand. Otherwise someone who is royal to Royal or Celebrity, but decides they want to experience an expedition or small ship luxury might go elsewhere. Instead of trying a Silversea expedition to the Galapagos or Antarctica, these customers could easily choose Lindblad or Seabourn instead. All of this leads to revenue loss and miss opportunities to keep customers within the umbrella of Royal Caribbean, even if it’s a different brand. At the end of the day, it’s all dollars back to the parent company.
Royal Caribbean Introduces Points Choice
If you thought loyalty perks couldn’t get any better, think again. Royal Caribbean is the first cruise line to award clients’ loyalty across all brands. After the launch of success of Status Match, Royal Caribbean is now introducing Points Choice, a fresh way to earn and apply loyalty points across multiple brands.
Here’s the big win for cruisers. Flexibility! That’s right, you can now earn and grow elite status faster while sailing with Silversea, Celebrity Cruises, or Royal Caribbean. Guests will have the freedom to apply earned points or days to the loyalty program that matters most to them. Whether that’s Venetian Society, Captain’s Club, or Crown & Anchor Society.
Imagine this: book a Royal Caribbean cruise, rack up points, and still climb the ladder in Venetian Society. That’s the kind of cross-brand love we’re talking about. Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line that is doing this. Meanwhile Carnival corp owns Costa, Carnival, Seabourn, Holland America, Princess and others and their customers are brand locked. The Royal Caribbean group is instead taking a play from the airline loyalty program book and introducing alliances to cruising. Well kind of, because it’s all one parent company, but you get my point.
Why it matters:
This should be clear, but this matter a lot because it’s an industry first. Yet beyond that, it just opens up more options for customers. Imagine, you now have
- More ways to earn.
- More cruises to more locations.
- More freedom to choose different experiences.
- Faster status growth across the entire family of brands.
- Opens up new experiences and allows you to keep earning status
When does Point Choice launch?
So far we do not have an exact date, but we can expect it in early 2026. We’ll share the official launch date, program guidelines, and all the details when we know more. Yet for know, know it’s coming in 2026. I would hope before the end of Q1, meaning trips on other cruise lines within the Royal Caribbean group family will soon let you earn points towards your elite cruise status and recognize your status across the entire family of Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Silversea cruises.
Bottom Line
Royal Caribbean Point Choice program will allow customers to sail any cruise line within the Royal Caribbean group and earn points or nights towards their elite program of their choice. Silversea Venetian members, Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor cruises, and Celebrity Cruises Captain Club sailors will not earn points no matter who the cruise, as long as it’s one of the three cruise lines. Enjoy elite benefits through the status match and then keep climbing towards the next level. Cruisers are no longer brand lock and can experience a new way of cruising by experiencing different ships, locations, and experiences. Rather it be a new river cruise on celebrity river, the Galapagos or Antarctica on Silversea Expeditions, or Royal Caribbean CocoCay waterpark, there are new opportunities for everyone within the Royal Caribbean Group.
Are you thinking of planning a vacation? Consider contacting me to help book your cruise and enjoy virtuosos benefits on every booking! Details below:
- CELEBRITY CRUISES: Virtuoso guests will enjoy either $120 USD Onboard Credit when booked in a balcony–AquaClass® OR $200 USD Onboard Credit when booked for The Retreat
- SILVERSEA CRUISES: Virtuoso Guests will enjoy $300 USD shipboard credit per person; limit $600 USD per stateroom on select voyages. Or join a Virtuoso hosted voyages where a Virtuoso host is onboard and you can join a private virtuoso only party + enjoy a complimentary custom in-port events curated by Virtuoso Preferred On-Sites Tour Operators that go well beyond the traditional shore excursion. All experiences include a meal.
- ROYAL CARIBBEAN: Virtuoso Guests will enjoy (1) complimentary specialty dinner experience for two when booked in a Balcony stateroom on any 7-night or longer voyage. Book a Junior Suite or higher category on any 7-night or longer voyage and receive (1) spa treatment for one guest per stateroom in addition to specialty dining experience for two.
