Only recently, Royal Caribbean Group introduced enhanced advantages for his or her new Loyalty Standing Match program. With the up to date program, visitors obtain extra equal loyalty perks throughout the cruise line’s three bands: Royal Caribbean Worldwide, Movie star Cruises, and SilverSea Cruises.
Whereas all three cruise manufacturers are owned by Royal Caribbean Group, every cruise line has its personal loyalty program. With standing matching, you possibly can obtain comparable perks no matter which cruise line you sail with. Nevertheless, the advantages between the packages aren’t equivalent and factors earned on every cruise line are separate.
As a Diamond Plus member of Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Standing, I used to be ecstatic about this announcement. The newly introduced modifications would go into impact just some days earlier than my current cruise on Movie star Apex. I could not consider how excellent the timing was!
Following the announcement, my husband and I had been excited to make the most of our new Elite Plus standing for the primary time. Right here was my expertise making an attempt out Royal Caribbean’s new Loyalty Standing Match program.
With Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society, I obtain some very profitable loyalty perks and advantages
Rising up, my household sailed religiously with Royal Caribbean, permitting me to realize the second-highest loyalty standing with the cruise line. I earned Diamond Plus standing again in faculty and have continued using the loyalty perks ever since.
The standing advantages that I take advantage of most often embrace the next:
- Balcony low cost
- 5 free every day drinks as much as $15
- Two free days of Web
- BOGO specialty eating credit score
- Diamond Lounge entry
- One bag of free laundry
- One free skilled photograph
These loyalty perks have continued to incentivize me and my household to maintain crusing with Royal Caribbean. To not point out, my husband inherited my Diamond Plus standing once we bought married, permitting him to obtain the identical perks as I do.
The every day free drinks alone have saved us 1000’s of {dollars} through the years – it’s nearly a free drink package deal!
Even with these perks, my husband and I had been desirous to increase our cruising horizons
Though Royal Caribbean and Movie star Cruises are sister manufacturers, the 2 cruise strains are distinct and attraction to completely different demographics. Movie star Cruises is taken into account a premium cruise line in comparison with the family-friendly, extra inexpensive Royal Caribbean model.
For me and my husband, Movie star Cruise’s ships and itineraries have turn into extra interesting to us. Since we shouldn’t have youngsters but, we appreciated the extra upscale, adult-focused expertise provided with Movie star Cruises.
For our yearly summer season trip, we booked a 7-night Norwegian Fjord crusing from England to Norway and Belgium on Movie star Apex. We wouldn’t have to completely quit our loyalty perks both, which was a promoting level for us!
After we booked our cruise, we initially acquired Elite standing within the cruise line’s loyalty program, often called Captain’s Membership. With the brand new Loyalty Standing Match program, my husband and I each acquired a standing bump from Elite to Elite Plus.
Much like Royal Caribbean, that is the second-highest loyalty standing within the Captain’s Membership. Since we had already linked our loyalty numbers between Movie star Cruises and Royal Caribbean, the standing change was computerized.
I used to be relieved to see the brand new standing had already up to date on our reservation a number of days earlier than we flew to London for our cruise. The boarding go and SeaPass additionally mirrored our new Elite Plus standing – elevating our pre-cruise pleasure much more.
We acquired an summary of Elite Plus perks in our stateroom on boarding day
Upon arrival in our stateroom, we acquired a letter outlining our Elite Plus advantages that we might obtain throughout our cruise. These perks had been just like our Diamond Plus advantages with advantages for web, drinks, specialty eating, spa, espresso, and extra.
We had been most excited to see that Elite Plus advantages included nightly glad hour with limitless cocktails and free specialty coffees every day! Different advantages we deliberate to make use of included the 15% low cost on specialty eating, 35% low cost on web, and two free a great deal of laundry.
Sadly, the nightly glad hour with limitless cocktails excludes embarkation day for an unknown cause. Due to this, we instantly missed having our every day drink vouchers that we obtain on Royal Caribbean. Loyalty drink vouchers can be utilized instantly after you board your cruise, which is all the time the right begin to trip.
On the primary day of our cruise, we additionally bought an web package deal utilizing the Elite Plus low cost. The Premium Full Package deal Wi-Fi included two units for $268.40 with a 35% low cost utilized. The loyalty low cost saved us $144.53!
I appreciated having a share low cost with Movie star Cruises in comparison with Royal Caribbean’s two free days. For longer itineraries, it can save you far more with Captain’s Membership in comparison with Royal Caribbean’s static $52 low cost for web.
Probably the greatest perks was having complimentary specialty espresso every morning!
My husband and I each want beginning our morning with specialty espresso, like lattes or cappuccinos, in comparison with commonplace drip espresso. Contemplating specialty espresso is upwards of $7 per drink, this may add up rapidly on a 7-night cruise between the 2 of us.
Movie star cruise ships have a beautiful espresso store known as Cafe al Bacio, the place you possibly can order specialty coffees. Cafe a Bacio additionally serves complimentary pastries, truffles, and goodies all through the day.
The barista confirmed on the primary morning that we might have specialty espresso without cost with our Elite Plus standing. There have been seemingly no restrictions or limits, apart from alcoholic coffees.
Every morning, we might cease by Cafe al Bacio earlier than beginning our day, together with a scrumptious sticky bun to share. This was a perk that will require a drink voucher with Royal Caribbean, so we appreciated the indulgence every morning!
Though we missed having drink vouchers, the nightly glad hour was an important perk
Earlier than the pandemic, Royal Caribbean offered a nightly glad hour with limitless cocktails for these with Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle standing. After the cruise restart, Royal Caribbean modified how loyalty drinks could be served to mitigate crowding within the Diamond Lounge.
The cruise line up to date this profit to incorporate every day drink vouchers, which could possibly be used for nearly each cocktail from any bar all through the day. There was now not a selected time-frame when the drinks had for use both. Most would agree this was an enhanced profit!
However, Movie star Cruises nonetheless solely gives a nightly glad hour from 5pm to 7pm every night for Elite, Elite Plus, and Zenith loyalty members. The perk is almost equivalent to Royal Caribbean’s outdated system.
As such, we deliberate our days round this nightly glad hour, as we actually wouldn’t miss out on our free drinks! We solely had two sea days with 4 port stops, that means most of our time was ashore. Fortunately, a lot of the bars onboard Movie star Apex participated within the glad hour across the ship.
Learn extra: Movie star Cruises Drink Package deal Data, Ideas, Execs & Cons
We had been allowed to order limitless cocktails from a restricted menu, together with cocktails like a Manhattan, Apple Martini, Cosmo, Screwdriver, and Sidecar. Different drinks included a choice of beer and wine. Making an attempt the various bars round Movie star Apex was a spotlight of our time onboard!
Nevertheless, we missed the pliability of Royal Caribbean’s drink vouchers. Whereas limitless cocktails throughout glad hour is certainly a profitable loyalty perk, I want Movie star Cruises would combine this profit from Royal Caribbean.
With the 15% specialty eating low cost, we splurged on two eating places throughout our cruise
One of many larger perks that comes with Elite Plus standing is a 15% low cost for specialty eating cowl expenses. Since Movie star Apex has a few of the greatest specialty eating places within the fleet, we had been excited to do this profit.
After we cruise with Royal Caribbean, my husband and I each obtain the purchase one, get one free specialty eating cowl. That is primarily a coupon for 50% off, which we all the time use! Comparatively, Movie star Cruises gives 15% off all specialty cowl expenses, which can be utilized as many instances as you need.
Throughout our cruise, we determined to strive dinner on the Rooftop Backyard Grill. Though it was freezing outdoors, the meal was implausible! The 15% low cost saved us round $16.20, with your entire meal costing $91.80.
As well as, my husband is an enormous fan of sushi and wished to strive Uncooked on 5. We determined to come back right here for lunch throughout our first sea day. My husband cherished the oysters and the sushi, whereas my pork stomach was simply okay. We saved about $5.40, which isn’t something to write down residence about however I’ll take any low cost!
General, we sometimes save extra on specialty eating with Royal Caribbean’s BOGO low cost in comparison with Movie star’s 15% low cost. We solely saved a bit over $20 on this cruise with the low cost in comparison with $100 on Royal Caribbean. Nevertheless, we had been all the time planning to strive a number of of Movie star Apex’s specialty eating places, so the standing bump saved us cash!
Though not as profitable, my husband cherished the laundry profit!
Laundry isn’t essentially an thrilling subject – at residence or on trip. Royal Caribbean gives Diamond Plus visitors with one free bag of laundry for every cruise. With this, my husband all the time sends his laundry to be finished with our loyalty perk.
He finds the onboard laundry worthwhile when cruising so he has much less to do once we get residence. It’s not dangerous logic, and he’s all the time grateful once we get again residence and has much less laundry to do than me!
So, you possibly can think about he was excited to see Movie star Cruises allotted two free luggage of laundry with Elite Plus. He utilized each of his free laundry coupons throughout our 7-night cruise. One bag of laundry on Movie star Cruises is $50 for a bag, so this profit was price $100 to us!
We solely used a number of of the advantages, however nonetheless saved tons of of {dollars} with the brand new standing match program
General, we had been actually impressed with Royal Caribbean’s new standing match program. I all the time recognize being rewarded for my loyalty. To not point out, my husband had by no means set foot on a Movie star cruise ship and he nonetheless acquired the second highest loyalty standing with this system.
We ran out of time to make the most of all the Elite Plus advantages on our cruise, such because the Captain’s Membership Continental Breakfast, Wine Tasting, and Personal Departure Lounge.
Nevertheless, we had been thrilled to save lots of as a lot cash as we did on our Movie star Apex cruise. I’m already seeking to plan future Movie star cruises to proceed profiting from these loyalty advantages.