Cruise Line Rewards Programs
Cruise line reward programs can reward cruisers with a wealth of upgrades and cruise benefits - they are worth investigating
photo courtesy Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Advice and Tips About Cruise Line Reward Programs
To encourage loyalty and promote repeat business, many cruise lines now offer free, past-passenger reward programs with free upgrades, special discounts, onboard cocktail parties, stateroom amenities, and shipboard credits as well as extra benefits depending on the number of previous cruises.
Celebrity Cruises, for example, has a program called “Captain’s Club” in which past passengers are offered discounts or cabin upgrades on future cruises with a rising scale of other benefits depending on the number of previous cruises taken. Membership is complimentary and includes up to two adults, over the age of 18, who live in the same household.
Holland America Line's The Mariner Society Rewards Program offers a four-level progressive membership with a wide range of cruise and on-board savings and extra values. All guests who sail with Holland America are automatically welcomed into the Mariner Society where they receive special offers on upcoming cruises as well as advance information about new ships and the latest product enhancements.
Based on past cruises recorded as cruise days, members now enjoy Star memberships with four different levels offering an ever-widening range of cruise options and enhancements. Guests automatically collect additional “cruise days” or cruise day credits based on their onboard spending or through the purchase of one of the premium line’s suite options.
Members of Princess Cruises’ “Captain’s Circle” may be a Gold Member after 1 cruise, Platinum Member after 50 days of cruising, and an Elite Member after 150 days of cruising. Depending on which group you belong to, benefits include things like free onboard internet access, expedited embarkation, and a private lounge for disembarkation, and complimentary laundry and dry cleaning.
The “Crystal Society” program from Crystal Cruises rewards repeating passengers with increasing incentives including exclusive luggage handling services providing door-to-door round-trip shipping of luggage, and a free cruise up to 12 days in a Crystal Penthouse.
Some cruise lines offer rewards programs benefits that apply to other lines too. Cruise on any Carnival Corporation cruise line, for example, and passenger rewards for repeat cruises apply on other Carnival Corporation lines.
Even The Yachts of Seabourn offers the “Seabourn Club” program membership discounts on other Carnival Corporation lines such as Carnival, Holland America, Windstar, Costa and Cunard.
The “Latitudes” program from Norwegian Cruise Line also offers Polo Club past-passenger benefits when sailing on Orient Lines' Marco Polo or Crown Odyssey. Orient Line’s “Polo Club” offers membership in sister company NCL's “Latitudes” program.
The exclusive, luxury, boutique cruise lines also offer incentive programs, and the rewards are, as to be expected, on the luxurious side. Instead of club medallions, Silversea offers its “Venetian Society” members full free cruises.
Almost all rewards programs offer a free newsletter that keeps past passengers informed of special news deals and the discounts they could earn on their next cruise, and the one after that, and the one after .....
