Royal Caribbean won't be moving the goal posts back in terms of reaching its highest loyalty tiers.
Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program, the Crown and Anchor Society, has many tiers, and some cruisers are concerned with how many members are now reaching the top tiers.
One point is gained per night of cruising (or double points for suite and solo guests).
To reach the highest tier, the Pinnacle Club level, cruisers need to have 700 points.
Especially now that Royal Caribbean matches loyalty statuses between its three cruise lines, some cruisers believe that there are too many Pinnacle and Diamond Plus members in the fleet.
During a Q&A during this year's President's Cruise on Oasis of the Seas, one passenger asked if the cruise line would ever raise requirements to make it more difficult to hit the upper most echelons of the Crown and Anchor Society.
Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, who was fielding questions at the event, answered that there is no plan to do so.
Royal Caribbean will not make it more difficult to reach the top tier of the Crown and Anchor Society
During the Q&A sessions, Amy Weber from Missouri shared that she and her husband reached Diamond Plus during the President's cruise.
"There's concern about Royal raising the qualification for those loyalty levels going forward," she said.
"What do you know about the plans for the loyalty program modifications?"
Mr. Bayley answered that Royal Caribbean has "no plans to do that."
"We're not planning on doing that," he maintained.
Royal Caribbean's requirements for the Diamond Plus and Pinnacle tiers will remain the same.
Read more: Pathway to Pinnacle: How I reached the top of Royal Caribbean’s Loyalty Program
To reach the Diamond Plus level, cruisers need 175 points. To reach Pinnacle, guests need to have a total of 700 points.
Royal Caribbean will not be changing these numbers.
The only requirements that have changed recently are within the loyalty match program.
If a cruiser has 500 Venetian Society Days, the highest level in the Silversea Cruises loyalty program, they will automatically be granted the Pinnacle Club level in the Crown and Anchor Society.
Are there too many Pinnacle members?
According to Amy Weber, many cruisers are concerned about Royal Caribbean changing the Pinnacle requirements.
This is because some believe there are too many members in the program's highest tiers.
"We have interacted with a lot of other loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers, and I've heard some grumbling about how many Pinnacle and Diamond Plus members there are," she explained.
Michael Bayley also spoke to this point when he answered her question.
"Sometimes we get these comments," he said, "and they're valid comments [but] they're often based upon certain sailings."
Looking at specific sailings packed with more Pinnacle and Diamond Plus members can lead guests to believe that there are an extreme amount of members.
However, Mr. Bayley clarified that on "90% of the sailings, it's just not true."
"You can go on many of our ships many times and there are only a few Pinnacle members sailing with us."
Certain sailings have a higher number of exclusive loyalty cruisers, such as Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Pacific, and President's cruises.
Mr. Bayley pointed out that longer sailings tend to have more Pinnacle members as well.
"It's logical because as you get to Pinnacle, you're typically getting older." And since older people are usually retiring, they have more time for longer cruises.
There are no official numbers as to how many Pinnacle members there are, but Mr. Bayley put it into perspective during the Q&A session.
"In the grand scheme of how many people sail with us, next year 7 million guests will sail with Royal Caribbean International. So sometimes it feels like a lot [of Pinnacle members], but it's not."
Michael Bayley says Royal Caribbean is making "extremely positive changes" to loyalty program
As he fielded questions about Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, Mr. Bayley also emphasized the impact the Royal Caribbean Group unification has had.
By unifying all the loyalty programs within the Royal Caribbean Group family, the cruise line is making several changes to the programs.
Mr. Bayley said that he believes these changes are "extremely positive."
"It makes it so much easier for you to move between brands and, depending upon lifestyle choices, you can stay within the family and get all of the benefits you've earned over time."
Some great improvements have been made within the Crown and Anchor Society, and, according to Michael Bayley, "there's a lot more planned over the next few years."
Read more: 8 things you might not know about Royal Caribbean’s CEO
The cruise line is currently investing in new technology to bring it all together.
Within the next few years, cruisers can expect to "feel happier with the loyalty program."
Mr. Bayley said to look forward to improvements in the accessibility of information and the way the Crown and Anchor Society is presented to guests.
What benefits do Pinnacle members get?
The Pinnacle tier of the Crown and Anchor Society features many valuable benefits for its members.
These include:
- 50% off any glass of wine, beer, or soda (2 coupons per sailing)
- 50% off a Johnny Rockets milkshake (2 coupons per sailing, on select ships)
- Private departure lounge with continental breakfast
- 25% Discount on any glass of wine, beer, or soda
- Buy a specialty restaurant dinner and receive one complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee beverage (excludes Starbucks)
- Priority waitlist seating request in the Main Dining Room
- 6 Complimentary daily drinks up to $14 (excludes Starbucks, Bionic Bar, and Desserted)
- Purchase a specialty restaurant dinner cover charge during the first or second night of your cruise and enjoy complimentary dining for the second guest
- 40% Discount on Deluxe Beverage Packages
- Coastal Kitchen access
- $25 off specialty dining on 5+ nights (Oasis & Quantum class only)
- Exclusive daily breakfast at a specialty restaurant
- Free Unlimited surf and stream Internet access for 1 device only for the length of your voyage
- Exclusive Top Tier Event on 5+ night sailings
- Priority waitlist for Shore Excursions and Vitality Spa services
- Exclusive Backstage Tour on 5+ night sailings
- Crown Lounge access with nightly happy hour
- Priority access and seating at Theater, Ice show, and AquaTheater events
- Cheers with an Officer on 7+ night sailings
- Suite/Concierge Lounge access
- Flexible arrival
- $6 Casino Royale FreePlay
- Buy a bingo package and receive 6 free Jackpot cards
- Robes for use onboard (delivered upon request)
- $5 off $25 dry-clean or press
- $10 Discount on $34.99 wash and fold laundry bag on 5+ nights
- 3 Complimentary welcome waters (per adult)
- Stateroom phone discount rate of $2 per minute
- Chef’s Choice on 5+ nights
- Personalized gift/amenity (per household)
- One Free $34.99 wash and fold bag on 5+ Nights
- Upgraded bathroom amenities
- 30% Discount on a single photo, photo package, or photo book
- One (1) free digital or printed photo of your choice
- 15% Discount on Royal Caribbean logo products sold onboard (min. $25 purchase)
- 20% Discounts on any spa service (excludes Medi-Spa services)
- Complimentary add-on spa treatment (excludes Medi-Spa services)
- Milestone recognition beginning at 140 cruise points (Crystal Block)
- Personalized lapel pin
- Discounts on Balcony & Suite Staterooms
- Exclusive access to call center staff members
- Single supplement cruise fare reduced to 150% from 200%
- Milestone Cruise Certificate valued at the prevailing rate of a 7-Night Balcony Stateroom for 700 and 1,050 cruise points
- Milestone Cruise Certificate valued at the prevailing rate of a Junior Suite Stateroom for 1,400 and every 350 cruise points thereafter
And the Pinnacle status isn't just for older cruisers, despite the time it takes to reach.
The tier has specific Youth Member benefits, which include:
- 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
- Surf and Stream internet discount equal to parents’ benefit
- Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second Free
- Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off
- 6 Complimentary daily non-alcoholic drinks up to $14 (excludes Starbucks and Desserted)
Read more: The Crown and Anchor perks you should use on every Royal Caribbean cruise
