Royal Caribbean's loyalty program offers some of the best benefits in the cruise industry, but you can only utilize them while on a cruise.
As much as you might want to cruise frequently, vacationing is a luxury, and it can be hard to find time to plan your next sailing.
So while on those infrequent cruises, how can you best maximize your Crown and Anchor Society benefits?
The program offers great value at every level: you can expect to receive discounts, vouchers, and even free cruises as part of your rewards.
Specific cruises will offer the best value for loyalty members who want to utilize their benefits.
If you'd like your next sailing to use all the advantages available from the Crown and Anchor Society, certain cruise ships, itineraries, and ship classes will help you maximize your experience.
Icon and Oasis Class ships offer more ways to redeem
When booking your cruise, you'll want to think about the amount of opportunities you'll have to redeem your reward vouchers and discounts.
Depending on your tier of the loyalty program, you'll get discounts on drinks, complimentary specialty beverages, free casino plays, and even BOGO dinners at specialty restaurants.
Every tier of the Crown and Anchor Society receives:
- 50% off coupon for any glass of wine, beer, or soda
- 25% off any coffee beverage
- 10% off any wine, beer, or soda by the glass
Ships with more venues will offer more opportunities and varied choices when it comes to redeeming these coupons, so Royal Caribbean's mega-ships (such as its Oasis and Icon Class) are your best bet for maximizing these benefits. Plus, kids get these benefits too.
From the amount of casino machines to bars onboard, everything about these ships offers more ways to cash in.
Read more: How to earn Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society points faster
Icon of the Seas, for example, has 14 specialty restaurants and 18 bars and lounges—offering a wide selection of menus and themes.
Throughout the length of your cruise, you could redeem complimentary daily drinks at an assortment of bars.
Use drink vouchers on a stop at a private island
Those drink vouchers turn into complimentary daily drinks once you reach the Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle tiers of the Crown and Anchor Society.
And since drink discounts and packages also apply while on Royal Caribbean's private destinations, booking a cruise that visits Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee, Haiti will grant you extra time to take advantage.
Since most discounts only apply on the ship, you might be tempted to stay onboard during port days to make the most of free WiFi and drinks.
However, stopping off at a Royal Caribbean private destination allows you to still use both while enjoying beautiful beaches and luxurious cabanas.
Booking a sailing that stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee, Haiti is a great way to maximize even more benefits.
Read more: What being a Pinnacle member means to me
Get discounts when you book a balcony or suite
The Crown and Anchor Society also offers discounts to its members who are booking balcony cabins or suites, so look at upgrading when you book your next cruise.
Starting at 30 points, cruisers can get discounts when booking balcony and suite staterooms.
While spending more on a cabin might not sound like a good deal, you'll be rewarding yourself with more luxurious accommodations while also taking advantage of loyalty offers.
Not only that, but cruisers also receive an increased discount for making a reservation more than six months ahead.
Royal Caribbean tends to reward guests for booking further ahead of time, so booking a balcony or suite stateroom far in the future will give you extra deals.
| 3-5 nights | 6-9 nights | 10+ nights | |
| Platinum | $75 | $125 | $225 |
| Emerald | $125 | $225 | $325 |
| Diamond | $150 | $250 | $350 |
| Diamond Plus | $175 | $275 | $375 |
| Pinnacle Club | $175 | $275 | $375 |
Consider the Crown Lounge onboard
Royal Caribbean has a dedicated area on all of its ships just for passengers that have reached at least Diamond level.
Access to the Crown Lounge is included in benefits for the Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle tiers.
Open 24/7, this exclusive area features complimentary food, coffee, access to the Diamond concierge, and nightly happy hours.
To ensure that you're making the most of this benefit, you can research the Crown Lounge onboard specific Royal Caribbean ships.
Cruisers like to discuss their preferred size, layout, and style of the Crown Lounge, so look for a ship that best suits your preferences.
Some members prefer a bigger lounge, where they can spread out and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Others visit the exclusive venue for the social aspect, enjoying meeting other loyal Royal cruises, so they look for a more intimate experience.
Whatever your tastes, look for a specific ship to meet those needs.
Book an Alaska, Asia, or Europe sailing for your free cruise
The highest tier of the Crown and Anchor Society is rewarded with a free cruise.
Once passengers reach 700 points, they receive a free 7-night cruise in a balcony cabin (at the prevailing rate of a Caribbean cruise). Once they reach 1,400 points, the 7-night cruise is upgraded to a Junior Suite.
A free cruise sounds like a dream come true.
Royal Caribbean does not allow guests to book this sailing on a brand-new ship (it must be more than a year old), so you'll want to maximize these benefits by booking more expensive itineraries.
The cruise line visits destinations like Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, France, Spain, Greece, Singapore, and Japan—all of which can be booked on your yearly free cruise.
Read more: I planned out 6 years of cruises so I could reach Royal Caribbean's highest loyalty tier
However, the free sailing doesn't include taxes, fees, or transportation, so you'd still have to pay for travel to and from the cruise port.
Use package discounts on shorter cruises
3-5 night sailings are a great opportunity to save money on WiFi and drink packages—with fewer days onboard, the daily packages cost even less.
When purchased onboard Diamond Plus members get 30% off deluxe drink packages, while Pinnacle members get 40% off.
Gold, Platinum, and Emerald members get discounts on Internet packages purchased onboard, while Diamond guests get one free day of internet access.
Diamond Plus cruisers earn two free days of Surf & Stream internet package per sailing, and Pinnacle Club members get a free Internet package for the length of the cruise.
