Royal Caribbean offers some of its best loyalty benefits when you reach Diamond level, and one passenger got there as fast as possible.
Crown & Anchor Society rewards loyal cruisers with perks like free drinks, exclusive lounge access, Casino Royale FreePlay, laundry discounts, and more. However, the true benefits start once you've reached Diamond status.
To become a Diamond Crown & Anchor member, you must accumulate 80 cruise points. Typically, guests receive one cruise point per night, meaning if you take a 7-night cruise in a standard cabin (i.e., interior, ocean view, or balcony), you'll get 7 cruise points.
However, cruisers in suites and traveling solo get two cruise points per night, so they'd get 14 points for a 7-night cruise. Similarly, a Royal Caribbean passenger on a 3-night cruise in a Grand Suite would receive 6 cruise points.
Considering you need 80 cruise points to reach Diamond status, it takes years for the average cruiser to climb to the fourth tier of the Crown & Anchor Society.
To achieve this, you’d need to complete 12 weeklong cruises in a standard cabin or 6 in a suite. Alternatively, you’d have to take 20 4-night Royal Caribbean voyages if you prefer shorter cruises.
Recently, one cruiser shared how they went from a Gold to Diamond C&A member in just one month. Shared to the r/royalcaribbean Reddit thread, macacofreco explained how he managed to fast-track his way to Diamond status by booking back-to-back cruises sailing various routes.
He started his month-long journey with 21 cruise points. By the end, he had reached Diamond status, accumulating a total of 81 cruise points.
Read more: How to earn Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society points faster
Delayed transatlantic cruise
macacofreco received four free C&A points due to the delay of his transatlantic cruise, which resulted in a refund for two missed days. In addition, four ports of call were canceled during the journey.
He got 26 cruise points for the 13-night transatlantic cruise on Adventure of the Seas. The sailing departed from Barcelona, Spain, and arrived in Port Canaveral, Florida, on Dec. 7.
Despite not being on board for the entire 13 nights, the points he earned for the sailing helped him reach the highly coveted Diamond tier. Otherwise, he would have been three points short after his final cruise in 2024.
Four ships from four different classes
Following Voyager of the Seas, macacofreco boarded Oasis of the Seas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise, calling at Perfect Day at CocoCay; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Labadee, Haiti. He earned 12 cruise points during this sailing.
After disembarking from Oasis, macacofreco remained in Fort Lauderdale overnight awaiting another 6-night Western Caribbean cruise on Freedom of the Seas. While he returned to Jamaica and Haiti, he also visited Grand Cayman, earning an extra 12 cruise points.
Finally, the determined cruiser spent Christmas aboard Grandeur of the Seas, a Vision Class ship that launched in 1996. For the 5-night Eastern Caribbean cruise to Haiti and Grand Bahama Island, he accumulated 10 more cruise points. He noted that he thought Grandeur should be retired.
Read more: 4 lesser-known perks of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Program
The average cost was $160 per day
There are two ways to earn more than one cruise point per sailing. The first is to cruise solo. Because you're paying double occupancy, Royal Caribbean rewards you with two points per night.
The second is to book a suite. The category doesn't make a difference. In other words, if you book a Star Class suite, you'll receive the same two points per night as passengers staying in Sky Class cabins.
To climb the ranks as quickly and affordably as possible, macacofreco sailed by himself in the cheapest cabin available, nothing that he had a window stateroom on two sailings.
Because he ascended ranks during his month-long journey, he had to call the Crown & Anchor Society support team to credit the points to his account so he could benefit from Platinum and Emerald perks while on board.
"I had to contact [the] C&A deck to upgrade me twice because the points [take] a week to be credited automatically, and they did it," he wrote.
"You might also need to contact [the casino] host to get the extra free play credits after the upgrade."
macacofreco also talked about The Key, stating he'd only purchase the VIP package again if he were to get internet. He added that it's only worth the extra cost if you appreciate the exclusive FlowRider session.
The Key program includes priority terminal access during designated arrival times, carry-on bag drop off with delivery to your cabin, welcome lunch with an exclusive menu, access to fast lane at onboard events, private FlowRider time, priority departure at tender ports, dedicated seating for shows in select venues, VOOM Surf & Stream internet for one device, and choice departure and á la carte breakfast on disembarkation day,
Read more: I tried Royal Caribbean's The Key after hearing lots of negative reviews
Poor weather in November and December
Unfortunately, while macacofreco succeeded in reaching Diamond status in just one month, his journey was not without its challenges.
"Many activities were canceled...due to bad weather," he explained. If the activity wasn't canceled, it was less enjoyable because of the inclement weather.
"I would say the quantum class is the best option for [off-season] cruise[s] such as transatlantic, if you are an active [cruiser]," he added.
Read more: Second cruise ship slams into Atlantic storm causing damage
