Loyal fans of Royal Caribbean know how lucrative reaching Diamond status within the Crown and Anchor Society is. While that's not to say you won't benefit from perks before reaching 80 cruise points, they just are not as impressive.
For instance, although I did appreciate getting 50% off two glasses of wine as a Gold, Platinum, and Emerald member, four daily drink coupons are more worthwhile. Considering that co*cktails cost around $14 each, that perk alone saves Diamond members $56 per day if used on co*cktails, rather than beer, wine, or soda.
Whether you are just starting your Royal Caribbean journey or are looking forward to taking advantage of your newfound Diamond status on your next cruise, here's a breakdown of what Diamond Crown & Anchor members get to enjoy.
How does the Crown & Anchor Society work?
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After you complete your first cruise with Royal Caribbean, you will automatically become a Gold Crown & Anchor member. While this won't unlock any huge perks, all future SeaPass cards will proudly denote your status, and whenever you enter your stateroom, you'll get a letter from Royal Caribbean breaking down what you are entitled to.
To climb the ranks, you'll have to continue to sail with Royal Caribbean. There's no other way to earn cruise points than to embark on a fun voyage and create memories with your loved ones. For each night you cruise, you'll earn one point, with two being awarded to those in suites. Additionally, those sailing by themselves will also earn two points per night.
👑 Gold: 3 points
⚓ Platinum: 30 points
👑 Emerald: 55 points
⚓ Diamond: 80 points
👑 Diamond Plus: 175 points
⚓ Pinnacle Club: 700 points
At a minimum, it will take 40 nights to reach Diamond status, and that's only if you're booking a suite or cruising solo. For those staying in standard cabins, it will take 80 nights.
Diamond members get over 30 different perks that they can utilize, both onboard and when planning their cruise
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In general, as you ascend the ranks, you will get the perks of the previous tier, as well as the new perks that you unlocked. Sometimes, however, perks are removed to make way for more lucrative ones. For instance, Gold, Platinum, and Emerald members are eligible to receive a discount on Wi-Fi packages, whereas those holding Diamond status get a free day of Wi-Fi.
In other cases, the benefit is simply increased. Platinum and Emerald members, for example, can receive 20% and 25% off a single photo, photo package, or photobook. Diamond members have the same benefit, however, the discount is increased to 30%.
👑 50% off any glass of wine, beer, or soda (2 coupons per sailing), excluding drinks from the Bionic Bar & Starbucks
⚓ 50% off Johnny Rocket milkshakes (2 coupons per sailing), only on ships with Johnny Rockets
👑 20% off a single glass of wine, beer, or soda
⚓ Private departure lounge with continental breakfast
👑 Buy a specialty restaurant dinner and receive one complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee beverage, excluding Starbucks
⚓ Priority waitlist seating request in the Main Dining Room
👑 Free day of Surf & Stream internet
⚓ Crown & Anchor Society Loyalty Desk for membership inquiries
👑 Exclusive top-tier event on 5+ night sailings
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⚓ Priority waitlist for shore excursions and Vitality Spa services
👑 Up Close & Personal master-class style event with entertainment staff on cruises that are 5+ nights
⚓ Crown Lounge Access with nightly happy hour
👑 $6 in Casino Royale FreePlay
⚓ Buy a bingo package and receive six free Jackpot cards
👑 Robes for onboard use that are delivered upon request
⚓ $5 off $25 dry-clean or press
👑 $10 off a $34.99 wash and fold laundry bag on cruises that are 5+ nights
⚓ Two complimentary welcome bottles of water
👑 Stateroom phone discount rate of $2 per minute
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⚓ 30% discount on a single photo, photo package, or photo book
👑 One free digital or printed photo of your choice
⚓ 15% discount on Royal Caribbean logo products sold onboard with a minimum $25 purchase
👑 20% discount on any spa service, excluding Medi-Spa services
⚓ Lapel pin that's delivered on the following cruise after reaching the next status tier
👑 Mile recognition crystal block received at 140 cruise points. Subsequent blocks are awarded once you earn 210, 280, and 350 cruise points, as well as every 70 cruise points thereafter
⚓ Member newsletter
👑 Priority notice on special offers, new ships, and itineraries
⚓ Crown & Anchor exclusive rates
👑 Additional cruise points for purchasing suite staterooms and/or solo cruise pricing
⚓ Discounts on balcony and suites
👑 Loyalty match with Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club. Diamond Crown & Anchor members can match their status to become Elite within the Captain's Club
Youth member benefits
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Children under 18 years of age share the same status tier as their parents; however, they're eligible for their own set of special benefits that are more akin to their interests. For instance, rather than receive Casino Royale FreePlay, minors will get discounts on ice cream and movie rentals.
⚓ 50% off one scoop of ice cream on select ships, excluding Sugar Beach (2 coupons per sailing)
👑 Surf & Stream internet discount equal to parents' benefit
⚓ Buy one Hollywood pay-per-view rental in your stateroom and receive the second for free
👑 Spend $15 in arcade credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in arcade credits to get $25 off
⚓ Four complimentary daily non-alcoholic drinks up to $14, excluding Starbucks
Read more: Best Royal Caribbean ship for kids
What are the most lucrative Diamond status benefits?
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For those at just 80 cruise points, the recognition crystal blocks aren't yet attainable. Similarly, it's unlikely that you'll use your stateroom phone to call land. There are some perks, however, that can save you a lot of money on your cruises!
Here's a breakdown of what we believe are the most valuable Diamond benefits, and why you should aspire to reach the Diamond tier of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society.
Daily drink vouchers
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Alcohol on cruises is not cheap. In fact, if you opt to splurge on a drink package, you could easily end up spending another $500 per person on a weeklong cruise. With four drinks per day, however, you can start to reconsider whether purchasing a drink package is of value to you or not.
Vouchers can be used on both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, meaning that you have the potential to save upwards of $56 per day. Even if you plan on drinking more than that, it might make the most sense to pay for the extra drinks individually. Plus, you'll also get two complimentary welcome bottles of water in your stateroom on embarkation day!
It is important to note, however, that vouchers do not roll over. If you don't use the four within the specified timeframe each day, you won't be able to tack them on to your allowance the following day.
Read more: 18 Royal Caribbean Drink Package Tips (2024)
Crown Lounge
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The Crown Lounge, formerly known as the Diamond Lounge, is an exclusive space that's only available to Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club members.
In addition to complimentary snacks served throughout the day, there's an upgraded coffee machine, which can serve you premium beverages compared to the included coffee located elsewhere on the ship. There's also a dedicated Diamond Lounge Concierge whose job is to help you with dining reservations, tender tickets, and more.
On select sailings with high numbers of top-tier members, however, the Crown Lounge will be reserved for Diamond Plus & Pinnacle Club members during the hours of 5:00 - 8:00pm. During the day, the lounge will remain fully accessible to Diamond members, though.
Complimentary photograph
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Not everyone travels with a professional camera. Plus, it's nice to be able to rely on the ship's photographers to capture photos of your entire family without having to ask another passenger. As a Diamond member, you're able to get one complimentary photograph per cruise.
Whether you want to take home a silly embarkation picture, a family photo on formal night, or a fun picture capturing a port of call, you won't have to worry about budgeting for it!
If one photograph isn't enough, you'll also receive a 30% discount on either another single picture, photo package, or photo book.
$6 in Casino FreePlay
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Even if you aren't a big gambler, you can take advantage of the $6 in free money to try and double, triple, or quadruple your earnings! One time, Cruise.Blog writer Jenna was able to turn $6 into $100; however, she kept playing and lost everything shortly after.
Not everyone has the magic touch when it comes to gambling; however, it's a fun way to kill some time while onboard, especially since you do not have to worry about losing your hard-earned money!
Celebrity Cruises' status match
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While all Diamond members are obviously loyal fans of the Royal Caribbean brand and the products that they deliver, there may come a time when you find yourself wanting to try out their sister brand, Celebrity Cruises.
Celebrity is an upscale cruise line that's for their modern and luxurious ships, as well as their destination-focused itineraries, sailing to places like Alaska, Asia, Australia & the South Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, and even the Galapagos.
While you won't find any major thrills onboard (sorry— no water slides, FlowRiders, rock walls, or ice skating rinks), they strive to deliver a more premium experience compared to Royal Caribbean.
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Cruise.Blog writer Allie went on her first Celebrity cruise in early 2023 and was able to match her Royal Caribbean status to Celebrity's:
“I really appreciate the status match between Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean," she said, "I had never set foot on a Celebrity cruise ship, yet I received one of the highest statuses."
"The status match was easy with one quick call to Celebrity. I appreciated the nightly happy hour onboard, where you can have unlimited drinks essentially during that time. I also utilized the internet discount, although Celebrity’s internet is priced higher for the same Starlink service.”
Read more: 13 Things Celebrity Cruises does different than Royal Caribbean that I like better
Free internet access
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Purchasing Wi-Fi packages can be an expensive cruise add-on, especially if you're purchasing two, three, or four packages for your entire family. While Diamond status doesn't get you free internet for the entirety of your sailing, you will be able to take advantage of a single day of free connectivity!
The only catch to this perk, however, is that you cannot pre-book your package. You'll have to wait until you get onboard, meaning that you cannot take advantage of any pre-cruise discounts through the Cruise Planner.
Laundry discount
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$10 is not a huge discount; however, if on a longer sailing or simply wanting to return home with clean clothes, $24.99 is a much more reasonable price compared to $34.99.
Since $24.99 is less than it costs to check a bag one way on most airlines, you may consider packing everything in a carry-on and washing it halfway through your cruise.
Utilizing the wash & fold discount is also cheaper than sending individual items off to be washed and pressed, as two t-shirts, a dress, and a single pair of pants can cost upwards of $20.
Crown & Anchor Loyalty Program FAQ
What do I have to do to enroll in the Crown and Anchor Society?
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Ready to begin your journey to becoming a Diamond Crown & Anchor member? You will first have to enroll in the Crown & Anchor Society.
Thankfully, this is done automatically after you complete your first Royal Caribbean cruise. Once you return home, or even while you're still onboard your first cruise, you can begin planning your second as a Gold member!
When does my loyalty status take effect?
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Similar to how first-time cruisers won't receive any perks until after their first cruise, you won't be awarded a new status tier until after the sailing has completed.
In order words, if you are an Emerald member and technically would reach Diamond status on the second day of a 7-night cruise, you won't get any Diamond benefits until your next cruise.
How long does it take for points to be posted to my Crown and Anchor account?
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It can take up to two weeks after you disembark your Royal Caribbean cruise for new cruise points to be posted to your Crown & Anchor account, meaning that if you're eager to see your newfound Diamond status appear, it's unlikely it'll automatically be reflected.
Will my loyalty status expire if new activity isn't posted to my account?
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No because, unlike hotel and airline loyalty programs, Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor status does not have to be renewed each year. Upon becoming a Diamond member, you are a Diamond member for life, even if you go ten or twenty years between sailings!
How do I request points for past sailings if I don't see any new points reflected on my account?
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You're able to submit a request for missing cruise points up to 12 months following the disembarkation date of your cruise. If, for instance, your cruise ended on July 15, 2023, you will have until July 14, 2024 to contact Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor loyalty support.
I am cruising with friends. Can I share my perks with them?
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Unfortunately, you cannot share your Crown & Anchor perks with other passengers. There are, however, two exceptions to this rule.
First, if you have children under 18, they'll receive the status of the highest-tiered family member. If, for instance, you are an Emerald member but your spouse is a Diamond Plus member, your children will be able to maintain Diamond Plus status until their 18th birthday.
Second, Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor status can be shared with partners and spouses. I recently got engaged, and I was able to contact Royal Caribbean to extend my Diamond status to my fiancée, even though she had only been on one Royal Caribbean cruise in the past. It was an easy process, as all I had to do was submit an inquiry through Royal Caribbean's website.
