I redeemed almost every loyalty perk on a Royal Caribbean cruise
“Who does laundry on a cruise?” I asked myself while looking at the list of loyalty perks afforded to me by my Diamond status with Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society program.
As it turns out, I’ve spent years earning perks I wasn’t properly leveraging. I vowed that would change, starting with my most recent sailing — a weeklong voyage on Royal Caribbean‘s Odyssey of the Seas. I would make a point to maximize the value from the loyalty benefits that appealed to me and use the freebies and discounts to try a couple of new activities I wouldn’t have bothered with otherwise.
I have been skeptical about cruise loyalty programs, despite my status, since they haven’t added much value for me to date, and they often lead people to brag about the tier they’ve reached. I was curious to see if having status could change the cruise experience if I leaned into the available perks and how much value I could get from the benefits.
I won’t say that cashing in my perks was life-changing, but I now know how to place bets on a slot machine, what the inside of a Crown Lounge looks like and how satisfying it feels to yell “Show me the money!” during a cutthroat — and crowded — game of bingo. Here are all of the amenities I leveraged, the value they added where purchases were concerned and why they did ultimately make my cruise more pleasant and less expensive.
Staying hydrated
I chronically struggle to drink enough water when I cruise. Between the salty food and long days in what are usually warm-weather ports, I’m often parched. One of the first loyalty perks I cashed in was two free welcome bottles of water, which you can request at certain bars on board. I snagged mine at the Crown & Compass pub.
Value: Each bottle retails for $2 plus an 18% gratuity, so that’s a $4.72 value.
Staying caffeinated
Loyalty members who have reached Diamond level with Royal Caribbean receive four complimentary drinks each day, the coupons for which are automatically loaded onto their SeaPass cards. Passengers can then cash them in for drinks up to a $14 value, with a few exceptions (like Starbucks and the Bionic Bar, where you can’t use them).
Although I don’t drink a ton of alcohol — it’s rare for me to have more than two or three alcoholic drinks on a weeklong voyage — I’m a sucker for specialty coffees. At about $5 each, they set me back about $10 per day if I have two, which quickly adds up.
I was thrilled to discover that the drink coupons can be used for specialty coffees and additional bottled water. Plus, unlike beverage packages, the loyalty drink vouchers are shareable, so I used some of them to pay for drinks for my travel companion. That alone made them a nice extra.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
Value: With a value of $14 per drink, and at four drinks per day, that’s a savings of up to $392 for a weeklong cruise. I didn’t maximize the value because I don’t normally drink alcohol, but I also never paid for drinks on board. If you’re someone who normally purchases a drink package, this perk will likely be of no value to you; but if you’re on the fence, four free drinks per day might be enough to dissuade you from spending hundreds on a beverage package.
A quiet place … sort of
On Royal Caribbean ships, the Crown Lounge (formerly the Diamond Lounge) offers keycard access to concierge services; continental breakfast; snacks, coffee and tea throughout the day; a nightly cocktail hour, where you can redeem any or all of your four drink vouchers if you haven’t already used them; and a comfortable place to sit for passengers who have achieved Diamond level loyalty status or higher.
Normally I’m not too excited about lounges, but I did frequent the space whenever I needed to get some work done. Although unnecessary music played in the background, the room was much quieter than any of the other onboard lounges, and it was rarely crowded, with the exception of cocktail hour.
Value: Although lounge access does not directly reduce costs, a visit to the Crown Lounge is worth it for the peace and quiet relative to other onboard spaces, whether you’re heading there for a quick morning bite or a place to read or play cards.
An unexpected windfall
I don’t gamble on cruises. If I’m going to throw away money, I’d much rather do it at the onboard arcade, where I know it’ll be a loss and I can resign myself to having fun instead of inhaling secondhand smoke among a forest of slot machines.
That said, my Diamond status gives me $6 of free casino play whenever I cruise, so I decided to see what, exactly, that would get me.
On the second day of the sailing, I made my way to the cashier’s desk at the casino. The woman there handed me a small printed sheet with instructions for how to claim my $6 on any machine, which basically meant I had to play slots. I sat down, loaded up my keycard — which, inexplicably, said I had $8 instead of $6 — and sat there, confused.
I had absolutely no idea how to place a bet. Thankfully, a kind man named Syd, seated two machines down, noticed my bewilderment and helped me through the process. On my first spin, I placed a 1-credit ($1) wager, won $5 and, reveling in my good fortune, decided to cash out. That’s when I learned that you can’t cash out the free money. Since I could only cash out the $5 I had won but not the remaining credits, I snagged the $5 voucher that the machine printed out for my winnings, played the rest of my free credits (which didn’t win me anything else) and called it a night.
Value: Even if you win nothing, you still get $6 of casino play that doesn’t come out of your wallet.
Dabbing (no, not the dance)
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I thought while standing in what seemed like a milelong line clogging up the thoroughfare in front of the Bionic Bar. I was about to spend $39 for a package of three sheets of six bingo cards (one sheet for each of the three scheduled rounds).
I’m not normally a bingo player, but my Diamond status entitled me to one free sheet of six cards for the final round with a package purchase (netting me four sheets for the price of three). Thank goodness for the onboard credit I earned by booking my cruise through Costco Travel.
When I reached the front, I asked for the cheapest package and politely declined the crew member’s offer when he tried to upsell me to the next tier. I also said no when he asked if I needed to purchase a dabber. (The highlighter I always travel with worked just fine, thank you.)
I did, however, purchase a “Royal bingo” T-shirt for $10, figuring I’d fully embrace my new persona.
When I reported to the Two70 lounge later that day, five minutes before the big event, I had trouble finding a seat. I plopped down at the bar, cashed in one of my free drinks for a delicious Blueberry Nojito and readied my cards.
After a few numbers were called, people started shouting, “Show me the money!” When I turned to Dave, the man next to me, and asked what that was all about, he said it meant they only needed one more number until bingo. As the three-game event progressed, the groans became more audible every time someone — including me — exuberantly yelled the phrase.
I didn’t win anything, but cruise ship bingo was certainly an experience.
Value: Given that I had to spend $39 to earn my free cards, this perk ended up costing me money. You will only find value if you enjoy bingo and already plan to pay for a package. Even then, this perk won’t save you money; it will just, in theory, increase your odds of winning something. If you’re not someone who was planning to play bingo, it’s not worth spending the money just to earn a freebie for the last round.
All the clean undies
Another amenity at the Diamond level is a $10 discount on a $34.99 bag of wash-and-fold laundry. On day five, I sent out a full bag, which was returned less than 24 hours after I sent it out.
I filled out the form and noted the $10 discount. Although only certain items (pajamas, socks, shorts, swimwear, T-shirts and underwear) are included in the bag-of-laundry deal, the bras, leggings, tank top and beach cover-ups I put in the bag incurred no extra fees. Everything came back expertly cleaned and folded.
Value: If you’re someone who usually does laundry on board, this perk will save you $10 on what you’d spend otherwise. However, if you wouldn’t normally send your clothes out to be laundered during your cruise or if you have items that aren’t included in the deal, this perk has no value since you have to spend almost $35 to save $10 — meaning it will still cost you $25.
In-cabin comfort
When I decided to send out my laundry, it was the afternoon. It was too early for me to shower for dinner, and I didn’t want to dirty another set of clothes after peeling off the sweaty ones I had just added to top off the laundry bag. As I debated what to do, I remembered the two soft, fluffy bathrobes in one of the storage cubbies above the beds in my cabin.
Normally, with my loyalty perks, I would be able to receive robes on request (if I hadn’t booked a higher-end cabin, which would have automatically included them). In this case, I had an inside cabin with a “virtual balcony,” a lower-end room, but my cabin steward Steven had already stocked it with robes. I happily pulled one on and wore it for a couple of hours while I did some work.
Value: There’s no monetary value here, but a robe sure is a nice thing to have. It’s even better when you don’t have to ask and wait for it to be delivered.
A cheesy memento
Although I often pose for photos when onboard photographers ask (they have quotas to meet, so it helps them out), I never buy them. I prefer to take my own, and I don’t like the cheesy borders and backdrops often added to the professional ones.
But, when I saw a free digital photo of my choice on the list of loyalty offerings, I jumped at the chance to try it out.
My travel companion — one of my best friends from high school — and I had our picture taken during dinner in the dining room on formal night, and I figured it would be a nice way for us to remember our voyage. So, we headed to the onboard photo gallery, scanned my keycard and selected the picture.
The discount was preloaded, and I selected it when I checked out, saving myself $24.99. After I made the purchase, it was unclear how I was supposed to retrieve the photo. With the help of one of the photographers, I visited a website on my phone and downloaded the picture before sending it to my friend. I also opted to have access to the download for 30 days following the cruise, with a link sent directly to my email address.
Value: This perk is worth $24.99 — the cost of a single digital photo, which you can share with an infinite number of people after you download and save it to your device.
A peek behind the curtain
On one day during each voyage of five nights or longer, a backstage tour is offered to loyalty members with Diamond status or higher. At the start of each voyage, passengers who qualify receive letters in their cabins to let them know when they can expect the tour — as well as other special member events — to take place.
On the fifth day, I reported to the theater, where two members of the production staff divided our large group in half and took us onto the stage and then back to see dressing rooms, costumes and more. We had a chance to ask questions. The entire tour took about 40 minutes.
Value: It’s difficult to place a value on this one because Royal Caribbean does not offer for-fee backstage tours. The only option if you aren’t Diamond or higher is to pay $200 per person for a full all-access tour of the bridge, galley, backstage area and other restricted spaces. However, if you love to peek behind the scenes, this perk will have value for you.
An enhanced connection
Another useful perk if you’re someone who likes to stay connected on vacation is 24 hours of free Wi-Fi via your ship’s fastest Surf + Stream internet or the equivalent pricing discount on a multiday package — but only if you purchase it after you’re already on board.
Before my sailing, I prepurchased Wi-Fi for one device because I was offered a discounted precruise rate. On the second-to-last day of the voyage, I tried to activate the free 24-hour Wi-Fi for a second device, but I couldn’t add it without visiting the Voom Wi-Fi desk. The crew member there had to manually add a second device to my profile.
I then shared my login information with my travel companion, which allowed her to log in for the day on her device.
Value: This perk is equal to the value of 24-hour access to Royal Caribbean’s Surf + Stream package for one device, which was $28.99 on my sailing. Note that if you plan to purchase a cruiselong Wi-Fi package, the amount you’ll save with this perk by waiting until you’re on board is likely to be less than the amount you’d save by booking precruise.
A less depressing debarkation
Pulling one last perk out of your pocket just before disembarkation should be a nice way to ease the pain of knowing your vacation is over, right? Royal Caribbean ships are supposed to offer a dedicated departure lounge with continental breakfast for cruisers who have reached at least Diamond level.
On my sailing, the designated spot was Deck 3 of the ship’s two-deck Music Hall lounge. It was supposed to be open from 8-9 a.m., but when I checked it out, no staff was there to monitor who came inside. I saw no continental breakfast available, either, so I went to the Windjammer buffet to grab a quick bite instead. Plus, since disembarkation was running ahead of schedule, announcements were coming over the loudspeaker by 8:15 a.m. for all passengers to vacate the ship, meaning people in the “departure lounge” wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it for long anyway.
Value: Other than making the disembarkation process a bit less chaotic and breakfast a bit less crowded, there’s not much value attached to this amenity. However, if a debarkation lounge is important to you, a higher loyalty status will net you access without having to fork over higher cruise fares for a suite. (Suite passengers have access to the disembarkation lounge, even if they don’t have status.)
Even more status
I’ve known for years about the reciprocal status match between Royal Caribbean and sister brand Celebrity Cruises, but it wasn’t until I hit Diamond level that I decided to take advantage of it.
I don’t remember exactly when I applied for the match, but it did go through, and I’m now Elite with Celebrity’s Captain’s Club loyalty program — the fourth of six tiers, just as Diamond is the fourth of six in Royal Caribbean’s program.
Although the match doesn’t get me closer to the next loyalty level with Celebrity in terms of points needed, it does snag me the extras that come with Elite level status, including free laundry, dry-cleaning discounts, complimentary lounge access, a daily cocktail hour, priority tender service and discounts at the spa and on Wi-Fi, beverage and photo packages.
Value: The value depends on how many of Celebrity’s loyalty perks you’d use. Personally, I haven’t used many, except pressing and spa discounts. But the real value comes when you’re brand-new to the line. If you match your status, you’ll embark on your first Celebrity cruise already receiving perks similar to what you’d get with Royal Caribbean. It could be a nice incentive to try a new cruise line without sacrificing the perks you’ve earned.
What I didn’t try
Many of the extras offered through loyalty status are discounts, rather than freebies. That means you’ll only draw value from them if the discounts are on items or activities you planned to purchase anyway.
Although I used many of the perks available to me, there were some I either couldn’t or didn’t want to try. For example, Odyssey of the Seas doesn’t have a Johnny Rockets, so I couldn’t cash in the 50% discount I could have gotten on two milkshakes. (This one truly left me heartbroken.)
Because I don’t drink much alcohol, my needs were covered by the four free daily drinks I received, and I had no need for the beer, wine and soda discounts afforded to me. However, if you do enjoy a few drinks each day on vacation, these discounts combined with the four free drinks could mean the difference between purchasing a beverage package or getting your fill of alcohol and soda at a great price.
Further, my friend and I decided we were fine having our meals in the main dining room, buffet and other complimentary eateries on board, so I didn’t earn the gratis specialty coffee beverage that comes with a specialty restaurant booking.
Bottom line
Loyalty perks are only worth something if you actually use them. If you’re someone who happens to gamble, drink alcohol and purchase photos, then you’ll likely find your status benefits useful and pull some decent value from them.
Although I wouldn’t normally have claimed even half of the perks I redeemed on my recent sailing, I’d consider using a few of them more often — particularly the four daily drink vouchers, Crown Lounge access and the free photo.
Ultimately, the lesson here for me was that it’s key to familiarize yourself with the extras to which you’re entitled so you can decide which you’d like to use to potentially enhance your vacation. However, you should never feel like you have to use them just because they’re available, especially for activities where you have to spend more than you save to receive a discount.
Total estimated value: The perks and freebies I tried on my sailing amounted to $456.70 — an amount that, frankly, shocked me. This does not include the value of discounts on things like laundry and bingo, where I had to spend more than I saved for the discounts to be applied. It also does not include the value of amenities like Crown Lounge access and the backstage tour, for which there is no for-fee equivalent.
Find out more about Royal Caribbean:
