Royal Caribbean Group expands loyalty points across its brands

Driving the news: Royal Caribbean Group on Thursday announced Points Choice, a new loyalty feature that allows guests sailing on any of its brands — Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises or Silversea — to earn points and apply them to the loyalty program of their choice.

• Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty said the change reflects how travelers increasingly move across the company's brands depending on the kind of vacation they're taking.

How it works: Guests continue earning points as they do today when sailing any Royal Caribbean Group brand.

• Points Choice connects the loyalty programs — Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, Celebrity Cruises' Captain's Club and Silversea's Venetian Society — allowing guests to apply those points to the program of their choice.
• Points can be moved up to 14 days after a sailing, with changes managed online.
• The program applies to sailings departing on or after Jan. 30, 2026.

Zoom out: Points Choice builds on the company's Status Match program, launched in 2024, which allows loyalty members to keep equivalent tier status when switching brands within the group.

Between the lines: Loyalty program overhauls often anger customers when perks are trimmed.

• Carnival Cruise Line has faced backlash over an upcoming rewards overhaul and made additional adjustments, while airlines have sparked similar frustration.

The bottom line: Royal Caribbean is betting that flexibility — not lock-in — will keep its most loyal travelers booking more cruises.

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