Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club loyalty program: The ultimate guide

1 week ago 24

Showing loyalty to Celebrity Cruises can get you some great rewards.

Like many frequent cruiser programs, Celebrity's Captain's Club loyalty program doesn't offer all that many truly valuable perks at its lower tiers. However, as you rise through the status levels, you'll quickly reach a point where you're getting all sorts of discounts, freebies and special access perks — from complimentary laundry service (a real blessing on longer voyages) to savings at specialty restaurant meals and a standing invitation to a private breakfast lounge.

At the very top tier of the program, the Zenith level, the Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club also offers one of the truly spectacular rewards in the cruise loyalty program universe: A free cruise for two.

Note that a few of the longstanding perks of the Captain's Club program (discounted internet and drinks packages, for instance) aren't quite as valuable now that many Celebrity customers book the line's relatively new Always Included fares; these fares include basic internet, drinks and gratuities. The perks still have some value, though, particularly for those who book the line's lower-priced "cruise only" rates.

The discounts on internet service and drinks packages that come with the various tiers noted below still can come in handy for those booking the Always Included fares when upgrading to premium internet or drinks packages on ships (which still come with extra charges). Additionally, with the addition of Always Included fares to its fare structure, Celebrity did sweeten the entire loyalty program a bit by offering better spa and photo discount benefits at various tiers and by adding some onboard events for members.

Ways to earn points

The number of Captain's Club points you earn for cruises will vary depending on both the length of the sailing and the type of cabin you book.

When staying in the most basic cabins, such as windowless "inside" cabins, you'll earn 2 points for each day you sail. When staying in a top suite, you can earn as many as 18 to 24 points per day.

Staying in balcony cabins, which the line calls Veranda cabins, will get you 3 points a day.

Here is a breakdown of the point structure:

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As you can see, you'll earn far more points by staying in a suite than by staying in a less pricey regular cabin. The Captain's Club program is designed to reward Celebrity's biggest-spending customers the most.

There's also one more way to earn Captain's Club points. In 2020, Celebrity launched a new program called Power Up Points that allows Captain's Club members to earn bonus points by filling out online surveys, participating on social media or booking specific promotions.

Taking part in such activities will get you Power Up Points, which then can be converted into Captain's Club points at a ratio of 10 to 1. For every 10 Power Up Points you earn, you'll receive 1 additional Captain's Club point.

If you want to play along, be sure to subscribe to Celebrity's email list so you get notified about Power Up Points activities. You can start the process by visiting the website. If you're already a Captain's Club member, click on the "Subscribe for Emails" button. If you're not yet a member, click the "Enroll Now" button.

Celebrity Captain's Club levels and benefits

There are six tiers to the Captain's Club program:

Preview (at 0 points)
Classic (2 to 149 points)
Select (150 to 299 points)
Elite (300 to 749 points)
Elite Plus (750 to 2,999 points)
Zenith (3,000 points or more)

The good news here is that you can be recognized at the program's first tier (Preview) before you even take a single cruise. All you have to do is sign up for the program. At the Preview level, you gain access to the online Captain's Club newsletter and the Loyalty Desk service center between cruises. You also can book Captain's Club promotions once you're on board your first cruise.

The next level up, Classic, brings:

Pre-sailing specialty restaurant reservations through the loyalty desk
Exclusive Captain's Club offers
One pre-cruise category upgrade to AquaClass (based on availability)
Access to exclusive events on specialty sailings (like the President's Sailing)
An invitation to a Captain's Club welcome party
One complimentary specialty coffee when you dine at a specialty restaurant
One free scoop of gelato
10% discount on any bottle of wine
10% discount on a Premium Drink Package upgrade when purchased pre-cruise only
10% discount on a Drink Package when purchased pre-cruise
10% discount on Wi-Fi packages and upgrades, and complimentary premium minutes
25% discount on any digital or print photo package
10% discount on The Studio photo package
10% off one-time use laundry service
10% discount at the spa
various casino perks
5% discount on small group discovery shore excursions
5% discount on Hollywood Hot Glass

The Select tier adds bigger discounts on internet and photo packages (25% and 30% off, respectively). You'll also get an invitation to a wine tasting and a backstage tour on the ship; a discounted price for one standard bag of laundry (wash, dry and fold) if your cruise is 12 nights or longer; and two complimentary pressed items.

Reaching the Classic level takes just one cruise, no matter what type of cabin you book. Reaching the Select level can also take just one cruise if it's a longer sailing and you're staying in a top suite. However, if you're a more typical cruiser sailing a seven-night trip in a standard balcony cabin (worth 3 points a night), you would need to take eight cruises to reach the Select level.

The Elite level that makes a difference

Being loyal to Celebrity really starts paying off when you reach the Elite and Elite Plus levels.

One of the great perks of Elite status is gaining access to the Captain's Club Coffee Lounge, where you can enjoy a coffeehouse-style breakfast each morning. This is a particularly big deal on shore excursion days, as it means you have a relatively quiet and uncrowded place to grab a quick breakfast before heading out for a tour.

Elites also get unlimited free drinks from the Captain's Club menu each day, excluding embarkation day, between 5 and 7 p.m. at most bars and lounges on the ship. All you have to do is present your Sea Pass card. As noted above, this isn't quite the perk it used to be since a basic drinks package is included with many bookings now as part of the line's relatively new Always Included fare tier.

If you're sailing on a Solstice Class or Millennium Class vessel, reaching the Elite tier will get you free access to the Persian Garden spa zones — home to steam rooms, saunas and heated loungers — on one port day of your choice.

Elite level also brings:

Priority tender service, where available
Access to a private lounge on departure day serving continental breakfast
An invitation to a senior officer party
An invitation to a Create & Pour event on Edge-class ships
An invitation to a Music & Mixology event
A higher 20% discount on a bottle of wine
A higher 30% discount on Wi-Fi packages and upgrades, plus 90 complimentary stream minutes
A higher 15% discount on drinks packages
A higher 40% discount on a digital or print photo package
A higher 20% discount on The Studio photo packages
One complimentary dry clean item
One bag of complimentary laundry
A higher 15% discount at the ship's spa

Elite Plus kicks things up by offering a lot of these same benefits plus another free bag of laundry; additional discounts for onboard services (including a 15% discount on specialty dining cover charges); and free cappuccinos, lattes, espresso and tea throughout your sailing.

You can reach the Elite and Elite Plus levels in just a few cruises if you're partial to the longer sailings Celebrity offers and you stay in top suites. For a more typical cruiser who sails a seven-night trip in a standard balcony cabin, it would take 15 sailings to reach Elite level and a whopping 36 sailings to reach the Elite Plus level.

Best Celebrity Captain's Club Elite benefit

The ultimate perk for Captain's Club members comes when you reach the top Zenith tier. You'll get a free seven-night Bermuda or Caribbean cruise in a balcony cabin. Yep, that's right: a free cruise. Not bad, right?

Of course, you'll need 3,000 points to reach the Zenith tier — a number so high it's out of reach for most cruisers. For someone who always stays in balcony cabins and prefers seven-night sailings, it would take an almost inconceivable 143 cruises to reach the Zenith tier. Put another way, you'd have to spend 1,000 days at sea with Celebrity to hit the Zenith mark.

Still, for those who always stay in top suites, getting to Zenith after just a few years of heavy cruising is not out of the question. For those travelers in Penthouse and Reflection suites, it would require 167 days at sea. Take a few long sailings of 20 or 30 days, and you'll be well on your way.

Once you hit the Zenith level, you'll get another free Bermuda or Caribbean cruise after every 3,000 points you accumulate. Plus, there's an added twist for your second free cruise and any others you accrue after that: The additional free sailings will be in an upgraded AquaClass cabin.

In offering its top-tier Captain's Club members free cruises, Celebrity is in the company of just a handful of other lines — most notably Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

The Zenith tier also brings several other big-deal perks. For example, you'll get priority seating in ship theaters and a 25% discount on specialty dining.

Zenith members also enjoy a bevy of freebies, such as laundry, automatic premium beverage upgrades and automatic premium internet upgrades. Round that out with discounts on spa services (20% off) and photo packages (50% off) as well as nice little touches such as upgraded bath amenities in your cabin, and you can see why it pays to attain Celebrity's top status.

As is often the case with cruise line loyalty programs, Celebrity customers do not have to requalify for status each year. Captain's Club members keep their points at the end of each year and continue to accrue points indefinitely. This means that someone who hits Zenith status will remain at that top tier level forever (or until Celebrity makes a change to the program).

Such "forever status" is one of the great allures of cruise line frequent cruiser programs. Many airline frequent flyer programs, by contrast, require loyalty members to requalify for status each year.

Matching status with sister cruise brands

One other notable perk of Celebrity's Captain's Club loyalty program is that members who reach the Select tier of status will get matching status in the loyalty program at Royal Caribbean, a sister brand. The matching status will be at the Platinum level of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society program, which is the second of six tiers in the Royal Caribbean program. It brings such benefits as special member discounts on balcony cabins and suites, invitations to members-only events and the delivery of robes to your cabin for use while on board.

In addition, once Captain's Club members reach the Elite tier of the program, they will be elevated to the Diamond level of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society program. This is the fourth tier of Royal Caribbean's program, and it brings some enticing perks. Among them: priority waitlist for shore excursions and spa services, access to an exclusive Diamond Club on select ships, access to an exclusive nightly Diamond event and a complimentary entertainment tour.

Note that, as of Feb. 1, 2023, Celebrity elites no longer can get matching status when sailing with Azamara, a former sister brand. Nor will Celebrity elites get points in the Captain's Club program when sailing on Azamara ships.

Celebrity Elites also do not get matching status when sailing with sister line Silversea Cruises. The latter line's Venetian Society loyalty program is a relatively simple program without loyalty tiers.

Bottom line

Celebrity may have one of the better cruise line loyalty programs. Like many others, it's a bit stingy on the truly valuable perks at its lower tiers. As you rise through the six levels, though, you'll quickly reach a point where your status gets you a lot of interesting perks, discounts and freebies.

We're especially fond of the access to a private breakfast lounge that comes with Elite status. There's nothing like having your own private hideaway in the mornings. And, of course, nothing competes with the free cruise benefit that comes with top-tier Zenith status.

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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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