Royal Caribbean Just Made Its Biggest Loyalty Change Ever — And Cruisers Are Loving It

Royal Caribbean Group is transforming how cruisers earn and use loyalty points across its brands with a groundbreaking new program called Points Choice, set to debut in early 2026.

The announcement marks one of the biggest enhancements to the company’s loyalty offerings in years, giving travelers more freedom to sail across Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea without losing progress toward elite status.

What Is Points Choice?

During an earnings call, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty introduced Points Choice as “the next evolution” of the group’s loyalty strategy. The program will allow members to apply loyalty points earned on any of the three brands toward the program of their choice—a major shift from the current system, which keeps points siloed within each cruise line.

For example, if a Crown & Anchor Society member from Royal Caribbean takes their first Celebrity Cruises voyage, they can choose to apply those points to either Crown & Anchor, Captain’s Club, or Venetian Society.

However, the program will only apply to sailings departing on or after the official launch date in 2026, and previously earned points won’t be transferable between programs.

What It Means for Cruisers

For loyal cruisers, this change is a big deal. It means you can finally branch out and try other Royal Caribbean Group brands without feeling like you’re starting over. If you’ve spent years climbing the ranks of Crown & Anchor, you can now book a Celebrity Cruises sailing—or even a Silversea luxury voyage—and still earn points that count toward your preferred program.

The update removes one of the biggest barriers for travelers who wanted to explore different cruise styles within the Royal Caribbean family. A Celebrity guest can enjoy Royal Caribbean’s mega-ships packed with thrills, while a Royal Caribbean fan can experience Silversea’s smaller, ultra-luxury ships—all without losing progress toward elite status.

In short, it rewards brand loyalty across the board and encourages cruisers to see more of the world, one ship at a time.

Building on Status Match Success

Points Choice builds on the success of the Status Match program, introduced in 2024, which gave one-for-one tier equivalency across all Royal Caribbean Group brands. That means a Diamond member with Royal Caribbean, for instance, already enjoys the same tier status when sailing Celebrity or Silversea.

Liberty said the new Points Choice system “deepens engagement across our portfolio” and strengthens brand loyalty by making it easier for cruisers to try sister lines without sacrificing progress toward elite perks.

Guest Reactions Have Been Overwhelmingly Positive

Cruisers quickly celebrated the announcement online. Many called it “long overdue” and praised the flexibility it brings.

• “Now this is awesome news!” wrote one fan, noting the change would make it easier to climb loyalty ranks even when trying new lines.
• Another added, “This will definitely impact our choices positively! Might even result in us cruising a bit more!”

Some also compared Royal Caribbean’s move to Carnival’s controversial loyalty overhaul, which was met with significant backlash earlier this year. Carnival’s upcoming 2026 rewards program will reportedly eliminate lifetime status and reset tiers every two years, pushing some long-time guests to look elsewhere.

By contrast, Royal Caribbean’s Points Choice reinforces a guest-first approach—rewarding loyalty, not penalizing it.

What’s Next

Points Choice is expected to launch in early 2026, with more details about exchange rates, eligibility, and program rules coming soon. Liberty described it as “a model that compounds over time,” suggesting more integration and possibly a unified loyalty database in the future.

Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, hinted at this direction earlier this year, saying the company was “moving toward a single platform” for all loyalty members.

With the addition of Points Choice, Royal Caribbean Group is not only simplifying its rewards system but also strengthening its position as one of the most customer-focused cruise companies in the industry.