This is the hub for our cruise loyalty coverage. Below is a side-by-side comparison of the major programs, followed by links to the full standalone guide for each line. If you're deciding where to concentrate your cruising, start with the comparison tables; if you already sail a specific line, jump straight to its guide.
Individual program guides
Sister-brand programs (Celebrity, Princess, Holland America) currently live within their corporate-family guide, which explains the shared status-matching mechanics. They can be split into fully standalone pages as needed.
Tier structure comparison
| Program |
Tiers (low → high) |
Basis |
| Crown & Anchor (Royal Caribbean) |
Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, Pinnacle Club |
Points per night |
| Captain's Club (Celebrity) |
Preview, Classic, Select, Elite, Elite Plus, Zenith |
Points per night by cabin |
| Voyagers Club (MSC) |
Welcome, Classic, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Blue Diamond |
Points (nights + spend) |
| Latitudes Rewards (Norwegian) |
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Sapphire, Diamond, Ambassador |
Points per night |
| VIFP / Carnival Rewards (Carnival) |
Red, Gold, Platinum, Diamond (Blue being retired) |
Days (moving to spend) |
| Captain's Circle (Princess) |
Gold, Ruby, Platinum, Elite |
Cruises or days |
| Mariner Society (Holland America) |
Star, 2-Star, 3-Star, 4-Star, 5-Star |
Cruise-day credits |
| Castaway Club (Disney) |
Silver, Gold, Platinum, Pearl |
Completed sailings |
| Sailing Club (Virgin Voyages) |
Base, Blue Extras, Deep Blue Extras |
Completed voyages |
Lifetime vs. expiration
| Program |
Status longevity |
| Crown & Anchor (Royal Caribbean) |
Lifetime — never expires |
| Captain's Club (Celebrity) |
Lifetime — never expires |
| Voyagers Club (MSC) |
Expires: resets to Welcome after 5 years without a qualifying cruise |
| Latitudes Rewards (Norwegian) |
Lifetime — never expires |
| Carnival Rewards (Carnival) |
Requalify every 2 years under the new program (rolling) |
| Captain's Circle (Princess) |
Lifetime — never expires |
| Mariner Society (Holland America) |
Lifetime — never expires |
| Castaway Club (Disney) |
Lifetime — never expires |
| Sailing Club (Virgin Voyages) |
Current tiers confirmed through Dec 31, 2026; new program pending |
Free drinks
| Program |
Beverage benefit |
| Crown & Anchor (Royal Caribbean) |
Daily drink vouchers from Diamond up; more at higher tiers |
| Captain's Club (Celebrity) |
Evening happy-hour beverages at Elite+; Premium package at Zenith (eligible sailings) |
| Voyagers Club (MSC) |
No standing free-drink benefit; discounts only |
| Latitudes Rewards (Norwegian) |
No standing free-drink benefit; welcome sparkling wine at mid-tiers |
| VIFP (Carnival) |
Complimentary drink at the Gold+ loyalty party |
| Captain's Circle (Princess) |
Loyalty event beverages; no daily allotment |
| Mariner Society (Holland America) |
Loyalty event beverages; dining/minibar discounts |
| Castaway Club (Disney) |
None |
| Sailing Club (Virgin Voyages) |
$100 promotional Bar Tab at Deep Blue Extras |
Wi-Fi
| Program |
Internet benefit |
| Crown & Anchor (Royal Caribbean) |
One day premium at Diamond; more at higher tiers |
| Captain's Club (Celebrity) |
Discounts; larger at Elite Plus |
| Voyagers Club (MSC) |
Complimentary Browse package at Blue Diamond |
| Latitudes Rewards (Norwegian) |
Discounts per benefit chart |
| Carnival |
Discounts; no standing free package |
| Captain's Circle (Princess) |
50% off Wi-Fi at Platinum/Elite |
| Mariner Society (Holland America) |
Internet perks at 3-Star+ |
| Castaway Club (Disney) |
None |
| Sailing Club (Virgin Voyages) |
Unlimited Premium Wi-Fi where available at Deep Blue Extras |
Laundry
| Program |
Laundry benefit |
| Crown & Anchor (Royal Caribbean) |
Wash-and-fold perks at high tiers |
| Captain's Club (Celebrity) |
Free laundry/pressing at Elite and Elite Plus |
| Voyagers Club (MSC) |
No standing laundry benefit |
| Latitudes Rewards (Norwegian) |
Free bag(s) from Platinum up |
| VIFP (Carnival) |
3 free bags wash-and-fold at Platinum/Diamond |
| Captain's Circle (Princess) |
Complimentary laundry at Elite |
| Mariner Society (Holland America) |
Laundry perks at 4-Star+ |
| Castaway Club (Disney) |
None |
| Sailing Club (Virgin Voyages) |
1 bag at Blue Extras; pressing & dry cleaning at Deep Blue Extras |
Specialty dining
| Program |
Dining benefit |
| Crown & Anchor (Royal Caribbean) |
Chef's Choice amenity; venue access at top tiers |
| Captain's Club (Celebrity) |
Elite breakfast lounge; perks scale with tier |
| Voyagers Club (MSC) |
Complimentary specialty dinner at Diamond |
| Latitudes Rewards (Norwegian) |
Complimentary specialty dining benefit per chart at Platinum+ |
| VIFP (Carnival) |
Complimentary specialty dinner (one per cruise) at Diamond |
| Captain's Circle (Princess) |
No standing specialty-dining comp |
| Mariner Society (Holland America) |
Specialty-dining surcharge discounts; comp dinner at 5-Star |
| Castaway Club (Disney) |
Complimentary Palo experience at Platinum and Pearl |
| Sailing Club (Virgin Voyages) |
Fares already include most restaurants; no separate comp |
Status match availability
| Program |
Internal (sister brands) |
External (other programs) |
| Crown & Anchor (Royal Caribbean) |
✅ Permanent (Celebrity, Silversea) |
❌ No |
| Captain's Club (Celebrity) |
✅ Permanent (Royal Caribbean, Silversea) |
❌ No |
| Voyagers Club (MSC) |
✅ Permanent (Explora Journeys) |
✅ Permanent (one-time lifetime) |
| Latitudes Rewards (Norwegian) |
✅ Per-cruise honoring (Oceania, Regent) |
❌ No |
| Carnival |
❌ None |
❌ Casino programs only |
| Captain's Circle (Princess) |
❌ None |
❌ Casino programs only |
| Mariner Society (Holland America) |
⚠️ Entry-tier auto-enroll only |
❌ Casino programs only |
| Castaway Club (Disney) |
— (no sister brands) |
❌ No |
| Sailing Club (Virgin Voyages) |
— (no sister brands) |
⏸️ Periodic windows (currently closed) |
Best overall value
- Best for cross-brand flexibility: MSC Group — the only family with both permanent sister-brand recognition (MSC ↔ Explora) and a permanent external status match from airlines, hotels, and other cruise lines.
- Best for a permanent, no-strings match across premium brands: Royal Caribbean Group — one-for-one lifetime matching across Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Silversea, plus Points Choice for directing earned points.
- Best free-drinks value: Royal Caribbean (daily vouchers from Diamond) and Celebrity (Zenith premium package on eligible sailings).
- Best for fast status from an existing travel program: MSC — match in high outside status, then daisy-chain into Explora.
- Best simple, never-expiring program: Disney Castaway Club and Princess Captain's Circle — no points, no expiration, easy to understand.
- Least loyalty-friendly for multi-line cruisers: Carnival Corporation — no cross-brand matching of any kind (casino programs excepted).
"Best value" depends on how you cruise. A once-a-year family cruiser and a 100-night-a-year loyalist will weigh these very differently — use the feature tables above to match benefits to your own habits.
