Which cruise loyalty program?

[pinkie1]

For those of you who have been on many many cruises on many different cruise lines, I was just curious which loyalty program is the "best". I know that each program offers different perks, and each cruise line may have a different atmosphere than another, but generally which one is accommodating to their loyal cruisers... Or are they all about the same?

[paul929207]

Best is subjective. Few of us utilize or appreciate every perk that is offered. So the best plan for one person may not be best of another.

 

I would be much more interested in finding the best cruise line for me, than the one with the best loyalty program. Loyalty programs have evolved over the years and often the best one is the one that was changed last.

[Shorex]

Whatever the perks of any loyalty program may be at any particular time, be aware that these loyalty perks can be changed with or without advance notice. In this economy it is unlikely the changes would be for the better from the cruisers' perspective. When this has happened in the past there has been outrage from disappointed loyalists, usually to little or no avail.

 

I agree with Paul that the loyalty program should not be a factor in selecting a cruise line.

[Gonzo70]

Celebrity and Princess generally are said to have the best loyalty programs where you can accrue meaningful perks within a reasonable period of time. That said I agree with the others that you should view a loyalty program as "gravy" and not as a reason to sail a particular line. It is nice when loyal cruises are rewarded, but it is not prudent to pick a cruise line that is not best geared to your interests simply because of their loyalty program - especially when factoring in that by the time you build loyalty the program likely will have undergone some changes.

[pinkie1]

I'm not trying to decide on a loyalty program, I'm just curious what other programs are like- if they're similar to each other. I have enjoyed all my RCI cruises and with all the talk and changes with RCI's Crown and Achor changes in the last couple days it got me thinking about other loyalty programs and what they're like.