Why is there a Captain’s Club minimum age?

[Whinenowine]

For those of you who don't know (or care!), you can't set up a Captain's Club account for anyone under the age of 18.  Over the past few years I've been wondering why X has this policy;  our Med cruise next month brought this front & center for me again.  At first I assumed it was a passive means to discourage children on board, but then I saw that Royal Caribbean also had a minimum age of 18 for C&A--so clearly it's a Group policy.  It's a bit annoying because our teenagers would be Elite by now--and lord knows we pay for them to cruise--so why should they have a balance of zero CC points and no perks?  They have airline status, so why not cruise line?  Is it a legal issue or just a means to advantage X in an understated way?  Curious as to all your thoughts!

 

p.s.--This is a genuine question which I've been mulling over for some time, so please don't let this devolve into another 'should kids cruise X' thread. 

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Have you talk with CC or just complain here where nothing can be done 🤔

[Whinenowine]

2 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Have you talk with CC or just complain here where nothing can be done 🤔

Hmmm...and here I thought I was just asking a question and soliciting views.  Silly me.

[Cap_D]

The approach to operating the Captains Club makes zero sense to me when compared to any other loyalty or revenue based rewards program.  We were told to save a record of sailing (which they have already), and credit would be conferred upon meeting the age requirement, upon request. No actual reason was given. It would be nice to get beneifts, since all or many perks are onboard, like the free scoop of gelato (stupid policy, considering it's made no differently than anything else in the case, until proven otherwise), a drink (non-alcoholic), helipad toast, bag of laundry, etc. We have always had plenty of OBC to cover anything consumable where there would be a charge, mostly since many exclusions are age limited and we don't use it up on specialty dining.

Edited July 27, 2023 by Cap_D

[Charles4515]

I don’t think that kids should get Captains Club status based on sailings the parents booked and paid for. They should start at zero at age 18. 

[cruisestitch]

The OP asked an interesting question but I think it is one that no one here on Cruise Critic can answer. It was a corporate decision by Celebrity made years ago and the reasons are probably lost in the mist of time.  I would be surprised if anyone at Celebrity even remembers why the decision was made that way.

[kayehall]

1 hour ago, Cap_D said:

The approach to operating the Captains Club makes zero sense to me when compared to any other loyalty or revenue based rewards program.  We were told to save a record of sailing (which they have already), and credit would be conferred upon meeting the age requirement, upon request. No actual reason was given. It would be nice to get beneifts, since all or many perks are onboard, like the free scoop of gelato (stupid policy, considering it's made no differently than anything else in the case, until proven otherwise), a drink (non-alcoholic), helipad toast, bag of laundry, etc. We have always had plenty of OBC to cover anything consumable where there would be a charge, mostly since many exclusions are age limited and we don't use it up on specialty dining.

I could swear I signed my son up when he cruised at 4 years old.  He is 28 now.  I should check on that.  But we were on RCCL

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Cap_D said:

The approach to operating the Captains Club makes zero sense to me when compared to any other loyalty or revenue based rewards program.  

Most airline loyalty programs I am in if you don’t earn points in any two year or 3 year period you lose your points and you have to earn your status yearly. None of the cruise line programs I am in work that way. I am Elite Plus even if I take zero cruises from now on. 

[broadwaybaby123]

I've been cruising since I was 5 years old with Celebrity.  Always had my own Captain's Club number, so when I was over 18, all I had to do was associate it with an email and I could manage my own account.

 

The only thing I had to do was submit proof that I went on the same cruises my parents did.  When I started cruising back in the 90's, records for the kids weren't really well-kept, especially with promotions like "Kids Sail Free", etc.  When I associated my number with my email and noticed some cruises were missing, I had to submit the proof (old key cards, photos, etc.) so that they could see I was there and get me the credit I deserved.

 

Now my parents and I still have different point amounts, but we're all still on the same tier (we weren't before I submitted proof)

[Jeremiah1212]

It’s a legal issue. There are all sorts of privacy laws, specific laws that pertain to children’s personal information, state specific laws, the need to be able to accept T&C’s, etc. 

[mahdnc]

2 hours ago, Whinenowine said:

For those of you who don't know (or care!), you can't set up a Captain's Club account for anyone under the age of 18.  Over the past few years I've been wondering why X has this policy;  our Med cruise next month brought this front & center for me again.  At first I assumed it was a passive means to discourage children on board, but then I saw that Royal Caribbean also had a minimum age of 18 for C&A--so clearly it's a Group policy.  It's a bit annoying because our teenagers would be Elite by now--and lord knows we pay for them to cruise--so why should they have a balance of zero CC points and no perks?  They have airline status, so why not cruise line?  Is it a legal issue or just a means to advantage X in an understated way?  Curious as to all your thoughts!

 

p.s.--This is a genuine question which I've been mulling over for some time, so please don't let this devolve into another 'should kids cruise X' thread. 

 

 

Our first Celebrity cruise was in 1996 (the brand new Century!) and we took our kids with us who were then 3 yrs old (daughter) and 7 months old (son).  We took a total of 14 cruises together as a family--all on Celebrity.

 

I remember our son getting his Captains Club membership before he was 18 and his older sister got it sometime later.  In both cases, their complete sailing history was already in their file and they were assigned the correct membership tier when they became of age.  I am proud to say as parents, my wife and I got both our kids a college education and Elite status with Celebrity.

 

Infinity, Feb 2002, Caribbean.  Kids are not Captains Club members yet.

 

Infinity, Christmas 2016, off the coast of Peru.  Kids are Elite (in more ways than one)

Edited July 27, 2023 by mahdnc

[Charles4515]

47 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

It’s a legal issue. There are all sorts of privacy laws, specific laws that pertain to children’s personal information, state specific laws, the need to be able to accept T&C’s, etc. 

That is probably the reason. Legal issues for childrens privacy. People have reported that the kids can get the status when they are 18. I didn’t know that. I was taking OP at their word that their kids would have zero points. It appears then the topic is a moot issue. 

[Whinenowine]

11 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

That is probably the reason. Legal issues for childrens privacy. People have reported that the kids can get the status when they are 18. I didn’t know that. I was taking OP at their word that their kids would have zero points. It appears then the topic is a moot issue. 

True if @mahdnc is correct, then my original assumption of zero points is moot--and it's info like this that spurred me to ask the question of this experienced group.  My assumption is from trying several times to set up a CC account for them and always being told by the app that it's not possible.

 

And while I don't have confidence that my kids will be given full credit by X in a few years, my fingers are definitely crossed!  Not a huge deal one way or the other...but it would be a nice kicker for them to have, given their love of cruising (wherever did they get that from??).

  

Edited July 27, 2023 by Whinenowine

[Mark_K]

32 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

That is probably the reason. Legal issues for childrens privacy. People have reported that the kids can get the status when they are 18. I didn’t know that. I was taking OP at their word that their kids would have zero points. It appears then the topic is a moot issue. 

Rather than privacy, I’d sooner think it’s because a minor can’t legally agree to the terms and conditions. 

[lostchild]

You can't join CC until 18, but you can have an account on the Celebrity cruise website before 18.   My son has one, so he could sign in on his phone to access the Celebrity App.   And if he logs in to the website, he can see all his past cruises.   I was told that when he turns 18 and join Captain Club, he would get all the points back.

[waterbug123]

2 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I don’t think that kids should get Captains Club status based on sailings the parents booked and paid for. They should start at zero at age 18. 

Why not?  If someone books and pays, do you think their spouse should also not get credit/status? 

 

But if they go on a cruise at age 18 and daddy still pays, you're ok with them getting status simply because of they're age? 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by waterbug123

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, Whinenowine said:

My assumption is from trying several times to set up a CC account for them and always being told by the app that it's not possible.

  

Relying on the app to have the correct information 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[SSAtlantic]

My DD and I went to the CC desk on the ship the first cruise we did after she turned 18. Her points were all on file and she was issued a CC number with the correct status. 

[sheeng]

14 hours ago, Woofwoo1 said:

Hello again

Blackpool from Liverpool is about 49 miles by road and when I was a child it seemed like the other side of the world and now we are going to the other side of the world. I like when US customs ask me if I have more than $10,000 dollars on me and they always get same reply "I wish".

I am sure we all have our favorite customs checkpoint, mine was ST Petersburg in Russia where I am sure smiling was a criminal offence.

 

regards Bob , still raining in Liverpool

 

2 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

Our first Celebrity cruise was in 1996 (the brand new Century!) and we took our kids with us who were then 3 yrs old (daughter) and 7 months old (son).  We took a total of 14 cruises together as a family--all on Celebrity.

 

I remember our son getting his Captains Club membership before he was 18 and his older sister got it sometime later.  In both cases, their complete sailing history was already in their file and they were assigned the correct membership tier when they became of age.  I am proud to say as parents, my wife and I got both our kids a college education and Elite status with Celebrity.

 

Infinity, Feb 2002, Caribbean.  Kids are not Captains Club members yet.

 

Infinity, Christmas 2016, off the coast of Peru.  Kids are Elite (in more ways than one)

 

Same here! We began cruising with our elementary school aged  kids on Celebrity in the 90s. We paid for their college degrees plus enough cruises to give then Elite status. 🤗

 

Sheila.

[Kevin]

3 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I don’t think that kids should get Captains Club status based on sailings the parents booked and paid for. They should start at zero at age 18. 

Why not?

 

If I am the only one that works in my household, should my wife not get credit for sailings we take together?

 

What about when I take my 18+ old kids on a cruise, I am still the one paying.  What is magically different about me paying when they are 18+ and me paying when they are younger?

Edited July 27, 2023 by Kevin

[Purplsmurf]

I always wondered the same thing. Luckily when my kids turned 18 I called Celebrity, they got their CC number and all the points from past cruises.

[mahdnc]

2 hours ago, Whinenowine said:

True if @mahdnc is correct, then my original assumption of zero points is moot--and it's info like this that spurred me to ask the question of this experienced group.  My assumption is from trying several times to set up a CC account for them and always being told by the app that it's not possible.

 

And while I don't have confidence that my kids will be given full credit by X in a few years, my fingers are definitely crossed!  Not a huge deal one way or the other...but it would be a nice kicker for them to have, given their love of cruising (wherever did they get that from??).

  

 

If you still have them, save your kids' SeaPass cards as proof in case past cruises somehow are missing.  Alternatively if you retain your booking information and/or Folio number that might be good, too.  I don't think it will be necessary as I don't recall reading any posts (or seeing very many posts) about kid's sailing histories being incomplete.

[Whinenowine]

6 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Relying on the app to have the correct information 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

🙄

[cruisestitch]

It is an interesting point because if those under 18 could have their elite and elite plus status, they could also have free laundry, the Wi-Fi discount, and so forth

[budmeister]

10 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I don’t think that kids should get Captains Club status based on sailings the parents booked and paid for. They should start at zero at age 18. 

Agree!!! Some of us spend our whole adult lives tiering up.