Luxury Cruising Editorial

Whether you were hoping to sneak drugs onto your cruise with you (don’t…) or you’ve got a phobia of dogs, you might want to know more about whether cruise ships and cruise ports use dogs to check for drugs on a regular basis.

Dogs are some of the best tools that police and port authorities have for finding drugs – so how widely used are they?

In this guide, I’ll take you through everything you need to know about drugs sniffing dogs and cruises.

Are there drug dogs at cruise ports?

Drug dogs are used at some cruise ports, but not all. They are most commonly seen at ports in the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and Australia, but in Europe and Asia, they don’t tend to be used very often.

Typically sniffer dogs don’t tend to go near passengers though, they are more used for luggage. If the port authorities suspect that someone is carrying drugs then they may do a walk around with one of the dogs, but usually, the dogs are left to check bags instead.

That’s good news if you’re travelling with someone who is scared of dogs, but don’t assume that means you can get drugs onto the ship by carrying them on your person. If you’re found carrying drugs at the port, you’ll have them confiscated without reimbursement. And if it’s something harder than medical marijuana, expect to be arrested, and you won’t be boarding the ship.

Read more: The Things You Can & Can’t Take On A Cruise Ship

Are there drug dogs on cruise ships?

Drug dogs are not kept on ships, but if a passenger is suspected of having brought drugs onto a ship then some cruise lines will bring drug sniffer dogs onboard to help find the passenger in question. Random searches of the ship can also be used on some occasions.

There may be times when someone successfully brings weed onto their cruise ship and thinks they can then get away with smoking it in their cabin, or more likely on their balcony. But usually, someone can still smell it – whether that’s a crew member or a concerned passenger.

When that happens and it is reported, the cruise line may bring drug dogs onto the ship at the next possible port to find the culprit and make sure the drugs are removed, and the passenger potentially disembarked.

But drug dogs don’t sail on the ships – they would only be brought onboard for a quick search while at a port. Once they’d identified a room, the guest would then be able to admit to the drugs or have their room searched by the dog and handler.

Read more: Do Cruise Ships Have Police? How Crime is Dealt With at Sea

Does Carnival Cruise Line use drug dogs?

Carnival Cruise Line is one of the cruise lines that frequently uses narcotics-sniffing dogs to identify passengers trying to sneak drugs onto their cruise ship. The dogs are mentioned in the cruise line’s policy, including potential searches at foreign ports.

Carnival won’t just search guests at their home port – many cruises go to places where drugs can be bought in the port, and so the cruise line works with port authorities in these destinations to find anyone breaking the rules.

According to the cruise line’s policy, anyone found with illegal drugs will be denied boarding and won’t be offered any compensation or refunds, and the local authorities may also carry out other actions.

Carnival will scale its use of narcotics-sniffing dogs up and down, depending on the likelihood of drugs being used. The cruise line has stated that it brings more dogs into ports for Spring Break in the US and that random searches may be carried out.

And in 2023, the company reiterated its stance on drugs and committed to using sniffer dogs more.

According to Captain Andrea Catalani, “We are employing narcotic dogs in various locations. So, if you see Cucciolo or one of his colleagues at the terminal, at the destination port, or onboard, please do not interfere.”

Here’s a photo of Carnival ambassador John Heald with one of the working dogs on board Carnival Horizon…

Does Royal Caribbean have drug dogs?

Royal Caribbean does sometimes use drug dogs to identify passengers carrying illegal substances. The dogs may be used at the home port, foreign ports or on the ship if someone is suspected of possessing drugs.

Royal Caribbean’s Guest Conduct Policy clearly states that drugs are not permitted on the ship and that guests will be reported to local authorities, and may be prohibited from reboarding the ship. While the policy doesn’t mention dogs specifically, there has been evidence of the line using dogs from local ports.

Does Port Canaveral have drug dogs?

Port Canaveral does use drug-sniffing dogs to identify passengers who may be carrying illegal narcotics on them before they sail. US Customs and Border Patrol work with the port authorities to carry out checks using sniffer dogs to make sure drugs are not taken on cruises.

It’s not just a scare tactic made up to stop people bringing drugs onboard – luggage and people can be checked by drug sniffer dogs at Port Canaveral and arrests have been made in the past.

Does Miami cruise port have drug dogs?

The Port of Miami does use drug dogs to check passengers’ luggage and, if someone is suspected of carrying drugs, the dogs may walk down the line of passengers in the terminal. Anyone attempting to smuggle drugs on board at Miami will be arrested.

American ports are typically very strict on checking for drugs, so don’t take the risk. Miami will often check you, and you have a high likelihood of getting caught.

Final word

You might think that you can sneak drugs onto a cruise, but if you’re at a port where there are sniffer dogs being utilised, you may be in for a lot of trouble. And even if you got the drugs past the checks at your embarkation port, you could be searched on the ship if you raise suspicion.

Don’t risk taking drugs onto your cruise – if the dogs catch you, you face massive financial losses (no cruise refund!) and you could end up in jail. It’s not worth it.

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Whenever I cruise with certain cruise lines, I get up to $250 to spend onboard. And it’s not because of this website or my emails with the best cruise deals. It’s because I’m a shareholder.

In this guide, I’ll explain what it means to be a cruise shareholder, what the perks are of holding stocks and shares in cruise lines, and where you can buy your own shares if you want to.

Why Buy Cruise Stock?

Buying cruise stock can be a good way to invest your money if you believe that the cruise line’s value will grow, but it also gives you perks when you cruise with that company.

Those cruise perks are usually free onboard credit to enjoy with your cruise. You can claim this perk every time you cruise; it’s not a one-off benefit. 

Depending on which shares you buy, you might be able to enjoy those perks across several different cruise lines.

So, you can quickly earn back the cost of your share investment just by cruising multiple times. I’ve invested in Carnival shares, and I’ve already earned back the amount I paid for the shares in on-board spend with my cruises with P&O Cruises.

It didn’t take long, and I still have the shares too.

While investing in cruise shares could be a way of earning money, if the cruise line was to grow in value, you have to remember that the value could drop too – but you will at least get that onboard credit amount every time you sail.

Do You Get a Discount On a Cruise If You Own Stock?

You won’t get a discount on a cruise if you own stock in the company – you do still have to pay full price. However, you will technically get a discount on the total cost of your cruise, since you’ll earn free onboard spend to put towards your drinks, your speciality dining or other parts of your cruise on the ship.

Cruise Lines That Offer Cruise Stock Perks

Let’s take a look at each cruise company that offers stock perks, how much you can get on each sailing, and which cruise lines it covers.

1. Royal Caribbean Group (RCL)

If you own at least 100 shares in the Royal Caribbean Group, you can enjoy shareholder perks of onboard credit every time you sail.

Royal Caribbean Group shares give you onboard credit with:

• Royal Caribbean International
• Celebrity Cruises
• Silversea Cruises

There are a couple of exceptions – you won’t get the credit if the ship is chartered, and it doesn’t apply on cruises to the Galapagos Islands.

As a guideline only, the Royal Caribbean Group’s share price between October and December 2023 had a low price of $81.87 and a high of $129.97, so you would’ve paid between $8,187 and $12,997 to acquire the 100 shares necessary to qualify.

The price will have changed so check the latest share price when you are purchasing.

Read more about the Royal Caribbean shareholder benefits:

2. Carnival Corporation (CCL or CUK)

If you own at least 100 shares in Carnival Corporation & PLC, you can enjoy shareholder perks every time you sail.

Exactly how much you get depends on the brand you’re sailing with, and where you are cruising, as the ships have different onboard currencies.

Carnival Corporation shares give you onboard credit with:

• Carnival Cruise Line
• Princess Cruises
• P&O Cruises
• P&O Australia
• Holland America Line
• Seabourn
• Cunard
• Costa Cruises
• AIDA Cruises

As a guideline only, the Carnival Corporation & PLC’s share price between October and December 2023 had a low price of $11.08 and a high of $19.22, so you would’ve paid between $1,108 and $1,922 to acquire the 100 shares necessary to qualify.

The price will have changed so check the latest share price when you are purchasing.

Note that Carnival has two stocks – CCL and CUK. CCL is under the New York Stock Exchange and CUK is under the London Stock Exchange. You can buy either and receive the exact same on-board credit. The Motley Fool advises that you should buy the cheapest one.

Read more about the Carnival Corporation & PLC shareholder benefits:

3. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has the same offer – as long as you own 100 shares in the company, you’ll enjoy onboard spending on any cruise line under that umbrella.

NCL shares give you onboard credit with:

• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Oceania Cruises
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises

As a guideline only, the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings share price between October and December 2023 had a low price of $12.76 and a high of $20.95, so you would’ve paid between $1,276 and $2,095 to acquire the 100 shares necessary to qualify.

The price will have changed so check the latest price when you are purchasing.

Read more: NCL Shareholder Benefits Explained

Where to Buy Cruise Stock

To buy stock in a cruise line, you’ll typically need to use a stockbroker. These can either be a human, who can talk to you about your options, or it can just be an online platform.

There will be fees involved with either approach, but using an online platform tends to be cheaper.

I can’t tell you which is the best option, because I haven’t used them all. But I used a platform called eToro to buy my shares in Carnival and I had no problems.

(eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.)

I chose it because it’s one of the most popular platforms – it has over 20 million registered users – and the reviews are mainly very positive. There are low fees for buying shares, too. Overall, I was really happy with the experience.

Claiming Cruise Stock Perks

How you actually claim your perks varies depending on your cruise line, but it’s usually pretty easy.

Claiming Royal Caribbean Group Shareholder Perks

You can claim your free onboard credit using a simple online platform. Make sure you have details of your shares and your cruise booking to hand, and fill in the form three weeks before your cruise, or earlier.

Claiming Carnival Shareholder Perks

To claim your shareholder perks on a cruise line owned by Carnival, you’ll need to download an app called Stockperks – it’s available on Android and iOS.

Follow the instructions on the app to claim your onboard credit. Make sure you put your claim in at least four weeks before your cruise. You can’t do it too soon though. I tried to submit mine 5 months before and I got this message…

Claiming Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Shareholder Perks

To claim your onboard credit with an NCLH cruise line, you’ll need to download this form and then email it to one of the following addresses:

Make sure you get your request in at least 15 days before you sail – though I’d suggest putting the claim in sooner than that.

Disclaimer

I’ve mentioned this briefly already, but for absolute clarity, nothing in this guide constitutes financial advice. I’m not a qualified financial advisor. If you decide to buy shares in any of the cruise lines in this guide, you should be prepared for the fact that you could lose your investment.

Hopefully, you won’t, but I have to state that. Investing in Carnival was my own personal choice and I know that there’s a chance I could lose that money, although like I say, I’ve already earned back the value in onboard credit anyway.

Final Word

Investing in cruise line shares isn’t for everybody – not everyone has the funds available to buy 100 shares in their preferred cruise line, and there’s a risk involved when you do.

But if you decide that you want to, it’s good to know about these perks you can enjoy, and how to claim them. It’s great that you get them on every cruise too, so if you do sail with one cruise line regularly, you can enjoy a lot of free onboard credit while you’re a shareholder. Enjoy it!

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Carnival cruise ships offer the standard range of cruise rooms that you would expect – inside rooms, ocean view rooms, balcony rooms, and some spacious suite options.

But as well as those, many ships also have additional themed rooms, which aren’t just decorated nicely – they come with extra perks thrown in as well, related to their theme.

One of those is the Cloud 9 Spa room – but what kind of rooms are they, and what do you get with them? Are they worth paying extra for?

Let’s find out.

What is a Cloud 9 Spa Room?

Cloud 9 Spa rooms on Carnival ships are special themed rooms that offer a more relaxing experience, tailored around the onboard spa. They are situated close to the Cloud 9 Spa on the ship, with easy access to enjoy the Thermal Suites and other amenities.

So, rather than being restricted to just one type of cabin, you can enjoy an enhanced version of most basic cabin categories on the ship, with the additional Cloud 9 Spa amenities.

The Benefits of a Cloud 9 Spa Room

You get quite a few perks when you book a Cloud 9 Spa room, although it’s important to note that these only apply to guests one and two in a cabin – so if you’re travelling with more guests in a room, not everyone can take advantage.

1. Easy Access to the Spa

Guests in a Cloud 9 Spa room get easy access to the spa. The rooms are either located directly adjacent, or you’ll get to use an exclusive elevator that’s only for guests travelling between the Cloud 9 Spa rooms and the spa itself – it feels very fancy having a dedicated elevator to use!

2. Priority Spa Appointments

On embarkation day for your cruise, you’ll have until 6 pm to make spa reservations before they open up to the rest of the ship. It’s the perfect time to secure any treatments you want, especially during those busy times on sea days and before formal night.

3. Thermal Suite Access

Guests in a Cloud 9 Spa room get a pass to use the Thermal Suites throughout the entire cruise. Normally you’d have to pay for either a day pass (starting at $30) or a pass for the entire duration of the cruise.

4. Complimentary Scrub Kit

The first two guests in a Cloud 9 Spa room will be given a complimentary scrub kit that’s designed to be used in the Thermal Suites, to help exfoliate your skin as you unwind.

5. Complimentary Fitness Classes

Guests in a Cloud 9 Spa room get to enjoy two free fitness classes on their cruise. You can enjoy Pathway to Yoga and Pathway to Pilates – either one of each class, or you can do two of the same class where available. Classes cost $20 each normally.

6. Complimentary Analysis

You’ll be able to visit the spa to get a body composition analysis, where the fitness experts can tell you your body fat percentage, your rate of metabolism and your water retention level, and then give you advice on improving them. This would normally cost from $39.

7. Spa-branded Bathrobes and Slippers

In your Cloud 9 Spa room, you’ll find a branded bathrobe and a pair of slippers that you can use throughout your cruise. Unfortunately, you don’t get to keep them, and you will be charged if they ‘accidentally’ find their way into your suitcase.

8. Elemis Bath Products

Cloud 9 Spa rooms have upgraded toiletries that guests can use during their cruise from luxury brand Elemis, so you can enjoy a relaxing hot shower with premium body wash and shampoo after you’ve enjoy a spa session.

9. Discounted Spa Treatment Packages

If you book multiple spa treatments at once, you’ll get a discount as a Cloud 9 Spa guest. You get 10% off the first treatment, 20% off the second and 30% off the third.

However, if you book your treatments for times when the ship is in port, those discounts increase – 20% off the first, 30% off the second, and 40% off the third.

It’s important to note that guests under 18 aren’t allowed to access the Thermal Suites or other spa amenities, including body treatments and the Large Hot Tub Spa.

Guests aged 13 to 18 can enjoy hair, nails and facial services, along with the fitness centre, provided that they are accompanied by an adult.

So, it might not be a good idea to book a Cloud 9 Spa room if you’re a solo parent travelling with a child under 18, since only one of you can really take advantage of most of the perks.

Are Cloud 9 Spa Rooms Worth It?

There’s no simple answer on whether or not a Cloud 9 Spa room is worth it. It certainly isn’t, if you don’t enjoy using the spa – you’re paying extra money for benefits that are wholly unuseful to you.

But for those who enjoy spa treatments, it will depend on how much extra you have to pay.

On most cruises, you can expect to pay between $200 and $300 extra per room (so around $100 to $150 per person) if you’re upgrading from a regular Interior, Ocean View or Balcony cabin to the Cloud 9 Spa equivalent.

For Cloud 9 Spa Suites, they’re between $300 and $600 per room more than an equivalent Ocean Suite (so $150 to $300 per person).

When the upgrade costs you only around $100 per person, then you’ll definitely get good value – the Thermal Suites access alone would likely cost at least that for the full cruise, if not more, and you get all the other perks too.

But that relies on you using the Thermal Suites every day.

And when the upgrade price is at the higher end of the scale, you might prefer to put that money towards actual spa treatments, instead of getting a spa-themed room and access to the Suites.

For anyone who wants to use the Thermal Suites regularly, or who plans on booking multiple treatments at the spa, a Cloud 9 Spa room can save you money. For anyone else, think carefully before booking just because of the attractive spa theming and the bathrobes, slippers and upgraded toiletries.

Cloud 9 Spa FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about the spa itself, rather than the spa rooms.

Final Word

Booking a Cloud 9 Spa room is a fun way to enjoy everything that the spa has to offer, including getting treatments at a discounted price. But think carefully about whether it’s worth the extra cost, or if you’d be better served booking a standard room and paying for occasional Thermal Suites access and treatments.

There are other themed rooms available too, including Family Harbor rooms with access to the Family Harbor Lounge, and Havana rooms that give access to the tranquil Havana pool deck. Make sure you consider all of your Carnival accommodation options before you book, as there are some fantastic rooms to choose between!

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Are you going on a cruise soon, or perhaps you’re a regular cruiser looking to understand more about the bridge on a cruise ship?

You may wonder where the bridge is located, what it looks like, or even whether you’re allowed to tour the bridge. I’m lucky enough to have been able to visit several cruise ship bridges and I’ve answered everything you need to know below.

Where Is The Bridge On A Cruise Ship?

The bridge on a cruise ship is usually on an upper deck, at the front (fore) of the ship, which gives the captain and crew the best visibility of the waters and where they’re heading.

The bridge is where the command centre is located, where the crew will have nautical charts to navigate the ship, controls to set the speed and directions, and other essential parts of the ship, such as controls for lighting and machinery.

My friend John, who is a ship pilot, often working from the bridge of cruise ships, sent me this photo of the conning display he uses to monitor the ship…

The bridge is the ship’s safety centre. If there is a potential hazard or emergency, the cruise ship’s vital signals can be monitored, and quick decisions can be made.

The term ‘bridge’ has historical roots dating back to the era of paddle steamers, when a raised walkway was constructed across the paddle houses, thereby ‘bridging’ the two sides of the ship.

This design innovation provided the captain with a panoramic vantage point from the quarter-deck, allowing for a view of both paddle wheels and sides of the ship.

The bridge is also sometimes known as a pilothouse or wheelhouse, derived from early ship designs where the pilot would steer the ship using a wheel within a designated house-like structure on the deck. This is more common on river cruise ships.

Can You Tour The Bridge On A Cruise?

Some cruise lines allow you to book a behind-the-scenes tour of the ship, including the bridge. There is usually a fee to take a tour, although some offer it for free if you are part of their loyalty schemes. Otherwise, the bridge is not a place that can be accessed by passengers.

On our recent cruise on Fred. Olsen’s Bolette, the children enjoyed a visit to the bridge as one of the activities in the kids’ club.

Other smaller cruise lines, or expedition cruise ships, have an open bridge policy where passengers can visit during quieter times, such as Windstar. Although, if the ship is coming into the dock or there is bad weather, it will be off-limits. 

Occasionally on some cruise ships, there is a Bridge Viewing Room where you can peer down at the crew at work. However, many of them have been removed due to health and safety. 

What Does A Cruise Ship Bridge Look Like?

A cruise ship bridge is iften curved in the central cockpit portion. Windows are slanted to reduce reflected light, as a bridge is unlit apart from instrument lighting

This robust design with reinforced glass ensures the bridge can withstand high winds and bad weather, while having a panoramic view.

On most modern cruise ships, on either side, there are extensions which look like wings. These are known as Bridge Wings and give the crew better visibility right to the back of the ship. Here, there is a manoeuvring console which allows control of all the manoeuvring aids like propellers, rudders and thrusters.

They also sometimes have a section that has a glass floor so that the crew can see beneath them, down to the water. This gives an excellent view when docking in a port.

What’s Inside The Bridge On A Cruise Ship?

A bridge on a cruise ship has some things that you would expect and some that you might not. Below are some photos which I took inside the bridge on Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition, so you can see…

Seats for the navigation crew

The captain sits in the back seat. In the image below, you can see that it says ‘Master’, which is another word for captain.  That’s because the captain’s job isn’t to drive the ship! Instead, he or she is responsible for everybody on board and has overall command.

Usually, on the bridge of a cruise ship, you will always have two deck officers and two lookouts, of which one is designated helmsman. The steering is set to automatic when in open waters.

The captain can take control and ‘drive’ the ship, and he will state when he is doing this so that the rest of the bridge team know.

The Pilot Station

When arriving at and leaving ports, a port pilot will be taken on board. He will be responsible for navigating the ship safely into port of call. Cruise ship pilots are experts in their particular port, and their role is vital in all countries except Denmark, where taking a port pilot is optional.

The Ship’s Wheel

You’d be forgiven for thinking that cruise ships have huge wheels. After all, pirate ships in movies do, right?

A cruise ship’s steering wheel is actually smaller in size than a car steering wheel, as you can see from the image below…

Indicators

If there’s a fire or a flood, the bridge team needs to know exactly where it is, and which doors have been closed to contain it. There are displays for this, as well as a whole host of other things that are to be monitored.

Meeting area

Sometimes, the crew need to get together to discuss their plan and communicate with each other. There’s usually a table they can gather around to facilitate these meetings. The discussions most often involve navigation plans, such as arrival and departure briefings.

All conversations are recorded, as are the electronic charts and radar readings.

Coffee machine

Ask any seaman what’s the difference between working on cruise ships and other large vessels like cargo ships and they’ll tell you – the coffee!

Cruise ship coffee is great, especially when the crew have their own barista-style coffee machine, like this. And an endless supply of cookies!

How To Watch Cruise Ship Bridge Cameras

Some cruise ships have bridge cameras with live feeds, meaning you can see what is happening in real time. These feeds can be accessed from your stateroom on the ship’s in-room television service.

Cruise lines often make these live feeds publicly available on their websites or their YouTube channels. If you’re considering going on a cruise, this is a great way to get a feel of the captain’s view, regardless of your location. Or if your friends and family are on the cruise, you can see whereabouts they are in the world.

You can read my article to see a list of all the cruise ship webcams.

Related Posts:

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Royal Caribbean has decided to entrust a major decision about its world cruise to passengers, letting them decide where the ship will be sailing.

The cruise is the current 274-night world cruise taking place on Serenade of the Seas, which is being forced to alter its itinerary due to the growing tensions in the Red Sea.

Many cruise lines are making changes to remove ships from the region, and the decision has been made that Serenade of the Seas will now also be forced to sail around the southern coast of Africa, rather than fulfil the three sections of the world cruise due to travel through the Red Sea region.

But rather than dictating a new schedule, Royal Caribbean is asking the passengers onboard the ship to choose between two new options.

The first is an Immersive Africa itinerary, which would feature 20 ports of call along the African coast in 11 different countries, including the rare chance to visit Madagascar, Namibia, Angola, and others. There would be 21 sea days in total split across six weeks.

The second option is an Africa and Greece itinerary that skips much of the smaller African ports, instead calling only at the Seychelles, Cape Town and a call in the Canary Islands.

The ship would then sail to Alexandria in Egypt before offering cruises of the Greek Islands. This option has 26 sea days, all of which take place within the space of a month – that’s a long time with very few port visits!

Guests were told of their options in a special meeting called in the ship’s theatre, and have been able to submit questions to the cruise line. After a webinar with the cruise line’s head office on 21st February, guests are being given 6 days to cast their vote.

Regardless of which itinerary is chosen, all guests are being given a partial refund for the cancelled section of the cruise, or they can chose to end their cruise and depart, with a full refund of the segment and support with arranging travel home.

Any guests who were only booked onto one of the cancelled Red Sea segments, rather than the full world cruise, are being contacted by the cruise line to arrange a refund and compensation too.

Related Posts

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

Cruise lines want to keep guests sailing with them for many years – after all, there are lots of alternatives, so it can be tempting for guests to try them all.

This is why most lines offer a loyalty program, giving guests an incentive to remain with just one cruise line. Royal Caribbean has one – the Crown & Anchor Society – and one of the mid-range tiers is the Emerald level.

What does that get you, and how do you qualify? Let’s take a look.

What is Emerald Status on Royal Caribbean?

Emerald Status is one of the mid-range tiers in Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society. It unlocks a lot of perks for you to use when booking a cruise and when you’re on a Royal Caribbean ship, all of which enhance your experience in different ways – some very minor, but others more noticeable.

How Many Points You Need For Emerald

To qualify for Emerald status on Royal Caribbean, you need 55 cruise points. You get 1 point for every night you spend on a ship in a regular Interior, Ocean View or Balcony stateroom, and 2 points if you book a suite.

This means that, if you were to only book 7-night cruises, you’d need 8 of them to qualify for the Emerald tier if you stayed in a standard stateroom. In a suite, you would be able to get to Emerald in just 28 nights, or 4 cruises.

Of course, many cruises are fewer than 7 nights. It’s all based on nights, rather than number of cruises – so if you were to book cruises lasting a fortnight, you’d reach Emerald status much sooner.

Royal Caribbean Emerald Benefits

Take a look at the full list of perks you get as a Royal Caribbean Emerald member:

1. Drinks Discounts

You’ll be given four drinks coupons to use on every Royal Caribbean cruise as an Emerald-tier member. Two are for any glass of soda, beer or wine onboard, while the other two can be used for milkshakes at Johnny Rockets.

Each coupon gives you 50% off that drink, which is a pretty useful saving, though if you already have a drinks package, then only the milkshake coupons are worth using.

Once you’ve used those coupons, you’ll also get 10% off one more drink purchase for either wine, beer or soda – after that you’ll be paying full price.

Plus, Emerald members get 50% off any coffees they buy on board. This doesn’t apply to Starbucks drinks, which are never discounted as part of the Crown & Anchor Society.

And for one final drink benefit, you’ll get a free coffee drink whenever you book a speciality restaurant dinner. Again, this excludes Starbucks.

2. Private Departure Lounge Access

At most embarkation ports that Royal Caribbean uses, they’re able to provide a private departure lounge for guests of Emerald level. This lets you arrive and then relax with a pastry and a coffee or some fresh juice while you wait to board the ship.

Only, it’s not just for Emerald-tier guests, it’s for all Crown & Anchor Society members, which includes Gold-level – AKA, anyone who has cruised with Royal Caribbean at least once before. So it’s hardly likely to be a quiet, exclusive space.

Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean doesn’t specify which ports this is available in, and it can vary. So you’ll only know if it’s offered to you when you get your boarding details sent to you.

3. WiFi Package Discounts

Anyone who chooses to wait to buy their WiFi package on the ship can get 15% off if they’re an Emerald member of the Crown and Anchor Society – the same discount as you get if you’re a Platinum member.

It’s important to note that you can’t combine this with other offers or discounts, and it’s sometimes sold with a bigger discount in the weeks leading up to your cruise. Keep tabs on the Cruise Planner app, and book it if you get a better deal than 15% off.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Internet Packages: Cost & How to Buy

4. Top Tier Event Invite

Anyone in the Emerald level and cruising for at least 5 nights will get an invite to a special event onboard. 

It’s not quite as exciting as it sounds, really – you’ll get an hour with senior members of the crew (sometimes the Captain, the Hotel Director, or the Cruise Director – and sometimes all three) where they’ll run through the numbers of guests onboard in each tier of the loyalty programme, and thank the highest-ranking members specially.

You do get a welcome glass of Champagne, usually, and there’ll be some music from the band. It’s the kind of event that’s worth doing once but then decide how you feel for future cruises.

5. Casino and Bingo Perks

You get some small gambling perks as an Emerald member. Firstly in the casino, you get $6 of FreePlay credit to use on the slots. Obviously $6 isn’t a lot, depending on how much you wager, and you might spend it all in just a couple of minutes. But who knows – maybe you’ll win big.

You aren’t able to cash it out until you’ve used $6, but any winnings are yours to keep. Good luck!

And when you play bingo, you get extra Jackpot cards whenever you buy a package. Emerald-tier guests get six bonus cards with their package – twice as many as Platinum guests.

6. In-Stateroom Perk – Robes & Water

There are a couple of smaller perks that you get in your stateroom when you’re an Emerald-tier guest. The first of these is bathrobes, that you can use during the cruise. You can’t keep them, though – so don’t take them home with you.

The second perk is two bottles of water per adult waiting in your stateroom for you. Not a huge gift, but it’ll save you a few bucks, and it’s nice to have water to hand at night.

7. Laundry Discounts

Cruising for at least 5 nights? You might want to pack a few less items in your suitcase, since you’ll be given a $5 discount on a bag of wash-and-fold laundry, bringing the cost down to $29.99. It’s up to you – you might just prefer to bring different outfits for each day.

You also get $5 off a $25 dry-clean or press service, which is handy if you want to take part in formal night but your outfit got a little messed up in your bags.

8. Photo Offers

Emerald-level members get 25% off any single photo (print or digital), photo package or photobook bought from the photographer onboard. This perk was updated in December 2023 – previously, you had to pay for something full price, and then you’d get 50% off your second purchase.

9. Discounts on Royal Caribbean Products

Each Royal Caribbean ship has a selection of stores onboard, and while most sell designer goods, there’ll also be some branded Royal Caribbean merch you can buy. Spend $25 or more, and you’ll save 10% as an Emerald-tier member.

10. Spa Discounts

Emerald-tier members of the Crown & Anchor Society get 15% off any spa treatments they book on the ship, except for Medi-Spa services – those are never discounted.

11. Lapel Pin

Hardly a huge perk, but it’s nice to have – once you reach Emerald-tier status, you’ll get a lapel pin to show off your loyalty. It’s delivered to you on your next cruise once you reach the status.

12. Member Newsletter

As soon as you’re a member of the Crown & Anchor Society, you’ll get a newsletter emailed to you regularly, which includes special offers and details on new ships and itineraries. It’s the same newsletter you’d already be receiving for being a Gold or Platinum member.

13. Access to Exclusive Rates

All guests in the Crown & Anchor Society get access to exclusive rates for booking their next cruise. They’re not amazing – they couldn’t be, since they’re open to anyone who has cruised with Royal Caribbean before. The cruise line has to make money, after all!

And you’ll continue to get those discounted rates on Balcony and Suite rooms, just as you did when you reached Platinum level.

14. Loyalty Match

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises are sister brands, owned by the same company. Once you reach Platinum status with Royal Caribbean – and continuing into Emerald status – you are eligible for loyalty match when you cruise with Celebrity Cruises.

This means you’ll enjoy the perks of the Select tier in the Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club. It’s not until you’re Diamond with Royal Caribbean that you move up a tier with Celebrity.

Read more: Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club: The Ultimate Guide

Youth Member Benefits

I’m quite impressed with how Royal Caribbean treats children who are members of the Crown & Anchor Society. It’s a very fair system.

Basically, all guests get their own membership, including little ones, and once they start cruising they’ll build up their own points.

But if you were cruising with Royal Caribbean before your kids were born, you’d be a higher tier than them – and so Royal will match their status to yours until they’re 18. If you’re Emerald, they’ll get Emerald-level benefits, and if you progress to Diamond then so will they… Until they turn 18.

Once they hit 18, they’ll revert to the tier they’ve earned with the points built up in the background. So they might drop down a tier or two, but it’s fairer than making them cruise with parents who get better perks.

1. Ice Cream Discount

Under-18s in the Crown and Anchor Society get 50% off all ice cream bought at the ice cream parlour. So if they’re bored of the free flavours elsewhere on the ship, they can save a bit of cash on the fancy flavours instead.

2. WiFi Package Discounts

Kids get the same WiFi package discounts as their parents do – so they’ll also save 15% on any VOOM package you buy for them.

3. Buy-One-Get-One-Free Movie Rentals

When kids rent a movie in their stateroom, they get a second movie for half-price if they’re a member of the Crown & Anchor Society – it’s the same perk at all tier levels.

4. Arcade Cashback

Another perk that remains constant for kids is the cashback system for arcades. If they top up $15 of arcade credit, you’ll get $5 back on your cruise account.

If they love the arcades, let them top up $50 at a time, and you’ll get $25 back – essentially rendering the arcade games as half-price.

What Does Royal Caribbean Emerald Choice Mean?

Emerald Choice is an amalgamation of two different loyalty programmes with Royal Caribbean. The ‘Emerald’ component is the regular Crown & Anchor Society tier, which includes perks for all aspects of a cruise. The ‘Choice’ component refers to the Club Royale programme which is specifically for the casino.

Club Royale rewards players who enjoy casino games on Royal Caribbean ships, although to unlock the seriously good perks you need to spend a lot of money gambling. ‘Choice’ is the entry level for that scheme.

What Level is After Emerald on Royal Caribbean?

The next tier up in the Crown & Anchor Society with Royal Caribbean, after Emerald, is Diamond. To reach this, you need to get 80 cruise points, 25 more than the entry requirement for Emerald status.

After Diamond is Diamond Plus, although it takes guests a while to get the 175 points needed to enter that tier. Then, the final tier is Pinnacle Club, which requires a massive 700 points to qualify.

Royal Caribbean Emerald Vs Platinum

The differences between Emerald and Platinum statuses in Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society are minimal – most of the perks are identical. You’ll barely notice the difference when you move up to Emerald tier, though it’s worth sticking with it as things improve considerably if you reach Diamond status.

Here are the Emerald perks that aren’t included in the Platinum tier you’ll just have been promoted from:

That’s it – otherwise, all other perks are exactly the same.

Royal Caribbean Emerald to Diamond

To move from Emerald status to Diamond status with the Crown & Anchor Society, you need to reach 80 cruise points – which means cruising for 80 nights in a standard stateroom, or 40 nights in a suite.

It’s only a difference of 25 points compared to Emerald status though, so you can do it with 25 nights in an Interior, Ocean View or Balcony stateroom, or just 13 nights in a suite.

Moving up to the Diamond tier unlocks a lot of extra perks:

Final Word

Moving from the Platinum tier to the Emerald tier in the Crown and Anchor Society can feel a little deflating, if you didn’t already know about the perks list. They’re barely an improvement to what you were already receiving.

But if you think of it as being a step closer to Diamond, and the great perks that unlocks, it won’t be too disheartening.

And remember, these are all just nice bonuses anyway – you’re still getting a great cruise regardless!

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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