Princess Cruises’ Loyalty Program – Captain’s Circle [Review]
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Princess Cruises is a luxury cruise line that sails to hundreds of destinations all over the world. It currently operates 18 large ships, with 2 more coming over the next couple of years.
Cruising on Princess is a little different than other lines. It doesn’t have the thrill rides like Royal Caribbean, or the discount, party vibe that’s on Carnival. It is a luxury line that still offers large ships, unlike the smaller ship size on other luxury lines like Crystal Cruises or Viking Ocean Cruises.
The activities you’ll find on a Princess cruise focus on destination-specific and cultural experiences (think traditional Maori performances in New Zealand or ukulele lessons in Hawaii). But don’t worry — you’ll still find lots of traditional cruise activities like a casino, art auctions, and pools.
Princess also rewards its loyal guests with the Captain’s Circle loyalty program. Captain’s Circle offers benefits and perks to returning guests after just their first cruise. The more you cruise with Princess, the better your perks become.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Captain’s Circle program including how to earn points and what you’ll get at each membership level.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Captain’s Circle Loyalty Program
Princess Cruises’ loyalty program, Captain’s Circle, rewards return guests with perks and bonuses both on board and on land. You’ll be automatically enrolled after your first Princess cruise.
How to Earn Cruise Credits and Cruise Days
There are 4 tiers of membership that are determined by either cruise credits or cruise days.
- Cruise credits are earned for each completed cruise. You’ll earn double cruise credits when you sail as single occupancy or in a full suite (not including mini-suites, Club Class suites, or paid upgrades to a suite).
- Cruise days refers to the number of nights you’ve spent at sea.
For example, if you take a 7-night Caribbean cruise in a balcony stateroom, you’ll earn 1 cruise credit and 7 cruise days. If you take a 10-night cruise in a full suite, you’d earn 2 cruise credits and 10 cruise days.
Hot Tip: Your membership level is determined by either cruise credits or cruise days, whichever gets you to the next level quicker. You don’t have to fulfill both requirements to advance to the next level of membership.
Keep Track of Your Points
You can easily keep track of your cruise history and current Captain’s Circle status in your online account. Once you log in, go to My Profile then Cruise History to see your past cruises and a count of your cruise credits and cruise days.
Captain’s Circle Membership Benefits
The benefits you receive from Captain’s Circle are cumulative, so each level is also entitled to all benefits earned at each lower level.
Gold — After Your First Completed Cruise
Benefits and Savings on Land
- Captain’s Circle launch savings and reduced deposits
- Special offers sent via your choice of method (email, mail, or phone)
- Circle magazine subscription
- Captain’s Circle section in your online My Princess account
Onboard Benefits
- Members-only onboard events
- Access to a Captain’s Circle Host on board every ship
- Princess Passport (available on every ship) with collectible destination stamps
- Gold member recognition pin available on your 2nd cruise
Ruby — 4-5 Cruise Credits or 31-50 Cruise Days
Benefits and Savings on Land
- Free upgrade when you purchase a Princess Platinum Vacation Protection plan
- Access to Captain’s Circle Help Desk phone line
Onboard Benefits
- 10% discount on the Reflections DVD on board
- Ruby member recognition pin
Platinum — 6-15 Cruise Credits or 51-150 Cruise Days
Benefits and Savings on Land
- Complimentary copy of Princess Destination Collection brochure
Onboard Benefits
- Priority check-in on embarkation day
- Platinum disembarkation lounge
- Complimentary internet package (number of free minutes is based on the length of your cruise)
- Platinum member recognition pin
| Platinum Member Internet Package Benefit | |
| Length of Cruise | Number of Complimentary Internet Minutes |
| 7 days or less | 150 |
| 8-20 days | 250 |
| 21+ days | 500 |
Elite — 16+ Cruise Credits or 151+ Cruise Days
Benefits and Savings on Land
- Opportunity to preview and book cruises before the general public
Onboard Benefits
- Priority tender access
- Priority disembarkation including choice of disembarkation time
- Shoe polishing service
- Complimentary laundry service
- Complimentary mini-bar set up including liquor, soft drinks, beer, and water
- Deluxe canapés delivered to your stateroom on formal nights
- Afternoon tea in your stateroom
- Upgraded bathroom amenities (receive amenities usually offered only in suites regardless of your stateroom type)
- 10% discount in The Shops of Princess on board
- Complimentary Grapevine Wine Tasting
- Elite member recognition pin
Hot Tip: Curious how Princess Cruise’s Captain’s Circle stacks up to some other cruise line loyalty programs? Read about Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society to compare these 2 popular programs.
Book Your Princess Cruise
Now that you’re excited about Captain’s Circle benefits, let’s talk about the best way to book your next Princess cruise! There are tons of websites out there you can use to book a cruise, so be sure to do a little comparison shopping so you get the most bang for your buck.
When you’re making a large purchase like a cruise, you’ll want to use a credit card that’s going to reward you. Princess Cruises offers its own credit card, the Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card. You might think since Princess Cruises is in the name, it would be the best option to book a Princess cruise, but you’d be wrong!
The Princess Cruises card is currently offering a 10,000 point bonus after making your first purchase. Unfortunately, that’s only worth $100 in onboard credit. Compare that to a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card:
| Credit Card | Benefits & Info |
|---|---|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Apply Now (at Chase's secure site) |
|
Or look at the Capital One® Venture® Rewards card which currently has a welcome bonus worth $500! That $500 can be used as a credit on your statement toward any travel purchases — including a cruise!
| Credit Card | Benefits & Info |
|---|---|
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card Learn More (at our partner's secure site) |
Must Reads: For more info on the Venture Card, see our thoughts on its benefits and our full review. |
Bottom Line: For more information and credit card recommendations, check out these posts about the best credit cards to use to book a cruise and how to use points and miles to book a cruise.
Final Thoughts
Princess Cruises offers an experience like no other. You’ll get the large ship experience along with luxury amenities and specialized activities you may find on a smaller ship.
Captain’s Circle is Princess’ loyalty program. You’ll automatically be enrolled after your first Princess cruise and your benefits continue to add up the more you sail with Princess.
For more information on what Princess has to offer, check out our full Princess Cruises review that details everything from ships and destinations to dining and onboard activities.
The information regarding the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
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