Celebrity vs Royal Caribbean: The New Points Choice Truth (2026)

Why Points Choice is a real game changer

Royal Caribbean Group just unlocked something new: you can now credit nights sailed on any of their three brands — Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, or Silversea — to whichever loyalty program you want. That means you no longer have to split nights across programs or lose progress toward the status you actually want to keep.

How Points Choice works (the essentials)

The program begins for any sailing on or after January 30, 2026. For those sailings you can choose, before your cruise or within 14 days after disembarkation, which of the three loyalty programs gets credit for your nights.

If you don’t pick within that window, nights are automatically credited to the brand you sailed on — so you never lose the credit. The key is to plan which brand you want to grow and channel nights there to reach higher tiers faster.

Status match versus Points Choice — what’s the difference

Status match already let you inherit elite tiers across Royal Caribbean Group brands. For example:

• Diamond on Royal Caribbean can status match you to Elite on Celebrity.
• Celebrity Elite Plus can status match you to Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean.
• SilverSea entrants can jump to elevated Venetian Society levels through status match.

Points Choice is different — it controls where the actual nights (points) are applied. That lets you build earned status in the single brand you choose instead of fragmenting nights across three loyalty programs.

Exchange rates: what a night on one brand is worth on another

Each brand’s loyalty program awards points differently by cabin category. Points Choice preserves program parity by applying an exchange rate so nights converted to your chosen program remain equivalent in value.

Examples to make it concrete:

• Celebrity veranda: normally 3 points per night on Celebrity. If you choose Royal Caribbean as your home base, that same veranda night might count as 1 Royal point per night under the exchange rules — and those 1 Royal point is effectively equal in program value.
  
• Celebrity aqua or concierge class: normally 5 points per night on Celebrity. Applied to Royal, that can become 2 points per night.
  
• Silversea classic or expedition categories: Silversea nights often map to much higher points when credited to Celebrity or Royal. For instance, a Silversea classic cabin credited to Celebrity can yield 8 Celebrity points per night (or more for expedition), dramatically accelerating progress.

Pick your home base: the strategy that actually matters

Decide which program you’ve earned the most nights with — not where you only have a status match. That’s your home base. Once chosen, route as many future nights as possible into that loyalty program.

For most people, this will be the program where you already have the highest earned tier. Credit all nights there — whether you sail Royal, Celebrity, or Silversea — and you’ll climb tiers much faster than splitting nights across three programs.

Real-world math: an example that shows the upside

Here’s a simple example to illustrate lost opportunity (and how to avoid it going forward).

• 42 balcony nights on Royal would normally be 42 Royal points. If those nights had been credited to Celebrity at 3 points per night, they would have been 126 Celebrity points.
• 18 nights in a junior suite on Royal would be worth far more when mapped to Celebrity’s higher-tier values — for example, 5 Celebrity points per night would add 90 points.
• Together, that’s an extra 216 Celebrity points that could have moved you toward the next top tier much faster.

That is exactly why choosing the correct home base before (or within 14 days after) your cruise matters.

Top-tier perks that make the effort worthwhile

Reaching higher tiers unlocks tangible perks that go beyond bragging rights:

• Daily drink vouchers or cocktail-hour access — real savings if you otherwise buy beverage packages
• Priority or complimentary upgrades and special events
• Wi-Fi discounts, spa discounts and laundry perks
• Exclusive onboard experiences or private events

Rules and common mistakes to avoid

• Not retroactive: Nights sailed before January 30, 2026 cannot be reallocated. Plan from that date forward.
• Timing window: Make your Points Choice before your cruise or within 14 days after disembarkation. If you miss the window, nights default to the brand sailed.
• Enrollment required: Be enrolled in the loyalty programs you plan to credit. Use the same email, phone number, and name to avoid mismatches.
• Annual point updates: Point totals may be updated on a periodic (likely annual) basis, so track your totals and tiers.

Why this changes everything (and who benefits most)

Points Choice removes the penalty for trying different brands within the same cruise group. If you were hesitant to try Celebrity or Silversea because you feared losing progress in your preferred program, that objection is gone.

The biggest winners are travelers who:

• Want to fast-track to top tiers by concentrating nights in a single program
• Wish to sample higher-end brands like Silversea without sacrificing loyalty progress
• Value the practical perks (drinks, Wi-Fi, spa, events) that come with earned elite status

FAQ

When does Points Choice take effect?

Points Choice applies to any sailing that begins on or after January 30, 2026. Nights before that date cannot be reallocated.

Can I change where a sailing’s nights are credited after I pick?

You can choose before your cruise or within 14 days after your cruise to assign nights to a different program. If you miss that window, nights will be credited to the brand you sailed on by default.

Should I base my points choice on status match or earned nights?

Base your choice on where you have earned the most nights. Status matches give you immediate perks but earned points are what move your long-term status forward. Pick the program where your earned nights will compound faster.

Is Points Choice retroactive to cruises I already took?

No. The program is not retroactive. Only sailings on or after the effective date qualify for reallocation.

Will other cruise groups copy this idea?

It’s possible other groups will consider similar reciprocity, but there’s no guarantee. Points Choice gives Royal Caribbean Group a competitive edge; whether others follow depends on their loyalty strategies.