Princess Cruises' Captain's Circle Review

A modest loyalty program that could use a little more spark

Princess Cruises also has its very own loyalty program, called the Captain’s Circle, divided into four different tiers and offering average perks. You won’t find any mind-blowing rewards like a free cruise or free Wi-Fi, but there are still some interesting advantages that might catch your eye. This is also a loyalty program that doesn’t make it too hard to reach the top tiers and gives you the chance to obtain points either by nights sailed or cruises completed, which is a nice bonus.

The Captain’s Circle is divided into four different levels:

Gold (after your first completed cruise)
Ruby (after completing 3 cruises or 30 cruise days)
Platinum (after completing 5 cruises or 50 cruise days)
Elite (after completing 15 cruises or 150 cruise days)

What we like about the Captain’s Circle

Princess Cruises Captains Circle rewards.webp — Rewards and perks - Princess Cruises©

This is a very modest loyalty program, with a short list of perks. It’s good that it’s not hard to reach the top tiers, at least. You achieve Platinum status after just five cruises, while Elite status requires a bit more work, as you need 15 cruises or 150 sailing nights with Princess Cruises.

You earn points for both nights sailed and cruises taken, so if you do a seven-night cruise in a standard cabin, you actually get 8 points - one for the completed cruise and seven for each night sailed, but these points are computed separately for you to reach the next tiers. You also earn double cruise credit points if you sail in a full suite, but they don’t double your daily count. Is it complicated? Oh yeah, sometimes I think I need a master’s degree in mathematics to understand how all these loyalty programs work.

The initial rewards aren’t that much, but things get more interesting at Platinum. Passengers receive a 50% discount on Wi-Fi at this tier, which is great, especially since internet access is quite expensive aboard Princess. The Platinum level also provides priority boarding - at least according to one of their recent blog posts, as this benefit isn’t listed in the official perks table. You also get access to the exclusive Platinum and Elite lounge, a place inside each ship that offers drinks with a discount and also has some complimentary snacks.

The top-tier Elite level offers two valuable perks: priority disembarkation and free laundry. Complimentary laundry is likely one of the most underrated perks available; it can be especially beneficial on longer sailings and helps you pack less.

What we don’t like about the Captain’s Circle

Princess Cruises captains circle rewards points.webp — Earning points - Princess Cruises©

One thing I really don’t like about the Captain’s Circle is how difficult it is to understand. I’m not a fan of counting points for both nights sailed and cruises completed, especially since double points are awarded for staying in a suite; however, these extra points only apply to the total cruise, not the nights sailed.

This complexity makes it extremely challenging to keep track of points and determine how long it will take to reach the next tier. It’s so confusing that even one of the perks - priority boarding - isn’t included in the official rewards table. I hope they change the program in the future to make it easier to understand.

The Captain’s Circle also lacks a truly mind-blowing perk. You don’t get something like complimentary Wi-Fi, a free drink package, or a free cruise at the top tier. The best Elite-level perk is, by far, free laundry, and you also get priority embarkation and disembarkation, but that’s mostly it. I hope they expand the list a bit more in the future so this loyalty program can at least try to compete with what’s offered by Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises.

For now, I see the Captain’s Circle mostly as a bonus for those traveling with Princess Cruises. I wouldn’t worry too much about the cruises or nights sailed. Princess is still great, so make sure to travel with them whenever you want, but don’t stress too much about the loyalty program.