New Points Choice For Royal Caribbean Group: What You Need To Know

The wait is over. Here are all the details and everything you need to know about the Points Choice program for Royal Caribbean Group cruise lines.

Teaser info about the ability to allocate points to different cruise lines within the Royal Caribbean Group was published about two months ago. But exact details were kept secret until today.

What is Points Choice?

The Points Choice program lets you choose to credit your cruise points towards your preferred cruise line loyalty program. With Points Choice, you can sail on one cruise line but allocate those points to a different cruise line.

Pro-tip: Points Choice gives you the freedom to choose which cruise loyalty program points you want to earn. You can move up the loyalty tiers faster. You can continue to advance your status with the cruise line program of your choice.

What Cruise Lines Participate?

Points Choice participation is only available for the Royal Caribbean Group cruise lines of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea.

Pro-tip: Points Choice gives you the flexibility to earn the points you want. You can choose to earn Crown and Anchor, Captain's Club, or Venetian Society points.

When Does Points Choice Start?

Points Choice starts January 30, 2026. For cruises sailing on and after that date, you can select the cruise line where your new points are applied.

Pro-tip: New and existing cruise reservations qualify to participate in the Points Choice program. You do not have to rebook your cruise to enroll in Points Choice.

How Does Points Choice Work?

Points Choice gives you the flexibility to select where you want to earn points and grow your status. Instead of having points across all three cruise lines, you can elect to earn points in one program.

For example, you could cruise on Royal Caribbean and credit those points to Celebrity or Silversea and vice versa. You choose the program that is most beneficial to you.

Pro-tip: You can not double dip. Each cruise earns points in one program. Points Choice allows you to focus on a single cruise loyalty program. If you cruise on Celebrity and credit those points to Royal Caribbean, you will only earn Crown & Anchor points.

Can You Convert or Transfer Existing Points?

You can not convert or transfer existing points with Points Choice. Points already in your account stay in your account and do not convert or transfer to another program.

Points Choice is not retroactive. You can not credit previously earned and existing points to a different cruise loyalty program. Points Choice only applies to cruise points earned starting January 30, 2026.

Current Celebrity Captain's Club, Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor, and Silverseas Venetian Society points remain in their respective program. These points will not change when the Points Choice program launches.

For example, let's say you have 200 Celebrity Captain's Club points and 500 Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor points. The 200 Celebrity points do not transfer to Royal Caribbean to become 700 Crown and Anchor points.

At 700 points, you earn Pinnacle status with the Crown and Anchor program. Those 200 points remain Captain's Club points.

Because you can only credit points earned starting January 30, 2026. And you can not transfer existing points between loyalty programs.

Pro-tip: Only cruise points earned when the program starts can be credited to your preferred cruise line.

Yes, I know I've repeated myself multiple times. But many folks are very confused. A lot of people do not understand that existing points are not combinable. You can only add to your existing point total for points earned on cruises starting January 30, 2026.

How Points Are Earned

There is no change to how cruise points are earned with Points Choice. You earn points based on your stateroom category and number of nights sailed.

If you cruise solo and book a double occupancy cabin on Royal Caribbean, you earn an extra point per night. You earn 2x points per night cruising solo on Celebrity.

You will not earn extra points if you book a cabin designed for singles. Examples of these cabins include ES, single stateroom with infinite balcony, on Celebrity Edge Class ships. And a 2W Studio Stateroom on Royal Quantum Class ships.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when sailing on Sliversea. You will not earn extra points cruising solo on Silversea. You can not transfer partial points to Silversea.

To earn Silversea points for a 3 night Royal Caribbean or Celebrity cruise, you have to book a balcony or higher cabin. See the respective charts below for more information.

Pro-tip: The point exchange rate charts are for the current year. Royal Caribbean Group will update the exchange rate charts each year.

Royal Caribbean Points Choice Chart

When cruising with Royal Caribbean, you can submit a Points Choice request. Your newly earned Crown and Anchor points will transfer to Celebrity or Silversea.

The maximum points you can earn a night on Royal Caribbean is up to 2 points per night. And you can earn up to 3 points if cruising solo. Exact number of points is based on your cabin type:

Inside and Oceanview cabins earn 1 point per night on Royal Caribbean, but credit as 2 points per night on Celebrity or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point for every 4 nights Balcony and Neighborhood cabins earn 1 point per night on Royal Caribbean, but credit as 3 points per night on Celebrity or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point for every 3 nights Ocean View Suite without Balcony earn 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean, but credit as 3 points per night on Celebrity or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point for every 3 nights Ocean View Suite - 2 Bedroom without Balcony earn 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean, but credit as 5 points per night on Celebrity or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point for every 3 nights Sky Suites, Sunset Suites, Junior Suites, Double JS Regular Balcony, Quad JS Large Balcony, Quad JS Regular Balcony earn 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean, but credit as 5 points per night on Celebrity or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point for every 2 nights AquaTheatre Suites, Royal Suite, Crown Loft Suite with Balcony, Sky Loft Suite with Balcony, Owner Suites, Panoramic Ocean View Suite, Villa Suite - 4 Bedroom, Grand Suites, Surfide Family Suite earn 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean, but credit as 8 points per night on Celebrity or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point Star Lofts, Ultimate Family Suite, Ultimate Panoramic Suite earn 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean, but 12 points per night on Celebrity or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point Royal Lofts, Icon Loft with Balcony, Solarium Suite earn 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean, but 18 points per night on Celebrity and 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point Ultimate Family Townhouse earn 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean, but 24 points per night on Celebrity or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point

Pro-tip: The sweet spot in the Royal Caribbean conversion chart is a Junior Suite. Junior Suites are the least expensive cabin category in the lower "suite" group. Yet you'll earn the same amount of points as a Sky Suite. Prices vary depending on ship and sail date.

Points Choice Chart for Celebrity Cruises

You can credit your Captain's Club points to Royal Caribbean or Silversea using a Points Choice request form.

The number of points you earn depends on cabin category and if you cruise solo or double occupancy:

Inside and Oceanview cabins earn 2 points per night on Celebrity, but credit as 1 point per night on Royal Caribbean or as 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point for every 4 nights Veranda and Infinite Veranda earn 3 points per night on Celebrity, but credit as 1 point per night on Royal Caribbean or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point for every 3 nights Concierge and Aqua Class earn 5 points per night on Celebrity, but credit as 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point for every 2 nights Panoramic and Sky Suites earn 8 points per night on Celebrity, but credit as 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point per night Celebrity, Signature, Horizon and Royal Suites earn 12 points per night on Celebrity, but credit as 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point per night Reflection, Penthouse & Edge Villa earn 18 points per night on Celebrity, but credit as 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point per night Iconic Suites earn 24 points per night on Celebrity, but credit as 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean or 1 Venetian Society Day Silversea point per night

Pro-tip: The conversion rate is not as favorable when crediting Captain's Club points to Crown & Anchor or Venetian Society. The maximum points you could gain are up to 2 points per night.

So it might make more sense to keep your points in the Captain's Club program. But there are times when it could be advantageous to move your points to Royal Caribbean. Scroll down for a detailed explanation.

Silversea Points Choice Chart

The number of Venetian Society points is determined by cabin category and whether it is a classic or expedition cruise:

Vista, Panorama, Veranda, Classic Veranda, Superior Veranda, Deluxe Veranda and Premium Veranda Suites earn 1 point per night on Silversea for both classic and expedition but credit as 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean or 8 Celebrity points per night for a classic cruise or 12 Celebrity points for an expedition cruise Medallion, Premium Medallion, Silver, Signature, and Junior Grand Suites earn 1 point per night on Silversea for both classic and expedition but credit as 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean or 12 Celebrity points per night for a classic cruise or 18 Celebrity points for an expedition cruise Royal, Grand, Owner's, Master, and Otium Suites earn 1 point per night on Silversea but credit as 2 points per night on Royal Caribbean or 18 Celebrity points per night for a classic cruise or 24 points per night for an expedition cruise

Pro-tip: You earn more points for expedition cruises because they cost more than a regular classic cruise. Simple fact.

Do You Have to Use Points Choice?

Participating in Points Choice is optional, not a requirement. You do not have to change which cruise line loyalty points you earn. Nor where you want your cruise points allocated.

When you cruise on Royal Caribbean, you earn points in the Crown and Anchor program. If you sail on Celebrity, your points are deposited into your Captain's Club account. Journey on Silversea and receive Venetian Society points.

Everything will stay the same. Unless you submit a Points Choice request.

Pro-tip: To keep earning points with the cruise line you are sailing, do not submit a Points Choice request.

How to Submit a Points Choice Request

You can submit a Points Choice request through the Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, or Silversea website on January 30, 2026. You can also request Points Choice on the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity app. Silversea does not have a mobile app.

A Points Choice request can be initiated anytime before your cruise and up to 14 days after your cruise. Requests made after 14 days after disembarkation will not be honored.

I recommend submitting your request immediately after or within a few days after you book your cruise. This way you don't forget.

You have to have an existing loyalty program account to credit points under Points Choice. This means, if you want Royal Caribbean cruise points applied to your Celebrity account, you have to have an existing Captain's Club account.

If you haven't joined, enroll in the Royal Caribbean group cruise line loyalty programs below:

Celebrity Cruises Captain's Club Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Silversea Venetian Society - membership begins with your first Silversea cruise

Pro-tip: You have to submit a separate request for each cruise to earn points in a different program.

For example, you cruise on Celebrity Xcel on February 1, 2026, and on Celebrity Summit on June 7, 2026. If you want to earn Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor points instead of Celebrity Captain's Club points, you have to submit two Points Choice request forms.

This will change later this year with the ability to make one selection for all future sailings. When this goes into effect, you should choose wisely. Because you can not cancel or stop a Points Choice submission request.

What Happens if You Choose Points Choice?

Points earned will post to the cruise line you sailed. The same way points are currently earned. If you submit a Points Choice request, those points will be deducted from that cruise loyalty program and applied to your chosen program.

For example, if you booked a balcony on the Xcel, 21 Captain's Club points (3 points per night for balcony cabins) are added to your Captain's Club account. If you completed a Points Choice form to apply those points to Royal Caribbean, those 21 points are removed from your Captain's Club account and 7 points are deposited into your Crown and Anchor account. See the conversion chart above.

Pro-tip: It can take up to 30 days after your cruise for your points to post to your preferred loyalty account.

Can You Change Your Mind?

Once you've submitted a Points Choice request, you can not change your mind. So if you've chosen to have your Celebrity Captain's Club points applied to Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society, those points will become Crown and Anchor points. You can not convert them back to Captain's Club points.

Pro-tip: Currently, Points Choice is based on submitting individual cruise requests. This means you can pick and choose where you want your points to go for each cruise. Later in the year, your choice will become permanent for the year, possibly forever. Take your time before deciding.

Are Go Green and Power Up Points Affected?

Go Green and Power Up Points earned via Celebrity are not transferable. If transfer your Captain's Club points to Royal Caribbean or Silversea, you lose the Go Green points.

For example, the 30 points you earn for a 7 day Concierge Cabin with Go Green would not transfer as 19 Royal Caribbean points. Instead, they become 14 Crown and Anchor points and the 5 Go Green points are removed and deleted from your account forever.

Pro-tip: If you frequently participate in Go Green and Power Up Points offers, Points Choice may not be the best option.

Does Points Choice Apply to the Casino Program?

The Points Choice program does not apply to the casino program. Points Choice affects cruise points and not casino points.

Pro-tip: Points earned through Royal Caribbean Club Royale and Celebrity Cruises Blue Chip Club remain in their respective casino loyalty programs.

Can You Status Match?

The Royal Caribbean Group loyalty status match program remains the same. Participating in Points Choice can help you earn a higher status. Scroll down for examples and analysis.

You can request a status match by signing into your loyalty account and following the prompts to link your account. The process is easy and takes only a few minutes. But it can take up to 7 days. Email me for a step-by-step guide.

Pro-tip: As you continue to earn points and higher loyalty tier levels, your new status will automatically update. There is no need to rematch your status. It's an automatic process once you've matched the first time.

Who Should Use Points Choice

Is Points Choice for everyone? Who should use Points Choice? Who benefits from Points Choice?

Close To a Milestone

If you are close to reaching a milestone, you should participate in Points Choice. Whether it's a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises award, where you credit your points will matter most when you're approaching a milestone.

Let's say you are an Emerald member with 73 Crown & Anchor points. Your next cruise is on a Celebrity ship for 7 nights in an inside cabin. You will earn 14 Captain's Club points. With Points Choice, you can request that those points be converted to 7 Crown and Anchor points. The extra points move you to Royal Caribbean Diamond status which gets you additional perks including 4 free drinks a day and 1 free day of internet.

Frequent Celebrity Cruiser

If you are a frequent Celebrity cruiser and only sail on Royal Caribbean occasionally, you should use Points Choice. Because you get more value from your points, earn additional Captain's Club points, and can rank up the tiers to Zenith faster.

Celebrity and Silversea members with Mid to High Tier Status

Even if you book the most expensive cabin, earning points cruising on Royal Caribbean is limited to a maximum of 2 points per night, 3 points if cruising solo. So when cruising on Royal Caribbean, if you have mid or high tier status with Celebrity or Silversea, Points Choice helps you climb up the ranks to Zenith faster.

The 7 nights in a Junior Suite on Royal Caribbean earns 14 points but with Points Choice you'd get 35 Captain's Club points.

Bucket List Experience

You decide to take that bucket list experience and cruise to Antarctica. Silversea can get you on land and avoid the rough Drake Passage. This may be your one and only time on Silversea, you'd rather earn 18 Captain's Club points per night for your Silver Suite.

Pro-tip: You do not earn extra points when you Royal Up or Move Up Bid. You earn the points based on the category booked and not the category you bid on and won.

Who Shouldn't Use Points Choice

Top Tier Members

If you already have top tier status in two cruise loyalty programs, Points Choice may not offer any extra advantage.

Want Flexibility

If you have points with all three programs and want flexibility to earn points with the cruise line you're sailing, you shouldn't use Points Choice. Once Points Choice is locked in, you won't be able to earn points for the brand you're sailing, only on the brand you've chosen.

Can You Earn Top Tier Elite Status With Points Choice?

Yes. You can earn top tier status starting from 0 points with Points Choice. You can decide how quickly you want to earn the status. And how much money you want to spend.

For example, you can sail solo in a Celebrity Concierge or Aqua Class cabin for 234 nights, and credit those points to Royal Caribbean. Your 2,340 Captain's Club points become 702 Crown and Anchor points. With 700 points you become a Pinnacle with Royal Caribbean. Then you match your Pinnacle status to Celebrity Zenith.

Or you can cruise 63 nights in a Royal Caribbean Ultimate Family Townhouse. With Points Choice, instead of earning 189 Crown & Anchor points, you'll earn 3,024 Captain's Club points. Captain's Club top tier status with 3,000 points is Zenith. You can then match your Zenith status to Royal Caribbean Pinnacle.

Couples can also earn top tier status with Points Choice, it just takes a little longer. After sailing 600 nights in a Junior Suite on Royal Caribbean, a cruising couple can earn 3,000 points and Zenith status. You can then match that back to Pinnacle with Royal.

With these examples, you can stretch out the nights. You don't have to do back to back consecutive cruises. But the points exchange rates may change next year.

Pro-tip: Because you earn double points cruising solo on Celebrity, you can ean top tier elite status faster allocating newly earned Crown and Anchor points to Captain's Club.

Conclusion

Royal Caribbean Group's Point Choice program lets you decide which cruise line loyalty points you want to earn. Instead of having points spread through three separate accounts, you can select a single loyalty program.

By concentrating on a single cruise loyalty program, you earn elite status faster. Allowing you to enjoy the perks and benefits of elite status sooner versus later.

Points Choice isn't for everyone. Some top tier members may not find any use for the program. And later in the year, once you make a choice, that choice becomes permanent. You lose the flexiblity to earn points when you cruise.

Are you going to participate in Points Choice?