Why nothing comparable is possible for Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club members

I recently boarded Celebrity Cruises’ annual Presidential Cruise, a special voyage held each year to honor members of the line’s loyalty program, the Captain’s Club, where the company’s senior leadership team and the President herself meet with guests throughout the cruise.

With all levels of the Captain’s Club in attendance, including those who have achieved status-matching status through other Royal Caribbean Group brands – a relatively new development – there was certainly a strong sense of camaraderie felt on the magnificent host ship, Celebrity Beyond.

This seemed like the ideal opportunity to find out why these fans remain loyal to Celebrity and why, as the line’s current brand positioning proclaims, “nothing compares to a Celebrity vacation.”

What makes celebrities special?

When I asked Captain’s Club members Shari and Jeff what made Celebrity the standout choice among cruise lines, they exclaimed without hesitation, “The crew!” As it turns out, that sentiment was the general opinion of most Captain’s Club members I spoke with.

President Laura Hodges Bethge takes a photo with a guest during Celebrity Cruises’ 2024 Presidential Cruise. (Photo credit: Celebrity Cruises)

We’re talking about crew members who know you by sight and by name, waiters who recognize you after dinner, baristas who remember your coffee order every day and cabin crew who welcome you into your cabin like you’re family. Crew members who go above and beyond to make your stay special and unforgettable.

A perfect example is Carol and Tom, who fell in love with a particular peanut butter ice cream on one of their voyages, only to discover that it wasn’t always on the menu. When crew members learned of this, they took steps to ensure it was always available on board specifically for them. It may seem like a small gesture, but on a ship that serves thousands of people on every voyage, it’s the kind of personal touch that makes them feel like a VIP experience.

Exceptional service on board

Elite Plus members John and Sue said the same thing. “When you cruise long enough, you get to know the crew and then when you come back, it’s amazing that they remember you,” Sue said. “We were on the Edge over a year and a half ago, but we were there 26 nights. And as we were walking back to our cabin the other night, our waiter from Luminae on the Edge was around the corner. He stopped, we hugged, and he remembered us. We couldn’t believe it.”

Flair bartenders serve at the Grand Atrium Martini Bar onboard Celebrity Beyond. (Photo credit: Celebrity Cruises)

Speaking about the fact that they were about to embark on a back-to-back trip, John said, “We’ve been with these guys for 11 days now. They’re almost like family. You just don’t get that (anywhere else).” He continued, “The quality of these guys… I don’t know how they do it,” adding, “Seeing that every day, day in and day out, that’s what I really like about it. They just bring it.”

Retirees Shari and Jeff also said their waiter at the retreat’s exclusive Luminae restaurant remembered them when they were at sea with their young children. “The older one is 35 now and he was five, so I guess 30 years ago,” Shari mused. Jeff elaborated, “One of the crew remembered them taking him on stage during a talent show on board.” That kind of memory seems unusual by any standards.

Contact with other cruise participants

Talking about other cruises they’ve sailed on, the couple noted, “The food is good there too, you know, and the service is good, but there’s a different mentality on this type of cruise.” The common mentality aboard this Celebrity cruise in particular seemed to be about socializing and celebrating the camaraderie within the Captain’s Club community.

A waiter serves guests at the Fine Cut Steakhouse on board Celebrity Beyond. (Image credit: Celebrity Cruises)

“Another great aspect of the loyalty program is that at an event like this, you’re with other cruise passengers, and we’ve gotten some of our best cruising tips from talking to people,” Sue pointed out. Recalling an instance where they met a local historian who helped them explore ports of call in Europe, she said, “You don’t just meet people that way.” Sue continued, “A Captain’s Club event like this, where you meet other cruise passengers, is really our favorite part of it,” adding, “We have friends we met on cruise ships that we now cruise with.”

Numerous member benefits

I also had the opportunity to speak with Andrea Shey, Associate Vice President of Loyalty & Communications, about what keeps Captain’s Club members coming back to Celebrity. “Members earn points on every cruise, and those points are used to earn discounts, offers and perks that add value to the cruise experience,” Shey said. “The perks range from onboard experiences – including stateroom upgrades, spa discounts, complimentary laundry and exciting onboard loyalty events – to exclusive access to Captain’s Club cruises, such as the President’s Cruise.”

Shey also explained that more customers than ever are enjoying the benefits of Celebrity’s Captain’s Club through the cruise industry’s first-ever Loyalty Status Match program, recently launched by parent company Royal Caribbean Group. She elaborated, “This shared status complements existing member benefits and opens up new ways to see the world, with more than 50 incredible ships sailing to nearly 1,000 destinations across all seven continents. Members of Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club, Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society and Silversea’s Venetian Society can enjoy equivalent status and all associated onboard benefits, regardless of which brand they travel with. This is another step forward in our journey to transform the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.”

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