In the thrilling world of high seas gaming, Royal Caribbean is charting a new course by granting a boon to its dedicated throng of gamblers. The Celebrity Cruises’ Blue Chip Club, a veritable treasure trove for casino enthusiasts, is experiencing a windfall as Royal Caribbean extends its 2023 point earning odyssey until July 31, 2024. Amidst the clatter of slot machines and the velvet glide of cards on the blackjack tables, this extension heralds a new era of opportunity for players to accrue their gilded loyalty points.
The Royal Caribbean Group, the illustrious banner uniting Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, operates a fleet where the allure of the flop, the spin, and the roll is ever-present. In a dance of chance and skill, these vessels—Casino Royale aboard Royal Caribbean and The Casino on Celebrity—beckon players with the siren song of slot machines and live-dealer table games.
Yet, players have voiced a rising chorus of discontent, weary of navigating the separate casino loyalty programs of each line. Like two great houses in a fabled realm, Casino Royale and The Casino have each cultivated their devoted followers—members of Club Royale and the Blue Chip Club, respectively. The conundrum has not fallen on deaf ears; it is whispered that Royal Caribbean is poised to unite these two programs into a single, majestic league of casino loyalty.
Andrea Shay, who stands as the associate vice president of Celebrity Cruise’s loyalty marketing fortress, previously unfurled a hint to the Royal Caribbean Blog, “We have some status match between the brands today, but there’s such a huge opportunity for us to do more and really take advantage of the connection and us being part of the same family.”
This grand extension of the Blue Chip Club’s earning period is seen by many as a harbinger of the impending convergence—a necessary grace period to intertwine the fate of these sister programs.
On the glistening decks of these floating pleasure palaces, casinos are enjoying a renaissance. Reflective of this golden age, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corporation have unfurled plans for significant expansions, with the tantalizing glow of the slot machines and the elegant stretch of the tables beckoning anew.
Recently, Crystal Cruises heralded a triumphant return to casino gaming, slated for 2024, in a reversal of their erstwhile stance. Meanwhile, Princess Cruises—a gem in Carnival’s crown—will debut the Sun Princess and its colossal casino, a $1 billion marvel, in February, offering more than 200 slot machines and a bevy of table games in nearly 9,000 square feet of space.
Beneath the constellations of sparkling lights, Blue Chip Club members chase fortune, with every spin and every hand drawing them closer to the coveted Ruby level—a million points promising riches with each voyage. Meanwhile, Club Royale’s stalwarts gather their tier points, vying to turn their courageous bets into rewards, with the annual reset just on the horizon.
Across the vast seas, Celebrity’s casinos now bristle with more than 2,000 slots and 150 table games, where upon reaching international waters, the youthful and the hopeful aged 18 and older are invited to test their mettle and their luck.
So, as the cruise ships sail beyond the horizon, where water meets the sky, Royal Caribbean invites its guests to play a little longer, dream a little bigger, and perhaps forge a story of victory and valor in the hallowed halls of its casinos.
