Last Updated on February 25, 2025 by Mrunal & Jiten
Credit Cards By Issuer
Best Cards By Type
Credit Card Reviews
Credit Card Comparisons
Popular Guides
Business Credit Cards By Type
Business Credit Card Reviews
Popular Business Credit Card Guides
Airlines
Airport Lounges
Hotels
Travel Product Reviews
Popular Travel Guides
Get Started
Credit Card Points
Airline Miles
Hotel Points
Advertiser Disclosure
Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Katie Seemann
Travel Partnerships Manager
408 Published Articles 64 Edited Articles
Countries Visited: 29U.S. States Visited: 29
Keri Stooksbury
Editor-in-Chief
55 Published Articles 3553 Edited Articles
Countries Visited: 50U.S. States Visited: 28
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
Princess Cruises is a luxury cruise line that sails to hundreds of destinations all over the world. It currently operates 15 large ships, with 1 more coming in 2024.
This luxury cruise line offers destination-specific and cultural experiences (think traditional Māori performances in New Zealand or ukulele lessons in Hawaii) in addition to traditional cruise activities like casinos, art auctions, and pools.
Princess also rewards its loyal guests with the Captain’s Circle loyalty program. Captain’s Circle offers benefits and perks to returning guests after just their first cruise. The more you cruise with Princess, the better your perks become.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Captain’s Circle program including how to earn points and what you’ll get at each membership level.
Princess Cruises’ loyalty program, Captain’s Circle, rewards return guests with perks and bonuses both onboard and on land. There are 4 levels of membership and you’ll be automatically enrolled after your first Princess cruise: Gold, Ruby, Platinum, and Elite.
There are 4 tiers of membership that are determined by either number of cruises (cruise credits) or total cruise days:
For example, if you take a 7-night Caribbean cruise in a balcony stateroom, you’ll earn 1 cruise credit and 7 cruise days. If you take a 10-night cruise in a full suite, you’d earn 2 cruise credits and 10 cruise days.
Captain’s Club Loyalty Level
Number of Cruises/Cruise Credits
Number of Cruise Days
Gold
1
1
Ruby
3
30
Platinum
5
50
Elite
15
150
Hot Tip: Your membership level is determined by either cruise credits or cruise days, whichever gets you to the next level quicker. You don’t have to fulfill both requirements to advance to the next level of membership.
You can easily keep track of your cruise history and current Captain’s Circle status in your online account. Once you log in, go to My Profile then Cruise History to see your past cruises and a count of your cruise credits and cruise days.
The benefits you receive from Captain’s Circle are cumulative, so each level is also entitled to all benefits earned at each lower level.
Captain’s Circle Gold status is earned after your first completed cruise.
Captain’s Circle Ruby status is earned after completing 3 cruises or 30 cruise days.
Captain’s Circle Platinum status is earned after completing 5 cruises or 50 cruise days.
Captain’s Circle Elite status is earned after completing 15 cruises or 150 cruise days.
Bottom Line: There are 4 levels of elite membership in the Princess Cruises’ Captain’s Circle loyalty program — Gold, Ruby, Platinum, and Elite. You’ll earn Gold membership status after your first cruise with Princess.
Now that you’re familiar with Captain’s Circle benefits, let’s talk about the best way to book your next Princess cruise. There are tons of websites that you can use to book a cruise, so be sure to do a little comparison shopping so you get the most bang for your buck.
When you’re making a large purchase like a cruise, you’ll want to use a credit card that’s going to reward you. Princess Cruises offers its own credit card, the Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card. You might think since Princess Cruises is in the name, it would be the best option to book a Princess cruise, but you’d be wrong!
The Princess Cruises card is currently offering a 10,000-point bonus after making your first purchase. Unfortunately, that’s only worth $100 in onboard credit. Compare that to a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card which offers a much more lucrative welcome bonus:
A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Or consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card which currently has a a super valuable welcome bonus. Those miles could be used as a credit on your statement toward any travel purchases — including a cruise!
Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.
Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.
Capital One Miles
Bottom Line: The Princess Cruises card isn’t the best way to pay for your cruise. Look for a card that offers a great welcome bonus as well as the ability to earn transferrable points like the Capital One Venture card or Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Alternatively, you can book your Princess cruise with credit card points.
While MedallionClass sounds like it’s part of a loyalty program, in reality, it has nothing to do with Princess Captain’s Circle.
MedallionClass is a cruising style that allows guests benefits like touchless check-in, keyless stateroom entry, the ability to locate your loved ones on the ship, and much more. This is all achieved through each passenger’s Medallion, a small wearable device that helps them personalize their vacation.
On a Princess Cruise, you’ll get the large ship experience along with luxury amenities and specialized activities you may find on a smaller ship.
Captain’s Circle is Princess’ loyalty program. You’ll automatically be enrolled after your first Princess cruise and your benefits continue to add up the more you sail with Princess.
For more information on what Princess has to offer, check out our full Princess Cruises review which details everything from ships and destinations to dining and onboard activities.
The information regarding the Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Princess Cruises’ loyalty program, Captain’s Circle, has 4 levels of membership:
The benefits offered by Captain’s Circle, Princess’ loyalty program, vary based on your elite level. At the low end, members will receive special offers and members-only onboard events. At the high end, Captain’s Circle members get priority disembarkation, discounts on shore excursions, priority tender access, complimentary minibar setup, and more.
Princess MedallionClass is a way of cruising where guests wear small Medallions that act as keys, credit cards, tracking devices, and more. Princess Captain’s Club is the cruise line’s loyalty program that offers benefits to repeat guests.
You can easily find your Princess Captain’s Club number in your online account. Just log in to your account and click on My Account>Profile Information.
Was this page helpful?
Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.
INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE™
Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts…
Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.
We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy and terms of service apply.
Top Partner Offers
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Top Partner Offers – Our Selection Approach
×
At Upgraded Points, our team has rigorously evaluated nearly every travel and rewards credit card available for both consumers and businesses. Our recommendations are based on direct experience: we endorse cards that we’re currently using, cards we’ve used in the past and found valuable, or cards that we truly believe could offer real benefits to our readers.
Advertisement
Related Posts
Upgrade your travel experience
Privacy Policy | All Guides | Terms & Conditions | Web Accessibility Policy | Cookie Policy
© 2025 Upgraded Points™, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: Upgraded Points, LLC and its website, UpgradedPoints.com, provides information on credit cards, reward programs, travel information and ancillary information concerning travel and credit cards. The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, tax or legal advice.
Upgraded Points, LLC uses reasonable efforts to maintain accurate information on the site — and prior to applying for any credit card offers found on UpgradedPoints.com, all visitors should review other features of such credit cards including but not limited to interest rates, annual fees and transaction fees, and should determine the suitability of such credit cards considering their own individual financial position.
Advertiser Disclosure: Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. For more information on our advertisers and how we make money, see our advertising policy here. In addition, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Editorial Disclosure: The content featured on UpgradedPoints.com has not been influenced, provided, or reviewed by the credit card companies mentioned. Any and all options, reviews, comments and analyses are the responsibility of the author(s) and not any Advertiser or credit card issuer.
Leave a Reply