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Royal Caribbean has cancelled multiple months worth of cruises as a result of the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic that has spread across the world. It will likely take some time for the cruise industry to rebound as they make efforts and changes to ensure that passengers can be as safe as possible.
For cruisers who tend to leverage offers from Club Royale, the casino program offered on Royal Caribbean, questions have naturally arose around what changes they should expect as a result of offers that couldn’t be used, cruises cancelled and a casino tier program that requires annual renewal.
Royal Caribbean recently announced a number of adjustments that will take immediate pressure off of players. The Royal Caribbean tier year, which resets April 1, reset at a time that likely didn’t impact as many players as others may, but they still took some generous actions on behalf of players.
Status Extension
Like Mlife, Royal Caribbean has also announced status extensions. They’re handling it in two waves:
- Those who earned a tier in the 2018-19 tier year and were unable to complete it ahead of expiration on March 31 will get an extension.
- Those who earned a tier in the 2019-20 year will get a full year’s extension of their status, through March 31, 2022.
This should help players in both scenarios enjoy the full benefits of their tier and have an opportunity to renew.
Free Cruise Benefit Extended
A major perk of the Royal Caribbean program is a free cruise, earned each year when PRIME status or higher is achieved. This benefit is above/beyond any casino offers, as well as the certificates given to players at the end of a cruise.
Once again, they’re offering two scenarios depending on which tier year is impacted:
- For those who were not able to use a certificate earned in the 2018-19 tier year, the ability to book them has been extended to May 31, 2020, for cruises though March 31, 2021.
- For those who earned a certificate in the 2019-20 tier year that just ended, bookings with those will be made available around May 15, 2020, and can be used on a cruise through March 31, 2022.
Between these two announcements, it seems they’re combining the 2020-21 tie year with the 2021-22 tier year because of the disruptions, predominantly to give players enough time to leverage their rewards and renew their tiers.
Club Royale is already beginning to extend some generous offers via their web portal. You can see what offers are available to you via this, and if you use a service like URComped to book your cruises, they can book your casino offers on your behalf.