Princess Captain's Circle: Levels, Platinum and Elite Benefits
Captain's Circle is Princess Cruises' loyalty program, and it counts cruises or cruise days, not money spent. The levels are Gold after your first cruise, Ruby at 3 cruises or 30 cruise days, Platinum at 5 cruises or 50 days and Elite at 15 cruises or 150 days, whichever you reach first. A full suite or a solo fare with the single supplement earns double cruise credits, and a solo guest in a full suite earns triple.
Platinum adds 50% off MedallionNet internet, 10% off the Lotus Spa and Photo Gallery, early dining reservations and a disembarkation lounge. Elite adds free laundry and shoe polishing, a mini-bar setup and priority disembarkation. For one 7-night balcony cruise a year, Elite takes 15 cruises.
By the CruiseLookup editorial team. We reviewed Princess's official Captain's Circle benefits document, casino page and Tier Match terms, then ran the cruises-to-tier calculations shown below. Updated .
How Captain's Circle counts cruises and cruise days
Captain's Circle tracks two numbers: completed cruises and cruise days. Each tier has a threshold for both, and whichever you reach first moves you up. Money spent does not count.
- Cruise credits: 1 per completed cruise in a standard cabin, whatever its length. A 3-night cruise earns the same cruise credit as a 14-night one.
- Cruise days: the days of each cruise add up separately, so long cruises can reach a tier in fewer sailings.
- Which cruises count: Princess and P&O Australia cruises, per the benefits PDF. P&O UK cruises no longer count, and the land portion of a cruisetour does not count.
- When you move up: Princess moves you to the higher tier on your next cruise after you complete the required cruises or cruise days.
Sources: Princess's Captain's Circle benefits (PDF).
Extra cruise credits for full suites and solo travelers
Two kinds of booking earn extra cruise credits, and they stack. Only the cruise credit changes: cruise days stay the same.
- Full suites: a cruise booked and sailed in a full suite earns 2 cruise credits. Mini-suites do not qualify.
- Solo guests: a cruise at the exclusive occupancy fare, meaning you stay in the stateroom alone and paid the single traveler supplement, also earns 2 cruise credits.
- Solo in a full suite: a guest sailing alone in a full suite at the single (exclusive occupancy) fare earns 3 cruise credits, per Princess's travel agent loyalty help.
Princess has run double-credit promotions before. Cruise Industry News reported in June 2024 a Loyalty Accelerator that doubled cruise credits for guests who bought the Princess Plus or Premier package on sailings embarking August 1 to December 1, 2024. That offer has ended.
Sources: Princess's Captain's Circle benefits (PDF). The 2024 promotion is from the press report linked above.
Captain's Circle levels and how many cruises each takes
Four tiers. The cruise counts below use cruise credits only, with no promotions; long cruises can get there sooner on cruise days.
- Standard cabin (1 credit a cruise)
- 1st cruise
- Full suite or solo with supplement (2 credits)
- 1st cruise
Launch Savings fares, early access to new itineraries, members-only events
- Standard cabin (1 credit a cruise)
- 3 cruises
- Full suite or solo with supplement (2 credits)
- 2 cruises
Captain's Circle Help Desk phone line
- Standard cabin (1 credit a cruise)
- 5 cruises
- Full suite or solo with supplement (2 credits)
- 3 cruises
50% off MedallionNet, 10% off spa and photos, disembarkation lounge
- Standard cabin (1 credit a cruise)
- 15 cruises
- Full suite or solo with supplement (2 credits)
- 8 cruises
Free laundry and shoe polishing, mini-bar setup, priority disembarkation
| Tier | Threshold (first reached) | Standard cabin (1 credit a cruise) | Full suite or solo with supplement (2 credits) | Headline perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1 cruise | 1st cruise | 1st cruise | Launch Savings fares, early access to new itineraries, members-only events |
| Ruby | 3 cruises or 30 days | 3 cruises | 2 cruises | Captain's Circle Help Desk phone line |
| Platinum | 5 cruises or 50 days | 5 cruises | 3 cruises | 50% off MedallionNet, 10% off spa and photos, disembarkation lounge |
| Elite | 15 cruises or 150 days | 15 cruises | 8 cruises | Free laundry and shoe polishing, mini-bar setup, priority disembarkation |
Sources: Princess's Captain's Circle benefits (PDF).
Captain's Circle benefits by tier
Each tier keeps the benefits of the tiers below it. Gold and Ruby are mostly booking perks; Platinum is the first tier with onboard discounts, and Elite adds most of the free services.
Gold
After 1 cruise- Captain's Circle Launch Savings fares (US, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ and Asia residents; not on the World Cruise, voyages of 45+ days or 3rd and 4th berths)
- Early access to new itineraries
- Preferential pricing offers
- Members-only onboard events
- Dedicated onboard support
- Captain's Circle online portal and Circle Savings Account
Ruby
3 cruises or 30 days- All Gold benefits, plus:
- Shoreside Captain's Circle Help Desk phone line (US, Canada, UK, Australia and NZ residents)
Platinum
5 cruises or 50 days- All Gold and Ruby benefits, plus:
- 50% off a MedallionNet package
- Early dining reservations, from the time you place your deposit
- 10% off Lotus Spa treatments (not retail)
- 10% off Photo Gallery purchases
- Exclusive lounge during disembarkation
Elite
15 cruises or 150 days- All Platinum benefits, plus:
- Complimentary laundry and shoe polishing (no same-day service)
- One mini-bar setup per Elite stateroom
- One Grapevine wine tasting per cruise
- Afternoon tea in your stateroom
- Deluxe canapés on formal nights
- 10% off shore excursions and The Shops of Princess
- Priority water shuttle (tender) boarding and priority disembarkation
The fine print: the MedallionNet, Lotus Spa and shore excursion discounts also apply when you buy before the cruise, as a credit to your onboard account. None of the discounts are transferable or have cash value. The MedallionNet discount does not combine with other MedallionNet offers, and the excursion discount excludes transfers, shuttles, private vehicles, debarkation, overland and flightseeing tours. The Photo Gallery discount excludes photo retail items, weddings, vow renewals and groups of 31 or more, and the Shops discount cannot be combined with other Shops of Princess offers. Elite wine tasting and mini-bar setup are for guests 21+ (18+ in Europe).
Sources: Princess's Captain's Circle benefits (PDF). Perks are paraphrased; check the PDF for the full conditions.
No annual requalification, and the P&O Australia change
No annual requalification, by press accounts. Princess's benefits PDF does not mention status expiry or annual requalification. The Points Guy reports (October 8, 2026) that Captain's Circle members do not have to requalify for status each year. The PDF does say Princess may end the program, change its terms, or change or remove benefits at any time without notice.
P&O Australia. P&O Australia sailings used to count toward Captain's Circle. When P&O Australia was folded into Carnival in March 2025, Cruise Passenger reported that P&O guests keep the Princess credits they earned but that their P&O history did not transfer to Carnival. The Points Party lists the last counting P&O Australia sailings in February and March 2025. Princess's own PDF still names P&O Australia as eligible and gives no end date, so treat the change as press-reported.
Sources: Princess's Captain's Circle benefits (PDF). Press: The Points Guy, Cruise Passenger, The Points Party.
How long it takes to reach each Captain's Circle tier
Four patterns for one member, with no promotions. Gold comes with the first cruise in every case. "Year" is the year you complete the cruise that crosses the threshold; the new tier then applies from your next cruise.
- Balcony, one 7-night cruise a year
- 3 cruises, year 3
- Balcony, two 7-night cruises a year
- 3 cruises, year 2
- Full suite, one 7-night cruise a year
- 2 cruises, year 2
- Balcony, one 14-night cruise a year
- 3 cruises, year 3
- Balcony, one 7-night cruise a year
- 5 cruises, year 5
- Balcony, two 7-night cruises a year
- 5 cruises, year 3
- Full suite, one 7-night cruise a year
- 3 cruises, year 3
- Balcony, one 14-night cruise a year
- 4 cruises, year 4
- Balcony, one 7-night cruise a year
- 15 cruises, year 15
- Balcony, two 7-night cruises a year
- 15 cruises, year 8
- Full suite, one 7-night cruise a year
- 8 cruises, year 8
- Balcony, one 14-night cruise a year
- 11 cruises, year 11
| Tier | Balcony, one 7-night cruise a year1 credit, 7 days a year | Balcony, two 7-night cruises a year2 credits, 14 days a year | Full suite, one 7-night cruise a year2 credits, 7 days a year | Balcony, one 14-night cruise a year1 credit, 14 days a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby 3 cruises or 30 days | 3 cruises, year 3 | 3 cruises, year 2 | 2 cruises, year 2 | 3 cruises, year 3 |
| Platinum 5 cruises or 50 days | 5 cruises, year 5 | 5 cruises, year 3 | 3 cruises, year 3 | 4 cruises, year 4 |
| Elite 15 cruises or 150 days | 15 cruises, year 15 | 15 cruises, year 8 | 8 cruises, year 8 | 11 cruises, year 11 |
Short cruises help too. Four 3-night cruises a year reach Ruby in year 1 (3 cruises), Platinum in year 2 (5 cruises) and Elite in year 4 (15 cruises, 15 ÷ 4 = 3.75), even though that is only 45 cruise days.
Sources: Thresholds and earning rules from Princess's Captain's Circle benefits (PDF).
Captain's Circle, Mariner Society and Carnival Rewards are separate
Princess, Holland America and Carnival all belong to Carnival Corporation, but their loyalty programs are separate. The Points Guy reports that Princess does not status-match with its sister lines. Cruises on Holland America or Carnival do not count toward Captain's Circle.
The only official link we found is one-way. Holland America's Mariner Society page says guests who have sailed Carnival, Princess, Cunard, Seabourn or Costa are enrolled as 1-Star Mariners after their first Holland America booking. That is the entry level, not a match: your Princess tier does not carry over, and higher Mariner levels count only Holland America sailings.
See our Holland America Mariner Society guide and Carnival Rewards guide for those programs, and the cruise loyalty programs comparison for how Captain's Circle stacks up across eight lines.
Sources: Princess's Captain's Circle benefits (PDF); Holland America's Mariner Society page; press: The Points Guy.
Princess casino: Players Advantage and Tier Match
Casino play does not count toward Captain's Circle. It earns points in Princess Players Advantage, which enrolls you automatically when you play in the casino with your Medallion. Rewards can include future cruise discounts, complimentary cruises, and invitations to VIP events and tournaments. Princess lists five VIP invitational levels: Special Events, Hearts, Ultimate, Prestige and Diamonds, the last an annual status. Princess does not publish an earning rate or point thresholds for any of them, so we cannot calculate what a level takes.
Tier Match: the official terms
Tier Match lets you submit your best casino offer from another cruise line or a land casino in exchange for a possible free or discounted Princess cruise. It matches casino offers, not Captain's Circle tiers.
- Open to legal residents of the 50 US states and DC aged 21 or over.
- Offers from Carnival Cruise Line are not accepted.
- The free fare covers guests 1 and 2 only; guests 3 and 4 pay the prevailing rate.
- Deposit: $200 per guest, non-refundable and non-commissionable, due at booking.
- Taxes, fees and port expenses: Princess lists $63.14 to $427.64 for Match Program offers. You also pay for excursions, dining, airfare and other charges.
- Onboard credit: $200 per person, up to $400 per stateroom.
- Free room value: about $300 to $7,000.
- Princess contacts you within about 7 business days, and only if you qualify. The program runs until at least December 31, 2026.
- Change fees and cancellation penalties may apply, and offers cannot be transferred.
Comp offers always carry taxes, fees and conditions, and gambling more to earn one rarely beats paying the fare. The cruise casino programs comparison covers the other lines' clubs and match programs.
Sources: Princess's casino page and Tier Match terms, both last published May 20, 2026.
Who should care about Captain's Circle status
Worth planning around if
- You sail Princess twice a year: Platinum in year 3, Elite in year 8.
- You take short cruises: a 3-night sailing counts as a full cruise.
- You book full suites or sail solo with the supplement: every cruise counts twice, or three times solo in a full suite.
- You use the internet at sea: Platinum halves the MedallionNet package price.
Do not chase it if
- You cruise once a year in a standard cabin: Elite is 15 years away.
- You book mini-suites expecting double credit: they earn single credit.
- You split cruises across Princess, Holland America and Carnival: the cruise counts do not combine.
- You hope casino play will build status: it does not.
Because The Points Guy reports no annual requalification, status earned slowly is not lost. The trade-off is that Gold and Ruby carry no onboard discounts, so for an occasional cruiser a lower fare usually matters more than the next tier.
What are the Princess Captain's Circle levels?+
How many cruises do you need for Princess Elite?+
What are the Princess Platinum benefits?+
What are the Princess Elite benefits?+
Does Captain's Circle status expire?+
Does Princess status match with Holland America or Carnival?+
Do casino points count toward Captain's Circle?+
Compare Princess cruises
Captain's Circle counts cruises, not dollars, so a lower fare for the same sailing earns the same credit. Search upcoming Princess sailings, compare cabin prices, and set a free price alert to catch a lower fare.
More in this series: cruise loyalty programs compared, cruise casino programs, Holland America Mariner Society, Carnival Rewards.
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