Parents, Don't Do Your Kids Wrong: Start Their Cruise Loyalty Early

Parents, I'm going to need y'all to stop doing your kids wrong. 😂

No, I'm not talking about making them clean their room.

I'm talking about cruise loyalty.

If you're taking your children on cruises, there's something I want you thinking about from the very beginning:

Is your child getting credit for the cruises they're taking?

Because Mom and Dad shouldn't be the only people building a cruise history.

Depending on the cruise line and its rules for minors, your child may be able to have their own loyalty membership, accumulate their own cruise history, or have those sailings recognized later.

And if that's available?

Why wouldn't you take advantage of it?

Think About It This Way

Let's say your child takes their first cruise at 8 years old.

Then your family cruises again at 10.

Again at 12.

Maybe again at 14, 16 and 17.

By the time that child becomes an adult, they've already spent quite a few nights at sea.

So why wait until they're grown before you start thinking about their cruise loyalty?

That's like somebody flying for years and then suddenly saying:

"Wait... I probably should have been paying attention to these loyalty programs."

Exactly.

Don't do your kids like that. 😂

Everybody on the Reservation Is an Individual Traveler

This is something I want more parents to understand.

When I book a family cruise, I don't only think about Mom and Dad.

Every passenger is a traveler.

That includes the kids.

So when a cruise line allows a child to participate in its loyalty program, I want that child's own loyalty information associated with them—not Mom's number or Dad's number being treated as though it covers everybody.

Royal Caribbean, for example, says it's essential for a Crown & Anchor member's membership number to be included in the booking. Its program awards Cruise Points based on completed nights sailed. (Royal Caribbean)

That history can eventually mean something.

Your 8-Year-Old Might Be a Serious Cruiser by 18

This is the part parents don't always think about.

If you're a cruising family, your child might have more cruising experience at 18 than some adults have at 40.

😂

That's not even an exaggeration.

A family that takes one seven-night cruise every year could have a child with dozens of nights at sea before graduating high school.

And loyalty programs can come with benefits as travelers move through the different levels.

Depending on the cruise line and loyalty tier, those benefits can eventually include things like discounts, special offers, onboard recognition, priority benefits, events and other perks.

So I'm thinking long term.

Your child is cruising anyway. Let's make sure we're handling their cruise history correctly.

Royal Caribbean Is a Great Example

Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society is especially interesting for families.

Royal says verified children under 18 who share the same physical address can have a loyalty relationship with their parents. Its current benefits information says children can share their parent's tier, up to Diamond Plus, until they turn 18. But children also accumulate their own individual cruise points. When that parent-child relationship ends at 18, the child's own accumulated points matter for determining their status. (Royal Caribbean)

Think about what that means.

Your child isn't simply an extension of your account forever.

Their own cruising matters.

That's exactly why I want parents thinking about this early.

MSC Lets Kids Join Too

MSC Cruises is another good example.

MSC's Voyagers Club terms state that membership is available regardless of age. For someone under 18, enrollment is handled by a parent or legal guardian during the booking process.

Each membership receives its own Club Identification Number. (MSC Cruises)

So if I'm working with a family cruising MSC and the children are eligible, this is something worth discussing.

Get everybody properly set up.

Don't wait until cruise number five and suddenly say:

"Eric... should the kids have numbers too?"

That's why we're talking about it now. 😂

But Here's Why You Need to Check the Cruise Line

This is where I have to put my travel-advisor hat on.

Don't assume every cruise line works the same way.

They don't.

For example, Carnival's new Carnival Rewards program has different rules for minors. Carnival says guests under 18 cannot directly participate in Carnival Rewards. Instead, minors sail with the status and benefits of the responsible paying adult. Carnival also says their cruise days will still be tracked for milestone recognition and can carry over when they turn 18 and enroll.

That's a perfect example of why I don't want somebody reading this blog and immediately trying to create a loyalty account for their 6-year-old on every cruise line.

Check the rules first.

The goal isn't simply to collect membership numbers.

The goal is to make sure your child's cruise history is being handled correctly under that cruise line's program.

Norwegian Has Its Own System Too

Norwegian Cruise Line's Latitudes Rewards program is another example of why cruise history matters.

NCL currently awards points based largely on cruise nights, with opportunities for additional points in certain qualifying situations. Its program begins recognizing members after their first completed cruise. (Norwegian Cruise Line)

Again, the details matter.

Different cruise line.

Different loyalty program.

Different rules.

Same question I want parents asking:

"Is my child getting the appropriate credit or recognition for these cruises?"

Don't Wait Until They're Adults to Figure This Out

Could you potentially straighten out old cruise history later?

Sometimes.

Cruise lines may be able to locate previous sailings and correct loyalty information depending on their records and program rules.

But why create extra work for yourself?

If I'm helping you with the cruise now, let's look at it now.

If your child needs a loyalty number, let's get it.

If they already have one, let's find it.

If the cruise line automatically tracks their history differently because they're a minor, let's understand how that works.

Then when the next cruise comes around, we're not starting over trying to figure out what happened three vacations ago.

This Is Another Reason I Ask for Your Loyalty Numbers

Sometimes clients probably wonder why I'm asking for all this information.

Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor number.

MSC Voyagers Club number.

Whatever loyalty information applies to the cruise we're booking.

There's a reason.

I want your reservation set up correctly.

I want to know whether you're entitled to something because of your status.

And when you're traveling as a family, I'm looking at everybody—not just the person paying the bill.

That's part of what having a travel advisor is supposed to be about.

You're Building Their Travel Future

I actually think this is pretty cool when you look at it from a parent's perspective.

You're not just taking your kids on vacation.

You're introducing them to the world.

They're seeing different countries.

They're experiencing different cultures.

They're learning how to travel.

They're making memories with you.

And along the way, they're building their own travel history.

One day they're going to be adults booking cruises for themselves.

Maybe they'll take their spouse.

Maybe they'll take their own children.

And wouldn't it be nice if they logged into their cruise account and realized:

"Dang... Mom and Dad had me cruising since I was little."

And instead of starting completely from scratch, there's already a history there where the cruise line's program allows it.

That's pretty cool.

Final Thoughts

So parents, I'm going to say it one more time:

Don't do your kids wrong. 😂

When you're booking a family cruise, don't think only about your own loyalty account.

Ask about everybody traveling.

Does the cruise line allow children to enroll?

Does your child already have a loyalty number?

Is it attached to the reservation?

How does that particular cruise line track a minor's cruises?

What happens to their status when they turn 18?

Those are questions worth asking.

Because if your kids are going to cruise with you anyway, let's make sure we're not overlooking something that could benefit them later.

Start them early.

Twenty years from now, they might actually thank you for it.

And knowing kids...

Probably not.

But at least they'll have the cruise points. 😂🚢

Turning travel wishes into reality—one generation at a time.

— Eric Miles
Poet's Year-Round Travel