Loyalty program members can be fierce in their pursuit of status with airlines and hotel chains, but one fan of Royal Caribbean cruises may be the ultimate loyalist: He’s been on 870 cruises and has accumulated nearly 15 times the number of points needed to reach the line’s highest status tier.
Mario Salcedo, who’s in his 70s, hit the 10,000 point level in RC’s Crown and Anchor Society during a recent Caribbean cruise from Miami. Points are earned one per night of cruising, or two per night for suites. The top tier, therefore, means about 100 seven-night cruises.
Salcedo, who is in his 70s, has spent an average of about 50 weeks per year aboard Royal Caribbean cruises for over 20 years; his only real break came during the long months when all cruising was shut down by the pandemic.
Royal Caribbean celebrated the mark by throwing a shipboard party with company officials joining the ship for the event. Biggest perk for the program is a free seven-night cruise on reaching 700, and another for each 350 after that.
