Adding Cruise Benefits to Your Travel Rewards Platform

Adding Cruise Benefits to Your Travel Rewards Platform

Is your travel loyalty program ready to set sail with exclusive cruise benefits? If not, now might be the perfect time to get on board. With 73% of first-time passengers considering a cruise vacation and 85% of experienced cruisers planning another voyage, introducing exclusive cruise perks could be a strategic game-changer for program engagement and customer retention in 2025.

Beyond bolstering engagement and retention, cruise benefits can broaden your program’s appeal across demographics. While travelers aged 40 to 60+ account for 65% of the cruise market, younger travelers are increasingly interested — 77% are ready to set sail. Explore how cruise loyalty rewards can elevate your program, along with best practices for seamless integration. 

The Value of Cruise Benefits in Travel Rewards

Cruise rewards programs are far from new: just look at the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club or the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society, for example. However, recent years have seen a rise in adjacent travel brands also incorporating exclusive cruise perks into their loyalty offerings. In August of 2024 alone, airlines Virgin Australia and Air India partnered with arrivia to launch new cruise benefits. 

Today’s travelers value the unique, premium experiences that cruise benefits provide, from luxurious onboard upgrades and exclusive excursions to deep discounts on packages. Our 2024 Travel Loyalty Outlook Report revealed that nearly half of the travelers planning a cruise this year would pack their bags immediately if they came across a great last-minute deal on a cruise package.

Travel businesses, on the other hand, appreciate the differentiation exclusive cruise perks can offer. Integrating cruise benefits into a rewards program can include various enticing options, such as:

• Onboard Spending Credits: Gifting travelers a bank of onboard credits to spend on various ship amenities, including dining, excursions, or spa treatments.
• Discounted Fares: Offering special rates, discounts, or limited-time promotions on cruise bookings, making high-end cruises more accessible to members.
• Exclusive Excursions: Providing travelers with access to unique shore excursions or private tours that enhance the travel experience.
• Preferential Treatment: Rewarding loyalty members with VIP perks such as priority boarding, cabin upgrades, and collectible gifts or souvenirs. 

Benefits of Incorporating Cruise Rewards

What are the benefits of adding cruise perks to travel rewards programs? Incorporating cruise perks in travel program strategies boosts member engagement and strengthens customer loyalty by providing high-value experiences directly within a familiar rewards program. Cruise rewards also give travel brands a competitive edge, helping to attract new customers and retain existing ones.

Increased Customer Engagement

A survey of U.S. consumers found they belonged to an average of 16.6 loyalty programs but actively used less than half. This trend holds true for travelers, who often enroll in travel loyalty programs during vacations but rarely engage with them afterward. Offering exclusive cruise perks can motivate members to interact more frequently and begin to actively engage with your program.

Enhanced Customer Loyalty

Aside from customer engagement in travel incentives and benefits, cruise loyalty rewards can also increase customer loyalty. Exclusive cruise perks foster a sense of appreciation and value among members, leading to higher lifetime value, retention rates, and long-term loyalty. The added rewards create a more compelling reason for customers to remain committed to your program.

Differentiation from Competitors

In today’s oversaturated market, many loyalty programs offer similar perks. Over nine in 10 U.S. program executives agree their loyalty program requires more rewards, and 80% feel their program is too much like others in the industry. Cruise benefits work to set your rewards program apart by offering something unique and desirable. This differentiation can help attract new customers and retain existing ones by providing added value that other travel rewards programs might not offer.

Strategies for Integrating Cruise Benefits

It’s clear that cruise rewards are an underutilized tactic to drive significant benefits. What’s less obvious is what strategies are effective for integrating cruise rewards into travel platforms. Better yet, what are the best practices for incorporating cruise benefits into travel rewards? 

The key to launching cruise rewards programs is selecting partnerships that align with your brand and cater to your customers’ preferences, providing high-quality, complementary travel experiences. These partnerships can involve individual cruise lines or a dedicated travel loyalty provider, like arrivia, which offers access to thousands of cruise itineraries across all categories.

To maximize the appeal of cruise benefits, consider structuring your rewards program with:

• Tiered Rewards: Offer different levels of cruise benefits based on criteria like member engagement or customer spending to encourage higher participation.
• Exclusive Offers: Create unique promotions or bonuses, such as early access to deals or special packages for members, to enhance the perceived value of rewards.
• Effective Communication: Promote cruise perks clearly and effectively across platforms to ensure customers are excited and informed about the benefits.

Challenges of Cruise Benefits Integration (and Solutions)

Even with the above strategies, integrating cruise benefits into travel loyalty programs can be challenging. Here’s a look at how to address the key issues of cruise benefits integration with targeted solutions to improve rewards program efficacy. 

Partnership Coordination

One of the primary benefits of cruise partnerships is gaining access to operational processes that allow you to learn more about traveler preferences and spending habits. However, aligning with cruise partners can be tricky due to differing priorities. Use clear agreements to define precise terms and responsibilities, ensuring mutual understanding and streamlined operations.

Logistical Complexities

Cruise benefits integration opens up a new world of travel rewards, but it also involves managing logistics like benefit delivery and tracking. To solve this issue, efficient processes and automated systems — like customer relationship management (CRM) tools — should be implemented to handle integration smoothly. Regularly review these processes to enhance simplicity.

Communication Barriers

Effective communication with cruise partners and loyalty members is essential but can be challenging, risking misunderstandings and potential revenue loss. You must maintain open communication channels with partners for timely updates and issue resolution. Likewise, seek and act on customer feedback to refine and improve program offerings to better meet member needs. 

Transform Your Travel Rewards Program with arrivia

Cruise loyalty rewards are pioneering a new era of customer engagement, boosting member satisfaction and driving higher spending. When done right, cruise benefits can not only attract new customers but also help retain existing ones. Here at arrivia, we know a thing or two about enhancing travel rewards — and our global portfolio includes more than 30,000 cruise itineraries. 

Ready to enhance your travel rewards program with exclusive cruise benefits? Explore arrivia’s solutions and discover how we can seamlessly integrate these perks. Contact us today to get started!