While many people lamented the loss of the status match between Hyatt and MGM, an easy status match still exists between Celebrity Cruises and MGM Resorts.

This is a recurring post that is periodically updated with new information. It also serves as a reminder to re-match to MGM to restore your status level to get free parking.

View other posts in this series:

• Trip Introduction: Cruising the Last Frontier
• Review: WestJet 737-800MAX Economy Class LAX-YVR
• Superb Service and Surprisingly Good Food: The Hyatt Regency Vancouver
• Vancouver with Kids: Fun in the Great Outdoors
• Family Dining in Vancouver: The Best of What We Ate
• Review: Celebrity Solstice Alaska Cruise – Part 1 – Booking and Room
• Review: Celebrity Solstice Alaska Cruise – Part 2 – Dining
• Review: Celebrity Solstice Alaska Cruise – Part 3 – Onboard Entertainment
• Review: Celebrity Solstice Alaska Cruise – Part 4 – Ship Features
• Disappointing Wi-Fi on Celebrity Solstice
• PSA: Do Not Waste Money on Celebrity Cruises Drink Packages
• Pro Tip: Celebrity Cruises Gives Free Parking at MGM Resorts (this post)
• Icy Strait Point: A Simple Alaskan Port Town
• Skagway: A Small But Enjoyable Port
• A Brief Encounter at Dawes Glacier
• Juneau: Full of Outdoors Experiences
• Ketchikan: Home to Salmon and Lumberjacks
• Review: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge YVR (Transborder / US Flights)
• Review: Air Canada 737-800MAX Business Class YVR-LAX

The Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club loyalty program

Celebrity Cruises has a loyalty program that is somewhat of a hybrid between nights spent at sea and the class of service while onboard. In general, expect the lowest earn rate if you are not staying in at least a balcony (veranda) room, a decent earn rate if you are in a balcony room, and the best earn rates if you are in a suite or villa.

Earning club points

Earn rates in the Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club:

• Inside and Ocean view rooms: 2 club points/night
• Veranda rooms: 3 club points/night
• Concierge and AquaClass rooms: 5 club points/night
• Sky Suite-level rooms: 8 club points/night
• Celebrity, Signature, Horizon, and Royal Suites: 12 club points/night
• Reflection, Penthouse, and Edge Villas: 18 club points/night
• Iconic Suite: 24 club points/night

Those are nice and all but what we really want is an even easier way to earn credit. Thankfully, there is one other way to earn club points, which is through the Power Up program. Several times a year, Celebrity Cruises will send out emails to members offering Power Up Points in exchange for simple tasks, like listening to a video advertisement about Celebrity. Each 10 Power Up Points translates to one club point, so the 20 Power Up Points in the example below would equate to 2 club points with Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club. You don’t need to step on a Celebrity ship to get status with them.

Status thresholds

The club points then translate to the following levels in the Captain’s Club program:

• Preview = 0 club points
• Classic = 2-149 club points
• Select = 150-299 club points
• Elite = 300-749 club points
• Elite Plus = 750-2499 club points
• Zenith = 3000+ club points

The benefits at each tier can be viewed on the Celebrity Cruises website. The “sweet spot” in the program comes at the Elite level, where you will get access to a daily complimentary happy hour and a free bag of laundry. But what we’re most interested in here is the Classic level, which only requires 2 club points.

The real benefit of the Power Up program is to help move you up to the next level before your next cruise, especially if you’re close to the next level. I’ll gladly consider watching some propaganda in exchange for some points.

But a side benefit is earning credit without stepping on a ship. This is what we did prior to taking our first cruise with Celebrity to get to the first level of elite status (Classic). And you could do it too by registering for a loyalty account and waiting for the email to come in.

The MGM Rewards-Celebrity Cruises Partnership

MGM Rewards has a partnership with Royal Caribbean (and by extension Celebrity Cruises, as it is owned by Royal Caribbean). As part of this partnership, you are able to match elite status between the programs as per the handy chart below.

• Classic status maps to MGM Pearl
• Select, Elite, Elite Plus, and Zenith status maps to MGM Gold

As you can see, you’re not going to be able to link to anything above Gold status with MGM Rewards and that everything at the Select level and above. The Classic level provides for Pearl status with MGM Rewards. What do those status levels give at MGM properties? While there are a variety of benefits MGM touts on their website, I think the main takeaway is Pearl status gives free parking while Gold status allows for waived resort fees.

Given the structure of the Celebrity Cruises loyalty program, after sailing on one cruise, you could then match status with MGM Rewards to get Pearl status (and subsequently free parking at MGM resorts). Or you just need to earn 20 Power Up points to get those 2 club points.

Sure, there is an MGM Rewards credit card with no annual fee that also gives Pearl status. But you don’t need to open a credit card to do this deal. And if we can avoid opening a card unnecessarily, we will take that option. Save those credit pulls for something more valuable.

Calling up MGM

As a current Classic tier with Celebrity Cruises, I wanted to apply for the Pearl status over at MGM Rewards. Thankfully, it’s a very easy process. I just called up MGM Rewards at 1-866-761-7111 and pressed “3” to speak to the rewards desk. Note that the current hours of the rewards desk is 9AM to 5PM Pacific Time. On my most recent call, there was a 10 minute wait calling around 10AM Pacific.

My experience

After validating basic information on my account and providing my Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club number, the agent placed me on a short hold as she called up Royal Caribbean to validate my status. Two minutes later, the agent confirmed I would be receiving Pearl status and said it will take 24 hours for my account to reflect it (though I noticed it updated in the MGM app almost immediately after calling).

One last thing to note is the status match will need to be conducted annually. MGM Rewards status resets on February 1st annually, and so the agent confirmed that if I want to maintain Pearl status next year, I’ll need to call back in to get the match again. It’s comforting to know that this is not a one-time match and can be repeated annually. And what’s great is that Celebrity status lasts a lifetime.

Calling in each year after is also marginally easier. If you are looking to renew your status, the MGM phone agent could see that I previously linked my Celebrity Cruises status. I just needed to confirm my Captain’s Club number and it was quick and painless. As an alternative to calling in, you could send in an email in January and they will hold onto the email, refreshing your status as soon as it expires in February. I’m glad the agents are so friendly and the process is so efficient!

Have you matched your Celebrity Cruises status over to MGM Rewards yet?

Suggested reading:

• Points Choice: Royal Caribbean Avoids the Carnival Trap
• Is Privacy In Las Vegas Completely Lost?
• Destination Spotlight: Las Vegas, Nevada