Guest Post: Why cruises belong at the heart of modern loyalty programmes

Mike Putman, CEO and founder of Custom Travel Solutions, has an interesting take on loyalty programmes, but IS it interesting or is it necessity?

Loyalty programmes have long been a cornerstone of customer strategy across airlines, hotels, retail, and financial services. The idea is simple: incentivise repeat behaviour with rewards that keep customers coming back.

But in today’s experience-driven world, loyalty needs to be more than transactional. It must be emotional, immersive, and deeply connected to how customers feel about a brand. That’s why now - more than ever - cruises offer a compelling differentiator for loyalty programmes across industries, travel and beyond.

Integrating cruises into loyalty programmes isn’t just about offering another redemption option. It’s about redefining loyalty itself - from routine reward mechanics to meaningful, long-lasting engagement that drives emotional loyalty and recurring interaction.

From functional rewards to emotional engagement

Take airlines: a loyalty mile typically buys a ticket, a seat, or an upgrade. These are undeniably valuable, but they are still tied to the transaction - moving someone from one place to another. The primary value proposition of most airlines remains logistics, schedule, and price.

Cruises operate differently. For many travellers, a cruise is the vacation—not merely transportation to a destination. This distinction is profound. According to industry research, cruise travel consistently earns higher satisfaction ratings compared to other holiday choices, and a significant portion of cruisers return year after year. In fact, a notable share of cruise travellers sail two or more times per year, and a meaningful percentage take three to five cruises annually.

This depth of emotional connection - where people plan and anticipate their experiences long before departure - makes cruises a powerful loyalty trigger. Cruise customers envision their holiday months in advance, engaging with content, planning excursions, sharing inspiration, and customising their experience. This prolonged engagement naturally strengthens emotional loyalty far beyond the simple point accumulation model that dominates traditional programmes.

Extended planning horizons: A loyalty advantage

Cruise bookings rarely happen on a whim. Unlike flights, which are often purchased within weeks or even days of travel, cruises are typically booked many months in advance. Research shows that cruise planning windows—driven by family schedules, seasonality, and itinerary preference—regularly span half a year or more.  

This extended planning horizon creates a valuable engagement window. Loyalty programmes that integrate cruises can interact with customers over a longer period, keep the brand top-of-mind with inspirational content, exclusive offers, and personalised recommendations. This leads to multiple touchpoints before and after booking, enhancing emotional connection and reducing churn.

Complex decisions demand deeper engagement

Cruise decisions are inherently more complex than airline bookings. Customers weigh options across ship type, cabin class, itinerary, onboard amenities, shore excursions, and package inclusions. There isn’t a straightforward price comparison like there is with flights.

This complexity presents a loyalty opportunity. When a loyalty programme becomes a trusted advisor - guiding customers through personalised content, expert support, and curated experiences - it elevates the customer relationship from transactional to consultative. Cruise bookings often require more education and reassurance, and loyalty programmes that bridge that gap are rewarded with deeper brand trust.

Perceived value and credibility: A strategic loyalty asset

Cruise travellers typically perceive high value from bundled cruise packages. A cruise fare often includes accommodation, meals, entertainment, and sometimes excursions. This all-inclusive perception makes upsells feel like enhancements rather than add-on costs.

It also reflects in loyalty economics. For brands that track post-booking behaviour, cruise loyalty members tend to spend more during their vacations. For example, recent research shows that cruise loyalty members may account for nearly 40% of bookings and spend roughly 25% more per trip compared to non-members—signalling stronger multi-product engagement and deeper wallet share. 

This trend is consistent across major cruise lines where loyalty programmes encourage direct engagement and onboard spend. Cruise loyalty members are more likely to book through mobile apps, embrace ancillary purchases, and remain within a brand’s wider ecosystem—exactly the kind of behaviour loyalty programmes seek to foster.

Repeat business and growth indicators

Cruise has proven resilience and long-term growth potential. The global cruise industry reached passenger volumes close to pre-pandemic levels and continues to expand, projected to grow steadily in the coming years.  

Moreover, travel industry surveys reveal strong future demand: of travellers who have taken a cruise, a significant share have another cruise booked within two years, and nearly 30% plan a cruise in the near term.  

This cross-generational interest underscores that cruises are not an occasional splurge for older demographics alone; Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly signalling cruise intent, particularly when experiences are personalised and value-oriented.

All of this points toward sustainable repeat behaviour—one of the most coveted outcomes of effective loyalty strategies.

Cruises as a loyalty differentiator across industries

The compelling nature of cruise experiences isn’t limited to travel brands. Non-travel loyalty programmes - such as retail chains, financial institutions, and lifestyle platforms - are actively seeking experiential rewards that go beyond cash back or vouchers. Experiences create memories, stories, and emotional resonance that material rewards rarely achieve.

Cruises, with their immersive appeal and global itineraries, fit this need perfectly. They elevate a loyalty programme from a set of transactional benefits to a platform that enriches lives, inspires journeys, and cultivates advocacy.

Trust, reassurance, and confidence building

While cruises deliver powerful emotional engagement, they also carry unique perceived risks—especially for first-time cruisers. Health, safety, motion concerns, and duration may weigh on a customer’s mind more than they would for a quick flight or hotel stay.

This is where loyalty programmes add strategic value. Rather than simply rewarding accumulation, integrated loyalty programmes can act as confidence builders - offering information, testimonials, assurance, and personalised support. When a customer feels secure in their choice, they’re more likely to convert and then remain loyal over time.

The Future of Loyalty Is Experiential, Not Transactional

The loyalty landscape is changing rapidly. Research shows that while traditional loyalty mechanics still matter, consumers are increasingly seeking meaningful, experiential engagement from the programmes they join.  

Travel brands that incorporate cruises into their loyalty ecosystems benefit from this shift in consumer expectation. When a cruise becomes a redemption option - complete with personalised offers, curated inspiration, and ongoing engagement—it transforms loyalty from a point tally to an emotionally resonant journey.

In this new loyalty paradigm:

• Rewards are not just about discounts
• Engagement happens over months, not moments
• Customers connect emotionally as well as transactionally

And cruises, with their combination of anticipation, immersive experience, and repeat engagement, are uniquely positioned to deliver on all three.

Conclusion: Loyalty is evolving, and cruises should evolve with it

Airlines move people.
Hotels host them.
Cruises give them stories to tell.

For brands seeking to deepen loyalty in a crowded market, adding cruises to a loyalty programme is more than a strategic upgrade - it’s a transformative shift toward an experience-centric loyalty model that fosters deeper engagement, stronger emotional bonds, and higher lifetime value.

In the experience economy, loyalty is not built on transactions alone.
It is forged through memorable experiences that customers look forward to and return to again and again.

Cruises represent one of the most powerful pathways to that kind of loyalty — and the data shows the opportunity is both real and expanding.