In short
Reward Points are what your monthly fee turns into: 1 point = $1. On CLASSIC and PREMIUM, paying within 5 days of the invoice doubles the points; STARTER earns 1:1. Points pay up to 50% of a cruise or 17% of a hotel — up to 100% of a cruise with enough points saved and a booking 270+ days before departure.
They're not money: you can't cash them out, transfer them to someone else's account, or use them anywhere outside the club. They only ever apply to bookings made through it.
How You Earn Them
You get points every time you pay your membership. How many depends on your plan. STARTER: 50 points a month, always the same. CLASSIC: 200 points if you pay within 5 days of the invoice date, 100 points if you pay on days 6–30. PREMIUM: 500 points if you pay within 5 days, 250 points if you pay later. There's nothing extra to do: points simply come with each payment.
How it adds up
How Reward Points build up
Example: CLASSIC plan, $100 a month, over one year.
- 1Pay on time
Within 5 days of the bill: 200 points. Later (day 6–30): 100.
- 2Points accumulate
While your membership is active and paid, your points keep adding up.
- 3Use them on a trip
1 point = $1. Points pay up to half of a cruise’s price. If you book 270 days or more before departure — up to 100% (the second half counted at 2 points per $1). Hotels: up to 17%.
Month
2,400 points = $2,400. Enough to pay half of a cruise costing up to $4,800
If you pay late: 1,200 points — half of a cruise up to $2,400
If a bill stays unpaid for 30 days, points turn into Base Points: up to 17% off, no time limit, but no new points are added.
What They Can Cover
| Booking type | Maximum coverage with points |
|---|---|
| Cruises | Up to 50% of the price (the rest paid in money) — or up to 100% if you book 270 days or more before departure |
| Hotels & resorts | Up to 17% of the cost |
Points can't be used to cover airfare, post-confirmation upgrades, insurance, cancellation or name-change fees, gratuities, shore excursions, specialty dining, or onboard personal spending.
Two Ways to Use Points on a Cruise
Since March 2026, there are two distinct ways to apply points to a cruise:
- Reward Points + Payment — points cover up to 50%, you pay the rest. You can book it as long as 30 days or more remain before departure, and this is the only method that qualifies for the price match guarantee and optional trip protection.
- All Reward Points — if you book 270 days or more before departure, points can cover up to 100% of the cruise price. You must have enough points saved up first. The price match guarantee and Trip Protection do not apply to this method.
How points are counted when you pay the whole cruise in points: the first half of the price is paid at the usual rate, 1 point = $1. The second half — the part you would normally pay in money — is also paid in points, but at 2 points per $1. Example (illustrative numbers): a $4,800 cruise = 2,400 points + 4,800 points = 7,200 points. That is why the best value is usually “points + payment”; paying fully in points makes sense when you have saved more points than half the price needs.
Related
More on paying up to 100% of a cruise with points: Booking with 100% points →
At a glance
Three ways to pay for a cruise
Which one you can use depends on how far ahead you book.
Book 270+ days before departure
All Reward Points
100% points
Points cover up to 100%: the first half at 1 point = $1, the second half at 2 points per $1.
- Price match guarantee
- Optional trip protection
Book 30+ days before departure
Reward Points + payment
50% max. in points
Points cover up to half, you pay the rest.
- Price match guarantee
- Optional trip protection
No waiting for points
INsider Pricing
~17% off right away
An instant member price; the fare is paid in money.
- Points are not used
- Available to every paying member
Methods don’t stack: on a single cruise you use either INsider Pricing or Reward Points, never both.
What Happens to Points If You Stop Paying?
While your membership is active (paid), your points keep adding up. If a bill stays unpaid for 30 days, your points turn into Base Points. Base Points have no time limit, but they give at most 17% off, can't be combined with Reward Points, and no new points are added. INsider Pricing is also no longer available.
What happens if you miss a payment →
Reflects membership terms as of March 2026 (Membership 3.X). Always confirm current terms before booking. Independent Partner of inCruises.