The Cruise Insider

October 31, 2026

Royal Caribbean Reports Onboard Spending Above Expectations

Royal Caribbean Group says onboard spending is running stronger than expected, with half of guests now millennial or younger and loyalty members accounting for 40 percent of guests.

Icon of the Seas lit up at night in Miami (photo: Kahunapule Michael Johnson, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Royal Caribbean Group says onboard spending is running stronger than it expected. CEO Jason Liberty said guests are paying more than anticipated, and linked the higher spend to the company's loyalty push.

Half of Royal Caribbean's guests are now millennial or younger, and those guests tend to take more frequent, shorter trips. Loyalty members account for 40 percent of guests, and the Status Match program launched earlier in 2026 carries status across the group's brands. Guests who sail on more than one brand post higher average per diems than single-brand guests, Liberty said.

What it means for your sailing: nothing changes on a cruise you have already booked, but the loyalty push is clearly working for Royal Caribbean, so expect more Status Match-style perks aimed at repeat guests. If you sail more than one Royal Caribbean Group brand, your status now carries across brands, which the line says is part of why multi-brand guests spend more per day. No booking action is needed.

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