Past-passenger programmes are a popular choice with regular cruisers and are offered by all the main cruise lines. In a similar vein to air miles, regular passengers are given special discounts and receive special treatment on board the ship. However, as more and more travellers are tempted by the number of different companies and ships on offer, some cruise lines have decided to scale back on past-passenger programmes.

Once you book your first cruise, you will automatically be entered for membership in the company’s past-passenger programme. After only one trip, you will be given special treatment the next time you return, but it is also important to watch out for the different levels of programmes. There are one-tiered programmes that will only give the same number of benefits on each visit, regardless of how many times you have travelled. Others will be multi-tiered and they divide the programme into different classes. Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival all provide this type of programme. Some programmes are based on points systems, which can go towards the ultimate prize, a free cruise, but it will take plenty of holidays before you have one at the expense of the company.

As much as past-passenger programmes seem to give a better deal to loyal customers, this has not always been the case and you should always look to see what other cruise deals are available. There have been occasions when the past-passenger rates with some cruise lines have actually been more expensive than those offered by travel agents.