Royal Caribbean's New Digital Badge Program: It’s not just a cute colorful circle, it’s another reason to cruise!
📅 Published by Here for the Badge | Cruise Culture Blog
It started with a ping.
One message in the family group chat — "Did you see the new badge thing in the app?!" — and suddenly we were off to the races. Or rather, off to the seas.
Within minutes, screenshots were flying in from Abuela, Grandpa, cousins, aunts, uncles. The digital badge system had just gone live in the Royal Caribbean app, and our multi-generational cruise crew had a new mission: collect. them. all.
For a family like ours — three generations deep in cruise life, 15 grandkids strong, countless matching t-shirts later — this wasn’t just an update. It was a declaration. A dare. A digital calling. And we were all in.
In our crew, cruising isn’t just a vacation — it’s the tradition that ties us all together. It’s where we celebrate birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, or just “because we need ocean air.” It’s where Grandma gets her dance on at the silent disco, where Uncle Marcos finally unplugs from work, and where the cousins (all 15 of them!) sprint from the pool deck to trivia to the soft serve station like they’re training for the cruise Olympics. So when Royal gave us a new reason to board every ship in the fleet? We called dibs on the spreadsheet.
Image from @Loyal.to.royal
🌟 What Is the Digital Badge Program?
Royal Caribbean’s new Digital Badge Program is a visual celebration of your cruising milestones. Every time you sail a new ship, you earn a sleek digital badge in the Royal Caribbean app — a virtual trophy case for your sea-faring adventures.
Want to see your badges? Just:
Open the Royal Caribbean app
Tap your profile icon
Tap "Recent Badges"
You'll find ships you've sailed on in full color, and ships yet to conquer in grey. At the top? A scorecard: "10 of 29 ships"or however many you've tackled.
They even show how many others have earned each badge. It's part personal progress, part cruise status flex, and we’re not ashamed to say — it’s totally addicting.
Easy to Read Royal Badge Color Guide
🚢 From Vacation to Collection
For cruise veterans and first-timers alike, this program hits different. It taps into something deeper: the joy of progress, the pride of experience, the thrill of ticking off a list that literally takes you around the world.
We’ve always had our own unofficial badge system. Uncle Leo’s the only one who’s sailed on Ovation and Quantum. My cousin Dani? She’s on a mission to be the first of us to conquer all four Oasis-class ships. And don’t get us started on Abuela — she wears her cruise card on a lanyard like it’s Olympic gold.
But now? It’s official. It’s digital. It’s a movement.
And it looks really, really good.
Cruise Ships at Port
👕 Meet the New Badge Fam
That’s where Here for the Badge comes in. Our family turned our badge obsession into a full-on brand, with cruise merch that’s clean, bold, and just the right amount of cheeky.
Matching shirts for your whole cabin block?
Tote bags that hold your towel and your attitude?
Door signs that let your neighbors know your ship count?
Yes. Yes. And absolutely yes.
Because this isn’t just about a cruise — it’s about collecting memories, flexing progress, and being part of a movement. A bright, bubbly, badge-happy movement.
We’re calling it: Badge Life. And you’re invited.
When we set out to design the first "I’m Just Here for the Badge" tee, it was a family affair. We argued about fonts. We debated dot colors. Someone suggested glitter. Someone else got muted in the group chat. But at the end of the day, we all knew what we were trying to say: this badge thing? It matters.
🔍 Quick How-To: Check Your Royal Badges
Download or open the Royal Caribbean app
Tap your profile icon
Select “Recent Badges”
See which ships you’ve conquered — and which ones are next
🎉 Final Boarding Thoughts
We’ve cruised the Independence, Odyssey, Enchantment, Ovation, Mariner, and more. But the idea of unlocking everybadge across all 29 ships? That’s a new kind of thrill.
We’ve gone from passport stamps to ship badges, from bucket lists to leaderboards. It’s not just about where we’re going — it’s about how many ships it takes to feel like home on the sea.
So whether you're planning your first cruise or your fiftieth, grab your gear, check your badges, and join us. We’re cruising with purpose now — and doing it in style.
📱 Tag us @HereForTheBadge in your best badge-chasing moments. Next up for us? Maybe Wonder. Maybe Harmony. Maybe all of them. Because now we’ve got a reason to keep going. Not that we needed one.
Check your status on the App and more at RoyalCaribbean.com
