From how much you need to spend to the lines offering the best benefits, let’s examine whether membership schemes are worth it.
We have all signed up for them. Loyalty schemes that promise the earth and, companies hope, ensure your next supermarket shop, flight booking or clothes purchase is with the supermarket, airline or fashion outlet whose card you hold.
The catch is that you need to spend a small fortune to reach any kind of status worth having.
Cruise lines, it will be no surprise to learn, are also in on the loyalty game with clubs that dish out perks and make passengers feel special. It shouldn’t be a shock to know that for the best perks you have to be one of their top-tier guests.
But do the rewards match what you have to spend to reach those dizzy heights?
Do all cruise lines offer loyalty schemes?
A few small lines don’t, but generally, yes, they all have loyalty schemes. Most enrol guests automatically after their first cruise, which makes life easy for passengers but defeats the object of instilling loyalty if people don’t realise they are members.
To get around that, MSC Cruises has tactical promotions a few times a year in which first-timers who sign up to its Voyagers Club before they book a cruise earn an immediate 700 extra points. This catapults them straight to classic status and on-board rewards, including spa and internet package discounts.
Are all loyalty schemes the same?
That would be too simple. Every cruise line has a different loyalty club with varying rewards tiers. Some are more generous than others, but all are designed to snare you into a club you won’t want to leave.
A good case in point? Platinum and Elite members in Princess Cruises’ Captain’s Circle are invited to an exclusive pre-dinner drinks and nibbles event each day. Most probably have drinks packages booked already so are gaining nothing, but they all go as it makes them feel valued.
What do these loyalty schemes offer?
There’s not much to get excited about on the lowest rung of the rewards ladder. Azamara hands out 30 free minutes of Wi-Fi and 10% off select spa treatments to its entry-level Adventurers. Those starting out with Celebrity get 10% off the cost of a bottle of wine and one complimentary speciality coffee when they dine in a speciality restaurant.
The highest tiers are more worthwhile, offering everything from free laundry to a massage and even a cruise. That latter perk awaits members of Silversea’s Venetian Society once they have clocked up 350 days on board. That’s equivalent to 25 fortnight-long sailings or just over two world cruises.
It sounds a lot but it is a mere drop in the ocean for Silversea VS members, many of whom have more than 1000 days under their belts, while the top earner is on 2700.
Members of Oceania Cruises’ loyalty club who accumulate 20 credits (Platinum status) can also claim a free voyage. Credits are awarded based on cruise length (one credit for up to 24 days, two for up to 34 days, three for up to 44 and so on). Those who reach President’s Circle (60 credits) also receive complimentary laundry and $1250 per cabin on-board credit.
Platinum is a tad more attainable for Seabourn Club members, as they only need to clock up 100 days on board – even less if they go for one of the top suites, which net more points. The reward? Free laundry, a massage and a Stream Wi-Fi package, plus 15% off the cost of shore excursions.
Cunard is less generous. Seven cruises or 70 nights get 20% off your laundry bill, one free wine tasting and priority check-in. Reach 15 cruises or 150 nights and you also receive a complimentary meal in an on-board speciality restaurant.
Members of Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) Latitudes club receive one point for every cruise night (two for a suite). Reach Platinum (75 points), and perks include two free dinners and a behind-the-scenes ship tour.
How do you climb the tiers?
Easy: you cruise a lot. Usually, it has to be with the same line. As one passenger noted: “They suck you in so you are put off trying other lines.”
So kudos to Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for allowing passengers to carry their loyalty status between brands within the company.
It means, for instance, that an Oceania Club member’s loyalty status is honoured if they sail with Regent Seven Seas Cruises or NCL. For the Royal Caribbean Group, it’s Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
In the same vein, Scenic has combined its Scenic Club and Emerald Explorer schemes into one programme with four tiers and perks including private airport transfers and suite upgrades.
Are there any downsides to joining a loyalty scheme?
Not really. They don’t cost anything (an exception to the rule is Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which charges a joining and annual fee), and the rewards can be good. You just have to be prepared to stick with the same cruise line or company, as otherwise it is, literally, pointless.