In comparison with a few of its closest rivals, MSC Cruises has a comparatively modest loyalty program.
Not like the frequent cruiser packages at Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, for example, the MSC Voyagers Membership loyalty program doesn’t provide its members a free cruise after reaching the highest tier. There additionally is not any large low cost on the only complement cost for solo vacationers, as Royal Caribbean gives its top-tier members, or precedence entry to onboard exhibits.
For extra cruise guides, critiques and information, join TPG’s cruise e-newsletter.
Nonetheless, the MSC Cruises loyalty program does convey a number of worthwhile perks at increased ranges, together with a complimentary meal in an extra-charge specialty restaurant as soon as per cruise and precedence entry to tenders in ports.
The MSC Voyagers Membership program additionally lets you standing match your manner into one in every of its prime tiers — one thing that no different main cruise line loyalty program gives.
Methods to earn factors
The points-earning system for MSC Voyagers Membership is a bit convoluted, because the variety of factors you earn on any given cruise depends upon all kinds of things.
For starters, you earn factors primarily based on the size of the cruise you are taking and which MSC Cruises “expertise” you e book for the cruise. As common MSC Cruises prospects know, there are 5 experiences obtainable when cruising with the road, every with completely different inclusions and at completely different worth factors. Bella is probably the most primary — and least costly — expertise obtainable. MSC Yacht Membership is the highest expertise obtainable. Experiences referred to as Fantastica, Wellness and Aurea are in between.
The chart under lays out your factors earnings relying on cruise size and expertise sort.
Word that each individual in your cabin will earn factors for the cruise primarily based on the chart.
Join our each day e-newsletter
Along with the above, you may also earn factors when spending cash on MSC Cruises ships for extras or when reserving extras prematurely of crusing. You’ll earn 100 factors for each $150 you spend on pay as you go bills and onboard bills.
One caveat: Solely the MSC Voyagers Membership member who makes the ultimate cost for onboard bills will obtain these factors. For bills for pay as you go companies that apply to all cabin occupants (and never single occupants), factors will likely be equally distributed among the many cabin occupants. For instance, say the entire quantity of pay as you go onboard companies that apply to all cabin occupants earlier than the cruise is $600. If there are 4 cabin occupants, the spending for the factors calculation of every member will likely be $150, which is the same as 100 factors.
Associated: The final word information to MSC Cruises
The ultimate strategy to earn factors is by updating your contact particulars as much as 72 hours earlier than departure in your subsequent cruise. This can earn you 100 factors.
All factors, together with for the cruise, onboard spending and updating your profile, will pop up in your account about 10 days after the cruise is accomplished.
MSC Voyagers Membership tiers and advantages
There are 4 tiers to the MSC Voyagers Membership program:
- Basic: 1 to 2,199 factors
- Silver: 2,200 to 4,299 factors
- Gold: 4,300 to 9,999 factors
- Diamond: 10,000 or extra factors
As is typical for cruise line loyalty packages, the entry-level tier (Basic) doesn’t convey all that many actually worthwhile rewards. By far, probably the most alluring profit at this degree is the 5% low cost members obtain when reserving future sailings (notice that this low cost will not be legitimate for MSC Grand Excursions and when reserving Tandem cabins, that are specifically discounted cabins that oldsters can e book for youths). That’s actual financial savings each time you e book a cruise.
As well as, Basic members obtain:
- An extra 5% low cost on Voyagers Exclusives sailings made six to 9 months earlier than departure
- An MSC Voyagers Membership e-newsletter
- MSC Voyagers Membership customized baggage tags for embarkation within the e-ticket
- An MSC Voyagers Membership card
- An invite to a “welcome again” cocktail celebration
- A devoted quantity to name on board
- Reductions on many packages and facilities, together with onboard footage, digital equipment, Wi-Fi and spa and health choices
- MSC Outlets low cost (for every $50 spent in any onboard retailers, you’ll obtain a $10 low cost)
Word that the MSC Outlets low cost has a number of nice print. The low cost will not be combinable with promotions obtainable on board, and it’s not obtainable for spending on tobacco merchandise and electronics. It’s additionally solely legitimate on the primary day of a cruise. That closing level prompts us to downgrade the worth of this perk significantly.
Upon reaching the second tier of this system, Silver, you get a pair extra perks. Essentially the most notable to us is a $50 onboard credit score per individual, plus double MSC Voyagers Membership factors, for all bookings made greater than 12 months earlier than departure (for those who e book 9 to 12 months prematurely, you get the $50 credit score however not the double factors).
The Silver degree additionally brings an unspecified milestone reward and all of the perks of the lower-tier Basic degree.
You’ll be a member of the Basic degree as quickly as you are taking a single cruise, because it simply takes 1 level to succeed in the Basic degree. You additionally may be capable of attain the Silver degree in only one cruise for those who take an extended voyage of 9 nights or extra, pay for the highest MSC Yacht Membership expertise and do a modest quantity of onboard spending.
Nonetheless, a extra typical cruiser crusing seven-night journeys at a mid-tier Fantastica or Aurea expertise degree would want to take two or three cruises to succeed in the Silver degree.
The elite degree that makes a distinction
Being loyal to MSC Cruises begins paying off in a extra significant manner when you attain the Gold degree of the MSC Voyagers Membership program. Even right here, although, the rewards are nonetheless comparatively modest.
The Gold degree comes with one strong perk: precedence disembarkation in ports the place a young boat is required. This could make an actual distinction in your cruising expertise, because it means you will get off the ship a lot sooner in some circumstances than the vast majority of different passengers. That may assist you to maximize your time in tender ports.
As well as, Gold standing brings all of the perks of the tiers under it plus:
- A complimentary one-hour thermal space session as soon as per cruise
- A complimentary reward
- A complimentary picture taken through the “welcome again” cocktail celebration
- A complimentary birthday cake when it’s your birthday
It might take you as few as two cruises to succeed in the Gold degree for those who join longer sailings and pay for the highest MSC Yacht Membership expertise. Somebody crusing seven-night journeys at a mid-tier Fantastica or Aurea expertise degree would want to take 4 or 5 cruises to succeed in the Gold degree.
The very best elite perk with MSC Voyagers Membership
Alas, there isn’t a “wow” perk in the complete MSC Voyagers Membership menu. As famous above, not like some traces, MSC Cruises doesn’t award top-tier members with actually high-value perks equivalent to a free cruise. Nonetheless, the MSC Voyagers Membership’s prime Diamond standing tier does include a couple of attractive advantages.
Our favourite perk in the complete MSC Voyagers Membership program is the complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant that comes with Diamond-level standing. That mentioned, be warned that it’s a complimentary dinner that comes with so much of nice print (a lot nice print, the truth is, that to make use of it verges on the ridiculous).
The complimentary dinner, in concept, is for you and a cabinmate. Nevertheless, among the many fine-print caveats is that members could prolong their invitation to 1 occupant of the identical cabin solely as soon as and provided that the cabinmate will not be additionally a Diamond member. As well as, the complimentary dinner privilege and specialty eating places will not be obtainable on all ship lessons. Members below the age of 18 should be accompanied to be able to make the most of the perk. Additionally, drinks are usually not included with the complimentary dinner, nor are you allowed to convey outdoors drinks into the restaurant.
Ought to all that show too complicated, MSC Voyagers Membership Diamond standing fortunately additionally brings two different strong perks:
- A precedence line for boarding on embarkation day
- Precedence disembarkation on the finish of the cruise
As well as, Diamond degree brings all of the perks of the tiers under it plus:
- Courtesy bathrobe and slippers obtainable through the cruise
- A complimentary dancing class
- An invite to an unique Diamond Occasion
- Late cabin checkout on disembarkation day
- A chocolate reward
Somebody crusing seven-night cruises at a mid-tier Fantastica or Aurea expertise degree would want to take about eight to 10 journeys to succeed in the Diamond degree, relying on their onboard spending.
Word that, in distinction to each different main cruise line loyalty program, MSC Cruises prospects don’t get “ceaselessly standing” as soon as reaching a sure tier of the MSC Voyagers Membership. As soon as achieved, your standing is barely good so long as you are taking a cruise a minimum of as soon as each 36 months.
In case you don’t take a cruise as soon as each 36 months, you will notice your factors within the MSC Voyagers Membership disappear and your total account erased. You’ll must reenroll and begin another time.
This can be a notable distinction from different cruise line loyalty packages, as “ceaselessly standing” is among the nice allures of such packages. Most airline frequent flyer packages, in contrast, require loyalty members to requalify for standing every year.
MSC Voyagers Membership standing match
As famous above, the MSC Voyagers Membership program lets you standing match your strategy to its prime tiers — one thing that different main cruise line loyalty packages don’t provide.
In case you present proof of a excessive loyalty program standing degree with a competing cruise line, a resort firm or perhaps a reserving web site equivalent to Expedia, you’ll be able to catapult your manner from no standing to a top-tier standing with MSC Cruises in a jiffy.
The latter level, to us, is a giant deal. It’s one factor that units the MSC Voyagers Membership other than different cruise line loyalty packages.
The standing match course of at MSC Cruises is easy. Go to the devoted enrollment web page for MSC Voyagers Membership standing matching on the MSC Cruises web site. You’ll discover a quick on-line type the place you enter some private particulars (together with title, beginning date and deal with) and particulars about your standing degree with one other loyalty program. You’ll then must add an image of your membership card for that program (or, for those who don’t have a membership card, a screenshot of your on-line account web page for this system exhibiting your title and standing).
That’s it. Inside a couple of days, you’ll get an e mail or textual content welcoming you into the MSC Voyagers Membership at a standing tier that matches your standing with the opposite model.
The devoted enrollment web page lists greater than 60 loyalty packages from which you’ll standing match into the MSC Cruises loyalty program. They embody such cruise line loyalty packages as Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society and Carnival Cruise Line’s VIFP program. Your standing within the loyalty packages run by such main resort chains as Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott additionally might be submitted for a match.
MSC Cruises doesn’t provide a chart exhibiting which tier of its loyalty program you’ll obtain primarily based in your tier at every of the opposite manufacturers. Our workers members at TPG have had luck matching into the highest Gold or Diamond tiers of the MSC Voyagers Membership program from excessive ranges of competing packages. One TPG editor obtained prime Diamond tier standing within the MSC Cruises program as a match to World of Hyatt Globalist standing, for example. One other staffer obtained Gold standing within the MSC Cruises program as a match to Diamond degree in Royal Caribbean’s program.
Word which you could enter your standing in just one program when searching for a match, so make sure you decide this system wherein you may have the best standing degree.
Backside line
MSC Cruises gives some respectable perks in its four-tier loyalty program, together with reductions and onboard credit whenever you e book further cruises. It additionally permits cruisers to standing match their strategy to the highest tiers of this system.
Nevertheless, the MSC Voyagers Membership program will not be almost as sturdy a frequent cruiser program as these supplied by such rivals as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
