I was able to go on my first cruise last June. Prior to that trip, I had occasionally thought of taking a cruise but ultimately talked myself out of it for one reason or another. The cruise was a retirement trip for one of my best friends from my time in the military so I had to be there. The cruise was great. There was so much food, drinks and good vibes that I did not want it to end.
The night prior to making it back to Port Canaveral, we decided to meet at the sports bar to have some drinks and reminisce about the trip. The drinks were flowing and this older couple decided to sit next to us because we were having a great time. We recounted our trip to the strangers. They immediately asked if we paid “full” price for the drink packages, excursions, specialty restaurants, etc.
We all agreed that we paid whatever prices the website had listed. No haggling, no Googling…just vibes. The gentleman then dropped a nugget on us. MSC Cruises offers status match with just about EVERY loyalty program. To say that I was shocked would be putting it mildly. I could not believe I did not think to look into the loyalty program prior to embarking on the cruise. Definitely a rookie mistake from the so called travel blogger.
I mentioned the status match in a MSC cruise tips post but wanted to take some time to expand on it. This is important because I have a cruise planned for the coming weeks.
While I was cautioned that the perks offered for the status match are not eye popping, I still wanted to check it out nonetheless. To get started, I registered for MSC’s Voyager Club and was given the lowest tier…Classic. I then went to MSC’s status match page, which lists nearly 75 brands, to fill out my personal information and provide my highest loyalty status for consideration. The status I used was Marriott Bonvoy Platinum.
After submitting, I received confirmation of the match within 24 hours, via email. I was matched at Voyager’s Club Silver status, which was 2200 points. These points, coupled with the 400 from the cruise, put me 1600 points from Gold status.
Silver status benefits:
• Use of dedicated help desk onboard
• Access to MSC Voyagers Club exclusive online area
• Subscription to MSC Voyagers Club e-newsletter, including a special pre-board issue
• 5% cruise discount for all cabin occupants year-round
• 5 to 15 percent cruise discount on Voyages Selection sailings
• MSC Voyagers Club-branded key card
• MSC Voyagers Club luggage tags
• Complimentary cocktail
• Special onboard offers
• Access to onboard dedicated number
• Access to MSC Ambassador online poll
• $50 onboard credit on Voyages Selection sailings
• Milestone reward when you reach the next loyalty status level
• Complimentary fruit basket (one per cruise)
The most “valuable” perk for me is the cruise discount. I also can appreciate the $50 onboard credit. While a majority of the perks are relatively low value, I appreciate any gift when spending a significant amount of money. Now if I can only unlock the specialty restaurant discount the couple mentioned…
Final Word
I made a rookie mistake on my first cruise by not performing my due diligence with regard to loyalty programs. Once I received the information, I quickly applied for a status match. The perks of the match are negligible at the lower levels but I strongly believe that something is better than nothing. I cannot wait to cruise again!
