MSC Cruises’ MSC Voyagers Membership loyalty program: Every part you should know

In comparison with a few of its closest rivals, MSC Cruises has a comparatively modest loyalty program.

Not like the frequent cruiser applications at Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, the MSC Voyagers Membership loyalty program does not provide its members a free cruise after reaching the highest tier. It doesn’t provide a large low cost on the only complement cost for solo vacationers, as Royal Caribbean affords its top-tier members, nor does it grant precedence entry to onboard reveals.

Nonetheless, the MSC Cruises loyalty program affords a number of worthwhile perks at greater 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 permits you to standing match your approach into certainly one of its high tiers — one thing that no different main cruise line loyalty program affords.

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 will depend on varied components.

For starters, you earn factors based mostly on the size of the cruise, however the factors you earn additionally rely upon which MSC Cruises “expertise” you e-book. As common MSC Cruises clients know, the road affords 4 onboard experiences, every with completely different inclusions and value factors. Bella is essentially the most fundamental — and least costly — expertise accessible. MSC Yacht Membership is the highest expertise accessible. Experiences known as Fantastica and Aurea are in between.

For sailings of 4 nights or fewer, every passenger within the cabin will earn the next variety of factors relying on expertise kind:

• Bella: 200
• Fantastica: 400
• Aurea: 600
• MSC Yacht Membership: 800

For sailings of 5 to 9 nights, each visitor will earn the next variety of factors relying on expertise kind:

• Bella: 500
• Fantastica: 700
• Aurea: 1,000
• MSC Yacht Membership: 1,500

For sailings of 9 or extra nights, they’re going to earn the next variety of factors relying on expertise kind:

• Bella: 700
• Fantastica: 1,000
• Aurea: 1,500
• MSC Yacht Membership: 2,000

Along with the above, you may also earn factors for extras when spending cash on MSC Cruises ships or when reserving upfront of crusing. You may earn 100 factors for each $150 you spend on pay as you go 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 providers that apply to all cabin occupants (and never single occupants), factors might be equally distributed among the many cabin occupants.

For instance, say the full quantity of pay as you go onboard providers 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 might be $150, which is the same as 100 factors.

Associated: The last word information to MSC Cruises ships and itineraries

The ultimate approach 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 applications, the entry-level tier (Basic) does not present many actually worthwhile rewards. By far, essentially the most alluring profit at this stage is the 5% low cost members obtain when reserving future sailings. (This low cost is just not legitimate for MSC Grand Excursions and when reserving Tandem cabins, that are specifically discounted cabins that oldsters can e-book for youths.) That is actual financial savings each time you e-book a cruise.

Moreover, Basic members obtain:

• An additional 5% low cost on Voyagers Exclusives sailings made till six months earlier than departure
• An MSC Voyagers Membership e-newsletter
• MSC Voyagers Membership personalised baggage tags for embarkation within the e-ticket
• An MSC Voyagers Membership card
• A “welcome again” cocktail
• A devoted quantity to name on board
• Reductions on many packages and facilities, together with onboard photos, digital equipment, Wi-Fi and spa and health choices
• An MSC Retailers low cost (for every $50 spent in any onboard retailers, you’ll obtain a $10 low cost)

Word that the MSC Retailers low cost has quite a lot of effective print. The low cost is just not combinable with promotions accessible on board and isn’t accessible for spending on tobacco merchandise and electronics. It is also solely legitimate on the primary day of a cruise. That remaining level prompts us to downgrade the worth of this perk significantly.

Upon reaching the second tier of this system, Silver, you get a few extra perks. Probably 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 upfront, you get the $50 credit score however not the double factors.)

The Silver stage additionally brings an unspecified milestone reward and all of the perks of the lower-tier Basic stage.

Associated: Every part you should find out about MSC Cruises cabins and suites

You can be a member of the Basic stage as quickly as you are taking a single cruise, because it takes just one level to achieve the Basic stage. You additionally may be capable to attain the Silver stage in only one cruise should you take a protracted 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 stage would wish two or three cruises to achieve the Silver stage.

The elite stage that makes a distinction

Being loyal to MSC Cruises begins paying off in a extra significant approach when you attain the Gold stage of the MSC Voyagers Membership program. Even right here, although, the rewards are nonetheless comparatively modest.

The Gold stage 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 may get off the ship a lot sooner in some instances than the vast majority of different passengers. That can assist you to maximize your time in tender ports.

Moreover, Gold standing brings all of the perks of the tiers beneath it, plus:

• A complimentary one-hour thermal space session as soon as per cruise
• A complimentary reward
• A complimentary photograph taken through the “welcome again” cocktail celebration
• A complimentary birthday cake when it is your birthday

It might take you as few as two cruises to achieve the Gold stage should you 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 stage would wish 4 or 5 cruises to achieve the Gold stage.

The very best elite perk with MSC Voyagers Membership

Alas, there is not a “wow” perk in your entire MSC Voyagers Membership menu. As famous above, in contrast to some traces, MSC Cruises does not award top-tier members with actually high-value perks equivalent to a free cruise. Nonetheless, MSC Voyagers Membership’s high Diamond standing tier does include just a few attractive advantages.

Our favourite perk in your entire MSC Voyagers Membership program is the complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant that comes with Diamond-level standing. That mentioned, be warned that the complimentary dinner comes with quite a bit of effective print (a lot effective print, in actual fact, that to make use of it verges on the ridiculous).

The complimentary dinner, in concept, is for you and a cabinmate. Nonetheless, among the many fine-print caveats is that two Diamond members staying in the identical cabin do not get two free dinners.

For those who and your partner are each Diamond members, and also you dine collectively utilizing the perk, MSC Cruises counts that as you each utilizing your perk for that one meal. That mentioned, should you had two different folks staying with you in the identical cabin, you and your partner might every use your perk to take certainly one of them out for the free dinner, leading to two free dinners in your cabin.

Moreover, the complimentary dinner privilege at specialty eating places won’t be accessible on all ship courses. Members below the age of 18 have to be accompanied by an grownup at dinner. Additionally, drinks aren’t included with the complimentary dinner, nor are you allowed to carry outdoors drinks into the restaurant.

Associated: The 6 sorts of MSC Cruises ships, defined

Ought to all that show too complicated, MSC Voyagers Membership Diamond standing fortunately additionally affords two different strong perks:

• A precedence line for boarding on embarkation day
• Precedence disembarkation on the finish of the cruise

The Diamond stage additionally gives all of the perks of the tiers beneath it, plus:

• Courtesy bathrobe and slippers accessible through the cruise
• A complimentary dance 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 stage would wish to take about eight to 10 journeys to achieve the Diamond stage, relying on onboard spending.

In distinction to each different main cruise line loyalty program, MSC Cruises clients don’t get “eternally standing” as soon as they attain a sure tier of the MSC Voyagers Membership. As soon as achieved, your standing is just good so long as you are taking a cruise at the least as soon as each 36 months.

For those who do not take a cruise as soon as each 36 months, you will note your factors within the MSC Voyagers Membership disappear and your whole account erased. You may need to reenroll and begin another time.

It is a notable distinction from different cruise line loyalty applications, as “eternally standing” is without doubt one of the nice allures of such applications. Many airline frequent flyer applications, in contrast, require loyalty members to requalify for standing every year.

MSC Voyagers Membership standing match

As famous above, the MSC Voyagers Membership program permits you to standing match your approach to its high tiers — one thing different main cruise line loyalty applications do not provide.

For those who present proof of a excessive loyalty program standing stage with a competing cruise line, a lodge firm or perhaps a reserving website equivalent to Expedia, you possibly can catapult your approach from no standing to a top-tier standing with MSC Cruises in a jiffy. A excessive standing stage at an airline, alas, will not get you a standing match at MSC Cruises, with a handful of exceptions equivalent to a excessive standing stage at Air China.

This MSC Cruises standing match, to us, is a giant deal. It is one factor that units MSC Voyagers Membership aside from different cruise line loyalty applications.

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 may discover a quick on-line type the place you enter some private particulars (together with identify, delivery date and handle) and particulars about your standing stage with one other loyalty program. You may then need to add an image of your membership card for that program (or, if you do not have a membership card, a screenshot of your on-line account web page exhibiting your identify and standing).

That is it. Inside just a few days, you will get an e mail or textual content welcoming you into the MSC Voyagers Membership program at a standing tier that matches your standing with the opposite model.

The devoted enrollment web page lists greater than 60 loyalty applications from which you’ll standing match into the MSC Cruises loyalty program. They embrace such cruise line loyalty applications as Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society and Carnival Cruise Line’s VIFP Membership program. Your standing within the loyalty applications run by such main lodge chains as Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott additionally could be submitted for a match.

MSC Cruises does not provide a chart exhibiting which tier of its loyalty program you’ll obtain based mostly 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 applications. One TPG editor obtained high Diamond tier standing within the MSC Cruises program as a match to World of Hyatt Globalist standing, as an illustration. One other staffer obtained Gold standing within the MSC Cruises program as a match to the Diamond stage in Royal Caribbean’s program.

You’ll be able to enter your standing in just one program when in search of a match, so choose this system through which you’ve got the very best standing stage.

Backside line

MSC Cruises affords some respectable perks in its four-tier loyalty program, together with reductions and onboard credit whenever you e-book extra cruises. It additionally permits cruisers to standing match their approach to the highest tiers of this system.

Nonetheless, the MSC Voyagers Membership program is just not almost as sturdy a frequent cruiser program as these provided by such rivals as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian.

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