"Black" loyalty program matching program

Wondering how your experience onboard was, if you got your Black status thru the matching program.

Wondering how your experience onboard was, if you got your Black status thru the matching program.

THe black card gives a few freebies and some preferential service whether you get by status match or earn it the hard way like some of us did. You will enjoy the extras like the bubbly and choc strawbs , towelling dressing gowns and of course the choc ship , which a poor substitute for 20% discount we used to get and the champagne not the downgrade to prosecco.

Pete

THe black card gives a few freebies and some preferential service whether you get by status match or earn it the hard way like some of us did. You will enjoy the extras like the bubbly and choc strawbs , towelling dressing gowns and of course the choc ship , which a poor substitute for 20% discount we used to get and the champagne not the downgrade to prosecco.

Pete

Amen Bro!

If you are traveling solo, can you go twice to a specialty restaurant?

If you are traveling solo, can you go twice to a specialty restaurant?

I don't think so, but you can probably take another person with you even if they don't share a cabin with you, so make a acquaintance early on in the cruise. If they have a Black card as well you could both go twice.

Worth a thought.

Pete

First MSC cruise with loyalty match Black status....how does the specialty dining free dinner work please? What restaurants are you allowed to go into? Do you have to book on board?

I'm going on Preziosa.

Thanks

First MSC cruise with loyalty match Black status....how does the specialty dining free dinner work please? What restaurants are you allowed to go into? Do you have to book on board?

I'm going on Preziosa.

Thanks

the system as I used on Orchestra and Splendida was that the speciality dining offered a special "taster" or "limited menu" for black card freebies.

AS far as the two ships I went on there was only 1 speciality dining room so no choice.

We had to book on board.

I think on Preziosa you have the choice of

Rest. Eataly

Rest. Italia

Galaxy Rest.

Eataly pizzeria

Pete

Does anyone know if we can bring a guest to the black status party? I'm black status but my bf isn't...what other perks can we enjoy together?

Thanks!

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Wondering how your experience onboard was, if you got your Black status thru the matching program.

First MSC cruise with loyalty match Black status....how does the specialty dining free dinner work please? What restaurants are you allowed to go into? Do you have to book on board?

I'm going on Preziosa.

Thanks

We are Platinum on NCL and matched Black Card status on MSC. Besides the 5% discount, the other benefit we really enjoyed was the priority boarding. It was so fast I was shocked. I showed them our status on our cruise ticket and we were on the ship within approx. 15 minutes. Yes, the sparkling wine and strawberries are nice too as well as the chocolate ship but not as nice as the speedy embarkation and disembarkation at the end.

PS - Sorry meant to mention the specialty dining. It was the regular menu at either Eataly Steakhouse or Galaxy, which seems to be styled after a dinner/night club.

I understand that those who've gotten to Black Card the hard way feel slighted, I know I would for sure. I mentioned it to one of the officers on the Divina but they had little to say. I really feel that there should be a better status for those who got to Black the hard way, Black Elite perhaps?

How does one go about getting the status match? Upon booking or once on board? I was quoted on a MSC cruise the other day and not once did the TA ask if I was elite on Celebrity or any other line.

How does one go about getting the status match? Upon booking or once on board? I was quoted on a MSC cruise the other day and not once did the TA ask if I was elite on Celebrity or any other line.

Go to your regional MSC home page an click the voyager's club tab, then click on status match.

then click become a member and follow the links

you will need a scan , (cruise card, invoice etc) or screen dump ( loyaty club web page ) which shows you status in another loyalty clubs which you can add as an attachment

Pete, check out this link and see if it's of interest to you. This is the kind of thing I think you and other's who've gotten to Black Card status deserve, especially the Ambassador level. I admit it's from NCL but does it look interesting to you?

Just wondering if it's something MSC might consider.

https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/latitudes-rewards-program-enhancements

......... check out this link and see if it's of interest to you. This is the kind of thing I think you and other's who've gotten to Black Card status deserve, especially the Ambassador level. I admit it's from NCL but does it look interesting to you?

 

Just wondering if it's something MSC might consider.

 

https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/latitudes-rewards-program-enhancements

As someone who gained Black Card level "the hard way" (to quote Pete) and have attended many Black Card member gatherings, this has been the most talked-about subject. We're constantly being told that MSC is "considering it". At this stage, I've given up!

I like your suggestion of a Black Elite level for those who worked their way up the levels, but it would be a logistical nightmare for MSC to operate so I doubt it would run. If they introduced a new tier it would at least give regular MSC cruisers something to aim for - I already have 2.5x the points required to get to Black. Those who've status-matched are less likely to cruise as regularly with MSC as they already have a preferred cruiseline if they're so high up in those loyalty clubs to match to Black in the first place so, even though they may have been awarded the 10000 points at status-match, they may not cruise often enough with MSC to attain the next level, unlike those of us who are happy to cruise solely with MSC and who would really love to have a higher tier with better perks to aim for.

Yes, I guess you're right Bea, they won't be rushing to do anything for loyal pax as long they're gaining new pax continually. I do have to wonder how long it will last though. I'm embarrassed that I didn't do enough research to understand the circumstances of the status match. I thought it was a 1-time deal and then you start at the bottom to earn your points like everyone else.

We certainly had a wonderful time on our NYE cruise and have no reason to expect our next one will be any different. Someone suggested we're just to easy to please but I don't think we are, we just like differenct experiences.

I don't regard myself as a 'loyal' customer - MSC ticks so many of my requirement boxes that other companies just don't. Ireland is a small country so the market just isn't there to warrant stiff competition so we don't get some of the fantastic deals on offer elsewhere - especially in the UK (and US) where there is an abundance of choice, airports with international flights and companies vying for customers. MSC has offered some great deals here over the years, though I've certainly noticed prices creeping up over the last couple of years - especially on what used to be the cheaper itineraries e.g. prices on Winter cruises in the Med are a lot dearer now - up to twice what I would have paid a couple or so years ago! I suppose they're concentrating their energies on building their profile in the American and Chinese markets now that they've established themselves in the British Isles.

I am a status match and as I have posted previously through a hotel loyalty scheme. We took our first cruise last year and found out about the status match after we had booked.

I can understand people who have worked their way to black but status matching is big business in the hotel world and airlines.

Even in the credit card world you can get a high hotel status by having certain annual fee cards e.g. Ames, IHG and Hilton. That's how we got Black by the way through Amex, and our friends silver through IHG card.

We have just finished our second cruise yesterday and are planning our next for next year and Hopefully Alaska on the Divina in 2019.

The bits I think that MSC shouldn't have done is have the status match automatically for 3 years it should have been 1 year and each time you cruise with them in the following 12 months the year is reset (as with airlines and hotels). And also they shouldn't give the discount retrospectively (after people have found out about the status match).

We are new to cruising and MSC is for us as we like the cosmopolitan atmosphere, the leisurely dinners and the friendly service.

Roll on next year!

BTW my favourite black perk? The bathrobe!

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Both my wife & myself have used the status match system and been informed that we have black cards.

Recently booked my first MSC cruise and when I check the booking I am gold & she is black. Has anyone any idea of what is going on.

Thanks.

Pete, check out this link and see if it's of interest to you. This is the kind of thing I think you and other's who've gotten to Black Card status deserve, especially the Ambassador level. I admit it's from NCL but does it look interesting to you?

 

Just wondering if it's something MSC might consider.

 

https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/latitudes-rewards-program-enhancements

it's a very interesting concept although I can see one flaw in it from the guests point of view.

As I understand it the two new tiers are "rolling" tiers and so you must keep adding points as fast as they fall off (after 3 years). this is going to make it very difficult to progress from Platinum+ to Ambassador. You have to increase the rate of cruising to gain points between 176 and 699.

It is possible to earn 3 points per night (but it was under the old scheme) by booking suites and booking them early. That may lead to missing out on last minute bargains.

Pete

I just applied for the status-match using my Princess Elite membership and have not received a reply as yet (3 days), but I assume I will receive Black status on MSC from what I read on these boards. The MSC rewards program does not compare to the rewards program on other cruise lines such as Princess and Holland America. I'm in the top level of both programs and they offer free laundry, free internet (PCL) , and 50% on wine packages (HAL) in addition to other benefits such as priority boarding, etc. MSC is about the only cruise line to offer Mediterranean cruises in February, so that is why we selected them. We are mainly looking at itineraries and value for the money when we book a cruise. Depending on the experience with this cruise we will book with MSC again despite the rewards program on the other lines.

Ron

I just applied for the status-match using my Princess Elite membership and have not received a reply as yet (3 days), but I assume I will receive Black status on MSC from what I read on these boards. The MSC rewards program does not compare to the rewards program on other cruise lines such as Princess and Holland America. I'm in the top level of both programs and they offer free laundry, free internet (PCL) , and 50% on wine packages (HAL) in addition to other benefits such as priority boarding, etc. MSC is about the only cruise line to offer Mediterranean cruises in February, so that is why we selected them. We are mainly looking at itineraries and value for the money when we book a cruise. Depending on the experience with this cruise we will book with MSC again despite the rewards program on the other lines.

 

Ron

Hi Ron,

Jim and I just applied for the status match on MSC using our Princess Elite. I have read it matches for Black on MSC. It has ben 5 days, and we have not heard anything yet.

Have a great summer.

Nancy

Both my wife & myself have used the status match system and been informed that we have black cards.

 

Recently booked my first MSC cruise and when I check the booking I am gold & she is black. Has anyone any idea of what is going on.

 

Thanks.

Sounds like you were given incorrect information either when you were informed you have a black card, or when your information was entered into the online system.

I was Black on my Divina cruise last year and I am Black on it again this year. When I check on the MSC web site, in one place it says I am Black and in another place it says I am gold. I just assume this is because MSC has the world's worst cruise web site with many mistakes and errors.

Hi Ron,

 

Jim and I just applied for the status match on MSC using our Princess Elite. I have read it matches for Black on MSC. It has ben 5 days, and we have not heard anything yet.

 

Have a great summer.

 

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

What a surprise to read your response! We're doing the 12-day MSC Orchestra on February 10th out of Rome. Are you doing this cruise? Post-cruise, we're doing a Collette land tour of Sicily and Southern Italy. Have you and Jim cruised on MSC before. This will be our first time!

Thanks for the response! Enjoy your summer as well.

Ron

Nancy, We still have received no response from MSC. Let me know if you receive a reply to your request for status-match.

Thanks,

Ron

FYI - - I applied for a "match level" and picked my Elite Status on Celebrity (we are also Platinium on Princess). It took a 2-3 weeks to get a response (it was long enough that I thought they would not reply). Finally, three days ago I received an email notifying me that I was given "Black" status. Anyway, I would not expect a quick response from MSC.