Windstar's Loyalty Repeat Customer Discount is Worthless!

Hello all -

So last year my wife and I took the 7 night W/S Dreams of Tahiti cruise. It was our first W/S cruise and as a result, we officially became part of the W/S "family." After the cruise we received regular e-mailings from W/S which touted our "valuable" 5% repeat customer loyalty discount on future W/S cruises.

So this year we're doing the same cruise because one of those special air fares to AKL with a free Tahiti stopover, three nights worth of free lodging in PPT, we enjoyed last year's cruise so much, and now an "unannounced" $1,899 W/S sale fare (more about this fare in another post).

So we booked our W/S cruise with an agent and ask about the 5% repeat loyalty customer discount. At first we're told "of course." But by the time we get down to the real numbers and real particulars, we're told [straight from a W/S agent (we were on a three party phone call)] that the loyalty discount is only available on select "higher priced" cruises and since ours isn't one of them, we get no discount. When we asked for shipboard credit in lieu of our "discount," we were offered none from the W/S sales agent for the same reason (don't feel terribly sorry for us because we did get something from some other source - maybe the subject of another post).

In other words, we're getting the same publicly advertised sale price assuming we had never cruised with W/S before. In other words, the so called loyalty discount is a joke because it's only available if you pay a fare which is at least 5% higher than sales fares offered to the world's tourists.

Now maybe there's something we didn't understand (although I doubt it because I'm pretty thorough). But maybe this is just the way it is; another one of those touted discounts which when you get down in the weeds you learn is really no discount at all.

Since there are so many W/S regulars out there, I thought I would share our experience and learn what we did wrong, if anything. Or expose the truth for all to see. So thanks in advance for the feedback, and if any of you have connections with W/S to get us our loyalty discount, we would appreciate the intervention.

We’ve sailed Windstar 3 Times with a 4th trio reserved. Never experienced a problem getting our discount even on November flash sales. We also got the if you book another within 60 days discount.

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I've always gotten the alumi discount on every booking, no matter what the cost of the cruise or if the price was a special promotion.

I did go to Windstar's webpage, and note it says:

• 5% savings on most cruise fares
  

We have received it on all the cruises we booked after the initial one as well. Perhaps you should call back and try to chat with a different Windstar representative? Truly that does not seem right. Here is what the website says...although I now see it does say the 5% off is on "most" cruises. I would still call back.

Your very first Windstar voyage welcomes you to membership in the Windstar Yacht Club, a private passport to privilege for our honored guests. Windstar Yacht Club members enjoy special benefits when you book, while you’re on board, and every time you share the Windstar experience with friends and family.

• 5% savings on most cruise fares
  
• NEW! Additional 5% Welcome Home discount on select cruises when you book within 60 days of disembarkation from a qualifying cruise
  
• Complimentary one-category standard stateroom or suite upgrade at onboard check-in*
  
• Private onboard member cocktail reception
  
• Invitation to dine with the Captain or Ship’s Officers
  
• Exclusive onboard gift
  
• $100 referral gift for you and each referred friend
  
• NEW! Enjoy additional discounts at Windstar Partner Properties - see details.
  

We received a personalized email from Windstar after our most recent cruise in April. It says:

“We are offering a Welcome Home discount of 5%, taken off your next cruise, when you book it within 60 days from your last one. This is in addition to the 5% discount you receive for being an Alumni guest.”

No mention of any restrictions on the alumni discount in the email. Is the wording on the site new?

I’ve found that you sometimes get one response from one rep and a different one from another. So it may be worth phoning back. Hope you’re successful!

There have always been some restrictions on the deeply discounted fares. We did not get one on a flash sale but the price was still too good to pass up.

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Thanks to all. I did note that the "5% savings (applies to)...most cruise fares," should that be nothing more than an "escape" clause when for whatever reasons W/S doesn't want to extend the savings?

Rather than calling back to speak to another W/S sales representative, I sent an e-mail to W/S instead. Let's see what they come back with.

Now our fares were something called "private sale tier 4" which I will write on in another post. But regardless of the label, since they are no different than the fares published on vacations to go, the 5% savings should apply.