Change to Latitudes Program in 2017?

[don't-use-real-name]

On our last two cruises (Pearl and Gem) we asked for bottled water instead of wine at La Cuchina. On the Pearl, the manager gave us 2 bottles of water for one certificate.

 

We already had the Ultimate beverage plan so the wine would have been superfluous.

 

The difference to note here is the UBP is wine by the individual glass serving.

The wine with the Latitudes program is a full bottle that makes 4 to 6 servings.

The bottle can be taken with you somewhere else on the ship (your cabin) or

held to serve at another setting.

It is great that the restaurant people are willing to make substitutions BUT

this turning wine into water goes against my religion - just had to add that ! LOL !

[newmexicoNita]

Only 3 cruises to achieve platinum? Were they all month long cruises? lol I been on 5 and still silver with 44 points

I was wondering the same thing: how does anyone get to platinum that fast, something doesn't seem to fit, but I guess if you take long enough cruises the points pile up pretty fast.

Edited November 27, 2016 by newmexicoNita

[newmexicoNita]

Now now be good.....you cannot have dessert if you don't finish your dinner!:D:D;)

How have you and C been? We haven't run into you in a real long time.

 

on our last cruise they had no real restrictions on what we could eat I asked for salad instead of dessert: no problems and was still offered dessert. This was the case in both restaurants. We might have just had some really nice waiters.

[NHL Philly Fan]

As long as the reward system is being re-vamped, how about some free bottles of water for loyal customers, after all--it's a basic need that has been turned into a luxury aboard ship.

 

 

Water is a basic need. Bottled water is, never mind.

[NHL Philly Fan]

That might be considered a nice perk for some, but many have no issues with the ship's water, so it wouldn't mean anything to them. Maybe some drink vouchers, so that those that want water can get it and those that would rather have a soda or alcoholic drink could have those.

 

 

Better yet a token amount of OBC so the passenger can get what he prefers.

[NLH Arizona]

Better yet a token amount of OBC so the passenger can get what he prefers.

That would work as well.

[jm485]

I was wondering the same thing: how does anyone get to platinum that fast, something doesn't seem to fit, but I guess if you take long enough cruises the points pile up pretty fast.

 

 

 

I have 21 points after 1 7-night cruise (suite + booked > 9 months in advance), so skipped over bronze to silver. Will get 30 points for 10 night cruise booked for October 2017 (extra for suite + booked > 9 months out). So if I book another triple point 10-night trip, I'll be platinum in 3 trips, assuming the rules don't change.

 

 

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[don't-use-real-name]

I have 21 points after 1 7-night cruise (suite + booked > 9 months in advance), so skipped over bronze to silver. Will get 30 points for 10 night cruise booked for October 2017 (extra for suite + booked > 9 months out). So if I book another triple point 10-night trip, I'll be platinum in 3 trips, assuming the rules don't change.

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It is all in the planning and you have found an excellent way to accelerate your status to Platinum !

Don't forget to check for the Insider Offers that may just coincide with your

plans - you will get there much quicker with an additional point per night.

 

My first cruise was an Alaska 7 day SB NCL SUN giving me 7 points bronze

The 2nd was a 14 day Panama Canal NCL STAR (Insider Offer) booked 9 months - in a suite giving me a whopping 56 points

And the 3rd was 7 day Western Caribbean NCL DAWN booked 9 months in a suite for 21 points - finishing the job with a total (7+56+21) 84 points - 8 points more than the Platinum of 76

My most recent 14 day (B2B*) New England trip NCL DAWN was booked 9 months - suite giving 42 points - Platinum is now at 126

 

* The best part of B2B trips is that each leg is considered a separate trip and I received two Platinum certificates - one for each leg.

 

Plan your travels carefully and get the best bang for the buck you can !

Come back to Cruise Critic for help in laying out your strategy for the Platinum Mission !

Edited November 27, 2016 by don't-use-real-name

[Beaver1975]

I have 21 points after 1 7-night cruise (suite + booked > 9 months in advance), so skipped over bronze to silver. Will get 30 points for 10 night cruise booked for October 2017 (extra for suite + booked > 9 months out). So if I book another triple point 10-night trip, I'll be platinum in 3 trips, assuming the rules don't change.

 

 

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This is why the Latitudes program has become such a joke. The only solutions is higher levels for those that earned Platinum the old fashioned way and have continued to sail NCL for many years.

 

445 points with 36 NCL sailings

Edited November 27, 2016 by Beaver1975

[jm485]

This is why the Latitudes program has become such a joke. The only solutions is higher levels for those that earned Platinum the old fashioned way and have continued to sail NCL for many years.

 

445 points with 36 NCL sailings

 

 

FWIW, I'm not actively seeking "status." Someone asked how you could get to platinum in 3 cruises -- so I thought I'd answer.

 

We usually take one vacation a year at most. Next year is unusual because of MIL's 80th birthday. We have to plan far in advance due to my work, so we get the credit for early booking. The cruise line wants to know the cabins are filled, so they give an extra "point" if you book far in advance.

 

We like the extra space and some of the perks of being in a suite, and since we are usually only taking one vacation a year because of time issues more than anything, we can do it. Suites usually cost much more than 2X the cost of a non-suite, so giving an extra point for that is -- from a revenue perspective -- entirely fair. Honestly, I think it would be kind of silly to book a suite just to get the extra points.

 

I'm not sure why you have such an issue with how I've reached my Latitudes level versus you having earned your status the "old-fashioned way." I didn't make the rules and I'm not planning my trips to gain status (this isn't like making mileage runs to keep airline status).

 

You are really lucky that you've had the ability to spend more than a year of your life cruising and NCL should really do something to recognize travelers who have spent so much time with them. But maybe you could find a way of expressing that without being so snippy toward those who have achieved their status through advance booking, use of Latitude offers or staying in suites just because you don't happen to like NCL's current rules.

 

 

 

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[armwinder]

This is why the Latitudes program has become such a joke. The only solutions is higher levels for those that earned Platinum the old fashioned way and have continued to sail NCL for many years.

 

445 points with 36 NCL sailings

 

I agree, it was a bit of a shock to see so many Platinum members appear all of a sudden, after they only sailed a few times. We got ours the hard way after 14 cruises or so. Even a back to back of 14 days only counted as one cruise, (unless it was booked as two cruises with added cost). It would be nice for those of us who have many cruises under our belt could be recognized. Even though I appreciate having Platinum status it has lost its appeal now there are so many others.

[jm485]

It is all in the planning and you have found an excellent way to accelerate your status to Platinum !

 

 

Wow, you've taken some really interesting trips! I'm thinking about Alaska for 2018, but likely will take HAL or Princess depending on the itinerary. I hope to do a Panama Canal transit some day, but the longer trips are something I can really only do once every few years.

 

I will keep an eye on the Latitudes offers, too. If there's a trip that works that's in those offers, why not take advantage of the offer? Thanks for the suggestion.

 

 

 

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[SeaShark]

This is why the Latitudes program has become such a joke. The only solutions is higher levels for those that earned Platinum the old fashioned way and have continued to sail NCL for many years.

 

445 points with 36 NCL sailings

 

I don't know if NCL considers lots of Platinum-level guests (IOW repeat customers) to be a problem in need of a "solution". I think it would concern them more if the number of Platinum-level guests was small.

 

All things being equal, I think they'd be happy if the ships were FULL of Platinum-level guests.

 

Also...don't assume that more levels is the "only" answer either. NCL could simply make it a rolling point program where your points would expire after 4-5 years. That would reward the frequent cruisers and not reward those who only cruise occasionally. That way, if you aren't cruising frequently, you drop back down to gold, back down to silver, and back down to bronze.

[bostongal965]

I don't know if NCL considers lots of Platinum-level guests (IOW repeat customers) to be a problem in need of a "solution". I think it would concern them more if the number of Platinum-level guests was small.

 

All things being equal, I think they'd be happy if the ships were FULL of Platinum-level guests.

 

Also...don't assume that more levels is the "only" answer either. NCL could simply make it a rolling point program where your points would expire after 4-5 years. That would reward the frequent cruisers and not reward those who only cruise occasionally. That way, if you aren't cruising frequently, you drop back down to gold, back down to silver, and back down to bronze.

 

This is very similar to what Starbucks does with its stars to reach gold card status. You have to keep earning stars to stay gold.

 

I'll be platinum after my next cruise, which will only be my seventh. Since I'm a teacher, I know in advance what weeks I can sail, and I book early for price and availability, since school break weeks sell out or get expensive (inside on my next cruise was sold out until final payment - now the rooms are more than $400 what I paid). The extra points have been a bonus, but not necessarily an incentive to earn Latitudes levels. That being said, I'm really looking forward to my next cruise after this to finally experience Platinum! I hope they only improve it, and not diminish it.

[DMH15]

FWIW, I'm not actively seeking "status." Someone asked how you could get to platinum in 3 cruises -- so I thought I'd answer.

 

We usually take one vacation a year at most. Next year is unusual because of MIL's 80th birthday. We have to plan far in advance due to my work, so we get the credit for early booking. The cruise line wants to know the cabins are filled, so they give an extra "point" if you book far in advance.

 

We like the extra space and some of the perks of being in a suite, and since we are usually only taking one vacation a year because of time issues more than anything, we can do it. Suites usually cost much more than 2X the cost of a non-suite, so giving an extra point for that is -- from a revenue perspective -- entirely fair. Honestly, I think it would be kind of silly to book a suite just to get the extra points.

 

I'm not sure why you have such an issue with how I've reached my Latitudes level versus you having earned your status the "old-fashioned way." I didn't make the rules and I'm not planning my trips to gain status (this isn't like making mileage runs to keep airline status).

 

You are really lucky that you've had the ability to spend more than a year of your life cruising and NCL should really do something to recognize travelers who have spent so much time with them. But maybe you could find a way of expressing that without being so snippy toward those who have achieved their status through advance booking, use of Latitude offers or staying in suites just because you don't happen to like NCL's current rules.

 

 

 

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Bingo!

 

Case in point: My mom and I met two young ladies who got last minute South America cruises from Santiago to BA on rhe Sun. It cost them less than to fly, 15 nights for $449. My mom and I each spent roughly 10 times that amount for our two room suite. They spent zero on board except for DSC. We, on the otherhand spent on board with specialty dining, chefs table, casino, spa, bingo and excursions. My Antarctica Landing alone was over $1,400. Oh yeah, we almost always book at least a year in advance.

 

Perhaps NCL wishes to recognize those that book early and spend more for suites. For some reason it gets under the skin of some of those who did it the old fashioned way. Me? I do not care who gets to Platinum and how they got there. NCL's ball so they get to make the rules.

 

 

 

 

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[wdsted]

Because it's relatively easy to achieve Platinum status, every sailing has lots of folks with that status. No big problem with that other than the "harsh" reality to newbies that with this status, they will not receive special treatment available only to a select few. Don't get me wrong, the perks are fine. It would, however, be nice for the top 10% or so of this group to enjoy additional perks. Examples: a concierge they could actually reach, priority for upgrades, insider offers, a helpful cruise consultant designated for only the very top tier, separate service phone number. With only 15 NCL cruises under our belts, we shouldn't get the same perks as those with over 50 or so.

 

Final thoughts: please restrain yourselves from starting any conversation with "We're Platinum so (insert impractical demand). That ain't how Latitudes currently works.

 

 

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Edited November 28, 2016 by wdsted

[TrumpyNor]

It is "nothing special" anymore to have Platinum status when cruising on NCL. A few years ago I remember a young photographer working at the photo gallery on board, who when he saw my ship card was all exited saying that "Wow, are you really Platinum? It is the first time I meet someone with Platinum status." And when we did the Platinum behind-the-scenes-tours there were maybe max 7-8 of us in total (not divided in to several groups like they have to do today), and we usually got a visit to the bridge as well.

 

And every crew member on board gave even better service than the usual friendly NCL standard when they saw our card with "Platinum" written on it, and there were crew members who knew our names and said hello wherever we went on the ship.

 

OK, I acknowledge that the above mentioned "situations" are not necessary to me in order to have a great cruise - but it is still nice to feel "special" among thousands of fellow cruisers.

 

What I am expecting when (if) they change the Latitude program is not that they change the current levels and perks, but that they add 1-2 new ladders (eg. 250 points and 500 points) to the program.

[drb247]

It is "nothing special" anymore to have Platinum status when cruising on NCL. A few years ago I remember a young photographer working at the photo gallery on board, who when he saw my ship card was all exited saying that "Wow, are you really Platinum? It is the first time I meet someone with Platinum status." And when we did the Platinum behind-the-scenes-tours there were maybe max 7-8 of us in total (not divided in to several groups like they have to do today), and we usually got a visit to the bridge as well.

 

And every crew member on board gave even better service than the usual friendly NCL standard when they saw our card with "Platinum" written on it, and there were crew members who knew our names and said hello wherever we went on the ship.

 

OK, I acknowledge that the above mentioned "situations" are not necessary to me in order to have a great cruise - but it is still nice to feel "special" among thousands of fellow cruisers.

 

What I am expecting when (if) they change the Latitude program is not that they change the current levels and perks, but that they add 1-2 new ladders (eg. 250 points and 500 points) to the program.

 

 

I think most would be in agreement that this is a fair request.

[NHL Philly Fan]

Wow this is like high school all over again. Everyone all upset over what 'level' someone else is and how they got there. Who gives a damn? If having a pretty little card to flaunt around on a cruise makes you feel like a better or more important person you have issues that changing the levels or rules of a loyalty program will never fix. Seriously people get over it.

[oteixeira]

Yup, and then their are folks like me that can only book about 6 months out at best because I have to book around my handicapped son's care here at home. I am bronze, and get single points per cruise, and am not worried about it. Honestly these perks are not really that big a deal to most of you, are they?

[NLH Arizona]

Wow this is like high school all over again. Everyone all upset over what 'level' someone else is and how they got there. Who gives a damn? If having a pretty little card to flaunt around on a cruise makes you feel like a better or more important person you have issues that changing the levels or rules of a loyalty program will never fix. Seriously people get over it.

Totally agree, but then again, I don't cruise for loyalty programs. I cruise for deals/prices, itineraries, etc. and very rarely use any of the benefits of the loyalty programs on any of the lines I cruise with.

[Shocked91]

This has just been posted on Twitter

 

[KeithJenner]

This has just been posted on Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

 

That doesn't show properly for me, but it's also on Facebook.

 

"We are delighted to announce that in early 2017, we will have some exciting enhancements coming to the Latitudes Rewards Programme.

 

From great new benefits to additional programme tiers, we've listened to your feedback and made the programme even more rich and rewarding for all our members! #FeelFree"

[dexddd]

This has just been posted on Twitter

 

 

Thanks. It doesn't say much. Are we to infer the new benefit level includes a young couple in your bed?

[hawkeyetlse]

We get it, NCL, you're delighted :D

 

In the past they wouldn't have bothered with these pre-announcements, they would have just sprung the changes on us overnight. So this is a tiny step forward, I suppose…