MSC status match

[hamrag]

7 hours ago, MPJCH said:

So I called on Friday and turns out you can’t call, you have to e-mail them! But I did talk to a very nice lady who basically said because I had to reapply ( which I shouldn’t have had too) it put me at gold, and there was nothing she could do!  She totally got what I was saying about MSC going back on there own policy! Needless to say we canceled the cruise we booked for July 2020! Booked with another cruise line! We are still going on the October MSC cruise only because it’s pay for and it out of New York and it’s my husband 60th Birthday! Probably won’t cruise MSC again! And trust me MSC has gotten their share of money from us, we have sailed 2 times in the Yacht Club & the October cruise is in the Yacht Club too!  

 

Also sorry some of you weren’t happy because MSC has the status match, but people were only taking advantage of what MSC was offering, I’m sure you would do the same if it was you & you had points with other cruise line!

Wow....you cancelled a cruise for the 'loss' of a speciality meal and a chocolate ship....really! 

[MPJCH]

No, I’m not giving my money to a cruise line who doesn’t go by their own rules!! Most cruise line grandfather your status in when they change their policy, MSC did not!! I don’t even think the Armonia has a specialty restaurant! And we can get the 5% discount  from the military discount!

[GOLDENBONNY]

On 11/24/2018 at 3:17 AM, lupinsmum said:

I don’t understand why some MSC  cruisers are upset about the status match but please remember the cruisers given this Black status by MSC have earned this with another cruise line. If Celebrity were to offer this offer to other lines I wouldn’t have a problem with this. Why are you so bothered. To maintain your status you only have to sail once every three years as stated by MSC.  Competition is good for cruise lines and passengers. Of course if your not happy with MSC you could always try another cruise company.

 

I can explain why. AS a Black member I have a priority embarkation -now its a Zoo of Black members, not 10-15 people like it was before.  

Free dinner in paid restaurant much harder to get.

Black members party looks like half of ship is there, seats are taken, and nothing special about it any more. 

Before Black status came with lots of perks and discounts -now hardly any. 

 

[lupinsmum]

3 hours ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

I can explain why. AS a Black member I have a priority embarkation -now its a Zoo of Black members, not 10-15 people like it was before.  

Free dinner in paid restaurant much harder to get.

Black members party looks like half of ship is there, seats are taken, and nothing special about it any more. 

Before Black status came with lots of perks and discounts -now hardly any. 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

I can explain why. AS a Black member I have a priority embarkation -now its a Zoo of Black members, not 10-15 people like it was before.  

Free dinner in paid restaurant much harder to get.

Black members party looks like half of ship is there, seats are taken, and nothing special about it any more. 

Before Black status came with lots of perks and discounts -now hardly any. 

 

Very similar with RCL no so much with Celebrity, even though we are Diamond + and Elite 

it hasn’t really affected us even from when we first started cruising.  We have always brought our own drinks package and any specialty restaurants we have booked and paid for. The Captains get together we always pass on as people only seem to try and drink as much as they can in the shortest time possible. We’re always early at the port so no problem boarding and disembark with our cases when we want to.  The cabin upgrade similar to MSC 5% discount is the best thing in my opinion. 

 

[Esperanza7]

This will be our first MSC Cruise. We are platinum with NCL and when I applied for the status match I expected (as I had read) to get 'black'. When it came back 'gold' I did query it with MSC in Madrid and they explained that only Ambassador people would now receive the 'black' status. Platinum and Platinum Plus will receive 'gold'. I actually have no issue with this (although black would have been nice!). Other cruise lines don't match at all, so really this is fine by us. We actually wanted to give MSC a try, especially that we live in Europe and can pick up their ships at different ports quite easily. 🙂 

[Até]

1 hour ago, Esperanza7 said:

... they explained that only Ambassador people would now receive the 'black' status. Platinum and Platinum Plus will receive 'gold'.

Wow, I thought there were like less than 100 people with Ambassador status.  I figured they might change it, but I thought they would still match Platinum Plus to Black.

[Suzieanna]

I do think the “welcome back” type events should be kept to those who are actually coming back.   

 

    I see black card holders get a free dance lesson?  I can already dance... I will give 2 dance lessons for a chocolate ship if anybody wants to trade! 

[dexddd]

15 hours ago, Suzieanna said:

I do think the “welcome back” type events should be kept to those who are actually coming back.   

 

    I see black card holders get a free dance lesson?  I can already dance... I will give 2 dance lessons for a chocolate ship if anybody wants to trade! 

How about a trade for a Manx?

 

Getting a chocolate ship through TSA isn't very easy.

[Suzieanna]

I will take the lesson on board the Preziosa..   haha!     I taught a P&O ship the Boston Two Step once!!  

 

 

 

 

[Markanddonna]

I tried to find the chart on the MSC site that showed which status you would receive from another loyalty status.  If they want to change the rules, that is their prerogative, but once the status match was issued, it shouldn't be revoked. 

 

Can anyone provide a link where I might find this chart?  

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by Markanddonna

[quickrate]

22 hours ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

I can explain why. AS a Black member I have a priority embarkation -now its a Zoo of Black members, not 10-15 people like it was before.  

Free dinner in paid restaurant much harder to get.

Black members party looks like half of ship is there, seats are taken, and nothing special about it any more. 

Before Black status came with lots of perks and discounts -now hardly any. 

 

As a Diamond card holder on Carnival, I completely understand how you feel. I have a question pertaining to embark that I hope you can answer for me. When my husband and I did a status match back in May, We received an email in June stating we were both Black Cards as we are both Diamond with Carnival. When we received our E-Docs for De. 9th cruise on Divina, I am marked as black, he is blank! I called MSC to try to fix this and the lady I talked to told me it was probably because we used the same email address, which makes no sense to me, and he would have to reapply which at this point with the new rules he would probably be given Gold. Since I have priority embarkation, will he be allowed to board with me since we are in the same room? On Carnival, this is how it works. When I asked the agent I was talking to about boarding, she told me I would have to deal with that at the port! If we both can't board thru priority, I will just board with him but would like to have an idea of what to expect. Appreciate any help from Veteran MSC Cruisers! In fact, I wish one of you could adopt us as so far MSC has been very confusing!

Pat

[quickrate]

17 hours ago, Suzieanna said:

I do think the “welcome back” type events should be kept to those who are actually coming back.   

 

    I see black card holders get a free dance lesson?  I can already dance... I will give 2 dance lessons for a chocolate ship if anybody wants to trade! 

I also agree that the "welcome back" party should be for those that "earned" the black card!

Pat

[sidari]

The Welcome back party is supposed to be for those who have already sailed on an MSC ship and are returning, the Black card party is a separate event.

[ziggyuk]

2 hours ago, quickrate said:

I am marked as black, he is blank! I called MSC to try to fix this and the lady I talked to told me it was probably because we used the same email address, which makes no sense to me

Pat

 

Give them a call back and when you do make sure you have both your latitude numbers to hand and make sure they apply your husbands number to the booking.

 

You should both have an online account with your own latitude number and showing you both as black (assuming you registered both numbers against accounts after your status match).

 

Once the correct numbers are registered against the booking it should show up in both your online accounts, our bookings show up in both our accounts.

 

It is important as your husband black status will expire after three years if he does not have a booking lodged against his account.

[GOLDENBONNY]

3 hours ago, quickrate said:

As a Diamond card holder on Carnival, I completely understand how you feel. I have a question pertaining to embark that I hope you can answer for me. When my husband and I did a status match back in May, We received an email in June stating we were both Black Cards as we are both Diamond with Carnival. When we received our E-Docs for De. 9th cruise on Divina, I am marked as black, he is blank! I called MSC to try to fix this and the lady I talked to told me it was probably because we used the same email address, which makes no sense to me, and he would have to reapply which at this point with the new rules he would probably be given Gold. Since I have priority embarkation, will he be allowed to board with me since we are in the same room? On Carnival, this is how it works. When I asked the agent I was talking to about boarding, she told me I would have to deal with that at the port! If we both can't board thru priority, I will just board with him but would like to have an idea of what to expect. Appreciate any help from Veteran MSC Cruisers! In fact, I wish one of you could adopt us as so far MSC has been very confusing!

Pat

You can embark together no problem. 

[quickrate]

21 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

 

Give them a call back and when you do make sure you have both your latitude numbers to hand and make sure they apply your husbands number to the booking.

 

You should both have an online account with your own latitude number and showing you both as black (assuming you registered both numbers against accounts after your status match).

 

Once the correct numbers are registered against the booking it should show up in both your online accounts, our bookings show up in both our accounts.

 

It is important as your husband black status will expire after three years if he does not have a booking lodged against his account.

I checked our Docs, he has a latitude # and also a different email address listed under his info. I mention this as the agent on the phone said if we have the same email address this was probably the problem. I have been traveling for business and just saw this. I will give them a call today and see if I can get this resolved. thank you for the information.

Pat

[strikerSBG]

I totally agree with that was written by @Goldenbunny and @sidari. The status match program is a total piss-take to all real loyal and frequent MSC cruisers - imagine you come to a „black member party“ where you talk then to other passengers on their first MSC cruise. Even more ridiculous is it to match the status with other loyalty programs from hotels, etc.

Why do I care about this? It is not that I am  envious, the problem will be that the incentives will be cut in future again and as mentioned it will be really a joke to have priority boarding with hundreds other black members...

Sorry to say it but people from the US have already enough perks in comparison to e.g. continental Europeans - we do not have things like a discount for military or first responders...

I also have a question: I often read that black members getting two invitations to the speciality restaurant per week because both black members per cabin get an invitation for two is that true? - Here in Europe we „just“ get one invitation per cabin per week...

[Beamafar]

17 minutes ago, strikerSBG said:

I also have a question: I often read that black members getting two invitations to the speciality restaurant per week because both black members per cabin get an invitation for two is that true? - Here in Europe we „just“ get one invitation per cabin per week...

 

It's not even per week - it's per cruise.  Here's what I posted on another thread about our experience since the change in policy:

 

We have done 3 cruises since the new policy was introduced (which was about this time last year).  Here's our experience:

 

Orchestra Christmas 2017 - I had just heard about the new policy here on the forum.  Onboard, I spoke with the Cruise Consultant who offered us a second voucher (as only one had been issued), so we had the opportunity to enjoy 2 nights complimentary in the (only) Speciality Restaurant.

 

Splendida  April 2018 (28 nighter!!) - We received just the one voucher and the Cruise Consultant would not budge on the issue.

 

Poesia   Sept 2018  -  We received 2 vouchers in our cabin - no problems.

 

My instinct is that the policy is only being enforced on ships that have popular speciality restaurants.

[sidari]

Striker ... We were lucky on Seaside last Xmas and got two invites and we are both Black card but that may have been down to complaining to the VC rep who had been on a previous cruise we had been on, even though she showed us the printed decision made in September 2017 that only one card for 2 people per cabin was then in place, in April we again sailed on Seaside with the same VC rep but we only got one invite for 2 people. I am expecting the same on Divina this Xmas.

What gets me is when you hear people saying they have earned their Black card with other cruise lines ! No you have been given it by MSC even before you have spent a single penny or cent or Euro with them.

[strikerSBG]

@Beamafar sorry - meant cruise nor week...

@sidari MSC should be more consistent whith what they write within their policy - this says clearly one complimentary dinner in a specialty restaurant/cruise/cabin. I cannnot understand why they make here exceptions (it seems to me especially for cruises sail away from US ports) - this just is confusing customers and making them unhappy with that what they get...

[sidari]

Maybe their next ship should be called MSC Inconsistent!

[strikerSBG]

 This would at least match the reality...

[quickrate]

18 hours ago, sidari said:

Maybe their next ship should be called MSC Inconsistent!

I find this all humorous, even though it isn't, for it seems the way of all the lines these days! We are Diamond with Carnival and a few years ago, they started a program called Faster to the Fun which gives new cruisers the opportunity to buy the perks earned by Platinum and Diamond. It caused quite a stir in the first year. I have status matched to Black with MSC and completely understand your feelings. But, it is what got us to try MSC for the first time which will be Dec. 9th. So, MSC seems to be accomplishing their mission which is to lure loyalty cruisers from other lines to give them a try.

Pat

[Beamafar]

On 11/27/2018 at 7:59 AM, lupinsmum said:

I’m also sorry that I’ve booked this cruise nothing to do with status cards because we were given BLACK Status the first time we applied for them. Its the attitude and comments made by MSC cruisers, will we be sailing with a miserable bunch of people who are up themselves over a status match.  All I wanted to do was try a different cruise line, I didn’t ask for the  status Black the offer was from MCS, I would have been stupid not to have taken it. Anyone with a modicum of sense would do the same.

MSC only have their shareholders interest to worry about and this status match  will attract many more cruisers and fill cabins.

 

 

If you followed the discussions on the forum around the status-match issue you would know that many on here never had a problem with status-matchers.  Our beef is with MSC for offering the top level of a "loyalty club" to those who'd never sailed with them.  This came at a cost to those of us who spent a lot of money with MSC to attain that level and who saw the perks drastically reduced immediately before the introduction of status-match.  Of course it's accepted that people are going to take up the offer when it's presented to them.

 

MSC is a privately-owned company and don't have shareholders to worry about.

 

Armonia has had a speciality restaurant added.

[SuperCruiserOz]

Doesn’t anyone know which ‘selected’ hotel programs match to MSC and what level matches at which? For instance Accor Hotels?