Going for platinum - is it worth it?

[AspirationalFlyer]

Hello all,

 

I hope everyone is safe and well. 
 

Quick question: is it worth making any special effort to get platinum status? I’m gold currently. I’m aware of the published benefits on the Cunard website, but is there anything unpublished? For example, increasing your probability of upgrades or better service? What has been your experience? I’m planning a short trip next summer and was thinking about a 3-4 day cruise, as part of a one week longer trip. If I booked with Cunard, I’d then have the platinum benefits on a longer Med trip I’ve booked on QE. 
 

Part of the reason I ask is that so many Cunard customers already seem to have platinum (if not diamond) status already. 
 

Thanks very much in advance for your thoughts. 
 

AF

[Host Hattie]

I wouldn't bother booking additional cruises to increase your status, the extra wifi can be useful but there's not much else to get excited about.

There are so many Platinum and Diamond passengers better service isn't really an option

[AspirationalFlyer]

16 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

I wouldn't bother booking additional cruises to increase your status, the extra wifi can be useful but there's not much else to get excited about.

There are so many Platinum and Diamond passengers better service isn't really an option

Hello,

Thanks for your reply. That’s consistent with my thinking. I think the WiFi is useful on the Transatlantic voyage, but doesn’t add much on the European trips. I get the sense that Cunard has such a loyal passenger base, they don’t necessarily need to offer a huge amount extra for status passengers! Other lines seem to offer more. I should also say that I would only ever book a voyage I was interested in anyway. 

Edited October 11, 2020 by AspirationalFlyer

[newjoisey]

iirc one perk above gold is you usual get sent to a much shorter check-in line . As we are coming up on diamond i would not book a special trip just to make that status . 

[david,Mississauga]

I agree with Hattie that it isn't worth taking a voyage just to earn membership status. My favourite perk of Platinum and Diamond is the preferred check-in. It is promised only at New York and Southampton. It was, however, available at Vancouver last year. Wi-fi isn't important to us. I expect it to be slow but in my experience it is non-existent, sometimes for days, in Norway and Alaska.

 

Although I wouldn't take a voyage just for an upgrade to membership, we did split a trip three years ago. It was a Québec-NewYork-Southampton voyage which was available as one voyage or two separate voyages. We booked it separately and the  second segment put us to Diamond. We also saved Can.$100 each.

 

[newjoisey]

34 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

I agree with Hattie that it isn't worth taking a voyage just to earn membership status. My favourite perk of Platinum and Diamond is the preferred check-in. It is promised only at New York and Southampton. It was, however, available at Vancouver last year. Wi-fi isn't important to us. I expect it to be slow but in my experience it is non-existent, sometimes for days, in Norway and Alaska.

 

Although I wouldn't take a voyage just for an upgrade to membership, we did split a trip three years ago. It was a Québec-NewYork-Southampton voyage which was available as one voyage or two separate voyages. We booked it separately and the  second segment put us to Diamond. We also saved Can.$100 each.

 

We board only in NY ,i did not know it was there and southampton only ...thanks 

[LadyL1]

As others have said, no point in taking a voyage just for status. We have been Diamond for years and have never once had an upgrade.

As for early boarding in Southampton that has been a farce at Southampton on many occasions recently as so many of the pax are on that status it is impossible to board all with priority expectations.

As for the future, from what I have read boarding will be very different. It seems that (for example) a 1.45pm boarding time would mean exactly that, due to the Covid precautions and extra admin and tests involved. We have been in the waiting area when it has been heaving; social distancing would have been impossible. I think this is something where we will see big changes at all embarkation ports.

[newjoisey]

for us the platinum and above check-in NY always gives us happy feet/legs ,sometimes the wait for the machine to crank out the ships id/key card is the longest ,when we first cruised the lines were torture [gold] 

[Bigmike911]

No one has mentioned the complementary lunch in the Verrandah restaurant. I did enjoy that twice on my last two voyages. 

[transatlantic fan]

I was asking one of the future cruise guys oboard the Qm2 about the  CWC

He said they were looking at bringing in another Top tier within the CWC, something like over 30 cruises.

[Host Hattie]

4 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

No one has mentioned the complementary lunch in the Verrandah restaurant. I did enjoy that twice on my last two voyages. 

That's not for Platinum, it's a Diamond perk

 

[Windsurfboy]

6 hours ago, transatlantic fan said:

I was asking one of the future cruise guys oboard the Qm2 about the  CWC

He said they were looking at bringing in another Top tier within the CWC, something like over 30 cruises.

 

I wonder if they will do like BA did when number of gold members got too big. Not wanting to tell most gold members they weren't in the top tier they introduced an unadvertised top level, (gold guest list - a stupid name) with extra and pretty valuable benefits,  that only those in it were told about.

 

As an aside, people who complain about Cunard classism, should also note that compared to airline frequent flyer clubs the Cunard CWC is very egalitarian.  Every night is the same in every cabin.  In most airlines discount economy earns half points,  economy 1pt , business 2pt, first 3pt.

 

 

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

I wonder if they will do like BA did when number of gold members got too big. Not wanting to tell most gold members they weren't in the top tier they introduced an unadvertised top level, (gold guest list - a stupid name) with extra and pretty valuable benefits,  that only those in it were told about.

 

As an aside, people who complain about Cunard classism, should also note that compared to airline frequent flyer clubs the Cunard CWC is very egalitarian.  Every night is the same in every cabin.  In most airlines discount economy earns half points,  economy 1pt , business 2pt, first 3pt.

 

 

It certainly is egalitarian.

A short two day hop in an inside cabin over to Hamburg rates the same as a Q2 14night Med. trip.

 

A point of interest,  I was told last year, Cunard had no thoughts on a higher tier. Maybe things have changed.

[BigMac1953]

56 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

A point of interest,  I was told last year, Cunard had no thoughts on a higher tier. Maybe things have changed.

 

There's been talk for years. One suggestion was "Crystal" level. What the perks would be is anyone's guess.

 

The internet is the only perk worth having at Diamond level. On our last TA round trip, we actually forgot about the free Verandah lunch.

 

We nearly went to the wine tasting once, but half the ship seemed to be there so we changed our mind.

 

Even the new lapel badges look insignificant.

[PORT ROYAL]

There already is an "Unofficial" VIP Booker level.

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by PORT ROYAL
Typo

[Victoria2]

47 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

 

There's been talk for years. One suggestion was "Crystal" level. What the perks would be is anyone's guess.

 

The internet is the only perk worth having at Diamond level. On our last TA round trip, we actually forgot about the free Verandah lunch.

 

We nearly went to the wine tasting once, but half the ship seemed to be there so we changed our mind.

 

Even the new lapel badges look insignificant.

Talk, yes but as at the asking, last year, no ''thoughts''.

 

We tried the wine tasting last year. Won’t be bothering again. We had our first ''free''lunch too but that was because we dined with friends.

 

As you say, the wi fi allowance is very useful and worth having.
 

I know of no VIP booking scheme, but then I guess we’re not VIP material.

[Bigmike911]

7 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

That's not for Platinum, it's a Diamond perk

 

Oops. I forgot. Thanks HH. 

[Underwatr]

On 10/11/2020 at 8:53 AM, david,Mississauga said:

My favourite perk of Platinum and Diamond is the preferred check-in. It is promised only at New York and Southampton. It was, however, available at Vancouver last year

It was available in Hamburg last June. As the regular check-in line snaked throughout the terminal hall and out the door, being able to walk directly in and up to a check-in agent was very welcome.

[Colin_Cameron]

On 10/11/2020 at 1:53 PM, david,Mississauga said:

My favourite perk of Platinum and Diamond is the preferred check-in. It is promised only at New York and Southampton. It was, however, available at Vancouver last year.

Although only promised in Southampton and NY, It's been availably at every check-in we've done in the last twenty years. LA, Rome, Venice, Melbourne and Barcelona.

 

The only problem was at Barcelona where the local terminal personnel insisted that it was only for Princess Grill, not Queens grill, and Platinum not Diamond.

 

When they had dedicated desks I've known the priority queue to be longer than the normal one more than once. Probably part of the reason for the move to two lines feeding into all the desks.

[Colin_Cameron]

On 10/12/2020 at 1:16 PM, Victoria2 said:

I know of no VIP booking scheme, ...

Isn't that sort of the point of an unadvertised scheme.😄

[exlondoner]

56 minutes ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Isn't that sort of the point of an unadvertised scheme.😄

 

Only partly. It's also good if the news gradually seeps out and excites envy and aspiration among those not part of it. 😀

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Isn't that sort of the point of an unadvertised scheme.😄

Touché😁
 

We  book Q2s and 3s, have always got the required stateroom over the years even when pre registering so the booking service VIPs have over the impeccable service we get must include choirs of angels serenading at the time of booking, and priority first passengers onboard via a rose petal strewn red carpet.
 Oh wait a minute, that’s been us, but substitute the rose petals, for escorted boarding with the escort handing us a red card which is in our names and has the suite name on it, welcoming us onboard.

 

Glad I'm not a VIP. I wouldn't want any more attention than that already given, booking, pre boarding and once onboard. 

[ClipperinSFO]

My DH and I are also Golds in the quest of higher status on Cunard.  We are both airline FFP junkies so our brains are now completely wired to the myriad of perks (and emotions) that come with status and recognition.  

 

On doing a rational analysis of what higher status tiers on Cunard actually provide, it is in a word, underwhelming as has been noted in the posts above.  The dollar value is low, and many perks can be purchased for note a lot of money (other than the invitation only parties events).  So if status is not worth all that much in the end, why do we seek it?  My conclusion has been because of the emotional satisfaction of being affiliated with a brand and ship we greatly admire (we are both huge ocean liner buffs) and to be included a group of travelers with whom we have many shared values and experiences.  I guess we look at the status as a tangible manifestation of our degree of affiliation, identification and admiration of what the Cunard brand represents.

 

In the final analysis, the Cunard status quest seems a bit irrational in terms of dollars and cents.  And yet still we pursue it, and quite happily.

[Colin_Cameron]

3 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Glad I'm not a VIP. I wouldn't want any more attention than that already given, booking, pre boarding and once onboard. 

Ditto.

 

But wait a minute. Maybe it's not just those on the outside that are kept in the dark. Maybe those of us already in this exclusive club are unaware of it too?

[exlondoner]

9 minutes ago, ClipperinSFO said:

 

 

In the final analysis, the Cunard status quest seems a bit irrational in terms of dollars and cents.  And yet still we pursue it, and quite happily.

 

But really we choose to do another Cunard voyage because we enjoy them, not because it gets us closer to the next tier. That is a purely incidental benefit.