Ponant Offering Status Match -

[Jim_Iain]

Wanted to circle back.    Thank you @jpalbny !!!

 

I resent our proof of Status and a copy of the PDF with Celebrity Captain's Club Circled on Friday 8/25.    I also gave them both of our Ponant Client #

Not hearing anything again,  I resent it again yesterday.    Still have not even received even confirmation.

 

I just logged into my Ponant Account and noticed this... Yea...

 

For others that have applied check you account and see if they updated it and just never get around to telling us it was completed.

 

 

Edited August 31, 2023 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

On 8/21/2023 at 2:48 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

JP – Did you send a photo of your Venetian Society membership card?  I don't have any card from Azamara.  Can I send a screen shot of the Azamara web page showing my status?

For our approval, I just sent screen shots of our Celebrity Captain's Club account showing our Status.   It seemed to work since the updated our Status at some point without ever emailing us. 

[marieps]

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

For our approval, I just sent screen shots of our Celebrity Captain's Club account showing our Status.   It seemed to work since the updated our Status at some point without ever emailing us. 

Congrats and have a great trip.

[Host Jazzbeau]

13 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

For our approval, I just sent screen shots of our Celebrity Captain's Club account showing our Status.   It seemed to work since the updated our Status at some point without ever emailing us. 

Yes!  I checked mine and it has been updated.  Thanks for tipping me off.

 

Have a great trip!

[Jim_Iain]

27 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Yes!  I checked mine and it has been updated.  Thanks for tipping me off.

 

Have a great trip!

 

I was thinking last night - how hard would it have been for them to send a canned response like the one liner when they rejected them.   Actually Iain never even received the first rejection. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just now, Jim_Iain said:

 

I was thinking last night - how hard would it have been for them to send a canned response like the one liner when they rejected them.   Actually Iain never even received the first rejection. 

Don't forget to say 'Bon jour' when you enter a store, but don't expect an email response...

[Jim_Iain]

I was on Ponant's site today and the wording on Benifts of Status Match page they word the upgrade different than on the pdf.      They list "On Board Upgrades" for both Admiral and Grand Admiral Status.

 

I know this is a new program but interested if anyone has been upgraded before due to status?

 

[MamaFej]

Thanks for that, Jim. 

It is interesting that Discoverer Plus on Azamara equates to the highest level, even though it was previously equal to Elite Plus on Celebrity.  We made sure to get an Azamara cruise in (actually two: B2B) before the official split, as we had thought we might lean toward small ship cruising in retirement. Spoiler alert: we like it!

X's Elite Plus is equivalent to the second highest level. We hit Elite Plus right before the official split, so we made Discoverer Plus on Azamara, too. 

In the extremely unlikely event we could ever find a Ponant cruise we could afford, we will match to Azamara. 

 

Thanks so much for the link!

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

the highest level

Actually there is a higher level that is not shown in Jim's file:  Commodore.  [And fans of PDQ Bach* may hope that with even more cruises they might reach the exalted status of Commendatoreador! 🤣]

 

 

 

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stoned_Guest

[MamaFej]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Actually there is a higher level that is not shown in Jim's file:  Commodore.  [And fans of PDQ Bach* may hope that with even more cruises they might reach the exalted status of Commendatoreador! 🤣]

 

 

🤣

 

I'd be willing to settle for Grand PooBah.😜

 

Nonetheless, I'm glad I got the match with Azamara when I did. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

A reminder of how this Status Match works:  you immediately get all the benefits of the matched level, but you do not get the cruise credits of that level.  Your cruise credits will be based solely on your Ponant cruises – which means you will stay at your Status Match level until your cruise credits take you to the next level.

 

Example:  I have sailed on Ponant 2 times.  Thanks to my Azamara status I have now qualified as Grand Admiral, but I still only have 2 cruise credits on Ponant.  So I will not move up to Commodore until I book my 20th cruise.

 

[Note:  I am not carping.  This is incredibly generous on Ponant's part – especially because you change levels based on booking cruises rather than waiting until the end of a sailed cruise.  But people shouldn't expect to move up based on the cruise number differentials in the above chart.  You still have to earn the next level based on your own number of Ponant cruises.]

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, MamaFej said:

I'd be willing to settle for Grand PooBah.😜

 

Nonetheless, I'm glad I got the match with Azamara when I did.

I'm with you, as long as that's a tenor part.  😉

 

And I'm grateful to Cruise Critic for alerting me to this Ponant offer!  👏

[jpalbny]

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

A reminder of how this Status Match works:  you immediately get all the benefits of the matched level, but you do not get the cruise credits of that level.  Your cruise credits will be based solely on your Ponant cruises – which means you will stay at your Status Match level until your cruise credits take you to the next level.

 

Example:  I have sailed on Ponant 2 times.  Thanks to my Azamara status I have now qualified as Grand Admiral, but I still only have 2 cruise credits on Ponant.  So I will not move up to Commodore until I book my 20th cruise.

 

Exactly. And I agree, it's really a nice offer.

 

Like you, we have only done 2 Ponant cruises so we'll have to book 18 more before reaching Commodore status. And it's tricky to figure out your benefits exactly, since on your "level up" booking you don't get the discount on that booking, but you do get the on-board benefits.

 

For instance - when you book your second cruise, you don't get the "Major" discount of 5% on the booking, but you become a Major immediately AFTER booking, so you DO get the benefits of free laundry and the €50 OBC pp when you actually TAKE that second cruise. And you now get the Major discount when you book cruise #3. Which we haven't done, yet.

 

But since we now have Grand Admiral benefits, we'll get extra benefits on cruise #3 (extra €100 OBC x2, and extra 5% off on the booking) as well as #4 (Extra €50 OBC x2 and extra 5% off on the booking) and #5/6 (Extra €50 OBCx2, and extra 2.5% off), and #7 (Extra 2.5% off). It's confusing but I think I've figured that correctly...

 

After we book our 7th cruise we would have reached Grand Admiral status anyway so it will be a wash after that for the on-board benefits of cruise #7 and any subsequent bookings. But they will still be giving us €500 in OBC, plus discounts on 5 cruises, so I'm happy to have that.

Edited September 4, 2023 by jpalbny

[Jim_Iain]

13 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

A reminder of how this Status Match works:  you immediately get all the benefits of the matched level, but you do not get the cruise credits of that level.  Your cruise credits will be based solely on your Ponant cruises – which means you will stay at your Status Match level until your cruise credits take you to the next level.

 

Example:  I have sailed on Ponant 2 times.  Thanks to my Azamara status I have now qualified as Grand Admiral, but I still only have 2 cruise credits on Ponant.  So I will not move up to Commodore until I book my 20th cruise.

 

[Note:  I am not carping.  This is incredibly generous on Ponant's part – especially because you change levels based on booking cruises rather than waiting until the end of a sailed cruise.  But people shouldn't expect to move up based on the cruise number differentials in the above chart.  You still have to earn the next level based on your own number of Ponant cruises.]

 

I have to agree it is incredibly generous and am sure it may drive some new guests to Ponant.  

 

On my Ponant Page I noted that it said I need XX more cruises to hit Commodore -  I can't seem to find the number but it was quite a number of additional cruises.    I'm happy they are protecting the top level.

 

[Jim_Iain]

While we are talking about  promotions.   Ponant also has a refer a friend program

 

"Do you enjoy travelling with Ponant? Refer your friends and relatives and get a reward from our refer-a-friend offer. Sponsor and the person sponsored benefit from a $600 off per stateroom."

 

I had our friends in Australia refer us.    You do not get the $600 until you complete your first cruise then both you and a friend get a $600 OBC.

[Host Jazzbeau]

My first Ponant cruise was booked through Backroads [they provided all the shore excursions for our group] and apparently I was the first Backroads customer to book – so my Ponant cruise history shows that my party on that cruise was 41 guests [which means at least 21 cabins]   I should have gotten Commodore status right off the bat for that!!!

[Host Jazzbeau]

@jpalbny I didn't take the Status Match offer the same way you explain it, but you may be right.  

 

I assumed that I will enjoy the full Grand Admiral benefits on all my future Ponant cruises, until I move up to Commodore by booking my 20th cruise.  [Normally you only need 13 cruises to move from Grand Admiral to Commodore because you would have already booked 7 to get to Grand Admiral.  In our cases, since we only booked 2 priors we will need to book 18 more for Commodore – a race I think you will win!]

[jpalbny]

26 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

@jpalbny I didn't take the Status Match offer the same way you explain it, but you may be right.  

 

I assumed that I will enjoy the full Grand Admiral benefits on all my future Ponant cruises, until I move up to Commodore by booking my 20th cruise.  [Normally you only need 13 cruises to move from Grand Admiral to Commodore because you would have already booked 7 to get to Grand Admiral.  In our cases, since we only booked 2 priors we will need to book 18 more for Commodore – a race I think you will win!]

 

I think I'm looking at it the same way. I just tried to explain it without going into excruciating detail.

 

For my next cruise, #3, without the status match we both would have been a Major. Thus we would have received 5% off and E50 OBC per person.

 

With the status match we both will be a Grand Admiral so instead, we will get 10% off and E150 OBC per person.

 

So that's an extra 5% off and an extra E100 per person for cruise #3, above and beyond what we would get without the status match, which is what I based this statement upon. Maybe I should have said ADDITIONAL benefits? Above and beyond what we'd ordinarily get based on our real status?

 

7 hours ago, jpalbny said:

But since we now have Grand Admiral benefits, we'll get extra benefits on cruise #3 (extra €100 OBC x2, and extra 5% off on the booking)

 

I tried to do the same math for the cruises up until #7 at which point we'd make Grand Admiral on our own without the status match, so at that point it becomes irrelevant and of no extra value, since then we will have earned that status and benefits and will have caught up to the status match.

Edited September 4, 2023 by jpalbny

[Omittingstew]

The website advertises that they match to "Marriot Bonvoy - Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection." Anyone try just matching their Marriot Bonvoy Status? 

[MamaFej]

2 hours ago, Omittingstew said:

The website advertises that they match to "Marriot Bonvoy - Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection." Anyone try just matching their Marriot Bonvoy Status? 

Cool. Thanks for pointing out another option!

Edited September 7, 2023 by MamaFej

[Omittingstew]

I was just told from a travel agent who talked to Ponant that this status match is only valid for one cruise. After this cruise, my status will go back to the original level that it should be at depending on my cruising activity. Anyone else hear this?

[jpalbny]

I think that's a misunderstanding. The Status Match can only be given once - so if you later earn a higher status with another cruise line you can't come back to Ponant for a second upgrade. But the status match does not disappear, according to their FAQs:  https://www.calameo.com/read/000132423103bc2182686

 

Quoted from the FAQs:

 

The first two questions are pretty clear that you don't revert back after one cruise.

 

The third question says that you can only do this once.

 

 

Obviously this program hasn't been in place long enough to see how it works in real life, and they could always change things. But that's my interpretation of how the program "rules" are written.

Edited September 12, 2023 by jpalbny

[highplanesdrifters]

I filled out the forms and sent a follow up email. Still haven't heard a peep. Checked the website, no status change. Suggestions anyone?

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, highplanesdrifters said:

I filled out the forms and sent a follow up email. Still haven't heard a peep. Checked the website, no status change. Suggestions anyone?

 

I sent mine to usreservations@ponant.com with the requested proof of status.

 

Make sure you reference the name of your Club as opposed to Cruise Line Name -

e.g.   Captain's Club by Celebrity

[highplanesdrifters]

Somebody waved their magic wand.  Status matched.

I'm a Grand Admiral now!😁