platinum world club benefits

[juicyjuju]

We are platinum now on Cunard and I was looking at the world club benefits. They seem kind of thin on the ground? I was wondering what others think who have loyalty status on other cruise lines and can compare them?

 

Platinum

 

 

 

• Available after seven completed sailings or with 70 to 149 cruise nights
  
• Receive all Gold perks (basically 2 hours internet goes to 4 hours when platinum)
  
• Receive a Platinum membership pin on first cruise as a Platinum member
  
• 20-percent discount on laundry and dry-cleaning services
  
• A second two-hour complimentary internet plan, for a total of four hours
  
• Priority check-in in New York and Southampton
  
• Access to a private disembarkation lounge
  
• Complimentary wine tasting on sailings of five nights or longer
  
• 10-percent discount on White Star luggage service
  
• Access to the senior officer's party
  

[Scrapnana]

I agree. The only perk that really interests me is the free internet minutes. Not familiar with the programs on most other lines except HAL. For the same number of days as Platinum on Cunard, I feel there is even less on HAL (mostly things like 10% off on "select" spa treatments and logo clothing and 25% off on wine packages and mini bar purchases, etc.).

 

 

On the other hand, though, I don't decide on a cruise line for the loyalty program but because I like the line.

[Underwatr]

Note that on Cunard you won't receive the 20% discount on laundry and dry cleaning if your account still has a credit balance at the time of the service.

[roscoe39]

Note that on Cunard you won't receive the 20% discount on laundry and dry cleaning if your account still has a credit balance at the time of the service.

 

i think you mean OBC balance, you can have a credit balance but they want you to use the OBC first.....

[Underwatr]

Right, by "credit balance" I meant OBC. I guess someone could have a credit balance because they deposited cash at check-in.

[david,Mississauga]

The priority check-in and embarkation is appreciated, although for those travelling in the Grills it is redundant. The disembarkation lounge is a pleasant amenity if not departing early. What I like best about the senior officers party is the ability to order a drink instead of the usual plonk that is offered on trays.

[Underwatr]

Priority Check-in is less of a benefit on an itinerary where a significant fraction of passengers has Platinum or Diamond status. The priority line to check in in New York for the Christmas Caribbean cruise can be longer than the regular line.

[luckymal]

I think the qualification for Plantinum and Diamond pins are far to easy to obtain. Many Guest have over one thousand days and they only get the same as a Diamond members. Seems unfair.

P.s, I DO NOT fall into those number of days.

[ovccruiser]

. What I like best about the senior officers party is the ability to order a drink instead of the usual plonk that is offered on trays.

 

You can order drinks at any of the cocktail parties, the waiter will get them for you, and no cost :evilsmile:

[Classiccruiser777]

We are diamond on Cunard but recently discovered Oceania Cruises. These are some excellent benefits:

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/experience/oceania-club/levels/

 

And the food is as good as, if not better than, the Grills.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Classiccruiser777

[LadyL1]

Personally, I think the WC benefits programme needs an overhaul! Technically you can become a Platinum or Diamond member by doing just 2 & 3 night mini cruises! With these short voyages the system seems unfair.

[juicyjuju]

Does anyone remember when the club benefits were last changed significantly? I think they are overdue for an overhaul :)

[Underwatr]

I just booked an Alaska cruise on HAL so I reviewed their equivalent Mariner program. The perks incorporate a wider range of onboard discounts than Cunard (not clear whether HAL lets you keep the discounts while you're burning through OBC) but their tiering system incorporates both nights onboard and onboard spending to move up through the levels.

[Midsomer Madness]

Personally, I think the WC benefits programme needs an overhaul! Technically you can become a Platinum or Diamond member by doing just 2 & 3 night mini cruises! With these short voyages the system seems unfair.

 

I disagree, if you do lots of short cruises with the same cruise line you are showing loyalty to that brand, more so than doing, say, one world voyage and only returning once afterwards....

[luckymal]

Personally, I think the WC benefits programme needs an overhaul! Technically you can become a Platinum or Diamond member by doing just 2 & 3 night mini cruises! With these short voyages the system seems unfair.

I agree fully that the benefits programme needs a complete overhaul, I e-mailed a senior executive over 2 years ago suggesting changes needed to be made, but, still waiting. May be it is unfair when you can be a Diamond Member after doing 15 3 day cruises (45 days) when a normal qualification is 150 days. I said in a earlier comment how can it be right when many people have done we over 1000 days and only get the same benefits you can get with 45 days? Since the time my wife and I qualified to be invited to the Senior Officers party, we have noticed how crowded the Queens Room is on these nights.:rolleyes:

[david,Mississauga]

You can order drinks at any of the cocktail parties, the waiter will get them for you, and no cost :evilsmile:

 

In theory, but it doesn't always work out that way. The bar staff are busy so I don't like to be demanding, but our polite request for G&Ts is usually met with a cheery "of course" and it often results in nothing. The last time we made two requests at the "Gold members and above" party and nothing came. As the function was winding down I found a wine waiter clearing up and asked if we could have the drinks we were promised a while back and I received an uncommonly brusque reply: "The bar is closed."

 

 

I have learned to like plonk or orange juice except at the senior officers party where the loyalty programme means a little something.:) Of course we can always buy a drink of our choice elsewhere and bring it with us, but it really isn't important.

[cruiseluvva]

To be honest, I think they need to introduce a new top tier. Attaining diamond status after a handful of weekenders does seem absurd to me, but it would be very unpopular to take away status, so adding in a further top tier seems sensible - to me anyway!

 

But perhaps it needs to be one like P&O have, whereby you have to continue booking enough nights with Cunard, on a rolling basis, to maintain it.

[pepperrn]

Currently, I think you can get to Diamond level with only 30 nights (assuming 2 night trips) on board?

 

My suggestion is; only voyages of seven nights or more count towards the World Club total.

Then I think the minimum number of nights needed to qualify for Diamond level would be 105?

 

In addition I'd also suggest that anyone completing a full world voyage (regardless of the number of nights) qualifies automatically as "Diamond" on their next cruise.

 

....

 

However... seriously, this whole subject of "World Club" status really doesn't worry, concern or cause me sleepless nights at all.

 

The rewards given by Cunard in return for being a repeat passenger (other than the free internet time) are so meagre and parsimonious that I couldn't care one way or the other how it is organised.

 

If the rewards had real value or benefit (say either 20% discount on bookings or free drinks when on board or free private shore excursions for example) then it would be worth concentrating on.

 

But, as it is now, I really don't care if some go to wine tasting whilst others don't.

 

I cannot remember on which trip I "went Diamond".

 

When I totalled up my fares over eleven years of sailing with Cunard (excluding spending money) I realised just how much that Diamond Cunard World Club Pin actually cost me :eek: :eek: .

 

For that amount of money I think they should give me a real diamond :D

[ToadOfToadHall]

The rewards given by Cunard in return for being a repeat passenger (other than the free internet time) are so meagre and parsimonious that I couldn't care one way or the other how it is organised.

 

Indeed, the rewards seem somewhat of a joke to me. The internet time is pretty irrelevant as well to me. I've never bothered with it because my mobile phone contract covers so many countries that it does not cost me anything extra to use it outside the UK (in general now).

 

And the lapel pins are an insult - straight to the bin for China's finest tat.

[welshred]

Contrary to peppern's viewpoint, I believe the benefits are not too bad.

 

We are booked on a B2B next month and we shall be looking forward to 480 minutes internet time each going and another 480 minutes each sailing back.

 

Add to that, three cocktail parties going and another three on the way back.

 

Two complimentary lunches in the Verandah Restaurant.

 

Two wine tasting events, which are optional for us as they are always in the afternoon and we usually forget.

 

In the past, we have sailed with P&O and are no longer at the bottom of their loyalty programme and, from memory, we just receive an extra cocktail party and very little more.

Edited April 15, 2017 by welshred