New Tier between Platinum Plus and Ambassador starting Jan 2022

[don't-use-real-name]

Just remember that if you change/upgrade your cabin or make other alterations -

the bonuses perks gratuities will more in likely stay with the booking -

"BEWARE" the Latitude Reward Points MAY NOT !

Had an issue a few years ago:

Booked an Inside Offer Alaska sailing NCL SUN a suite and put in a bid for DOS and won -

NCL dropped the Triple Points down to Double - killing my move to Platinum.

Appealed - Denied

Same ship - same date - nothing changed except moved to a better suite cabin

Appealed - Denied

Email letter to Corporate VP 

Appealed - Exception made - points granted - Thank You !

 

[MoCruiseFan]

9 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

We were on the Epic in October and our Cruise Next Director said essentially the same thing.  He thought the change might be announced around the first of the year to take effect about the 1st of February.  He also thought they would be adding a new level between P+ and Ambassador.  He had no idea what perks might be included.  The last time NCL made significant changes to the Latitudes program was 1 February 2017.  That was when P+ and Ambo were added and the points required for some of the other levels were increased.  I don't recall if those changes were announced in late 2016 or January 2017. 

Ambo LOL...

[The Traveling Man]

21 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

Ambo LOL...

A bit of military-esque jargon.

[Old & Retired]

6 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Just remember that if you change/upgrade your cabin or make other alterations -

the bonuses perks gratuities will more in likely stay with the booking -

"BEWARE" the Latitude Reward Points MAY NOT !

Had an issue a few years ago:

Booked an Inside Offer Alaska sailing NCL SUN a suite and put in a bid for DOS and won -

NCL dropped the Triple Points down to Double - killing my move to Platinum.

Appealed - Denied

Same ship - same date - nothing changed except moved to a better suite cabin

Appealed - Denied

Email letter to Corporate VP 

Appealed - Exception made - points granted - Thank You !

 

Seems like a lot of work for 7 points Bob.  Sounds like you were finally heard by someone with some common sense.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Old & Retired

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Old & Retired said:

Seems like a lot of work for 7 points Bob.  Sounds like you were finally heard by someone with some common sense.

Yep.  The points may have value up until Platinum.  After that, they're kind of a joke....

 

disclaimer: we just hit platinum, and it looks like all the next tier will buy us will be a bottle of water and a dinner with "officers" (which I would avoid like the plague).

[The Traveling Man]

6 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Yep.  The points may have value up until Platinum.  After that, they're kind of a joke....

 

disclaimer: we just hit platinum, and it looks like all the next tier will buy us will be a bottle of water and a dinner with "officers" (which I would avoid like the plague).

One man's idea of Hell is to be trapped for eternity in another man's idea of Heaven.  We have been P+ since early 2017 when NCL created the P+ and Ambo Latitudes levels.  We have cruised often, and have had dinner with 24 different officers over the years, including several GMs, a couple of Captains, more than a dozen other senior officers, plus a few junior officers.  I genuinely enjoyed meeting and getting to know each one of them.  When we bumped into some of them on subsequent cruises they always remembered us and greeted us warmly.  It made us feel like family.  On several occasions when we needed some assistance in addressing a problem with our stateroom, an error on our account, or some other minor inconvenience, all we had to do was to call our "old friend" and we always got top-notch service.  It helps to have friends in high places.  So, once you finally make it to P+, you may want to actually give it a shot.  Who knows, if it isn't something that you "avoid like the plague" you might actually find that you like it.  At the very least, you get to enjoy all the envious stares from your fellow passengers who are wondering why YOU get to have dinner with the Captain and they don't!

[UKstages]

21 hours ago, SeaShark said:

Why would it be an issue if a loyalty program was "saturated with elites"?

 

thanks for your question.

 

the complex answer is that the elite benefits associated with those levels were designed to be rewards for people who have achieved those elite levels of the program in the traditional way, with a certain calculation of lifetime value (to the company) built in... people who have achieved X level have spent a minimum of Y dollars with us over approximately Z number of years.  so we can reward them with this particular benefit. 

 

that is no longer true because they routinely gave away double and triple latitudes points. so the program has to be devalued, just as airline programs have been. it used to be enough with loyalty programs to get you to buy the product... we're long past that stage. now it's all about how much you've spent, which is why frequent flier miles are awarded based on spend, and not just on miles flown.

 

NCL's program wasn't designed to give somebody at a lower latitudes level a free specialty dinner. but now they have to. on paper, that guest is now a "platinum" latitudes member. the next step will likeley be to reduce certain tier benefits currently enjoyed at certain levels and to increase the number of points required to achieve certain levels.

 

there will also likely be a certain level of dissatisfaction that typically comes from current elites, who will be outraged that others now have the same status they do... but didn't "earn" it the hard way as they had to (even if it doesn't affect their benefits or rewards directly). 

 

the simple answer is below.

 

20 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

When everybody is special, nobody is special.

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by UKstages

[The Traveling Man]

23 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

thanks for your question.

 

the complex answer is that the elite benefits associated with those levels were designed to be rewards for people who have achieved those elite levels of the program in the traditional way, with a certain calculation of lifetime value (to the company) built in... people who have achieved X level have spent a minimum of Y dollars with us over approximately Z number of years.  so we can reward them with this particular benefit. 

 

that is no longer true because they routinely gave away double and triple latitudes points. so the program has to be devalued, just as airline programs have been. it used to be enough with loyalty programs to get you to buy the product... we're long past that stage. now it's all about how much you've spent, which is why frequent flier miles are awarded based on spend, and not just on miles flown.

 

NCL's program wasn't designed to give somebody at a lower latitudes level a free specialty dinner. but now they have to. on paper, that guest is now a "platinum" latitudes member. the next step will likeley be to reduce certain tier benefits currently enjoyed at certain levels and to increase the number of points required to achieve certain levels.

 

there will also likely be a certain level of dissatisfaction that typically comes from current elites, who will be outraged that others now have the same status they do... but didn't "earn" it the hard way as they had to (even if it doesn't affect their benefits or rewards directly). 

 

the simple answer is below.

 

 

Thanks for the tip of the hat.  One factor to consider about the bonus Latitude points, however, is that NCL has been awarding them in some fashion or another for many years.  I recall long ago when we received our very first invitation to attend a Latitudes party.  We met a couple on their fourth NCL cruise and they already were Gold.  They told us that they always booked a Suite, so one extra point per night for that.  They said that they also always booked at least six months in advance, and NCL used to give an extra point for booking early.  They had received triple points on each of their previous cruises, so three cruises of seven days each got them to 63 points.  We were on a nine day cruise with them, so they were at 90 points when our cruise ended, well above the threshold for Platinum status.  It took us seven more cruises to make Platinum.  We have been P+ since shortly after NCL created that level, but I doubt that even with frequent double or triple points we ever will make it to Ambassador.  One thing that I definitely have noticed in recent years, though, is that the specialty restaurants seem to be much more crowded than they were a few years back.  Some of that is bound to be due to an increased number of Platinum members taking advantage of their two free meals of specialty dining.

[fstuff1]

from facebook:
Diamond tier 350-699 pts.

 

no mention of what perks yet

[CPT Trips]

On 12/29/2021 at 4:12 AM, ChiefMateJRK said:

Yep.  The points may have value up until Platinum.  After that, they're kind of a joke....

 

disclaimer: we just hit platinum, and it looks like all the next tier will buy us will be a bottle of water and a dinner with "officers" (which I would avoid like the plague).

Don’t worry or struggle to avoid, the plague has cancelled dine with an officer. N.B. the “officer” could be a casino employee or “art” auctioneer, that was our experience in our last two pre-plague cruises. If it happens again, we’ll skip out.

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

from facebook:
Diamond tier 350-699 pts.

 

no mention of what perks yet

I didn't really pay attention when booking my 2022 cruises as to how many latitudes points I would get, as I didn't think it would matter. It looks like it may matter now, depending on what you get for Diamond.

 

I think I will be Diamond after my next cruise, but can't be sure.

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 12/29/2021 at 9:16 AM, The Traveling Man said:

One man's idea of Hell is to be trapped for eternity in another man's idea of Heaven.  We have been P+ since early 2017 when NCL created the P+ and Ambo Latitudes levels.  We have cruised often, and have had dinner with 24 different officers over the years, including several GMs, a couple of Captains, more than a dozen other senior officers, plus a few junior officers.  I genuinely enjoyed meeting and getting to know each one of them.  When we bumped into some of them on subsequent cruises they always remembered us and greeted us warmly.  It made us feel like family.  On several occasions when we needed some assistance in addressing a problem with our stateroom, an error on our account, or some other minor inconvenience, all we had to do was to call our "old friend" and we always got top-notch service.  It helps to have friends in high places.  So, once you finally make it to P+, you may want to actually give it a shot.  Who knows, if it isn't something that you "avoid like the plague" you might actually find that you like it.  At the very least, you get to enjoy all the envious stares from your fellow passengers who are wondering why YOU get to have dinner with the Captain and they don't!

Yeah, I get all that and it's good that you enjoy it.  I have no interest in dining/rubbing elbows with celebrities.  I don't know how I could "get to know them" during a one or two hour meal with many others at the table.  If I met them two years later on a cruise, I would know that there is no way in hades that they would remember me from a short meal years ago.  I'm sure if I asked them they would be kind.  Are you really able to call a senior officer to complain that you don't have enough towels or you were charged for an excursion that you cancelled?  All that said, "envious stares" from fellow passengers is another thing I would avoid like the plague.

[The Traveling Man]

26 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Yeah, I get all that and it's good that you enjoy it.  I have no interest in dining/rubbing elbows with celebrities.  I don't know how I could "get to know them" during a one or two hour meal with many others at the table.  If I met them two years later on a cruise, I would know that there is no way in hades that they would remember me from a short meal years ago.  I'm sure if I asked them they would be kind.  Are you really able to call a senior officer to complain that you don't have enough towels or you were charged for an excursion that you cancelled?  All that said, "envious stares" from fellow passengers is another thing I would avoid like the plague.

Yes, we do enjoy it, but I realize that some others, evidently including you, might not.  Yes, we have been able to get to know some of these officers quite well in the two or three hours we spent with them at dinner.  I quite frankly am amazed at how well so many of them have managed to remember us even two, three, or four years later, but I have seen several senior officers drop what they were doing, walk halfway across the room, and call my wife and me by our names years after last seeing us.  Yes, there have been a couple of occasions when I simply picked up the phone and called the General Manager, Guest Services Manager, or other senior officer, mentioned my name, and whatever the problem was, it was taken care of post haste.  Perhaps my vanity is showing, but yes I admit that I have noticed the occasional envious stares from fellow passengers when we were dining with a senior officer.  So, as I said in my previous post, folks are different.  They have different outlooks on life and enjoy different things.  I understand and accept that you don't think you would enjoy dinner with an officer, and that's OK.  For what it's worth, there are some other Latitudes benefits, such as a discount on offerings from the photo gallery, that do not ring my bell, but I'm sure that many look forward to those Latitudes perks as much as I do sharing dinner with an officer.

[The Traveling Man]

3 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

N.B. the “officer” could be a casino employee or “art” auctioneer, that was our experience in our last two pre-plague cruises. If it happens again, we’ll skip out.

That's true.  We were a bit disappointed on a couple of occasions when junior officers, a casino pit boss, or a gift shop manager were assigned to our table.  Overwhelmingly, however, our dinner companions have been three-stripers or above, and we enjoyed every minute with them.  Come to think of it, some of our evenings with junior officers turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable as well.

[Back to school]

3 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

Don’t worry or struggle to avoid, the plague has cancelled dine with an officer. N.B. the “officer” could be a casino employee or “art” auctioneer, that was our experience in our last two pre-plague cruises. If it happens again, we’ll skip out.

Yes, it’s a joke!  

[jskinsd]

My best officers dinners was on the Jewel in 2019.  Alaska.  I had sailed on the Jewel many times that season.  Have had the pleasure of having dinner with both Masters.  Captain Kenneth and Captain Georgio.  General Manager Rumi (Stephen and I do not get along) and Cruise director Dan the man.  It helps to have cruise history and it also helps to drop a subtle hint to the officer you want to dine with.  Be careful what you ask for because you may receive it.

And my last trip two weeks ago on the Bliss, no officers dinner but Captain Robert and General Manager Djamel sent me a tie-dyed cake celebrating 360 sea days on NCL.  The old fashion way one point at a time.  Nothing better than birthday cake air freshener in your cabin for your cruise.

So I think I am in on the Diamond status.  Not bad for a crazy hippie.✌️

[phillygwm]

I understand the devaluation concept; I started cruising in 2011 and average a cruise a year.  I'm platinum with about 120 points currently.  On my early cruises, I always booked 6+ months in advance to get double points which got me to Gold, then Platinum, pretty quickly.  NCL reconsidered that double points policy so now I tend to accumulate 7 at a time.  I'll get to P+ someday but probably never Diamond unless I retire and start doing a few B2Bs each year.  Ambassador will be out of reach for me.

 

As someone else stated, there are a lot of nice perks at the Platinum level and not a whole lot more incrementally at P+/Ambassador except for the free cruise.  It's going to be difficult differentiating this new tier (unless they remove perks from current levels.)  I'm not sure how many travelers as a percentage will fall into the new category but I'd guess <10%.  From a corporate standpoint, it's a safe assumption that NCL is looking to do this at minimal cost.  I'd make a few suggestions to make the new level worth aspiring to:

1. Offer a true Concierge service at the Diamond level.  The current Platinum and above concierge service is pretty much a joke and they should put it out of its misery and make it a real benefit with dedicated support for the higher levels.  Many of the people at this level are probably already regularly sailing in Haven anyway (it would be otherwise tough getting to 350 points one point night at a time!) so there should be a relatively small number of people to support.  Do it right for them.
2. Perhaps an extra bag of laundry, which probably wouldn't cost NCL much but would be a nice convenience.
3. Maybe a slightly greater discount on spa and photos.  These are higher margin services and they'll make money on them anyway.

Edited January 1, 2022 by phillygwm

[TrumpyNor]

I get the impression that some of the posters in this thread are thinking of those of us who actually enjoy our Latitude status for various reasons, to be stupid or less intelligent and that we should somehow be "ashamed" for enjoying it....? All though some of the items on the "benefit list" are not that great, from our Platinum+ status I personally like the two complimented dinners (one of them including a bottle of wine), the free laundry bags (one each), the extra wifi-minutes and the 15% discount on  shore excursions, discount on photos. With close to 500 Latitude points currently, and veeeeery seldom cruising in a suite it has taken us many nights at sea to get there, and it seemed like the next level (Ambassador) would not be reached for many years (if ever). So to get a "diamond status" with some extra benefits on our next cruise, would be appreciated. Allthough we do NOT cruise with NCL because of any of the Latitude amenities, they are nice "extra stuff" to enjoy. 🙂 

[phillygwm]

3 hours ago, TrumpyNor said:

I get the impression that some of the posters in this thread are thinking of those of us who actually enjoy our Latitude status for various reasons, to be stupid or less intelligent and that we should somehow be "ashamed" for enjoying it....? All though some of the items on the "benefit list" are not that great, from our Platinum+ status I personally like the two complimented dinners (one of them including a bottle of wine), the free laundry bags (one each), the extra wifi-minutes and the 15% discount on  shore excursions, discount on photos. With close to 500 Latitude points currently, and veeeeery seldom cruising in a suite it has taken us many nights at sea to get there, and it seemed like the next level (Ambassador) would not be reached for many years (if ever). So to get a "diamond status" with some extra benefits on our next cruise, would be appreciated. Allthough we do NOT cruise with NCL because of any of the Latitude amenities, they are nice "extra stuff" to enjoy. 🙂 

Not stupid at all.  These are tangible benefits; I enjoy the preferred embarkation, the dinners, the laundry, and used to always join the "Behind the Scenes" tours.  Of course, there are some benefits that I, personally, don't always (or ever) avail myself of but to each their own.  Status is not the reason I cruise with NCL but another cruise line would need to be that much cheaper/better to lure me away.

 

I AM impressed that you accumulated almost 500 points without a lot of suites.  I'm around 120 and had quite a bit of help with double points on my first several cruises to get to that level.  My comment that many people who fall into the new category would generally be those in Haven was just me doing the math:  at 7 points per cruise, that's 71 cruises.  Perhaps, like me, you benefitted from a number of double points promos when they were more common but still impressive 🙂

Edited January 1, 2022 by phillygwm

[phillygwm]

12 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

That's true.  We were a bit disappointed on a couple of occasions when junior officers, a casino pit boss, or a gift shop manager were assigned to our table.  Overwhelmingly, however, our dinner companions have been three-stripers or above, and we enjoyed every minute with them.  Come to think of it, some of our evenings with junior officers turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable as well.

I can understand why dinners, at least with "senior" officers, would be appealing.  For me, it goes back to the thread about sharing tables with strangers.  That always made me feel weird.  Of course, that's my own introversion, YMMV.  

 

I'll probably be Platinum Plus, assuming the same point total requirements, in the next 2-3 years (and Diamond in the next 23) 🙂.  If it's even an available benefit at that time, I'd think long and hard about doing it.

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by phillygwm

[CPT Trips]

Just to clarify my prior comment. 
We enjoy dining with an officer, regardless of rank. But the times with concessioneers were akin to the freebie meals offered by investment “advisors”. We’ll sign up when/if they become available; but will likely bow out if it’s not a ships officer.

[ChiefMateJRK]

7 hours ago, TrumpyNor said:

I get the impression that some of the posters in this thread are thinking of those of us who actually enjoy our Latitude status for various reasons, to be stupid or less intelligent and that we should somehow be "ashamed" for enjoying it....?

I think you're mistaken.  I mostly commented on the dinners with the officers.  I stated that I'm glad you enjoy it, and that was sincere.  We're all different.  Some of us just don't have any fondness for "celebrity" status.  We wouldn't cross the street to say hi to a Hollywood celebrity.  We have no interest in shaking hands with our Governor, etc.  It's just not how we are wired.  I'm platinum now and will enjoy the extra specialty meals and the bag of laundry.  Those are tangible benefits that I can use and may save me money.  Beyond that, I really don't care.  I'll make platinum plus at some point in the next several years but I really couldn't care less.

[UKstages]

i maintain the best way to dine with a senior officer is to head to the buffet at an off-peak time, and sit in the back. they are often there and they are quite open to your comments and questions. that's been my experience. now, i don't know how they'd react if you pulled up a chair and actually joined them at their table... but sit nearby and strike up a conversation and see what happens. i think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[TrumpyNor]

16 hours ago, phillygwm said:

I AM impressed that you accumulated almost 500 points without a lot of suites.  I'm around 120 and had quite a bit of help with double points on my first several cruises to get to that level.  My comment that many people who fall into the new category would generally be those in Haven was just me doing the math:  at 7 points per cruise, that's 71 cruises.  Perhaps, like me, you benefitted from a number of double points promos when they were more common but still impressive 🙂

 

Yes, there were some double points "back in the day" as we always book maybe a year in advance - plus mainly cruises with duration 10-21 days - AND often two cruises per year. Our first cruise with NCL was in 2003. 🙂 

Edited January 2, 2022 by TrumpyNor

[phillygwm]

4 hours ago, TrumpyNor said:

 

Yes, there were some double points "back in the day" as we always book maybe a year in advance - plus mainly cruises with duration 10-21 days - AND often two cruises per year. Our first cruise with NCL was in 2003. 🙂 

I can't do that until I retire!  Scheduled my first 10 day for October.  Half looking forward to it, half impending sense of dread of the s***show that will await me at work (and I do check work emails on my cruises, which might not be the best idea with Premium Plus bev package) 🙂