Status Match

[bob brown]

I have taken advantage of MSC’s “status match” offer, where they will grant you their considered equivalent loyalty status to new customers,  from any other travel company—cruise line, airline, hotel chain, etc.

 

I am wondering if anyone is aware of any similar offer’s from other companies?

Edited January 17, 2023 by bob brown

[SPacificbound]

The only ones that I know, other than MSC, are Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. You probably already know those also.  😃

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, SPacificbound said:

The only ones that I know, other than MSC, are Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. You probably already know those also.  😃

 

Your status on RCI will apply on Celebrity and vice versa.  But neither RCI or Celebrity will match status from other cruise line, hotel or airline programs.    

[evandbob]

Virgin has a status match as well as those mentioned.

[bob brown]

On 1/17/2023 at 10:18 PM, evandbob said:

Virgin has a status match as well as those mentioned.

Thanks!   I’ll have to check that out, since Virgin is on my list of lines to try at least once, anyway…🙂

[LHT28]

What does it mean in real terms  "Status Match"  ?

If you  get a free drink with  a certain line  does MSC gIve you a free drink?

If you get  $$ in OBC  does MSC give you the same $$?

[Hlitner]

8 hours ago, LHT28 said:

What does it mean in real terms  "Status Match"  ?

If you  get a free drink with  a certain line  does MSC gIve you a free drink?

If you get  $$ in OBC  does MSC give you the same $$?

With MSC it can mean 5% off any cruise booking.  There are also some onboard amenties (depending on the level you match) such as a free meal in an alternative restaurant.   There is also a current promotion for the new luxury line, Explora Journeys, that will give any MSC Diamond member a $500 OBC plus 2 category upgrade.

 

Hank

[LHT28]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

With MSC it can mean 5% off any cruise booking.  There are also some onboard amenties (depending on the level you match) such as a free meal in an alternative restaurant.   There is also a current promotion for the new luxury line, Explora Journeys, that will give any MSC Diamond member a $500 OBC plus 2 category upgrade.

 

Hank

Thanks

Is Explora part of MSC?

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

Thanks

Is Explora part of MSC?

Explora is a wholly owned company of MSC's, but they have their own management team and customer support.  When MSC originally announced that they were going to start a small ship luxury line, most of us assumed it would simply be an extension of their "Yacht Club" experience found on some MSC ships.  But the Aponte family (who essentially owns MSC) decided to spin it off to its own brand.  We do know that they have hired senior management from several different cruise lines and were surprised that they did not draw more heavily on the experienced folks at MSC.  

 

But they have gone outside for many key positions.  For example, their General Manager comes from Azamara.  The Senior Executive Chef comes from Oceania, and their Executive Pasty Chef comes fromt he very prestigious Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.  Their senior executive chef comes from Oceania and the Apollo Group (caterers for several cruise lines).   The CEO was previously the COO for Carnival Asia and prior to that ran Aida cruises.

 

My own take on all this is that the Aponte family wanted to draw the best from outside.  Since we first cruised in the MSC Yacht Club (over 5 years ago) we thought that the weak point of the YC was their cuisine.  Seeing that MSC went outside for the top folks of their culinary team was enough to convince DW and I to book one of their early cruises.  

 

It is not the first time DW and I gambled on a new cruise line.  We did the same when Azamara was a new line (our experience with them was terrific) and also were fans of Renaissance which, unfortunately, went out of business.

 

Hank