MSC Cruises going after Loyal cruisers on other lines

MSC has announced a loyalty program, and they are even granting equal status in their program to status match you in an existing program.

http://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/MSC-Cruises-relaunches-loyalty-program

I've done status match with Airlines and Hotels in the past - interesting to see cruises offering something similar.

Will be fun to watch and see if any other lines react over time.

Now if only I wanted to cruise MSC. If Princess or Holland America would match Celebrity status, now that would be a party☺️

Even if they offered Black level for Celebrity Zenith members it would not be worth it.

They must be following Celebrity because the Black Level members get a Black seapass card !!!

Celebrity has the BEST benefits in the industry for Zenith members:)

It would appear from the OP's link that the top loyalty level on MSC equates to Elite on Celebrity, but Celebrity offers more

I find the title amusing as their new loyalty program drives me away.

I'm a member of both, but their new program introduced a 3 year activity expiry. Given they only operate really in Europe, with a few ships elsewhere, there's likely to be intervals where they don't offer an opportunity to sail, let alone suitable itinerary, price and all the rest, in which case any loyalty you've shown is terminated and you start from scratch the next time you sail with them.

Since they only have a short term view of loyalty and don't even operate as widely as the other lines, not much point.

Interesting. Only this weekend there was an MCS cruise that caught our attention: 21-nights[?] from Cuba, round the Caribbean and ending in Dover, UK. The same cruise in the other direction would be appealing to us with the Yacht Club option ...

We rejected MSC as an option in 2011 because we could find out nothing about them at the London cruise show - they had sent no one who could speak English and had no literature in English. So, all I know about them is what I have read on the Cruise Critic Celebrity board.

They are also advertising heavily to Military, stating they are offering Military discounts on every cruise and full refunds if deployed.

I am not interested in loyalty. I am not even loyal to one supermarket.

I do admire those of you who plan and scheme to advance. A four day cruise here and a week there to mount up a grade. I could not be bothered.

I am, however, very interested in MSC yacht club and think that they will have our next booking.

It would appear from the OP's link that the top loyalty level on MSC equates to Elite on Celebrity, but Celebrity offers more

Please quote the text in the hyperlink where you gleaned this.

I saw NO correlation from one cruise line to another.

Also 10,000 points on MSC for Black is WAY more than even the 3000 on Celebrity for Zenith!!!

I am not interested in loyalty. I am not even loyal to one supermarket.

 

I do admire those of you who plan and scheme to advance. A four day cruise here and a week there to mount up a grade. I could not be bothered.

 

I am, however, very interested in MSC yacht club and think that they will have our next booking.

The yacht club is a fantastic experience with it's dedicated pool/jacuzzi area complete with pool bar and buffet. The Top Sail Lounge is another terrific feature, not to mention the YC restaurant!!

One of the very best perks MSC offered their customers at Black level was a 20% discount on ANY priced cruise. Even if the cruise was heavily discounted, the 20% would be applied. This has now been reduced to 5%. That, coupled with MSC offering equal status to those from other cruise lines loyalty programmes has really pxxxxed off people who are at the highest tier - I'm one!!

Having said that, MSC doesn't seem to appeal to a lot of X, RC or NCL fans and the new "benefits" won't be enough to lure them away, IMHO. They're certainly not going down too well with MSC fans, that's for sure!

Also 10,000 points on MSC for Black is WAY more than even the 3000 on Celebrity for Zenith!!!

Not really.

They just changed their calculation for the new program.

It used to be 1 point per night. In the new program the earn rate is a bit more complicated, but it's basically, and was converted at, 100 new points = 1 old point.

i.e. 10000 points = 100 old points = 100 nights.

There's no comparison between Black and Zenith. Apples and oranges. How many cruises would you need to do on X to attain the top tier - I made Black in 7. Unless you understand how you achieve the different levels on each of the programmes, the comparison is moot.

I've booked a cruise on X for the itinerary so I'm learning a lot about the differences between it and MSC. The onboard experience is something I'm looking forward to as I expect it to be very different to what I'm used to. Whether it'll be better, remains to be seen! Having visited Silhouette when she was in port here and had lunch in Lawn Grill, I've lowered my expectations, somewhat!!

Now if only I wanted to cruise MSC. If Princess or Holland America would match Celebrity status, now that would be a party☺️

Oh how I AGREE! If Holland America offered the same deal I would switch back in a minute. We are only at level 3 with HAL (I don't even remember the level name) and have so much time in both Celebrity (Elite Plus) and Royal (Diamond Plus) that we gravitate to Celebrity each time. Only do Royal if we go out of Bayonne or Baltimore because we won't fly to a Royal ship if there is a Celebrity ship doing a similar trip.

I can only dream. :)

Having done 1 short cruise on MSC I can say with hand on heart I wouldn't go on another if it was free! Yacht club may be attractive but when you have to share the remainder of the facilities no thanks! Food at dinner just about ok breakfast and lunch absolutely disgusting. Non stop announcements over the tannoy in 5 different languages entertainment so poor it is bordering on hysterical! Cabins very poorly equipped no room service surly staff. No vacation time is too precious even for any loyalty incentives

I agree with everything Janeykul says. The cabins were sub par (regular balcony) and the beds were awful!

Never again MSC.

I might be interested. But, I need much more hard copy information from MSC than what I have been able to receive.

It would appear from the OP's link that the top loyalty level on MSC equates to Elite on Celebrity, but Celebrity offers more

Here are the benefits for MSC Voyagers Club:

http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/MSC-Voyagers-Club/Membership-Benefits.aspx

How to collect points:

http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/MSC-Voyagers-Club/How-To-Collect-Points.aspx

Points expire after 3 years if no sailings booked:

Q: For how long are points valid?

A: Points earned at the end of a cruise have a validity date of 36 months from the date of disembarkation. You will need to complete at least one cruise in 36 months since your last disembarkation date to extend your membership for another 36 months from your last disembarkation date.

I'm not seeing any incentive to "check out" MSC!

We have friends just off MSC. They say nope not for them ( more than 25 cruises ) again. So no go for us too.

Having done 1 short cruise on MSC I can say with hand on heart I wouldn't go on another if it was free! Yacht club may be attractive but when you have to share the remainder of the facilities no thanks! Food at dinner just about ok breakfast and lunch absolutely disgusting. Non stop announcements over the tannoy in 5 different languages entertainment so poor it is bordering on hysterical! Cabins very poorly equipped no room service surly staff. No vacation time is too precious even for any loyalty incentives

What you describe is saddening as I wanted (still do, actually) to try the Yacht Club. Breakfast and lunch are disgusting! Wow. How so? Please explain.

I'm actually a convert to MSC. While I enjoy Celebrity and will cruise with the line again, the Yacht Club is the single best experience I have had at sea.

Also 10,000 points on MSC for Black is WAY more than even the 3000 on Celebrity for Zenith!!!

Actually after only 5 9-night cruises (45 nights) in the Yacht Club, you can get there. To get Zenith with X, one would need 166 nights in the PH (or 83 nights as a solo)

Or if sailing in their lowest "experience" you can do it with 14 9-night (126 nights) cruises. On X, sailing in inside cabin, would need 1500 nights (750 as a solo).

But I agree with other posters, their Black level is nothing like X's Zenith level, I don't think the perks are even those of Elite Plus, or even Elite for that matter. The programs and perks aren't really similar enough to compare.

Bosox1 - the choice at breakfast and lunch is extremely limited to say the least! Scrambled egg floating in water fried egg hard as rubber balls, flabby tasteless tomatoes and sum thing they call bacon but bares no resemblance! In the dining room we asked for toast which came like a brick splintered into dust when we tried to cut it. Lunch cheap tinned hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill different coloured mush in the self serve not much better in the dining room admittedly the evening meal in the dining room was quite good especially the fish and pasta service also good. We shared a table with another English couple who were on for free as they had taken a previous cruise and on leaving the ship in port to go on an excursion were right behind a lady who plunged to her death when the gangway collapsed. Even they said they had been done getting it for free! It took us ages to get into the cabin when we boarded as the key card wouldn't work 5 lonnng trips to reception to sort it out to be met with a shrug. Entertainment well either a singer in 1 of the lounges who had to finish every song halfway through because he didn't know the rest of the words and 1 night had to stop because his clip on ponytail dropped out! Or opera. Gala night the main show finger shapes against the curtain piece de resistance being the Tower of London. There was then the riot in reception when a few hundred Argentinians had been charged double the gratuities and had the purser by the throat (better than the finger shadows). To top off this horrendous joke of a cruise docked in Venice 7am at 12.00 when the majority of the ship had not disembarked due to their complete lack of organisation we told them we were going and they could forward our luggage on. This is all fact and in hindsight gives us a lot of laughs. Would we even think 2xs about MSC absolutely not in a million years

We tried YC a year ago. The segregated area, amenities were very nice.

However, after 26 Celebrity, with the Elite+ perks, we find Celebrity a better value. With X drink pkg, specialty restaurants and/or Blu, we are less likely to return to expensive MSC YC.

Princess?...really?....the are becoming the socialist cruise line. for those that don't believe you should get perks when paying for a suite...

QUOTE=cruisestitch;47185583]Now if only I wanted to cruise MSC. If Princess or Holland America would match Celebrity status, now that would be a party☺️

When I first saw this title, I thought it was a joke.

For years I have been thinking of trying MSC just to give them a go.

Last summer, we took the plunge. What a joke that was!

My son wanted to leave the ship after the first day.

It was the worst food I have ever had on sea or land. According to staff on the ship, MSC get over 1 million complaints every year about the food.

Food is, of course, relative to the taster, but when it is the opinion of over 1 million passengers, there is a message.

Interestingly, MSC don't seem bothered about this as they seemed focused on the first time cruiser. Who wants to go back for more bad food? Admittedly, we did not do YC, but that was not an option on our ship the MSC Opera.

They do claim to have the best pizza on the seas.

Their pizzas were very good, but you can't eat that every day and night!

For balance, I would also comment that we had the best waiter of all our many cruises. In general, the staff were very good, and many apologetic about the food. It was that embarassing.

In conclusion, Celebrity has nothing to fear from MSC taking customers.

Once you have done a MSC cruise, you will welcome getting back on board Celebrity!