Voyager Club Gold and Black Tier Gets a $50 OBC?

[Georgia_Peaches]

I was just reading through the tiers and benefits and noticed that beginning with the Gold level one is entitled to $50 OBC.  We status matched to Gold and our first cruise with MSC was a few weeks ago.  We didn't get a $50 OBC.  We have a quick 4 nighter booked for November and again, I don't see $50 OBC in my account.  Is this something you have to ask for or am I just reading the chart all wrong?  Or perhaps my sailing wasn't a "Select Departure"...

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Georgia_Peaches
Fixed typo

[8420PR]

The $50 onboard credit for Silver, Gold and Diamond members is now only for any cruise booked 9 months in advance.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club

[Georgia_Peaches]

6 hours ago, 8420PR said:

The $50 onboard credit for Silver, Gold and Diamond members is now only for any cruise booked 9 months in advance.

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club

Ahh, hence the “Select sailings” part. Thank you. 

[Morgsmom]

18 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Ahh, hence the “Select sailings” part. Thank you. 

Not entirely correct.   You can see that there used to be 5% + (up to another 15%) on "select sailings."  This was an older version of the Voyagers Club that you have posted above.  The current one has benefits based on how far out you book.  

[Georgia_Peaches]

26 minutes ago, Morgsmom said:

Not entirely correct.   You can see that there used to be 5% + (up to another 15%) on "select sailings."  This was an older version of the Voyagers Club that you have posted above.  The current one has benefits based on how far out you book.  

Hard to know which chart is the most recent as I didn't see a date (not that I looked terribly hard).  Good to know, though!  While I like to have a few sailings on the books, I rarely book that far out so probably won't ever apply to me.  I tend to be 6 months out or less kinda girl.  The covid shut down didn't help with this thought train because like so many, we had several cruises cancelled, moved, shifted, lifted, you name it! 🙂

[phissy]

We just booked a cruise for next fall.  I agree, with all the changes and cancellations, it makes it hard to do any real planning.

We received 5+5% plus the $50 OBCpp.

Missed double points by 1 week.

 

Current Voyagers Club Page 

 

Book in advance and get the most from your MSC Voyagers Club membership. Offer is applicable to new bookings made on April 28th, 2022 and beyond.*

-- Book 12+ months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount + Double Points.**
   (Silver, Gold and Diamond members will also receive a $50 Onboard Credit per person)

-- Book 9 to12 months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount.
   (Silver, Gold and Diamond members will also receive a $50 Onboard Credit per person)

-- Book 6 to 9 months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount.

-- Book less than 6 months before departure and receive a 5% Discount.

Edited September 20, 2022 by phissy

[kilkoyne]

On 9/20/2022 at 10:52 AM, phissy said:

We just booked a cruise for next fall.  I agree, with all the changes and cancellations, it makes it hard to do any real planning.

We received 5+5% plus the $50 OBCpp.

Missed double points by 1 week.

 

Current Voyagers Club Page 

 

Book in advance and get the most from your MSC Voyagers Club membership. Offer is applicable to new bookings made on April 28th, 2022 and beyond.*

-- Book 12+ months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount + Double Points.**
   (Silver, Gold and Diamond members will also receive a $50 Onboard Credit per person)

-- Book 9 to12 months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount.
   (Silver, Gold and Diamond members will also receive a $50 Onboard Credit per person)

-- Book 6 to 9 months before departure and receive a 5% + 5% Discount.

-- Book less than 6 months before departure and receive a 5% Discount.

 

Did the OBC show up while your booking or after? Did you contact a rep or did you just go through the online process for booking?

[JAGR]

8 hours ago, kilkoyne said:

 

Did the OBC show up while your booking or after? Did you contact a rep or did you just go through the online process for booking?

To chime in, for a cruise we have booked more than nine months out, the $50 OBJ shows under my name, but only me.  My DW (also Diamond) does not show an OBC line item.  The Pax Type in the booking remarks is correct: Voyagers Exclusives.  It's not a deal breaker, but OBC for both passengers is the norm, based on past experience.

[MsTabbyKats]

I booked a cruise over 12 months out.....no Gold OBC 

I canceled (customer service could not change my booking to another promo) and rebooked @ 10 months out and DH and I both got the credit.  It showed up immediately on our cruise summaries.

I changed my promo this week...now 7 months out....and the $50/pp OBC went away.

 

To the best of my knowledge....you have to book between 9-12 months in advance.  No credit if you book over a year out (at least that was the rule a couple of months ago).

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I booked a cruise over 12 months out.....no Gold OBC 

I canceled (customer service could not change my booking to another promo) and rebooked @ 10 months out and DH and I both got the credit.  It showed up immediately on our cruise summaries.

I changed my promo this week...now 7 months out....and the $50/pp OBC went away.

 

To the best of my knowledge....you have to book between 9-12 months in advance.  No credit if you book over a year out (at least that was the rule a couple of months ago).

Seems like a lot of parameters have been set by MSC for $50.  Not knocking the amount so much as the thought process on their part.  If they want to give a perk to certain loyalty levels, then give it without all the hoops!

[MsTabbyKats]

1 minute ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Seems like a lot of parameters have been set by MSC for $50.  Not knocking the amount so much as the thought process on their part.  If they want to give a perk to certain loyalty levels, then give it without all the hoops!

Could not agree more!

 

Because of price fluctuations, $50/pp itself is not much of an incentive to book early..  If "you catch a promo" on a good day, you can do a lot better than $50.  That's what "Free Balcony Upgrade" did for me....kept me in the same cabin but lowered the price to that of an OV.

[phissy]

10 hours ago, kilkoyne said:

 

Did the OBC show up while your booking or after? Did you contact a rep or did you just go through the online process for booking?

Took a couple of days for booking to show on our MSC account online.

Took another day for  OBC to show up under cruise details. 
One for each of us. We are both Diamond.

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by phissy

[Hlitner]

We have an upcoming Seashore cruise booked and recently downloaded our docs/tickets.  There was nothing in the docs about our $50 pp OBC (we are both Diamond) even though the cruise was booked more than a year in advance.  This morning we called our cruise agent and brought up the subject,  They contacted MSC and were told that any requested Voyager Club benefits could only be requested once aboard!  Go figure :).   I assume if they called back and spoke to a different person they would get a different answer, etc. etc.  

 

Hank

[kilkoyne]

 

2 hours ago, phissy said:

Took a couple of days for booking to show on our MSC account online.

Took another day for  OBC to show up under cruise details. 
One for each of us. We are both Diamond.

 

 

Forgot to ask. Do you when, and how to tell when double points show up? My booking will be 13 months from now so I should get the double points with the $50.00 OBC.

[8420PR]

4 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I booked a cruise over 12 months out.....no Gold OBC 

I canceled (customer service could not change my booking to another promo) and rebooked @ 10 months out and DH and I both got the credit.  It showed up immediately on our cruise summaries.

I changed my promo this week...now 7 months out....and the $50/pp OBC went away.

 

To the best of my knowledge....you have to book between 9-12 months in advance.  No credit if you book over a year out (at least that was the rule a couple of months ago).

The $50 credit for Silver, Gold and Diamond members when booking 9 months out only came into effect from May 2022 (this year), so any cruise booked before 1st May 2022 would not have the $50 credit (unless it was one of the previous voyager's specials).

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

They contacted MSC and were told that any requested Voyager Club benefits could only be requested once aboard!

Oh no!  I can see where this is going.  Once on board, they will likely tell you there is nothing they can do as all this sort of stuff is taken care of shoreside and you will have to call MSC...  I hope not!

[phissy]

1 hour ago, kilkoyne said:

 

 

Forgot to ask. Do you when, and how to tell when double points show up? My booking will be 13 months from now so I should get the double points with the $50.00 OBC.

Well with MSC, anything is possible.

Our last cruise ( November) was  b2b. Two booking numbers etc. Two deposits. 

We did get $50 OBC for each week.  The points should have been 2 x YC 

(5-9 nts) 1,500. So, 3,000 points 

We received 1500 total.  If they combined weeks ( 15 nts) we should have 2,000 for that. Repeated emails resulted in MSC saying we received correct points. We gave up, not worth the hassle.

 

Our cruise next month is 12 nts  and double points (offer when we booked last year)

So, we should get 2x 2000 points for this one. I saved email from TA which confirms he had to have MSC supervisor add double points and our OBC to booking.

Nowhere on our booking does it show double points to be applied.

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by phissy

[phissy]

1 hour ago, 8420PR said:

The $50 credit for Silver, Gold and Diamond members when booking 9 months out only came into effect from May 2022 (this year), so any cruise booked before 1st May 2022 would not have the $50 credit (unless it was one of the previous voyager's specials).

The $50 OBC for Silver and up has been effect since MSC resumed cruising last year. Many VC benefited from that.
I am sure many assumed it would always be awarded when booking a cruise. Once occupancy increased, MSC revamped the VC program.

Now, OBC only on bookings made 9+months in advance.

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, 8420PR said:

The $50 credit for Silver, Gold and Diamond members when booking 9 months out only came into effect from May 2022 (this year), so any cruise booked before 1st May 2022 would not have the $50 credit (unless it was one of the previous voyager's specials).

If what you say is true, then nobody would have received the $50 credit as of now since it is not 9 months from May 1.   The benefit, as it is listed in Voyages club benefits has no start date requirement other than having to book 9 months in advance.

 

Hank

[MsTabbyKats]

4 hours ago, 8420PR said:

The $50 credit for Silver, Gold and Diamond members when booking 9 months out only came into effect from May 2022 (this year), so any cruise booked before 1st May 2022 would not have the $50 credit (unless it was one of the previous voyager's specials).

A "cut and paste" from Silver Level Voyagers Club benefits:

 

Voyagers Exclusives $50 Onboard Credit per person + Double Points on all bookings made more than 12 months before departure

Voyagers Exclusives $50 Onboard Credit per person on all bookings made 9 to12 months before departure

Milestone reward

 

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club/members-benefits

 

ETA....just noticed that the first "silver benefit" is $50/pp plus double points for reservations made more than a year in advance.  So, I guess they were trying to cheat me...back in March.

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by MsTabbyKats

[8420PR]

The changes were made in May 2022, so any booking made in March 2022 would get the old voyagers promo - which did NOT include $50 OBC for all cruises booked more than 9 months in advance.   You get the promo available when booking, and if a new promo appears you can always cancel and rebook if advantageous.

 

Before May 2022:  Only selected "voyagers cruises" received the additional discount and OBC for silver and above (regardless of when you booked).  Typically these were older ships and less popular cruises.

After May 2022:   All cruises booked more than 9 months in advance are considered "voyagers cruises" and get 5+5% discount and $50 OBC for silver and above.

 

Here is a thread discussing the changes:  

 

Edited to add:  You are all correct that this is not clear on the MSC website, and I can see where the confusion comes from.  Customers should not have to read the T&C to understand what they should receive. 

Edited September 24, 2022 by 8420PR