Status Match question FINALLY answered!!!

[hmwende]

I sailed with MSC 6 months ago.  5 months before sailing, I completed the status match form (four times because it never seemed to work) having previously sailed with NCL on 5 cruises.  I didn't get status matched prior to my sailing.  Then, immediately AFTER my sailing, I magically received notification that I was matched to Classic and only had 1800 points.  This made no sense to me.  I was thinking that my sailing would have put me into the next category with MSC.  In my mind 1+1=2.  I have been persistent sending at least 10 emails with only ever receiving one very vague email not answering my question.  Well, today my persistence paid off!  Someone responded to me answering my question:

 

Good Afternoon HEATHER,

 

When you complete a status match, you do not bring over the points

you had with the other cruise line. When you match with MSC you

receive the starting amount of points that belong to the tier level

that you were approved for. In your case, you received classic

status which is the first tier level so you only received one point

starting off. You currently have 1900 points due to your past

sailing. Matching with a higher level will get you a higher level

with Msc and more points starting off. For example, Norwegian

Ambassador would have given you Msc Diamond with 10,000 points.

Please keep in mind, Every voyage aboard MSC Cruises as well as

any onboard spending will add points to your account.

 

Should you require additional assistance please

feel free to contact our contact center at 1877.665.4655

 

Best Regards

MSC Voyagers club

 

So, basically I got 1 point.  ONE point!  LOL!!!!!!  Such a crock.

[Paphillyguy]

What level where you on NCL?  If you had 5 cruises I find it hard to believe that you would be matched to Classic.   I would look at what you sent in with your match request.  

[Two Wheels Only]

28 minutes ago, Paphillyguy said:

What level where you on NCL?

 

I have the same question. 

 

After taking 5 cruises on NCL, a person can be Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Sapphire depending on what is booked, how long each cruise is, what category is booked, when it is booked, etc. 

[Bobbiegentry]

8 hours ago, hmwende said:

So, basically I got 1 point.  ONE point!  LOL!!!!!!  Such a crock.

Not a crock at all. 
MSC was spot on on this. 

[shipgeeks]

Five NCL cruises doesn't seem like a lot to me, unless they were really long ones.  Did that give you a significant loyalty level with NCL?

When we applied for our status match, we had done eleven Celebrity cruises and 16 RC, most of which were fairly long.

[ready2cruzagain]

17 hours ago, hmwende said:

I sailed with MSC 6 months ago.  5 months before sailing, I completed the status match form (four times because it never seemed to work) having previously sailed with NCL on 5 cruises.  I didn't get status matched prior to my sailing.  Then, immediately AFTER my sailing, I magically received notification that I was matched to Classic and only had 1800 points.  This made no sense to me.  I was thinking that my sailing would have put me into the next category with MSC.  In my mind 1+1=2.  I have been persistent sending at least 10 emails with only ever receiving one very vague email not answering my question.  Well, today my persistence paid off!  Someone responded to me answering my question:

 

Good Afternoon HEATHER,

 

When you complete a status match, you do not bring over the points

you had with the other cruise line. When you match with MSC you

receive the starting amount of points that belong to the tier level

that you were approved for. In your case, you received classic

status which is the first tier level so you only received one point

starting off. You currently have 1900 points due to your past

sailing. Matching with a higher level will get you a higher level

with Msc and more points starting off. For example, Norwegian

Ambassador would have given you Msc Diamond with 10,000 points.

Please keep in mind, Every voyage aboard MSC Cruises as well as

any onboard spending will add points to your account.

 

Should you require additional assistance please

feel free to contact our contact center at 1877.665.4655

 

Best Regards

MSC Voyagers club

 

So, basically I got 1 point.  ONE point!  LOL!!!!!!  Such a crock.

Not a crock at all. When I status matched to MSC from NCL I was Platinum on NCL with 120 days and can't remember exactly how many cruises but it was wayyyyyyy more than 5. 5 cruises to me on NCL is not a lot and does not render  a high status match on MSC. 

 

I now have enough points on MSC to match Diamond without a status match (22, 300 points) but unfortunately 10,000 points is as high as they go. Still wishing they would redo their tiers and get a higher one.

[hmwende]

17 hours ago, Paphillyguy said:

What level where you on NCL?  If you had 5 cruises I find it hard to believe that you would be matched to Classic.   I would look at what you sent in with your match request.  

I am silver a few points from to gold on NCL. I appreciate it is not significant. The point that I’m making is that MSC put me at the BEGINNING of the “equivalent” status, which is their lowest stats, which means it is like starting over. It’s not an equivalent match. 

[Ryan82]

I get your point and disappointment.

 

However it's a tier match not a points match. 

[Paphillyguy]

I checked the Match chart I found online and looks like Silver only matches to the lowest MSC level and as someone else said, they do not match points only level.  If you had been Gold on NCL they would have matched you to Silver at 2,200 points. 

[gmbhardy]

I was one of the lucky ones who got matched to black (now diamond) with Platinum on NCL. So without ever cruising on MSC we were at the top of their loyalty program. Had to laugh, on our first cruise on the Seaside we were invited to the Black reception for our past loyalty … ok. We’ve been on five more MSC cruises since, all in the YC.

[cruiseguyinorl]

14 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

Still wishing they would redo their tiers and get a higher one.

 

Me too. I'm sitting at 61,600 points. And that was not Status Matched. 🙄

Bret

[phissy]

2 hours ago, cruiseguyinorl said:

 

Me too. I'm sitting at 61,600 points. And that was not Status Matched. 🙄

Bret

Bret, how can we get MSC to post our points correctly?
Just returned from 14 night YC cruise and given 1500 points. 
For our last 3 cruises, all YC experience, over 12 nights, only awarded 1500 . Is there an email address we can use to follow up on this.?

Thanks Bret.

[graphicguy]

14 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

I was one of the lucky ones who got matched to black (now diamond) with Platinum on NCL. So without ever cruising on MSC we were at the top of their loyalty program. Had to laugh, on our first cruise on the Seaside we were invited to the Black reception for our past loyalty … ok. We’ve been on five more MSC cruises since, all in the YC.

Yeah…they matched me before I ever cruised on them, too.  But, this was when they first started with the status matching promo about 5-6 years ago.  NCL Platinum was matched to MSC Black Card (now Diamond).  Thought it was temporary.  But, I see the status match promo still exists.

 

I just booked a new cruise, but it’s the first one on MSC in 5 years.  I notice I’m still status “Diamond”, good through 12/2023.

[hawkeyetlse]

On 11/16/2022 at 12:41 PM, hmwende said:

I am silver a few points from to gold on NCL. I appreciate it is not significant. The point that I’m making is that MSC put me at the BEGINNING of the “equivalent” status, which is their lowest stats, which means it is like starting over. It’s not an equivalent match. 

To be clear, the lowest status is “Welcome” with zero points, and the “jump” from 0 to 1 point is potentially worth hundreds of dollars (since it gets you 5% off your very first cruise, skipping the “Welcome” step). Of course in your case since they didn’t bother give your match until after your first cruise, the 1 point is truly just a slap in the face. 

[hmwende]

16 hours ago, hawkeyetlse said:

To be clear, the lowest status is “Welcome” with zero points, and the “jump” from 0 to 1 point is potentially worth hundreds of dollars (since it gets you 5% off your very first cruise, skipping the “Welcome” step). Of course in your case since they didn’t bother give your match until after your first cruise, the 1 point is truly just a slap in the face. 

Yes thank you. That was my point. 

[graphicguy]

On 11/16/2022 at 7:32 PM, gmbhardy said:

I was one of the lucky ones who got matched to black (now diamond) with Platinum on NCL. So without ever cruising on MSC we were at the top of their loyalty program. Had to laugh, on our first cruise on the Seaside we were invited to the Black reception for our past loyalty … ok. We’ve been on five more MSC cruises since, all in the YC.

I think they’ve “tweaked” their status match procedures over time.  When they first entered the North American market, they were trying to get guests on their ships, given they were viewed as a “new” cruise line (and yes, I know they had been sailing in other parts of the world).

 

Now that they’ve established themselves in FL (and soon, NYC), it looks like they’re using status match to lure and/or retain a certain cruise customer.  Who that is and how they decide that is a mystery.

 

In my case, I’m quite surprised they’ve extended my status match even though I have not sailed them in several years.  But, maybe I’m their target.  Getting me back on their ships by extending my status with them.  I guess it worked.  I just booked them after a 5 year hiatus.

 

 

[UPNYGuy]

On 11/16/2022 at 7:32 PM, gmbhardy said:

I was one of the lucky ones who got matched to black (now diamond) with Platinum on NCL. So without ever cruising on MSC we were at the top of their loyalty program. Had to laugh, on our first cruise on the Seaside we were invited to the Black reception for our past loyalty … ok. We’ve been on five more MSC cruises since, all in the YC.

 

I did this back before FDR re-did the loyalty tiers, and plat was the top. DW and I were immediately matched to black. We have done quite a few more since then.

[ready2cruzagain]

5 hours ago, graphicguy said:

I think they’ve “tweaked” their status match procedures over time.  When they first entered the North American market, they were trying to get guests on their ships, given they were viewed as a “new” cruise line (and yes, I know they had been sailing in other parts of the world).

 

Now that they’ve established themselves in FL (and soon, NYC), it looks like they’re using status match to lure and/or retain a certain cruise customer.  Who that is and how they decide that is a mystery.

 

In my case, I’m quite surprised they’ve extended my status match even though I have not sailed them in several years.  But, maybe I’m their target.  Getting me back on their ships by extending my status with them.  I guess it worked.  I just booked them after a 5 year hiatus.

 

 

They extended everyones status on MSC due to Covid. That is why you did not lose you status even though you had not sailed in a while