Any way to get 6 latitude points before next NCL cruise?

[mexico8]

We have a 17 day cruise booked for November on the NCL Jewel.   We need 6 more Latitude points to reach Sapphire status (some nice perks).  Is there any way to get 6 points before the November cruise?  Can we purchase something ahead of time to get those 6 points?

 

Any info appreciated.  Thanks.

[Andros]

The only way I am aware of is a 6 day or more cruise.  It is the only way to acquire latitude points. 

[julig22]

A 6-day cruise. Don't think there are any double-point short cruises coming up, unless you want to go to Barcelona for 4 days at the end of May in an inside cabin (all other cabins say sold out).

[European_CruiseGirl]

As others have already said the only way to get points is to cruise. 

[DominicAUS]

The jump between platinum and sapphire isnt a huge benefit. Dinner with officers is not a huge draw card to me. To take a 6 day cruise to get to sapphire would be a waste but hey a 6 day cruise because you can. Do it but not just to jump up a level

[zqvol]

No way to get points without cruising, but it’s not worth it to get to sapphire. Not much difference between sapphire and platinum. 

[9tee2Sea]

1. Im only 3  away from Sapphire.  I agree that there really is not much of difference in perks, just bragging rights.  I will get there eventually, maybe next year ( or if I find a SUPER CHEAP last minute deal this year).

[Sailing12Away]

Couple of decently priced short 3-4 day trips. Book a suite or Haven and there you go. Are the extra perks you'll get from moving to Sapphire really worth the 3K though (plus flights)?

 

 

[The Traveling Man]

Some other cruise lines offer ways to add points to their frequent traveler programs without actually going on a cruise.  Celebrity, for example, sometimes emails a link to a promotional video.  You watch the video, then take an online quiz about it to receive "Power Up Points."  You then can trade in several PUPs for one point in their Captain's Club.  The best you can do with PUPs, though, is maybe to add one or two CC points per month.  That doesn't amount to much when you consider that passengers receive several CC points per night on board, more for suites than balconies, so trying to bump up your status using PUPs could take forever.  NCL does not offer a similar way to gain Latitude points without actually taking a cruise. 

 

When comparing the advantages of one Latitudes level to another, Sapphire offers better discounts on shore excursions and wifi than Platinum.  You receive twice as much free bottled water.  Sapphire members are eligible for priority seating in restaurants, although I've never experienced any real advantage there.  You also are entitled to have dinner with an officer.  Some Latitudes members say they see no benefit in that perk.  I would say, to each his own.  Personally, I have enjoyed the opportunity to dine with officers.  My wife and I have done it 20 times with a total of 34 different officers, frequently with just one officer at a time, but sometimes with two.  Two-thirds of them have been senior officers (three stripes or more).  That includes two Captains, six General Managers, four Cruise Next Managers, two Guest Services Managers, and others.  Most of these are folks who have the authority to make exceptions to established rules.  Quite often, after having dinner with them, some of those senior officers would offer additional benefits to us.  We have been invited to tour the bridge, a place which generally has been off limits to passengers for many years.  I have lost count of the number of times we have received additional nights in specialty restaurants, extra bottles of wine delivered to our stateroom, or suite dining privileges even when we were booked in a balcony stateroom, not a suite.  Breakfast and lunch in Moderno or Cagney's instead of the buffet is something we always appreciate.  We wouldn't have received those benefits if we had not gotten to know those senior officers who were in positions that allowed them to extend those extras to us.  So, yes, I think that particular Latitudes benefit has some real value.

[UKstages]

58 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

I have lost count of the number of times we have received additional nights in specialty restaurants, extra bottles of wine delivered to our stateroom, or suite dining privileges even when we were booked in a balcony stateroom, not a suite.

 

i largely agree with the value you place on those cruise enhancements.

 

but, to be fair, you weren't really describing sapphire latitudes benefits... you were describing services, enhancements and perks bestowed upon you by personal relationships you developed with senior officers.

 

now, it can be successfully argued that the only reason you met those officers was because of the sapphire "dinner with officers" perk.  but that perk has changed considerably over the years and has been devalued. it may not even be offered on some ships. (yes, still.)  long after covid brought a halt to the practice, some captains still won't approve crew members mingling with passengers at these dinners. so, the sapphire benefit is the dinner... not any of those other enhancements your received after the dinner. and most folks are unlikely to receive those enhancements because of the way they have changed senior officer participation.

 

most who who have had dinner with the officers recently (including me) report that you're much more likely to dine with the gift shop assistant manager or the environmental officer, rather than a genuine "officer," somebody in senior management. and those folks invariably don't want to be there. they drew the short straw. your twenty dinners with officers apparently go back many years and the perk was at one time a much more meaningful benefit. not many are really dining with the captain or GM now, except, perhaps for ambassador members. the cruise next manager? yup. but i would consider that a sales call and certainly not a bonafide dinner with anybody resembling an officer. 

 

the best part of dinner with the wannabe officers is that the service is always several notches above that provided on any other evening in the MDR. they always assign their best wait staff to the dinners with the officers!

 

that's the other thing... in the old days, dinner with a genuine officer was more often than not held in a specialty restaurant, because the captain or GM or other senior officer wanted to eat there! and elite guests tagged along. now it's typically held in an MDR with a standard menu and there are as many as 12 -14 attendees at each, often sitting around a rectangular table, making conversation with the "officer" difficult, except for the few sitting nearby.

 

so, on balance, the sapphire level does have some modest benefits, but certainly not something worth going out of one's way to earn extra points for prior to an upcoming cruise. 

[mexico8]

Thanks to everyone for the information.   It really does not make any sense for us to book a cruise for thousands of dollars to get the extra perks with Sapphire.

 

Now I know that is the only way to get the 6 points I can rest easy knowing that.   Next cruise after this one we will have the extra points.

 

In the past we were joined by ships officers at the dining table and they always ordered and paid for the wine and one officer went out of his way to get us a nice discount on something.  That was quite a few years ago.  The good old days.....   The days of wine and roses....... 

[Davechipp74]

I hear tell Carnival will upgrade your status mid voyage, NCL not so much. I was in a similar situation where I would of had enough points mid cruise for Platinum but no. Gives you more of a reason to buy a FCC onboard. 

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, mexico8 said:

In the past we were joined by ships officers at the dining table and they always ordered and paid for the wine

 

these days, the servers have a standard red and white wine that they pour, although if you want something else, you can order it... and i've never seen anybody charged. they don't swipe for any drink order at all. several people at my table had irish coffee with dessert...another had a double shot of mcallan. no charge, no swipe.

[hunnypi324]

I'm wondering. what if you are on a cruise and you hit next level  and still have days to go till cruise ends. can you move up on tier

[zqvol]

16 minutes ago, hunnypi324 said:

I'm wondering. what if you are on a cruise and you hit next level  and still have days to go till cruise ends. can you move up on tier

No, you can’t move up. The latitudes points are not awarded until a cruise is complete. You don’t get them day by day. 

[hunnypi324]

thank you

[itsnotjustme]

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

several people at my table had irish coffee with dessert

Irish coffee is included in the FAS drink package.  (But not a cappuccino!)

 

6 hours ago, UKstages said:

most who who have had dinner with the officers recently (including me) report that you're much more likely to dine with the gift shop assistant manager or the environmental officer

Last cruise we had the "Shop Manager" and Automation Officer (engineer type).  6 guests, rectangular table, officer at each end.  We were at the end with the Automation Officer.  His accent was so heavy he was hard to understand.  The shop manager was too far away to hear.

 

The cruise before we had the Environmental Officer (he needed more schooling thank most others1).  This was 4 guests, round table.  Better format to talk.

[julig22]

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

these days, the servers have a standard red and white wine that they pour, although if you want something else, you can order it... and i've never seen anybody charged. they don't swipe for any drink order at all. several people at my table had irish coffee with dessert...another had a double shot of mcallan. no charge, no swipe.

I don't drink so don't have the FAS package but I do order a soda (sometimes 2 LOL) with the Officer's dinner.  Never been asked for my card.

[UKstages]

10 minutes ago, itsnotjustme said:

Irish coffee is included in the FAS drink package.

 

yes, but they typically swipe your card. at "dinner with the officers," they do not. also, whether irish coffee is included or not depends on the whiskey requested.

 

13 minutes ago, itsnotjustme said:

The cruise before we had the Environmental Officer

 

i also had the environmental officer! (getaway)

 

my most recent dinner was held at a large table of 12 or 14.

 

[MSUjohn]

my last cruise made me sapphire. i will sail as a sapphire for the first time in may. the jump from platinum to sapphire is minimal. 

platinum is where it is at; meals and laundry. 

[The Traveling Man]

2 hours ago, hunnypi324 said:

I'm wondering. what if you are on a cruise and you hit next level  and still have days to go till cruise ends. can you move up on tier

No, the points are added to your account and your status upgraded only at the conclusion of the cruise.