Not too long ago Delta and Northwest only had 3 elite levels, that is, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Then they moved the goal post by adding Diamond and a then mostly secret 360* above that forth level and increasing the amount it takes to reach these higher levels.
NCL, just a few years ago, also added a number of additional elite levels and at the time it pushed me, a second from the top Platinum Plus, down to third from the top. But with a number of cruises since then I have reached Diamond and now slowly working my way towards the top level Ambassador.
MSC has decided to join this trend and now has added a level above Diamond called “Blue Diamond” that will require 25,000 points to reach.
- Flexible Arrival in Port
- Yacht Club Drop off luggage
- Access to MSC Yacht Club Lounge for the check-in
- One free shuttle bus ticket (where available)
- Behind the scenes tour
- Free Internet Browse Package
- My choice dining option
- Private meet & Greet with Captain/MSC Officers
Considering some of my major gripes about MSC this new level does address some of the worst issues I see with the cruise line, that is, the boarding mess and not having the flexibility to dine when you want.
Have they taken anything away from the old top Diamond tier? Yes, It seems now that Diamonds have lost the priority line for boarding on embarkation day since only Blue Diamonds now will congregate in the Yacht Club area for boarding first.
Another positive change is you now only have to sail with MSC once every 5 years to retain your status level vs. the old 3 year expiration requirement. Still MSC is unique that status expires compared to other lines that have lifetime status once you reach certain nights onboard.
The one thing we really don’t know is how this new level will impact the chance for a status match with MSC. Will highest level hotel or other cruise lines status levels result in an instant match to Blue Diamond or will the cutoff be at Diamond as the maximum match they will offer. Time and data points will answer this over the coming months.
Personally I do not ever intend to sail with MSC again unless I am booked in the Yacht Club and even if I were at the new Blue Diamond level I doubt it would make up for all the other areas MSC is lacking in. Are you impressed with this expanded MSC Voyagers club level? – René
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