I piss off a lot of cruise line loyalists because one week I’m on a Carnival cruise and I’m like: Ohmygosh this is the best cruise I’ve ever been on – the ship, the food, the crew, the entertainment, the ports! But then a few weeks later I’m on an NCL cruise and I’m like: Ohmygosh this is the best cruise I’ve ever been on – the ship, the food, the crew, the entertainment, the ports! And then the next week I’m on a Royal Caribbean cruise and I’m like: Ohmygosh this is the best cruise I’ve ever been on – the ship, the food, the crew, the entertainment, the ports! (That’s literally exactly how this past summer went.)
My favorite cruise line is always the one I’m on. And if I’m not on one, it’s the one I’m booked on next. So right now, it’s Holland America! And after that, it will be back to Carnival. Then NCL again.
So why is someone so clearly fickle writing a blog post about loyalty? For the ad revenue (I may be fickle, but at least I’m honest)!
But seriously, while I’m not loyal to any particular cruise line, I do have a strong favorite when it comes to cruise line loyalty programs. And the winner is…
Carnival! No, Princess! No, Celebrity! No, Royal! No, HAL!
Just kidding, it’s NCL. No really, it’s Norwegian Cruise Line’s Latitudes Rewards program (if you want to make your case for another line’s program, I welcome you to do so in the comments). And I finally got to take advantage of my newly acquired (a month before Covid hit) Platinum status this summer!
So, while I’d never advocate choosing or exclusively sailing on a cruise line because of their loyalty program (none of the perks justify it, in my opinion), I thought I’d share what it’s like to sail Platinum on NCL for those new to or considering the line or who may have just turned Platinum.
First a brief overview of the program…
First, here’s how to earn rewards points and how many points one needs for each tier level:
Ways to earn rewards points:
-Earn 1 point for every cruise night.
-Earn 1 additional point per night for booking in a Concierge, Suite* or The Haven.
-Earn 1 additional point per night when booking a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer.
*Full fare suites booked when reservation was originally made. Does not include Mini-Suites/Club Balcony Suites.
And here are the benefits you’ll receive at each tier level.
Note: Onboard Discounts (including the pre-booking of shore excursions) are available on all sailings. All other benefits are available on sailings 5 days or longer.
Before I give you a play-by-play of what it was actually like to sail as a newly minted Platinum cruiser on NCL, let me provide a brief summary of why I love NCL’s rewards program so much and why I think it’s the best in the industry.
Not only is what I’m about to say confusing (why is she including something that NCL DOESN’T provide under what she loves about NCL’s rewards program?!?), but also controversial. Dun, dun, dun: I find some of the trinkets other cruise lines (*cough* Carnival) distribute as part of their loyalty programs both useless and wasteful. AND, to further tarnish my reputation among Carnival loyalists (please forgive me, I actually love Carnival), I always either leave them in my cabin or toss them in a Goodwill bag along with all my pre-cruise pants that no longer fit when I get home.
I basically consider John Heald (Carnival’s brand ambassador and, sometimes, punching bag) a living prophet and follow a lot of cruise boards, so I know how passionate some people are about cruise pins and loyalty gifts (there was almost a revolt when Carnival, post-Covid, temporarily stopped giving out ship-specific loyalty pins and had to get rid of a backlog of luggage tags before an updated platinum gift could be provided). But I hate that stuff.
Wait what? Why? Because I cruise a lot and I move a lot (who agrees that my lackluster YouTube channel would finally take off if I turned that into a rap?). If I brought home a pin or luggage tag every time I cruised, the junk drawer in my kitchen would quickly spread to neighboring drawers, displacing the utensils, measuring cups, and spices and lead to tiny tent encampments around my apartment because, where else are they going to live? And then, the next time I move (which is frequently – I’ve lived in 4 different states and have moved 3 times just since landing in Seattle a few years ago) not only would I declare, “I’M NEVER MOVING AGAIN” eliciting eye rolls from my husband who knows we’ll be moving again in 1-2 years like we always do, but will prompt me to post something crazy to John Heald’s Facebook page which he will repost with a witty, if slightly sarcastic response.
But seriously, cruise line loyalty tchotchkes seem wasteful to me and do nothing to improve my cruising experience. And THAT is where NCL’s Loyalty Program really shines.
What are some things that would improve your cruising experience? Boarding earlier? Less time spent waiting in lines? Free meals at specialty restaurants? Free booze? Chocolate covered strawberries? Free internet? Free laundry? A free behind the scenes ship tour? Discounts for excursions and onboard experiences and purchases?
Yes! Right?!? Well that’s exactly what you’ll get (and more) if you achieve Platinum status on NCL! And the perks only get better from there!
Are you thinking, “well that all sounds too good to be true?” I admit to being a bit skeptical too. So here’s how my first cruise after reaching Platinum status on NCL actually went.
Disclaimer: The cruise I discuss in this post (aboard the Norwegian Encore from Seattle to Alaska) took place in October of 2021, just as the cruise industry was restarting sailings post-Covid. Some procedures and the availability of certain Platinum benefits may have changed since that time.
Mom (I was taking my mom on a birthday cruise) and I arrived at the pier at our usual time: 3 days prior to sailing (that’s an exaggeration, but only a slight one) and I was sooooo ready to be treated like a VIP on my first ever cruise as a Platinum Latitudes member. I’d waited over a year for this! So I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t a “priority” check-in line for Platinum members. I’m not sure if this is always true, or just happened to be true at Pier 66 in Seattle for this sailing (experienced Platinum cruisers, please share your experience in the comments). However, we were among the first passengers to arrive so there wasn’t a wait to check in.
I got excited when I saw “PLATINUM” printed on my ship card, but we were given a regular boarding group number which had me a little concerned that there wouldn’t be priority boarding for Platinum members. After all, I was hungry after fasting all morning so I could justify 8 days of cruise binging and ready to beeline it to the restaurant for my first lunch and then to the buffet for my second lunch.
We sat in the main waiting area, intermixed with those of “lower status” (I kind of hoped there’d be a special VIP waiting area for us, but there wasn’t…again chime in if this isn’t typical).
I was starting to have flashbacks from Skyview High School where I always dreamed of being one of the popular girls, but never achieved large enough bangs (this was the late 90’s after all) when it was announced that boarding would begin shortly for…PLATINUM (and higher) guests! I accidentally yelled, “that’s me suckers” at top volume causing mom to walk off and pretend she didn’t know me (until it was time to board when all of a sudden we were best friends again so she could smooch off of my Platinum status like she did for the ENTIRE cruise…*eye roll*).
We were on the ship so fast I forgot to do my boarding ritual (I usually perform my signature dance move, the Roger Rabbit, up the gangway). The VIP life had officially begun and I was THERE FOR IT! If only those girls from high school, at least the ones not already dead from hairspray poisoning, could see me now!
I arrived for the first time to my cabin and immediately started doing something akin to a snow angel on the bed. What can I say, I have a lot of weird cruising rituals. But then I headed for the desk area, lured there by…chocolate. And…booze.
I immediately devoured 3.1 of the 4 strawberries before I experienced a brief pang of guilt for not sharing any with the birthday girl. So I asked, “mom, do you mind if I eat this last strawberry?” to which she replied, “you already licked it!” to which I replied, “I mean, if you insist.”
Then I tossed the bottle of bubbly into my suitcase where it would journey home to my apartment to live for 1-2 years stashed in the back of a too-high kitchen cabinet until it’s time for us to move again at which point we’ll put it on a table in our lobby with a post-it note that reads, “free.” I’m hoping at that point it’s retrieved by someone with standards so low as to partake of shady lobby table wine or someone suffering a prolonged loss of taste so it can be properly appreciated. That’s to say that the free sparkling wine they give out on NCL is pretty bad. But hey, it’s free! Ten parts OJ to one part sparkling wine and it’s totally drinkable! Or use it to clean your coin collection! A Christmas gift for that neighbor with the loud dog? So many possibilities!
Seriously though, I was really excited to see the chocolate-covered strawberries and sparkling wine. And what’s this? An invitation?
Finally, at long last, someone was asking me to a school dance! Wait, that wasn’t it. But I still felt pretty special.
Instead of a cheesy dance invitation, “I’m redder than a strawberry with excitement at the thought of you going to Homecoming with me! Soothe my bubble guts and say yes!,” a three-fold informational document was waiting for me near the strawberries and sparkling wine on the desk
The first page contained a welcome greeting and instructions for how to find out about the exclusive cocktail party and sign up for the “Behind the Scenes Tour” (visit the CruiseNext desk by 9pm on either embarkation day or the following day). The second page was a list outlining all the Platinum benefits and discounts, and the third page contained my certificates for the free dinners and laundry service.
While I never figured out how to access the mystery “concierge service to assist you with specialty restaurant, entertainment, and shore excursion reservations” (I just did all of that the old fashioned way), I did stop by to speak with someone at the CruiseNext desk: “fresh new VIP here, tell me what’s what.” They provided the time and venue for the exclusive cocktail party and informed me that no Behind the Scenes tours were being offered due to Covid protocols (so I’ll have to wait until next time for that one). I also asked a question I had (that I was hoping to speak to the concierge service about) that many others may have as well:
Q: I made specialty restaurant reservations online, but the only times available are too late for me. Can I change them to something earlier?
A: Yes, let me walk you over to the restaurant reservations table where they can assist you with that.
And sure enough, I was able to move my reservations for my two free specialty restaurant meals to earlier times, allowing me to meet my 9pm curfew.
Typically Platinum guests get to choose between Cagney’s and Le Bistro and between Moderno and La Cucina for their two free specialty dining meals. However, on the Encore Moderno and La Cucina are not available, so guests can choose between Los Lobos and Q instead (it won’t say that on your certificate, but it won’t be a problem to use it at either of those two restaurants). I chose Los Lobos.
When I checked in at the desk at Los Lobos for our reservation, I was asked if I would be using a certificate to pay for my meal. “Yes!” I handed over my certificate which was stapled to my ticket and given to my wait staff. Once seated, my main waitress went over the rules for the free dinner with mom and I. It would cover one appetizer or soup, one entree, one side, and one dessert for each of us. You can read my full review of our meal and preview the Los Lobos menu here.
Our bill came to $63. “But for for you, Prof. Cruise? FREE!” I was provided with a receipt showing a $0 balance. I could get used to this Platinum life!
I saved our Cagney’s steakhouse meal for mom’s birthday. Doesn’t she look thrilled:
I think she was a bit concerned that I would finish off the entire free bottle of wine (mom doesn’t drink) and she’d have to drag me back to our cabin with her bad hip. That was a real possibility too – the provided wine glass was so large I could have poured the entire bottle into it and counted it as “one glass of wine with dinner” to make myself sound healthy at the doctor’s office. This brings me to another question I had:
Q: What if I don’t finish my free bottle of wine at Cagney’s? Can I take it back to my stateroom or finish it another time?
A: Yes. And yes. I was told that I could either take it to drink later or they could tag it and store it for me. Then I could request it at any restaurant until the end of my cruise.
I elected to have it tagged and drank from it for the next few nights in the main dining room (I just told them I had a stored bottle of wine and showed them the tag).
If you’d like to preview the complimentary wine list available for platinum diners at either Cagney’s or Le Bistro, you can do so here (just scroll down until you see it or search for “Cagney’s”).
Like at Los Lobos, we handed our coupon over at the check-in desk and our wait staff informed us that we could order one appetizer, one entree priced at $35 or under (we would have to pay the difference if over that), one side, and one dessert each. Go here if you want to read more about our experience (including what it was like to eat as a vegetarian at Cagney’s) and preview the menu.
Two things are true about me. First, I’m really awkward at cocktail parties. I’m pretty good at making small-talk with dogs and babies: “lick anything interesting off the floor lately?” But if there aren’t any of those at the party, you’ll most likely find me hiding in a bathroom stall double fisting sugary drinks. Which brings me to the second truth about me: I love free s**t. I also fantasize about marrying a cruise ship captain, so you know I wasn’t missing an exclusive party with officers and free cocktails.
I arrived at the secret party location a few minutes late, but in enough time to see the Captain’s wedding ring as he was introduced (always pack binoculars for spotting wildlife and preventing an embarrassing encounter with the Captain). So I double fisted my sugary cocktails and headed for the nearest public restroom. Here are a few questions I had prior to the cocktail party:
Q: Are drinks unlimited at the Latitudes Exclusive Cocktail Party?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I order whatever I want at the Latitudes Exclusive Cocktail Party?
A: You can try. There were trays of pre-made drinks (wine, a few different cocktails, and beer) being offered, but you could also request something. However, the first drink I requested couldn’t be made with the limited bar service so I gave up and grabbed one of each of the cocktails.
This one was a bit of a disappointment, but I’m hoping my experience can help others (and I’ll know better for next time). I purchased a social media internet plan so I could post no fewer than 3,000 daily grainy food pics for my 3 Instagram followers to quickly scroll by in favor of dramatic drone footage of the latest mega-ship set to music. I was also looking forward to supplementing this with my free 30 minutes of internet which I planned to use to check e-mail a few times and post one or two quick updates to my subpar blog. However, as soon as I started using my purchased social media plan, my free 30 minutes disappeared from my account.
I stopped by the Internet Cafe to speak to the Internet Manager and was informed that I was only allowed to have one internet plan and as soon as I logged onto my social media plan, I voided the other (free) plan. I had two questions:
1: Why?
and
2: Why wasn’t I informed of that?
I didn’t get an answer to either question and filed it under “annoying little things that cruise lines do that make no sense and lead to unnecessary hassle for both guests and crew.” I will note that the two people in front of me in line had the exact same question/problem. Thankfully, the Internet Manager suggested that he could restore my free 30 minutes by assigning them to my mom’s account. She probably used up the entire 30 minutes typing the following e-mail update to my brother: Hi, we are hav
(That last part is fiction, but I included it to tease my mom who claims to be technologically illiterate and a slow typist. I don’t think that’s true, but she did accidentally call her daughter-in-law a ho over text once).
In any case, if you want to purchase an internet plan AND use any free minutes you’re entitled to, buy the plan under your cabin-mate’s account. If you’re sailing solo, stop by to speak with the Internet Manager to see if there’s anything else they can do.
No need for one of these:
On the provided laundry bag, simply write your name, stateroom number, “Platinum FREE BAG,” and “CAUTION, TOXIC MATERIAL INSIDE” (if you sweat as much as I do in the gym). Then leave it for your room steward by noon on the day you’d like service.
I mean it was already pretty great to have professional chefs cook me 6 meals a day for 8 days, but now I have someone to do my laundry too?
That brings me to:
I don’t understand why you would want to get off a cruise ship sooner…
…but I suppose there could be a good reason (deadline to turn in a lottery ticket that would allow you to live on a cruise ship? That’s all I got). Suffice it to say, I did not win the lottery or I would not be updating this blog to fund my cruising habit and, as such, I did not take advantage of priority disembarkation. Perhaps others can speak to their experience with this in the comments.
And with that…
Class Dismissed.
Homework (10 points): Check out my Encore Ship Review and my Review of a Balcony Cabin on the Norwegian Encore. And don’t forget to follow Prof. Cruise on social media:
Never purchase cruise insurance through a cruise line. You’ll pay much more and get less coverage. Go through a site like this one to select exactly the coverage you want and compare prices to get the best possible deal. Savings can be significant and that means…more money to spend onboard and in port!
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