Cunard’s World Club Loyalty Program: Everything You Need to Know
Among the major cruise lines, Cunard has one of the most modest loyalty programs.
The Cunard World Club loyalty program doesn’t offer top members truly amazing loyalty perks like free cruises for the highest-status members in the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society Loyalty Program.
The program has only four tiers, which is fewer than programs offered by many competitors.
That said, compared to what it takes to reach the top tier of most other brands’ rewards programs, earning bragging rights at the top level of Cunard World Club’s loyalty program isn’t all that difficult — not that it’s typical. Cunard Of course, passengers will have to show off.
Here, read all about the ranks, what they offer, and how to achieve each rank.
How to earn points
Cunard’s easy-to-navigate loyalty system will move you up one of four tiers based on the number of trips you’ve completed with Cunard or the number of days you’ve cruised with the line.
Your status will be determined by whatever milestones you reach first. For example, if you mostly book shorter trips, your status will be determined by the number of trips you have taken. Conversely, you can reach a higher level by taking fewer trips if each trip is of considerable length.
Related: Cunard Cabin and Suite Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Program levels and benefits
The Cunard World Club loyalty program has four levels:
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- Silver: A trip
- Yellow: Two trips or 20 nights
- Platinum: Seven trips or 70 nights
- Diamond: 15 trips or 150 nights
Any status changes take place after the trip they are achieved on. No status or privilege changes are allowed mid-trip.
After just one sailing, regardless of the length of the voyage, the yacht is automatically enrolled in the Cunard World Club program and receives at least Silver status.
Aside from occasional discounts—similar to those enjoyed by virtually every other Cunard passenger—the discounts, unfortunately, don’t offer much value.
Benefits at Silver level include:
- Member savings and special offers
- Cunard World Club counters at all international offices
- A loyal representative on board
- Cunarder Magazine
Thankfully, the longest-serving Cunard cruises at Silver level in the Cunard World Club program are just one voyage away, as they are upgraded to Gold level after their second voyage.
Since passengers can achieve Gold status after 20 nights, they can skip Silver status and start at Gold status if their first trip is longer than that. (In some cases, if a passenger’s first trip is extremely long, such as a round-the-world cruise, they can also skip straight to Platinum or Diamond status when they take their second trip.)
Related: 5 Best Destinations You Can Visit on a Cunard Line Cruise Ship
In addition to all the benefits awarded at the Silver level of the World Club loyalty program, achieving the Gold level will give members:
- A Gold Membership Pin
- $45 credit toward in-flight Wi-Fi plan
- Invitation to Cunard World Club cocktail party (on cruises of six nights or longer)
Next is Platinum status, which is achieved after seven trips or a total of 70 cruise nights.
In addition to the benefits available to Silver and Gold members, Platinum members of the Cunard World Club loyalty program also enjoy:
- A Platinum Membership Pin
- Get an additional $80 in inflight Wi-Fi credit
- 20% discount on laundry and dry cleaning services on board
- Priority check-in at terminals in New York and Southampton, UK
- Complimentary wine tasting (on cruises of six nights or longer)
- 10% discount on White Star luggage service
- Invitation to senior officers’ parties (on voyages of six nights or longer)
The fourth tier of Cunard World Club’s loyalty program, Diamond, is the pinnacle of loyalty with Cunard, and is achieved after 15 cruises or 150 nights on board. That’s impressive, considering some other lines require hundreds more nights and dozens more sailings to reach the top status.
Diamond Rewards includes all benefits available to Silver, Gold and Platinum members of the World Club program, as well as:
- A Diamond Membership Pin
- Get an additional $135 in credit toward the purchase of an in-flight Wi-Fi package
- One complimentary meal at an additional charge dining venue (on sailings of six nights or more; choose lunch at The Verandah or dinner at Kings Court or The Lido)
- A dedicated Diamond member contacts the World Club desk at international offices
Elite level makes the difference
Gold is when passengers start to see benefits that represent tangible value (the lapel pin) and monetary value (free Wi-Fi and free drinks at cocktail parties).
The biggest jump in overall value is from Gold to Platinum, where passengers can take advantage of discounts on laundry and baggage services—assuming they actually use them. Of course, there’s more value at the Diamond level in the form of free meals and additional free Wi-Fi. But the number of trips required to reach that level and the costs associated with taking those trips make the rewards less valuable.
The Cunard World Club perks aren’t anything to write home about in the grand scheme of things, but there are still some compelling deals. The best deal for you is subjective and depends on what you value, how you like to spend your time, and the length of your trip.
For example, if you’re on a cruise longer than a few weeks, a 20% discount on laundry services is probably something you’ll use quite a bit. If you’re tech-savvy, you might appreciate the value that discounted Wi-Fi brings while you’re on the water. Or, perhaps there’s nothing you enjoy more than a leisurely meal at a fancy restaurant where you can order an expensive steak without paying for it. For some, less quantifiable time-saving gestures—like priority boarding and disembarking—are the most sought-after.
Related: Epic world cruises that will tick off every destination on your travel list
The last line
Compared to other cruise lines’ loyalty programs—some of which offer free cruises for reaching the highest tier—Cunard’s World Club loyalty program isn’t as compelling. It’s easier to gain higher status quickly with Cunard than with many other brands, but the perks aren’t as enticing when passengers finally get there.
That said, the Cunard demographic tends to be made up of wealthy, sophisticated individuals who cruise because they enjoy it—not because they want to be recognized for doing so. That means they’re less likely to care about their Cunard status level and what it can do for them.
For more information, visit Cunard World Club Page on the Cunard Line website.
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