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Many cruise lines offer loyalty programs that reward frequent cruisers with perks such as free alcoholic beverages, exclusive parties, laundry service, and more. I should know, as I have over 40 cruises under my belt!
MSC Cruises is a “challenger” brand, new to cruising but not to the ocean. The Swiss cruise line has 23 ships sailing worldwide at the time of writing. In the past, the brand was known for its “European” service style. But now that more ships have been built to focus on the American market, operations are changing rapidly.
As a privately held company, the cruise line has made an aggressive push to grow its share in a crowded cruise market. One of the ways MSC is trying to lure in new cruisers to sail with them is with a generous status match program. And you don't even need elite status with a cruise line to qualify for this match.
Let's review all the details of the MSC Cruises status match.
MSC Status Voyagers Club Overview
MSC operates the Voyagers Club loyalty program, which is unique in the cruising world because it's largely revenue-based. While Carnival is set to launch its new revenue-based program in 2026, most other cruise lines reward loyalty based on the number of nights that you sail with them.
With MSC, you'll earn points based on a combination of length of sailing, cabin class, and price of prepaid services for your cruise. There are also opportunities to earn bonus points, such as double points for booking 12 months or more in advance.
MSC status tiers and perks
The MSC Voyagers Club program has six membership tiers: Welcome, Blue, Classic, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Blue Diamond.
Here are the point requirements and benefits of each tier:
- Welcome (0 points): Voyagers Selection discounts to 15% off, Spa discounts up to 10%, and luggage tags
- Blue (1-2,199 points): Booking discounts of 5%, 5% off wifi packages, 50% off F1 simulator rides, and a members-only event on board
- Silver (2,200-4,299 points): $50 on board credit, complimentary birthday cake, and milestone reward
- Gold (4,300-9,999 points): Priority dining, one hour of thermal suite access, and one free F1 simulator ride
- Diamond (10,000-24,999 points): Bottle of prosecco and chocolate gift each sailing, courtesy bathrobe, and late cabin checkout
- Blue Diamond (25,000+ points): Behind-the-scenes tour, one free picture, free internet package, and MSC Yacht Club check-in
As you can see, the benefits get better the higher you climb in the program. The best part about this status match opportunity is that the brand allows you to match up to the Diamond level, with a surprisingly flexible system. Let's dig into how it works in practice.
How to Status Match to MSC's Voyagers Club
MSC has launched a website to make status matching easier. You'll want to head there first to apply. There, you'll find a form to enter personal information as well as your loyalty program information from the matching program. MSC requires a screenshot from your current loyalty account or loyalty card to confirm the match.
Depending on the program and your level of status, you'll be able to match all the way up to Diamond status in MSC's Voyagers program.
Which loyalty programs can you match from?
MSC provides a chart that matches its respective status levels, with 55 programs eligible for matching.
You'll find expected brands on the list, such as MSC's cruise line competition. These programs, like Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, only match Diamond with the top tiers of its programs, which can be quite hard to earn. For example, Royal Caribbean's top-tier Pinnacle status requires 700 cruise points, which can take almost two years at sea!
Thankfully, as we look down the list of program options, hotel and airline loyalty programs are also eligible.
If you hold Hilton Diamond status through the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, just for holding the card, you'll be eligible to match to MSC Diamond. Or, if you've earned World of Hyatt's Globalist status, you'll also be eligible to match to Diamond.
However, the chart is illogical in some places. For example, MSC still allows status matches from Starwood Preferred Guest — a program long gone. Additionally, MSC only matches Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador to Gold — not Diamond. Same with Wyndham's Diamond status. If you hold multiple statuses across programs, make sure your matching program allows you to match to the highest possible status.
Here's a full list of brands that qualify for the status match:
- Costa
- Royal Caribbean
- Carnival
- NCL
- Cunard
- Silversea
- Princess
- Regent
- Holland America
- Ponant
- P&O Cruises
- Azamara
- Aida
- Seabourn
- Disney Cruise Line
- Club Med
- Expedia
- Hilton
- Marriott
- Hyatt
- Orbitz
- Shangri-La
- Accor
- Melia
- Fairmont (possibly outdated)
- Kempinsky
- Pestana
- Best Western
- IHG
- NH
- Centara
- Sandals
- Steigenberger
- Mosterflot
- Infoflot
- Vodokhod
- RIU
- Wyndham
- MGM
- Crystal Cruises
- GNV
- Alipay
- Air China
- China Eastern
- China Southern
- Jin Jaing Hotels
- New Century Hotels
- H – Huazhu Membership
- Oceania Cruises
- Star Cruises
- C-trip
- Fliggy-Fliggy
How to Keep Your Status With MSC Status
Unlike most other cruise loyalty programs, MSC's status is not for life. However, extending your status isn't hard. You'll simply need to sail once every three years to keep your status active.
That should be doable for a frequent cruiser, but for a family that cruises sporadically, it could be a hindrance.
Bottom Line
MSC's status match program is a great option for those looking to try a new brand of cruise line. The program is even attractive to those who have never taken a cruise, since MSC will match hotel and certain airline status. Still, the program's logic for matching status to certain programs over others is … puzzling. Hopefully, the status match program will expand to feature more programs in the future.
