Among the major cruise lines, Cunard has one of the most modest loyalty programs.
The Cunard World Club loyalty program doesn’t offer its top-tier members loyalty perks as truly epic as the free cruises that come with top status on the Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society Loyalty Program.
The program only has four levels, fewer than the programs offered by many of its competitors.
That said, compared to what it takes to reach the upper echelons of most other brands’ rewards programs, it’s not that difficult to claim top-tier bragging rights in the Cunard World Club loyalty program, not that the typical Cunard The passenger, of course, would stoop to boasting.
Here, read all about the levels, what they offer, and how to reach each one.
Ways to earn points
Cunard’s easy-to-use loyalty system elevates you to one of four tiers based on the number of voyages you’ve completed with Cunard or the number of days you’ve sailed with the line.
Your status will be determined by which of these milestones you reach first. For example, if you primarily book shorter trips, your status will be determined by the number of trips you’ve taken. Conversely, you might be able to reach a higher tier by taking a smaller number of trips if each trip is a significant length.
Related: Cunard Staterooms and Suites Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Program levels and benefits
The Cunard World Club loyalty programme has four levels:
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- Silver:A journey
- Gold:Two trips or 20 nights
- Platinum:Seven trips or 70 nights
- Diamond:15 trips or 150 nights
All status changes occur after the sailing in which they are achieved. No status or benefit changes are permitted mid-sailing.
After a single voyage, regardless of length, cruisers are automatically enrolled in the Cunard World Club program and receive at least Silver status.
Apart from the occasional discount (the same ones that almost every other Cunard passenger has access to), this tier doesn’t offer much value, unfortunately.
Silver level benefits include:
- Member savings and special offers
- Cunard World Club counter at all international offices
- A loyalty representative on board
- Cunarder Magazine
Fortunately, Cunard cruisers will remain in the Silver tier of the Cunard World Club programme for longer on a single voyage, as they move up to Gold tier after their second voyage.
Since travelers can reach Gold status after 20 nights, it’s possible for them to go straight from Silver status and start at Gold status if their first trip was longer than that. (In some cases, if a guest’s first trip is extremely long, such as a world cruise, it’s also possible for them to go straight to Platinum or Diamond status on their second trip.)
Related: Top 5 destinations to visit on a Cunard Line cruise
In addition to all the benefits that come with the Silver level of the World Club loyalty program, reaching the Gold level gives members:
- A Gold Membership Pin
- A $45 credit toward an onboard Wi-Fi plan
- An invitation to a Cunard World Club cocktail party (on cruises of six nights or more)
The next level is Platinum, which is reached after seven voyages or 70 cruise nights in total.
In addition to the benefits available to Silver and Gold level members, Platinum level members of the Cunard World Club loyalty programme receive:
- A Platinum Membership Pin
- An additional $80 credit toward an onboard Wi-Fi package
- 20% discount on laundry and dry cleaning services on board.
- Priority check-in at New York and Southampton terminals, England
- A complimentary wine tasting (on cruises of six nights or more)
- 10% discount on White Star baggage service
- An invitation to the Senior Officers’ Party (on voyages of six nights or more)
The fourth level of the Cunard World Club loyalty program, Diamond level, is Cunard’s top loyalty level and is reached after 15 cruises or 150 nights on board. This is an impressive level, as other lines require several hundred nights and dozens more voyages to reach the top level.
Diamond Rewards include all the benefits granted to Silver, Gold and Platinum members of the World Club program, plus:
- A Diamond Membership Pin
- An additional $135 credit towards the purchase of an onboard Wi-Fi package
- One complimentary restaurant meal for an additional charge (on cruises of six nights or more; choose from lunch at The Verandah or dinner at Kings Court or The Lido)
- An exclusive contact for Diamond members at the World Club desk in the international offices
The elite level that makes the difference
The gold is when passengers will start to see benefits that represent both tangible value (a lapel pin) and monetary value (free WiFi and free drinks at the cocktail party).
The biggest jump in overall value comes when moving from Gold to Platinum, where cruisers can take advantage of discounts on laundry and baggage services, as long as they use them. Of course, at Diamond level, more value is added in the form of free dining and complimentary extra Wi-Fi. However, the number of voyages required to reach that level and the cost associated with taking those voyages make the rewards less valuable.
The Cunard World Club benefits aren’t exactly spectacular, but there are some interesting incentives. The best option for you is subjective and depends on your values, how you prefer to spend your time and the length of your trip.
For example, if you’re on a cruise longer than a couple of weeks, a 20% discount on laundry services might be something you’d use quite a bit. If you’re tech-savvy, you might appreciate the value that discounted Wi-Fi offers when you cruise. Or maybe there’s nothing you enjoy more than a leisurely meal at a fancy restaurant where you can order an expensive steak and not have to pay for it. For some, less quantitative, time-saving gestures like priority boarding and disembarkation are the most sought after.
Related: Epic cruises around the world that will tick off every destination on your bucket list
In summary
Compared to other cruise lines’ loyalty programs (some of which offer free cruises for reaching the highest levels), the Cunard World Club loyalty program is not as attractive. It’s easier to reach a higher status quickly with Cunard than with many other brands, but the benefits aren’t as lucrative when guests finally achieve it.
That said, Cunard’s demographic is generally made up of wealthy, sophisticated individuals who cruise because they enjoy it, not because they want to be recognised for it. That means they are less likely to care about their level of status at Cunard and what it brings them.
For more information, please visit the Cunard World Club website on the Cunard Line website.
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