I had the opportunity to experience Norwegian Cruise Line for the first time in late 2023 when I booked a last-minute cruise to Alaska. Like other lines, when I created an account I was automatically enrolled in their Latitudes Rewards Loyalty Program. The program is designed to reward repeat cruisers, along with those who “cruise well” (we’ll get to that) and incent you to come back. In today’s post, I explore the program in detail and answer the question, ‘Is NCL’s Loyalty Program Worth It?’

Earning Points while Achieving NCL Status

Norwegian Cruise Line is similar to other cruise lines when it comes to earning points. Everyone that sails automatically earns one point for every cruise night*. Additionally, NCL also rewards those who “Cruise Well.” That means, if you book a full-fare suite or The Haven ship-within-a-ship experience, you get an EXTRA point per night of your cruise. You also have another way to boost your earnings potential, and that’s to “Cruise Smart.” Cruisers earn an additional point per night when booking a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer.

So, if you’re with me, you could earn up to 3 points per night of cruising if you were to sail on a Latitutdes Rewards Insider Offer cruise and book a full-fare suite or The Haven. While the Latitudes Rewards FAQ is vague in the wording, we confirmed with Norwegian directly.

After your first cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line, you’re automatically enrolled in to the Latitudes Rewards Program and the points are awarded to your account based on your booking duration and type.

Loyalty Levels

Norwegian Cruise Line has made several changes to the Latitudes Rewards Program’s loyalty levels over the past decade. In 2017, they added two new levels: Platinum Plus at 175 points and the new highest tier, Ambassador at 700 points. The addition of Platinum Plus at 175 was likely to help create a bridge to Ambassador. However, at 700 points for the highest tier, that’s a HUGE gap between the two levels.

In 2022, NCL fixed this by redesigning the program again. This time, they removed the 2017-added Platinum Plus and instead, created two new levels between Platinum and Ambassador: Sapphire (150 points) and Diamond (350 points). Thereby adding interim steps and encouragement on the journey to Ambassador.

The NCL Latitudes Rewards Program now includes the following tiers:

• Bronze: 1 Point
• Silver: 20 Points
• Gold: 45 Points
• Platinum: 75 Points
• Sapphire: 150 Points
• Diamond: 350 Points
• Ambassador: 700+ Points

NCL Latitudes Rewards Benefits By Tier Level

Bronze Tier – 1 point

Earned after your first sailing, the Bronze tier is the bottom of the ladder in the Latitudes Rewards Program and earns the least amount of benefits. This level includes a different color keycard to show that you’ve sailed with the line before. It also includes an “Onboard Latitudes Rewards Representative”  who we’ve yet to ever see – or understand why we would need this perk.

According to NCL’s rewards literature, as a Bronze tier member, you also receive “free artwork” for attending an art auction on board. Anyone that’s ever been to a cruise ship art auction knows this is a bogus benefit as art galleries give out free artwork and raffle tickets to anyone that will take them! It’s odd to us that this is even listed as a benefit, and, honestly, a bit embarrassing.

The Bronze tier also receives a couple additional discounts, including 30% off the line’s Unlimited Open Bar Package and 10% off in the Duty-Free Shops – but there’s a catch with both of these benefits. First, based on multiple bookings and mock bookings, purchasing the Unlimited Open Bar Package at a 30% discount is nowhere near as good a deal as booking the line’s Free At Sea offer which includes this same perk.

Additionally, the 10% discount in the Duty-Free Shop is only valid on Norwegian logo merchandise and cannot be combined with any other discount. While we appreciate the discount, NCL is intentionally misleading cruisers. The benefit should read “10% off NCL Merchandise” instead of “Discounts in Duty-Free Shops.” Norwegian makes YOU do the work to determine what that benefit actually means.

Finally, the Bronze level also receives a Signature Tier Pin. We’re not sure where/how to get that pin as we didn’t get it on our second sailing.

As you can probably tell, we don’t find any value in the Bronze tier of the NCL Latitudes Rewards Program. Worse, it’s actually misleading to cruisers by offering benefits that everyone has access to and promoting other “benefits” that aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

Silver Tier – 20 points

Once you’ve earned 20 points, you achieve NCL Latitudes Rewards Silver Tier on your next sailing**. Unlike Carnival and others, even if you earn Tier status on your current sailing, you don’t receive your benefits until your next cruise.

As expected, you receive all of the same benefits as the Bronze Tier, however, the Unlimited Open Bar Package Discount is increased to 40%. Once again, if you book a Free At Sea Offer (which NCL pushes big time), this discount doesn’t really mean anything.

Once again, the discount at the Duty-Free Shops returns. It’s increased to 15% and still applies only to Norwegian Logo Merchandise.

Here’s where there Silver Tier starts to get better. We like the fact that Norwegian adds several additional discounts to this tier, including discounts on Shore Excursions, Photos, and Spa Signature Treatments.

The 10% discount on Shore Excursions can be applied online or onboard. When booking on board, the fine print states that you must explicitly identify yourself as a Latitudes Rewards Member to receive the discount. I’d think it’s systematically applied, but we’re not taking the chance!

The discount on Photos purchased on board is double the shore excursion discount. Silver Tier members get 20% off their photos. But keep in mind, this does not apply to packages that include merchandise or Perspectives Photography Studio sessions. This is likely due to the fact that margins on individual photos are significantly higher than merch and in-person photoshoots. But that’s ok, we’ll take 20% off photos!

The Spa Signature Treatments discount is 15%. But, once again, this is misleading. This benefit only applies to treatments while the ship is in port and is “not combinable with any other onboard discounts or promotions.” That means those port day specials that every cruise spa loves to run? You can’t use your Silver Tier discount on those! If you plan to use this discount, do you research as you’re likely to get a better deal when booking via an onboard promotion. Shady.

Perhaps our favorite perk of the Silver Tier is the Exclusive Cocktail Party. Loyal cruisers are greeted by various officers of the ship along with the Captain and are treated to canapes and an open bar. On our most recent sailing, we enjoyed 66 Gin by Norwegian and had a lovely time learning about where various crew members were from. We also enjoyed chatting with fellow loyal NCL cruisers.

Gold Tier – 45 points

Once you earn 45 points, you achieve the Gold Tier. Once again, you receive all of the benefits of the previous tiers. The Unlimited Open Bar Package Discount, Duty-Free Shops Discount, and Shore Excursion Discount all remain the same.

The Photo discount increases from 20% to 25%  and the Spa Signature Treatment discount increases from 15% to 20%.

The Gold Tier introduces several new benefits not available in the prior tiers:

• 50% off 1 bag of laundry – While not as good as the free laundry perk that comes at higher levels, the 50% discount takes a little bit of the sting off of the price if you need to do laundry on board

• Priority Tender tickets – The Priority Tender tickets are especially valuable if you are on a sailing that has any tender ports (like Norwegian’s private island Great Stirrup Cay). This perk allows you to skip the queues waiting for debark stickers and allows you to be on the first water shuttle into port. With that said, if you “cruise smart” and book a Suite or The Haven, you already receive a personal escort on and off the ship, so this perk doesn’t apply.

• Priority Disembarkation – Priority Disembarkation is a perk that a lot of cruisers love. For us, however, we find little value as we always choose a relaxed debarkation and enjoy breakfast on board and hang out in one of the lounges or daybeds until we have to debark the vessel. Not only does this maximize our time on board, it also reduces the stress of having to deal with the chaos of debark morning.

• 1 Water – The final perk of the Gold Tier is a free bottle of Sustainably Sourced Water. Keep in mind, that’s one bottle for the entirety of your cruise, so be sure to take little sips.

Platinum Tier – 75 points

Ok, so this is where the NCL Latitudes Rewards program actually starts to get good, in my opinion! You once again receive all of the prior benefits with several new perks added.

First, let’s start with the upgrades from previous tiers:

• Unlimited Open Bar Package Discount increases from 40% to 45% – Free At Sea likely still slightly wins out from a pricing perspective, but you’ll want to do the math for yourself, especially if you don’t plan to make use of the other Free At Sea perks
• Photo Discount increases from 25% to 30%
• 1 free bag of Laundry (versus 50% discount one 1 bag in the previous tier)
• Onboard Discount on Spa Signature Treatments increase from 20% to 25% – at this point, the Spa discount may actually be a better deal than the port day specials on board, but be sure to still do your math!

While all of those increased benefits are nice, we love the added perks for the Platinum Tier:

• Priority Check-In / Embarkation – We love this perk. In fact, we love it so much that we’ve purchased it with other cruise lines. It makes embarkation day so much smoother to have your own queues and to be the first on board.

• Unlimited Wi-Fi Package Discount – Platinum Tier members receive a 15% discount on the Unlimited Wi-Fi Package, but, once again, there’s a catch. You cannot use this discount to upgrade your Free At Sea offer! That means that this benefit doesn’t apply to the majority of NCL’s bookings. This perk is likely only beneficial to those who choose not to book the NCL Free At Sea offer. Before you do that, however, make sure you take into account everything you’d purchase individually that Free At Sea already includes as it may not be nearly as good of an offer.
  
  The discount applies to either the Voyage Wi-Fi Pass or the Streaming Voyage Wi-Fi Pass. Details of each pass are included below (non-discounted pricing current as of September 2024).

• Chocolate-Covered Strawberries – Yum.

• Dinner for Two with a Bottle of Wine – We love this perk. But there’s a couple things to keep in mind. First, the perk only applies on sailings 5 days or longer. Second, you only receive ONE of these Free Dinner vouchers regardless of the number of Platinum (or above) Tier members in your stateroom. That means if you and your sailing companion are both Platinum (or above), you only receive one Dinner for Two with a Bottle of Wine. This can create a bit of drama if both cruisers in a stateroom have earned Platinum Tier status as NCL is choosing to not provide you a perk you’ve earned just because someone else has also earned the perk.
  
  The Dinner for Two with a bottle of wine perk has a value of $100+ when looking at adding a specialty dinner and bottle of wine to your reservation.

• Dinner for Two – We were excited to see another Dinner for Two perk listed, but then read the fine print. It’s either Dinner for Two with a Bottle of Wine or Dinner for Two. Not both. For restaurants that do not include a Complimentary Wine List, you get the Dinner for Two perk. All others, you receive the Dinner for Two with a Bottle of Wine perk. Never both. Bummer. The same disclaimers apply to this perk: 5 day or longer sailings and only one perk per cabin regardless of the number of Platinum (or higher) guests in a stateroom.

• Wines Around the World Tasting – We love a good wine tasting and will gladly participate in this once we reach the Platinum Tier. Keep in mind that you must come to the CruiseNext desk by 9pm on embarkation day to sign up. NCL also states that space is limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis.

• Behind-the-Scenes Ship Tour – We love behind-the-scenes tours and consider this another valuable perk. We’ve paid for this access on other cruise lines, so we’ll gladly take this as a Platinum Tier perk!

• Concierge Service – If you need help with reservations, getting off the ship in port, or are looking to create special memories on board, the concierge can help! We had the pleasure of meeting the Concierge representative on board Norwegian Sky and she was super helpful with any questions we had or issue we experienced. While it’s a nice-to-have, we really like this perk!

Sapphire Tier – 150 points

If you’ve reached the Sapphire Tier, you’ve demonstrated that you’re pretty loyal to NCL! At 150 points, this tier doesn’t add a whole lot, but at least it’s a nod that you’re working toward the higher levels!

First, let’s start with what changes from the previous levels – and it’s a short list:

• Discount on Shore Excursions increases from 10% to 15%
• You receive 2 free bottles of water for your cruise. That’s double your prior allotment, so you can take bigger sips
• Unlimited Wi-Fi discount increases from 15% to 20%, however, still does not apply if you upgrade your Free At Sea package Wi-Fi

The added benefits to this level are also short:

• Priority Restaurant Reservations – while you receive priority, the cruise line can’t create seats, so this perk is still subject to availability
• Dinner with Officers – We think this is a really neat perk and demonstrates recognition of your loyalty for reaching this tier. Similar to the Wines Around the World Tasting, you must visit the CruiseNext desk by 9pm on embarkation to book this. And, once again, spacing is limited, so if you are interested, be sure to sign up early.

Diamond Tier – 350 points

You’re halfway to Norwegian Cruise Line’s top tier! With 350 points, you’ve cruised a lot, you’ve cruised well, and you’ve likely booked a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer or two!

The Diamond Tier has all of the previous benefits with some upgrades and a couple adds:

• Unlimited Open Bar Package Discount increases from 45% to 50%
• Unlimited Wi-Fi Package Discount increases from 20% to 25%

The additions to the Diamond Tier include:

• Exclusive Sail & Sustain Mixology Experience – We’re not sure what this is, but please sign us up! There is no fine print associated with this perk, however, we’d recommend asking about it when you sign up for Wines Around the World and Dinner with Officers at the CruiseNext desk prior to 9pm on embarkation day.
• One-time Free Cabin Upgrade – We find these one-time offers kind of silly. You’re clearly a loyalist at this point and you’re given a cabin upgrade. Once. When you look at the cost for Norwegian to offer this perk, it seems like they could just offer it all the time for their most loyal cruisers. But I guess that’s why they have a Finance department! Oh, and note: to use this perk, you must call 1-866-625-6086 for your upgrade.

Ambassador Tier – 700 points

We’ve finally arrived to the top tier in NCL’s Latitude Rewards Program! If you’ve arrived at this tier, you likely already have an NCL name tag that you wear on each sailing. At 700 points (or more), you are one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s most loyal cruisers. So surely, this level is going to BLOW YOUR MIND!

Let’s start by looking at all of the upgrades to the previous benefits:

• Discounts on Shore Excursions increases from 15% to 20%

Um. Yup. You get an extra 5% off on Shore Excursions once you reach 700 points. That’s the only change to existing benefits.

However, we particularly appreciate the adds to the Ambassador Tier:

• Complimentary 7-Day Cruise – There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind for this benefit. First, the benefit entitles you to a balcony stateroom on any ship that is sailing a 7-day itinerary. Second, to redeem your cruise, you must email AmbassadorMembers@ncl.com with the details of the cruise. Within 48-72 hours NCL will contact you with booking details. Third, taxes, fees, and service charges are not included and the due date of payment will be included in your NCL email follow-up. Finally, you only have one year to take your complimentary cruise… but with 700 points, that shouldn’t be a problem!
• One-time Special Ambassador Gift – I’m not totally confident on this one as NCL’s fine print reads, “Ambassador members should receive their special gift once, upon graduating to Ambassador status.”   Why would they disclaim their own gift with a “should receive.” It’s odd language. The fine print continues to remind Ambassador members that this is a one-time gift and will not be provided in subsequent years. Hence the “one-time” in the front of the benefit! Lol

Is Norwegian Cruise Line’s Latitudes Rewards Program Worth It?

Whew. That was a LOT to unpack with NCL’s Latitudes Rewards Program. If you made it this far, consider yourself a near-expert when it comes to all things rewards programs on NCL!

Considering the program is free to join, we’d say it’s worth it. 😉 However, the lower tiers of the program don’t provide a lot of value – and even may mislead cruisers to the value they do provide. As you reach the Platinum Tier and above, we get excited about the benefits NCL provides to their Latitudes Rewards members.

What do you think about our assessment? Where do you start to find value with Norwegian Cruise Line’s Latitudes Rewards program? Leave a comment below to let us know!

Continued Reading

You might be interested in how other Rewards Programs compare to Norwegian Cruise Line’s Latitudes Rewards Program. Check out our deep dive review of Princess Cruises Captain’s Circle to see how Princess compares to Norwegian Cruise Line when it comes to rewarding loyalty.

NCL Latitudes Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions, drop us a comment below and we’ll be sure to respond! You might also find your answer in Norwegian Cruise Line’s extensive Latitudes Rewards FAQ & Terms, however, it’s likely just easier to ask us as we spent hours going through all of the fine print and details so you don’t have to!

_{*For full fare Suites booked at the time the reservation was originally made. Does not include club balcony staterooms. Does not apply to upgrades or upsells. If you receive a free or discounted upgrade to a Suite or The Haven you will not receive Suite points. Rewards points are not applied for Cruisetour nights or hotel stay nights. Guests sailing with Friends & Family rates, NCLU travel partner reduced rates, and/or Casino cruises will earn points.}

_{**Note: Even worse, if you earn the level on the first leg of a back-to-back sailing that you booked as a single reservation, you don’t earn your tier until the cruise after your back-to-back!}