Are you a fan of Norwegian Cruise Lines? If so, then you may already be a member of its loyalty program, known as Latitudes Rewards.
This program is provided as an incentive for passengers to sail with the cruise line more often. Why sail with a rival line when you’ll earn points, discounts, and rewards for sailing once again with NCL?
In return for being a member — even at the lowest tier — Norwegian offers up some appealing freebies and benefits. In other words, it pays to be a Latitudes Rewards member.
For more on the program, including common questions such as what are the benefits, how to sign up, and how to earn points, we have you covered below…
In This Article...
What Is the Latitudes Rewards Loyalty Program?
As mentioned above, the Latitudes Rewards program is a way to reward past guests and encourage them to continue sailing with NCL in the future.
Points are given for sailing with the cruise line. The more points you earn, the higher your status within the program. And with higher status comes bigger and more rewards and benefits.
The highest tiers can earn a free cruise, dinners, and heavy discounts on many things on the ship. But even those with lower status can see perks like cocktail parties, exclusive offers, and more.
Put simply, the program is designed to make you loyal to sailing Norwegian Cruise Line.
Why Should I Join the Program? How do I Sign Up?
Frankly, there is no reason not to join the Latitudes Rewards program. It’s free to be a member, and there is no downside. By being a member you simply earn rewards as you sail with NCL.
In fact, you don’t even have to do anything to sign up for the program. Guests who are older than 18 years and take a cruise with Norwegian are automatically enrolled. As you cruise, the points are automatically credited to your account.
In other words, to sign up, earn points, and receive benefits from the Latitudes Rewards program, you don’t have to do anything except take your cruise.
How Do I Earn Rewards Points?
Like the loyalty programs of Royal Caribbean and Carnival, on Norwegian Cruise Line you simply earn points by cruising.
For each night you sail on NCL, you earn one point. So if you sail a 7-night trip, then at the end of the cruise you’ll have earned seven points. Sail a 5-night trip? That’s five points.
There are some ways to earn extra points. First, if you sail in a suite or in The Haven (an upper-tier cabin that’s part of a “resort within a resort” on the ship), then you earn double points. So book a cabin in The Haven for a week and you earn 14 points.
In addition, NCL has “Insider Offers.” With these select cruises, passengers who are part of the Latitudes Rewards program earn double points, no matter the cabin.
Do I Earn Points for Booked Cruises?
If you’re a loyal NCL passenger, it’s a tempting idea to book several cruises out into the future, with the idea that you’ll earn points from having so many nights booked.
In reality, you only earn points for the nights actually sailed. So even if you have multiple cruises booked well into the future, your status will only reflect what you’ve sailed in the past.
This also means that you only earn your points after sailing your cruise. So if you are on the verge of the next status tier, the points from your current cruise will only be awarded once the trip is completed — not day-by-day on the cruise.
Do I Earn More Points for Spending More on the Cabin or Around the Ship?
Not necessarily. If you spend $2,000 on a cabin, you don’t necessarily earn more points than someone that spent just $800 for a different room. Points are awarded based on nights sailed, not money spent.
The one difference is if you decide to book a suite or a room in The Haven. In this case, you will earn double the points. These rooms usually come with a higher price tag, so in effect you are spending more and earning more points. It’s just that the number of Rewards points aren’t directly tied to the amount spent, but the room type and nights sailed.
Do Latitudes Rewards Points Expire or Does the Status Level Drop?
You might be used to loyalty programs such as airlines where points can “drop-off” over time, meaning you have to keep flying in order to keep your status level up. That’s not the case with Latitudes Rewards.
With NCL’s loyalty program, your points don’t expire and your status level doesn’t drop. In fact, when the cruise line adjusted the program a few years ago, passengers were still grandfathered in at their tier level at the time.
That’s good news because most of us can’t easily pile up points quickly within the program. Even sailing with NCL for two weeks a year, it would take nearly six years to reach its Platinum tier. Being able to consistently add up points year after year without worrying about them expiring is important to gaining a higher status.
What Status Levels Are There in the Latitudes Rewards Program?
All told, the NCL Latitudes Rewards program features seven different status levels. Each is assigned a different metal or jewel (Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc.) except for the highest tier, which is dubbed Ambassador.
The more you cruise, the higher your level in the program. Benefits start even at the lowest Bronze tier, but jump significantly once reaching Gold or higher.
Latitudes Rewards offers the following status tiers:
- Bronze (1-19 Points)
- Silver (20-44 Points)
- Gold (45-74 Points)
- Platinum (75-149 Points)
- Sapphire (150-349 Points)
- Diamond (350-699 Points)
- Ambassador (700+ Points)
Obviously given the number of points, it can take quite a while to earn the points needed for the highest tiers. For example, a person sailing in a regular cabin would need to sail more than 700 nights — or nearly two complete years at sea — to reach the Ambassador level. Even with double points from sailing in a suite, it would take nearly a year at sea to reach the top of the status levels.
For most people, these levels will be out of reach. The good news is that there are still plenty of benefits and rewards for being a member in the lower status levels as well.
What Are NCL’s Latitudes Rewards Benefits?
As you would expect, your benefits increase with the higher status you earn. Bottom line: Sail more nights and earn more discounts, freebies, and perks.
But even if you aren’t able to reach the higher status levels, you can earn some nice bonuses for being a member.
Here is a list of benefits by status level:
What Are the Best Member Benefits?
While there are a number of benefits, some stand out more than others. For instance, complimentary online newsletters likely don’t do much for most passengers.
Some of our favorite benefits? Priority disembarkation is a solid perk for members that are Gold or above. The discounts on NCL merchandise and spa treatments are also solid.
Members that are Platinum and above receive perks including Internet discounts, free dinners, and a free behind-the-scenes tour of the ship.
Are There Restrictions on Benefits?
In some cases, passengers might find restrictions on the benefits of being a member. Norwegian says that while onboard discounts are available on all cruises, other benefits are available only on sailings of five days or longer.
For instance, the behind-the-scenes tours are available only on trips of five days or more. So are dinners available at Platinum level and above.
What if I Reach a New Status During a Cruise?
Say you are a Silver status member of Latitudes Rewards, with 40 points. You’ve booked an upcoming 7-day cruise. At the end of the trip you will have 47 points, enough to put you into the Gold tier. Does that mean you will have the Gold benefits during the cruise?
Unfortunately, no. Norwegian’s program awards points after you finish the cruise. The cruise line specifies they are applied within 48 hours of a completed sailing.
That means even though you reach Gold status during the course of the cruise, the points don’t officially hit your account until you are back from the trip. In this example, you’d have Gold status on your next sailing.
Do I Get Points For Sailing Other Norwegian-Owned Lines?
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is the parent company of NCL, as well as Regent Seven Seas and Oceania.
In the case of Latitudes Rewards, you only earn points for sailings on Norwegian Cruise Line. While the cruise lines are related, the points earned on one line don’t transfer to another. So if you sail on an Oceania cruise, you won’t earn points on NCL.
What if I Have a Past Cruise Without Points?
Take a cruise on NCL but don’t see the points from the trip awarded in your account? If so, you’ll want to contact the cruise line as soon as possible.
Points should show automatically after the sailing. If not, Norwegian allows you to claim past cruises within 12 months from the day the cruise ends. To do so, you can login to your NCL account on the website and view your past cruise history. There you will see a link to report a missing cruise.
Conversely, you can also call the Latitudes Rewards customer service line at 866-234-0292.
How Do I Find My Latitudes Rewards Number?
Not sure what your number is for the loyalty program? There are several ways to find it.
- Login to your NCL.com account. Once signed in, you’ll see the number listed in the “My NCL” drop-down menu.
- Call the cruise line at 866-234-0292.
- Look through your cruise documents or past emails from NCL. Your Latitudes Rewards numbers should be listed.
Is NCL’s Latitudes Rewards Program Worth Joining?
Not sure if you want to join the program or not? Well, if you sail a trip on NCL, you’ll be automatically enrolled as a member. There are no forms to fill out, sign-up fee, or anything else. Take a cruise, and you’re a member.
The good news is that there is no downside to joining. It’s no cost, and you can only benefit from being a member. For that reason, there’s no reason that it wouldn’t be worth joining the program.
