Guide to Cunard Line's Cunard World Club cruise loyalty program

Cunard Line, known for its unique ocean liner history and British beginnings, caters to upscale passengers who appreciate quiet ocean views and afternoon tea. Brand loyalists can earn loyalty status and related perks through the line's Cunard World Club program.

Although it's nice to receive perks, the ones offered by Cunard's loyalty program aren't as valuable as some of those featured by other lines. (You won't find any free cruises here.) In the World Club, there are only four tiers, and compared with what's required to reach the upper echelons of most other brands' reward schemes, it's not all that difficult to claim top-level bragging rights – not that the typical Cunard passenger would stoop to bragging, of course.

Here, read all about the tiers, what they offer and how to reach each one.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter.

Ways to earn points

Cunard's easy-to-navigate loyalty system elevates you to one of four tiers based on either the number of sailings you've completed with Cunard or the number of days you've cruised with the line.

Your status will be determined by whichever of those milestones you reach first. For example, if you mainly book shorter sailings, your status will be determined by the number of voyages you've taken. Conversely, you could reach a high tier in a smaller number of sailings if each of them is of considerable length.

Program tiers and benefits

The Cunard World Club program has four tiers:

• Silver: One voyage.
• Gold: Two voyages or 20 nights.
• Platinum: Seven voyages or 70 nights.
• Diamond: 15 voyages or 150 nights.

All changes in status occur after the sailing on which they are reached. No mid-sailing status or benefit changes are allowed.

After just a single sailing, regardless of length, cruisers are automatically enrolled in the World Club program and receive at least Silver status.

Unfortunately, with the exception of occasional discounts – the same ones to which just about every other Cunard passenger has access – this level doesn't offer much value.

Perks at the Silver level include:

• Member savings and special offers.
• World Club desk in all international offices.
• An onboard loyalty representative.
• The Cunarder magazine.

Thankfully, the longest Cunard cruisers will spend at the Silver level is one sailing, as they're bumped up to Gold status after their second voyage. Because Gold status can also be attained after 20 nights, it is possible for travelers to skip right past Silver and start out at Gold if their very first sailing was longer than that. (In some cases, if a passenger's first voyage is extremely long, such as a world cruise, it's also possible for them to skip straight to Platinum or Diamond level by their second sailing.)

Gold perks include:

• Member savings and special offers.
• World Club desk in all international offices.
• An onboard loyalty representative.
• The Cunarder magazine.
• A Gold membership pin.
• Two hours of complimentary internet.
• An invitation to the Cunard World Club cocktail party (on sailings of six nights or longer).

Next is the Platinum tier, which is reached after seven sailings or 70 total cruise nights.

Platinum extras include:

• Member savings and special offers.
• World Club desk in all international offices.
• An onboard loyalty representative.
• The Cunarder magazine.
• A Platinum membership pin.
• Four hours of complimentary internet.
• An invitation to the Cunard World Club cocktail party (on sailings of six nights or longer).
• A 20% discount on onboard laundry and dry-cleaning services.
• Priority check-in at the terminals in New York and Southampton.
• Access to a private disembarkation lounge.
• A complimentary wine tasting (on sailings of six nights or longer).
• A 10% discount on White Star luggage service.
• An invitation to the senior officers' party (on sailings of six nights or longer).

The club's Diamond level is the pinnacle of Cunard loyalty, and it's reached after 15 cruises or 150 nights onboard. That's impressive, as some other lines require several hundred nights and dozens more sailings to reach top-level status.

Diamond rewards include:

• Member savings and special offers.
• World Club desk in all international offices with dedicated Diamond contact.
• An onboard loyalty representative.
• The Cunarder magazine.
• A Diamond membership pin.
• Eight hours of complimentary internet.
• An invitation to the Cunard World Club cocktail party (on sailings of six nights or longer).
• A 20% discount on onboard laundry and dry-cleaning services.
• Priority check-in at the terminals in New York and Southampton.
• Access to a private disembarkation lounge.
• A complimentary wine tasting (sailings of six nights or longer).
• A 10% discount on White Star luggage service.
• An invitation to the senior officers' party (on sailings of six nights or longer).
• Priority disembarkation.
• One complimentary meal in an extra-fee dining venue (on sailings of six nights or more; choose from lunch at The Verandah or dinner at Kings Court or The Lido).
• Priority appointments with the line's cruise sales representatives.

The elite level that makes a difference

Gold is when passengers will start to see perks that represent tangible value (a lapel pin), as well as monetary value (free Wi-Fi and gratis drinks at the cocktail party).

But the biggest jump in overall value is from Gold to Platinum, where cruisers can take advantage of discounts on laundry and luggage services, assuming they actually use those services. Of course, more value is added at the Diamond level in the form of free meals and additional complimentary Wi-Fi, but the number of sailings needed to reach that tier and the cost associated with taking those sailings make the rewards less valuable.

Best elite perk

Cunard's perks aren't much to write home about in the grand scheme of things, but of the incentives provided, there are a few nice ones. The best one for you is subjective, depending on what you value, how you prefer to spend your time and how long your voyage is.

For example, if you're on a cruise that's more than a couple of weeks long, 20% off of laundry services could be something you'd use quite a bit. If you're techy, you might appreciate the value provided by free Wi-Fi when you sail. Or perhaps 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 embarkation and disembarkation -- are the most sought after.

Bottom line

When compared with other cruise lines' loyalty programs – some of which offer free cruises for reaching the highest levels – the Cunard World Club isn't as much of a draw. It's easier to achieve higher status more quickly with Cunard than with many other brands, but the perks aren't as lucrative when passengers finally make it there.

That said, the Cunard demographic generally is comprised 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 be concerned with their Cunard status level and what it brings them.

For more information, visit the Cunard World Club page on Cunard Line's website.