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Showing loyalty to Norwegian Cruise Line can get you some great rewards.
Norwegian’s Latitudes Rewards loyalty program offers members enticing perks, such as discounts on normally pricey shore excursions and spa treatments, after only a few sailings. And that’s just a hint of what’s to come for loyal cruisers who reach the program’s top tiers.
At the very top tier of the Latitudes Rewards program, the Ambassador level, members get one of the most spectacular rewards in the cruise loyalty program universe: a free cruise for two.
Other perks Norwegian doles out to higher-tier members include discounts of up to 25% on internet packages, free wine tastings and free dinners at high-end restaurants on Norwegian ships.
NCL Latitudes Rewards at a glance
- How to join: You’re automatically enrolled in Latitudes Rewards after your first Norwegian cruise.
- How to earn points: You earn 1 point for every night you spend on a Norwegian ship, with additional points available for qualifying suite, Haven and Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer bookings.
- Number of tiers: There are seven Latitudes Rewards tiers, ranging from Bronze to Ambassador.
- Top tier: You’ll need 700 points to reach Ambassador status, which comes with a complimentary seven-night cruise for two, subject to the program’s terms and restrictions
Ways to earn points
Earning points in the Latitudes Rewards program is relatively straightforward. You will get:
- 1 point for every night you spend on a ship
- An additional point per night when staying in a Concierge-level cabin, full-fare suite (not minisuites or club balcony suites) or The Haven rooms.
- An additional point per night when on a cruise booked via a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer. These are special offers for Latitudes Rewards members.
Note that the extra point per night for suites applies only to stays in suites booked when the reservation is originally made. It doesn’t apply to stays in suites that result from an upgrade.
You also won’t earn Latitudes Rewards points on charter sailings, inaugural events, heavily discounted fares and some specially priced bookings. The exception to this is Family & Friends and Casino at Sea rates, which are still eligible to earn points. If you’re booking a cruise under a special fare or promotional offer, it’s worth checking the terms before assuming you’ll earn points.
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Related: The ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line ships and itineraries
Program tiers and benefits
There are seven tiers to the Latitudes Rewards program:
- Bronze (1 to 19 points)
- Silver (20 to 44 points)
- Gold (45 to 74 points)
- Platinum (75 to 149 points)
- Sapphire (150 to 349 points)
- Diamond (350 to 699 points)
- Ambassador (700 or more points)
The Latitudes Rewards program is one of the more robust cruise line loyalty programs, with some solid perks available, particularly at the top level.
After just one cruise, as a newly minted Bronze member, you will receive a 10% discount at onboard duty-free shops, early access to new product information and exclusive offers, a signature pin and a few other minor things.
Related: Cruise line loyalty program guide: How to earn perks with the biggest brands
Moving up to the Silver level of the Latitudes Rewards loyalty program will bring all the above, plus:
- An invitation to a complimentary onboard cocktail party
- A 10% discount on shore excursions
- A 20% discount on photos
- A 15% discount on spa treatments performed when the ship is in port
- A higher 15% discount at onboard duty-free shops
The Gold level bumps up the discounts on photos and spa treatments to 25% and 20%, respectively, and also brings:
- A complimentary carton of water
- A 50% discount on a bag of laundry
- Priority tender tickets
- Priority disembarkation (U.S. citizens and some international passengers only)
As noted above, it’ll take you just one cruise to reach the initial Bronze tier. Reaching the Silver level would require three seven-night cruises, assuming you stay in standard cabins. If you book suites or book only Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers, you’ll reach the Silver level much faster.
Reaching the Gold tier can be done in as few as three seven-night cruises if you book a suite and also only book Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers. If you book standard cabins and don’t use Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers, it would take five seven-night cruises.
The elite level that makes a difference
The Platinum level is where being a loyal Norwegian customer really starts to pay off.
Once you reach Platinum, you’ll get all the above, plus a 15% discount on internet packages, which is a great perk. Internet packages on Norwegian can be pricey.
Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship
Another great perk at the Platinum level is access to two free dinners at some of the top restaurants on Norwegian ships on every voyage of five nights or longer.
Norwegian relatively recently expanded the value of this perk by making the free dinners available at more onboard restaurants. Previously, one of the free dinners, which included a complimentary bottle of wine, could only be booked at Cagney’s steakhouses and Le Bistro French eateries on Norwegian ships. Now guests can book it at any onboard restaurant that has a complimentary wine list, except Palomar. Guests can also book a second free dinner at a wider range of eateries.
Note that upcharges apply to certain premium menu items when using the free dinner perk.
Platinum members also get:
- Priority check-in and embarkation
- Chocolate-covered strawberries delivered to their room
- A Wines Around the World tasting
- A behind-the-scenes ship tour
- A higher 30% discount on photos
- A higher 25% discount on spa treatments
- A dedicated precruise service desk
- Concierge service onboard
Additionally, Platinum members can prebook dining 125 days before sailing and typically prebook shore excursions one year before sailing.
Related: Why Norwegian’s new Prima Class may be its best ever
It can take as many as 11 seven-night cruises to reach Platinum status if you stay in standard cabins. However, it can also be done in as few as four cruises if you stay in higher-level cabins and book using Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers.
Also worth noting is that when two guests with different Latitudes Rewards status share a cabin, certain perks tied to the cabin are extended to both passengers based on the higher-tier member’s status. This includes laundry and dinner for two. Individual benefits, such as discounts on internet and shore excursions, are still based on each person’s status.
Best elite perks
Once you reach the Sapphire level, you’ll get all the above perks, plus an additional carton of water, a dinner with ship officers and priority restaurant and entertainment seating (subject to availability). The latter is really a wonderful perk, as it means you won’t be stuck dining too early or too late on nights when shipboard restaurants are busy (which is pretty much every night). It also means you can breeze into theaters for onboard shows with the knowledge that a decent seat is waiting for you.
Added in 2022, the Diamond tier brings two new perks to the program: access to a complimentary Sail & Sustain Mixology experience and a one-time free cabin upgrade.
But the ultimate perk for Latitudes Rewards members comes upon reaching the top Ambassador tier. You’ll get a one-time complimentary seven-night cruise in a balcony cabin. You can pick any destination, but you can’t select a holiday sailing (Christmas and New Year’s).
The free cruise is for two people. You can bring a third and fourth guest, but you’ll pay their fares. You’ll also pay all taxes, fees and service charges (including gratuities). You have one year to take your free cruise after hitting the Ambassador tier.
If you are approaching the Ambassador tier, it’s worth noting that you can book a longer cruise and pay the difference. You can also upgrade from the complimentary cabin to a suite or The Haven, and again, pay the difference in fare offered for that cruise. And if two people reach Ambassador tier at the same time, they can combine their rewards for a 14-night cruise.
Related: The 9 classes of Norwegian Cruise Line ships, explained
Sapphire, Diamond and Ambassador members also get bigger discounts on shore excursions. For Sapphire and Diamond members, the discount on shore excursions amounts to 15%. It jumps to 20% for Ambassador members.
Sapphire, Diamond and Ambassador members also get bigger discounts on internet packages. For Sapphire members, the discount on internet service amounts to 20%. It rises to 25% for Diamond and Ambassador members.
When it comes to dining, Sapphire and Diamond members can book restaurants up to 126 days ahead of the sailing, the same as Platinum members. For Ambassador members, it’s 130 days in advance, giving them first pick on any dining onboard.
The Ambassador level, in particular, isn’t easy to reach, as it requires 700 points. That means you might have to take as many as 100 seven-night cruises to qualify. If you stay in higher-end cabins and book a lot of Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers, you could reach the Ambassador level far more quickly — in as few as 34 seven-night sailings.
Do NCL Latitudes Rewards points expire?
No, Norwegian Cruise Line Latitudes Rewards points never expire.
As is often the case with cruise line loyalty programs, Norwegian customers do not have to requalify for status each year. Latitudes Rewards members keep their points at the end of each year and continue accruing them indefinitely. That means someone who reaches Ambassador status will remain at that top-tier level forever (or until Norwegian changes the program).
Such “forever status” is one of the great allures of cruise line frequent cruiser programs. By contrast, many airline frequent flyer programs require loyalty members to requalify for status each year.
Related: Everything you want to know about cabins and suites on Norwegian Cruise Line ships
Does NCL match status with other cruise lines?
Yes. One useful feature of the Latitudes Rewards program is that your loyalty status can carry over when you sail with one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s sister brands, Oceania Cruises or Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The program, launched in October 2025, allows members of Latitudes Rewards, Oceania Club and Seven Seas Society to have their status recognized at the corresponding level when sailing with another brand in the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings family. Sapphire members are recognized as Platinum on Oceania and Regent, while Diamond and Ambassador members receive Diamond status on Oceania and Titanium status on Regent.
You have to request the status match 10 days before each cruise, and it applies only for the duration of that sailing. Your status then reverts to the level you actually earned with that cruise line within seven days of the cruise ending.
One thing to keep in mind is that not every perk carries over. The free cruise that comes with Ambassador status and the one-time cabin upgrade that comes with Diamond status are not included.
Is Latitudes Rewards worth it?
Staying loyal to Norwegian can pay off, particularly if you tend to take longer cruises. Most of the better perks in the Latitudes Rewards program apply to sailings of five nights or longer, including some of the free dining and other benefits that come with higher tiers.
The program also makes more sense if you regularly book suites or The Haven, take advantage of Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers or sail with Norwegian’s sister brands. Those factors can help you move up the tiers faster, while status match means you can take some of your loyalty benefits with you when you sail with Oceania or Regent.
If you tend to take shorter cruises or only sail Norwegian occasionally, there may be less reason to go out of your way to build status. And if you’re chasing Ambassador status for the complimentary cruise, keep in mind that it takes 700 points to reach the top tier. That could mean as many as 100 seven-night cruises if you’re staying in standard cabins and not taking advantage of Insider Offers.
Bottom line
Norwegian has one of the more alluring frequent cruiser programs. Even after just a few cruises, loyal fans will find they are entitled to a nice array of valuable perks, from discounts on various types of onboard spending to exclusive cocktail parties. We’re particularly fond of the free dinners at extra-charge onboard eateries that come with Platinum-level status.
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