MSC Cruises Ends Status Match in Spain, France and Italy; US Program Still Open

October 19, 2026 — MSC Cruises has stopped taking new Status Match applications in Spain, France and Italy. Under the program, people with status in another loyalty program could have it recognized in MSC Voyagers Club. The program is still open in the United States for now.

What happened

Status Match let travelers who hold status with another cruise line, or with selected hotel, airline and casino programs, ask MSC to grant a matching tier, even if they had never sailed with MSC. More than 75 programs qualified, including Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. Enrollment was free but needed approval.

Cruise Hive reports the program ended in Spain, France and Italy as of Thursday, October 15, 2026. MSC has not made a broad announcement. Its Spanish-language FAQ calls the move part of the “ongoing evolution” of its loyalty strategy.

Market	Status Match
Spain, France, Italy	Closed to new applications (from Oct 15, 2026)
United States, Canada, UK, Germany, Austria	Still available at press time; future changes possible (date TBA)

Applications sent before the cutoff will still be processed.
Tiers already granted stay valid, subject to the normal Voyagers Club rules on keeping and renewing status.
No changes were reported to Voyagers Club tiers, benefits or point earning.

What it means for airline travelers

If you hold status with another cruise line and have been meaning to apply for an MSC match, check the MSC US site soon. The other markets show the program can close without notice.
Airline loyalty status was among the programs eligible for a match. If you were counting on your frequent-flyer tier to get MSC perks, confirm it still qualifies before you apply.
Status you already received through a match is not affected.
The report did not mention any travel-industry or interline rate changes.