As I write this, my big suitcase still hasn't made it home. And I'm not worried: it's coming on its own. I left it in my cabin on the Costa Favolosa on the last day, in Hamburg, and they're delivering it to my front door. It's one of the Costa Club perks I used on this trip. And honestly, it's one of the ones that won me over most.

In this post I'll tell you which Costa Club perks people actually use, which ones are useless, whether the program affects which cruise line you choose, and what changes once you've got a few cruises under your belt.

And just like my two previous posts about this cruise, it's not only me talking. On board, I asked five experienced passengers, each at a different level. Verónica is Platinum and has lost count of her cruises. Isa is Gold, and she made it very clear she earned it; nobody handed it to her. Charo and Miguel, who have done one cruise with Royal Caribbean, two with MSC and four with Costa, are Silver. Charo was about to reach Gold after this trip. And Fernando, with five cruises, is Bronze. I just reached Gold myself.

Six people, six levels of experience, and very different opinions. Some of them pretty harsh.

It depends on two things: your level and what you're actually willing to use.

The Costa Club is Costa's loyalty program. The more cruises you take with them, the higher your level and the more perks you get. At the top levels, Gold and Platinum, there are perks you don't get at the entry levels. And that explains a lot of what people told me: if you're near the bottom, you barely notice anything. If you're near the top, you notice it… and you also notice when it's taken away.

For me, it's worth it. But I won't just give you my side, because Charo, for one, thinks the exact opposite.

Here are mine, the ones I actually used on this cruise, which, if I'm counting right, was my sixth with Costa.

The gifts. There's always a little something. On this trip, a bottle of prosecco and a model of the ship. They won't change your trip, but they're a nice touch.

A free spa day. I used it on one of our sea days. The Favolosa's spa didn't win me over, but the day didn't cost me anything.

Dinner at a specialty restaurant. Another perk I do take advantage of.

Laundry service. People usually use it at the end of the cruise, but since this one was long, I used it halfway through. Having your laundry done on a 15-day trip is incredibly convenient.

Bag Express. This is the one that surprised me most. They pick up your suitcase at home and drop it straight in your cabin. And at the end of the trip, they collect it from your cabin and take it back home, a few days later. I didn't use it on the way out, but I did on the way back, and I think it's fantastic for two reasons. First, I save money on the flight, because the big suitcase doesn't fly with me. Second, I don't have to haul the weight from airport to airport.

Isa knows exactly which perks she likes: the discounts when booking a trip, which she finds really worthwhile, and the onboard touches, like the prosecco, restaurant discounts and the information they mail to your home. I liked her argument: it costs you nothing and still gives you something.

Miguel barely uses it. He told me he doesn't have time for all of it, because there's so much to see and do on the ship. What he does use are some priority perks, for example at the spa or the dining room.

Fernando, at Bronze, hasn't used it for booking yet. Where he does notice it is with the discounts in the onboard shops.

This is where opinions really split.

Charo was the harshest. I asked for her honest opinion and she gave it to me: it hasn't been any use to her at all. On one of her cruises, they gave her a toiletry bag with a couple of samples. On this one, an air freshener, and only because she went to complain. She hasn't noticed any special treatment or special attention. All she does is fill out the surveys to earn points and move up a level, hoping that will improve her conditions.

And she told me about two things she finds unfair. First, that someone with lots of points can pay less than she does and get the same perks, when she paid full price for her cabin. Second, the compensation when they change the itinerary, like they did on this trip because of the storm. Compensation is per passenger, but only up to two passengers per cabin. If three or four people share a cabin, the compensation doesn't go up. So four friends sharing a cabin get the same as a couple, even if they paid twice as much. For Charo, if every traveler is affected, every traveler should get compensated.

Fernando pointed out something else: how strict it is to keep your level. Once you reach Gold or Platinum, you have to keep sailing to the letter, because if you don't travel for a year, for whatever reason, they take it away. He understands it's a business looking out for itself, but he thinks they should show club members a bit more consideration.

And Isa told me what happened on this cruise. According to her, they upgraded a huge number of people, and when a ship has more Platinum members than regular passengers, something isn't working. You can't enjoy the perks, because the venues and restaurants get swamped: everyone uses their privileges at the same time.

I didn't notice it as much, maybe because I'd just reached Gold. But I understand what happened. This was a special Costa Club cruise, with a very large number of high-level passengers. These are people used to privileges the ship couldn't give everyone, so only those staying in suites got them. For them, it felt like a downgrade: not being able to access things they'd enjoyed on many cruises before. I completely get it. But personally, that wasn't my experience.

For almost everyone, less than Costa would like.

For me, the trip matters most. But if two cruise lines offer the same trip, having these perks helps me decide. I also have status with MSC, so I play in both leagues. And I know that if I want similar perks with other lines, like Virgin or Norwegian, all I have to do is sail with them. So it helps, but it doesn't decide everything.

Miguel is even clearer: it doesn't influence him. He knows he gets benefits when booking, but he isn't looking for a cruise line. He's looking for a destination, "I want to go to…," and he picks the cruise that gets him there best.

Fernando wouldn't pick Costa over another line because of the points either. That said, he already has another Costa cruise booked for December.

Isa admits it does influence her a bit. Not entirely, but if she's comparing a Costa cruise with a similar one from another line, it counts. And she has a very practical tip for beginners: join the Costa Club before your first Costa cruise. She's done it with her family: on the eclipse cruise she signed up her sister-in-law and her sister, and thanks to points promotions they're already Silver. Her two nieces too.

And Charo? Two years ago she'd have recommended it to anyone. Today she's not so sure, because her last two cruises with Costa, the eclipse cruise and this one, were more disappointing than the earlier ones.

My first cruise was on the MSC Grandiosa, in the Mediterranean. Before joining the club, I'd never taken one. And I traveled the way almost everyone does the first time: wanting to see everything.

I'd walk the entire ship on day one, bow to stern, so I wouldn't miss a thing. I went to every show. I rushed from one place to the next. Every announcement felt urgent.

If there was a problem with my onboard payment card, I'd rush to fix it, even if there was a line. For Wi-Fi, I'd wait in line at the internet desk to get it activated.

Fourteen cruises later, I don't do any of that.

I don't race around the ship on the first day because I don't need to. Ships are more or less alike, and I know everything has its moment. I don't go to every show anymore. On this trip I went to just one. I travel at a different pace, more relaxed, and I enjoy it much more.

I buy Wi-Fi before boarding or through the ship's app. It saves me hours in line. And if there's an issue with my payment card, I know I have until the last day to sort it out. No matter how often they tell me it has to be done right away, if guest services is packed every time I walk by, I'll find a moment later. It's not urgent.

Before, everything was "do it now." Not anymore. And I think that's what changes most with experience: it's not knowing more tricks, it's being in less of a hurry.

I asked everyone what they'd tell someone just starting out. And almost all of them said the same thing, each in their own way: do your homework and know what you want.

Miguel: it's more important to know what you want to do than to just pick any cruise. According to him, that's the difference between continuing to love cruising and hating it for life.

Charo: set yourself a goal. For example, "I want to see Rome." Making sure the thing you want to see actually happens is what will make you happy on the trip.

Isa: don't put too much stock in other people's opinions, and know what you're paying for. If you go in August, don't expect anything better than a crowded beach resort, because a cruise is really a floating resort, and it all depends on how you make use of it. And read the fine print. She thinks Costa explains everything well on its website and in its brochures, and that many complaints come from people who didn't do their research when they could have.

Fernando: have your card set up for onboard charges, or you'll get a lot of reminders. And go over the excursions with a magnifying glass.

This was my favorite question. Nobody mentioned a buffet or a cabin.

Isa remembered the eclipse cruise: five women from her family together in a balcony cabin, her sister, sister-in-law and nieces, watching the eclipse with the people she loves. She told me it was the best part of that cruise.

Miguel named three moments. The northern lights on this trip, no question. The islands off the usual circuit he visited on his Royal Caribbean cruise, and arriving in Kotor, Montenegro. And above all, one of the last cruise sailings through the Grand Canal in Venice. That was spectacular, he told me.

Fernando was clear: meeting people. Making friends from all over the world. For him, a ship like the Favolosa, more intimate, is a fantastic place for an outgoing person, because it's easier to meet people and have good conversations.

And me? This year, without a doubt, a half-finished coffee and a PA announcing the northern lights. But thinking about it, Fernando's answer is mine too. On this trip, traveling solo, I shared coffees, cocktails, meals and shore days with people I didn't know two weeks earlier. Some of them are the ones you've met in these three posts.

And here's the funny thing about the Costa Club. Six people at different levels, some loving the program and others who don't see the point. And when you ask them about their best moment, nobody mentions a perk, a gift or a discount. They talk about an eclipse with family, a canal in Venice and the people they met.

The perks help. My suitcase is about to arrive home without me lugging it around. But what you take home from a cruise doesn't come by Bag Express.

Thank you to Charo, Miguel, Fernando, Isa and Verónica for sharing their experience with me.

Are you someone who makes the most of loyalty perks, or do you forget you even have them?

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