Originally Posted by pbjag

So a little bit of a tangent here.
Not sure if any of you fly with Delta and have heard about the bombshell they dropped this week, changing elite status to only be attainable through spend with Delta (including Delta vacations) - and doubling the spend requirements vs. 2021. A substantial percentage of current elites say they will drop to lower, perhaps much lower levels due to this (12K a year spend for Gold, 18K for Platinum and 35 for Diamond). The changes don't phase me; I retired last year and will lose my Platinum status but am exempt from the spend requirements and retain Gold status as a 2 million miler with Dl.

However, a little light bulb just went off! Given what we pay for cruises with Silversea (or Regent, Seabourn, et al), simply booking 1 or 2 cruises through the Delta Vacations portal rather than with a TA or direct with the cruise line would yield enough spend for Platinum or Diamond status. Diamond status included global upgrade certificates, which can be worth more than OBC from a TA. Interesting opportunity, perhaps.