Carnival’s new loyalty program has cruisers asking, “Is this a joke?”

Carnival Cruise Line has officially announced Carnival Rewards, a revamped loyalty program launching in June 2026. While the cruise line frames the change as a much-needed upgrade, many loyal cruisers see the update as an obvious downgrade.

The newly announced program replaces the long-standing current loyalty structure, known as the VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) Club. The original model gave cruisers one point per night sailed, which is standard across the cruise industry.

Now, Carnival Cruise Line will have an industry-first loyalty program based on how much money you spend rather than the number of nights sailed. Guests will now earn “stars” toward status and “points” for onboard redemptions, with loyalty tiers resetting every two years. That means lifetime status will be eliminated with Carnival Rewards.

To be fair, Carnival’s VIFP program did need an update. Being rewarded for loyalty is always appreciated, but Carnival’s loyalty program paled in comparison to competitors, especially Royal Caribbean. In my opinion, Carnival’s VIFP program was never that impressive.

For years, Carnival’s loyalty program has lagged behind its competitors. While other cruise lines offer truly lucrative loyalty perks, Carnival’s elite members typically receive only a little more than priority boarding and a pin.

For example, Royal Caribbean’s top-tier loyalty members receive a free deluxe drink package and unlimited Wi-Fi on every cruise, along with a complimentary cruise when they achieve Pinnacle status.

But, Carnival’s VIFP perks never quite matched the investment required to earn them. The most loyal guests, who have likely cruised for years to reach Diamond or Platinum status, were often left with two free drinks, basic priority boarding, and a laundry bag.

So when Carnival announced it would be introducing a brand-new program with more ways to earn and redeem rewards, many hoped this would be a much-needed improvement. Instead, the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative.

While Carnival claims this offers more flexibility and personalization, longtime cruisers say the move devalues the loyalty they’ve built over decades, and many are not holding back.

Status will no longer be earned through nights sailed

Carnival Cruise Line’s new loyalty program is shifting from the industry norm of earning status through your lifetime number of sailing nights. Instead, it will be tied to how much money you spend.

You’ll earn “stars” based on your purchases with Carnival Rewards, including your cruise fare, excursions, spa treatments, and other purchases, and you’ll need to accumulate these stars within a rolling two-year window to qualify for status.

Here’s the breakdown of status tier by points and approximate dollars spent:

Once you hit a tier, you keep it for the rest of your qualifying window and the following two years. After that, if you don’t spend again, you lose it.

That means if you’ve spent years climbing the VIFP loyalty ladder, it’s all about to expire unless you keep spending thousands every two years with Carnival Cruise Line. That’s a massive shift from the cruise industry standard, where status is typically earned for life.

Carnival is also integrating its co-branded credit card, the Carnival Rewards Mastercard, more directly into the loyalty program. Guests will be able to earn both points and stars through everyday spending on the card, even when they’re not on a cruise.

Lifetime loyalty means nothing now

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the new program is the elimination of lifetime status loyalty. This sends a clear message to cruisers: your spending matters more than your actual loyalty.

Under the old VIFP model, you earned one point per night, and your status stayed with you forever. It was a slow climb, but it gave people a reason to cruise with Carnival over the years. Now, if you’re not willing to spend heavily every two years, your status disappears.

Carnival has promised that current Diamond members will retain their status for six years (through May 31, 2032) before having to qualify for status again. Anyone below Diamond status will have until June 2026 to enjoy their current status perks.

Too many top-tier members

Carnival says the overhaul is meant to give guests “more control” and to improve the experience for high-tier members. The official press release also implies that the cruise line has simply accumulated too many top-tier status holders to continue delivering a premium experience.

In many ways, Carnival’s new loyalty program mirrors the structure commonly seen in airline and hotel loyalty programs, where elite status must be re-earned every year based on spending or qualifying activity.

Just like frequent flyer programs that require a minimum spend, or hotel programs that base status on nights stayed and dollars spent, Carnival is now shifting away from cumulative loyalty. Instead, the new loyalty program integrates a revenue-based model.

While this approach may make sense for brands that cater to high-frequency business travelers, it’s a massive shift for cruise passengers who are used to working toward lifetime status over many years and keeping it. Not to mention, major airlines and hotel brands still offer lifetime status after loyal customers have reached a certain threshold.

Benefits are not actually improving

You’d think with a complete overhaul, Carnival would offer better perks, but that’s not the case. The new benefits are nearly identical to what was offered before, and in some cases, they’re worse!

Gold members now get a 1.5-liter bottle of water and one free drink. Platinum adds things like priority reservations and a treat in your room. Top-tier Diamond status gets unlimited laundry and guaranteed main dining room times.

Several well-loved perks are gone, including the one-time cabin upgrade and occasional free third or fourth guests in a stateroom. There’s no free internet, no complimentary specialty dining, and no real value-added experiences that make the loyalty feel worth it.

It’s hard not to feel insulted when top-tier status requires over $33,000 in spending only to unlock benefits that barely cost Carnival anything to provide.

One cruiser questioned: “10,000 points for gold to get a 1.5 liter water and 1 free drink? And status only good for 2 years? Am I reading that right?”

“Yeah, if my 1-2 cruises a year means I’m only getting a bottle of water and a ‘free’ drink, we’re going to start looking elsewhere! Might as well start building my status up with RCI or Celebrity starting now,” responded another commenter.

One cruiser shared, “Wow! That’s like… five whole dollars worth of free stuff!!”

Carnival’s most loyal guests are furious

The reaction to Carnival’s announcement online has been extremely negative. Reddit threads are flooded with angry comments from disappointed, longtime cruisers. Many feel like Carnival has disregarded years of loyalty, and some even say they’ll stop cruising with the brand altogether.

“So I have been Platinum for years, and stay loyal to Carnival solely because of that status. Apparently loyalty means nothing, and now I can choose other cruise lines without a second thought,” one cruiser wrote.

Another posted, “Just reached Platinum last month and bummed that I probably won’t be able to maintain that status in 2028. Took me 10 years to hit Platinum.”

One cruiser replied, “Well, this just means I won’t default to Carnival when I book. I’m still working, so we only cruise every other year, but I’m Platinum [status] because I have cruised with Carnival for 20 years. I think someone else said it, it’s no longer a loyalty program, so why would I now have loyalty to the brand?”

“Time to find another cruise line!!! My past loyalty clearly means nothing!” shared another commenter on Reddit.

One customer theorized: “Carnival is grossly overestimating their demand in the cruise space. Many of us remain loyal to Carnival because of our lifetime status. Since I will lose status in 2028, I have no incentive to be loyal to their company or product. Never tick off your loyalty customer bases… business 101.”

One summed it up even more bluntly: “Took away lifetime. I’m out.”

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean has been improving its loyalty perks

The contrast between Carnival’s new direction and what competitors like Royal Caribbean are doing couldn’t be more stark.

Royal Caribbean continues to offer lifetime status in its Crown & Anchor Society, with cruisers earning points per night sailed (double points for suites or solo occupancy). Once you hit Diamond status, the perks become quite lucrative, such as daily drink vouchers, free internet, lounge access, and specialty dining credits.

Even better, Royal Caribbean recently improved reciprocity with its sister brand Celebrity Cruises. Now, top-tier members in one program receive equivalent recognition in the other, although the two loyalty programs are technically separate.

For example, if you’re a Diamond Plus or Pinnacle Club member on Royal Caribbean, you’ll receive Elite or Elite Plus perks when sailing on Celebrity. That’s a huge value-add that rewards brand loyalty across both cruise lines without requiring extra spend.

In contrast, Carnival’s new system doesn’t include any cross-brand recognition (despite sharing a parent company with brands like Princess and Holland America), and it strips away the idea of lifetime loyalty entirely. Guests are expected to spend thousands every two years just to maintain basic status.

So while Carnival is making guests re-earn their loyalty through spending, Royal Caribbean is giving cruisers more for the loyalty they’ve already shown. It’s no wonder many Carnival fans are already saying they’ll look elsewhere.