In June 2025, Carnival Cruise Line announced that it would be transitioning its Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program to a new rewards program called Carnival Rewards in June 2026. However, it was met with a lot of backlash from its loyal cruisers. Some of the biggest complaints included the loss of lifetime status and the shift to spending as opposed to loyalty.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said, “We are so excited about our new Carnival Rewards loyalty program launching next year, and believe it will drive fantastic engagement with, and rewards for, our guests. At the same time, we greatly appreciate the loyalty of our passionate guests and the years of dedication many have exhibited in order to achieve higher tiered loyalty status with Carnival Cruise Line. We’ve spent the summer talking with our guests, listening to their comments and taking in their feedback. As a result, I am happy to share that we are making changes to improve the offering to our most loyal customers as we get ready for the program’s launch in 2026. We believe these enhancements recognize our appreciation for the loyalty of our top tier guests.”
The following changes were announced:
- Guests who achieve Diamond status by May 31, 2026 will receive lifetime Diamond status permanently.
- While Platinum guests will not get permanent status, they will receive a boost of 10,000 Carnival Rewards stars when the program starts and every two years thereafter. This means those guests will start each new cycle at gold status, allowing them to earn Platinum and Diamond status more quickly.
- While US laws do not permit minors to be enrolled in the Carnival Rewards program, the cruise line confirmed that children will enjoy the same status as their “responsible party” on that sailing. Minors who have reached Diamond or Platinum status before Carnival Rewards goes into effect will be invited to opt-in to Carnival Rewards at that same loyalty-level once they turn 18.
- The new program now recognizes existing VIFP Milestone awards earned through May 2026. Those milestones will be honored and celebrated through May 2030. Additionally, Carnival Rewards has an enhanced Carnival Rewards Milestones recognition program that will be based on number of days sailed as opposed to number of cruises taken. The new program will offer more benefits and rewards per milestone achieved. More information regarding the Milestone program will be forthcoming.
Currently, the program only applies to US residents, but Carnival is exploring options for guests in Canada and Australia.