Is Carnival Cruise Line trying to put a positive spin on what has quickly become a public relations nightmare? A new letter from the line’s president, Christine Duffy, is offering great explanations but little further details for frustrated cruisers.
The letter has been sent to past and present Carnival guests (with millions of travelers, it is taking time to reach everyone), and offers detailed insights into the need for the program to change.
Duffy does, however, acknowledge what Carnival Cruise Line has to thank its loyal guests for over the years.
“With your help, our company has grown in many ways: the number of ships in our fleet, the size of our ships, the number of homeports and the number of guests who sail with us each year,” she said.
It is exactly that success and growth, however, that has made the current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program unsustainable.
“It was designed in a simpler time when status was based on the number of days spent on our ships. In a smaller, growing company with a modest customer base, that kind of program works,” Duffy acknowledged.
“But as The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line, the current program does not allow us to deliver the recognition to guests based only on sailing frequency.”
She goes on to note that in the past three years, the number of Platinum-level guests who have sailed with Carnival for at least 75 nights has more than doubled. The number of Diamond-level guests – 200+ nights – has more than tripled.
Put into the context of an individual cruise, Duffy explains that on the Excel-class ships (Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee), more than 1,200 guests are typically at those higher levels on every sailing.
“When so many guests have elite status, it is much more difficult to make everyone feel special. These realities will only continue to erode the recognition and rewards of the current VIFP Club program, and we feel that change is necessary in order to better recognize our guests and give them more choice in how they are rewarded,” she admitted.
Just days ago, Carnival Cruise Line announced the upcoming Carnival Rewards program, a points-based system where guests will earn different status levels based on spending.
Points are automatically earned through booking a cruise and the resulting onboard spending, including drink packages, spa treatments, shore tours, etc.
The program is also partnered with the Carnival Rewards Mastercard co-branded with Barclays, giving guests the opportunity to earn points for any non-cruise purchases on the card.
What Is Making Guests Mad
It isn’t the fact that the overall program needs to change that is upsetting thousands of those formerly very loyal Carnival guests, however.
In fact, a spend-based rewards system makes good sense. It will indeed offer multiple ways for travelers to not only increase their rewards, but customize how they redeem those rewards – though the exact details of that redemption have not yet been released.
Even some of the things being taken away aren’t so upsetting to many guests. For example, the VIFP logo gifts are being phased out, but let’s be honest – many of them, such as the drink koozies and the baseball cap – have been less-than-well received in the past anyway.
What is frustrating to many travelers is the apparent loss of loyalty after the initial transition period. While a guest’s status will be preserved for two years (six years in the case of Diamond level) once the new program begins from June 1, 2026, guests must then continue to spend in order to maintain that status level.
Read Also: Carnival Loyalty Overhaul Leaves Longtime Guests Feeling Abandoned
Duffy’s letter does have one new interesting twist, but no explanation about what it may mean:
“As long as there is activity within a three-year period, points will not expire, so guests can also choose to accumulate their points over time and save them for more valuable rewards,” the letter reads.
The cruise line has, however, already noted that “points” and “stars” are different. Points are what guests will earn through their spending and can apparently be redeemed for rewards at their discretion. “Stars” are also earned through spending and determine one’s status level.
While points may not expire, will stars expire? That is the question as yet unanswered. A guest’s status appears to be determined by stars and comes with a variety of benefits, but the spend-based system seems to be a “re-buy your loyalty status every two years” arrangement.
Duffy emphasizes that the recent announcement of the upcoming changes is not yet set in stone, but rather is “the start of a conversation about the changes ahead.” It is possible that with feedback and examination of guests’ reactions, further changes may be made before the new Carnival Rewards program begins.
There are certainly a lot of harsh feelings, reactionary feedback, and choice words being leveled at Carnival Cruise Line over the past few days. Just what impact this new announcement or any subsequent changes may have will undoubtedly take quite some time to unfold.
