As Carnival Cruise Line prepares to overhaul its loyalty program, Royal Caribbean cruisers are staying anchored in familiar waters, clinging to their Crown & Anchor status like a life vest – and hoping their program doesn’t get swept into the same current.
Carnival’s upcoming switch to a dollar-based rewards system has rattled longtime cruisers who spent years sailing their way up to the VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) ranks.
The new Carnival Rewards program, launching June 1, 2026, will eliminate the cruise-night model and replace it with tiers based on how much money guests spend. Status will also expire after two years unless re-earned.
The change has sparked a backlash from Carnival fans, and triggered concern for Royal Caribbean’s long-running Crown & Anchor Society, which still rewards cruisers based on nights sailed rather than dollars spent.
“Do you think this is something Royal and the other lines will try to adopt? If so, would cruisers stay loyal to Royal, or would this be a reason to try other brands?” asked a cruiser on a Royal Caribbean Reddit page.
One response summed up the sentiment of many: “If there’s no real loyalty program, then why be loyal? That’s the entire reason for it.”
The Redditor continued, “What Carnival did is an insult to everyone who’s been loyal. So no, if Royal went that route, I would not be loyal to them anymore.”
While Carnival Cruise Line says the change is needed to address an overwhelming number of top-tier guests on certain sailings, many cruisers see it as a move that prioritizes spending over loyalty.
And the broader fear is that once one line shifts its model, others may follow under the guide of streamlining benefits or encouraging higher spend.
“If Carnival sees no drop in business, other lines will fall right in line,” warned one Redditor.
“This is how Delta started,” one guest added. “Now loyalty means how much you spend, not how often you fly. I don’t want that to happen to cruises.”
Crown & Anchor Society Loyalty
For Royal Caribbean fans, Carnival Cruise Line’s announcement is sparking new appreciation for the cruise line’s loyalty program, the Crown & Anchor Society. And currently, the cruise line’s program is built around one thing: Nights sailed.
Members earn one point per cruise night sailed, or two points per night in a suite. Points never expire, and once a tier is earned, it’s yours for life.
“Royal appreciates my cruising days, not just the money I spend on their ships,” said one cruiser in another discussion on Facebook.
Added another, “They reward loyalty in a straightforward way. I don’t have to think about requalifying every two years.”
The Crown & Anchor Society tier structure starts at Gold (3 points) and tops out with Pinnacle Club (700 points), with benefits increasing at each level.
Read Also: What is Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society?
Those benefits include daily drink vouchers, Wi-Fi discounts, milestone gifts, priority boarding, and exclusive lounges – perks that many guests say would be hard to give up.
Royal Caribbean also offers reciprocal perks with Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club and Silversea’s Venetian Society loyalty programs, as the cruise lines are each owned by Royal Caribbean Group.
Carnival Cruise Line, which is owned by Carnival Corporation, does not have reciprocal perks with its sister brands, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, and P&O Cruises.
For now, Royal Caribbean has not signaled any changes to its loyalty program, which passengers say is one of the perks of the cruise line. However, their message to the cruise line is clear: Loyalty should still mean loyalty.
