Elite guests planning to embark on Carnival Spirit on December 6, 2025, won’t be getting to enjoy all of the VIP perks they may have been looking forward to due to a high number of Diamond and Platinum guests that will be onboard.

The cruise in question is an 8-night sailing out of Mobile, Alabama, to the Bahamas that visits Celebration Key, Princess Cays, and Nassau.

And if you’re feeling a sense of deja vu, it’s because this has happened before.

Just days ago, top-tier members of Carnival’s Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) Loyalty Program were told that they would also lose some of their benefits during Carnival Miracle’s November 30th sailing.

“Due to the high number of Diamond and Platinum guests joining us on this voyage, we will not be able to provide the following benefits,” Carnival wrote to impacted guests.

Read Also: Which Cruise Lines Match Loyalty Programs?

Similar adjustments have been made on several other Carnival cruises over the past year or so, but most of these were longer Carnival Journeys sailings.

Carnival Journeys are cruises that last for nine days or longer and typically attract a larger number of elite VIFP passengers.

What Benefits are Going Away?

Due to the high number of elite guests onboard, it is simply impossible to provide priority services at the level they would expect.

“These operational changes are consistent with other voyages where we have a very large number of Diamond and Platinum Guests,” Carnival explained.

“We apologize for any disappointment and thank you for your understanding,” the cruise line continued.

In the case of this Bahamas sailing, Diamond and Platinum members will be saying goodbye to priority embarkation and debarkation, including at ports of call.

This perk will be especially missed while visiting Princess Cays, which is a tender port.

Additionally, early stateroom access to drop off bags and priority luggage delivery will not be possible.

Even the top-tier guests will need to wait until 1:30 p.m. to visit their staterooms like the rest of the passengers.

It’s also worth noting that the priority line and phone assistance for the onboard guest services team may not be available, and that main dining room dinner seating requests made by Diamond guests cannot be guaranteed.

But on the bright side, special elite perks like complimentary beverages, priority spa reservations, welcome treats (provided upon request), and VIFP logo gifts will still be offered.

New Rewards Program Overhauls Overwhelmed VIFP Program

Though Carnival’s new Carnival Rewards program is highly controversial, particularly in how it does away with lifetime loyalty status, it is necessary because the current VIFP program has become unsustainable.

There are simply too many elite Diamond and Platinum guests cruising, which means Carnival has had to take away the benefits they have earned on more and more sailings.

The new plan will work on a system where status is awarded by earning points and stars.

Loyalty status will then reset every two years to avoid accumulating too many top-tier members, which allows Carnival to better reward its most active and loyal passengers.

But following ongoing criticism of the new program, the launch date was recently pushed back from June 1, 2026, to September 1, 2026.

Carnival Cruise Line seems to be cracking down a bit on the adults-only entertainment restrictions, but not all guests are happy with the enforcement. One guest, in fact, believes that a parent’s judgment should absolutely take precedence over the guidelines the cruise line has set forth.

The unhappy guest reached out to John Heald, Carnival’s brand ambassador, with their complaint.

“My older teens were stopped from seeing the comedy show. There is a difference between a R-rated movie with violence and R-rated Carnival comedians,” the guest contends. “My 14- and 15-year-old can handle R-rated comedians. I am the parent, it is my choice, my responsibility.”

At what age a teen is “older” is certainly debatable, but Carnival Cruise Line’s adults-only, R-rated comedy is restricted to guests 18 years and older. While different parents will have different thoughts on their own child’s maturity, 14- or 15-year-olds are not exactly “older” teens.

“To have them removed tonight from the R-rated show … was demeaning for them and disrespectful to me,” the guest continued. “Parents should have the choice not Carnival.”

Worth Reading: Heckling Guest Removed From Carnival’s Punchliner Comedy Club

The guest does not provide any context for how being removed from the show was “demeaning” or “disrespectful.” They also did not clarify when the teens were removed, whether it was before the show began or after the comedian started their performance.

Many times, the comedy club manager or another crew member will be at the entrance to the Punchliner Comedy Club after the doors open, ensuring that all guests who enter the venue are of the appropriate age. It can be easy to slip by, however, particularly in a crowd or if more than one entrance is available.

Heald did respond to the guest’s complaint, but not perhaps in the way they had wished.

“I was going to talk about the differences between movies and real life comedy and how having children in the audience makes it so uncomfortable for the comedians performing adult material,” he explained. “However, I will say instead this time that these are our rules and like them or not, please do accept them.”

Read Also: What Are the Best Cruise Lines for Families?

It’s refreshing that Carnival Cruise Line is not adapting for parents’ discretion in these matters, particularly at a time when many cruise guests seem to be noting more and more unruly teens onboard.

Furthermore, to permit some teens in the adults-only comedy shows would be a slippery slope indeed. What about the “more mature” 13-year-old? Or the 12-year-old who is “so smart” and “deserves” to be there?

This would even open up exceptions to other adults-only areas, such as the Serenity Deck or other events that are restricted to those 18 (or 21) and older.

Guest Reactions Not Supportive

If the original poster was hoping to get support from other guests, they have been sorely disappointed. More than 900 comments on the post show that very few other Carnival guests agree with permitting 14- and 15-year-olds into the adults-only comedy shows.

“We just cruised a couple weeks ago with our teenage sons, newly turned 16 and a month shy of 18. Can my kids handle adult content? Oh sure. Did we put up a stink they couldn’t attend the later comedy shows? Nope!” another recent guest described. “We found other things to do and had a blast. People are so wildly entitled it’s mad.”

Other guests poked a bit of fun in their assessment of the comedy material and how age-appropriate it may or may not be.

“I am 56 and felt like I wasn’t old enough for some of the comedy shows. Or maybe I am too old,” one guest quipped.

“That’s like me complaining that they won’t let my 55-year-old self play in the kids club,” another noted.

Other Reasons Not to Permit Kids in R-Rated Comedy

It isn’t just for the R-rating that some guests note children are not permitted in the adults-only comedy shows.

These shows are outrageously popular, and many of the Punchliner venues are smaller and more intimate, which adds to the personalized vibe of the show.

Permitting children and teens into the show then fills seating that adults could otherwise have used, taking away an onboard experience specifically intended for adults.

Carnival Cruise Line does offer multiple PG-rated, family-friendly comedy shows on every cruise, often from the same comedians who offer the more mature shows. Regardless of age, all guests can enjoy the fun, so long as they do so as part of the appropriate show.