The most loyal guests of Carnival Cruise Line have a new gift that is rolling through the fleet and will make getting ready for their next cruise much easier – packing cubes.
The cubes are already available aboard the cruise line’s newest vessel, Carnival Jubilee, and will gradually become available through the end of February and into early March on all 27 ships.
The exact date of availability will depend on how many cruisers receive the gifts and what each ship’s individual supply of the previous gift may be. The most recent gift, a canvas baseball cap, was introduced in October 2024.
The new packing cube gift was revealed by Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, and was met with great enthusiasm by eager travelers.
“Here is the latest Diamond and Platinum gift. They are packing cubes,” Heald announced. “They will be on every ship in the coming weeks. Some ships will still continue with the baseball cap, but probably by the end of this month and the start of March it will be the packing cubes that will be across the fleet.”
The cubes are Carnival’s classic navy blue with a red zipper closure and the VIFP Club logo as an attached patch.
Packing cubes are lightweight zippered bags that help compartmentalize and organize one’s luggage, saving space and making packing easier.
Depending on the design style, they can also compress whatever is being packed and offer even more room for souvenirs or extra items – such as packing along some cruise ducks!
Guests immediately responded to the revelation with positive comments, highlighting the usefulness of the new gift.
“This is probably the best gift I’ve seen offered. I would be very happy with packing cubes.”
“Definitely a gift we can and will use! Fabulous!”
“Something I would use every trip, I love packing cubes.”
Because those who receive the gifts are already frequent travelers – Platinum and Diamond level cruisers in Carnival’s Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program – the packing cubes are sure to be popular and a welcome addition to future cruise preparation.
Receiving Loyalty Gifts
Travelers must be either Platinum or Diamond guests in the VIFP program to receive the gifts. Carnival Cruise Line awards travelers one point for every day they have sailed with the cruise line.
The Platinum level of loyalty begins at 75 points, while Diamond status is only achieved at 200 points – the equivalent of more than 28 7-night sailings.
To collect their gifts, guests must visit the Pixels Photo Gallery onboard their cruise ship. A list of eligible passengers is available and checked to ensure no one claims more gifts than they have earned through the loyalty program.
In addition to the packing cubes, Platinum and Diamond guests are also given loyalty pins that feature new designs each year. These pins are customized with individual ship names, making them highly sought after as cruise memento collectibles.
The packing cubes are not the first time Carnival Cruise Line has offered practical gifts that travelers might use on future cruises.
In the past, loyalty gifts have included valet bags, duffle bags, and small tote bags, all of which have been received with varying levels of enthusiasm. Packing cubes in a different design were also offered several years ago.
Carnival changes the loyalty gift offering every few months as a “thank you” for frequent travelers. Other gifts in the past have included Tervis tumblers, blankets, journals, headphones, hats, can koozies, and much more.
Read Also: Loyalty Programs – Should You Stay Loyal to One Cruise Line?
Different gifts have been received with different levels of both gratitude and disdain. While no gift will appeal to every traveler, Heald encourages the gifts to be shared with non-Platinum or Diamond guests.
“I do hope that you enjoy them,” Heald said of the packing cubes. “If you don’t, well, hopefully somebody you give them to will.”
Some frequent cruisers will also give away the gifts not because they don’t enjoy them, but because they are able to cruise so often that they simply have collected many duplicate gifts.
They may then share the gifts with family members or friends, or even other cruisers onboard the ship – giving them a great souvenir and the ambition to join the upper levels of the VIFP club themselves.
