Carnival Pushes Back Launch of New Loyalty Rewards Program

The wait isn’t quite over yet for the new Carnival Rewards program, as Carnival Cruise Line announced today that the start date of the program will now be September 1, 2026, rather than June 1, 2026 as previously planned.

While the program is still changing over to the new model, this does give loyal Carnival guests more time to up their status before the program begins.

“To give you extra time — and to let your Summer 2026 cruises count toward your final VIFP Club® status — we are moving the launch of Carnival Rewards to September 1, 2026,” an email sent to Carnival guests confirmed.

“All your cruise activity through August 31, 2026 will count toward your final VIFP status, which will become your starting status in Carnival Rewards.”

Many cruisers who have found themselves close to the next loyalty level have sought to “chase” that upgrade before the new program begins. This has been particularly true for high-level Platinum VIFP guests who are close to the Diamond tier.

That coveted Diamond tier will be the only lifetime status once the new program begins, a concession the cruise line announced in mid-September, two months after the program was first revealed.

With the extra time during the busy summer months to gain loyalty in the older VIFP program, more cruisers may be able to advance to the Diamond level before September 1.

In recent months, Carnival Cruise Line has been offering special bonuses on select sailings where travelers can earn twice or even three times the VIFP points, helping them raise their status even more quickly. It is possible that those offers will continue through the summer months to entice more guests to chase the next tier.

Two-Year Reward Cycle Confirmed

With the announcement of pushing back the start of the Carnival Rewards program, some new details have also been revealed.

The “status earning” period will be a two-year cycle, from January 1 through December 31. The very first status-earning period, however, will actually begin on August 31, 2026, and will continue through December 31, 2028.

In those 28 months, guests will be accruing status that will determine their loyalty level for the next period (January 1, 2029, through December 31, 2031).

Carnival guests will earn “stars” that count toward status based on their spending as follows:

• 3 stars for every $1 spent on Carnival cruise fare
• 3 stars for every $1 spent on onboard purchases during a Carnival cruise
• 1 star for every casino point earned

If guests use the Carnival Rewards Mastercard, they will earn a 4 stars (instead of 3) for cruise fare and onboard purchases, though there is no change in casino point earnings.

Every two years, the total number of stars a guest has earned will determine their loyalty status for the next two-year cycle. Gold loyalty starts at 10,000 stars; Platinum at 50,000 stars, and Diamond at 100,000 stars.

Each level has different perks such as complimentary drinks, collectible pins, free wash and fold laundry, and priority boarding and debarkation.

Read Also: Which Cruise Lines Match Loyalty Programs?

The key difference between the Carnival Rewards program and the VIFP program is that one’s loyalty status must be re-earned with more stars every two years.

The exception is for Diamond-level guests, who will retain that status for life (hence the “chasing Diamond” frenzy in the months leading up to the changeover).

Use Points to Purchase Rewards

In addition to earning loyalty-status stars, Carnival guests will simultaneously earn “points” with every purchase in the same manner:

• 3 points per $1 spent on cruise fare and onboard purchases
• 1 point per casino point
• Extra points when using the Carnival Rewards Mastercard on everyday purchases, including grocery stores, restaurants, etc.

Those points can then be redeemed for onboard rewards, such as drinks, specialty dining, spa treatments, photos, and shore excursions.

Carnival Cruise Line has not yet provided a complete list of what rewards cost how many points, but they have noted that 100 points will be worth roughly $1 in value. Those values, however, will vary based on demand.

While a guest’s loyalty stars will expire and must be re-earned every two years, the reward points will never expire if guests either earn or redeem points at least once every three years.

This would permit guests to slowly accrue a great number of points – regardless of their star status – and redeem them for a fabulous vacation, no matter what their loyalty level.