A week after its initial announcement, the backlash continues against the new Carnival Rewards program, a spend-based system due to replace the current loyalty program from June 1, 2026.

Many flabbergasted cruise guests have wondered just how much thought was put into the design of the new program. It has been almost universally maligned by top tier travelers – the very guests who have shown the most loyalty to Carnival Cruise Line.

A small piece of intrigue has been found that may shed some light on the program’s development, though not the wisdom or popularity of the change.

Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, has run a very popular and helpful Facebook page for many years. Today, he has more than 620,000 followers and answers hundreds of guest questions, concerns, and comments every week.

Nearly six years ago, his page wasn’t quite as massive, but he still interacted with thousands of guests. One way he did so was via polls, asking sometimes silly and sometimes informative questions to gauge feedback and responses.

On September 1, 2019, he asked what has become a crucial question today:

“Moving forward do you think that the loyalty program should be based on the amount of money you spend on a cabin and the amount of money you spend on board?”

More than 23,300 votes were cast, with an overwhelming majority – 87%, or at least 20,200 – firmly voting NO.

The comments on the old poll were equally insightful and echo many of the sentiments similar to the recent Carnival Rewards program backlash.

“Someone that has cruised three times in a suite is NOT more loyal then someone who has cruised 20 times in an inside room,” one guest noted.

“Just because one person can afford to spend more on a cruise does not make them more loyal. Loyalty is coming back again and again, not spending more,” another explained.

Some guests even quickly noted the difference between “rewards” and “loyalty” as it applies to customer spending and their vacation choices.

“You can have a rewards program for the dollar amounts spent, to earn perks. But LOYALTY has nothing to do with what cabin one chooses. Loyalty is the fact that they chose Carnival, period,” one guest described, with more than 50 positive reactions.

The differences in personal budgets, family sizes, permitted time off work, accessibility to travel, and other factors were all discussed in various comments and reactions to Heald’s poll. Ultimately, the idea that spending should equal loyalty was not a popular one.

Does the Old Poll Mean Anything?

Heald often asks questions and posts polls to his followers that could be interpreted as market research or simply gauging reactions to different ideas.

Read Also: What We Don’t Know (Yet!) About the New Carnival Rewards Program

While this does not mean that Carnival Cruise Line has officially been developing the new spend-based program since 2019, it was at least a glimmer in someone’s eye that many years ago.

But let’s not forget that from March 2020 through June 2021, global events dramatically shifted the travel industry as well as cruise line profits. Loyal cruisers who kept coming back after the pandemic helped the cruise line recover, but that also meant fast growth in the loyalty program.

Heald has been hinting that the VIFP program needed overhauling for years, which is not a surprise to anyone who has lost benefits on popular sailings or missed out on a gift or pin because supplies have run low.

Time will tell just how the new program will officially be implemented or how it may impact Carnival Cruise Line and cruise travelers’ choices over the next few years.

Will Carnival still be a popular cruise line? Of course. But maybe just not with the same loyal cruisers.

Since announcing a revamped loyalty program on June 18, 2025, Carnival Cruise Line has been feeling the heat from angered and hurt cruisers.

The new program, which is supposed to go into effect on June 1, 2026, will transition to a points-based system that rewards guests for onboard spending as well as sailing.

While this may sound okay in theory, it eliminates the lifetime status for VIFP club members and sees loyalty tiers resetting every two years. Especially among long-time Carnival cruisers, the rage about losing their permanent status has been intense.

After a letter issued by Carnival President Christine Duffy on June 21, 2025, did little to assuage the negativity online, the cruise line has issued another letter to guests through Brand Ambassador John Heald.

The letter, which came from the “Beards,” began by emphasizing that the cruise line is listening to the feedback from the cruising community.

“We made the decision to share our plans well in advance of the launch to give everyone plenty of time to understand the benefits of the new program which will provide more flexibility and ways for you to earn greater rewards and recognition when you sail with us,” the letter begins.

“Please know we are reading your comments and taking in your feedback. To be clear, no changes will be implemented until June 1, 2026, nearly 12 months from now. We will be answering all your questions well in advance of the program launch,” it continues.

Somewhat curiously, the statement about no changes being made for the next year is a bit ambiguous.

It could confirm that the new program will not be implemented until that date, as has previously been announced, or that no changes to the new program will occur until the cruise line sees how it functions once implemented.

If the latter is the case, the statement contradicts a post from John Heald following the announcement, in which he wrote that the cruise line has “a year to look at it, possibly, maybe, fine tune it and change some things around.”

Clarifying Confusion Isn’t Helping

As with any new program or major change, there is a lot that is still unknown and rumors are running wild. But clarifying and reminding cruisers of the benefits of the revamped loyalty program seems to only be adding fuel to the fire right now.

For example, the family friendly brand clarified that all VIFP members retain their membership status until June of 2028 to help ease them through the transition, while elite Diamond members will maintain their status until June of 2032.

They also clarified that the co-branded Carnival Rewards Mastercard, which was also recently announced, is not required to earn points onboard.

However, signing up for the Mastercard does mean that cruisers can earn points through everyday spending ,even when they aren’t on vacation.

Read Also: Carnival Cruise Gift Cards: What You Need to Know

“We believe these changes will allow us to reduce the growth challenges of the current program, which today often result in us being unable to fulfill the current benefits on sailings with large numbers of VIFP Club top tier guests,” Carnival stated.

This references one of the previously announced reasons behind the change, which was that there are now too many elite VIFP members to reward them properly.

“Thank you for your continued loyalty as we work through this transition together. We recognize that this is a big change but believe that this new program will unlock greater opportunities and benefits to you, our valued guests,” the cruise line continued.

But judging by the comments section on Heald’s Facebook page, the letter has done little to soften the negative response. Of the over 4,000 people who responded to the post, the majority expressed that Carnival had lost their business.

The widespread talk of switching to other cruise lines using loyalty status matching programs has also persisted.

Additionally, there is now also a petition on Change.org to stop the new rewards program from coming to fruition. In just a few days, the petition has received more than 1,000 signatures.

Given the continued frustration, it will be interesting to see how Carnival responds next.

Currently undergoing dry dock refreshment in Europe, Carnival Liberty will not be returning to service as planned due to labor shortages and a shipyard change.

This means the ship’s first return sailing from New Orleans, originally scheduled to depart July 6, 2026, is now cancelled. Guests are being notified of the change just two weeks before they would have set sail.

The notification was emailed to guests on June 23, 2025, just 13 days before embarkation for the now-cancelled cruise. While the abrupt change is not the cruise line’s fault, it will certainly be a bummer for what would have been fantastic summer vacation plans.

“This past weekend, we were forced to move the vessel to a new shipyard to complete our work because of a labor work stoppage at the prior facility,” the email explained. “Regrettably, this situation will delay the ship’s departure from Europe by a few days, impacting its scheduled return to service.”

Carnival Liberty was originally in dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, but satellite tracking data shows the vessel en route to Marseille, France, where another shipyard facility will be able to complete the refurbishment work.

This means the July 6, 2025 cruise is now cancelled. That voyage was to have been a 7-night Bahamas itinerary from New Orleans, with stops at Key West, Freeport, and Nassau.

All booked guests will automatically receive full refunds for the cruise fare, port taxes, and any pre-paid add-ons, such as gratuities, internet connectivity, drink packages, and shore tours. Refunds will be processed back to the original form of payment.

The 110,400-gross ton, Conquest class Carnival Liberty was last refreshed in October 2021, when she received the now-iconic red, white, and blue hull livery and other general maintenance.

While the updates the ship is currently undergoing have not been revealed, it is common for hotel and public area upgrades and new venues to be added during extensive dry dock operations. Carnival Liberty may be slightly delayed to welcome guests again, but she will be fresh and looking like new when she does.

At this time, the ship’s July 13, 2025 departure – a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary visiting Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel – is on schedule and planned to move forward without changes.

Extra Compensation Offered

Because of the last-minute nature of the cancellation, Carnival Cruise Line is also providing guests with a 100% future cruise credit (FCC) in addition to the full refund. The credit is just for the cruise fare, but is a way to entice guests to rebook on another Carnival cruise vacation.

The FCC must be redeemed no later than June 30, 2026 but can be used on any departure open for sale. This means guests can rebook on any ship, not just Carnival Liberty, for any homeport, itinerary length, or sailing date.

The credit cannot, however, be used for a deposit or any onboard charges. If guests choose a new cruise with a higher price than the FCC, they must still pay the difference – as is standard with these types of offers.

Read Also: Carnival Ships by Size – Biggest to Smallest

In addition to the refund and the future cruise credit, Carnival Cruise Line will also reimburse guests up to $200 per person for non-refundable airfare or air change fees.

Supporting documentation must be provided for reimbursement consideration, which is not guaranteed depending on airline policies or travel insurance coverage.

While it is not commonplace for dry docks to be shifted and overrun planned schedules, it does happen. This can be a risk travelers take when they want to be on the first sailing after an update.

Just days after an irate guest scathingly chastised Carnival Cruise Line and the official brand ambassador, John Heald, over a simple bottle of water, the cruise line has adjusted how guests can claim that thirst-quencher.

Guests in the cruise line’s current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program can now choose to use one of their in-stateroom bottles of water as their complimentary bottle.

“If you are entitled to a complimentary bottle of water, you may take that from the cabin,” Heald confirmed. “You do not have to go to a bar to get that.”

The free water has been a benefit of the program for years for all returning loyalty levels – Red, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.

Years ago, the bottle of water was waiting in guests’ staterooms on embarkation day with a welcome note, a nice personal touch that many travelers appreciated.

After the pandemic, however, the policy changed and guests were required to claim their free bottle of water from one of the bars or restaurants onboard.

At first, this helped reduce the number of crew members going in and out of staterooms when it was necessary to minimize contact and reduce any potential interactions in case of disease transmission.

Having guests pick up the bottles themselves has also helped to minimize waste and reduce the workload on cabin attendants, and most guests don’t mind the process.

Recently, however, one decidedly frustrated Platinum-level guest raised a ruckus over a charge for the in-cabin bottle, even threatening to remove all crew members’ gratuities over the misunderstanding.

Heald did try to explain that the housekeeping and bar inventories are separate, though both departments use the bottles of water. Because the free bottle is part of the bar inventory, removing it from the stateroom would create a discrepancy in which department would bear the cost.

Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise

What has frustrated many guests, however, is the apparent lack of consistency in which bottle is which – free or charged.

Many guests shared their own experiences that they had, in fact, drunk the in-stateroom bottles without being charged. Some travelers suggested it was a simple matter just to let their steward know they were using the bottle as their freebie.

Others note that in suites, the complimentary bottles of water (a perk of booking that type of exclusive stateroom) are often provided in the room, which can even more confusion if guests try different cabin types.

Of course, guests can also purchase bottled water before setting sail, and it will be delivered to their stateroom.

The exact same 1.5-liter bottle (50.72 fluid ounces) is $5.31, including taxes and delivery charges, or guests can buy multi-packs of smaller bottles, larger bottle multi-packs, or gallons of distilled water for CPAP machines.

It should be noted that the complimentary bottle of water will remain one of the benefits of the new Carnival Rewards program launching from June 1, 2026, with all guests receiving the perk.

Carnival Cruise Line certainly shook up the cruise loyalty world with the announcement of their new Carnival Rewards program, set to replace the current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program from June 1, 2026.

While there are many things about the new program that confused, frustrated, and outright angry guests are focusing on, it is also important to note that there are quite a few things that haven’t yet been fully confirmed about the new program.

Who Earns the Points on One Booking?

One of the biggest questions guests have had so far is who earns what points on what cruise booking under Carnival Rewards.

Because the program will be tied to spending, how are those spending points divided among different people staying in the same stateroom?

For example, a married couple who takes a 7-night cruise together under the current VIFP program will both earn the full 7 points toward their existing loyalty status.

Under the new program, it is unclear if that same couple would both earn the full total of points – let’s say, a $3,000 cruise fare so 3,000 points – for that same sailing, or if it would be split as 1,500 points per person.

And what about a third or fourth guest in the same stateroom, such as a group of adult friends traveling together?

Furthermore, will it make a difference whose name is on the credit card for booking the reservation? If the couple does not have a joint Carnival Rewards Mastercard, would just one person earn all the points?

How Will Young Cruisers Earn Points or Status?

Similarly, many loyal Carnival cruisers have expressed confusion about whether or not their children, grandchildren, or other young cruisers will earn any status at all.

Because Carnival Rewards is spending-based, and children aren’t spending the money – the cards all being in adults’ names – will children earn any loyalty for their travels?

Travel can be a lifelong joy, and helping children and teens “earn” status so they can continue to travel with benefits in their adult years is something many parents and grandparents enjoy doing.

Under the current program, the onboard VIFP parties recognize the youngest Diamond level cruisers for a moment of fun. These are often toddlers or pre-teens who have already sailed 200+ days with the cruise line, and therefore would have that elite status for decades to come.

One of the biggest concerns with the VIFP program has been how top-heavy it is already in its upper tiers, making such lifetime awards for children – who haven’t paid the cruise fare or contributed to the spending-related rewards – unsustainable.

How Will Points Be Redeemed?

Carnival has emphasized that the new rewards program offers guests flexibility to redeem points for what they value most, whether that might be discounts on cruise fares, specialty restaurant reservations, spa treatments, merchandise, shore tours, and more.

There has not yet been any indication of exactly how points are to be redeemed, however. Earning points is fairly straightforward – 1 point for every $1 spent, or 3 points per $1 when using the Carnival Rewards Mastercard (some purchases are excluded).

But how many points will be necessary to enjoy a meal at the Chef’s Table, get that 50-minute hot stone massage, or pick up the latest tumbler or t-shirt in Fun Shops?

Those numbers have not yet been released, but can make a tremendous difference depending on their perceived value onboard. Using 500 points for a specialty dinner may not be too bad, but 5,000 could seem excessive.

Similarly, it has not been clarified whether or not any redeemed points are then taken away from the status “stars” that determine a guest’s overall loyalty level.

How Carnival Rewards Differs From the VIFP Program

Despite the unanswered questions that may take months to fully clarify, we do know that the new spend-based program is significantly different from the VIFP program.

Read Also: Carnival Ships by Size – Biggest to Smallest

For now, guests accrue points based on how many days they have sailed aboard Carnival cruises, and that is how their lifetime loyalty and their overall perks and benefits have been determined.

Carnival Rewards, however, is tied to ongoing spending, with status determined by overall financial commitment to the cruise line over a two-year period, with no lifetime status. Instead, guests must re-spend to re-earn their status level every two years.

Gone are certain perks, such as the onboard reunion parties on longer sailings as well as the often controversial VIFP Club gifts. Also gone are first-time-Diamond benefits such as a free specialty dining reservation and an exclusive luggage tag set.

With so much blowback in the days immediately following the new program’s reveal, it is highly likely that Carnival Cruise Line may re-evaluate its overall design.

Whether any changes are made before June 1, 2026, however, is yet one more thing we just don’t know yet.