Is Carnival Cruise Line trying to put a positive spin on what has quickly become a public relations nightmare? A new letter from the line’s president, Christine Duffy, is offering great explanations but little further details for frustrated cruisers.

The letter has been sent to past and present Carnival guests (with millions of travelers, it is taking time to reach everyone), and offers detailed insights into the need for the program to change.

Duffy does, however, acknowledge what Carnival Cruise Line has to thank its loyal guests for over the years.

“With your help, our company has grown in many ways: the number of ships in our fleet, the size of our ships, the number of homeports and the number of guests who sail with us each year,” she said.

It is exactly that success and growth, however, that has made the current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program unsustainable.

“It was designed in a simpler time when status was based on the number of days spent on our ships. In a smaller, growing company with a modest customer base, that kind of program works,” Duffy acknowledged.

“But as The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line, the current program does not allow us to deliver the recognition to guests based only on sailing frequency.”

She goes on to note that in the past three years, the number of Platinum-level guests who have sailed with Carnival for at least 75 nights has more than doubled. The number of Diamond-level guests – 200+ nights – has more than tripled.

Put into the context of an individual cruise, Duffy explains that on the Excel-class ships (Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee), more than 1,200 guests are typically at those higher levels on every sailing.

“When so many guests have elite status, it is much more difficult to make everyone feel special. These realities will only continue to erode the recognition and rewards of the current VIFP Club program, and we feel that change is necessary in order to better recognize our guests and give them more choice in how they are rewarded,” she admitted.

Just days ago, Carnival Cruise Line announced the upcoming Carnival Rewards program, a points-based system where guests will earn different status levels based on spending.

Points are automatically earned through booking a cruise and the resulting onboard spending, including drink packages, spa treatments, shore tours, etc.

The program is also partnered with the Carnival Rewards Mastercard co-branded with Barclays, giving guests the opportunity to earn points for any non-cruise purchases on the card.

What Is Making Guests Mad

It isn’t the fact that the overall program needs to change that is upsetting thousands of those formerly very loyal Carnival guests, however.

In fact, a spend-based rewards system makes good sense. It will indeed offer multiple ways for travelers to not only increase their rewards, but customize how they redeem those rewards – though the exact details of that redemption have not yet been released.

Even some of the things being taken away aren’t so upsetting to many guests. For example, the VIFP logo gifts are being phased out, but let’s be honest – many of them, such as the drink koozies and the baseball cap – have been less-than-well received in the past anyway.

What is frustrating to many travelers is the apparent loss of loyalty after the initial transition period. While a guest’s status will be preserved for two years (six years in the case of Diamond level) once the new program begins from June 1, 2026, guests must then continue to spend in order to maintain that status level.

Read Also: Carnival Loyalty Overhaul Leaves Longtime Guests Feeling Abandoned

Duffy’s letter does have one new interesting twist, but no explanation about what it may mean:

“As long as there is activity within a three-year period, points will not expire, so guests can also choose to accumulate their points over time and save them for more valuable rewards,” the letter reads.

The cruise line has, however, already noted that “points” and “stars” are different. Points are what guests will earn through their spending and can apparently be redeemed for rewards at their discretion. “Stars” are also earned through spending and determine one’s status level.

While points may not expire, will stars expire? That is the question as yet unanswered. A guest’s status appears to be determined by stars and comes with a variety of benefits, but the spend-based system seems to be a “re-buy your loyalty status every two years” arrangement.

Duffy emphasizes that the recent announcement of the upcoming changes is not yet set in stone, but rather is “the start of a conversation about the changes ahead.” It is possible that with feedback and examination of guests’ reactions, further changes may be made before the new Carnival Rewards program begins.

There are certainly a lot of harsh feelings, reactionary feedback, and choice words being leveled at Carnival Cruise Line over the past few days. Just what impact this new announcement or any subsequent changes may have will undoubtedly take quite some time to unfold.

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.