Key Aspects:
- Carnival’s recent adjustment to the upcoming new Rewards program has Diamond guests happy, but Platinum guests furious.
- Carnival Cruise Line has not yet revealed all the program’s benefits or how it will work to redeem stars for onboard spending and perks.
- The short for guests to get to Diamond, and the fact that earning Diamond status after the program begins will not be a lifetime benefit, are some sticking points.
The terms “rewards” and “loyalty” are hot topics among cruisers when different lines are fighting to entice repeat passengers to set sail over and over. But has Carnival Cruise Line done enough to keep the interest of some of their most loyal guests?
While Carnival did recently announce several “fixes” to the upcoming Carnival Rewards program, those fixes are not mollifying as many guests as Carnival may have hoped.
Diamond guests, those who have accrued at least 200 days with the cruise line under the current VIFP program, are much appeased now that their loyalty status will remain a lifetime benefit.
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It is the Platinum guests, however, who are still furious over what seems to be a very weak and lackluster boost added to their status.
“After years of loyalty and finally making Platinum on my last cruise, it felt like a slap in the face,” one guest recently commented to John Heald. “With the announcement that Diamond will now have lifetime status but Platinum will not, it felt like a double slap in the face.”
Carnival Cruise Line has claimed that there are simply too many Platinum guests for everyone to be grandfathered into the new program for life.
Instead, the cruise line is offering a 10,000 “star” benefit that will automatically place those guests at the Gold level. This will provide the perks of one free bottle of water and one free drink, but guests must still earn 40,000 additional stars every two years to regain their Platinum status.
Of course, that free drink is only on cruises five nights or longer, not on 3- or 4-night sailings. Would the cruise line really be out that much for just a free drink?
As a note, everyone who is a member of Carnival Rewards gets the one free bottle of water, so it isn’t really a Gold-level benefit either. Red members get it as soon as they sign up, even with zero stars or never having sailed on a Carnival ship before.
“It’s Great for Diamond people, but for we Platinum people who have worked years to achieve our status, it sure isn’t great,” another guest commented about the newly announced revisions.
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One frustration Platinum guests are having as they seek answers is that Heald simply doesn’t have any, or he cannot reveal what he does know.
“You’ll have more about this coming soon,” “Unfortunately at the moment I can’t share that information,” and “Much more to come” are just a few phrases Heald has used to respond to questions and comments.
“We have yet to unlock all the different things that the rewards program will be,” he confirmed. “When we do relate the rest of the information on how the rewards program will work I think you will see how it will help you and also unlock other benefits for you as well.”
If Carnival Cruise Line had indeed already revealed the program in its entirety, perhaps there would be less confusion and frustration.
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As it stands, the new program feels incomplete, with some guidelines not yet finalized. At the same time, guests are being asked to trust and believe they will have the same great time onboard that they have always had.
While this may be true, one thing Carnival Cruise Line could be forgetting is just how many years Platinum guests have sailed with the cruise line, and what has already changed.
Do we remember the fun? Certainly. Do we remember the friendly crew? Those smiles and greetings are a big part of any cruise vacation.
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But Platinum guests who have been sailing with Carnival for years, even decades (as a Platinum guest, I have been with Carnival for more than 22 years), also remember other things.
We remember twice-daily stateroom service, Midnight Gala Buffets, chocolates on the pillow, the Hairy Chest Contest, skeet shooting, tablecloths in the Main Dining Room, and other things that have long since ended.
Change is inevitable, and that isn’t the problem most guests are having. But when change disregards the many years a guest has chosen Carnival for their vacation fun, how loyal is the cruise line to their guests in return?
