Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line’s new Carnival Rewards program begins Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
- Guests need to be aware of stars, points, and milestone rewards as they move forward with the new spend-based program.
- Glitches have been reported in the days before the new program launches following a planned website outage.
Carnival Cruise Line’s new Carnival Rewards program is scheduled to begin Tuesday, September 1, 2026. This major loyalty revamp has been controversial since it was first announced in June 2025, and new details and updates have continued to be introduced. Originally, the program was to begin on June 1, 2026, but was delayed to September 1 as details were ironed out.
Guests have through Monday, August 31, 2026 to opt-in to the new program. If they choose not to do so, their loyalty and days sailed will not carry over from the VIFP program to the Carnival Rewards program.
Now that the program is about to begin, what should Carnival Cruise Line fans expect? Cruise Hive has followed the program and its details from the beginning.
Status Under Carnival Rewards
The biggest change in the new Carnival Rewards program compared to the Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program is that guests will no longer earn lifetime loyalty based on number of days sailed with Carnival Cruise Line. Instead, guests will earn status through spend-based “stars” when making eligible Carnival purchases.
Those stars will expire every two years, and guests will need to re-earn their status. The exception is for guests who have Diamond-level VIFP status, which the cruise line announced in September 2025 would remain as a lifetime status in Carnival Rewards.
Whatever VIFP status guests have earned by August 31, 2026 will be their Carnival Rewards status through December 2028, the first “earning period” in the new program. In January 2029, their status will be updated to whatever they have earned by that time.
Guests who are Platinum in Carnival Rewards will receive an automatic 10,000 stars boost so they begin the next earning period as Gold rather than Red (the lowest level).
It is unclear whether that boost will apply in perpetuity for legacy Platinum guests or only if guests successfully re-earn that status after December 2028.
Benefits With Carnival Rewards Status
Guests at every Carnival Rewards level receive benefits. All guests receive one complimentary 1.5L bottle of water, while Gold-level guests will receive one complimentary beverage on cruises of 5 days and longer.
Platinum-level guests will receive two complimentary beverages, limited complimentary wash-and-fold laundry services, and select priority and preferred access to online check-in, embarkation, debarkation, and onboard services, including dining times.
Diamond remains the program’s highest level and those guests receive additional (though no longer unlimited) wash-and-fold laundry and guaranteed main dining time selections, as well as retail concierge services and a special event invitation from the Captain.
Platinum and Diamond guests will also receive an exclusive, ship-specific and dated collectible pin for every sailing. These pins have been a popular feature of the VIFP program and many long-time guests wear them on vests, hats, or bags to showcase their cruise history.
What will not be continuing with the Carnival Rewards program are the Platinum and Diamond VIFP parties onboard select sailings, VIFP-branded loyalty gifts, welcome treats, free stateroom upgrades, and several other benefits.
Earning and Redeeming Points
Guests will also earn points for all Carnival-based purchases and when using the Carnival Rewards Mastercard, if they have qualified for one. Those points can then be redeemed for onboard perks or even used during booking, such as applying them toward a deposit or a cruise fare payment.
Shore excursions, spa treatments, drink packages, specialty dining, and onboard shopping can all use redeemed points. This lets guests choose exactly what benefits they want to enjoy from the points they have earned.
There is no minimum number of points necessary to begin redemption, which makes the program even more flexible regardless of how often a guest sails with Carnival Cruise Line.
Milestone Rewards Continue
On July 1, 2026, just two months before the program’s launch, Carnival Cruise Line confirmed that milestones will now be tied to the number of days guests have sailed.
Previously, milestones were based on the overall number of cruises a guest sailed, regardless of cruise length.
From September 1, guests will receive milestone recognition when they reach 50, 100, and every 100 days thereafter sailed with Carnival Cruise Line.
That recognition includes a points bonus, special commemorative coin, onboard credit, and other benefits depending on the milestone level achieved.
The cruise discount, onboard credit, and free cruise associated with milestones under the VIFP program have been discontinued.
Glitches Reported Ahead of Launch
As the last few days to opt-in to the Carnival Rewards program have passed, multiple guests have reported problems with the system and inconsistent details when comparing their previous VIFP status and their new stars and points under Carnival Rewards.
Carnival Cruise Line’s website, including the Carnival Rewards website, had a planned 18-hour outage from 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 29 through 12 p.m. on Sunday, August 30.
Updates and maintenance to the system may have contributed to the glitches guests are now seeing, though hopefully those issues will quickly be resolved as the new program launches.
