CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE TO LAUNCH NEW LOYALTY PROGRAM IN 2026 DUBBED 'CARNIVAL REWARDS'™
A Cruise Industry First, the Program will Introduce a Points-Based System Featuring Personalized Perks and New Ways to Earn Status, Including Credit Card Spend
MIAMI, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line announced today it will launch its new loyalty program with a cruise industry first, adding new features, new ways to earn status, new reward categories and a new name: Carnival Rewards™. The new program will take effect in June 2026, providing guests plenty of time to learn about the changes while they continue to earn status in the current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP)™ program that will be their entry point into the new program.
Carnival Rewards is introducing a dual-earning structure where guests accumulate both Carnival Rewards points that can be redeemed on Carnival purchases and status qualifying stars that will determine a guest's tier status. Instead of focusing solely on the number of nights guests sail, which is the model Carnival currently follows under its VIFP program, Carnival Rewards will offer more opportunities to earn rewards and achieve higher status levels based on spend, including cruise fare and onboard activities. The new program will be closely tied to everyday spending on the co-branded credit card with Barclays – the Carnival Rewards Mastercard – giving cardmembers the opportunity to earn points and status even faster. More details on the credit card will be announced later.
"The evolution of our loyalty program to Carnival Rewards represents our commitment to creating more meaningful recognition for our valued guests. Our current VIFP program has served us well for many years and while we've enjoyed truly extraordinary growth in our loyal customer base, it has become challenging to deliver the exceptional experience our Diamond and Platinum members deserve," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "By introducing a points-based system, we're enabling greater flexibility so guests can personalize their rewards in ways that matter most to them. This transition honors our past while building a future where loyalty is recognized through both cruising frequency and overall engagement with the Carnival experience, bringing Carnival Rewards into the top tier of travel loyalty programs that provide our guests with ways to earn status and points through their everyday spending on the Carnival Rewards Mastercard."
Guests will earn Carnival Reward points as well as status qualifying stars on every eligible Carnival purchase, including cruise fares and onboard purchases. The dual structure gives guests more control over their rewards and status.
- Points can be redeemed for almost anything Carnival offers including onboard activities, spa treatments, specialty dining and even toward a future cruise.
- Stars introduce a new way to unlock higher status among four tiers: Red, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Status is earned over a two-year period and retained for the following two years.
As part of the transition to Carnival Rewards' launch on June 1, 2026, members' existing status will carry over and serve as a new entry point into the program for a two-year period through May 31, 2028. Diamond members will retain their status for a six-year period through May 31, 2032. This ensures that all current loyalty status is honored while giving members time to familiarize themselves with the enhanced rewards. Guests will continue earning VIFP status as usual until the new program launches. In addition, upon launch of the Carnival Rewards program, current cardmembers, as well as any new cardmembers between now and the launch of the updates, will have the balance of their Fun Points converted to Carnival Rewards points in their Carnival Rewards account.
To learn more about Carnival Rewards and explore what's to come, guests can visit carnivalrewards.com and current Carnival loyalty members will receive emails throughout the transition process ahead of the June 2026 conversion with the latest updates. Carnival will provide detailed information, tools to track status, point balances and tips to maximize rewards under the new system.
ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc ((NYSE/LSE: CCL, NYSE:CUK), is the first cruise line to sail over 100 million guests and is proud to be known as America's Cruise Line, for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S. homeports than any other. Since its founding in 1972, Carnival has continually revolutionized the cruise industry and popularized the cruise vacation as an affordable and fun travel option. Carnival operates from 13 U.S. and two Australian homeports, as well as seasonally from Europe and employs more than 50,000 team members representing 120 nationalities.
Carnival's fleet of 29 ships reflects an exciting period of growth that continues with the addition of five ships through 2033: a fourth and fifth Excel class ship scheduled for 2027 and 2028 respectively; followed by three additional new ships from an innovative new class currently under development. Carnival's next new guest offering will be the all-new exclusive destination, Celebration Key, set to debut on Grand Bahama this summer.
ABOUT BARCLAYS US CONSUMER BANK
Barclays US Consumer Bank is a leading co-branded credit card issuer and financial services partner in the United States that creates highly customized programs to drive customer loyalty and engagement for some of the country's most successful travel, entertainment, retail and affinity institutions. The bank offers co-branded, small business and private label credit cards, installment loans, online savings accounts and CDs. For more information, please visit http://www.BarclaysUS.com.
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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line