In a brave attempt to placate a rapidly escalating public relations nightmare over the Carnival loyalty program, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy has penned a letter to millions of past and present guests, aiming to explain the controversial overhaul of the company’s “Very Important Fun Person” (VIFP) loyalty program.
However, what was intended as an olive branch appears to be pouring petrol on an already raging fire, as devoted cruisers react with renewed anger to the impending “Carnival Rewards” system, set to launch in June 2026.
As we reported on Friday, a recent poll suggested almost half of the line’s loyal fans were preparing to jump ship.
Duffy’s letter attributes the original program’s unsustainability to Carnival’s phenomenal growth. She acknowledges that with the help of loyal guests, the company has expanded its fleet, ship sizes, homeports, and annual guest count.
But this very success, she argues, has rendered the old “sailing frequency” model obsolete. Not to mention economically 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 states in her letter.
“Now, with Platinum-level guests (75+ nights) more than doubling and Diamond-level guests (200+ nights) more than tripling in the past three years, the sheer volume of elite members on any given sailing (over 1,200 on Excel-class ships) has made it “much more difficult to make everyone feel special.”
Yet, this candid explanation has so far failed to quell the indignation among a loyal fanbase who feel their decades of dedication are being unilaterally erased. The core of the anger stems from the elimination of “lifetime” loyalty status in favor of a spend-based, two-year tiered system.
Under the existing VIFP program, status levels were hard-earned and permanent, offering a tangible reward for years of dedicated cruising.
While the new program promises to preserve current statuses for two years (and six years for Diamond members) from its June 1, 2026, inception, the subsequent requirement to continuously spend to maintain that hard-won tier has been widely interpreted as a “re-buy your loyalty status every two years” arrangement.
This stark contrast to the previous lifetime benefits has left many long-time VIFP members feeling betrayed.
“It’s like they’re telling us our loyalty doesn’t matter unless we keep pouring money into their coffers, every two years, indefinitely,” lamented one long-time Platinum member on an online cruise forum, reflecting a sentiment echoed across social media.
I’ve sailed Carnival for decades, and now I feel like just another transaction.
This outpouring of frustration suggests Duffy’s intervention may have inadvertently reinforced cruisers’ fears rather than alleviating them.
The “Carnival Rewards” program will introduce a system where guests earn “stars” for booking cruises and all onboard spending, encompassing everything from drink packages to spa treatments and shore excursions. The program also integrates with a co-branded Carnival Rewards Mastercard, allowing guests to accrue points on non-cruise purchases.
While some acknowledge the logic of a spend-based system in principle, the perceived devaluation of past loyalty, coupled with the phasing out of traditional VIFP logo gifts, adds to the sense of a diminished loyalty experience.
Amidst Carnival’s escalating loyalty crisis, rival MSC Cruises has swiftly moved to capitalize on the widespread discontent. Through its “Status Match” program, MSC is actively encouraging disaffected Carnival cruisers to jump ship by promising to match their existing loyalty status in the MSC Voyager’s Club.
This aggressive recruitment strategy is being openly discussed and enthusiastically encouraged on various online forums, where former Carnival loyalists are now actively brainstorming their next cruise lines.
Over at Royal Caribbean, discussion on its cruise line forums focus on the fear that it won’t be long before this line follows Carnival’s lead.
While Christine Duffy’s letter emphasizes that the proposed changes are “not yet set in stone” and are merely “the start of a conversation,” the initial, furious reaction suggests Carnival has a monumental task ahead to repair its relationship with its most dedicated customer base.
The full impact of this loyalty program overhaul, and how many “Very Important Fun People” ultimately decide to take their business elsewhere, will undoubtedly unfold over the coming months and years.
For now, the sentiment among many Carnival fans is clear: they are furious, and rival cruise lines are waiting with open arms, ready to welcome them aboard.
In Australia, fans have been venting on Cruise Passenger’s Facebook page.
Leigh Cline wrote: “I was so excited to be almost platinum and was going to keep going for diamond. Now will find some other cruise line I guess very upset.”
And Darla McCay Evans said: ” I just don’t buy that it’s become too expensive to CCL due to the increased number of Platinum and Diamond cruisers. None of the perks were that costly to the company. I believe the driving force behind this decision is to make cruisers spend ridiculous amounts of money to maintain their status. In the end, I don’t think this will net them higher profits overall.”
Are you upset by the changes? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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I’d like to know why our p &o points were not added to our carnival points as promised and now this
Poor form carnival and sack mrs duffy
My biggest problems with the new loyalty platform is that being senior citizens we live on a limited budget. Also I feel that the people who spend a lot of time in the casino already have a big advantage in that you reward them with very cheap fares. As for using my CARNIVAL credit card I don’t use it unless it’s for CARNIVAL. I try not to have many bills so I can afford to cruise. My husband and I would love to go on more excursions but can’t because he is in a wheelchair. I feel you are not thinking about senior citizens who are a large number of your platinum and diamond guests who can’t afford to spend a lot of money just to keep our status. You to be going for young people.
Oh my. Just another rich corporation wanting to get richer. The CEO and board members don’t live in a real world where hard working people enjoy a few perks here and there. These people don’t cruise these lines. They have their own yachts and their friend’s yachts to travel in luxury. All they care about is making more money for themselves on the back of hard working people. Sounds like the America of today.
Absolutely I an upset. I am a Diamond cruiser with 400 VIFP points, 61 cruises and 7 more booked, but with that being said at my age I no longer need the excursions or spa treatments to enjoy my vacation or Carnivals credit card. I enjoy the relaxation and rest I get on the trip. I typically sail solo and book along with other family and friends. Having to SPEND what appears to be over $30,000 in two years to maintain my level as a diamond (which is it off my reach) I will likely give up this passion I love of cruising.
An open letter to Christine Duffy & all NO Longer VERY Important Fun People:
We’ve been cruising since 1979. We avoided all things Carnival, because it was known as the PARTY SHIP, with nothing but drunk, obnoxious, rowdy, rude, crude college kids. Carnival tried very hard to shake this reputation. We finally decided to try it in 1997, for our 20th wedding anniversary, on the original Ceiebration.
103 cruises & 698 days later, I think we decided we liked Carnival just as well as any other cruise line; except for Royal Caribbean; which went horribly downhill. Carnival proved to be just as friendly, just as comfortable, as well as tremendously less expensive than other cruise lines. Carnival proved to us that we WERE a family & treated us like family. The crew recognized us from previous cruises & treated us like royalty.
Then Christine Duffy, the Bean Counter, came along & things started to change. With every single cruise we went on – we lost another small perk, like chocolates on our pillows every night. Slowly, but surely, perks disappeared & we even had to start going to get them ourselves! The family was starting to unravel. As we became Diamond in 2014 – lots of the crew started seeing us as Burdens, Liabilities – forced smiles, phony treatment, etc. Logo gifts were simply enriching China – they meant nothing to Carnival & not very much to us cruisers. The the bean counter said “let’s cut the quality of the food!” No more decent steaks, no more sea bass, nothing but green beans for veggies.
For years, we saw this disaster with the Diamonds & Platinums coming – and it is 100% Carnival’s OWN fault! Who in their right mind would have ever spaced out the days cruised so Close Together? To jump from 75 days to 200 days to become a Diamond from Platinum? Carnival could not conceive of adding another category OR taking away perks from the Gold? Instead, Bean Countess decided to throw overboard the idea of LOYALTY altogether & replace it with $$$$, which is the ONLY thing thar matters to her anyway. WHY even bother to give the Diamonds 6 more years? WHY? So Carnival can continue to complain about us & NOT give us any more perks – while Mrs. Bean Counter takes yet EVEN MORE perks away, like inlimited laundry?
The only thing this whole scenario has done for me is RIP the tie that bound us to Carnival. We are FREE to pursue other cruise lines again as Carnival has declared us the BLACK SHEEP of the family & totally DISOWNED us. The family is NO MORE.
I have been cruising since 2005 and have a 119 points. I have two cruises planned for 2026 giving me a total of 142 days. Now I have to start over after 20 years and every 2 years start over. If this what we are looking at, I will jump ship and sail with another company. You don’t think companies would be chomping at the bit to have such loyal customers, think about it. I understand a need for change, however I truly believe that you are going at the wrong way. What is so bad to have so many loyal customers. Add new tiers, change the days to points giving more points suites and on board spending. Sailings with a high number of the top tiers can come with a warning.
I am a very loyal customer, but I will not start over every two years.
Yes, we are furious too. We spend 16years getting to platinum status. Yes, we missed cruising during cobid, and the years I want able to cruise due to being pregnant and going back to college, but all other years we cruised at least 2 x a yr. Last year we did 3 cruises. Our daughter who is 12 reaches platinum status in July 2025. She has wanted to be platinum for a long time, and she has mentioned being able to bring her future family on carnival cruise vacations and helping her family achieve platinum and diamond status. My daughter has mentioned joining the military, she actually said if I join the military and can’t cruise due to serving then I’ll lose my platinum card now, even after everything you and dad spent while I’ve been little for us to cruise and vacation together. She had mentioned how unfair it is to give cruisers a certain level and take it away. She also mentioned when she starts a family, a young couple with small children that she may not be able to cruise a lot and that she would never be able to get the diamond card she has wanted to achieve since she was younger.
No, the card isn’t the big deal. It’s the feeling of an accomplishment, a reward for all you’ve done to support a line that was helping your family to cruise and enjoy traveling together, and getting small tokens of appreciation for your “lifetime” of building status. Yes, the laundry perk is huge for us. Less luggage, we can pack in 2 smaller suitcases, less expense at the airport if we can pack less and travel with just carry ons. We love the priority boarding, we like feeling that our dedication to Carnival is noticed.
I think Carnival needs to reconsider this program. The claim to support military families, yet while the true US HEROS are serving and not able to travel with their families, or while deployed, they will also be stripped of their Carnival loyalty and status. Really Mrs Duffy? With your long military family service!
I think Carnival should be honored that guests have stood by their company and reached these status levels, but they are not. They are starting that due to loyal cruisers they have built a successful business and now they are ripping the carpet out from under the guests who helped to build a business to is current state. We have looked at other lines, just Suite to the feeling of betrayal from a brand we thought would be a generational cruise vacation brand for our family, and future family. I am not in favor of the new rewards which isn’t rewards, it’s a financial commitment on to of the financial struggles of vacation expense already. Not fair Carnival, NOT FAIR!
As a cruiser with over 360 days at sea, I’m glad to hear that other lines are matching. Because I personally will not be sailing with carnival any longer. The company and it’s new target audience are no longer in line with my vacation preferences. So now it’s off to MSC. The only way they will listen is if enough of us leave.
I only sailed will carnival and even though I am a solo cruzes I still pay for two ,and its hard to do that and still Cruz alone ,now your going to do this to a cruzes that is so committed to carnival and now carnival does this to me ,I’m a blue collar worker ,and plan my cruises,and so I will be looking for new adventures on another Cruze line and get tread as a VERY IMPORTANT CRUZER .
Carnival cruise line would not be the success it is today if not for us, the loyal fans. We pay more for less now and to boot we are losing our beloved loyalty program. We are tired of being treated as nothing to Carnival. The cheapening of our experiences, the fights and now this!
This new program could have knocked it out if the park, but they totally cheaped out…again. Additionally, I’m tired of Carnival crying about having too many loyal customers! Other lines would love to have the success and brand loyalty Carnival has enjoyed. It’s like when Coke tried to be Pepsi back in the day.
Other competitors like Royal are laughing at the stupidity and might overtake Carnival if they are not careful.
The trust has been broken, we love Carnival, but Carnival doesn’t value us! It’s time for some of us to sail over to a new line willing to appreciate us .
Boycott them until they bring back the original system… I had spent close to $100k over 18 cruises with them… I thought I was investing in a life long tier program and all it was was a bait and switch scheme!
Hi we have taken a lot cruises with a lot of companies and if they do this And take our loyalty away , which a lot of people have spent a lot time and money getting to where they are today. IF you got to say Platinum or Gold levels as they are the top levels on Carnival . Getting to Diamond is the top of the loyalty tree on Carnival you should be able to keep this for level for life , for most people to get to Diamond they have already spent a lot of money around the ships. Overall I don’t think they given you much to thought to there most frequent cruises .
As an added insult to Australian cruisers, the all important Carnival Credit card is only available to US cruisers, so no extra points there for Aussies.
Carnival should remember that loyalty and respect goes both ways.