‘Carnival Rewards’ the controversial new loyalty program, is now live – here’s everything you need to know

• As of September 1, Carnival’s VIFP loyalty program will end and Carnival Rewards will take over.
• You can already log-in on Carnival’s website and check your Carnival Rewards status online.
• The new program has brought a lot of confusion to cruisers, so here’s everything you need to know.

Carnival Rewards, the controversial new loyalty program, comes into effect on September 1, and its website is already live. Guests can already log in to the new Carnival Rewards website and see their new status. 

Carnival’s previous system of lifetime loyalty status is being replaced by a rolling two-year window where guests can accumulate points through cruise fares and onboard purchases, which then earn perks and can be spent on things like shore excursions, spa treatments, cocktails and more.

The program has been controversial among passengers since it was first announced, mostly because many Carnival cruisers found out that they’d be removed from their loyalty status. Since its initial announcement, Carnival has made some significant tweaks that have cleared up some concerns, but also created more confusion along the way.

To alleviate this confusion, here’s everything you need to know about the new program.

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What are the basics I need to know about the new Carnival loyalty program? 

• Guests can now earn points and stars on Carnival purchases. This includes cruise fares, spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks packages, photo packages, wi-fi, and more. 
• Points and stars are both earned at a rate of three Carnival rewards points for every $1 spent on Carnival purchase, or $1 for every one casino point earned.
• Points are able to be spent on redeeming purchases. This page shows examples of what purchases are worth how many points. For example, a Steak dinner is 5500 points, a Swedish massage is 13,499 points and an island bike tour is 2400 points.
• Stars determine your status. However many stars you have determines your level of status. Red is the automatic tier, gold tier starts from 10,000 stars, platinum starts from 50,000 stars and diamond starts from 100,000. Perks include more traditional loyalty perks like priority embarkation, preferred dining times, included laundry service and so on.The full list of perks at each tier can be found below. 
• Stars expire every two years, points do not. Stars are earned in two-year cycles, set by Carnival, and after this two-year window, they reset. Points remain active, however, they reset to zero if you have three years of inactivity with Carnival. 
• During the qualifying period, you earn your next status. Once you earn a new status level, you get that status for the rest of your current two-year window, as well as the next two-year qualifying window. For example, if you earn platinum status after a year-and-a-half, you get the perks for the next six months, and the next two years after that. Then your status resets to whatever you earned in those two years.

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Will your current status transfer over to the new program?

• Depending on your current loyalty tier under Carnival’s VIFP program, you may have some benefits under the new program. This is provided that you have opted into the new loyalty program.
• If you are currently Diamond – you will maintain lifetime status as a Diamond member.
• If you are currently Platinum, you will have Platinum status under December 31, 2028, and 10,000 stars at the start of each new two-year window forever. 
• If you are currently gold status, you will lose your status. 

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What are the Carnival Milestones?

• Running alongside the new rewards program is a reworked version of Carnival Milestones. Under the new system, milestones of how many days you’ve sailed in total with Carnival will earn you points.
• Under the new system, guests will receive 5000 Carnival Rewards points after 50 days of sailing, and then after 100 days, guests will receive 10,000 rewards points and onboard credit. From there on, guests get another 10,000 rewards points and onboard credit each 100 days.
• Other perks include a special sail and sign card, a commemorative coin and a special keepsake and gift after 500 days. 
• Previous sailing days will be carried over only if you opted into Carnival Rewards.

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What about Carnival pins?

• Carnival has answered this in their FAQ.
• “The Carnival Rewards program will have the Platinum/Diamond ship-specific pin. Although the VIFP Club gift and gold pin are no longer part of Carnival Rewards, there will be plenty of Carnival-branded items on board for sale that guests can use their points to purchase. In addition, as part of the Carnival Rewards program, we launched a new Milestone program, recognizing guests for number of days sailed instead of cruises taken.”

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What should I know about Carnival’s new Mastercard?

• Carnival has a new Mastercard, which can be used to earn points considerably faster, however, it is not available to Australians. It is only available for US Citizens.
• American citizens will be able to earn reward points through making regular purchases on their Carnival-branded Mastercard.

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How do I keep track of my status?

• You can log-in and view your status on Carnival’s official websites.
• New purchases will show up as points about 14-days after they are made.
• You can also use the Carnival HubApp to monitor your status and redeem points.