And while Carnival Rewards brings some things that we think are genuinely interesting, it also changes one of the things many longtime Carnival cruisers have valued most: knowing that the status you worked to earn would stay with you. For us, that's a pretty big deal.
We're currently Carnival Gold, and under the old VIFP system, we were only 10 days away from reaching Platinum. Now those 10 days don't carry the same meaning they once did and because we live a long way from the cruise ports, that's frustrating.
The biggest difference between VIFP and Carnival Rewards is how you earn status.
VIFP was primarily based on cruise days. Carnival Rewards moves toward a system based on spending. Instead of accumulating cruise days, you'll earn Status Qualifying Stars through eligible spending with Carnival. Those stars determine whether you're Red, Gold, Platinum or Diamond. At the same time, you'll earn Carnival Rewards Points, which can eventually be used toward Carnival purchases.
So there are really two different things to keep track of:
Rewards Points = something you can spend.
Status Qualifying Stars = what helps determine your status.
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Carnival says the new program is designed around the way many other travel loyalty programs work, where spending plays a bigger role in determining rewards and status. Carnival has also said that the change is intended to address the growing number of Platinum and Diamond guests and the difficulty of providing certain benefits when so many passengers have top-tier status.
But what happens to your current status is probably the biggest question Carnival cruisers have. The good news is that your current status isn't simply disappearing on September 1. Carnival has established transition rules.
Diamond
If you earned VIFP Diamond status by August 31, 2026, Carnival will make that lifetime Diamond status under Carnival Rewards.
That's a pretty significant concession from Carnival following the response to the original announcement.
Platinum
If you're Platinum on August 31, 2026, you'll keep Platinum status through December 31, 2028.
Carnival is also giving existing Platinum members a 10,000 Status Qualifying Star boost at the beginning of each new two-year earning cycle. That gives those guests a significant head start toward maintaining Platinum or reaching Diamond.
Gold and Everyone Else
For the rest of us, current status will carry over through December 31, 2028, assuming we enroll in Carnival Rewards. That means our Gold status doesn't disappear September 1. But it also isn't necessarily ours forever.
The first Carnival Rewards status-earning period runs from September 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. After that, the program moves into fixed two-year earning periods. The status you earn during one period determines the status you'll enjoy during the following two-year period.
And that's where things get interesting for us. We're Gold with Carnival, and we were only 10 days away from Platinum under the old system. Those 10 days represented actual time spent cruising with Carnival. Under VIFP, if we eventually got those 10 days, we'd have Platinum. (we would reach that after our Mardi Gras cruise net year) We didn't have to spend a certain amount of money onboard or put our everyday purchases on a credit card. We simply had to cruise.
But there's a catch for us that isn't necessarily a problem for everyone else. We don't live close to a cruise port.
Getting on a cruise isn't as simple as driving a couple of hours to the terminal. It can mean airfare, hotels, transportation, extra time off work and all of the other expenses that come with getting to the ship. We would love to cruise more often. We just can't realistically cruise as often as someone who lives within driving distance of several major cruise ports. That's one reason the change bothers us.
The old VIFP system rewarded us for the nights we actually spent on Carnival ships. The new system puts much more emphasis on how much we're spending with Carnival. And that can make a big difference for people who cruise less frequently because of where they live rather than because they don't enjoy cruising.
Does This Mean We're Done With Carnival? Absolutely not. In fact, we just booked another Carnival cruise. We're sailing on Carnival Horizon in January and Carnival Mardi Gras in Aug of 2027, and we're looking forward to it.
We still enjoy Carnival. We still like Carnival's ships, and we're still going to cruise with them, but Carnival Rewards does change the calculation for us when we're deciding which cruise line to sail with.
That's probably the most honest way we can put it. Before, our VIFP status was something we could continue building every time we sailed Carnival. Now, the value of that loyalty has to be considered alongside what other cruise lines offer us. We are platinum with Royal Caribbean and Gold with MSC.
If we're choosing between two similar cruises, loyalty status and the rewards we can earn may now play a bigger role in our decision. We're not saying we'll never sail Carnival again. We're saying that Carnival Rewards is now one more factor we have to consider. And we suspect we're not the only cruisers who will look at it that way.
How Do Carnival Rewards Points Work? This is the part of the new program that could actually be a positive for many cruisers. Instead of your spending simply helping you move toward the next VIFP level, eligible spending can earn Rewards Points that you can actually use. Carnival says points can be used toward many Carnival purchases, including cruise fares and onboard experiences.
Eligible spending can include things such as:
- Cruise fares
- Gratuities
- Transfers
- Carnival Vacation Protection
- Eligible pre-cruise purchases
- Eligible onboard purchases
There are exclusions, including certain taxes and fees, Fly2Fun airfare and some other charges. Carnival also says some fare types are excluded.
And your points don't simply disappear after a few months. Carnival says Rewards Points remain active as long as there is qualifying activity at least once every three years. That means someone who doesn't cruise frequently could still get some value from the money they're already spending with Carnival.
The other major way to earn is through the Carnival Rewards Mastercard. Credit-card activity can earn both Rewards Points and Status Qualifying Stars. For some people, that could make a significant difference in how quickly they earn status. For us, though, there's a little less excitement there.
We're just not credit-card people. We are debt free people. We're not going to start putting every purchase we make on a credit card simply to chase Carnival status.
That doesn't mean the card isn't a good option for someone who uses credit cards responsibly and pays the balance off every month. It just isn't how we choose to manage our spending and that's another reason the new system feels different to us.
Can You Still Earn Status Without a Credit Card? Yes. You don't have to have the Carnival Mastercard to participate in Carnival Rewards. You can earn Rewards Points and Status Qualifying Stars through eligible Carnival spending. That includes eligible cruise purchases, onboard spending and other qualifying purchases. So if you're already spending money with Carnival, that spending can now work toward both rewards and status. The important thing to remember is that you don't need a credit card to participate.
What Should Carnival Cruisers Do Before September 1? If you're currently a VIFP member, there are a few things worth doing.
1. Check your current VIFP status
Know where you stand before the transition.
If you're close to reaching another VIFP level before August 31, 2026, that could still matter.
Carnival says guests continue earning under the old VIFP system through the August 31 transition.
2. Opt into Carnival Rewards
Carnival says guests need to opt into the new program by accepting its terms and conditions.
That's particularly important if you want your existing VIFP status carried into Carnival Rewards.
3. Look at your upcoming cruises
If you already have a Carnival cruise booked, don't assume it won't count because you booked it before September 1.
Carnival says eligible spending connected to sailings that end on or after the launch date can earn Carnival Rewards Points and Status Qualifying Stars once the sailing is completed.
4. Learn the difference between points and stars
This one is easy to overlook.
Points are what you can spend. Stars are what help determine your status.
Don't assume that having a large Rewards Points balance automatically means you've reached a higher status level.
They're two separate parts of the program.
So, Is Carnival Rewards Better or Worse Than VIFP? Honestly, we don't think there's a simple answer. For some cruisers, Carnival Rewards could be better.
If you spend a lot with Carnival, you can now earn rewards from that spending. And those points can eventually help pay for things you were going to buy anyway. For frequent Carnival cruisers, the new system may also provide plenty of opportunities to maintain or increase status.
But for people who earned their status primarily by spending a lot of nights on Carnival ships rather than spending large amounts of money, it's a very different system. And for cruisers who live far from the ports, that difference can be especially noticeable.
For us, VIFP was about loyalty measured in days. Carnival Rewards is loyalty measured much more by spending. That's a pretty significant change.
Despite our frustration, we're not walking away from Carnival. We're excited about our upcoming cruises and will continue to enjoy Carnival.
But we're also going to pay more attention to loyalty programs when deciding where our next cruise should be. And that's something Carnival should probably understand about this change.
Loyalty isn't just about how many dollars a passenger spends. Sometimes it's about the fact that they chose your cruise line again and again, even when it wasn't necessarily the easiest or cheapest option.
Carnival Rewards officially begins September 1, 2026. and whether you think it's an improvement, a downgrade, or simply a different way of doing things, it's worth understanding how it works before you step aboard your next Carnival cruise.
We are Tim & Lori and are known as "The Cruising Together Couple"
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