Carnival Cruisers Must Act Fast Or Lose Loyalty Status Under New Rewards Scheme

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Carnival Cruise Line has warned loyal passengers they must actively enrol in its upcoming Carnival Rewards programme or risk losing their existing VIFP Club status when the new system launches later this year.

Carnival Rewards

The cruise line confirmed that all current VIFP Club members will receive a personalised email with instructions on how to transfer their loyalty information before the new programme begins on 1st September 2026.

Guests who do not complete the enrolment process by 31st August 2026 may lose their current status level, past sailing history and associated benefits.

Carnival Loyalty Letter

Carnival said the requirement is linked to privacy regulations and that guests must personally complete the process themselves.

“Due to privacy laws, your client’s current status progress and benefits from the VIFP Club program will carry over only by opting in and enrolling in Carnival Rewards prior to when the new program launches,” the company explained in a message sent to travel advisors.

Each enrolment email is tied to an individual guest account and cannot be transferred or completed by another person. That includes travel advisors, who are not permitted to accept terms or enrol clients on their behalf.

Some Carnival guests have already started sharing warnings on social media after receiving the email notifications, encouraging other cruisers not to ignore the message.

One passenger posted online that the email is genuine and advised guests they can also sign into their Carnival account directly to complete the process without waiting for the message to arrive.

Carnival Firenze

New Loyalty Programme Continues To Divide Opinion

The enrolment issue is the latest complication surrounding Carnival Rewards, which has faced criticism since it was first announced in 2025.

The cruise line had already delayed the launch of the programme once, while many long-time Carnival cruisers have questioned the decision to move away from the current cruise day-based loyalty structure.

Under the existing VIFP Club programme, passengers earn status based on the total number of cruise days sailed with Carnival, with status levels lasting for life.

The new Carnival Rewards system will instead focus on passenger spending.

Guests will earn rewards through cruise fares, onboard purchases, shore excursions, spa treatments, speciality dining and casino play. Carnival is also linking the programme to a co-branded credit card, allowing members to earn rewards through everyday spending away from the ships.

How Carnival Rewards Will Work

Carnival Rewards will introduce two separate systems: points and status stars.

Points will act as a redeemable currency that guests can use towards future cruises, onboard spending and other travel-related purchases. Carnival said these points will carry a fixed redemption value.

Status stars will determine a passenger’s loyalty tier. Unlike the current VIFP structure, stars will be based on spending levels and will reset on a rolling two-year cycle.

Read more: Carnival Rewards Explained – Your Full Guide To Carnival’s New Loyalty Program

That change has become one of the biggest concerns among loyal Carnival passengers, particularly those who spent years building lifetime status under the existing programme.

The cruise line has not yet confirmed whether additional reminders will be sent before the enrolment deadline, but guests are being encouraged to complete the opt-in process well before the end of August.

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