Carnival Cruise Line’s loyalty program just underwent a huge overhaul: a different name, new ways of earning and redeeming rewards, and big changes to its branded credit card. The Very Important Fun Person Club, or VIFP Club for short, will now be called Carnival Rewards, and the Carnival World Mastercard is now the Carnival Rewards Mastercard.
As of Sept. 1, 2026, members of the new (and not as fun sounding) program now earn points based on how much they spend, rather than how many days they sail. The change makes Carnival one of the first major cruise lines to shift to a revenue-based loyalty program, similar to airlines and hotel rewards.
And the similarities don’t stop there. Carnival Rewards ends lifetime elite status for cruisers, and instead requires frequent cruisers to re-qualify every two years. The old metric, the lifetime number of days sailed, is now only used to reward customers with “Milestone Rewards,” which will sound familiar to anyone pursuing elite status with an airline or hotel.
On the bright side, Carnival Rewards points can now be redeemed for cruise fares, spa treatments, excursions and other onboard benefits. That might be easier for less frequent Carnival travelers to save on their next cruise.
Here’s what to know about the new Carnival Rewards program:
Earn Carnival Rewards points and stars on cruise spending
One of the biggest shifts to the Carnival loyalty program is that members will now earn two types of rewards: points that can be redeemed toward future Carnival travel or benefits and stars that help members qualify for elite status.
The rewards rates are:
- 3 Points and 3 Stars for every $1 they spend on eligible Carnival purchases, including cruise fares, gratuities, onboard activities, shore excursions, specialty dining and onboard spending.
- 1 Point for every 1 Casino Point guests have at the end of a cruise.
- 1 Star for every Casino Point earned (even if already redeemed onboard).
Some notable exclusions on “eligible Carnival purchases” include taxes and fees for any purchase, casino charges, medical services, charter cruises and purchases made using Carnival points or onboard credits not funded by a guest’s spending.
Carnival Rewards Mastercard holders can earn additional points:
- Up to 6x points (3x points from the card, plus up to 3x points through Carnival Rewards) on eligible Carnival purchases.
- 2x points on eligible restaurant and grocery store purchases.
- 1x point on everything else.
- 1 Status Qualifying Star on all purchases.
Carnival Rewards points will expire after three years of inactivity, and stars expire at the end of each Status Qualifying Window. More on that below.
Mark your calendar for elite status periods
Since Carnival Rewards got rid of lifetime status, most members who frequently travel with Carnival will have to start tracking when they spend and cruise more frequently if they want to qualify.
Frequent cruisers will also no longer earn elite status for life. Under the new program, travelers will earn stars toward elite status based on how much they spend in a two-year Status Qualifying Window. Based on how many stars they earn during that period, they’ll receive their elite status benefits for the next two-year “Status Enjoyment Period.”
The first window to achieve status will be from Sept. 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. After that, the earnings period will be two years exactly, like from January 1, 2029, through December 31, 2030. If you take your first Carnival cruise on Jan. 1, 2028, you don’t get a separate two-year window. You would only have until Dec. 31, 2028, to earn stars toward elite status before the clock resets again.
The number of stars required to earn elite status is:
- Red: 0 stars (enrollment).
- Gold: 10,000 stars.
- Platinum: 50,000 stars.
- Diamond: 100,000 stars.
Once a member receives enough stays, they can enjoy the perks for the remaining time during that status window and during the next two-year status window.
To earn Gold status, a traveler without a Carnival credit card would have to spend $3,333.33 on eligible Carnival purchases in a two-year period. Keep in mind that stars earned from cruise fares are split equally if there are multiple guests in one stateroom.
Some of the main perks of elite status are one complimentary bottle of water (starting at Gold elite status) and complimentary Wash&Fold for Platinum and Diamond members.
Sailing days don’t really matter
Carnival Rewards also includes a new Milestone Recognition Program to reward longtime members based on the number of days they’ve sailed. The milestone rewards are mostly bonus points.
- At 50 days, members will receive 5,000 Carnival Rewards points and a special Sign and Sail card.
- At 100 days, members will receive 10,000 points, onboard recognition, a commemorative coin and onboard credit.
- After 500 days and every 100-day milestone after, members will also receive a commemorative gift.
Frequent Carnival cruisers with a 75 days or more will also have an easier transition to the new elite status levels. Guests who earned VIFP Diamond status (200 days or more) by August 31, 2026, receive lifetime Carnival Rewards Diamond status after enrolling in the new Carnival Rewards program. Guests who held VIFP Platinum status (75 days or more) will receive Platinum status through December 31, 2028 after enrolling. At the start of each new two-year earning cycle, they also receive a 10,000-Star boost, which is automatic Gold status.
Redeem Carnival points for savings
Carnival Rewards points are now redeemable points, meaning you can redeem them for cruise fares, specialty dining, spa treatments, excursions, beverages, and other onboard purchases.
In one example, a member could redeem 13,499 points for a 50-minute Swedish massage. That massage would cost about $104 if you booked it before your cruise departure, which would garner a cent-per-point value of 0.7 cent each. That’s on par with the value you might get for redeeming hotel points, but it’s less than you might expect to get for redeeming airline miles for economy fares.
Perhaps the best way to redeem Carnival points is to save on cruise fares. Of course, you’ll still have to pay taxes and fees out of pocket (like you would with other award travel bookings), but it’s a good option to save on your next cruise booking.
Shift your points strategy
Now that Carnival Rewards is officially live, frequent cruisers might want to start thinking about their cruise loyalty program the same way that frequent flyers and hotel guests strategize their spending.
After all these changes, is it still worth it to be loyal to Carnival? If you already have Platinum or Diamond status, you will still have your benefits locked in for at least another two years. For less frequent travelers, it might not be worth spending upwards of $3,300 per person on eligible Carnival expenses over two years to earn about $70 in Carnival points, plus a free water bottle from Gold elite status.
Like many airlines and hotel loyalty programs, though, the math changes if you consider the benefits of the Carnival Rewards Mastercard. The card will help ensure that your points don’t expire, and that you earn points and stars even when you’re not on a cruise.
However, there is an opportunity cost. The points you earn on this card can only be redeemed with Carnival (not even Holland America or another cruise line under the same parent company), and you might not have the chance to redeem your rewards for other travel (like flights or hotels) or earn as many points as you could on other travel cards. That’s why some of the best cards for cruises may not be the branded ones.
Top photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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