Carnival Cruise Line is adjusting its new loyalty program, Carnival Rewards, to enhance benefits for current Diamond and Platinum members.
If guests achieve Diamond status before the new program launches in June, they will now be able to keep that status for life. Previously, Diamond members were only going to be guaranteed Diamond status for six years.
Platinum guests, meanwhile, will receive 10,000 additional status-qualifying stars every other year, beginning when the program launches in June. Program participants can accumulate stars over a two-year period to build toward a status upgrade.
Platinum members are still only guaranteed their status through May 31, 2028, but Carnival has newly updated the program to guarantee them a minimum status of Gold after that.
Carnival also clarified that children under 18 will have the same status as the adult that booked the sailing. If a minor has Diamond or Platinum status by May 31, 2026, they will have that same status once they turn 18.
The cruise line announced the new rewards program in June, just under a year before the scheduled launch on June 1, 2026. It received pushback from loyal customers, many of whom expressed frustration that lifetime status was no longer guaranteed, as it is under the current Very Important Fun Person program.
Carnival president Christine Duffy had said the program change was necessary in part because so many customers had achieved elite status, making it harder to offer meaningful rewards.
After a summer of discussions with guests about the new program, the latest updates were made to "recognize our appreciation for the loyalty of our top-tier guests," said Duffy.