Carnival Gives Guests an Extra 3 Months to Prepare for New Loyalty Rewards Program

Carnival Cruise Line just announced that guests will have an extra three months to prepare for the new Carnival Rewards program that was introduced earlier in the year.   Instead of going into effect on June 1, 2026, the program has been pushed back to September 1, 2026.

ID 256045063 | Carnival Cruise Ship © Jouni Niskakoski | DreamstimeThe email from Carnival also stated that “all your cruise activity through August 31, 2026 will count toward your final VIFP status, which will become your starting status in Carnival Rewards.”

With this new update, the entire Summer 2026 sailing season will now count under the old rules, which is a big deal for anyone still scrambling to reach the next loyalty tier before the rules change.

If you have a cruise booked for June, July, or August of 2026, those days will still count toward your final legacy status. For cruisers who are close to hitting Platinum or Diamond, this extra time might be all you need to reach that next tier.

More Time for a Head Start

You basically have a three-month extension to lock in those higher tiers before the new spend-based system takes over.

If you reach Diamond, you lock in that status for life and you never have to requalify. If you reach Platinum, you get a permanent ‘head start’ of 10,000 bonus stars every two years (at the start of every cycle).  This makes requalifying easier and makes sure you don’t drop back down to Gold.

“When Carnival Rewards begins on September 1, 2026, your new status will match your VIFP status on August 31, 2026, and will last through December 31, 2028,” the email stated.

A Few New Details

The announcement from Carnival also clarified some details about the new points system that might make things a bit more complicated. Carnival stated that under the new program, the value of your rewards points will vary.

The update stated that 100 points will be worth approximately $1, but that value will depend on demand, “similar to how cruise fares vary”.

This means the points system will work somewhat like dynamic pricing. If you want to redeem your points for a drink or an excursion on a busy holiday sailing, it could cost you more points than it would on a quieter sailing in the off-season.

Carnival also stated that points will never expire as long as you earn or redeem them at least once every 3 years.

Longer Window the First Cycle

To help everyone adjust to these changes, Carnival is also simplifying the calendar. Once the program officially launches in September 2026, it will eventually run on a standard January to December schedule, every 2 years.

But to bridge the gap, the first earning period will be a long one.  The first cycle will run from September 1, 2026, all the way through December 31, 2028. That gives you a 28-month window to earn your status for the following years.

This extra-long cycle is likely designed to give everyone plenty of time to get used to earning “Stars” based on spending rather than just days at sea.  Remember, stars are what will determine your status level

How to Earn: Stars and Points

Earning Stars (For Status)

You collect these to reach Gold, Platinum, or Diamond. They reset every 2 years.

• Base Rate: You earn 3 Stars for every $1 spent on Carnival (cruises & onboard spend).
• Casino Rate: You earn 1 Star for every casino point.
• Credit Card Boost: If you use the Carnival card (coming in September 2026), you earn 1 extra Star per $1 on Carnival purchases (Total: 4 Stars per $1).

Earning Points (For Free Stuff)

You spend these like cash on drinks, excursions, or future cruises.

• Base Rate: You earn 3 Points for every $1 spent on Carnival.
• Casino Rate: You earn 1 Point for every casino point.
• Credit Card Boost: If you use the Carnival card, you earn 3 extra Points per $1 on Carnival purchases (Total: 6 Points per $1).
• Everyday Spend with Carnival card: You earn 2 Points +1 star per $1 at grocery stores/restaurants and 1 Point per $1 everywhere else.

So, to break it down, if you spend $100 on a shore excursion this would be an example:

• Paying with cash/debit: You get 300 Stars (Status) and 300 Points (Rewards).
• Paying with Carnival Card: You get 400 Stars (Status) and 600 Points (Rewards).

Bottom Line

I know it’s a bit confusing when trying to wrap your head around this new reward system, and it’s much different than just counting the number of days on a cruise to determine how many points you have. Perhaps this is why Carnival is giving a few extra months to get used to this new program. 

With so many cruisers reaching higher tiers in the legacy loyalty program, something had to be done. After all, when half the ship is getting priority boarding, it’s just the same as regular boarding. The new system is more spend-based and also introduces the cruise line’s new credit card. There was some major backlash when the new program was first rolled out, but hopefully loyal cruisers will be happy with the benefits of the new rollout as time goes on.