Too Many Platinum and Diamond Passengers? Carnival...

A social media publish not too long ago highlighted why Carnival has needed to alter its loyalty program as extra cruisers attain standing. 

The legacy loyalty program has actually been a sufferer of its personal success as extra cruisers come again to Carnival, but it surely’s additionally making crystal clear that the modifications Carnival is making are positively wanted for this system to supply any actual profit.

The Reddit post titled “Simply too many Platinum and Diamond” bought the eye of the Carnival cruise neighborhood after an electronic mail was shared that went out to Diamond and Platinum friends. 

The ‘Visitor Advisory’ was despatched to passengers booked on two upcoming 14-day sailings: Carnival Radiance departing for Hawaii on January 10, and Carnival Venezia embarking from Port Canaveral on January 11.

The e-mail mentioned that due to the excessive quantity of Platinum and Diamond members on board, a number of perks could be unavailable.

The message went on to checklist three in style perks that have been stripped, stating that following could be unavailable for the 2 sailings:

• Precedence Embarkation
• Early Stateroom Entry
• Precedence Baggage Supply

“As well as, we could not have the ability to provide a precedence line and cellphone help by Visitor Providers.  Associated to Diamond friends, on account of capability limitations, we can’t assure fundamental eating room seating requests for dinner,” the e-mail acknowledged.

The Downside: “When Everyone seems to be Particular, No One Is”

This concern could be extra widespread on Carnival Journeys (longer itineraries) and specialty cruises, which naturally entice Carnival’s most loyal followers. When 30% or extra of a ship holds elite standing, the “precedence” lane can develop into too lengthy to really feel like a perk.

The response to the publish and electronic mail was a mixture of frustration and realism within the remark part. One person was blunt about all of it: “when everyone seems to be particular… Nobody is particular.”

New Carnival Rewards Program Coming in September

This standing overcrowding is strictly why Carnival is formally retiring the 13-year-old VIFP Membership system and changing it with Carnival Rewards on September 1, 2026.

The cruise line is transferring from a “nights sailed” mannequin to a “spend-based” system, much like how airways and lodges function.

Carnival President Christine Duffy defined that between 2021 and 2024, the variety of Platinum friends greater than doubled and Diamond friends tripled. In a message to friends, she acknowledged:

“On our Excel-class ships, on common, greater than 1,200 friends are Platinum or Diamond, making it almost unattainable to offer significant precedence advantages.”

How the New System Works

Underneath the brand new 2026 program, standing received’t be everlasting. Right here is the way it will look.

Passengers will earn three Stars for each greenback spent on cruise fares and onboard purchases, requiring 50,000 Stars to achieve Platinum and 100,000 for Diamond standing.

These tiers should be re-earned each two years. If a visitor doesn’t meet the spending goal inside that window, their standing will drop. Cruisers may also earn factors that act as a foreign money, permitting them to purchase their very own rewards, comparable to specialty eating, shore excursions, or spa remedies

What Occurs to Present Standing Holders

After some fairly extreme backlash within the preliminary days of the introduced modifications to the reward program, Carnival has made just a few huge concessions for many who hit standing earlier than the cutoff date on August 31, 2026.

• Lifetime Diamond: Anybody who achieves Diamond standing by the cutoff date might be given Lifetime Diamond standing.
• The Platinum “Increase”: Present Platinum members will obtain a ten,000-Star “head begin” each two years, making certain they keep at the very least on the Gold stage even when they don’t cruise throughout that interval.

The Backside Line

Carnival doesn’t have a straightforward job of protecting everybody blissful when so many on particular cruises have reached Diamond and Platinum standing.  A change to the previous program was inevitable and so was the ache that comes with it.

As one Reddit person mentioned within the feedback, “Standing stage entitlements are not assured. Pay for the lodging and repair you need as a result of it’s worthwhile to you.”