Carnival Cruise Line faces major backlash over planned changes
Carnival Cruise Line faces major backlash over planned changes originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me.
Carnival Cruise Line passengers are fuming in the wake of the cruise line's announcement about its new loyalty program, Carnival Rewards, set to roll out in June 2026.
Although many loyal Carnival cruisers knew a loyalty program revamp was in the works, they didn't think the new program would be so radically different than the current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program.Following a completely different model than the VIFP program, Carnival's new approach to loyalty emulates airline loyalty programs. The new points-based system is based on spending instead of the number of nights sailed.
But that's not the only big change.
In a move that shocked and angered many cruisers, Carnival decided to eliminate lifetime status after the VIFP program became top-heavy over the last few years. Instead of keeping benefits for life, passengers will earn their status over a two-year period and retain it for the following two years under Carnival Rewards.
For many Carnival cruisers who have been building their VIFP status for many years to reach the highest program tiers, Platinum and Diamond, this change feels like a slap in the face.
Doug Parker shared more details on the cruiser criticism for the new Carnival Rewards loyalty program on the June 20th edition of Cruise News Today.Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Friday, June 20th.
Carnival Cruise Line is now facing major backlash over its VIFP changes to the loyalty program.
Speaking of the change on Facebook, Carnival's brand ambassador, John Heald, posted a video saying nothing is finalized yet.
John Heald, Carnival Brand Ambassador: We have a year to look at it, possibly, maybe, fine-tune it and change some things around.
Brand Ambassador John Heald there.
The revamped system ditches lifetime status in favor of a spend-based model requiring you to re-qualify every two years for status.
Now, a longtime cruiser told Cruise News Today that the move erases years of his loyalty and feels like betrayal.
Scott Lara, Platinum VIFP: As a platinum Carnival VIFP member, I'm very upset that every two years I'm going to have to re-qualify for my platinum status.
Perks like welcome gifts, VIFP parties, and loyalty pins are also being eliminated or restricted. Critics call it less of a rewards program and more of a rebate scheme with added incentives for using Carnival's branded credit card.
The line has until next June to finalize the new Carnival Rewards program.And federal prosecutors in Alaska have charged a man with impersonating an American citizen aboard a ship.
Enrico Ronquillo, a Philippine national living in the U.S., allegedly used fake documents including a counterfeit California license and an IRS form to pose as someone else during a cruise last month.
He now faces four federal charges including aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and mandatory two-year sentences for each count.And Disney Cruise Line is cutting the upfront cost of booking a cruise. Starting this week, new reservations now require just a 10% deposit down from the previous 20% for a cruise.
The move is geared at easing the financial burden of booking a Disney cruise. Guests can still hold a reservation for three days without a deposit. Cancellation fees will also match the new 10% deposit amount.And the photo of the week comes from Charlie, of Royal Princess in Ketchikan. Great photo here. Send yours in: photos@cruiseradio.net. All photos are subject to broadcast.
And the market was closed on Thursday. It reopens this morning.
If you have a lead on a story, let us know: tips@cruiseradio.net.
Have yourself a great Friday and weekend. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
, or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line testing new dining option passengers want
Carnival Cruise Line testing new dining option passengers want originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Cruise ship dining has evolved quite a bit over the years. In the classic days of cruising, dinner was almost always a formal affair, and meals were slow paced. Dinner was something that most passengers looked forward to, and no one was really in rush to get through formal nights are still a thing on some cruise lines today, dress codes are no longer strictly enforced. Main dining room menus have also changed as cruiser palates have evolved. Now, passengers who want something different than the main dining room experience have options, too. On Carnival Cruise Line ships, for example, the buffet is open for dinner, and most ships feature a variety of casual, quick-service dining options as well. Additionally, main dining room dinner seatings are a little more flexible now. On Carnival ships, passengers can choose from a traditional preset dining time with the same table assignment each night or a first-come, first-served 'Your Time' open seating dinner option. Still, despite the increased dining flexibility on most cruise ships, passengers often complain about one aspect of the main dining room experience that hasn't changed as much with the you choose the traditional set dining time or 'Your Time' Dining on a Carnival cruise, the main dining room experience typically lasts for about one hour and 30 minutes. For some passengers today, that's just too long. 'I don't know of anyone in real life who wants to spend one and a half hours in the dining room,' a passenger named Graham recently wrote to Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald. Carnival's brand ambassador responds to hundreds of passenger questions and comments on his popular Facebook page every day, and he often receives messages like this one.'We had two nights in our cruise last week where we left at the one hour and 35-minute mark. I would say the average cruiser wants to be in and out of the dining room in under an hour at the very, very least. Most Carnival cruisers want this from the people I have seen and spoken to,' Graham insisted. Although Heald himself would love to hold on to the cruise tradition of lingering over dinner with family and friends, he understands that a speedier style of dining is something that passengers increasingly value response to passenger feedback about the main dining room experience, Carnival is now testing a new Express Dining option on one of its ships. 'Some people do want to be in and out, and that's why we're testing something on the Carnival Vista,' Heald noted in a recent video for his followers. 'This is what we are calling Express Dining.' Only available on Carnival Vista at this time, Express Dining is something passengers can choose to enjoy if they select 'Your Time' Dining. Carnival's Express Dining is intended to be a 45-minute dinner experience, and it features a smaller menu than the other main dining room options. More Carnival cruise news:An sample Express Dining menu that Heald shared included the following choices: Appetizers: Roasted duck rolls Shrimp cocktail Caesar salad Tomato soup Entrees: Szechuan shrimp Cornish game hen Braised short rib Sirloin steak Desserts: Cheesecake Navel orange cake Chocolate melting cake Heald noted that if Express Dining proves popular on Carnival Vista, it may roll out to other ships. 'We will see if it's popular, and if it is, we will take a look, and then we will let you know if we're trying this on other ships,' Heald explained. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Video: Celebrity Cruises ship nearly collides with Carnival ship
Video: Celebrity Cruises ship nearly collides with Carnival ship originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. In recent weeks, several cruise ships have been caught off guard by unexpected high winds while docked in ports around the world. Although cruise ships have advanced propulsion systems and stabilizers designed to withstand rough seas and intense weather, they aren't completely protected from Mother Nature's multiple recent incidents, extreme winds have caused cruise ship's mooring lines to break — even ripping the heavy bollards holding ship's mooring lines right off the pier in some cases. In one such accident that was widely covered in the news, Norwegian Epic suddenly drifted from the dock in Catania, Italy on May 30, causing one passenger to fall into the water from the ship's gangway as a result. But Norwegian Epic isn't the only ship that's struggled to stay docked as winds have recently whipped through cruise ports. That same weekend, MSC Seascape broke its moorings in The Bahamas, and Holland America Westerdam's lines snapped while docked in Ketchikan, Alaska. In every case, capable cruise ship captains and crew members quickly sprang into action when their ships broke free from their moorings, keeping their passengers safe and preventing more serious accidents. As the latest weather-related cruise port incident unfolded during a sudden, unusual storm in Juneau, Alaska's Gastineau Channel on June 16, a witness caught a video of the moment Celebrity Edge went adrift, nearly colliding with another ship in the crowded Celebrity Edge began to rapidly drift from the dock, witnesses reported that its gangway fell into the water as its mooring lines snapped. The ship began to drift quickly toward Carnival Luminosa, which was anchored nearby in the channel. The captains of both ships reacted quickly, but narrowly avoided a collision. Carnival Luminosa swiftly backed up to make space for Celebrity Edge in the channel as it powered up, stabilized, and dropped anchor. Thankfully, no injuries were reported as a result of the video shows that the storm swept through the channel suddenly and dramatically, with the wind picking up first before heavy rain set in. A rare severe thunderstorm warning with wind gusts up to 60 mph and penny-sized hail was issued for the Juneau area by the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms very rarely occur in Juneau and southeast Alaska during the summer season — on average, only once every two years — making the severe weather incident even more Alaska cruises now through mid-September, Celebrity Edge is currently sailing a seven-night Alaska Dawes Glacier cruise from Seattle visiting Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, and Skagway in Alaska as well as Victoria, British Columbia. Hailed as the most immersive ship in Alaska, Celebrity Edge features a unique outward-facing design that's ideal for glacier viewing. Celebrity Edge Series ships are specifically designed to create a closer connection between passengers and their Edge is one of three Celebrity Cruises ships sailing in Alaska this summer. The ship is joined in the region by Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Summit, which sail from Vancouver and Seward, Alaska. Carnival Luminosa is cruising alongside Celebrity Edge through the Last Frontier this summer, sailing similar Alaska Inside Passage & Glacier itineraries from Seattle. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line fixes massive passenger pain point
Carnival Cruise Line fixes massive passenger pain point originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. It's amazing how a seemingly small improvement to the design of a basic item can sometimes dramatically increase its value for users. In a cruise ship cabin where space is very limited, thoughtful design that equips a room with multipurpose features and devices makes the small room so much more manageable for cruise lines introduce new innovations to ship design, tiny staterooms get more comfortable with each new ship class. But it's not just new ships that get these enhancements. Older ships can often be updated with innovative new features that elevate the passenger experience. Carnival Cruise Line's latest upgrades to some of its 20-year-old ships prove that. The cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, recently showed off one new cabin enhancement on his popular Facebook page that stirred excitement among thousands of the cruise line's loyal brand ambassador posted a photo of a new bedside lamp that the cruise line recently added to staterooms on Carnival Valor, as well as other cruise ships in its fleet that were recently updated during routine dry dock maintenance. 'We added these new lamps on the Carnival Valor during dry dock and will be doing this to other ships in future dry docks. They have USB and the smaller one [USB-C] and a power plug for things like CPAP perhaps,' Heald said. As he often does with ship features and enhancements, Heald asked his followers for feedback on the new lamps and their charging ports to determine if the majority of passengers would find them than 12,500 Carnival cruisers weighed in through comments on the post, and the results were overwhelming in favor of putting the lamps on as many ships as possible. 'I've been waiting for this moment my whole life,' Julie Jebaily commented. 'And I'll only use it for my cell phone charger because the USB outlets never charge my devices.' 'Best change made to cabins in 20 years,' Keith Bruce agreed. Many Carnival passengers insist that there are never enough power outlets in cabins, especially on older post about the new lamps was especially popular with cruisers who use CPAP machines when they sleep. These passengers typically have to pack extension cords for their cruises to meet their CPAP power needs. 'As a CPAP user it will make things much easier because I won't have to have an extension cord stretched across my cabin floor at night. That makes midnight potty runs really dangerous,' Mick Kyte explained. 'I love the functionality. I can charge my phone and plug in my CPAP all in one lamp — and I don't have to bring an extension cord with me,' Jeremy Rynca added. 'That will help give me (my wife) more room to overpack clothes.' More Carnival cruise news:Some passengers noted though that it would be more helpful if the lamp was not bolted down in the middle of the table as they're currently positioned on the ships that recently received them. 'They should be towards the front or the back so you actually have room for the CPAP or whatever you are plugging into the outlet,' Avril Lawshé suggested. Hopefully, after reviewing the helpful passenger feedback gathered by its brand ambassador, Carnival will make an adjustment to improve the lamp placement as they're added on more ships. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
