Royal Caribbean cruisers react to Carnival cruise loyalty shakeup
Carnival Rewards, a spend-based rewards program set to roll out in June 2026, has many cruisers reeling, even some who don't sail with the cruise line.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line faces major backlash over planned changes
The new program appears to require passengers at the highest tiers to spend tens of thousands of dollars each year to maintain their elite status, and it could open the door for other cruise lines to do the same.
Carnival's new spend-based loyalty program isn't a completely new concept - most airlines and hotels already follow this type of model, but the cruise industry has been slow to evolve.
What do Royal Caribbean cruisers think about the new program and what it could mean for the cruise industry?
Many "loyal to Royal" cruisers made their opinions clear in a discussion in the Royal Caribbean community on Reddit.
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"The new program Carnival announced yesterday rewards money over loyalty. Do you think this is something Royal and the other lines will try to adopt?" Redditor oOoOsarahOoOo asked fellow Royal Caribbean cruisers. "If so, would cruisers stay loyal to Royal, or would this be a reason to try other brands?"
A number of cruisers reasoned that Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines will likely follow suit in a few years, if Carnival reports that the change increases revenue.
"I think the other cruise lines are going to wait to see how this affects Carnival's business. If there's not too much of a difference, or somehow Carnival's earnings go up with this reward program? You will 100% see other cruise lines adopt this model," CricketCapital4095 commented.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line rep threatened over loyalty program changes
As other travel loyalty programs increasingly reward travelers based on their spending, it's not surprising that cruise lines would follow.
"This is an extremely logical move for [Carnival] to make, despite how many people are deep in their feels about it, and I'd bet the cost of my next cruise that other lines will follow suit within a couple of years of Carnival's first earnings call after this goes into effect," baltinerdist added.
Commenters also pointed out that if the industry moved in this direction, cruisers may be more inclined to sail with multiple cruise lines rather than stay loyal to one in order to gain status.
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"If there is no loyalty program, then why be loyal," Routine_Day_1276 questioned. "That's the entire reason for it. Granted, you don't get a lot for being loyal, but anything that isn't an insult is better than nothing. In my opinion, what Carnival did is an insult to everyone who has been loyal. So no, if Royal went that route, I would not be loyal to them anymore."
Royal Caribbean cruisers don't want the cruise line to change its popular Crown & Anchor loyalty program. Like Carnival's current VIFP Club, Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor program rewards cruisers based on nights sailed.
Related: Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises announce new reward benefits
"I very much hope Royal realizes that by having the best loyalty program in the industry, they would have the most to lose by making drastic changes to Crown & Anchor," xAdray commented.
Still, if the Carnival Rewards program proves successful, Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines would likely begin to incorporate spending-based rewards into their loyalty programs in some way.
"Even if other cruise lines don't adopt the Carnival-specific model, I wouldn't be surprised if an 'onboard spending' category was added as a way to retain top-tier status. It's all about capturing dollars on board for the cruise lines," CricketCapital4095 pointed out.
"If you're top-tier status but don't spend much on board, why would a cruise line much care about your loyalty status? More than likely those customers cost cruise lines money in some capacity," CricketCapital4095 added.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
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