Carnival talks cruise loyalty; Royal Caribbean secures Costa Maya
During a Q&A session for the first cruise passengers sailing to Carnival's Celebration Key, Carnival President Christine Duffy didn't shy away from addressing the elephant in the room.
Duffy is on board Carnival Vista this week as the cruise ship makes the inaugural call to Celebration Key, the cruise line's new resort destination on Grand Bahama.
As she geared up to participate in events and festivities during the special sailing, Duffy obviously prepared herself to take some heat from passengers who have concerns about the cruise line's upcoming loyalty program change.Announced this summer, the new Carnival Rewards loyalty program rolls out in June 2026 and is a complete departure from the way cruise line loyalty programs have traditionally worked.
Instead of earning status solely based on their days spent at sea, Carnival passengers will rack up points for their spending under Carnival Rewards. The program also eliminates lifetime loyalty status benefits — a move that's upset many cruise passengers.
Why is the cruise line making these controversial changes? Carnival Vista passengers got to hear Duffy's answer on that and more during the onboard Q&A presentation.
Doug Parker shared details on what Duffy said about Carnival's loyalty program changes, as well as a key move Royal Caribbean just made in Mexico, on the July 17 edition of Cruise News Today.Carnival Cruise Line President speaks on loyalty program change
Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Thursday, July 17th.
The lifetime status benefits just can't be delivered.
Carnival's top brass is now speaking publicly about the cruise line's sweeping overhaul of its VIFP program. This week aboard Carnival Vista, President Christine Duffy and Brand Ambassador John Heald addressed guests directly in the ship's main theater.Now, starting next June, Carnival Rewards will replace the current VIFP program, which shifts to a spending-based model instead.
Everyday spending will get you points on the card as well as what you purchase for Carnival.
Duffy said that the cruise line's explosive growth — 65 million guests since 2012 — has made lifetime status unsustainable.
She also clarified that kids under 18 will not earn rewards, but they'll sail under their parents' status and can opt in at 18. This is because there's a lot of legalities around minors and reward programs.
Duffy is on board this week for the company's inaugural call to Celebration Key on Saturday.Carnival Cruise Line adds mobile ordering option for coffee
And Carnival is rolling out mobile coffee ordering on select ships to cut down on morning lines at the Java Blue Cafe.
Yeah, through the Carnival Hub app, guests can now pre-order select espresso, iced coffee, and other drinks for pickup at designated venues.
Now, the feature runs daily from 7 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., though it should be noted that if you have the Cheers drink package or the Drinks on Us beverage package, mobile app ordering is not included in that, meaning you'll have to pay out-of-pocket if you use the app to order. However, in-person ordering is still included in those packages.
Carnival says the move is about convenience, and rolling it out to more ships soon.
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Royal Caribbean now owns Costa Maya port for Perfect Day Mexico
And Royal Caribbean now officially owns the future site of Perfect Day Mexico. Yeah, the cruise line has completed its $292 million purchase of Costa Maya's port and 34 nearby properties.
Construction is now set to ramp up on the new private destination, which is expected to open in the fall of 2027. The port will stay open during development and continue hosting other cruise lines, but only Royal Caribbean and Celebrity guests will have access to Perfect Day Mexico once it's complete.And cruise line stocks were mixed on Wednesday. Carnival Corporation: up 0.2%, 29.04. Royal Caribbean: down 0.5%, 339.23. Norwegian: up 1.3%, 23.05. And Viking: down 0.5%, 56.87.
If you have a lead on a story, let us know: tips@cruiseradio.net.
Home from my around-the-world trip, and little cat's being bad and wanting attention, I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Thursday.
(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 TravelHost on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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