Carnival Cruise Line May Make a Major Loyalty Program Change

Carnival and Royal Caribbean's loyalty programs work roughly the same way. Carnival might make a big change to that model.

Cruise lines value loyalty. It's expensive to capture customers which is evident if you watch television where you will often see ads for Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and even Disney's cruise line.

Once a cruise line captures a customer, it makes sense for the company to incentivize those passengers to come back. All the major cruise lines do that in a variety of ways. First, they make it attractive to book another cruise while you're on your current one.

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If you stop by what Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Free Report calls the "Next Cruise" office onboard (the name varies on other cruise lines) you might get offered a better price and onboard credit for your next cruise. In addition, once you leave the ship, the cruise line has your email and mailing information so it can cheaply send you offers to return.

Aside from pricing, however both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) - Get Free Report run fairly similar loyalty programs that give passengers perks for being loyal. Both the Carnival VIFP program and Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society work the same way.

You earn points for nights onboard and that slowly moves you up a chart that gets you more perks and more recognition once you are onboard. At first the perks are minor, like small discounts, and maybe a bottle of water in your room.

As you climb the tiers, however, you get meaningful benefits like special receptions, free drinks, and reserved seating at events. It's a little different between each cruise line, but the perks offered at the higher tiers certainly keep many people loyal to one specific cruise line.

Now, Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald has hinted that his cruise line may consider a massive change to how loyalty status gets earned.     

Carnival Considers a Major Loyalty Change

Heald regularly answers questions on his Facebook page. He's careful in how he answers because he's fully aware that he speaks for the cruise line. In a recent post, he shared a question he was asked about loyalty status.

My wife and I are both on Gold status. We always purchase a suite. We are not big casino players but between the spa, excursions, steak house dining and drinks and wine we always spend over $2,000. Please may I ask then why the money we spend on room and on the ship goes nowhere to moving us up the loyalty ladder? We adore your posts John and we love Carnival. Please can you discuss this with the people you call the beards. My prayers are with your mom at this difficult time for her.

Gold is Carnival's middle tier. The real meaningful perks don't kick in until you reach Platinum. It takes 75 points, or nights onboard to achieve Platinum status. The top tier, Diamond requires 200 points.

Heald's answer was surprising as he acknowledged that the loyalty program needed to be refreshed and he asked his followers whether it should be spending based. He also made it clear that this wasn't just online fun, but that Carnival's leadership was actually looking at the issue. 

The whole loyalty program is being looked at by very smart people and while I have zero news to share on what will or will not happen I know that the program needs a massive refresh so we can do a better job in thanking people for their loyalty and to keep that loyalty alive.

You raise a very good point and while again I do not know if this will ever be part of the overall loyalty program I will ask everyone this:

Should the money you spend on the cruise be part of the loyalty levels for the future?

Royal Caribbean's program rewards program does reward spending to a point as people earn double points for staying in a junior suite or higher. The biggest perks for Royal's Crown & Anchor Society begin kicking in at 80 points, which can be earned in 40 nights if you sail in suites.

In addition, Royal Caribbean passengers get double points for solo cruises and solo cruisers sailing in suites get 3 points per night. Royal Caribbean's top tier, Pinnacle Club, which comes with some very impressive perks, requires 700 points (more than triple Carnival's top level).