Carnival Cruise Line overhauled its loyalty program on June 1, 2026, replacing a system based on nights sailed with one that awards stars for money spent. Guests earn three stars for every dollar spent with Carnival, plus one star per casino point. A new co-branded Mastercard also lets members earn stars on everyday purchases outside of cruising.
The change affects how cruisers reach each tier, but Carnival has framed it as more flexible: rather than being assigned a set bundle of perks, members can redeem their accumulated points toward the specific add-ons they want, such as specialty dining, spa treatments, or shore excursions. Frequent short-cruise guests who took many inexpensive sailings to build status may find the new system harder to climb, while high-spending guests on fewer sailings could advance faster.
The shift follows a broader industry trend toward spend-based loyalty, which cruise lines increasingly prefer because it rewards passengers who generate more onboard revenue. Carnival simultaneously raised daily gratuity rates to $17 per person for standard staterooms as of April 2, 2026, making this a notable month of structural changes to the financial relationship between the line and its passengers.