Royal, don't get any funny ideas...

[bcarney]

Carnival changes loyalty program where you start to lose points after not cruising for two years...

Click here for the article.

[smokeybandit]

Yeah no kidding, don't you dare RC. Don't turn the best loyalty program out there into just another run of the mill frequent flyer program.

[smokeybandit]

The feedback on the Carnival CC forum is as expected. Not well received at all.

 

[skywalk640]

Wow, wiping out credit from all previous cruises you've done and making you re-earn status every 2 years is quite a choice. Not sure I would call it a loyalty program anymore

[smokeybandit]

Tying it into the credit card dumbs it down, too.

[Rackham]

I'm kinda surprised with the changes. Figured if Carnival was going to overhaul their loyalty program, they'd make it more competitive with Royal's, not give reasons for Very Important Fun People to try other lines. They didn't even give current VIFPs status reciprocity within the Carnival family of brands so if they are unhappy with the change, they're encouraged to take their money to another Carnival owned cruise line.

Wonder if Royal's marketing department is cooking something up to lure 'em over?

Boldest Ships. Royal Perks. No Expiration.

Come seek the Royal Caribbean.

[skywalk640]

52 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Tying it into the credit card dumbs it down, too.

Yeah, also interesting that they tie in casino points to this. 

[Smokey79]

Oh my lol, diamond gets you a free water and two free drinks? For 100,000 points? Am I reading that wrong?

[Rackham]

6 minutes ago, Smokey79 said:

Oh my lol, diamond gets you a free water and two free drinks? For 100,000 points? Am I reading that wrong?

You're not. Their loyalty program has always been kinda meh compared to Royal's.

[dustfsu]

Man that is crazy for them to do that. I doubt Royal will follow that policy. The is Carnival “forcing” the passengers to book more cruises, but that might of backfired on them. They might change their minds when they get a bunch of backlash. 

[RCIfan1912]

Holy freaking wow this is just terrible. Royal does some goofy things but I don't see them going anywhere near this BS. I'm not a Carnival guy, never sailed them but this even makes me furious!

[RCIfan1912]

6 hours ago, Rackham said:

I'm kinda surprised with the changes. Figured if Carnival was going to overhaul their loyalty program, they'd make it more competitive with Royal's, not give reasons for Very Important Fun People to try other lines. They didn't even give current VIFPs status reciprocity within the Carnival family of brands so if they are unhappy with the change, they're encouraged to take their money to another Carnival owned cruise line.

Wonder if Royal's marketing department is cooking something up to lure 'em over?

Boldest Ships. Royal Perks. No Expiration.

Come seek the Royal Caribbean.

LOVE THAT! That is brilliant!

[ChessE4]

We save 450 per 7 night cruise on Royal with drink vouchers and internet. So Carnival would need to be that much cheaper on desired itinerary to be competitive. If Royal reduced benefits, I'd be disappointed, but it would depend on the total price of the cruise.

[RCIfan1912]

50 minutes ago, ChessE4 said:

We save 450 per 7 night cruise on Royal with drink vouchers and internet. So Carnival would need to be that much cheaper on desired itinerary to be competitive. If Royal reduced benefits, I'd be disappointed, but it would depend on the total price of the cruise.

Please though, no reduce of benefits.  Royal is on , bookings, profits, new ships. No need to screw loyal customers. 

[Rackham]

I really don't see Royal reducing the benefits, past what's required for benefits to stay as benefits (i.e. limitations on lounge and Coast Kitchen access due to loyalty member numbers aboard), or switching to a rewards based system as management understands they're in the leisure hospitality sector. People might stay in hotels or fly multiple times for work per month, but only a fraction are spending an equivalent time annually aboard cruise ships. And while people like to point out that they've been on sailings with over 50% of the ship being Diamond and higher, those cruises are outliers. The average Royal Caribbean sailing has 50%-60% new to the brand and less than 10% Diamond and up. I've been on full ships where the top tier event almost didn't happen due to number of Pins aboard. So about those loyalty benefits?

Rewards programs work on frequent spending on the product as a draw to use said product over the competition. Stay with a hotel chain frequently for work then you'll have comped nights for vacation. Buy your burgers through the app, get one free in the future. Basically, you're choosing one brand now, because you'll going to buy the product anyway, so you might as well get a little kickback in the future. Thus, keeping spending with one airline, hotel chain, or burger joint. However, most people don't cruise frequently enough for reward points to have meaning. I haven't looked through the T&Cs for Carnival's new program, but the points for the average cruiser isn't going to encourage turning around and booking another cruise with the company. Is earning enough points for a comped steak dinner or a six pack of soda per sailing going to encourage people to Choose Fun over the competition? And with how status levels are now resetting every two years, will people be encouraged to work their way up in the program (and this is completely ignoring the benefits offered which are underwhelming). Or will it encourage people to, figuratively speaking, jump ship for MSC, NCL, or Royal when they notice their programs offer rewards just for showing up and you don't have to requalify for a status level over a two year term?

Royal's C&A loyalty scheme, as we've seen, encourages people to book another cruise to get to Diamond. And then Diamond+. Then Pinnacle. Then becomes a $#%% match for some with acquiring the points to be named in the top three cruisers aboard the ship. People like perks and membership in exclusive clubs. Reaching Diamond with Royal is kinda like a Club 33 membership with Disney. I ran the numbers a few years ago, and cruise fare only needed to be increased about $20 pp to fully cover Royal's cost with the benefits. That's cheap for the type of brand loyalty the benefits are providing them. Which cruise line are you going to look at first when wanting to book? The one that you're familiar with, which meets your vacationing needs, and gives you the most bang for your buck. The C&A benefits makes it an easy decision to start, and possibly end, with Royal. The stickiness with customer retention has to be huge. Even if someone is only cruising once a year, or every other year, or once a decade, once they're getting hooked in the program, the odds of them booking Royal has seriously increased thanks to keeping loyalty status.

And then there's the grass roots marketing coming from Royal's cruisers thanks to this loyalty. 

Co-worker asking which line they should take their kids on over break? Well, Royal Caribbean, of course. Let me explain why.

Friend looking for a cruise with great live entertainment? Royal has music throughout the ship and full on productions in the main theater. 

Family wanting to cruise for the great food? Try Celebrity. I dunno. Haven't sailed with the yet.

[TexanTwoStep]

I don't want it, but I would love to be a fly on the wall of the "Pinnacle Pin Wearers" club if it happened.  Pearls will be clutched!

Seriously though, I don't see Royal doing this -- they know that they have the best loyalty program in the business and (arguably) the most loyal cruisers.  We are fairly new to cruising and I've only cruised with Royal and don't see that changing.  Seems like Carnival is going the route that most hotels and airlines go with their loyalty programs where you can earn "points" by using a branded credit card.  In theory, you could get to Carnival's highest status without ever stepping foot on their ships.  Is that really loyalty? 

[smokeybandit]

It just seems like a change to make if you need an influx of cash, getting more people to use their credit card and casino. And in a way, almost forcing you to get their credit card.

 

Meanwhile Disney just dropped its deposit amount from 20% to 10%, showing things are slowing for them, too.

[Geezer Of The Seas]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

 

Meanwhile Disney just dropped its deposit amount from 20% to 10%, showing things are slowing for them, too.

Judging by the #/frequency of e-mails I'm receiving from Royal, HAL, & MSC, plus now weekly calls from NCL to both of us, I sense the salad days of 2023-24 are coming to an end.

RE: Carnival's Rewards 'retool'. I get a sense they're trying to slow the upward mobility to their top tiers; something I've seen discussed on this forum regarding overabundance of upper tier  C & A passengers on some cruises resulting in  less than satisfying experiences for some 'not quite there' yet?

[tonyfsu21]

This program change will swiftly be reversed soon. They set it one year from now to let the idea bake a bit. It’s not gonna fly. 

[smokeybandit]

2 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said:

This program change will swiftly be reversed soon. They set it one year from now to let the idea bake a bit. It’s not gonna fly. 

This wouldn't surprise me if that was just a trial balloon. I haven't seen any positive feedback on any of the various forums/socials.

[AlmondFarmer]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

This wouldn't surprise me if that was just a trial balloon. I haven't seen any positive feedback on any of the various forums/socials.

I thought Royals only trial balloon was on CocoCay…

[tonyfsu21]

10 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

This wouldn't surprise me if that was just a trial balloon. I haven't seen any positive feedback on any of the various forums/socials.

Horrible feedback as expected. What a slap to the face to any loyal cruiser that has sailed CCL. The ambassador (John Heald) should be embarrassed to have to sell this program to his followers. I am gonna make an early prediction and say he resigns/retires over this mess. 

[RCIfan1912]

I saw a video on YouTube that Carnival is walking back some of this but I didn't watch it. If they already made a signed deal with MasterCard because that's what this is, kickback from MasterCard but if they already made the deal I can't see how they scrap it completely? 

[tonyfsu21]

12 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I saw a video on YouTube that Carnival is walking back some of this but I didn't watch it. If they already made a signed deal with MasterCard because that's what this is, kickback from MasterCard but if they already made the deal I can't see how they scrap it completely? 

This should be interesting. They clearly made a decision (signed and sealed) w/o consideration to the loyal CCL cruisers (thankfully I am not one of them). It’s not surprising considering how quickly the industry forgot about the pandemic struggles and how the “loyal” cruisers (including banks) kept them afloat. I do want to mention the RC “top Tier event” is an embarrassment and a direct reflection on how this company views the loyal cruiser. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to implement  this same program in the future. 

[RCIfan1912]

1 hour ago, tonyfsu21 said:

This should be interesting. They clearly made a decision (signed and sealed) w/o consideration to the loyal CCL cruisers (thankfully I am not one of them). It’s not surprising considering how quickly the industry forgot about the pandemic struggles and how the “loyal” cruisers (including banks) kept them afloat. I do want to mention the RC “top Tier event” is an embarrassment and a direct reflection on how this company views the loyal cruiser. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to implement  this same program in the future. 

This is 100% for real and maybe Royal really wouldn't care but if, if they ever did anything near this, and Diamond was no longer what it is right now I would never, I mean never sail them again and would probably make the total switch to MSC. 

[tonyfsu21]

24 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

This is 100% for real and maybe Royal really wouldn't care but if, if they ever did anything near this, and Diamond was no longer what it is right now I would never, I mean never sail them again and would probably make the total switch to MSC. 

The problem is, MSC would follow. We as consumers are at the mercy of these dumb decisions because cruising revenue is at record highs. They don’t need us (or at least they think they don’t). It’s sad.

[RCIfan1912]

36 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

The problem is, MSC would follow. We as consumers are at the mercy of these dumb decisions because cruising revenue is at record highs. They don’t need us (or at least they think they don’t). It’s sad.

I wouldn't be going there for points or status but cheaper fares I'm not paying Royal Caribbean prices and getting kicked in the balls with the loyalty program. 

[tonyfsu21]

2 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I wouldn't be going there for points or status but cheaper fares I'm not paying Royal Caribbean prices and getting kicked in the balls with the loyalty program. 

Yep, I hear you. I am hopeful RC still sees the value in separating themselves from the other brands by offering the best ships, activities and loyalty program in the industry. I will reserve judgement until that changes or a better option emerges. We are in the last two days of a fantastic Mediterranean voyage onboard Odyssey and I have never had a better time. Highly recommended to anyone on the fence re: Europe. 

[Mike.s]

57 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Yep, I hear you. I am hopeful RC still sees the value in separating themselves from the other brands by offering the best ships, activities and loyalty program in the industry. I will reserve judgement until that changes or a better option emerges.

It worrys me that the man who is now in charge of of Royal Caribbean group doesn't have the best track record when it comes to decisions most on this board like. Seems to put the bottom line above anything else.

[Southern Dan]

1 hour ago, tonyfsu21 said:

We are in the last two days of a fantastic Mediterranean voyage onboard Odyssey and I have never had a better time. Highly recommended to anyone on the fence re: Europe. 

I cannot wait to sail on Odyssey for our 7 Nt Greek Isles cruise in September.  Happy to hear you are having an amazing time!

[RCIfan1912]

On 6/20/2025 at 8:00 AM, Mike.s said:

It worrys me that the man who is now in charge of of Royal Caribbean group doesn't have the best track record when it comes to decisions most on this board like. Seems to put the bottom line above anything else.

Jason Liberty is nearly impossible to like. He's not Richard Fain and in some ways that's not fair but Jason Liberty just to me comes off very, very bad and literally only care about money. Richard was a visionary, of course he likes money too but he doesn't come off like Jason Liberty. Just my 2 cents. 

[smokeybandit]

So adding onto this, I just got an email from Southwest. They're offering BOGO airfare if you book a Norwegian cruise.

 

So Carnival is scrapping traditional loyalty to focus on enticing casino and credit card purchases. Disney cutting its deposits in half. And Norwegian getting into the free airfare business.

[tonyfsu21]

2 hours ago, Southern Dan said:

I cannot wait to sail on Odyssey for our 7 Nt Greek Isles cruise in September.  Happy to hear you are having an amazing time!

One thing we learned the hard way, if you plan to take the ferry to Capri while in Naples. Either book the RC excursion at the premium price or book via ferryhopper.com well in advance of your sale date (like now) to secure the best times. 

[Southern Dan]

13 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

One thing we learned the hard way, if you plan to take the ferry to Capri while in Naples. Either book the RC excursion at the premium price or book via ferryhopper.com well in advance of your sale date (like now) to secure the best times. 

Not doing Capri, we are doing the Amalifi Coast by Motor Launch and Pompeii excursion through Royal.  I think it's an hour shuttle ride to Salerno before we board a motorboat to Amalfi.  After lunch there we take a shuttle to Pompeii before heading back to port.

[Freegirl]

4 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

I wouldn't be going there for points or status but cheaper fares

We are Diamond Plus with Royal, but this is exactly why we have taken 3 MSC cruises in the last year. Each of those cruises was fantastic.

I feel sure that some Carnival loyalists will be trying MSC.

[Rackham]

If it's all about the Benjamins, here's what related cruise line stocks are up to (and another data point on why Royal is probably not considering something similar).

Carnival: $23.83

Norwegian: $18.90

Disney: $118.13

Royal: [drumroll, please] $272.28

Carnival might have the most ships, but Royal is printing the bucks.

 

[Geezer Of The Seas]

The natives are indeed restless................

But end of the day, will it matter? Every cruise line I've sailed has the same fine print regarding their rewards programs. 'We can do what we want if and when we want.' Even John Heald's post reads like he's under some level of duress discussing the customer response, like there's suits standing nearby with a kettle of boiling oil.............

[smokeybandit]

2 minutes ago, Geezer Of The Seas said:

The natives are indeed restless................

But end of the day, will it matter? Every cruise line I've sailed has the same fine print regarding their rewards programs. 'We can do what we want if and when we want.' Even John Heald's post reads like he's under some level of duress discussing the customer response, like there's suits standing nearby with a kettle of boiling oil.............

Poor guy's responses were pretty terrible. "We changed it to be spend-based because we have too many people enrolled"

 

Uh, what?

[TXcruzer]

5 hours ago, Mike.s said:

It worrys me that the man who is now in charge of of Royal Caribbean group doesn't have the best track record when it comes to decisions most on this board like. Seems to put the bottom line above anything else.

Unfortunately, for us, his dedication to the bottom line is exactly what he is compensated for.

He is very, very good at making money and will continue to do whatever he can get away with to continue increasing the valuation of the company.

As a stockholder, I think this is great, as a passenger, not so much.

[smokeybandit]

But what, as a passenger, has he changed?

 

Prices have gone up? Of course they have. Prices everywhere have gone up.

Is the onboard experience radically different?

I know there's a subset of passengers who wish it was still 20 years ago in regards to ship size and types of itineraries, but that group is in the minority anymore.