Carnival Cruise Line's Recent Update To Its Loyalty Perk Will Likely Leave Customers Unhappy

In 2025, Carnival Cruise Line confirmed that it won't offer a unified loyalty program across its sister brands. This means that passengers will not be able to carry over loyalty perks or points with its sister cruise brands that are part of the larger Carnival Corporation, which include Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard. 

Loyalty perks and points get customers a higher membership level, and a higher membership level means better benefits and more money-saving tricks: Priority boarding, wash-and-fold services, and free alcoholic cruise beverages are just some of these perks. Collecting points is a way of making sure customers come back again and again to unlock benefits in future purchases, and it is such a successful marketing model that it is used in almost every kind of business, from coffee shops to airlines and their frequent flyer programs. No wonder some refer to this current era as "the golden age of loyalty." However, many frequent Carnival cruisers may be disappointed to find that their points don't apply to the line's sister brands.

When asked what the chances were of brands sharing points, John Heald, a brand ambassador for Carnival Cruise Lines, replied, "Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no plans to do this. Each of the cruise lines is run completely separately with a completely separate loyalty program, so at the moment, there is no synergy between us" (via TheStreet).

Loyalty points are a retention tool, and their raison d'etre is to make sure customers don't switch to other brands. However, given all the different cruise lines and brands that offer varied experiences, it's no surprise customers want to try different ships and routes, and loyalty rewards make that easier to accomplish. In fact, on cruise enthusiast forums such as r/Cruise, loyalty points and programs are a common topic. 

Now that Carnival Cruise won't offer a loyalty program with its affiliated brands, could this mean new cruisers might choose another corporation to sail the seas with? After all, many of Carnival's competitors offer loyalty match programs. Take Virgin Voyages, the adult-only cruise brand. Its Sailing Club Status Match program allows travelers to use their points in other cruise lines and even some airlines. Similarly, for the Swiss cruise line MSC Cruises, passengers can match their loyalty status from other cruise lines. By comparison, Carnival cruisers might begin to feel unappreciated, especially when their status means little outside of one brand. Without a more flexible approach, Carnival risks sending those sailers straight into the arms of a competitor.

To illustrate this point, IAG Loyalty, a company specializing in customer loyalty programs, conducted a survey (published on Skift) of 2,000 Britons about their satisfaction with loyalty programs, and almost 70% of them revealed they would prefer if loyalty program currencies were combined or consolidated. If you're looking for a different line to sail with, consider one that offers status matching, such as Royal Caribbean, which also boasts the largest cruise ship in the world.