Four More Carnival Sailings to Miss Out on Loyalty Perks

Carnival Cruise Line rewards the highest tiers of its current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program with special privileges during their sailings.

These include benefits like priority embarkation and debarkation, free early stateroom access, welcome treats, special pins and souvenirs, and more.

But more and more often, Carnival has had to revoke privileges due to a high number of Diamond and/or Platinum passengers – and it’s happening once again to four more voyages.

In this case, the Platinum guests in the second-highest tier appear to be to blame, while the top-tier Diamond guests seem to be able to keep their regular benefits.

Read Also: Which Cruise Lines Match Loyalty Programs?

When too many of these elite guests are booked on a specific sailing, it simply becomes impossible to offer all of the usual perks.

This predicament is the main catalyst behind the rollout of Carnival’s controversial new Carnival Rewards Program later this year, as the cruise line wants to be able to better reward its most loyal passengers.

Which Sailings are Impacted?

Unsurprisingly, the impacted cruises are mostly Carnival Journeys sailings, which are nine days or longer. Historically, these longer vacations have attracted larger numbers of VIFP elites.

The first impacted sailing is a 13-day voyage to the Southern Caribbean onboard Carnival Conquest, which embarks in Miami, Florida, on January 17, 2026.

This sailing is also a SEA Cruise, meaning it is a sailing exclusively for adults 21 and older.

This is sort of a double whammy, as these special adults-only voyages have also quickly earned a reputation for attracting elite VIFP guests as well as members of the Carnival Players Club.

Carnival Miracle’s January 17 cruise to the Caribbean and Panama has also been similarly impacted. At 8 nights long, it is just one day shy of being considered a Carnival Journeys sailing.

Next up is Carnival Spirit. The Spirit-class flagship’s 14-night sailing to the Southern Caribbean that will embark in Mobile, Alabama, on January 17 is the voyage that will lose its perks.

Last but not least is Carnival Dream’s January 18 departure, which is a 14-night sailing to the Eastern Caribbean based out of Galveston, Texas.

Which Benefits are Going Away?

Making this case somewhat unusual, Diamond guests are not mentioned in the letter, which suggests these cruisers may get to keep all of their normal perks.

The letter from Carnival reads: “Due to the high number of Platinum guests joining us on this voyage, we will not be able to provide the following benefits.”

“These operational changes are consistent with other voyages where we have a very large number of Platinum guests. We apologize for any disappointment and thank you for understanding,” the notice continued.

So, what perks are guests actually missing out on during these upcoming sailings?

First, priority embarkation and disembarkation – including at ports of call – will not be possible.

Next, early stateroom access to drop off luggage will not be permitted. Platinum guests will have to wait until cabins become available at around 1:30 p.m. on embarkation day, like everyone else. Priority luggage delivery won’t be available for checked bags either.

Last but not least, the normal priority line and priority phone assistance for guest services may also not be available or only be offered on a very limited basis.

But on the bright side, perks like complimentary beverages, welcome treats (upon request), and free laundry services aren’t going anywhere.