Carnival Cruise Line’s new loyalty program has been met with mixed reactions after being introduced by the company earlier this week.

One of the main updates to the program, which will now be called Carnival Rewards, is related to status levels, which will now be temporary.

According to the new rules, passengers will rely on a dual-earning structure to accumulate status points that will be reset every two years.

On social media, the changes faced significant backlash from the company’s loyal guests, who voiced concerns about the potential lossof their current status levels.

“I’ve been sailing with Carnival since I was a teenager … we’ve spent decades with this cruise line; not because we had to, but because we chose to. We travel often,” a guest said in a Facebook post.

“Most of us in this group can afford to sail with any cruise line. And yet, we’ve continued to choose Carnival out of loyalty, which is no longer being returned,” the passenger added, noting that the change will “drive away customers.”

“Spent 43 years being loyal to this company only to have them slap all of us in the face to earn back our status after two years.

“The ones this will hurt are the ones who can only travel once a year. They should have never changed anything,” a passenger commented on another post.

On a topic on Reddit, other guests showed support for the new program, which will take effect on June 1, 2026.

“If you read the FAQ and the material they are putting out on this, frankly, it all just makes sense,” the user baltinerdist said.

“They are pretty upfront about the fact that the main reason they are doing this is because it’s a lifetime loyalty program and too many people are in the top tiers,” he said, mentioning logistical problems related to the high number of top-tier guests.

“When everyone is special, no one is,” the Reddit user continued.

In a video shared by the company’s Brand Ambassador John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy explained that the new program is an evolution of its traditional loyalty offerings.

“The cruise industry overall has grown and evolved immensely, and so have we. Rewards programs have evolved as well across the entire travel industry, especially for airlines and hotels, but not so much for cruises,” she said.

Duffy added that, as an industry leader, Carnival will now be the first cruise line to bring a modern rewards program to its passengers.

“When it comes to loyalty, we believe that rewards should be flexible and personalized, and that’s exactly what Carnival Rewards will deliver,” she added.

Duffy said that continued loyalty from guests is vital, and the company is making sure to provide meaningful benefits.