Carnival Rewards: Key Dates to Know • Into the Funnel

Carnival is shutting down its long-running VIFP Club loyalty program and replacing it with Carnival Rewards on June 1, 2026. Between now and launch, several key deadlines determine how your current status carries over under the new system.

For a full breakdown of stars, points, perks, and tiers, see our detailed explainer on Carnival Rewards (the new Carnival loyalty program)..

Here’s a look at what’s changing and when.

Now Through May 31, 2026

You’re still earning VIFP points under the current structure. Nights sailed still count, and the existing tiers (Blue, Red, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) stay in place. This is your final runway to qualify for a higher level before the switch.

If you want lifetime Diamond under Carnival Rewards, you need to hit Diamond status no later than May 31, 2026. Carnival confirmed in September that anyone who earns Diamond by this date will keep it permanently in the new program. That was a reversal from their original plan to make Diamond expire after 6 years.

Platinum members will not get lifetime status. Instead, Platinum guests stay Platinum through May 31, 2028. They also get a 10,000 Status Qualifying Star bonus deposited into their account every two years. That guarantees Gold status with a 20% head start toward maintaining Platinum.

June 1, 2026

The VIFP Club shuts down and Carnival Rewards goes live.

Status is now based on Status Qualifying Stars (3 Stars per dollar on cruise fare and onboard spend).
Carnival Rewards Points are earned at the same rate and can be redeemed for cruises, upgrades, and add-ons.
Existing FunPoints from the Carnival Mastercard convert to Rewards Points automatically. They do not count toward status.

This is also when the new Milestone Rewards Program structure kicks in. Milestone awards change from counting number of cruises to counting days sailed. Carnival has said current Milestone awards earned through May 2026 will be honored until May 2030.

June 1, 2028

This is the first status expiration point for anyone who ends May 2026 as Platinum. If not enough Stars are earned to maintain Platinum, status drops to the tier that matches the balance at that time. Pre-switch Platinum guests do get a 10,000 Star boost every two years, but that only guarantees Gold. Maintaining Platinum still requires additional Stars from sailing or spending. For anyone who isn’t grandfathered and doesn’t earn new Stars, it’s possible to fall all the way to Red.

One thing Carnival has confirmed: if a guest earns enough Stars to move up a tier mid-cycle, the upgrade happens right away. For example, a guest who reaches Platinum in June 2027 will enjoy that status through May 31, 2028 (end of the current period) and through the entire next two-year “enjoyment period” ending in May 2030. When June 2028 hits, their Star balance resets, and the next cycle’s status is based only on what they earn between June 2028 and May 2030.

May 31, 2030

This is the final date through which Carnival will honor any Milestone awards earned under the old VIFP system. That includes the onboard credit amounts tied to the 25, 50, 75, and 100-cruise milestones, as well as the free suite cruise benefit for guests who already reached 100 cruises before the switch. After May 2030, only the new “days sailed” Milestone Rewards Program structure applies.

Why It Matters

Carnival Rewards doesn’t fully take over until June 2026, but the clock is already running for anyone trying to lock in status or hit a Milestone before the deadline. The key dates above are the checkpoints that will decide what tier you start with, how long you keep it, and how many bonus Stars you’ll get along the way. If you care about perks, now is the time to plan your sailings because once the switch happens, loyalty is no longer based on cruise nights, and there won’t be a way to “catch up” later.