Carnival’s New Rewards vs Royal’s New Points Choice: This Is Where Cruisers Get Tripped Up

You know that moment when you’re pricing out a future cruise and you catch yourself thinking, “Okay… but what does this do for my status?” That question is about to get a lot more complicated — because both Carnival and Royal Caribbean Group are changing loyalty in 2026, and they’re doing it in very different ways.

With Carnival Rewards, the main thing to watch is who actually earns the points and stars—and which purchases count once everything is tied to spending. If you’ve ever cruised with family, split cabins, or booked for someone else, you already know how messy that can get fast.

With Royal Caribbean Group’s new Points Choice, it’s the opposite problem. It sounds simple until you realize you’re suddenly making an active decision after a sailing — and if you miss the timing window or route points to the wrong place, you can accidentally slow down the status you were trying to build.

No surprise: cruisers are already debating what’s fair, what’s confusing, and who comes out ahead.

In this guide, we’ll break down how you earn, how you keep status, what you can redeem, and which program fits the way you cruise.

Key Dates + What This Means for the Cruises You Already Have Booked

Now for the part most people actually care about: what counts, when it counts, and what you need to do (if anything).

Royal Caribbean Group Points Choice: what counts and when

Points Choice applies to sailings departing on/after January 30, 2026. If your cruise departs before that, Points Choice isn’t in play.

If your cruise departs on/after that date, you can submit a Points Choice request on the app or on the website any time before sailing or up to 14 days after your cruise ends if you want those earned points applied to a different brand program (Royal, Celebrity, or Silversea). If you do nothing, your points stay with the brand you sailed.

Carnival Rewards: what counts and when

Carnival Rewards begins September 1, 2026. That means your cruises taken through August 31, 2026 still earn under the current VIFP structure (until the transition).

Carnival also states that when Carnival Rewards launches, your starting tier is tied to your VIFP status as of August 31, 2026 for the initial program period — so your status on launch day matters.

How You Earn: Carnival’s Spend-Based Engine vs Royal’s Nights-Based System

This is where the two programs split hard.

Carnival Rewards is built around how much you spend (fare + onboard + pre-cruise). Royal Caribbean Group’s Points Choice is built around how much you sail (nights + stateroom category) — with a new option to decide which brand gets the credit.

Carnival Rewards: you earn on what you buy (points + stars)

Carnival Rewards has two currencies:

• Carnival Rewards Points = the “spendable” currency you can redeem later
• Status Qualifying Stars = what currency that moves you up tiers

For most guests, you earn 3 points + 3 stars per $1 spent on eligible Carnival purchases. That can include cruise fare, pre-cruise purchases, and onboard spending, although Carnival notes there are exclusions depending on what you buy.

Where it gets especially important is how Carnival handles who actually receives the credit. Cruise fare spend is generally split equally among eligible guests in the same cabin, which can matter a lot for couples and families trying to build status.

Carnival also says minors (under 18) can’t enroll, so when children are in the cabin, their portion of cruise fare earning is awarded to the responsible party instead.

Another detail that surprises some people: if you pay for someone else’s cruise but you are not sailing, the points and stars go to the guests who travel — not the person who made the purchase.

Carnival indicates points and stars are usually credited after the sailing ends, rather than showing up instantly while you’re onboard.

And for casino-focused cruisers, Carnival ties earning to play as well. Carnival’s program details state you can earn 1 Rewards Point for every 1 Casino Point earned, which makes casino activity a meaningful earning path for some guests.

I’ve written a full breakdown of the new Carnival Rewards program for you here for a more in depth explanation.

Royal Caribbean Group Points Choice: you earn like you always have — but you choose where points land

Points Choice doesn’t replace the individual programs. It layers on top of them:

• You earn points on your sailing, then
• You can apply those earned points to the brand program you prefer (Crown & Anchor for Royal Caribbean, Captain’s Club for Celebrity Cruises, or Venetian Society for Silversea)

Royal’s messaging frames Points Choice as a way to apply points “your way” across Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea — not a rewrite of how points are earned onboard in the first place.

What this changes is the strategy for people who cruise across brands. If you’re mostly a Royal cruiser but occasionally sail Celebrity, Points Choice gives you a way to keep building toward the status you’ll actually use most, instead of diluting your progress across multiple programs.

It also becomes a “math decision” once you start comparing how different cabin types convert across brands using the official exchange rate table below. That’s where the program can start to feel either powerful or frustrating, depending on how you cruise and which cabins you book most often.

For more details on Royal Caribbean’s Points Choice program, I’ve got you covered here.

Status Tiers, Thresholds, and Re-Qualification

Here’s the part that matters most for frequent cruisers: Carnival is changing how you keep status, while Royal’s Points Choice is mostly changing where your earned credit can be applied.

Carnival Rewards: status is earned in fixed windows (and you’ll need to re-qualify)

Carnival Rewards still uses four familiar tiers — Red, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond — but the way you earn and keep them is different. Carnival states you collect Status Qualifying Stars during a fixed two-year “Status Qualifying Period,” and your status for the next period is based on what you earned in that window.

Carnival’s help page spells out the first few windows clearly: the first status period runs September 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028, and then resets on January 1, 2029 through December 31, 2030, and so on.

As for the tier thresholds, multiple outlets have reported the same star ranges:

• Gold: 10,000–49,999 stars
• Platinum: 50,000–99,999 stars
• Diamond: 100,000+ stars

Carnival also added a big “bridge” for current loyalists: Carnival’s FAQ says existing Platinum VIFP guests (as of Aug 31, 2026) will receive a 10,000 Status Qualifying Stars deposit, and that this is intended as a recurring head start at the beginning of each new two-year cycle.

Why this is a huge shift: under Carnival Rewards, status becomes something you maintain through continued activity, not something you automatically keep forever (with limited legacy exceptions that Carnival outlines separately)

Royal Caribbean Group: Points Choice doesn’t replace tiers — it lets you steer your progress

Royal Caribbean Group is not replacing Crown & Anchor, Captain’s Club, or Venetian Society with a single new tier ladder. Points Choice is a routing feature that lets you decide which program gets your earned points, and Royal says you can submit that request anytime before sailing or up to 14 days after.

The bigger “tier” story with Royal Caribbean Group is actually the combination of:

1. Status Match (one-for-one tier matching across Royal/Celebrity/Silversea)
2. Points Choice (choose which brand gets your earned credit)

That combo is why some cruisers see this as a flexibility upgrade: you’re not locked into “starting over” when you try another brand inside the same parent company.

What cruisers are talking about (and why it matters)

Carnival’s shift has sparked strong reactions because it changes the feel of the loyalty game. Carnival is moving from “days sailed” to a system that’s heavily tied to spend and requires re-qualification, which many longtime guests see as a downgrade in fairness for frequent (but not high-spend) cruisers.

Points Choice is generating debate too, but it’s more “how does this work in real life?” than “what are you taking away?” Cruisers are asking about tricky situations and how it all works—like what happens with kids and how families can choose where their points go.

So… What Do You Get Out of This?

This is where the two programs feel the least comparable — because they’re rewarding two different things.

Carnival Rewards: points you can actually use toward your trip

Carnival is very clear about the intent: Carnival Rewards Points are designed to be used toward cruise-related purchases. They can be redeemed for a wide range of options, including onboard experiences, specialty dining, spa, gratuities, and even toward a future cruise.

Carnival also provides a value guideline: 100 points ≈ $1 USD, while noting redemption value may vary based on demand. Carnival also states there’s no minimum required to start redeeming.

Redemption is positioned as something you can use throughout the cruise journey. Carnival says you’ll be able to apply points during booking (including deposit and fare), use them for pre-cruise add-ons like excursions and packages, and redeem onboard through the HUB App for onboard purchases and activities.

On expiration, Carnival’s FAQ says points don’t expire as long as you have qualifying activity within a 3-year period, and each eligible earn or redeem activity extends the expiration window. It also states Carnival Mastercard cardmembers’ points never expire.

Royal Caribbean Group: Points Choice isn’t “points you spend” — it’s points you place

Points Choice is best understood as a routing tool, not a points-wallet. Royal’s FAQ explains that you can apply the earned points from a qualifying sailing to the brand loyalty program of your choice (Royal, Celebrity, or Silversea).

Royal also describes the mechanics: points post after your cruise as they do today, and if you submit a Points Choice request, the original points are deducted from the brand you sailed and then applied to the program you selected.

A limitation worth calling out for readers who mix loyalty “currencies”: Royal’s FAQ states Points Choice does not apply to casino programs or credit card reward points. It only applies to the three brand loyalty programs.

Royal notes that exchange rates will be reviewed and published annually, so the “best move” for your points can change over time.

The “Best for You” Guide (Based on How You Actually Cruise)

If you’re an occasional cruiser (one trip every year or two)

Carnival Rewards may feel more immediately useful because it’s built around earning points you can redeem toward cruise-related purchases.

Points Choice can still be helpful, but the payoff usually feels bigger when you’re actively building status across multiple Royal Caribbean Group brands.

If you cruise often but keep onboard spending low

Carnival’s system is driven by eligible spend, so frequent cruisers who don’t spend much beyond the basics may find progress slower than they’re used to under sailing-frequency models. Cabin sharing can also matter because Carnival splits eligible cruise-fare earning among eligible guests in the stateroom.

With Royal Caribbean Group, Points Choice doesn’t change how you earn; it gives you a way to keep your progress focused where you want the perks most.

If you’re a high onboard spender (drinks, specialty dining, spa, Wi-Fi, excursions)

Carnival Rewards is built to reward that style because points and stars come from eligible purchases, and points can be redeemed across many cruise purchases.

Points Choice isn’t really trying to “discount your onboard bill.” It’s designed to help you concentrate loyalty credit where it improves your status outcome.

If you cruise as a family (or share cabins a lot)

Carnival’s “who earns” rules matter. Carnival states cruise-fare earning is divided among eligible guests in the cabin, and minors can’t enroll—so the responsible party earns for the minor’s portion. Depending on how your family books cabins, that can either help you consolidate earning or make progress feel diluted.

With Points Choice, the family decision is usually simpler: which brand’s perks do you want to build toward?

If you bounce between Royal Caribbean and Celebrity (or want to try Silversea)

This is where Points Choice shines. It’s designed specifically to let you apply earned points from eligible sailings to the loyalty program you choose.

That makes it easier to avoid spreading your progress thin across separate ladders—especially if you’re experimenting with brands but want to keep building toward one main tier goal.

If you like “set it and forget it” loyalty

Points Choice can require a little attention if you plan to move points, because Royal describes a request process and timing window; if you don’t submit, points stay with the brand you sailed.

Carnival Rewards is less about remembering a form and more about understanding how your spend and cabin setup affects progress.

How To Maximize Your Loyalty

Carnival Rewards: earn smarter + protect your points

The biggest win is understanding what counts as eligible earning and how cabin sharing affects who receives credit. Carnival explains the earning structure across cruise purchases and the cabin/minor allocation rules on its program pages.

Practical Carnival checklist

• Make sure everyone who can enroll is enrolled before sailing (so cabin splits don’t go to waste).
• If you cruise infrequently, set a reminder to earn or redeem periodically so you don’t lose momentum.
• If you’re a casino cruiser, remember Carnival explicitly ties earning to casino play (via casino points).
• If you’re close to a VIFP milestone, remember the September 1, 2026 shift gives more time for Summer 2026 cruises to count toward your final VIFP tier.

Royal Caribbean Group: set a reminder and use the window

Royal’s FAQ and Crown & Anchor page are clear: you can submit a request before sailing or up to 14 days after the cruise, and late requests aren’t processed.

Practical Points Choice checklist

• Put a calendar reminder for when you get home: don’t flirt with the 14-day window.
• Before choosing, open the official 2026 exchange tables and check your cabin type (inside vs balcony vs suite can change the math).
• Keep casino and credit card rewards separate—Points Choice won’t move them.

FAQ (the questions readers keep asking)

Does Carnival Rewards replace VIFP?

Yes. Carnival states VIFP remains in place until Carnival Rewards launches, and when Carnival Rewards begins, you’ll be granted at least your VIFP status as of August 31, 2026 for the initial program period.

Do Carnival Rewards points expire?

Carnival’s help page says points don’t expire as long as there’s an eligible activity within a 3-year period, and each eligible earn or redeem activity extends the expiration window. It also says points never expire for Carnival Mastercard cardmembers.

Do I have to “sign up” for Royal Caribbean Group Points Choice?

Royal’s Points Choice FAQ indicates Points Choice is a feature tied to the Royal Caribbean Group loyalty ecosystem (Crown & Anchor / Captain’s Club / Venetian Society) and is used when you want to apply earned points to a different brand’s program. (In other words: you don’t have to do anything unless you want to move points.)

Can I change my Points Choice request after I submit it?

No. Royal’s FAQ is explicit that once submitted, requests cannot be changed, and points can only be transferred once between brands for that sailing.

How do I know what my points will convert to?

Royal directs members to the 2026 Points Exchange Rate charts by brand (Crown & Anchor, Captain’s Club, Venetian Society). Royal also says exchange rates will be reviewed and published annually, so conversion math can change year to year.

Does Points Choice include casino programs or credit card points?

No. Royal’s FAQ says Points Choice does not apply to casino programs or credit card reward points—it’s only for the three brand loyalty programs.

Wrap-Up + What To Do Next

If there’s a bigger takeaway here, it’s this: cruise loyalty is moving in two directions at once—either toward spend-based rewards you can use like currency (Carnival’s approach), or toward flexible status strategy across a family of brands (Royal Caribbean Group’s approach).

Neither one is automatically “better,” but both show what cruise lines care about most: rewarding the guests who bring in the most money—either the people who spend a lot onboard, or the people who keep cruising within the same company’s brands.

The smart play isn’t chasing every new rule—it’s choosing the system that rewards the way you already cruise.

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