On June 9, 2012 Carnival announced it will be placing into effect a new Loyalty program which is based upon days sails, not cruises taken. The logic us easy to understand, but they have added additional tiers to achieve the upper levels which demoted almost all existing passengers to a new lower tier and now will receive less "perks" than before. In order to achieve the higher levels and receive the benefits as before, they have to cruise significantly more.
Carnival's updated program, membership tiers will expand from two (Gold, two cruises, and Platinum, 10) to five (Blue, Red, Gold, Platinum and Diamond). Membership levels will now be based on days cruised, as opposed to the current system of total cruises taken. Many of the most coveted benefits, currently granted once a past-passenger has sailed 10 times -- i.e. the current Platinum status -- are being divided between the two new upper tiers (Platinum, 75-199 cruise days, and Diamond, 200+ cruise days).
But the biggest concern is whether past passengers will drop in status under the new program, thereby losing perks they were used to getting. While Carnival cruisers currently reach Platinum status with their 10th sailing, the VIFP Platinum cruiser has spent a minimum of 75 days at sea. A member who sailed 10 cruises of seven nights or fewer would therefore drop from Platinum in the old system to Gold -- with far fewer perks -- in the new.
Presently there is nothing going to happen to grand fathering passengers into their existing status, but John Heald, Carnival's senior cruise director, has been assuring passengers on his blog that they will not lose their status. "[I] repeat the fact that I have been assured that those who are at Platinum level now will not lose their seniority and that those who are 'close' will be grand fathered in," he posted on April 13 on his blog. The new program does not do what John Heald claims in grand fathering in passengers when checked recently.
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