New Carnival Cruise Line loyalty program kicks off Tuesday

One of the most controversial overhauls of a cruise line loyalty program in years is now in effect.On Tuesday, cruise giant Carnival officially kicked off its new Carnival Rewards program, which replaces the line's 14-year-old Carnival VIFP Club program in its entirety and brings sweeping changes to the way Carnival fans earn and maintain status.Originally scheduled to launch in June, the new four-tier program notably brings an end to "status for life" for most customers — a massive change that caused an uproar among Carnival fans when first announced in 2025.You'll now only earn status for a two-year increment and then lose it unless you requalify.The new program also shifts the way Carnival fans earn status to a spend-based system more commonly found with airline loyalty programs but still rare in the cruise world — a switch that was not well received by many Carnival regulars, who were accustomed to earning status by taking lots of inexpensive sailings.Related: The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line ships and itinerariesThe former Carnival VIFP Club program awarded status based solely on the number of days you cruised. The amount of money you spent with the line didn't matte...