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Carnival is making cruisers work a little harder to enjoy its loyalty perks

July 16, 2021
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3 min read
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Carnival is making cruisers work a little harder to enjoy its loyalty perks
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If you're a member of Carnival's VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) cruise loyalty program, you'll no longer find welcome amenities in your cabin when you board, but that doesn't mean you can't still get them.

As part of a new "Have Fun. Be Safe." program to combat COVID-19 on board its ships, Carnival Cruise Line has changed the way it doles out loyalty amenities like bottles of water, chocolate-covered strawberries and logo wear, which are perks that can be earned as passengers reach different tiers.

(Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)

Now, instead of placing the items in cruisers' staterooms at the start of each voyage, the line will load credits for those items onto passengers' Sail & Sign accounts, allowing them to be claimed at certain venues onboard. Although it's not the reason for the move, it could result in reduced waste in the event that passengers don't actually want their welcome gifts.

In a series of loyalty-tier-specific letters emailed to people who are currently booked, Christine Duffy -- the line's president, who recently chatted with TPG's Brian Kelly about the restart of cruising -- said the goal of the tweak is to "minimize the number of stateroom deliveries."

"Moving forward, VIFP amenities will be linked to your Sail & Sign folio for electronic redemption," the letter reads. "Simply claim your benefit using your Sail & Sign card, and a one-time credit for that item will be posted on your folio and will be visible on your statement."

(Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)

Travelers have noted similar trends recently during land-based trips, with many hotels and resorts limiting access to amenities like on-site spas and fitness centers. They have also decreased person-to-person contact by cutting back on daily room cleaning, turndown and other services that were routinely provided pre-pandemic.

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In addition to the loyalty perk delivery tweaks, Have Fun. Be Safe. also outlines the rules for passenger vaccination and testing, travel insurance requirements for unvaccinated passengers, health screenings, mask wearing, social distancing, shore excursions, online check-in and more.

Carnival will be operating its sailings on several ships from the U.S. as "vaccinated," meaning that 95% or more of passengers and crew will have received all doses of the shot at least 14 days prior to sailing. Vaccinated passengers will not be required to wear masks onboard; unvaccinated cruisers will be required to do so. The latter will also be required to submit negative PCR test results no more than 72 hours old, undergo mandatory testing onboard (at their own expense) and carry travel insurance that covers them in the event they test positive.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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