Carnival is making cruisers work a little harder to enjoy its loyalty perks
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.
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."
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.
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.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® 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. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® 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. |
| 5X | Earn 5X Membership RewardsĀ® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel Appā¢. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership RewardsĀ® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel Appā¢, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership RewardsĀ® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel Appā¢ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership RewardsĀ® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership RewardsĀ® Points after you spend $8,000 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 youāre approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount ā all with no credit score impact. If youāre approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® 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 RewardsĀ® 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 5X Membership RewardsĀ® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel Appā¢.
- Earn 3X Membership RewardsĀ® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel Appā¢, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership RewardsĀ® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel Appā¢ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership RewardsĀ® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay ItĀ® lets you tap in the American ExpressĀ® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan ItĀ® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. Youāll know upfront exactly how much youāll pay.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American ExpressĀ® Gold Card. Thatās up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American ExpressĀ® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkinā locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five StarĀ® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide.Ā§ *Eligible charges vary by property.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel Appā¢ with added peace of mind ā backed by American ExpressĀ® service and support. Only for American ExpressĀ® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.