Carnival’s new rewards setup is finally getting real discussion

Been reading Cruise Industry News this week, and one item caught my eye for folks around here: Carnival’s newer Carnival Rewards setup and milestone changes are still making waves, especially now that more cruisers are actually sailing under it and comparing notes. That is not exactly casino news only, but anytime Carnival changes how they track and recognize guests, I figure casino folks pay attention too. My take: I’m curious whether this winds up changing how some of us think about splitting play and bookings across lines, especially those of us out of New Orleans who hop on Carnival a lot just because it’s easy. Denise says I overthink this stuff and should just go play three-card and order gumbo. Anybody here feel like the new rewards system has changed how you book, play, or look at offers yet?

Replies

I don’t think the broad loyalty/rewards changes automatically tell us much about casino offers, but they absolutely can change how people feel about concentrating sailings on one line. Two separate buckets, basically. Carnival can tighten milestone perks on the cruise side while casino marketing stays discretionary and does its own thing. What I’d watch is the fine print on any “earned” benefit versus any casino offer that just shows up in your account. Those are not the same animal. If you’re sailing out of NOLA for convenience, that still may outweigh trying to chase status elsewhere. Has anyone here actually noticed a real change yet in Carnival casino mailers or booking flexibility under the newer setup?

I’m with Sue on keeping the buckets separate, but I do think the new setup changes the psychology a little. Gene and I used to feel like all our Carnival trips were building toward something simple. Now I find myself looking harder at the whole trip value, not just the casino side. If another line has a better fare, better balcony deal, or easier drive, I’m less sentimental than I used to be. As for play, no change here. I still set my bankroll before muster and stick to it. Have any of you actually changed where you book because of the milestone tweaks, or just grumbled and stayed put?

I think it changes the tie-breaker more than the core decision. If I’m already choosing between two decent itineraries, a simpler or more satisfying loyalty path can nudge me one way. But it hasn’t made me think casino offers are suddenly more predictable, because those still seem very much case by case. What I have noticed is I’m comparing the whole experience more closely now: embarkation ease, cabin price, smoking setup in the casino, and whether I actually like the ports. For the folks sailing out of New Orleans a lot, does convenience still win even if the rewards side feels less compelling?